A Rancher to Love

by Trish Milburn

  But that was weakness talking, and she needed to be strong. If she was to move beyond what happened, she had to find a way to banish the darkness and fear all on her own.

  Chapter Five

  Tyler walked into the cooler interior of the barn, intent on trimming the hooves on his horse, Comet. He spent so much time caring for other people’s horses that he had to carve out time for the care of his own. But when he reached Comet’s stall, he stopped outside and gripped the top of the stall door.

  His insides were still rattled from his encounter with Leah, and he wasn’t even sure why. Yes, she was pretty, but seeing a pretty woman wasn’t so rare an occurrence that he should feel as if all the cells in his body were swimming around in confusion, unable to find their rightful place.

  Add to that the powerful urge to protect her, and he had the crazy thought that maybe all this was an intense dream and he’d wake up and not even have a tenant in the bunkhouse.

  He shook his head and scratched Comet’s forehead along the white, comet-shaped blaze that had inspired the horse’s name. The feeling of warm, living horse beneath his fingers told him this wasn’t a dream. He really was having unexplainable reactions every time he was near Leah.

  Tyler reasoned that any decent man would have had the protective feelings when faced with the look in Leah’s eyes. She’d been scared, but he couldn’t figure out why. Did he scare her? Or was it Cameron? What reason had they given her to feel that way? Or was she just the nervous type, especially around men? He supposed that made sense considering how small she was, how difficult it would be to fight off unwanted advances.

  He certainly hoped she didn’t think he’d take advantage of her. Steering clear of any unnecessary interaction seemed more important than ever when faced with that possibility.

  He retrieved his tools and got to work. Because he’d done it so many times, trimming more hooves than he could possibly remember, his thoughts drifted back to the way Greg had teased him. That was the main drawback of a small town: how people felt free to comment on or tried to steer your life the way they thought it should go. Not that Greg cared one way or the other, but there were those who did, those who would assume that a single man his age living in close proximity to a woman who looked like Leah would naturally lead to romantic involvement. He had to make sure those types of rumors didn’t get started or were quashed quickly if they did. He wasn’t sure what his legal status would be with Maddie if someone decided to question how fit he was to be her unofficial guardian. He didn’t need anyone asking where her mother was, when she was coming back, because he had no idea. Part of him wondered if he’d ever see Kendra again.

  He knew he should be sad at the possibility of never seeing his sister again, but more than anything he was angry. What kind of person abandoned her child, especially one as young and vulnerable as Maddie?

  The sound of an engine starting, followed by the crunching of gravel, told him that Cameron must be finished with the internet installation. Only a few minutes went by before another engine started, indicating that Leah was leaving, as well. He couldn’t help wondering where she was going. Did she get a job?

  He glanced up as she drove past the entrance to the barn, and he sighed. It didn’t matter where she was going. The only thing he needed to wonder about Leah Murphy was whether she would pay her rent on time. Not where she was going. Not how she spent her time at home. And not whether she was involved with anyone.

  * * *

  “LEAH, HONEY, CAN you help me in the kitchen?”

  Leah sighed inwardly, knowing that her aunt’s request probably had very little to do with her need for an extra set of hands to carry food to the table.

  Why hadn’t she put this gathering off a while longer? She could have claimed she was still busy getting unpacked, or too tired, or trying to finish filling an order for jewelry. As she followed her aunt into the kitchen through the French doors that led out to the patio where her uncle was grilling, she told herself she might as well get this conversation over with instead of continuing to dread it.

  In fact, maybe it would be better to bring it up herself instead of letting Charlotte direct things.

  “I know that Mom has probably told you what happened despite the fact that I asked her not to,” Leah said as she stepped up to the marble-topped kitchen island.

  “She’s worried about you, dear.”

  “I know. And before you ask, I’m fine.”

  “So fine you picked up and moved.”

  Leah met her aunt’s gaze. “I’m not going to stand here and lie to you by saying that what happened hasn’t affected me, because it did. And my way of getting past it is to make some changes in my life. But I didn’t move to somewhere sight unseen. You know I’ve always liked Blue Falls.”

  “But you’ve always lived in the city.”

  “And now I live in the country. Let’s just leave it at that, okay?”

  Charlotte pressed her lips together, as if forcibly preventing herself from asking anything else, then finally nodded once. She turned to the refrigerator and pulled out a heaping bowl of homemade mashed potatoes and then another of coleslaw.

  “That looks delicious,” Leah said.

  “Thank you. It’s nice to cook for someone besides Tom and myself.”

  “You mean Conner isn’t over here all the time making you feed him and do his laundry?”

  Charlotte laughed. “No, not usually. Even he seems to manage feeding and clothing himself.”

  They carried the bowls along with a basket of bread to the dining room table.

  “So how is your new place really? I hear it’s an old bunkhouse. That doesn’t sound very homey.”

  “It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll spruce it up over time.”

