THE COWBOY SHE COULDN'T FORGET

by Patricia Thayer

  “Thank you, sir. It’s from a local winery just north of Los Angeles.”

  As he filled both glasses, Vance took out some bills and handed them to the waiter, who then left.

  “Seems you made an impression on a certain desk clerk,” Ana said.

  Vance picked up one glass and handed it to her. “Jessica is the assistant manager.”

  Ana hesitated, but accepted it. “I’m not much of a drinker.”

  “Nor am I, but I think tonight one glass wouldn’t hurt.” He raised his glass to her in a toast, then took another drink. “Come see the L.A. stars.”

  Ana wasn’t sure if drinking alcohol was a good idea, but she didn’t have to go anywhere. She walked to the big window. “Where?”

  He pointed downward. “They’re down there. See all the lights.”

  She smiled, aware of the big man standing very near to her. “Oh, my. That’s a lot of houses.”

  “It looks crowded, too. How do they stand being so close together?”

  Ana took another sip, enjoying the taste as the liquid slid down easily. She sipped again and her body began to relax. “And the noise? How do they stand all the noise and traffic?”

  He shrugged. “I have no idea. I feel I was pretty lucky to end up at the Lazy S.”

  “I know.” She faced him, feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened the past week. “I don’t want to lose the ranch, Vance. I can’t.”

  He looked down at her. “I promise, Ana. I won’t let that happen.”

  “So you’ll help me?”

  She realized that his gaze dropped to her mouth. And she suddenly remembered another time when he looked at her that same way. Right before he kissed her. “You don’t even have to ask, bright eyes.”

  His deep, husky voice caused a warm shiver to rush down her spine. She took another sip and suddenly felt light-headed, not knowing if it was the wine or the man. She reached out and touched his forearm to steady herself. Big mistake, looking into his dark eyes. “I like when you call me that.” Did she really say that out loud?

  Vance frowned. “I think you need to eat something.” He took their wineglasses and set them on the table. “Come to think about it, you didn’t finish much of your lunch.”

  Reality came back full force. “Arguing with my sisters always causes me to lose my appetite.” She felt the tears welling up. “They are so angry with Dad, but I can’t blame them.”

  He gripped her upper arms. “Look, Ana, you need to give them some time. I have a feeling they’ll find their way back home.”

  She hesitated, so aware of his touch. “Will you leave the ranch if Colt doesn’t get better?”

  “Do you want me to leave?”

  Ana couldn’t imagine the Lazy S without him. She shook her head. “No. You have to stay. I mean, you know the operation, the cattle and the crops.”

  Vance knew that Ana was exhausted. The last few days were beginning to take a toll. Mix in wine and that could mean trouble. What he did like was how agreeable she was with him, and so close. It would be easy to lean down and kiss that tempting mouth of hers.

  Whoa. He quickly shook away the thought and stepped back. “Then let’s come up with a way to make money.”

  She picked up her wineglass and took another sip. “What about the roundup?”

  “With low cattle prices and our smaller herd, it’s not enough. Besides, there’s something you girls need to know....” He paused as Ana looked at him with her deep blue eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was give her any more bad news.

  “What?”

  “It’s just that we need more than a temporary fix. Since I’ve been foreman, the ranch profits have been dwindling. I know there aren’t funds to help out with the lean years. We might have to downsize, sell off stock. Norman Stanton would pay dearly for Red Baron.”

  “Our prize breeding bull?”

  Vance nodded. “And there are the horses. Our stallions, Night Ranger and Whiskey King, would bring top dollar.”

  “Oh, not the horses. Do you really have to sell them off?”

  “We might not have a choice. They’re a luxury, unless we’re going to breed them.”

  “And sell the foals?”

  “That’ll take time that we don’t have now. We could advertise our studs. It would be more money coming in.”

  Ana shook her head. “I can’t believe that Dad hasn’t covered any of our broodmares. Who’s the stable manager?”

  “You’re looking at him. Colt let Charlie Reynolds go last year,” Vance told her. “That was a shame, because Charlie had great instincts and was a good trainer. Now our stable is about half of what we once had.”

  “Did you ask Dad why?”

  “Question your father’s decision? Not me.”

  “Something must have happened,” she said absently. “It’s not like him to be careless about the ranch.”

  Vance had noticed it, too. “Maybe he wasn’t feeling well even then.”

  Ana didn’t like to think her father might have been sick all this time. “Well, he can’t tell us now. We just have to find a solution on how to fix it.”

  A knock sounded on the door. Vance went to let the bellman in with the cart carrying their supper. After being handed the signed receipt, the waiter left.

  Vance went back to the table and pulled out Ana’s chair. “Let’s eat.”

  She walked over and sat down. “Thank you.” She took another sip of her wine and watched as Vance sat down across from her. Yes, the man was handsome. Those deep-set brown eyes, his square jaw covered in a dark shadow from his day’s growth of beard. He’d been handsome as a teenager, but as a man he was even more so, being self-assured and confident.

  Her focus zoomed in on his mouth. His lower lip was full and had her wondering how it would feel....

