Last-Chance Marriage Rescue

by Catherine Mann

  In the morning sunlight, Douglas’s blue eyes held the mischief and delight that had first pulled her into his orbit. Broad, muscled shoulders tempered by all that work on their farm. As handsome today as he’d been on their wedding day. Such a blur. So different from the calm scene unfolding on that valley-side pond. He’d been in a sharp tux, bolo tie and black Stetson, young and full of dreams. Simmering with sleek, sexy muscles and high-cut cheekbones that always made him seem he was in the middle of a great discovery.

  “Our wedding day was such chaos,” she mused softly, careful to keep her voice low enough that their children wouldn’t overhear and misconstrue.

  Hands sliding on the reins, he nudged his black gelding to stay on the trodden trail. Those eyes—blue as the innermost part of a flame—locked with hers. “I don’t remember it that way.”

  She couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Because a man just has to show up.”

  “Fair enough. I wouldn’t have noticed chaos anyway. I was in the barn with Tyler working a surprise delivery of twin calves.”

  “I remember those twins. I thought the vet came out for that.”

  Douglas shook his head. “Old Doc Gerald arrived too late for the actual birth and just did the exams afterward. I didn’t want to stress you. You had enough on your plate getting dressed for the wedding.”

  She mulled that over for a moment as the rest of the group moved on, leaving her and Douglas trailing behind.

  “We’ve always done that, haven’t we? Kept things to ourselves so as not to worry the other. I wonder if we’d been more open, if...”

  “If what?” he asked, his strong hands loose on the reins.

  “If it might have eased the stress, sharing the burdens.”

  His grip tightened ever so slightly, and for a moment she thought he would press the advantage, in spite of his promise to go with the flow. Her heart sped in her chest; her breath caught in her throat. She could see the widening of his pupils, familiar, heated.

  Then he stroked along the brim of his Stetson and trained his eyes forward. “I guess we’ll never know.”

  She should be relieved he kept his word. But she couldn’t help wondering what she would have done if he’d angled in to kiss her.

  * * *

  There were few things as anchoring to Douglas as watching folks move in time together in a line dance. An upbeat song bringing the barn together, laughing faces after a full day of sunlit adventure atop horses.

  And tonight’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” had set the barn alive.

  He scanned the other guests in their array of denim and flannel, some with sleeves rolled up in spite of the slight briskness in the evening air sweeping in through the wide-open doors. The darting of his children drew his eyes, Kacie picking up the dance quickly, her natural athleticism serving her well tonight, just as it did when roping. Kelsey stood slightly out of line, brow furrowed, assessing each new movement before entering.

  Finally, he let his gaze settle on his wife. She stretched her hand back directing Kelsey subtly. Graceful as though she were directing a symphony. A black off-the-shoulder cable-knit sweater hugged the curves on her body. Accentuating her beautiful smile. Blond hair loose, falling in pools on her bare shoulders.

  A hand clapped him on the back and he turned to find the ranch owner.

  “How are you enjoying the place so far?”

  Looking beneath the twinkling lights, the silhouette of the mountains beyond, he had to admit there was something...different about this place. Something he couldn’t quite name, but that drew him in. “It’s quite a spread you have here.”

  “I was surprised to see your application, given you have much the same to offer at your farm. Most folks come here as a total change of pace from their everyday life.”

  “My girls chose. They heard about the famed magic of the Top Dog Dude Ranch.” The planked floor groaned beneath his feet as he shifted, taking in the gathered group.

  Jacob tipped back his Stetson. “Well, I do have to say it was the craziest timing in the world to see your request come in. We usually book months in advance. We had a cancellation five minutes before we opened the email with your reservation request.”

  “I’m glad for my girls.” A tightness in his chest gnawed at him.

  “That’s not all. The family that canceled—a family of four—wouldn’t take the refund, even though we told them we had a waiting list. They insisted that their prepayment be donated to another family.”

  Douglas scratched the back of his neck. “That’s what I heard. I still can hardly believe it.”

  “The timing was definitely kismet, and it had nothing to do with the animals.”

  “Our girls wanted to come so much they were raising money to come here, but there’s no way they could have gotten even close.”

  A wide grin stretched across Jacob’s weathered face. “Thanks for sharing that story. Affirmation like that means a lot. We’re packed, but times haven’t always been easy, especially during all the virus shutdowns.”

  Douglas scratched the side of his neck right over a crick that had been there for longer than he could remember. “We were hit hard as well, losing contracts for milk and beef.”

  “Oh, man, that’s rough. I saw stories about dairy farms having to pour out gallons of milk.”

  “Our town is small. There wasn’t much of a safety net for a lot of folks. My wife came up with a plan for us to give it away.” He looked at Nina, so alive and giving.

  “Give away the milk and beef?”

  “She said it seemed wasteful not to.” And she’d been right. He’d had such tunnel vision he’d missed what should have been obvious. Nina probably understood well from her upbringing what it was like to struggle financially; even when her parents had been alive, money was tight. So she never missed a chance to give someone a hand up when it was within her means. “My wife said she figured even if someone had plenty of money, this would free up more for them to do for someone else.”