  “You know we have perfectly good empty bedrooms here.”

  Her aunt meant well, but the last thing Leah wanted was a concerned family member watching her every move, reminding her through sympathetic looks that she’d been a victim of a crime, one that had shaken her to her core and filled her with a fear she’d never known before.

  “I appreciate the thought, but I need my own place with plenty of room to work.”

  Charlotte sighed but then smiled. “Okay, but if you change your mind, you don’t even have to ask. Just show up.”

  Conner opened the door then and held it as his dad walked in bearing a tray of perfectly grilled steaks.

  They took their seats and started filling their plates. Despite the fact her aunt was probably questioning Leah’s decisions as much as her parents were, thankfully her uncle didn’t say anything. And Conner was Conner, sharing funny tales from work, including how an area resident called 911 convinced an intruder was trying to get into her house. When he and another deputy arrived, they found the culprit to be none other than an opossum eating the cat’s food.

  Conner looked at Leah. “She’s one of Tyler’s neighbors, so you better be on the lookout for the great possum bandit.”

  Leah sure hoped no critters decided to scare the living daylights out of her. She had no doubt her imagination would blow the noise way out of proportion, convincing her it was someone there to attack her.

  At that thought, she glanced outside and realized it had gotten dark. “I better get going.”

  “It’s still early,” her uncle said. “Thought we might play some cards. Been a while since we had enough people here to have a good game.”

  Leah smiled at her uncle. “Maybe next time. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  “Okay, dear. You’re welcome anytime.” The look in his eyes told her that he also knew what had happened to her, but at least he didn’t make a big deal out of it.

  “I’m going to head out, too,” Conner said. “Duty calls.”

  “Here, let me give you some leftovers and some of this cake,”
Charlotte said to Leah, pointing to the four-layer chocolate cake they’d barely made a dent in.

  “Don’t argue,” Conner said under his breath to Leah. “You’ll get out of here faster.”

  She took his advice, but it still didn’t keep her aunt from stopping her at the front door and giving her a long, tight hug.

  “You remember what I said. And call me when you get home so I know you’re okay.”

  Leah opened her mouth to reply, but Conner stepped into the conversation.

  “Mom, we’re not teenagers anymore. Save up all that worrying for when you have grandchildren.”

  Charlotte raised her brow. “And when might that be?”

  “No idea. Ask your daughter.”

  Leah couldn’t help laughing at Charlotte’s eye roll.

  As she and Conner walked out toward their vehicles, she said, “Nice way to throw your sister under the bus.”

  “What? Katie’s older than me and married. The making of grandchildren is squarely in her court.”

  Leah snorted. “I’ll be sure to tell her that the next time I talk to her. Just remember, though, that you’re here where your parents see you all the time while she’s in California.”

  “Thanks for the reminder.”

  Leah reached her car and opened the driver’s side door. Conner leaned his hip against the side of the car in front of her door.

  “Sorry about earlier.”

  “About what?”

  “Mom getting you alone. I hope she didn’t grill you too much.”

  Leah shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I know everyone is just concerned, trying to help. It’s just something I have to get through on my own.”

  “So things are really okay at the new place?”

  “Yeah. I got a little work done today, the first time since...”

  “That’s good. If you ever need anything, just let me know. Or Tyler. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind helping you out with whatever you need.”

  “You sure about that? He seems a bit... I don’t know, standoffish.”

  “He’s just the kind of guy who minds his own business, but I don’t doubt he’d give someone who needed it the shirt off his back.”

  “So you trust him?”

  Conner looked at her, all hints of teasing gone. “I wouldn’t have sent you out there if I didn’t.”

  Leah kept repeating Conner’s assertion over and over in her head as she drove toward home. It still felt weird to think of the ranch that way. The bunkhouse didn’t feel like home yet, more like a temporary pit stop. But maybe that would come in time.

  She navigated the last turn before she reached the driveway to the ranch. As she rounded the curve, a blur appeared across the beam of her headlights. She gasped and hit the brakes, turning to her right by instinct as her brain processed that what she was seeing was a deer. In the next fraction of a second, she realized if she didn’t turn back to her left she was going to end up nose-first in the ditch. She jerked the wheel but cried out when she felt her back wheels come around and slide down the side of the road. She hit the accelerator, trying to make the back wheels gain purchase enough to get her back up on the road. In the next breath, the rear of the car slammed into something, causing the front end to slide toward the ditch. Her scream was still echoing in her head when the vehicle came to a teeth-rattling stop, the headlights illuminating the dust-filled air and part of the ditch.

  Her heart beat so fast and hard that she feared it might damage itself against her rib cage. As she sat there trying to calm down, it felt as if her heart was never going to slow. But finally, it did. She took a deep breath and tried the accelerator again, hoping she could drive up onto the road. After several unsuccessful tries that did nothing more than throw up dirt and gravel along the shoulder behind her, she gave up and put the car in Park.

