Ronan

by Teresa Gabelman

  It wasn’t easy, but with Ronan’s strength and confident handling, they made it to the corral without incident. The gate was open already, and once inside with the gate closed, each man handed Ronan their ropes then backed away.

  Ronan stood staring at Buck, Buck staring at him. It was a definite stare down. Who would win the battle since each wasn’t prepared to lose? Even though it was pretty much silent with everyone watching and holding their breath, Ronan cast everything out of his mind. Nothing around him existed other than him and the horse. It was almost as if they became one.

  Holding all three ropes with one hand, he held his other one up and moved slowly toward Buck. Surprised that the animal let him remove two of the ropes, he tossed them aside and waited until one of his men crawled inch by inch to remove them, making no unnecessary movements.

  Again, being a vampire he had an advantage over Buck, as well as the other men who tried to break him. Speed was on his side, but once he was on the horse’s back, then being a vampire meant shit.

  “Ready?” he called out, moving only his mouth.

  After a few minutes, Fred was the only one who answered, and Ronan knew he had gotten a thumbs-up from the rest of the men. “Ready.”

  Once again, with speed no one could detect, he was on the horse’s back. Buck stood still, which Ronan expected. The speed in which he mounted didn’t give the horse time to evaluate exactly what had just happened. It wasn’t until Buck felt Ronan’s weight did his eyes grow wide, his mouth sneer in fear of being bested that he began to buck.

  The power underneath him sent Ronan’s adrenaline raging through his body. God, he loved this. It wasn’t that he was conquering, although most would say it was. He was saving a good animal from certain slaughter. There weren’t many places for wild horses anymore, so once caught, if they couldn’t be tamed, they were killed. It was wrong, but that was the way it went, and Ronan would do everything in his power to give this spirited beast a fighting chance.

  Buck did his name proud as he twisted, jumped, stomped, and bucked, trying his damnedest to get Ronan off his back, but Ronan held fast. Anytime he felt the horse getting close to the corral fence, he used his strength to detour the animal and then let him have his freedom to fight. He wanted to earn the animal’s respect, not beat him down into submission. No, Ronan wanted Buck’s submission on the animal’s terms.

  After a while—Ronan didn’t really know how long because he always lost track of time—Buck became sluggish and slow. Ronan put his free hand on the horse’s neck, feeling the sweat and heat rolling off the tired animal. Not wanting to overdo it, he let Buck go for a few more minutes to make sure he was done, and then jumped off his back and let go of the rope.

  Everyone watched as beast and vampire stood staring at each other. Ronan walked up and took the rope then led him around the corral, watching him closely. Ronan wouldn’t say this horse was tame yet, but they were getting closer. Pride swelled in his chest. Another horse saved was a good day on his ranch and it looked like Buck would make a damn fine horse.

  After walking him around a few more times, he heard the kids talking excitedly and got a few nods from his men for a job well done. His eyes searched for Kira, who stood back among the crowd. Their eyes met and the worry he saw on her face told him many things. The most important, she cared about him. A small smile of relief curved her full lips. Yeah, it was definitely a good day on his ranch.

  Kira’s stomach had knotted with nerves to the point she was in pain. Watching on, relief drifted through her as Ronan walked the horse out of the corral and back to the barn without being hurt. She stood riveted along with the crowd. Once Ronan had jumped on the horse, it was as if they were one. She had never seen anything like it before, and in all honesty, she never wanted him more than she did at the moment. What the hell was wrong with her, and with kids around?

  “Wow, that was crazy,” Mira said from beside her. “I was scared to death.”

  “Yeah.” Kira cleared her throat and knew she was blushing.

  “That is going on my bucket list.” Steve bounced Drew in his arms.

  “Ah, I think you need to have ridden a horse before.” Mira grinned with a shake of her head. “Maybe you should put that above breaking horses on that bucket list you got going.”

  “True,” Steve said after thinking about it. “But how hard could that be? I mean, come on, I just watched a man and horse have a serious showdown. I’m kind of confused on who won though.”

