Dalton’s gaze drifted to the interaction between mother and daughter as they met up with Rein and disappeared inside the house. He noticed Sally watching him, and ducked his head as she started toward him. He didn’t want to get into the topic of Angelique with her. Since the wedding, where things between them had gone badly, they’d been polite at best when in the same circles. Though it frustrated the hell out of him, Dalton figured maybe it’d get better with time.
“Hey, Dalton.” Sally hooked her thumbs in her jeans. “Angelique came down to check on a horse. You know anything about that?”
“Nope.” Dalton continued to smash down the rock edging. “She’ll need to speak to her uncle about that.”
“Right. You know,” she started slowly, and he rolled his eyes knowing in his gut what was coming, “it wouldn’t kill you to be nice to her.” She shaded her eyes from the sun settling in the western sky.
“Sally.” He slanted a warning glance to her.
She held up her palms. “Okay, okay. You two are eventually going to have to duke this out. Just sayin’.”
Rein had already suggested to him that perhaps his issue with Angelique stemmed from his own abandonment issues and maybe he found fault with her for leaving her daughter with her aunt and uncle. While he couldn’t deny that it bothered him on a certain level, there was far more to the story than Rein knew--a story he’d been trying to put behind him, until seeing Angelique again made it damn near impossible.
“Wow, you guys have really been busy. How far down does this go?” Sally asked.
Glad for any topic that would side step his previous thoughts, he pointed toward the barn. “It leads from the barn here and down about fifty feet or so, where there’s a slight curve leading to the other side of the pen. All total, it’s probably around three to four hundred feet.”
“It’s beautiful. Guests will love it. I thought I heard Rein mention something about lampposts?”
“Technically, those were Liberty’s idea. She thought we needed more light. I’m thinking hanging flowerpots are going to be next.”
Sally nodded. “She’s right. It gets black as pitch out here once you get away from that one utility pole up by the entrance.”
“Guess I never noticed it much.” Dalton tapped at the ground with the flat part of the garden rake.
“Jed sure would be pleased with how this has turned out.” She stuffed her hands in her back pockets. “I can’t hardly believe that Wyatt and Rein are married and now there’s little Gracie. Jed must be smiling down on his legacy tonight.”
“Yep,” he responded, hoping against hope that Sally wouldn’t bring up his bachelor status and Angelique in the same sentence. He had a feeling that Sally had more to do with that unplanned meeting at Dusty’s a few years back than what she let on. Trouble being, how much more did she know about what happened later that night?
“I had a nice lunch with Angelique today. It sounds like she loves her new job. Keeps her busy, I guess--too busy to date, at any rate.”
Dalton glanced at her and a smile curled the side of his mouth. The woman was about as subtle as a rattlesnake. He directed his gaze toward the house, willing his brother to get his butt in gear, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him trotting down the porch steps.
“Hey, we’ve got just enough time to look at that cabinet in the cabin before dinner. We’ll take the cart. What do you think of the new path?” He dropped his arm over Sally’s shoulder.
She smiled. “I was just telling your brother how Jed would be pleased to see what you all have accomplished.”
“Thank you, darlin’, that means a lot coming from you.” He planted a kiss on her temple and squeezed her shoulder. “Listen, we better hurry. Rebecca’s made this beautiful roast and all of the fixings for supper. You know how she hates it when food gets cold.”
“Don’t plan on me for supper. I want to finish this and then I’ve got chores tonight.”
Rein shrugged. “Suit yourself. Maybe we’ll save you some. Hey, but you, Angelique, and half-pint are staying for supper, right?” Rein directed his invitation to Sally.
Sally glanced over her shoulder at Dalton. “That’ll be up to Angelique. I rode in with her.”
Glad for the solitude, Dalton finished his work on the path and strode to the corral butted up against the barn where they kept the rescue horses. Once Michael had proposed the idea of housing the rehabilitated equine until they were adopted, Dalton and his brothers got on board without hesitation. It seemed only natural that a ranch offering second chances to humans would do the same for animals.
He eased through the wooden gate and carefully approached the current love of his life, a dark-eyed Palomino he’d named Beauty. Dalton had been with Michael when they’d gone to pick her up at Mountain Sunrise Ranch. They’d been apprised of Beauty’s story--that she was found on an abandoned farm where none of the other animals had survived. They hadn’t given her much hope of being adopted due to her many health issues, but Dalton fell in love at first sight, buying her on the spot. He’d called her Beauty, as that’s how he saw the determined mare and now her home was at the Kinnison ranch.
