The Divine Creek Ranch Collection Volume 4

by Heather Rainier

  He unloaded the tools and supplies he’d gotten for the ranch in the barn. Sargent nickered at him from his stall. He’d run cattle for a couple of years on the ranch but had sold the livestock off eight years ago to join the private outfit that had taken him overseas. He’d just gotten his horse back from the rancher he’d entrusted Sargent’s care to, who had known his family for years. Soon he’d begin accumulating livestock again.

  It had been good to get back in the saddle again and get some ranch work done. Not that he was a stranger to sweating in the sun, but doing it for a peaceful purpose like ranching was good. He’d hoped it would finally clear his head and that he’d be able to sleep. So far all he’d accomplished was working himself into a stupor and intensifying the dreams which then caused insomnia. If he could just get the images out of his head.

  He’d been working on the ranch nonstop for almost a month now, and while it looked better, it still didn’t feel like anyone lived there. Lost in his own thoughts, he was startled when his phone vibrated and rang in his pocket.

  “Hello?”

  Clay’s voice came on the line. “Hey, Del. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  “Nah, what’s up?”

  “We wanted to invite you to Christmas dinner. I also wanted to check on you. Haven’t heard from you in a couple of weeks.”

  “Working my ass off, that’s all. You know how bad the place was. It’s taking a lot of time.”

  “Lily said she felt bad for not checking in on you after dropping the food off. She’s worried that you’re eating those nasty TV dinners again.”

  “Are you kidding? She made enough food to feed an army. Tell her I’m eating good.”

  “So, you’ll come for Christmas? You could come for the whole day if you wanted.”

  Del couldn’t imagine just sitting around all day, not doing anything. “I’d be happy to come for dinner. Thank her for me. I should come up to the shop and visit you.”

  Clay chortled and said, “I’m not sure how much visiting would get done. We’re both working nonstop trying to keep up with the online orders and the shop. Customers seem to really like her. Oh, I meant to tell you something and forgot. You’re invited to a hog hunt the first weekend in January.”

  “I’m not sure I can get away. I was planning on going to auction soon.”

  “Why don’t you hold off and go to auction afterward? Lily was all excited when she heard that you were invited, too. They do a girls shindig the same weekend at the Divine Creek Ranch.”

  “I remember her saying something about it.” Del felt bad for not checking in more regularly. The last time he’d seen them had been for Thanksgiving dinner. Because of all three of their work schedules the dinner had been low-key. He’d been anxious to get as much done as he could on the ranch so he’d left after only a couple of hours. The Christmas shopping season had been hell, and both Clay and Lily had been understandably tired. “So how’s Lily? She seemed happy at Thanksgiving.”

  “Yeah, I think so, too. She’s amazing at the shop.” Del could easily pick up on the hint of pride and possessiveness in his brother’s tone. “Even when she’s tired as she can be and her feet hurt, she still takes care of the shop and the customers.”

  Del hesitated for a few seconds then decided to be direct. “Is there anything going on between you that I should know about?”

  “No. I’m…We’re taking it slow. You know she’s got quite a bit to overcome. But she’s healing.”

  “Remember what a spitfire she was?”

  “Oh, yeah, I remember.”

  “I think the spitfire is still in there but it’s…”

  “Tempered?”

  Del nodded. “That’s a good word. I can tell she’s been through a lot. I think I know how she feels.”

  “How are you doing with what went down in Afghanistan? Have you been able to sleep at night?” Del had given Clay the short, sanitized version of what had happened a few months before and that he had been having trouble sleeping because of it.

  “It’s the same. I guess it just takes time for the memories to fade. Can I ask you something about the two of you?”

  “What?”

  “I can tell you’re trying to be diplomatic. You were never one to rock the boat. I’m asking plain and simple. Are you claiming her?”

  Clay’s response was measured. “I’m letting her set the pace. She’s got stuff she needs to deal with first. She’s in a place where she can’t or won’t go forward in a relationship. And it’s not necessarily by her choice. It’s not the right time to claim her but I will if I get the chance. Are you saying you have an interest?”

  “I wouldn’t pressure her or get into a pissing contest with you, but yes, I do. You say she needs time. I can give her time. You okay with that?” For some reason he would’ve thought that those words would come out more possessive, or competitive, but they didn’t, nor did those feelings follow his declaration.

  Clay chuckled easily. “Del, there was a time when I would’ve told you to back off, that I’d claimed the right to pursue her when she’s ready. Things have changed in Divine lately. Why don’t you spend some time with us. Come to the hog hunt and get to know our friends and we’ll revisit the subject later. One thing about Lily hasn’t changed. She still loves with her whole heart. She wanted me to call and invite you over for supper tonight.”

  “Man, I’d love to but I need to accomplish something around here. I think I’m just gonna have one of my frozen dinners and drink a beer tonight, once I get done.”

  “You have any idea how pathetic that sounds? Lily is cooking tonight.”

  “Maybe another night, Clay. Besides, I’m eating Lily’s cooking, too.”

  “Okay, I guess I’ll just keep her all to myself then,” Clay said in a teasing tone.

