Rancher's Refuge (Whisper Falls)

by Goodnight, Linda

  Annalisa moved a flowerpot filled with yellow mums a couple of inches to the left of the wagon wheel. Then she placed another pot, this one filled with something purple, next to the other wheel. She fiddled with the display so long that Austin thought she either hadn’t heard him or was looking for an excuse not to join him for dinner.

  Finally, when he’d begun to feel dejected and stupid, she said, “I have an idea if you’re game.”

  By now, he was getting grumpy. If she didn’t want to eat with him, why hadn’t she gone with Cassie? Or Creed? “What is it?”

  “Let’s grab a pumpkin and a carving kit and head back to the ranch.”

  Dubiously, he asked, “We’re making pumpkin pie?”

  Her laugh brought him out of his dark mood.

  “Possibly, but I was actually thinking this. We can pop a casserole in the oven and while it’s cooking, we’ll carve a pumpkin.”

  “I haven’t done that since I was a kid.”

  “Me, either. So what do you say?”

  Before he could recall all the reasons he shouldn’t spend an evening alone with Annalisa Keller, he said, “I say you’re on.”

  *

  Annalisa moved around Austin’s kitchen with ease, enjoying the domestic feel of cooking for a hungry man. She was tired from the day’s work, but energy sizzled through her, an adrenaline surge fueled by the pleasure of Austin’s company. She’d never expected to enjoy being with a man again after the fiasco with James, but Austin, for all his bluster, was easy to be with.

  While he chopped onion, a chore that had him teary-eyed and her snickering, she sautéed chicken for a chicken and rice casserole.

  “Crybaby,” she said, handing him a paper towel. He took her teasing with good nature, another marvel. James wouldn’t have.

  Resolutely, she set her focus on slicing celery while the chicken sizzled in the skillet. James was out of the picture. She was tired of him and his fearsome temper intruding in her life, tired of comparing him to Austin. They were nothing alike.

  “Here’s the onion.” He dumped the pile into the bowl with the rice and mushroom soup. “What next?”

  Annalisa added the celery and chicken, stirred and spooned the mixture into a casserole dish. “Set the table and wait. The green beans are almost ready.”

  He gave a mock groan. “Waiting is the hard part. I’m starved.”

  She poked a stick of celery between his teeth. “This should hold you.”

  He sagged against the counter. “Men die on celery diets. We require meat.”

  Laughing at his silly expression, she rescued a scrap of chicken from the skillet. “Here you go.”

  He opened his mouth and she popped the scrap inside, her fingers brushing his lips. A shiver ran down her arms.

  Austin caught her wrist and tugged. “Come here, you.”

  Her heart bumped. From the gleam in his green eyes, she thought for sure he was about to kiss her.

  Did she want him to?

  Following instinct, she moved closer.

  Austin’s mouth curved. “You want to know something?”

  “What?” The word came out in a breathy whisper.

  Austin’s big cowboy rough thumb stroked her jaw. His eyes glittered and a muscle in his cheek twitched. She could sense his heart thundering as hers was, could smell the day’s work and the heat of his body.

  She sniffed, scenting something else, as well. “Oh, my goodness. The beans!”

  With a jerk, she pulled away and rushed toward the stove and a pan of scorching green beans. Her shoulders sagged.

  Austin came up behind her, took her by the upper arms and turned her around. “I’ve eaten worse. Cassie tried to make biscuits once.”

  She searched his expression, expecting something to indicate the tender emotion of a moment ago. Whatever had been about to occur was long gone, masked behind sympathy and a hint of humor over the burned beans.

  “Bad biscuits?” she asked.

  “Had to throw them out. Hit a bird and killed it dead.”

  She giggled. “Did you make that up?”

  “Would I lie about a serious thing like biscuits?”

  “Yes, you would.”

  And she liked him for it.

  *

  After dinner, Austin lined the table with newspapers and set the fattest pumpkin he could find in the center.

  “Do you remember how to do this?” he asked.

  “Sure.” Annalisa waved a nonchalant hand. “Carving a pumpkin is like riding a horse.”