  “She sounds like a good person.”

  “Yes, she is.” His eyes were drawn to Nina, to what coming here could mean. To his last hope for bringing his family together. “Some of those folks are taking care of our home and animals while we’re here. I’m going to miss that small-town connection when we move.”

  Jacob arched an eyebrow. “Move? Where to?”

  “We’re putting the place on the market when we get back. We haven’t told the girls. We wanted to give them this chance to be carefree first.”

  And that was the last thing he needed to be talking about if he wanted to keep this vacation lighthearted. “Forget I said anything.”

  “Hey, this may be a bit out of the blue, but if you do decide to sell, how about give me a call. We’ve been looking for land to expand, open a second ranch, and I’d like to take a look at your operation.”

  “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” he said automatically. He should be shouting for joy over even the possibility. But he just felt hollow.

  Quick beats of the line dance receded. In their stead, a soulful fiddle was joined by a crooning voice. Now this was his moment. He said his goodbye to Jacob and took sure-footed steps toward Nina.

  He touched the soft fabric at her elbow. Imagining already what it’d be like to touch her. To be close to her. “May I have this dance?”

  Her eyes went wide and hesitant. Which made him all sorts of sad.

  “Nina, for the girls. For the vacation.” He held out his arms.

  Thank God, she didn’t leave him standing there like a fool. She stepped forward and finally, finally, he had his wife in his arms, her hair flying behind her with each swing, her cheeks flushed and her eyes alive.

  In the warm glow of lights strung overhead, her brown eyes glistened, her breath whispering across his skin as a twirl landed her close to his cheek. “I forgot you could dance
like this.”

  “I believe I forgot as well. But it feels good to see you smile.”

  “Keep dancing and I’ll keep right on smiling, cowboy.”

  If only it could be that simple.

  He felt the electricity hum in the rapidly diminishing space between them. Lips so close as they passed, heat and fire in their gaze. Need rose in his chest with each ragged breath.

  A fat gray tabby pressed against his legs and hers, seeming to push them closer and closer. Until they were seconds, a mere breath away. And then she swayed into him, only a hint, but all the encouragement he needed to capture her lips.

  Chapter Five

  The familiar press of her husband’s mouth to hers built a longing in her for more than sex.

  Strains of the country band still teasing her ears, Nina swayed into the solid breadth of his chest, hard muscles from real work and a lifetime of it. He stirred a desire for what they’d once shared and everything they’d dreamed of becoming. Of the life they’d imagined building together.

  Chemistry had never been their problem. In fact, they’d likely relied too heavily on letting it bridge difficult times, especially after his brother died. Those moments of being connected were often the only outlet for emotion. Or rather, the only outlet for Douglas. She’d craved those moments of connection. Even though Tyler wasn’t her biological relative, she’d had such little family in her life, his death hit her hard as well.

  And oh, as her fingers twisted in the warm flannel of her husband’s shirt, how she wanted to indulge in one last night with him, to pretend this place really could work magic and their problems would all disappear. Her skin tingled at the possibility, a sigh sliding free.

  Her lashes fluttered and she caught sight of her daughters in the distance. Seeing their wide and hopeful eyes iced her heated blood.

  “Douglas,” she whispered against his lips, now all too aware of the other dancers swaying around them. “The girls are watching and we don’t want to mislead them.”

  A tic twitched at the corner of his eye. “Of course. You’re right. I don’t imagine I could persuade you to take a stroll in the moonlight?”

  Then he smiled and winked.

  Heaven help her, when he smiled her insides turned to mush as they always did in his rare shows of humor. The first time he’d laughed, she’d lost her heart. She couldn’t even remember now what it was that spurred him. Just that they’d been walking by the farm’s pond and she’d cracked a joke, nothing special, but he’d made her feel important. Something she hadn’t felt in such a long time.

  Definitely no romantic moonlight walks.

  “It’s getting late.” She backed away, bumping into an older couple. “Excuse me.”

  Douglas braced her by the elbow, his touch strong and warm. “The girls are having fun. What harm is there in letting them have a good time? We both know farm life is hard work. They deserve to be kids.”

  He had chosen now to be chatty? Now? After she’d begged him for over a year for more than clipped sentences?

  Well, too little, too late. A whisper was all she could muster as the weight of her words tumbled from her lips. “You’re right that this is about the kids, not us, not having a vacation or ‘going with the flow.’ Am I wrong?”

  His jaw flexed, tensing, his lips thinning. That’s what she’d thought. Short-lived levity.

  She angled past him, waving to the twins, who thank goodness, didn’t seem to have overheard. “Come on, girls. We have an early day tomorrow.”

  As a careful student of photography, Nina knew how to pose her body to convey emotion and outline feeling. Even when the emotions didn’t match the exterior gestures.

  Which is exactly what she did now—forced and willed her body into a jovial dance her bones detested as she gathered their children, with a slightly rickety smile.

  Snatching her jean jacket from the row of hooks by the barn door, she stuffed her arms inside without pausing and stepped out into the crisp evening air.