  “Fucker. That’s what you were hoping for all along. I’ll take a rain check. I need to accomplish something around here and I can’t do that if I’m running off to socialize when I could be working.”

  “You sound like Lily. Just remember, all work and no play makes Del a big dull dud.”

  “Nag.”

  Del could hear Lily’s voice in the background and then Clay said, “Lily wants me to tell you that she won’t accept any excuses for Christmas. She wants you here by noon.”

  What could it hurt? “Tell her I’ll be there. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Del’s conscience tugged at him a bit as he ended the call. He hated to disappoint Lily about supper that night. Truth be told, he wanted to spend more time with her but didn’t feel quite right about it.

  He could tell by the way Clay and Lily looked at each other that something was going on between them. Clay hadn’t been very forthcoming, but Del didn’t get the impression that was because he was feeling possessive. He’d come across as though he was respecting Lily’s privacy. Lily’s beautiful face swam in his mind, and he shook his head, mentally putting away the idea that there might be a future there. Clay had right of way.

  Five hours later, he trudged into the dark house. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and dinner from the freezer. Sitting in his recliner, he ate in silence. The stereo was still hooked up and probably worked, but he valued the nighttime quiet, broken only by the sound of the wind whistling through the old window screens. Weariness settled into his muscles and joints, and he hoped this time he’d sleep for more than a few minutes before the nightmares started.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Christmas

  Del’s stomach grumbled loudly as he sat down at Lily’s table. She’d gone all out and was even dressed for the occasion in a pretty red and black dress that accentuated her sexy hourglass figure. It was hard not to stare. Her cheeks glowed as she placed the platter containing slices of turkey in the center of the table she’d gone to obvious pains to set for the holiday. Candles glowed in the center of the table, illuminating her beautiful face as she sank into her seat.

  Clay murmured, “Lily, it looks fantastic.”

&nb
sp; Lily beamed. “I hope it tastes good.”

  After saying grace, Del offered Lily the platter so she could serve herself. She glanced at him, and he saw a flicker of hesitancy in her eyes before she smiled and lifted the meat fork from the platter. Clay sighed deeply as they dug into their Christmas dinner and chuckled at Del’s appreciative groan when he took his first bite of breast meat, stuffing, and cranberries mixed together. “Lily, you outdid yourself.”

  “Thank you, cowboy.” The endearment made him chuckle quietly.

  They’d received an invitation to eat Christmas dinner with Clay’s friends, the Warners…Grace and Jack…or Grace, Jack, Ethan, and Adam, or however Clay knew them. Del had gotten around a bit, but this new trend in Divine was still confusing to him.

  He’d been working nonstop at the ranch, so he hadn’t met anyone but Grace so far. Evidently there were numerous small groups of men in the area who were committing to one woman. Del didn’t get it, but he didn’t judge, either.

  He’d run across a number of men in the last few years who had multiple wives, but that was a totally different culture and value system. He’d been nauseated by the way the women were treated as property or cattle and in many cases horribly abused.

  Suppressing a shudder at his memories, Del forced his thoughts into the present. Lily had insisted that their first Christmas dinner should be at home, and she’d prepared small feasts for them for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving with them had been his only real day off the month before. He could tell both Lily and Clay were exhausted from working in the shop and appreciated her efforts even more.

  Helping himself to more turkey, he took another bite and groaned in pleasure. He glanced up at Lily and caught her relieved sigh. It occurred to him that it was likely she’d never received many compliments on her cooking, judging by what Clay had told him of her marriage.

  “Lily, this meal is wonderful. You did a very good job.”

  Clay grinned at him across the table and seemed to understand his effort to bolster her self-esteem. “Del’s right. It’s fantastic.”

  “How’s your dad?” Del asked before taking another bite of her stuffing and cranberries.

  Lily’s lovely lips bowed with the trace of a sad smile. “He called this morning. I’m worried about him, but he said he’s doing fine. There was nothing new to report about his cancer from his last doctor’s visit. He seems very anxious about my divorce being final. Every time I’ve talked to him recently, he’s asked me to let him know as soon as it’s official.”

  “I wonder why?” Clay asked, helping himself to more sweet potatoes.

  “I don’t know. It’s always the first thing he asks about. I explained to him that the process takes sixty days. Considering the date I filed, that means it would have been final in mid-December. But with the holidays, scheduling, and the difficulty my lawyer has had in dealing with ‘jerk-face,’ it could be January or February before it’s actually final.”

  Clay took a drink of his iced tea and seemed impatient as he said, “It can’t happen soon enough.”

  “Dad was happy when I told him I changed my last name back to Valentine. I’m happy to leave behind every vestige of my life as a member of the King family.”

  Del was glad to hear that, too. He knew Lily had gotten teased as a child for having an iconic last name, but he’d always thought it suited her. “So you’re our Valentine once again?”

  Lily snorted. “That was lame, but yes. It was official a couple of weeks ago. Want more cranberries?” He wasn’t surprised she’d remembered how much he loved them with turkey. She’d always picked up on things like that.

  “I’m going to do some more cooking for you next week, after the dust settles from Christmas. You should make a list if there’s something you want me to cook special for you. Are you eating okay? Remembering to eat?”

