A Rancher to Love

by Trish Milburn

  Tyler snorted. Leave it to the biggest flirt in town to know almost to the moment when a new woman moved to the county. “Don’t you have a car or twelve to fix?”

  “I can multitask.”

  Tyler shook his head as he pulled the gas nozzle from the truck’s tank and replaced it back in the pump. “As far as I know, she’s free, if that’s what you’re after.”

  “Not the road for me. She already turned me down. Can you believe that?”

  Tyler braced his hand atop the gas pump. “Wait, you’ve already asked her out and she’s only lived here a day?”

  “Nah, it was a few months ago, when she was here visiting Conner and his family. I pulled out my best stuff, too.”

  A bark of laughter escaped Tyler. “And she turned you down. That’s got to be a first. I don’t know the woman well, but at least now I know she has taste.”

  “Cold, man. Cold.”

  Tyler laughed again as he rounded his truck. When he caught sight of Maddie coloring yet another page in the book she’d gotten at the café, he reined in his laughter.

  “You must really like that coloring book.”

  Maddie hesitated in the strokes with the red crayon she was using before finally nodding. He went back over what he’d said, wondering how her five-year-old brain had interpreted it. Because he’d sensed concern as she’d paused in her coloring.

  “That’s good,” he finally said, hoping to ease whatever was on her mind. “We can get you some more soon, if you’d like.”

  When he thought he caught a hint of a smile trying to tug at her lips, his heart lightened. He’d buy her a hundred coloring books if it would make her really smile and maybe let down her guard. Because even though she was only five, that’s what was happening. For some reason, there were walls erected around his niece.

  As he pulled out onto the road, she closed the coloring book and watched everything they passed the way she did every time they went anywhere. She was like a tourist in a foreign country for the first time, soaking up all the unfamiliar sights. He searched for some way to engage her in conversation but came up frustratingly empty. Instead, he let his mind wander back over the events of the day until they landed on the brief conversation with Greg, specifically the fact that Greg had asked Leah out.

  He tried to imagine Leah with Greg, and he couldn’t picture it. Leah seemed like a quiet person, reserved, perhaps a touch shy. Which was surprising considering her cousin was not that way. But he guessed if siblings could be like night and day, it shouldn’t be a surprise if cousins were.

  As he drove back toward the ranch, he wondered about his new tenant, if the situation would work out. He’d probably already made mistakes, such as not even asking what she did for a living and where she intended to work, if perhaps she already had a job before moving to Blue Falls. But really, as long as she paid her rent, didn’t host wild parties and wasn’t doing anything illegal, he shouldn’t care. He admitted to himself he was more curious than anything.

  When he pulled up beside the house a few minutes later, he saw no sign of her other than the fact her car was parked next to the bunkhouse. He supposed she was still getting settled. As he got out of his truck and Maddie released herself from her seat and headed for the house with her coloring book and crayons, he resisted the urge to go check on Leah, to see if she needed anything. He reminded himself that distance was a good thing. His number one concern was his niece, followed by his work, which meant he didn’t have a lot of free time for chatting up his new neighbor.

  No matter how pretty she was.

  * * *

  LEAH OPENED A box of beads and ran her fingers across the familiar and colorful glass, hoping a flash of inspiration would shoot up her arm to her brain. She went from box to box, knowing she had to work no matter if she felt inspired or not, but it would certainly be easier. She needed something, anything to spur her creativity.

  Without thinking about it, she strolled to the window and looked toward the house. She’d heard Tyler’s truck pull in a few minutes ago but saw no sign of him, the little girl or any possible wife now. But a strange pull tugged at Leah. Despite the fact that she’d been most comfortable behind locked doors since the attack, she suddenly felt as if those protective walls were closing in on her. Desperate for air, she jerked open the front door and stepped out onto the porch, leaving the door open behind her.

  Despite the fact the heat of the day was still cloaking the ranch, the porch sat in the shade. She inhaled a slow, deep breath as the wave of uncharacteristic claustrophobia ebbed. A bird sang nearby, hidden somewhere in the trees across the drive. She closed her eyes and focused on the notes of its song, which found their way into her and allowed her muscles to relax and a sort of peace to soothe her. For the first time since arriving at Tyler’s ranch, she thought maybe it hadn’t been a mistake after all. She’d wanted peace, and this moment of connection with nature provided it.

  She kept her eyes closed, afraid if she opened them the feeling would evaporate. But after several moments, the bird’s song stopped. Leah opened her eyes in time to see a flash of yellow as the bird took flight. Though the bird hadn’t been loud, the quiet it left behind was remarkable. As she listened, all she heard was an almost undetectable breeze rustling the leaves. The absence of traffic noise told her more than the knowledge of its distance that Houston and what had happened to her there were indeed far away.

  When the air-conditioning unit for the bunkhouse clicked on, she jumped at the interruption of the quiet. Then she remembered that the front door was standing wide open, letting all the cool air outside.

  Leah spun on her heel and walked back inside the bunkhouse. She actually thought she might be able to work now, but not inside. Despite the fact that the songbird had left, she found she wanted to sit outside and soak up more of what this slice of the Hill Country had to offer.