  She glanced away. What was she doing? She couldn’t think this way about Vance Rivers. Not to mention the fact that over the years, he’d had several women on his arm and probably in his bed.

  Besides, they had nothing in common but saving the Lazy S. That alone put Vance Rivers way off-limits.

  * * *

  By the time the plane landed the next day, Ana was exhausted from the trip. She hadn’t gotten much rest, thanks to the man sleeping just outside her bedroom door.

  Vance had parked his pickup at the airport lot before their trip, so they drove straight to the hospital. The ride there was a quiet one, for which Ana was grateful. She had a slight headache, which she contributed to that second glass of wine, one Vance hadn’t shared with her.

  They got off on the second floor and went directly to Colt’s room. There she found the bed empty and her father sitting in a wheelchair.

  “Oh, Dad. Look at you.” She went to him, and felt the urge to hug him. Instead, she placed her hand on his arm. “How are you feeling?”

  Colt only looked at her, then glanced away. Pain shot through Ana’s chest. Rejection was something she should be used to, but it still hurt.

  A young man wearing dark scrubs walked into the room. He smiled at her. “Well, Colt, seems like you’re attracting the ladies today.” The man’s smile widened as he held out his hand. “Hello, I’m Colt’s occupational therapist, Jay McNeal.”

  Ana shook it. “Ana Slater. Colt’s daughter.”

  Jay glanced down at Colt. “You didn’t tell me you had a beautiful daughter.”

  Ana pulled her hand away. “Has my father had a therapy session yet?”

  “Yes, he did,” Jay said. “And he did very well.”

  Vance stood across the room, watching this guy. He never liked his type, always smiling when a woman was around. Vance walked over to Colt and pulled up a chair so he’d be eye level with his mentor-father figure.

  “I’m glad to see you up.
” He glanced at Ana and the therapist as they walked to the other side of the room. “I know this has been rough on you, Colt, but I want you to know that I’m taking care of things at the ranch. I’ll hold down the fort until you’re well enough to come home.”

  No response.

  Vance decided to try something else to see if he got a response. “Ana and I just got back from Los Angeles. We went to see Tori and Josie, to let them know about your condition.”

  That did it. Colt shot a look at him and made a groaning sound. Good, a reaction.

  “That’s right, Colt. Ana is trying to bring them home.”

  Another groan.

  “There’s no choice, we need help to run the ranch. Come on, they’re your family, and you’re lucky to have them.” Vance stood and turned toward the door. Stubborn man. Well, Colt needed to get over that real fast.

  * * *

  Frustrated, Colt tried to call Vance back, but he was helpless to speak. Dammit. He couldn’t let this happen. His daughters were better off without him. Without a bitter old man who couldn’t get over the woman who’d deserted him and their daughters.

  From the day their mother left, it had been like that. He knew nothing about raising girls. To make it worse, every time he looked at his beautiful Ana, Tori, Josie and Marissa, all he could see was their mother in their faces. God forgive him, he hadn’t been able to get over Luisa’s betrayal.

  He closed his eyes, wishing for the millionth time that he’d done something that would have changed the past. That he could have gotten his wife to stay, for their daughters at least.

  He regretted so many things. The worst had been making his girls suffer because he couldn’t deal with his own failure. He glanced down at his useless hand. Now it was too late. He didn’t care about the ranch anymore, but he couldn’t stand to see the hurt in his daughters’ eyes. He’d caused them enough pain. It would be best if they could forget all about him.

  * * *

  The next morning, Ana woke up early and, after Kathleen’s insistence on breakfast, drove into town. The first thing she needed was some clothes for her long stay at the ranch.

  She stopped at her apartment and packed up her jeans and boots. Suddenly she felt excited that she was going to be living back at the Lazy S for the next few months. She could ride everyday, not just when she could find the time, or figure out when her dad wouldn’t be around. She thought about another man who’d be there constantly. Vance. They needed to work together. Not that she had a choice, but this wouldn’t be an easy chore. And they still needed to come up with something to help bring in income.

  After locking the front door to her one-bedroom apartment, she carried her suitcases to her small SUV. She had two months until her job started back at the high school. If need be she could take off more time, but that was a wait-and-see. They might need her income if the ranch couldn’t be saved. Not to mention her father’s medical bills.

  She shook away that dismal thought and climbed into the car. She drove back through town, down Main Street, passing the many storefronts that made up Royerton. The 1920s buildings housed businesses like the Big Sky Grill, a clothing store, Missy’s Boutique, and an antique shop, Treasured Gems. On the corner she saw the familiar brick facade of Clarkson’s Trading Post and Outfitters. And smiled, thinking about her close friend Sarah Clarkson. They’d known each other since kindergarten. She was the third generation Clarkson to help run the store.

  Ana pulled into a parking space out front and got out. She wanted to thank her friend’s family for the flowers and sweet note they’d sent for Colt.

  She walked into the shop and was greeted with racks of clothes and walls lined with fishing and hunting equipment. The large store was crowded with customers, this being the height of fly-fishing season. It was a big part of the revenue for the store and the town.

