Rancher's Refuge (Whisper Falls)

by Goodnight, Linda

  Austin gave her a curious look. “You familiar with horses?”

  “A little. Enough to know a horse is comfortable when she licks her lips.”

  He backed the mare into the open area of the barn. Annalisa set the rake aside to follow, watching his gentle way with the animal. He went to a fifty-gallon barrel, dipped in a hand and came out with a handful of cubes. The horse snuffled. Her ears flickered and she bobbed her big head until he offered the treat.

  Yes, there was a lot of good in Austin Blackwell. At least, his animals thought so.

  “I took you for a city girl,” he said.

  Annalisa ran her hand down the mare’s sleek, warm neck. “I grew up in Wichita but spent summers on my grandpa’s farm.”

  “So you’re a Kansas farm girl.”

  Smiling softly, she pointed at him. “Don’t say it.”

  “What?”

  “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.”

  He huffed, expression amused. “I guess you’ve heard that a million times.”

  “You have no idea. Cassie said you moved here from Texas?”

  Again, his face closed up tight and defensive. “Cassie talks too much.”

  He turned away from her, leading the horse toward the open pasture and several other horses. Annalisa knew she’d touched a sensitive nerve but didn’t understand why. When Cassie had told her about Texas, she hadn’t mentioned anything troubling. But clearly something about his Texas past had rubbed a blister on Austin’s heart. Was that the reason he was such a loner?

  “I didn’t mean to pry,” she said, and when he didn’t respond, she shifted gears. “What did you think of Miss Evelyn’s idea about a riding stable?”

  “I didn’t think about it at all.”

  “Davis Turner and his kids were wild about the idea.”

  Austin didn’t respond immediately. He appeared to mull the comment while he slid a halter onto Dixie’s head and latched the clasp. “What did you think of him?”

  The question caught Annalisa off guard. “Who? Davis Turner?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Austin picked up one of the mare’s feet and inspected her hoof. His head was bent so that the autumn sun gleamed off his dark hair, an iridescent spectrum of color. In the pasture beyond, one of the other horses whinnied and the mare answered.

  “He seems nice. His kids were well-behaved and cute.”

  “He’s single.”

  She stiffened. “What an odd thing to say. Am I supposed to care about that?”

  Austin opened the gate, patted the horse’s hip and turned her out. Head high and black mane flying, the mare galloped toward the others.

  He shut the gate and leaned his forearms on the top rail, gazing out toward the mountains. “After what happened with the boyfriend, you need to be careful.”

  Was he accusing her of inviting trouble? Of flirting with a strange man?

  Annalisa’s hackles went up like porcupine quills. “People in Whisper Falls are friendly. To make friends, you have to be friendly, too. I’m lonely here, Austin. I want to get to know people.” She slapped her hand atop the iron railing. The sound echoed like a gunshot and startled a nearby crow into flight. One of the dogs, asleep in the sun next to the barn, raised his head in curiosity. “Let me be very clear about one thing. I just escaped a horrible, controlling relationship. If I never get involved with another man, it will be too soon. Davis Turner seems like a nice man, and that’s all I have to say.”

  “Didn’t mean to get you all twisted up.” With deliberate ease Austin turned his rugged face in her direction and stared long enough that Annalisa squirmed beneath his scrutiny. After a minute, he turned back to the gate, propped a boot on the bottom rail and motioned toward the mountains. “Whisper Falls is beautiful this time of year. I figure you didn’t notice much that first day, you being hurt and all. If you’re up for the trip, I’ll saddle a couple of horses and we can ride.”

  Annalisa felt off balance as if she’d missed part of the conversation. One minute she was spouting off in blistering terms and the next she was considering a pleasant horseback ride in the color-splashed forest.

  “I’d love to, but my arm—” she raised the green cast.

  The corners of Austin’s mouth tipped up as he swiveled his head in her direction. “You only need one. The horses do the rest.”

  “Well, I…” She stopped and cocked her head to one side. “You’re a strange man, Austin Blackwell.”

  He snorted. “That’s not the first time I’ve heard that. You want to ride or not?”