  Austin stared at the fat pumpkin in pretend amazement. “You put a saddle on it?”

  The goofy comment made her laugh—again. She’d done a lot of that tonight and he found the sound pure magic. Every time she laughed, he looked for something else to make it happen again. A happy Annalisa was a beautiful thing.

  The wondrous thought danced through him. Annalisa was happy. Maybe he was, too.

  After all she’d been through, she found reasons to smile, reasons to show kindness to others, reasons to put the past behind her and move forward determined to live life to the fullest. Unlike some people he knew. Namely him.

  A man could take lessons from a woman like Annalisa.

  *

  The next morning Austin snickered to himself as Cassie and Annalisa got ready for church. Both women hobbled around the living room as if they’d been dragged behind a horse.

  “I can’t believe how sore my muscles are,” Cassie said.

  “Me, either. I thought I was in decent shape.”

  Annalisa looked in great shape to him, but he sipped at his second cup and said, “Pansy. I thought you were Super Trash Girl, madam pumpkin carver and bean burner extraordinaire.”

  She gave him a mock scowl. “Cassie, your brother is picking on me.”

  Cassie, hairbrush in hand, started down the hall toward the bathroom. “You’re on your own, girlfriend. My back is too sore to fight with him today.”

  “Mine, too!” Annalisa hobbled around the bar and into the open living room where she gingerly eased into Austin’s favorite TV chair. Tootsie hopped up beside her, head tilted in question. Annalisa scratched the dog’s ears. “It’s nothing, Tootsie. Trash Girl will live to tote more trash and chop more weeds.”

  Austin watched the interaction of woman and dog. She never complained about the dog hairs on her clothes or the unmentionable substances he tracked in the back door. In fact, Annalisa didn’t complain about anything.

  Last night, he’d been tempted to kiss her. He was glad he hadn’t, all things considered. With the two of them under the same roof, a romance could get sticky.

  Their carved pumpkin resided on the kitchen table, the front half an artistic swirl of flowers, the back a horse head, the only thing he knew how to carve. They’d argued and laughed, tossed pumpkin seeds and made a mess. And he’d lain awake for hours relishing the way she’d made him feel and worrying about letting her get too close.

  He poured another cup of coffee, stirred in half a spoon of creamer the way she liked it, and carried both their cups into the living room. “We have ibuprofen if you need a pain killer.”

  “Coffee’s fine for now. Thank you.” She sipped, dodging Tootsie’s affectionate tongue.

  “Come here, mutt.” Austin took the dog from her lap. “You’ll never get ready with her in the way.”

  Annalisa set her coffee on the squat, square end table. “Why don’t you go with us this morning?”

  The question caught him off guard. He blinked a few times for good measure, then scratched at his chin before saying, “I haven’t been to church in a long time.”

  “I hadn’t been, either, until recently.”

  So much for his strongest argument. Fact of the business, he’d been thinking about it most of the morning, thanks to her. Not about church specifically, but his relationship with God. Or lack thereof.

  “Have you attended at all since moving to Whisper Falls?” She was pretty as a flower sitting in his chair in her
newly purchased clothes. The peach-colored sweater buttoned over a white top and matched up real pretty with a swirly multicolored skirt. But then, he thought she’d looked great in his old shirts and Cassie’s too-short jeans.

  “No.” He knew he was scowling and couldn’t seem to stop. He’d had this conversation with himself. A relationship with God was important, but…

  She tilted her head and smiled. “God’s not mad at you.”

  “What?”

  She shrugged. “I thought He was angry at me because of all the bad choices I’ve made.”

  “Yeah.” He could relate. God always seemed angry to him. “Me, too.”

  “He’s not. God loved us enough to send His Son to die. Even when we displease Him, the only person we hurt is ourselves. God is still there, loving us and waiting for us to get a clue.”

  “You’ve been listening to my sister.”

  Cassie came trouncing down the hallway in skinny jeans, ruffled red shirt and high black heels. “She certainly has and you should, too. So are you coming with us or what?”

