“You are qualified. In fact, my men are complaining that you’re making them look bad. Slow down, Vance. Stop letting what happened between you and Ana drive you so hard you get hurt.”
Vance straightened. “I’m not.”
Garrett glanced over Vance’s shoulder. “Well, that’s good to know, because you’re going to be tested on that theory.” He nodded and Vance turned to see Ana walking toward them. Garrett made his exit.
Vance’s chest tightened as she moved through the high grass toward him. She was in her usual attire of jeans and a blouse tucked in at her narrow waist.
“Hi, Vance,” she said.
He nodded. “Ana. Is there a problem at the ranch? With Colt?”
“No, Todd is handling everything and Colt is fine.” She raised her gaze to his. “I came to see you. Can we talk?”
He didn’t want to rehash anything. “I really need to get back to work.”
He’d started to leave when she called to him. “Please, Vance.”
Her plea worked and he waited for her to speak.
“I’m sorry for all the things I said,” she told him. “I took my anger out on you when I should have directed it at Dad. You have every right to the land.”
He didn’t want to say anything, but muttered, “You think I give a damn about that land? Well, I don’t. It was never what I wanted.”
Ana’s eyes filled. “I know that now. And I’m sorry, so sorry for the way I treated you.” She glanced away. “I didn’t trust what I was feeling for you. I got scared, Vance.”
He walked a few feet away, then came back. “You don’t think I wasn’t scared? The problem, Ana, was you couldn’t trust me. You wouldn’t believe anything I said.”
With her silence, all he could hear was his pulse pounding in his ears.
“I would now,” she confessed.
Her words were encouraging, but still he hesitated. “I can’t go back to the past, Ana. Things are different now.”
She looked disappointed, but before they could say any more, one of the men called to him. “Hey, we need another pair of hands here.”
“I’ve got to get back.”
She reached out and touched his arm. “I’m not giving up, Vance. Can you give us one more chance? It’s your choice what happens next.”
He glanced away, not wanting her to see how she affected him. “I’ll come by later. Meet me in the barn, say, four o’clock.”
Ana smiled. “I’ll be there.” She walked off, leaving Vance aching to run after her.
Garrett came over. “So you worked things out?”
“We’re just going to talk, later.”
His friend sighed. “Take some advice. The less talking the better.”
* * *
At four o’clock Ana walked out toward the barn and found Vance in the corral, with Rusty and Blondie saddled.
She nearly ran into his arms. “Hi.”
He nodded. “Hi.”
“Are we going somewhere?”
“I thought we’d go for a ride, somewhere we wouldn’t draw so much attention.”
Ana looked around and saw several of the men watching them. Good, she’d have him to herself. She took Blondie’s reins from Vance and climbed on her mare.
Vance mounted Rusty, then together they walked the horses out the corral gate, thanking Todd for closing it.
It didn’t take long before Ana picked up the pace and they were both racing across the pasture. She soon began to relax and enjoy her ride, not wanting to think that it could be their last one.
They rode past the alfalfa fields and Ana knew where Vance was directing her. It wasn’t long before they ended up in the meadow, approaching the small cabin.
Once there, she pulled on Blondie’s reins and the horse came to a stop. Vance did the same with Rusty. After tying the animals to the railing near the rebuilt lean-to, he went to the pump and began to fill the old trough with water.
Ana glanced around and noticed some subtle changes. The boards had been replaced on the porch floor, and there were new shingles on the roof, too.
Vance pulled a plastic cup from his saddlebag, filled it with water and offered it to her. “Here, this is so much better than bottled.”
Ana drank about half, then gave it back, and he finished it. She wasn’t feeling as sure about this talk as she’d been when they left twenty minutes ago. She looked out over the meadow, wishing it would give her some magic right now. Then suddenly the wind kicked up and clouds moved overhead, and soon came the raindrops.
“Come on. We better take cover.” Vance grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the porch, then opened the door and got her inside the cabin.
“I guess we should have checked the weather,” she said.
“It’s not bad.” Vance went to the small table and lit the kerosene lamp. “The rain should pass over in a few minutes.”
Removing her hat, Ana wiped the moisture from her face and jeans jacket, then looked around. There were changes inside, too. The room had been cleaned for once. The bunks and old mattresses were gone, replaced by a large wrought-iron bed with a colorful quilt covering it. Her gaze quickly searched the rest of the room. The kitchen area had been cleaned, too. There were more canned goods on the shelves, and fresh curtains in the window.
“Who did this?”
He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the sink counter. “It all depends, if you like it or not.”
“What’s not to like? Are you living here?”
He shook his head. “This is yours, Ana.”
She felt her throat close up. “You did this for me? When?”
The rain continued to come down. “A few weeks ago,” he told her. “I knew you liked to come here when you went riding, so I thought why not make it livable.”
She walked to the bed. “Where did you find this?”
Vance wasn’t sure he could pull this off. Being here with her was killing him. “It was in the barn, up in the attic.” He paused. “It used to be mine, but the mattress is new. And I bought the quilt from Mrs. Hildebrand at the Country Days Festival.”