  She glanced around and spotted Hank and Beth Clarkson behind the counter, waiting on customers. Sarah had just come out of the back room along with one of the store’s licensed outfitters, Buck Patton.

  Sarah spotted her and smiled. She held up a finger, asking her to wait, then turned back to the group with Buck and gave instructions. A few minutes later, they all shook hands, before the guide walked the group out the side door to the waiting van.

  Sarah rushed over and greeted her with a hug. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you. Is your dad okay? We tried to stop by the hospital but we couldn’t see Colt.”

  Ana nodded. “He’s better. He started therapy. I wanted to tell you that I’m moving out to the ranch for the summer.”

  The pretty redhead blinked at that. “Why? Is your dad coming home so soon?”

  Ana shook her head. “No, but I need to help out. It’s going to be a long road for Dad’s recovery, and since he’s incapable of running the ranch right now, I’ve been named as one of the executors.”

  “That surprises me. Colt Slater giving anything to his daughters, even responsibility, surprises me.”

  Sarah knew the history of her family. “Well, I’m not exactly doing this on my own. The other executor is Vance Rivers.”

  Sarah gasped. “Now, that’s no surprise. So are you going to play nice?”

  Ana sighed. “We’ll be too busy to think about anything other than running the Lazy S. We have a roundup coming in a few weeks.”

  Sarah eyed her closely, but before she could make comment, her parents came up to them. They exchanged more hugs. As a kid, Ana used to wish they were her parents, too.

  Beth asked, “How’s your Dad, Ana?”

  “Better, thank you. He has a long rehab, though.”

  It was Hank who spoke up. “If anyone can do it, Colt can. He’s too stubborn not to come back from this.”

  Ana smiled. “He is that.”

  “You don’t need to tell me,” Hank said. “For years I’ve been trying to get him to allow my outfitters on his land.” The man shook his head. “You have one sweet fishing spot on the northern section just going to waste.”

  “You wanted to fish on the ranch?”

  Hank nodded. “I wanted to make your dad some money, too. Colt always said no. He liked his privacy.”

  Suddenly an idea popped into Ana’s head. Oh, my, could this work? “Do you still want to fish on our property?”

  Hank paused. “Are you serious? That section of the Big Hole River is incredible. I could send out day groups. Of course, the real money is doing overnight trips and weekends.”

  He showed her the chart with the going rates that fishermen paid for these kinds of trips. She nearly fell over.

  Ana asked Hank if he could stop by the ranch and they could go over the section of property in question. When he agreed, she knew all she needed to do was convince Vance. Would he go against Colt and side with her? She shrugged. This was for the sake of the ranch, so they would deal with the repercussions later.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  LATER THAT EVENING Vance drove to his house and parked his truck. He’d been at the hospital to see Colt. Not that it had done much good, since the man barely acknowledged his presence. He’d tried to discuss what was going on at the ranch, but Colt seemed disinterested, so Vance had called it a night and left.

  On the way back home, he’d stopped by the Big Sky Grill and picked up some dinner. All he wanted tonight was some food and a bed. When he got out of the truck, he heard someone call his name. He turned and saw Ana hurrying along the path from the barn.

  His gut tightened as the long-legged brunette headed his way. In his many fantasies, she would be running into his arms, happy that he was home.

  She shot him a smile and his pulse began to race. There went his sleep for the night. “What’s your hurry?”

  “I’m excited,” she told him, her breathing a little rough as she held up a manila folder. “You have a few minutes?”


  “Sure.” He raised his sack. “Mind if we go inside so I can eat my dinner?”

  “Oh, sorry. You should eat.” She waved at him. “I’ll come back.”

  He reached for her arm to stop her departure. “Don’t go. I mean, it’s silly for you to go all the way back to the house. Come inside.”

  “Only if you eat while I talk.”

  Together they walked up to the porch. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Inside, Vance turned on the overhead light and walked to the dining area, put his food sack on the table and his hat on the hook by the back door. “Can I get you something to drink?” He opened the refrigerator. “I have soda and milk.”

  “Nothing, thank you.”

  Ana glanced around the room, surprised to see so much detail in the decor. Okay, it was a man’s house, but it was clean and organized. The walls were painted a golden hue and the woodwork and trim stained dark. She walked to the large Western painting hanging over the brick fireplace and quickly recognized the signature of a local artist. Then she studied a bronze statue of a horse on the mantel.

  “Does it meet with your approval?”

  She swung around to Vance. “Sorry, I never thought of you in a house.”

  He set two soda cans on the table. “Just in a room upstairs in the barn.”

  She quickly realized how harsh she sounded. “No, I don’t see you in the barn. It’s just that you have good taste...in decorating.” She came back to the table and sat down. “And for the record, Dad should have never let you live in the barn, anyway.”

  “I think he was trying to protect his four daughters. And it was the apartment over the barn.”

  Suddenly she was glad for the extra soda, and took a drink. “Please, eat.”

  Vance sat down across from her in the ladder-back chair. He popped the tab on the can, took a long drink, then unwrapped his meat-loaf dinner from under the foil. “Okay, what’s so important you needed to talk about it tonight?”