  “I think you need to stick to the Warrior thing, babe,” Mira said, then rolled her eyes when she faced Kira. “What did you think?”

  No way in hell was she going to tell Mira what she really thought and felt watching Ronan control that beast. Her body was still strung tightly. It was odd, really odd. “I was, ah, nervous,” Kira replied, then frowned when Mira was watching her closely. “What?”

  “Kind of sexy the way he handled that horse, wasn’t it, sister?” Mira leaned close to her with a grin and wiggled her eyebrows, which she’d been doing a lot of lately.

  “Shut it, Mira,” Kira hissed with a glare. “Or I’m going to zap those damn eyebrows off if you don’t stop wiggling them at me.”

  “Sorry.” Ronan walked up to them before Mira could respond. “I wanted to be the one to cool Buck down.”

  “Dude, that was awesome, but a few times I thought old Buck was going to live up to his name and buck you on your ass.” Steve’s eyes were wide.

  “You and me both.” Ronan grinned, then glanced at Kira. “Did you watch?”

  “Unfortunately, yes,” Kira replied, making sure not to look at her sister, who she knew was grinning from ear to ear. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Just another day at the office,” Ronan replied, then glanced at the buses. “I’ll be right back. I want to see these guys off and thank them for coming. After that, I have a surprise for Steve and Mira.”

  “For us?” Steve grinned excitedly. “Well hurry up, ’cause I suck at waiting.”

  Kira watched him walk away, then glanced at Mira and Steve who were looking at her. “I have no clue,” she answered their silent question.

  “Damn, I wonder if he wants me to help him break horses.” Steve gave Drew to Mira, then cracked his knuckles. “If that’s it, then I’d be—”

  “A horse’s ass for even thinking of accepting.” Mira glared at him. “And he said me too, so I don’t think that’s it.”

  “Hey, now.” Steve frowned. “I could do it under Ronan’s tutelage.”

  “Tutelage?” Mira’s head snapped back, looking at Steve.

  “Yeah, it means mentor or—”

  “I know what it means, Steve.” Mira huffed while Kira laughed. Steve was seriously the funniest person she had ever met. “I just never heard you… you know what, never mind.”

  Ronan came back just as the buses pulled out. He took Kira’s hand, then started walking. “Follow me, guys.”

  Kira studied her surroundings as they made their way past the barns toward the house. He turned into the yard and walked around toward the back. Kira gasped; it was absolutely beautiful. A lake was his backyard. The trees, the land, and property were perfectly manicured looking like something out of a magazine.

  “What do you think?” Ronan turned toward Steve and Mira.

  “Well, it’s a, ah, lake,” Steve said slowly as he looked from it to Ronan.

  “It’s gorgeous.” Mira sighed as she took a couple of steps.

  “Yeah, real pretty.” Steve frowned, then glanced back at Ronan. “Now, how does one go about breaking horses? Can you teach me?”

  “No.” Ronan frowned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Steve, focus.”

  “Ah, okay.” Steve stared at Ronan with his hand on his hip.

  “Not on me, dammit.” Ronan sighed heavily. “On the property.”

  Steve shook his head. “Okay, some may think I’m one fry short of a happy meal, I’m really not.” Steve glanced at the property, then back at Ronan. �
�But I have no fucking clue what you want me to focus on.”

  “Jesus.” Ronan threw his head back and looked at the sky. “You need a place to get married. I’m offering.”

  “Are you serious?” Mira gasped, her eyes watering with tears. “It’s perfect. Oh, Steve, it’s absolutely perfect.”

  “Man.” Steve shook his head in disbelief. “I can never repay you for this. No one has ever… wow, just thank you.” Steve went in for a bro hug, but Ronan stopped him by taking his hand in a shake.

  “Hug me and die,” Ronan said, but the grin on his face eased the harshness of his words.

  Kira put her hand against her mouth, trying not to cry along with her sister. No one had ever done anything like this for either one of them. If this man didn’t watch it, she was going to fall madly in love with him. Truth was, she was halfway there already.