  He was surprised to discover the idea appealed, but he wasn’t quite ready. He’d already gotten more involved than he’d intended in the doings of Whisper Falls. Church made him vulnerable. People would ask questions. And Austin still didn’t have all the answers. When he had everything figured out, maybe then.

  “Davis Turner mentioned something about coming to the ranch this afternoon with his kids. I should stick around and get the horses tuned up.”

  “Davis attends church, Austin.” Cassie slid a giant silver loop into her earlobe, her gaze holding his. “If he comes at all, it will be much later.”

  “We’d enjoy your company.” This statement from Annalisa almost broke through his resistance. Almost.

  “Why don’t I hang out here and put on dinner? How about steaks on the grill?”

  Cassie groaned. “You drive a hard bargain, brother, but your soul is more important.”

  Did she have to mention that? “Baked potatoes? Maybe some corn on the cob?”

  Cassie’s look was exasperated. “Will you at least think about going with us sometime soon? It won’t kill you. You might actually enjoy yourself—like you did yesterday.”

  Cassie, of all people, knew his reasons for not allowing people into his space, and yet, she seemed intent on forcing his hand. She was right about yesterday. He’d enjoyed the day, especially getting to know Davis and Creed better. Hanging out with Annalisa last night hadn’t been too bad, either.

  He slid a glance toward her. She was watching him closely. Something he didn’t comprehend lurked in her blue eyes.

  A tug-of-war engaged in his head. He was dealing with two issues and yet they ran together like colored sand, different but intermingled. He’d lost trust in God and mankind. Annalisa had lost trust in men and herself. She was a battered woman. His battered past would not only scare her, but it could also turn her soft gaze hard with speculation and suspicion.

  Sticking to the plan was safer for both of them.

  *

  That afternoon, Annalisa returned to the ranch feeling lighter and better than she had in years.

  “Awesome service,” she said as she and Cassie exited the car. “About how God can take something terrible, the way he did with Joseph, and turn it into something good.”

  “Pastor Ed’s sermons are usually relevant like that. He hits you where you live.” Cassie reached back inside and took her Bible from the front seat.

  The smoky aroma of grilled meat wafted across the yard. Annalisa lifted her nose to the air and sniffed. “Yum. Do you smell that?”

  “My big brother has been busy.”

  When the car doors slammed, Jet and Hoss streaked toward the women from the direction of the barn, tails swishing. Near the same general direction, Annalisa spotted Austin moving horses into a large, fenced lot.

  “He must be getting ready for Davis and his kids,” Cassie said.

  Annalisa watched him stroke a hand over an equine nose as he slid a halter over the massive head. The unmoving horse trusted him implicitly. A funny feeling, of yearning and hope and rightness, tingled along Annalisa’s skin. She couldn’t make sense of the emotions, nor could she stop watching Austin Blackwell with his horse. “He’s a good man.”

  “Good to the soul. My brother pretends to be the big bad wolf, but he’s actually the woodsman, ready to come to the rescue if anyone bothers Little Red Riding Hood.”

  Annalisa dragged her gaze back to Cassie. “Did he do that for you?”

  “He did. When Darrell died—” Cassie paused, pursed her red, red lips while she gathered her emotions “—Austin took care of everything. Arrangements, me, Darrell. Everything. Our parents came up from Texas and wanted me to go home with them, but I couldn’t. I wanted to be here where Darrell and I met and fell in love, where he’s buried. Austin ran interference and convinced the folks that he needed me here on the ranch.”

  “He does.”

  Cassie laughed, but Annalisa saw the pain lurking behind the smile. “Oh, yeah. I’m such a great cook and housekeeper. And a dandy fence fixer. He couldn’t get along without me.”

  “You’re a lot more than that, and you know it.” Annalisa looped arms with her friend. She felt good to have friends again, a woman to talk to, people in town who invited her places and a church to work in. The world had opened up the day James had pushed her out of his car. She’d thought it was a terrible day, but as Pastor Ed said, God had turned the situation for her good. She thanked Him daily that James was out of her life.

  Cassie paused and turned back toward the barn lot. “Hey, brother, where’s our steak?”