  Thinking about what Gina had said earlier at the grocery, Leah selected the necessary supplies to replicate the necklace the other woman had admired. As she placed the materials around the rocking chair on the porch and took a seat, a whiff of her normal joy at immersing herself in work flirted at the edge of her mind, but was quickly gone, so quickly she actually wondered if she’d imagined it. Maybe the simple act of going through the familiar motions would lead her back to where she wanted to be.

  Though she wasn’t yet able to capture the usual excitement of creation, it felt good to be doing something productive. Her experience let her put together the necklace without a ton of thought. When she finally finished it, she held it up so that she could examine how it hung on the chain and make sure she hadn’t made any mistakes.

  Movement from down the drive drew her attention. The little blonde girl she’d seen with Tyler stood next to one of the farthest trees, about two-thirds of her body hidden behind the trunk of the red oak. When she saw that Leah had noticed her, she stepped farther out of sight.

  Not wanting to scare the child, Leah didn’t make any move toward her. Instead, she simply gave her a little finger wave. The girl didn’t respond, instead staring for a couple of moments longer before turning and hurrying back toward the house.

  Smart girl, not talking to or coming close to a stranger. Or perhaps Tyler had told her to keep her distance. Leah could totally understand that. Though she was harmless to the girl, Tyler couldn’t know that. He’d barely spoken to her, knew not nearly enough about her to trust allowing his daughter to be alone with her.

  Leah watched until the girl disappeared around the back of the house, then returned her attention to her work. A sense of accomplishment, that she’d taken what felt like a huge and important step in her recovery, settled in her chest. Hoping to build on that, she selected the appropriate pieces to make a set of earrings to complement the necklace. If Gina didn’t want them, then Leah could always put them up for sale on her site or offer them as part of t
he replenishment stock for India’s store.

  She was midway through wrapping the wire for the second earring when her phone rang. A quick look at the display showed it was her aunt Charlotte calling. Leah exhaled, afraid she was about to be bombarded with questions despite Conner’s assertion that he’d head that off at the pass. She supposed she was lucky she hadn’t had to face her aunt and uncle before now.

  Knowing that she couldn’t avoid them now that they lived in the same town, she answered on the third ring. “Hey, Aunt Charlotte.”

  “Hello, dear. How are you settling in?”

  “Fine. Just doing a bit of work.”

  “Well, hopefully you have time to spare for dinner tonight. Your uncle is grilling steaks.”

  Leah wasn’t sure she was up to socializing yet, but then she told herself she needed to be. The quicker she resumed normal activities, the sooner she could truly get her life back and not think about what had happened all the time.

  “Sounds great.” Yeah, so great her stomach chose that moment to start spinning in circles.

  When she hung up, she spotted Tyler striding from the house to the barn. He glanced her way and after a moment’s hesitation, he lifted his hand for a single wave.

  She waved back, her stomach tumbling in a very different way. How was it possible for her to feel flutters of physical attraction so soon after her attack? That question sent awful chills racing over her skin, stinging her everywhere Garton’s hands had touched her flesh.

  Her peaceful afternoon shaken, she gathered up her supplies and carried them back inside. When her phone rang again, she startled and nearly dumped everything in her arms. Just the thought of hearing beads fall against the floor and spread out in all directions made nausea rise up within her.

  Thinking it was her aunt again, she eased the plastic containers onto the table then pulled the phone from her shorts pocket. Instead of Charlotte, the name on the display belonged to her best friend, Reina.

  Anxious to hear her friend’s voice, she quickly answered before the call could go to voice mail. “Hey, there. How’s the mom-to-be?”

  “Fat and craving things that shouldn’t be fit for human consumption.”

  Leah smiled. “You know you’re beautiful.”

  Reina snorted. “That’s a lie but I’ll take it. But the real question is how are you? How’s life in the boonies?”

  “I didn’t move to the Australian Outback, you know.”

  “Close.”

  Leah laughed a little, and it felt foreign and welcome at the same time. “I’m completely unpacked.”

  “Good, but that’s not what I mean. Do you still believe it was the right decision?” Reina might tease her about her choice of new home, but she was the one person who’d supported her decision with no questions asked. She also hadn’t pressed for details about the attack, knowing that Leah wasn’t at a place where she could share that yet.

  “It will take some getting used to, but I think so, yes.”

  “That’s good. Maybe I’ll challenge my GPS to actually find where you live once this beach ball I’m carrying decides to make an appearance.”

  That would mean she wouldn’t see her best friend for at least another five months. “I look forward to it. Now, tell me, have you chosen a name yet?”

  “Taylor and Caleb.”

  “Well, at least you’ve narrowed it down from the grocery list of names you had the last time I talked to you.”

  “No, that’s the final names. Seems I’m having twins.”

  “Twins?” Leah nearly squealed. “How are you just now finding this out?”

  “One of the little boogers has been hiding. If I figure out which one, he’s grounded as soon as he’s born.”

  Leah laughed again, and it filled more of her this time, reminding her of how much she’d laughed with Reina over the years.

