Home on the Ranch

by Trish Milburn

  * * *

  THE FIRST THING Austin did after resigning from his position at Lealand Energy Group was call the real estate agent in Blue Falls and take the ranch off the market. He might end up failing at ranching in spectacular fashion, but he had to try. If he didn’t, the what-if question would plague him the rest of his days. And if the ranching didn’t work, he’d figure something else out. Because he wasn’t giving up his family’s home. As he headed back to Blue Falls, he couldn’t believe how close he’d come to throwing away everything. He’d let the one bad thing blind him to all the good for too long. No longer.

  As he drove up to the ranch, he half expected to see Ella’s truck. But the driveway sat empty. His heart rate spiked as he walked up the front steps of the house and approached the front door. But the house would be cleared out by now, presenting no danger of him being buried by years of hoarding.

  Though the house hadn’t changed in size, the interior seemed enormous now that it was empty. Almost empty. He spotted what looked like his grandmother’s old treadle sewing machine in the corner of the living room with a refinished ladder-back chair in front of it. But something looked different. He took a step he didn’t think he’d ever take, and it echoed. He’d never heard an echo in this house.

  When he reached the corner, his breath caught. Ella had converted the sewing machine into a desk with a glass top. Below the glass was a collage of the box covers from his grandfather’s John Wayne movies—wearing an eye patch as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit, alongside Jimmy Stewart in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, as a coonskin cap– wearing Davy Crockett in The Alamo. She’d taken something he’d thought he never wanted to see again and proved him wrong.

  As if that wasn’t enough, she’d used an old window to frame photos from his youth. Him atop a horse he’d had as a kid, dressed from head to toe like a pint-size cowboy. One from when he was a toddler, chocolate frosting smeared from one ear to the other. His grandparents sitting on the front steps, smiling at the camera.

  Austin swallowed against the raw emotion swelling in his throat at how much he missed them. He’d give anything to be able to go back in time and do things differently, not say things to hurt them, and take back how he’d told them they embarrassed him and he never wanted to live in their house again. He’d try harder to understand or at least accept the way they were. And he’d be kinder as he tried to make them understand his feelings.

  He wandered into the kitchen, where only the big appliances and the table and chairs remained. Atop the table were several photo albums and framed family snapshots Ella had obviously left for him despite his assertion he didn’t want anything. He couldn’t look at the photos now, wasn’t ready to walk down that part of memory lane quite yet. Later, gradually.

  A ticking sound drew his attention to the wall above the table. There hung one of his grandmother’s blue floral plates, turned into a clock. He lifted his hand and ran his fingertip along the edge of the plate, remembering eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes off it. Ella really was good at her job, repurposing items in ways he could have never imagined. Giving items with old memories an avenue to create new memories.

  And that she’d done it for him, after everything that had happened, said a lot about what a good person she was and meant more to him than he could find words to say.

  He walked through the rest of the house, but when he went out to the barn to see Duke, who’d been left in the care of Jasper Clark, a rancher down the road, Austin was surprised to see that none of the accumulated items had been removed. A quick check of the other outbuildings revealed the same. Was Ella so angry at him that she’d decided even free materials weren’t worth coming out here?

  But that didn’t make sense considering what she’d made for him, the care she’d taken in assembling all the family photos.

  The need to see Ella, to apologize, propelled him back to his car. He had to make things right.

  As he drove into downtown Blue Falls, he spotted the Mehlerhaus Bakery and got an idea. If he showed up with a strawberry tart as a peace offering, maybe she’d at least open the door and listen to what he had to say.

  Keri looked up from where she was rolling dough on one of the big metal tables in the bakery’s open kitchen. The fact that she froze and appeared surprised to see him tripped a warning alarm in his head. Had Ella told her what had happened? He hadn’t considered that, since Ella had wanted to keep their time together quiet.

  “Austin,” Keri said as she approached the front counter. Yeah, definitely a chilly reception.

  “I’d like to get a couple of your strawberry tarts.”

  “All sold out.”

  “Oh.” He glanced at the glass-fronted display case, and didn’t see any of the big cinnamon rolls Ella liked either. “What else does Ella like?”

  When Keri didn’t answer, he looked up to meet her gaze.

  “Okay, I’m guessing she told you what happened, and I know I was a jerk. But I’m here to apologize,” he said. “And I thought bearing something sweet might help me out a little.”

  “I don’t think a pastry is going to help right now.”

  “I know I handled things badly. That’s why I want to see her, to make amends.”

  Keri tilted her head a little. “You don’t know, do you?”

  Austin’s gut wrenched. He didn’t like the sound of that question. “What?”

  “Ella’s house burned down a few nights ago.”

  Fear slammed into him as if he’d been hit with the swing of a baseball bat. “Is she okay?”

  “Some bumps and bruises, but she’s lost almost everything.”

  “Where is she staying?”