  They squared off at each other like two prize fighters. Annalisa didn’t know whether to laugh or run. Deciding she’d done enough running, she said, “I do.”

  As if the matter was of great importance, Austin’s shoulders relaxed. He dusted his hat against his jeans and said, “All right, then. Let’s go.”

  *

  They rode along in silence at first, the Indian summer sun warm and relaxing. Austin didn’t know what had come over him but when Annalisa had feathered up like a mad hen, he’d wanted to laugh and kiss her. Lord help him, he hadn’t wanted to kiss a woman in—well, in a long time. His was a silly reaction and one precipitated by having a pretty, vulnerable woman underfoot again. Cassie was pretty, but she was his sister and certainly not vulnerable. She’d take a man’s knees out if he messed with her. Annalisa, on the other hand, worried him.

  He shot a glance at the blonde riding at his side on Blaze, the gentlest horse on the ranch. “You’ve ridden before.”

  “Plenty of times.”

  “Let me guess. Grandpa’s farm?”

  “Right.” She smiled and he noticed the slight overbite that enhanced rather than detracted from her appeal. Contrary to what he’d thought the first time he’d seen her, Annalisa Keller wasn’t picture-perfect or overly sophisticated. She was real. Like Miss Evelyn said, she had good eyes. Real good eyes.

  “Granddads are special.”

  “Mine was. He was my mother’s father, and basically the only dad my sister and I ever knew. That’s why we spent summers with him. Well, that and my mother’s job. She sent us to Grandpa Sims’s to keep us out of mischief while she was working.”

  “Did it?”

  “Keep us out of mischief?” She shrugged. “Most of the time Grandpa kept us busy, but when we got older we were probably a handful.”

  “Teenage girls,” he said with a rueful shake of his head.

  “Girls? What are you talking about?” She replied in mock offense. “Boys are the ones who caused all the trouble!”

  He laughed at that one. He could just imagine Annalisa and her sister drawing a crowd. Which turned his thoughts back to the snack shop and Davis Turner. She’d claimed no interest in the man even though Davis had certainly perked up when she’d arrived. Not that Austin cared one way or the other about her relationships except for the uncomfortable feeling that he was responsible for her.

  “What about you?” she asked. “Were you close to your grandparents?”

  “My dad’s parents, Grandpa and Grandma Blackwell. They owned the family ranch where I grew up. In fact, this land was once theirs. I bought it after Grandpa passed on.”

  “Any siblings other than Cassie?”

  “Nope. One is enough.” But he grinned when he said it.

  “She’s awesome. I’m so glad we met.” The sun went behind a cloud and she swallowed, her slim throat flexing. “Not the way we met, but I’m happy to know her.”

  “What about you? Any siblings other than the troublesome Olivia?”

  Her glance fell to the saddle horn where she rested the awkward, heavy cast. In a quiet voice, she said, “All my family is gone now. Even Olivia.”

  Compassion pinched his chest. She had no one, no one at all, not even the sister she’d obviously adored. He considered asking what had happened but refrained. His questions would lead to questions from her, and he had no intentions of discussing Blair with anyone.

  The horses’ hea
ds bobbed lower as the incline increased and they plodded higher. Austin tilted forward to ease the strain.

  One gloved hand holding the reins, he motioned with the other. “Around this bend, you can see where the river starts its descent into the valley.”

  “Does the river flow on your property?”

  “Along the back edge to the south.”

  When they crested the bend, he heard her swift intake of breath, the awed murmur of pleasure at the sight spreading below and beyond. Her reaction filled him with a sense of rightness. He’d wanted her to appreciate the view the way he did.

  He pulled Cisco to a stop, leaning forward to pat the dependable gelding’s neck. “Pretty, isn’t it?”

  As far as the eye could see, a dappled carpet of brilliant reds, oranges, yellows and greens in every shade undulated over the low, rounded mountains. Down below, in a narrow valley the river was a silver ribbon edged with yellow blossoms—black-eyed Susans, Cassie had told him.

  Annalisa shifted toward him with an expression of awe. “Austin, this is glorious.”