  She let several colorful curses fly, knowing that their impetus was owed to much more than her current predicament. In an odd way, it felt good to voice her anger and frustration in such a way.

  “Aahhhhhhhh!” She slammed her hands against the steering wheel, accidentally honking the horn. Not that anyone other than some cows would hear it, or think anything of it if they did.

  She pulled her phone from her purse, aiming to call Conner for help. But when she looked at the screen, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The words No Service stared up at her, as if the universe was giving her a big middle finger.

  “You have got to be kidding me.” She dropped her head against the steering wheel, fighting tears. All she wanted was to crawl into bed and fall into a blissful, dreamless sleep. Not that she’d experienced that since before the attack.

  She considered sitting in the car until someone came by, but then the thought of some man she didn’t know stopping made her heart start hammering again. Maybe if she got out and walked a bit she’d pass out of the dead spot. After all, she wasn’t far from the ranch and her phone worked there. Looking out at the blanket of night beyond the reach of the headlights made her want to hyperventilate.

  Leah didn’t know what was worse, stepping out into the night or waiting until some unknown person came by and found her alone. Deciding to act instead of sitting there working herself into an anxiety attack, she grabbed her purse in case she needed the pepper spray and got out of the car. She started walking, staring alternately at the phone screen and the inky night on the sides of the road.

  “Come on, come on,” she said as she walked farther and farther from the car. Still no signal.

  As she started to reach the end of the area illuminated by the lights, she slowed then stopped. She looked back at her little SUV then ahead at the darkened road, weighing her options.

  The sound of movement from the brush at the side of the road made her yelp. Maybe it was another deer. But when she heard what sounded like steps, panic exploded in her brain, pushing common sense completely out of her head and making her spin and start running down the road. She slipped and nearly fell, but managed to right herself before she smacked the pavement.

  She imagined someone chasing her and thought maybe the panic surging through her body would kill her first, overloading her system’s ability to process it. What she’d thought was a short distance to the ranch’s driveway seemed to move to the edge of the earth. When she finally reached it, the night was so dark that she almost missed it. She slipped again, but this time she wasn’t able to prevent the fall.

  The pain shot up and down her leg as she landed hard on her hip where the pavement met the gravel drive. But she didn’t give herself time to catch her breath, afraid that clasping hands were on the verge of grabbing her. She scrambled to her feet and hurried down the drive toward the ranch, each painful step bringing her closer to the relative safety of the bunkhouse. Tears won out and streaked down her face as she half ran, half hobbled through the increasingly dark night. When she finally saw the light burning in Tyler’s house, she thought she’d never seen anything more wonderful. She might not know him well, but she didn’t know what or who was behind her at all. And Conner trusted her safety to this man, and she trusted Conner.

  She forced her pace to increase, causing her to nearly trip over her own feet. Why did the driveway seem ten times longer now than in the daylight? Her hip throbbed with every step, sending out lightning bolts of pain down her leg and up her side. The tears were joined by gasps as her lungs burned and she began to fear she wouldn’t be able to make it to the bunkhouse. She couldn’t stop now, not when she was so close.

  Images of Jason Garton’s face looming above her made a sob break free. Any moment, she expected someone to grab her and drag her to the ground, to finish what Garton had started. What if it was him? Had he gotten free and found her?

  She stumbled as she reached the area next to where Tyler had parked his truck. She pitched forward onto her hands and knees, th
e gravel digging into her palms.

  “Leah?”

  She screamed and scrambled away, blinded by fear.

  “What’s wrong?”

  A sliver of her fear parted like a curtain, allowing her to see Tyler crouched in front of her.

  Instead of answering, she jerked her gaze toward the drive as it led off into the cloak of darkness. She blinked furiously, trying to clear away the tears enough that she could manage an unobstructed view. But she saw nothing. No Jason Garton. No other man intent on attacking her. Not even the cat food–stealing opossum that evidently made this area home.

  “Leah, tell me what’s wrong.”

  Not wanting to believe that she was so messed up that she’d imagined her pursuer, she was slow to shift her attention back to Tyler. But when she did, she saw genuine concern on his face. She didn’t think someone could fake that so convincingly.

  “I...” She swallowed and realized her throat was dry from sucking down so much late summer air. “I ran off the road.”

  Tyler moved closer, and she couldn’t help flinching.

  “Are you hurt?”

  In truth, she hurt all over, but she knew he meant from the accident.

  “No, but my car is still sitting on the side of the road, halfway in the westbound lane.” She brought her shaking hand up to her face and shoved her hair behind her ear.

  “You’re bleeding.”

  This time Tyler didn’t stop as he moved to her side. It took everything she had left within her not to flee when he touched her hand, turning it over to reveal the source of the blood was gravel scrapes on her palms.

  “Come on, let’s get this cleaned up.”

  Before she realized what he was going to do, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and helped her to her feet. She couldn’t help the wince of pain that no doubt contorted her face.