  Keri’s expression tightened. “In her truck. She’s trying to work using what little she has left in that shed that was behind the house.”

  He started for the door.

  “Austin.”

  He stopped at the command in Keri’s voice.

  “Don’t hurt her again,” she said. “You do, and we’re going to have a problem. Ella is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. She doesn’t deserve any of this.”

  He stared at Keri for a moment then nodded. “You’re right.”

  Austin had a hard time not driving twice the speed limit on the way to Ella’s place. When he made the turn onto the road that ran between the edge of the industrial park and her house, he felt sick. Only a charred shell of the house remained. The thought that she might have died in that fire scared him even though he knew she hadn’t.

  He closed the distance from the intersection to the driveway and pulled in. Her truck sat in front of the little shed, and she stood between them painting a chair. Though he wanted to race to her and pull her into his arms, reassuring himself that she was okay, he wasn’t sure of his reception. So he slipped out of the car and walked toward her. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy when she didn’t even look up at him or acknowledge his presence.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said, at a loss for how to open the conversation, if she would even talk to him.

  “Me, too.”

  Her response was cool, as if it was the first time she’d ever met him. No, even at their first meeting, she’d been bright and cheery, full of life. He hated that he saw none of that part of her personality now.

  “Keri told me about the fire. I’m really sorry.”

  She looked up at him then, and the hardness of her gaze told him he’d hurt her more than he could have ever expected.

  “Are you? I figured you’d think it was good that all of that junk was gone.”

  She might as well have slapped him. How was he even supposed to respond to that?

  “Why are you even here?” she asked.

  “I came back to apologize. I tried to call but couldn’t reach you.”

  “Probably because my p
hone burned up.”

  Hell, this was not going well at all.

  He took a couple of steps closer to her. In response, she stood up straighter and crossed her arms.

  “All I’m asking is that you listen to what I have to say. Then if you don’t want to see me again, I’ll leave. I won’t like it, but I will.”

  She didn’t immediately respond but then said, “Fine.”

  “I am sorry, really sorry, for how I reacted that last day I was here, for what I said. I know you’re not like my grandparents were, you actually use the things you accumulate, but in that moment... Well, it wasn’t my finest.”

  He took another cautious step forward, and she didn’t budge from her spot.

  “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since I left.”

  “About how you can’t believe you were involved with me at all?”

  “Ella, please don’t. If I could go back and do things differently, I would. I promise you that. I’ve had a lot of time to think, and I know I have to let go of what happened in the past for good, to not let it have power over me at all. Trust me when I say I hate it and how I let it allow me to hurt you.”

  “Good. I hope you have a happier life now.”

  She said the words, but he couldn’t tell if she meant them. Maybe she did, but the hurt was still coloring her tone.

  “That’s what I hope, too. It’s why I came back here.”

  She tilted her head so slightly he almost didn’t notice, but it was enough of a show of curiosity for him to push forward.

  “When I got home, from the moment I walked into my apartment it didn’t feel right. And when I went to work, all I could think about was being on the ranch, riding out amongst the herd, having the sun baking my back.” He paused for a moment and waited until she met his gaze. “I missed our picnic lunches, the way you teased me about getting beaned in the head by the gutter, how much you love strawberry tarts and giant cinnamon rolls.” He hazarded another step toward her, then two. “I missed you, Ella.”

  “We knew it was temporary. Our lives are in different places. We want different things out of life.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. We don’t.”

  She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “What do you mean?”

  “I quit my job. I’m going to make a go of running the ranch. And I want you there with me. There’s plenty of room for you to work and store your supplies.”

  Ella held up a hand. “Wait. You’re not making any sense. You don’t even like what I do.”

  “You’re wrong. I stopped by the house. I saw what you made for me. The desk, the picture frame, the clock, they’re all beautiful.” Another couple of steps forward. “You’re beautiful, Ella. And I want to do whatever I can to make up for how I treated you that day I left, to make you happy.”

  She shook her head, looking confused or maybe as if she wasn’t really hearing what she thought she was. “Why?”

  He closed the distance between them and took hope from the fact that she didn’t back away.

  “Because I love you.”

  Her eyes widened so much he had the ridiculous urge to laugh but knew he couldn’t.

  “You...?”

  He smiled. “You heard me right. I love you.”

  “How?”

  At that, he did laugh. He couldn’t help it. “How could I not?”

  She shook her head again. “You’re talking crazy. We had a bit of fun, but that was it.”

  “Is that really how you feel?”

  She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Something in her eyes told him that he wasn’t the only one who had stronger feelings here.

  “I thought it was just a little fun, too, but when you weren’t there anymore, I realized I’d fallen for you. Fast and hard, though I tried to tell myself it wasn’t possible.” He reached up and caressed her cheek with his thumb. “You’re fun, hardworking, kind, so damn beautiful I don’t understand why some man with eyes hasn’t snapped you up. And did I mention great in bed?” He gave her a little, wicked grin, then grew serious. “And you made me realize I’ve been running from what I really want for a long time, ever since I left Blue Falls after high school.”