“Oh, Vance.” Ana’s fingers traced the double wedding ring embroidered on the quilt. “How did you get everything out here?”
“In that old wagon behind the barn, and with a lot of help from Todd.”
“But why?”
“I know what this place means to you, Ana.” This was his chance. “And you mean a lot to me.”
Her gaze rose to meet his, and Vance could see the glistening of tears.
“I don’t deserve this,” she choked out. “I said so many awful things to you.”
He fought the urge to go over to her. They needed to talk first. “We both made mistakes. I should have told you about the land. Believe me, I tried. That night I came to your room, when you were going over the loan papers? I confessed it all to you, then realized you had fallen asleep before I finished my explanation. The next day was when Hoffman spilled the news to you at the bank.”
Ana watched him. “I should have listened to you that day. I should have believed in you. I’m sorry for doubting you.” She looked away. “I know I messed up everything. I drove you away from your home. Please believe that I never wanted to do that.”
All at once the rain stopped and the sun came out. Ana released a long breath. “We should get back.” She went toward the door.
Vance had to act quickly, and caught her before she got too far. He pushed the door closed easily. “You notice that I fixed the hinges? I even put a lock on the door.” He slid the bolt to prove a point. “I’m not finished yet, Ana. I have a lot more to say to you.”
She looked up at him, her eyes wide with hope, and with love. That gave him the courage to go on. “Eighteen years ago, I showed up
at your house, that kid you and your sisters wanted nothing to do with.”
When she started to speak, he raised his hand. “I need to say this, Ana.” At her nod, he continued. “I didn’t blame any of you for resenting me. So much of that was because of Colt, but we have to let that go, too. All I cared about for all those years was you. How much I wanted to see you every day.”
“But after you kissed me that first time in the barn, you pushed me away.”
“Colt would have thrown me so far off the ranch, I could never find my way back. I kept my distance, hoping that my feelings would fade away, like an adolescent infatuation.” Vance shook his head. “They only got stronger, Ana. I couldn’t stop caring about you even if I wanted to. And when you moved home this time, I knew I couldn’t deny it any longer.”
“Oh, Vance.”
He shifted closer. “I care about you, Ana.” He brushed his mouth cross hers. Once. Twice. “Do you want me to show you how much?”
She sucked in a breath. “Showing is good.”
His mouth closed over hers, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her against him. She whimpered and slid her hands up his chest, combing her fingers through his hair as she deepened the kiss. Finally he broke away.
His gaze met hers. “I love you, Analeigh Slater. I think I fell for you at fourteen, and never recovered.”
“Oh, Vance, I love you so much.” She rose up on her toes and kissed him again. “And I don’t want you to ever recover from loving me. Because I never have. I know now that I loved you back then, too.”
He cupped her face. “I don’t plan to. And because of that love, I needed to give you back this land.”
Ana hesitated, but knew they were both being honest, so she needed to say what she wanted. “No, we have to share it.” She hesitated. “What were you planning to do with this meadow?”
He took her back to the window. “In a few years, I want to build a home here. Maybe start a small herd of Herefords, but my main love is horses, both breeding and training them.”
“Funny, that’s pretty much what I want to do, too.”
He grinned at her, and a warm shiver raced through her. “I thought you had a career in town.”
“I can multitask. I’m a Slater. There’s ranching in my blood.”
“I think there’s a lot of stubbornness, too.”
She loved the feel of Vance’s arms around her. “And I don’t plan on making anything easy for you, either. I wouldn’t want you to get bored with me.”
He grew serious. “That would never happen. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, Ana.” He smiled, but couldn’t hide the nervousness. “I want to wake up every day with you. Live right here on this land where your ancestors settled a hundred years ago. I want children with your blue eyes and incredible beauty.” He sank down on one knee on the old wooden floor. “Analeigh Maria Slater, will you marry me?”
Okay, that did it. She couldn’t stop the tears as she nodded. “Oh, yes.” She knelt down and wrapped her arms around Vance’s neck. “Yes! Oh, yes, Vance, I’ll marry you.”
He kissed her, and by the time they broke apart, they were breathless. “Later, we’ll go into Dillon and pick out a ring.”
She could hardly wait to do that, then she remembered. “Oh, Colt comes home tomorrow. Maybe we should tell him first.”
Vance smiled as they got to their feet. “Your father already knows how I feel about you.” He grinned. “I think a better idea is staying here and enjoying the daylight we have left.” He backed her up against the new double bed. “Don’t you think we should celebrate our upcoming wedding?”
“As long as it’s a private celebration.”
His head lowered to hers. “Whatever the lady wants.”
She took a teasing bite of his lip. “This lady wants you.”
“I aim to please.”
Ana wanted this time with her man in her special place. Now they’d both found somewhere they belonged.
Somewhere they could begin a life together, looking forward to another generation, in this magical place.