  What had she been thinking? How could she have let herself get so carried away? She didn’t have the luxury of a moment’s weakness with her husband. This trip was about preparing the girls for a split. Not for getting their hopes up, which would make the fall all the harder.

  Time to shore up her defenses and stay focused on forging a future for herself and the girls.

  * * *

  Douglas jolted in his bed, expecting morning but only finding moonbeams.

  He’d always been a light sleeper, first keeping an ear open for problems on the farm, and then for sounds that his brother might need him. And even half-awake, his honed senses told him there was something on the move in their cabin.

  A critter?

  Thump.

  There it was again.

  He swung his legs off the futon, the quilt gathering around his waist. Quietly, he tugged on a T-shirt, stealing a quick glance at his wife. She still slept, her breaths even.

  She hadn’t said two words to him since storming out of the barn dance. But he wasn’t letting that deter him, especially after that kiss they’d shared. Surely she’d only been riled up because she’d felt the heat simmering right along with him. She’d needed to shut him down afterward because she didn’t know what to do with all those feelings. He understood. And he would wait. He was a patient man and now that he’d seen her wavering, he’d had his first taste of hope in a long, long time.

  Easing the bedroom door open, he found...

  The last thing he expected.

  Kacie stood in the middle of the room, the wagon-wheel chandelier on dim, swishing the lasso over her head. Tossing. Rolling the rope back in. Repeating. Hitting her target about half the time. A chair. A shoe. Her backpack. On and on. So engrossed, she didn’t even seem to know he’d entered the room.

  Barefoot, she wore pink thermal pj’s. Her hair straggled down her back in a long, messy braid that always managed to come loose seconds after her mom had cinched it with a rubber band.

  Her concentration was fierce, admirable, but her arm was starting to slide, clearly from exhaustion. In the top bunk just barely visible in the loft, her sister slept on. Had Kelsey grown used to the late-night practice sessions? He shook his head, all too aware that he hadn’t spent enough time with his daughters in the last months of nonstop work. One of many problems he would start fixing this week.

  “Hey, Champ, what are you doing still awake?”

  The rope dropped from Kacie’s hands, thudding to the floor. “Dad, I didn’t hear you. I’m just getting in some practice for the festival championships when we get home. This is my year.” Her chin went tight. “It has to be.”

  Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gave a gentle squeeze. He understood this dedication, the way it could swallow a person whole. The exact opposite of what he wanted for his daughter.

  “Kacie, do you know what it means when a person talks about the point of diminishing returns?”

  “Um, not really.”

  “It’s when you work too long at something until you’re so tired that instead of learning anything, you start to get worse.”

  “Are you saying I’m bad?” Tears glinted in her eyes and she scrubbed them away impatiently with the back of her hand.

  “No, not at all. But you need to know when to stop a training session. Practice is important, but skills can’t be fast-tracked. Does that make sense?”

  Moonlight threw shadows and light playing hide-and-seek across her face as she chewed her lip. Exhaling hard, she rolled the lasso between thumb and forefinger.

  “I think so.”

  “You’re incredible, much better than I was at your age.”

  “Really?” A cousin to Tennessee starlight shone in her eyes.

  “Absolutely. I would never lie to you.” He nodded. Honesty had been his signature parenting style.

  She
snorted, avoiding his eyes.

  Douglas frowned. She was spunky, but she had never been disrespectful. “Kacie, what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You and Mom aren’t telling the truth to us.”

  That was a minefield he didn’t want to venture into for her. And quite frankly, he didn’t want to consider what it meant if she had a point. “About what?”

  She scrubbed a bare toe against the braid rug. “You’re getting a divorce, aren’t you?”

  His insides went still, quiet. This was not a conversation he wanted to have, especially without Nina present. He opted for a truthful answer that still dodged sharing too much. “We have not filed for a divorce.”

  “But you’re planning to.” She clenched her fists at her side, stubborn jaw jutting. “I saw you two fight tonight.”

  “Let’s enjoy the trip.”

  She rolled up her rope with angry, jerky loops. She’d always been feisty, but since Tyler’s death, that spunk had turned to anger. It seemed she resented everything these days.

  “Kacie?”

  She stopped, keeping her back to him, her shoulders so thin and sagging. “What, Dad?”

  “I love you, Champ. That’s never gonna change.”

  She climbed the ladder, mumbling, “That’s what you told Mom.”

  Her words stabbed him clean through and there wasn’t anything he could think to say that would reassure her. He would need Nina’s guidance on this, like he did anytime emotional issues arose. Nina would know what to do.

  Too bad he didn’t have a mentor to help him sort through the mess he’d made with his wife.

  * * *

  The twins’ laughter carrying on the wind almost managed to distract Nina from her husband’s looming presence just behind her. Kacie and Kelsey dangled from the rock wall, an instructor beneath each of them. Notches had been cut into a stone mountainside, leading up about twenty feet, grips and hooks bolted in. Kacie had chosen this activity, and Nina had to agree the exercise’s focus on cooperation was certainly needed.