  Busted. He’d been spending a lot of time outside, working. After he ate, he usually drank a beer and fell asleep for another round of subconscious torture in the form of recurring nightmares.

  “I do okay.”

  Lily looked at him skeptically. “You look a little worse for wear, Del. How are things at the ranch?”

  “I have my work cut out for me, I’ll say that much. There were lots of structural repairs to make. It’s probably good that I didn’t plan to go to auction early, Clay, because the place is so run down. The fences are in sad shape, too.”

  Lily handed him the stuffing. “Maybe you could hire someone to help you.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it, but…”

  “But what?” Lily persisted.

  “I’d rather work on my own for now. There’s no hurry, really. I just need the time alone, I guess.” At another doubtful look from Lily, he added, “It’s okay. I’ll get someone to help eventually. I’m enjoying the work. It’s quiet out there.”

  Del was grateful when Clay changed the subject and asked, “Lily, did you want to go visit your dad?”

  Lily cringed slightly and slowly shook her head. “You know I would, Clay. But with the problems Mr. Duffield is having nailing down JT for paperwork, it’s best if I stay out of Durst. And Dad doesn’t want to leave right now. He said the chemo tends to make his motion sickness worse. Maybe in January or February, after everything’s settled, I’ll visit him. I’m just not sure it’s a good idea to stir up that hornet’s nest. Dad said he could wait until then. He doesn’t want me in town either. He seems to think JT would get wind of me being there and make trouble.”

  The meal and conversation continued until they were all stuffed. Del noticed little glances and unspoken communication between Clay and Lily every so often, but he didn’t say anything. Lily started a sink filling with hot, soapy water and insisted they go relax in the living room by the lit fireplace and let their food digest.

  As Del settled on the couch, he quietly asked, “So how is Lily, really? She’s lost more weight since the last time I saw her, hasn’t she?”

  Clay nodded. “Besides what she does at the shop, she’s studying and working out an awful lot. I’m not sure she’s sleeping well, but she seems really happy. She aced her final exams and she’s having fewer nightmares. That’s a big deal to her.”

  Bracing for the answer to the question he was about to voice, Del asked, “And things between the two of you? How are they?”

  Clay sat quietly for several seconds, seeming to debate how much he should say. The sounds of water running and Lily busying herself in the kitchen could be heard.

  “We slept together one time last month, the night of the storm. Same night you got back. When the storm really got going she came to me. One thing led to another.”

  Del had assumed as much, based on the way they had acted that day he’d come into the jewelry shop. Lily had blushed profusely when Clay had come out of the shop’s restroom with no shirt on. “You haven’t since then?”

  Clay shook his head. Knowing Clay as well as he did, Del recognized the torment in his eyes and his attempt to hide it behind an almost nonchalant tone. “No. I’m going to tell you the reason why, but you can’t say anything to her about it. I’m respecting her privacy and her boundaries right now. I think she’s beating herself up for sleeping with me when she’s technically still a married woman—”

  “What a load of shit. That bastard—”

  “Not to her, it’s not. She values the vows she made, even if he didn’t, and we don’t acknowledge them because of how he treated her. But that’s not the only reason. Her ex-husband had a mark put on her.”

  “A what?”

  Quietly, Clay replied, “It’s a tattoo. More of a mark of ‘ownership’ is how JT put it the day I met him in the hospital.”

  “He came to the hospital?”

  Clay filled him in with all the details, including the description of the horrible mark she bore. Del was ready to drive to Durst and kill the bastard. His poor Lily. He wanted to cuddle her and wrap her in safety and never let another man near her. But that wasn
’t meant to be because Clay obviously already had those bases covered. He was curious about why Clay would reveal something that was so private that it was unlikely he’d ever see.

  “Can you understand why she doesn’t want us to know about the mark?”

  Del nodded, still wanting to crush JT King like the cockroach that he was.

  “If she knew that we were aware of its existence it would hurt her. That’s why I haven’t pushed her to sleep with me again. I told her I understood she had issues and there’s no pressure on her. Of course if she comes to me I’m going to give her whatever she needs. The only reason we had that night was because I agreed to keep the lights off and my eyes closed. I can tell she’s scared to risk it again, no matter how much she may want to.” Del was willing to bet those were precious memories. Clay paused as though weighing his words carefully. “I know we talked about it, but you haven’t had a chance to meet any of our friends yet, so you may not understand…”

  Del was confused. “Understand what?”

  “I’m allowing Lily to keep her options open.” The “calf staring at a new gate” look on Del’s face must’ve been obvious because Clay continued, “Where the two of us are concerned, I mean. I’m letting her stew on how she feels about us right now. The fact that she and I have not been intimate again is probably a good thing. She has some choices she needs to make and she’s as busy as a long-tail cat in a rocking chair factory, trying to keep up with everything.”

  Did he just say ‘us’ as in, including me? “Meaning?”

  “She’s learning my business in the busiest season of the year, she’s going to school, getting a divorce, having renovations done on her house, working out too much, and in need of a solution for the tattoo. This has not been the time to put more pressure on her.”

  “I noticed her rubbing her knee.”