EPILOGUE
THE NEXT MORNING in the meadow, Vance and Ana walked out of the cabin. He drew his future bride into his arms and kissed her in the bright sunlight.
“I like how you say good-morning,” she purred.
“And I liked how you said good-night.” Vance recalled how he’d held Ana until dawn, and soon, they would be able to start their life together. “I’d keep you here longer, but I’m afraid they’ll send out a search party.”
He reluctantly released her, and they mounted the animals he’d saddled earlier, and headed toward the ranch. Once they arrived at the corral, several men looked in their direction.
Vance didn’t care that everyone knew they’d spent the night together. Ana was going to be his wife, and if he had anything to say about it, they’d have a lot more stolen moments at the cabin. He had to agree with her, the meadow was magical.
“I think our secret’s out,” she said.
“You’re not my secret, Ana. You’re going to be my wife.” He grinned. “And I want to shout it to the world.”
Smiling, she climbed off her horse. “Well, my husband-to-be, I’d like to shout it to my family first. Do you mind?”
He came around Rusty. “Of course we should tell Colt and your sisters first.” He stared into her blue eyes, and nearly lost it. He pulled her close. “You want me to tell them what a lucky guy I am? How much I love you?”
She reached up and touched his cheek. “No, just keep telling me.” She brushed a kiss against his mouth. “Come on, let’s go up to the house.”
Once in the barn, they handed their horses over to Jake. The young man gave them a big smile and walked off with the mounts. In fact, they got several greetings along with smiles as they made their way to the house.
“I guess we never discussed what my job is,” Vance said as they approached.
Ana stopped. “We want you to have your job back, of course. The Lazy S can’t survive without you.”
He loved the ranch, but he didn’t just want to work for Slaters. “I think maybe I should invest in the operation.”
She paused. “What do you mean?”
“If I’m going to be part of this family, I should contribute more. Make an investment in the future.”
“You mean like money?”
He nodded. “I’m not some broken-down cowboy. I could invest in a few broodmares. I’ve managed to save some over the years.”
She smiled, liking the idea. “That’s nice to know. But you already own part of this ranch.” When he started to dispute it, she raised a hand. “Why don’t we discuss this with Colt?”
With that decided, they made their way up the drive to the back door and found Kathleen in the kitchen.
The older woman folded her arms over her chest. “I take it you couldn’t get to a phone to tell me that you weren’t coming home?”
Vance pulled Ana into a tight embrace. “I guess we were thinking about other things.”
“It better be to tell me that you two have come to your senses.”
Vance kissed Ana. “I think you can say that. How do you feel about helping with a wedding?”
Tears sprang to the housekeeper’s eyes. “I’ve been waiting a long time for that to happen.” She hugged Ana and then Vance. “Maybe that will get your sisters home.”
Ana gasped. “Oh, no! Dad! We need to go get him.” She checked her watch. “I have to shower first.”
Kathleen held up her hands. “No need. Wade is escorting him home, along with Joel. You two just get cleaned up and give Colt the good news when he gets here. I think if anything will make him happy, this will.” She rubbed her hands together. “Oh, it’s going to be a good day. Now, you two run up
stairs and get showered. I’ll keep your breakfast warm.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Vance took Ana by the hand and they hurried through the house to the stairs, hearing Kathleen’s words about no dallying. He stopped on the landing and kissed Ana. “I’m happy Colt is arriving home today, but I wanted to keep you all to myself for a while longer. You don’t know how badly I want to steal you away and head back to the meadow.”
Ana’s gaze searched Vance’s handsome face. She couldn’t believe how much she loved this man. She also knew how close she’d come to losing him. “We’ll go back to the cabin soon. Remember, we’re going to build our home there.”
“That has a lot to do with getting our business off the ground. How soon are you going to marry me?”
“Tomorrow?” she teased, but she was dead serious.
“Sounds great to me, but I think you’d be happier to have your sisters here for our wedding.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Would you mind?”
He shook his head. “I’m just not sure your sisters are going to accept me into the family.”
“That’s their problem. You’re the man I chose, the man I love. And if I know Tori, Josie and Marissa, they’ll come around to love you, too.”
Vance pulled Ana against him. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re the only Slater sister that’s important to me right now.”
She smiled. “I’m the lucky sister.” She brushed her mouth over his, stirring the flames. “Give it time. My sisters will grow on you.”
He swung her up into his arms. “Like I said, you are the only one I want to marry, to be the mother of our children, to spend the rest of my life with.”
“Oh, Vance. There’s nothing I want more than to build a life with you.”
He carried her down the hall to their room. There wasn’t going to be “hers” or “his”; it was going to be “theirs” from now on.
* * *
Colt was pushed into the kitchen by Wade. He’d been home for a little over a day, and found he hated being in the wheelchair, but knew that he sometimes had to use it. But not for long, he decided. Now that he was finally home, he was going to recover. To get back as head of the ranch, head of his family. With some changes, of course.
THE COWBOY SHE COULDN'T FORGET Page 16