  Chapter 15

  Ronan was uncomfortable with gratitude, not that he didn’t appreciate it, but a simple thank-you would suffice. Mira wouldn’t stop thanking him, and Steve tried to hug him three more times.

  “Listen, it’s not a big deal,” Ronan tried to say, but both Mira and Steve looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.

  “Not a big deal.” Mira spread her arms wide. “This is what I’ve always dreamed of. Just ask Kira. You’re making a dream come true.”

  “Ah, yeah. I almost had us getting married in the local Italian restaurant.” Steve snorted then gave Ronan “I’m going to try to hug you again” look, but at Ronan’s frown, he decided once again against it. “So, you are the man.”

  Glad that they both walked off toward the lake making plans, Ronan breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at Kira who was staring at him.

  “Don’t say it.” He pointed at her with a shake of his head.

  “What?” she asked innocently. “Thank you?”

  “Yeah, it’s fine. It’s not a big deal.” Ronan looked away from her to stare out over his property.

  “Maybe not to you, but to them, it’s a very big deal.” Kira walked into his line of vision. “When we were young, we used to lay in an unfamiliar place almost every single night, scared, waiting for the boogeyman to come. We would whisper for hours, and one of those whispers were of marriage, who we would marry, what kind of dress, where it would be and this…”

  Ronan watched as tears welled in her eyes. He reached up to catch one that escaped with his finger.

  She cleared her throat, and he knew she was trying to keep her composure. “…this is almost exactly what Mira wanted.”

  “And what about you?” Ronan asked, wanting to know more about this woman than anyone else he’d ever met. She fascinated him in ways that surprised him.

  She glanced away from him, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment. “I’ve always said if it’s the right guy, it didn’t matter where we marry or what I’m wearing. Mira and I are very different.” Still not looking at him, she glanced over her shoulder as Mira, Steve, and Drew came back toward them. “But I do know that Steve is perfect for my sister, and that’s all that matters.”

  “Is there any certain date? We don’t want to cause any problems with what you do here.” Mira beamed, her happiness shining through every word she spoke.

  “You just let me know, and I’ll make sure things are taken care of here. Whatever you need consider it done,” Ronan said, then gave Steve a look, just in case he was going for the hug again.

  “I wanted to get the other mates involved.” Mira kept glancing around as if she couldn’t believe what was happening. “Do you mind if I ask them to come here and help us plan?”

  “Not at all.” Ronan smiled at her excitement. “Call them now if you want. I’m off tonight.”

  “I’m not, but maybe Jax can fill in for me.” Steve pulled out his phone. “I’ll call Jax first and if he can, then I’ll call Sloan to clear it with him.”

  “Beg if you have to.” Mira laughed as she took Drew so Steve could make his calls.

  “Oh, you bet I will,” Steve said over his shoulder with the phone to his ear. “And it usually works because I’m so good at it.”

  “Sorry,” Kira whispered to Ronan as Mira walked back toward the lake. “I’m sure you weren’t expecting them to start planning tonight.”

  “It’s fine.” Ronan laughed with a shrug. “I’ve been meaning to invite everyone over anyway.”

  “The kids.” Kira looked up at him. “Why?”

  Ronan was silent for a long moment. “My father was a good man.” He took her hand, moving into the shade and leaned against the fence. “I learned so much from him. Ranching, taking care of the books, running a successful business and how to make a deal. But the most important thing I learned from him was not everyone has a good life. Sure, we all have our ups and downs, but many, especially kids don’t have the tools to get off their feet. My father gave anyone willing to learn the tools they needed a fair shot. Whether it was a little money, a little of his time, his knowledge, or just a meal for the night, my father gave without any thought to payback.”

  Talking about his father brought back so many memories, things he hadn’t thought about for a long time. It felt good. It felt right talking to her about something as important as his father.

  “What was his name?” Kira’s thumb caressed his hand as she stared up at him.

  “William Robert McDonald,” he said proudly and realized it felt good to say his name aloud, something he hadn’t done in a long time even though he thought about his father every day. “Friends and family called him Bill.”