  After they talked about the babies some more and how Reina’s husband, Jacob, was working more hours in order to save up for buying twice the amount of baby supplies than they’d expected, Reina shifted the topic of conversation back to Leah.

  “So, tell me about your place.”

  “It used to be the bunkhouse on a ranch. Tyler said his father and grandfather used to have a bigger operation and their extra hands lived here.”

  “Tyler’s your landlord?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good guy?”

  “Conner says so. I’ve honestly not had much contact with him. He has a little girl, but I’ve not talked to her at all. Cute little thing, though.”

  “So this Tyler isn’t some old coot wearing overalls?”

  “Hardly.”

  The line was silent for a long moment before Reina said, “Oh?”

  Leah heard the caution in her friend’s voice but also the curiosity. The way she’d responded to Reina’s question echoed in her head, revealing more than she’d intended, more than she’d truly realized. Despite what had happened to her and how nervous she’d been around men ever since, especially someone the size of Tyler, she couldn’t deny that she found him attractive. But that didn’t mean she had to go into details with her friend. More than likely, her reaction to Tyler was just a reminder that she could still be attracted to a man. Now if she could just stop being so riddled with fear around them. She had to find the appropriate level of caution that lay somewhere between fear of all men and unconcerned, but right now it felt like finding that place was as likely as her scaling Everest.

  “Just because it’s a small town doesn’t mean everyone here is a yokel.”

  “I know. I just thought... Never mind. I’m glad you like it. I really do look forward to visiting you there.”

  “Well, for now I think you just need to take care of yourself and those babies.” Leah shook her head. “Wow, two. That’s kind of wild.”

  “Tell me about it. Though it does explain why I’m the size of a football stadium.”

  They talked for a few more minutes before Reina said she had to go. Leah hated to end the call but understood. She’d just tapped the end button when knocking at the door caused her to yelp and fumble her phone so much she dropped it. She picked it up then crept toward the window, her heart beating so hard she felt the pulse against her eardrums, and looked out.

  Tyler stood outside with another man. When she looked closer, she realized the second man wore a uniform. Then she remembered about the internet installation. Trying to slow her heartbeat, she crossed to the door and opened it.

  She managed to meet Tyler’s eyes, his lovely blue eyes, and her breath caught. Then he took a step closer and the fear that was her constant companion shot up like a puck in a strong-man game at a fair. She gripped the edge of the door, ready to slam it in their faces.

  But Tyler stopped moving, and his eyes narrowed a fraction as if he’d noticed her reaction and wondered at its cause. Her concern shifted directions, now causing her to worry that she’d offended the man who provided a roof over her head and a place to start over.

  He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. “Cameron is here to hook up your internet service.”

  Leah mustered a smile and forced her fingers to relax on the door, though she didn’t release it entirely. “It’s nice to meet you. Please come in.” She hoped she sounded hospitable even if she felt as if she might pass out from the overload of fear coursing through her.

  Cameron came inside and asked her questions about what she’d be using the service for and told her something about download speeds. They made sense in the moment he said the words but disappeared in the next. She’d thought Tyler would leave once he’d introduced Cameron, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood in the corner next to the front door, not saying anything but just...being.

  Nerves of a different sort started dancing inside her. She honestly wasn’t sure if
she was glad he’d stayed or not. On the one hand, his presence seemed reassuring, able to easily protect her should the need arise. The height and breadth of the man were truly impressive, and a flicker of attraction tried to assert itself inside her. Honestly, it did more than try. Tyler Lowe was an attractive man. Really attractive. But he also made her feel so incredibly small and breakable.

  But she was intensely aware that she was alone with two men she really didn’t know, in a place where she could cry out for help in her loudest voice and never be heard.

  Common sense nudged its way into her thoughts, asking how likely it was that Tyler would attack her when he had a small daughter not far away. He’d seemed to take care with the child, so that indicated he was a decent human being, right?

  The cacophony of questions and concerns competing for primacy in her head made her want to scream for them all to shut up and just leave her alone.

  “You okay?”

  The sound of Tyler’s deep voice drew her out of her thoughts.

  “Uh, yeah. Just have a bit of a headache.” Not exactly a lie.

  Tyler’s gaze left her and scanned the room. “Looks like you got settled quickly.”

  “Yeah, the positive side of insomnia.”

  “Takes a while to get used to a new place, I guess.”

  “Have you lived here your whole life?” What happened to keeping her distance? But it would be rude to not try to converse with him, instead standing there not even acknowledging his presence.

  “Yep.”

  She searched frantically for an appropriate response, made more difficult by the simple fact he seemed to take up so much space. “You’re lucky. It’s a beautiful area.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  They fell into a silence so awkward that she had to concentrate on not fidgeting.

  “Well, I’ve got work to do,” he said. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  She glanced toward him, meeting his eyes for a moment before he stepped out the door. After a few thuds of her heart, she moved to the window and watched Tyler’s retreating form. As his final words before leaving replayed in her head, a crazy response coalesced in her mind. In those couple of seconds when their gazes had met, a part of her mind whispered that she wanted him to be her protector, to banish all the darkness that haunted her.