  “Like it?” He knew she did, but he wanted to hear her say the words, wanted an excuse to watch the pleasure move across her face.

  She drank in the panorama, as if her soul was parched and nature’s coat of many colors had the power to refresh. He understood. He’d come here when despair had threatened to overwhelm and no help was in sight.

  “God does such good work,” she breathed.

  For a second, he wanted to agree but stubbornly held back. He and God weren’t on speaking terms anymore. The spot below his rib, where his soul resided felt as hollow as a rotten log.

  He lifted an arm to point. “Look.”

  Blue eyes, made more vivid by a matching sky, followed the direction of his aim. A red-tailed hawk, wings spread wide, glided gracefully over the valley in search of prey.

  “What a gorgeous sight.”

  “Yep,” he agreed, settling into his self-imposed role of tour guide. “Bald eagles winter near here, too. Now, that’s something to see. Huge birds. Wings six-feet wide, and yet they fly with grace and ease. Majestic.”

  “Other than on television, I’ve never seen a bald eagle.”

  “We’ll have to remedy that.” Austin didn’t know why he was making promises. By winter, Annalisa would be tired of living in the sticks and eager to make her escape. He hoped she wasn’t foolish enough to run back to James. “Ready to head to the house? Cassie will be home soon.”

  Annalisa stretched in the stirrups and rotated her shoulders. “I am a little tired.”

  “Tenderfoot,” he teased.

  “It’s not my feet that are tender.”

  Her answer tickled him so much that he threw his head back and laughed. The sound echoed down into the valley and ricocheted off the mountain. Annalisa giggled, a cute feminine sound that filled his chest with warm pleasure.

  With a click of his tongue, he turned the horses around, and they started down the mountain. Along the way, Annalisa exclaimed over every flower, every scamper of lizard or squirrel into the dry leaves. Her enthusiasm both amused and buoyed him.

  “This was fun, Austin, and relaxing, too,” she said as they rode into the barnyard. “I’d forgotten how much I love being outdoors in nature. Thank you.”

  “Anytime.” And he meant it. The afternoon with Annalisa, seeing the Ozarks through her eyes, had refreshed him, maybe more than it had her. He’d missed the pleasant camaraderie of sharing the outdoors with someone equally as enthralled. And she had been. He could tell by the sparkle in her eyes and the flush of fresh air on her perfect complexion.

  “You’re a great tour guide.”

  “Don’t mention tourists,” he said, teasing but serious, too.

  “So I guess a riding stable is out of the question?” she teased in return.

  “Absolutely.” This time he didn’t tease.

  “What about Davis’s little boy? He would have loved riding the way we did, don’t you agree?”

  Davis again. Leather squeaking, Austin dismounted, his good mood evaporating.

  “You think I should invite him out?”

  “I don’t know. I remember how much I loved horses when I was a little girl. Still do. It’s a bond you never forget.”

  He knew better than most about the bond between humans and animals. His horses and dogs kept him sane.

  “I don’t want strangers poking around.” He also didn’t want nonstrangers like Davis Turner getting up close and personal.

  Annalisa gripped the saddle horn with her good hand as if to dismount.

  “Hold on,” he said, glad for an excuse to change the subject. “I’ll get you.”

  She had already started the descent, awkward with casted arm in the way. When Austin caught her around the waist, her full body weight caught him off balance. He staggered backward a couple of steps but held on and eased her to a stand. They were close enough that he smelled apple shampoo and the essence of autumn leaves. He gripped her waist with both hands and steadied her. She looked up, eyes wide and shining and as blue as the sky above.

  A flash of yearning came again. To pull her close and hold her. Maybe to kiss her.

  As if the touch of her skin burned, he abruptly released her.

  Something was going on here, and he didn’t quite know what to do about it. “I’ll unsaddle the horses. You go on to the house.”

  “I can help. I don’t mind.”

  He clamped his jaw tight. “I do. Now go.”

  *

  Austin Blackwell was the most complicated man she’d ever met. One minute, he was sweet as sugar and the next, he’d bare his teeth, ready to bite.