  “And what about your mom?” Kira asked, then jumped when Jackson came over, sticking his big horse head between them. “Oh my Goddess, he scared me.” She laughed.

  “You ornery thing. That’s no way to act when I’m talking to a lady.” Ronan smirked at the horse. “I’ll ride you in a bit. Go find a filly of your own.”

  Kira reached out and petted his nose before Jackson neighed and walked away. “Listen, I’m not being nosey even though it seems that way. I’m just curious about you, Ronan. I’ve never met anyone quite like you before.”

  “I’m sure you haven’t.” He cocked his eyebrow with a chuckle. “You can ask me anything. I have nothing to hide. I was lucky, very lucky with the family I had. My mother was sweet and worshiped my father, who worshiped her right back. She died when I was young, but I remember her. I didn’t have any brothers or sisters. It was just me.”

  “You were very lucky,” she agreed with a sad smile. “We had two very different upbringings. But honestly, the only thing I would change would be being a witch.”

  Shock ricocheted through him. “But it’s who you are.” Ronan frowned, not liking that she seemed sad about her birthright. “You should be proud.”

  “I thought you didn’t believe in witches.” She gave him a sly, teasing glance, ignoring his statement.

  “But I believe in you,” he responded without hesitation and with the complete truth.

  His words hit a place inside her that she didn’t even know existed. The walls built around her heart, her soul crumbled. No one other than her sister had ever believed in her, ever. But no one had ever had that chance. And honestly, she was about to divert the conversation because she was terrified of disappointing him. Believing in her could be his downfall; loving her definitely was.

  “So you have a soft spot for Steve because of what he’s been through?” Kira hoped her diversion worked because talking about herself was against everything she was brought up to do. Stay quiet, don’t stand out, blend in and never open yourself up. Yep, that was her life in a nutshell.

  Ronan stared at her for a long minute. “The kid’s a pain in my ass most days, but he has a good heart. He tries harder than anyone I’ve ever known. My dad would have taken to him in a heartbeat.”

  “Would he have given him a hug?” Kira teased, hoping they could finish this conversation because she knew it was going to come back to her.

  “Probably.” He grinned, then looked toward S
teve who was still on the phone. “Good attempt to distract me. Now, how about you? Tell me something.”

  “Wait, I have one more question for you.” Kira frowned, begging her sister to hurry the hell up and interrupt them.

  “One more and then I get to ask the questions.” He cocked his eyebrow as if waiting for her agreement.

  “Fine.” She sighed, then wondered if her next question might be too personal, but decided to ask anyway. “Did your dad know you were turned?”

  “He did.” Again, Ronan answered right away. “I stayed away for as long as I could, then one day I couldn’t take it anymore. I was twenty-seven years old. I always kept an eye on things from afar, but seeing the home my dad and I built slowly deteriorate, I went back.”

  Ronan looked away from her and gazed over her head. She knew he was thinking of the past and gave him time to finish. The sadness she saw in his golden eyes clinched at her gut, wishing she could pull the question back.

  “I don’t remember what happened, how I was turned,” Ronan began, his eyes still gazing over her head. “I woke up with a thirst for blood and fangs, no memory of how it happened. I stayed away from my father and friends, but was always in the background watching. Once I knew I had my hunger under control, I went back. My father was sick but welcomed me home. I stayed, ran the ranch until the day he died, then I walked away, leaving it to a man who my father practically raised when he was a homeless kid, and he found stealing a loaf of bread. He promised that once it was his time to go, he would return the favor to another who needed a helping hand.”

  His story touched her heart, and she swallowed hard. “You father would be proud of you.”

  “Thank you,” Ronan replied, adding a nod to his thanks. “So what about you?”

  “I didn’t really grow up with a family. Our father died protecting our mom and us. We lived life on the run, always trying to stay alive. We stayed with anyone who would give us shelter. Our mom, Monica, didn’t always stay with us because of fear we’d be found together.” Kira shrugged, a small smile tugging her lips. “There were fun times when Mira and I had those moments of feeling safe. It’s all we knew, so we made the best of it.”