  Ella lowered her gaze and was quiet for so long that Austin thought she might not say anything in response. Maybe his love wasn’t reciprocated. What the hell was he going to do then? Blue Falls wasn’t so big that he’d never see her unless he became a hermit out on his ranch.

  “You hurt me.”

  Her words, barely above a whisper, sucker punched him. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “I...I thought I was the only one who felt something more, but I told myself that I wouldn’t admit it because I knew you weren’t staying. You were just passing through my life like so many other people have. Like everything I make. Nothing and no one stays for long. Saying that you meant more would just open me up to more hurt when you left.” She paused. “But damn it, I fell for you anyway.”

  Austin’s heart skipped a beat, then decided to beat faster. Was she saying she loved him, too? He couldn’t believe how much he wanted to hear the words.

  “When I saw the look of disgust on your face that day, it broke my heart because I knew I’d never see you again. That you didn’t feel the same way I did, could never love someone who did the one thing you couldn’t stand.”

  Austin placed his hand under her chin and gently lifted it so he could look into her dark eyes. “I want nothing more than the opportunity to heal the heart I broke. I promise you that you will never see that look on my face again. I can’t say the claustrophobia has magically gone away, because it hasn’t, but I will work my hardest to not let it have a hold over me anymore.”

  “You’re telling the truth, about how you feel?” The hope shining bright in her eyes touched him.

  “Every word. I love you, Ella Garcia, every curly-haired, pastry-loving, upcycling part of you.”

  For the first time since he’d arrived, he saw the beginnings of a smile. He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. He felt like a man who’d been out to sea for months and had finally come back to shore and the woman he loved. He ran his fingers through her hair to the back of her head and deepened the kiss, unable to get enough of her.

  After who knew how long, Ella pulled back enough to look up and meet his gaze.

  “I love you, too. It scares me to say that, but I don’t think I can keep it inside anymore.”

  He wound one of her curls around his finger. “Will you come live with me at the ranch? We can work together, on my work and yours.”

  “You’d do that, help with my business?”

  “Yes. I mean, you’ve already helped me with fencing.”

  “Which you repaid by helping me with the business plan.”

  He tugged on her curl the slightest bit. “Our lives aren’t a balance sheet of favors. I will do whatever I can because I want you to be happy, and I know making your business successful will make you happy.”

  She looked up at him like she thought she might be dreaming. “You know what would make me happy right now?”

  “A strawberry tart? Sorry, Keri’s out. I checked.”

  She smiled and ran her hand up his chest slowly. “That wasn’t what I had in mind.”

  Austin’s lower half liked where her mind was heading. “Not to bring up bad memories, but we don’t have a bed handy.”

  This time, she was the one to wear a wicked grin. “Pretty sure that car of yours has a backseat.”

  His pulse surged at the image that formed in his mind. “Does that mean I’m forgiven?”

  “It’s a good first step.”

  As he allowed her to lead him to the car, he couldn’t agree more.

  Epilogue

  Ella co
uldn’t sleep, not even with how wonderful it felt to be snuggled up next to Austin. Curiosity about what he’d been up to in the barn lately wouldn’t let her mind rest. He’d said he’d reveal all on her birthday. Well, it’d been her birthday for about six hours now, and she couldn’t wait a minute more.

  She rolled over and started nibbling on Austin’s ear. “Time to wake up,” she whispered.

  He groaned without opening his eyes. “You better be willing to make good on that promise.”

  She smiled. “You said you had a surprise for me today.”

  In the next moment, Austin rolled atop her. The feel of all that warm, taut, male flesh against her own skin scrambled her thoughts.

  “You said you’d show me the barn today.”

  He gave her the wicked smile she’d come to love then lowered his mouth to hers. As usual, the passage of time faded as she got lost in his kisses. He really was quite good at them, among other things.

  Austin moved his lips to her ear, nibbling as she had moments ago. “The barn will still be there later.”

  She gasped as he slowly entered her. Oh, this would never get old.

  “What barn?” she said, causing Austin to chuckle in that way he had that made her tingle all over.

  As they made love, she didn’t care if the barn and its mysteries got swallowed by a black hole.

  * * *

  BY THE TIME they finally left the bed, showered and dressed, Ella could barely be still. Now that she wasn’t captured in the wonderful haze of lovemaking, she was back to being intensely curious about Austin’s secret project. She felt like a kid hopped up on too much sugar on Christmas morning.

  “Okay, let’s go before you pop, birthday girl,” Austin said as he took her hand and led her outside.

  She noticed a long, rectangular piece of birthday wrapping paper over the door to the barn, a big pink bow attached at one end. As they got closer, she saw a small rope attached to the paper at the opposite end.

  “What’s that?”

  “Pull the rope and find out.” He let go of her hand and nudged her forward.