  “What’s with your brother?” she asked. She’d left Austin, at his rather unfriendly insistence, to care for the animals and was now inside the house with Cassie. True to form, Cassie had arrived with a double cheese pizza supreme and a big bottle of cola. How the woman remained trim on a steady diet of fast food remained a mystery.

  Eyebrows raised in question, Cassie set three plates on the table. “Why? What did he do now?”

  Annalisa told her about the unexpectedly lovely ride and then his sudden crankiness. “I don’t know if he likes me or finds me a nuisance.”

  Cassie’s musical laugh danced around the pleasant kitchen. “Both. Girl, don’t you get it? He likes you a lot and his feelings scare him silly.”

  “You think so?” The idea came as a complete surprise. Austin liked her? And his feelings scared him? She couldn’t imagine the big cowboy being afraid of anything except tourists. Certainly not of her.

  “I know so. Austin’s been nothing short of a recluse since Blair’s death, and now you’ve gotten his blood circulating again. He doesn’t know what to do about you.”

  Hand on the cabinet door, Annalisa paused. “Who’s Blair?”

  “Oops, there goes my big mouth again.” Cassie took a head of lettuce out of the refrigerator. “You probably want a salad with the pizza, don’t you?”

  Annalisa took the lettuce and placed it on the counter. “Was she an old girlfriend who broke his heart?”

  An unrequited love would explain a lot about his gruff behavior.

  Cassie seemed to consider as she took three glasses from the cabinet and set them on the countertop. She glanced at the back door. Austin was nowhere in sight.

  “Okay. You told me about your ex, so I suppose it’s only fair. Blair was his wife. She died.”

  Annalisa’s hand went to her mouth. “I am so sorry. How awful. What happened?”

  Poor Austin. No wonder he kept to himself. He was a grieving widower.

  Austin’s sister gnawed at her bottom lip, brow furrowed. “Look, Annalisa, Austin is really, really closed-mouthed about Blair. Her death was…odd, and Austin was almost destroyed when it happened. I should not have brought up the subject. If he wants you to know, he should be the one to tell you.” She reached out to grip Annalisa’s fingers. Her touch was cold. “Don’t say anything, okay?”
<
br />   “Okay.” But a dozen questions tumbled through her head.

  What had happened to Austin’s wife?

  Chapter Seven

  Austin was home alone. At last.

  The girls, as he thought of them, had gone to work this morning as usual. Annalisa seemed to be settling in to her job and making friends, and Cassie had drawn the newcomer into the town hullabaloo. In fact, she and Cassie, along with Miss Evelyn, had warned him he was expected at the next cleanup site.

  He walked through the house, bewildered to be restless, maybe a tad lonely. He who preferred solitude, missed the quiet conversation and activity of a certain woman.

  Tootsie tapped along beside him, occasionally cocking her head as if to say, “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Good question,” he said.

  He felt itchy, uncomfortable, had a twist in his gut for some reason.

  Usually, the ranch kept him busy, but today he felt at loose ends. He had fence to fix and plenty to do, but he couldn’t get off high center.

  He paused at the guest room. The door was open and he could see inside the room now occupied by Annalisa Keller.

  She was doing okay. He didn’t need to worry about her. But he did. In odd moments, when he least expected it, he relived a flash of that first day, of her fear and brokenness. Even though bruises faded and bones healed, he hadn’t forgotten.

  But Annalisa was plucky, a fighter. That’s why she’d survived and why she was here in the Ozarks instead of in California with that abusive jerk of a boyfriend.

  Last night, the three of them had sat on the porch while frogs croaked, whippoorwills called and the Ozark air grew chilly. Cassie had filled them in on the happenings in town, although Annalisa now came home with stories of her own.

  He thought about the way she’d giggled when Cassie related the story of Evangeline Perryman’s prize pig. Evangeline had brought the swine into the beauty shop for a pedicure, and Cassie herself had painted the hog’s toenails—hot pink with French tips.

  He’d wondered if Cassie told the whole truth, but the story had given them all a good laugh, so he supposed it didn’t matter.

  Annalisa had said something about looking for an apartment soon which he’d decided was for the best. She couldn’t stay at the remote ranch forever and was probably eager to get back to civilization.