  Chapter Ten

  Austin rubbed his too-full belly and stretched out in the lawn chair to let the sun warm his face. A gnat swarmed his nose. He swatted lazily and squinted one eye toward Annalisa.

  Since he’d cooked, she’d insisted on clearing up. Not that he planned to let her do all the work, but he did want a break.

  “Be back later, guys.” Cassie slammed out the back door, lipstick fresh and wallet in hand. “Sorry to leave you with the cleanup, but I promised Rusty I’d be there by two.”

  Mayor Fairchild had called an impromptu meeting of the Pumpkin Fest Committee. Austin grumbled to himself, wondering if Cassie was the only member.

  Annalisa waved her off. “Go. Enjoy. I can get this.”

  “Need anything from town?”

  “Not pizza,” Austin muttered.

  As she started off the porch, Cassie said, “You’ll change your mind in a few hours.”

  Then she was gone and he was left alone with Annalisa. Other than last night, they’d not had much time alone here at the ranch since she’d taken the job at the Iron Horse. He’d figured that was for the best, considering the way he couldn’t get her out of his head and the idiotic zing of energy he got whenever he looked at her.

  Still, today was good. He liked talking to her, watching her in his house, with his dogs. Maybe later they’d walk down to the pond and toss in a hook.

  “You like to fish?” he mumbled, hands clasped over his chest, eyes barely slits. A snooze wouldn’t be too bad right now.

  “I used to. Grandpa took us.” Plates clinked as she stacked them together. “I don’t like to clean them, though.”

  “Who does?”

  “I guess that’s true.” She balanced their water glasses on top of the plates and added the silverware.

  “Leave the rest. I’ll do it.”

  Ignoring him, she carried the dishes inside. The kitchen sounds of dishes and refrigerator and cabinets drifted out onto the porch. The afternoon was warm and pleasant and if that wretched gnat would buzz off… He drifted, relaxed and full and more content than he’d felt in a long time.

  Inside the house, the telephone began to ring. Austin struggled up from the near sleep. The back door opened and Annalisa stuck her head out. “Want me to get it?”

  “Sure.” The word came out garbled and slurred
. She snickered and shut the door.

  Austin forced himself to sit up and shake out the cobwebs. The caller was probably Davis, ready to bring Nathan and Paige for their first rides. Better get moving.

  He shoved out of the lawn chair, grabbed the steak sauce and butter from the patio table and headed into the house. Cleaning the grill could wait.

  As he set the condiments on the kitchen counter, he heard Annalisa’s soft murmur from the living room. He wiped his hands on a dish towel and threaded the soft cloth through the oven handle, waiting for her to call him to the phone.

  “Please, don’t.” Annalisa’s pleading tone raised the hairs on the back of his neck. Realization struck like a sledgehammer to the skull. James. That could only be James.

  Knocking over a chair in his haste, Austin rushed into the living room. Annalisa was perched on the edge of the couch, receiver against her ear, face whiter than Davis Turner’s teeth. At his entrance, she lifted anxious eyes to his.

  His heart slammed against his rib cage. This was his fault. He should never have let her answer the phone.

  “Who is it? James?” he demanded, reaching for the receiver. Nodding, she drew away. The action cut him to the bone. Did she want to talk to the creep? Had James convinced her to return to California?

  “Please, James,” she begged. “Just leave me alone. I’m sorry—”

  The fear of losing Annalisa was almost as great as the fear of James hurting her again. Austin’s temper flared. He yanked the phone from her fingers and growled into the mouthpiece. “Don’t ever call this number again.”

  Then he slammed the phone onto the cradle. “Are you all right?”

  She stood, trembling. Tootsie hopped from the couch and stood by her, worried and still.

  “No.”

  He knew it. Without considering all the reasons he shouldn’t, Austin pulled Annalisa against his chest, wrapped one arm around her shoulders and cradled her head with the other. She came willingly to rest her cheek against his thundering heart. Her hair was silk and her scent was roses. She felt soft and small in his arms.

  “He wants you back.” He nearly choked on the statement.