“How’s my girl?” he said softly as he pulled an apple from his pocket. Stroking her warm nose, he turned his face upward and breathed in deep the calming scent of pine and hay. No matter what chaos swirled inside his brain, working outdoors and being around the horses gave him peace of mind. He’d come to realize that working with horses was a gift he possessed and by far, it was easier than dealing with humans.
He brushed the back of his hand along Beauty’s face and she nickered softly. He’d learned much from working with Michael these past few weeks. The man rarely seemed conflicted about anything. Michael’s astute sense of calm, his wisdom, was something that Dalton had yet to attain and as of late, the old man’s beautiful niece hadn’t made that goal any easier.
Beauty whinnied softly and nudged his hand as though asking for another treat.
“No more apples,” he answered. “Let’s get you inside. I’ve got a bucket of oats with your name on it, darlin’.”
He heard Sally’s laughter as the cart emerged from the dusky shadows of the path. Leading Beauty out of the corral, he waited as they parked the vehicle under the carport at the side of the barn.
He had to hand it to his brother and Sally. Somehow, they’d managed to remain friends even after a failed attempt at dating. It hadn’t taken either of them long to realize it wasn’t meant to be, and their friendship meant more.
Angelique appeared from the main house. “Hey, you two, Aunt Rebecca was wondering where the rest of her chicks are.” Her smile faded when her eyes met his. “Oh, didn’t see you. You coming up, Dalton?” Angelique asked.
The trio looked at him.
“Maybe later,” he mumbled, hoping to avoid any confrontation.
“After the kind of day you’ve put in, I’d think you could eat a bear. Aunt Rebecca won’t be pleased.”
Dalton sighed. “Well, I guess she’s just going to have to deal with it. I’ve got chores.” He caught Rein’s wide-eyed surprise before he looked away and pretended to dust off his hat.
“Shit,” he heard Rein mutter softly.
Angelique’s gaze held his. “I’ll be up in a minute. You two go on ahead.”
Sally opened her mouth her to speak, but Rein took her elbow and ushered her toward the house.
Angelique waited until they were up the hill before spinning on her heel to face him. “You and I might just as well have this out right now.”
He chuckled, guessing what likely the featured topic would be at tonight’s supper table. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was about damn time they cleared the air. Circumstances being what they were, they were bound to run into each other here on the ranch. Damn, he hated confrontation, unless it was with his fists. “Come on, then.” He crooked his finger and led Beauty into her stable. He took care of filling her trough with oats and looked up to find Angelique standing in t
he doorway, her arms folded across her chest.
“Well?”
He let out a short laugh, wishing he had a drink. “Whatever you’ve got to say, just get it out.”
“You aren’t going to like it.”
“Figured that.” Yeah, he could be a bit abrasive at times, but what guy wasn’t? Just the same, it wasn’t the first time a woman wasn’t happy with him and he didn’t think it’d be the last.
She blew out a breath and breezed past him, stopping to scratch Beauty’s white spotted nose. “I’d just as soon the whole house didn’t hear us.”
He raised his brows. Not that they weren’t likely already lined up along the front porch railing anyway. “Is this going to get violent?” He smiled, hoping to ease the look of tension in her eyes.
She turned on her heel and walked toward the back of the barn, her boots thumping the hard dirt floor in her stride. She opened the back door and let it slam behind her.
“Oh, hell yeah, this oughta be fun.” Dalton blew out a sigh and followed. Stepping outside, he found her looking at the mountains. Her chin lifted slightly in defiance gave her profile a regal beauty. Hard as he tried to fight it, he swore she grew more beautiful each time he saw her. Memories slithered to the surface, snaking through his brain as he waited for her to notice his presence. Images of thick steam fogging his truck windows on that cold, rainy night, her soft lips bending to whisper that she wanted him, ran through his mind.
“Look.” She swung her gaze to his. He inadvertently took a step back, reacting to her stern tone. “I don’t know how to act around you. You’ve made it perfectly clear on more than one occasion that you regretted what happened. Or maybe you were just too drunk to remember it fully.”
If he’d harbored any doubts that her recollection of that night was different than his, she’d just set the record straight. “I remember,” he replied quietly.
She searched his eyes then shook her head in disbelief. “Whatever. That was a long time ago, right? And I admit, we were both maybe a little buzzed. The thing is, we’ve both moved on. Now I have another life--at least, I’m trying to make another life that doesn’t include my past. So, if we could just play nice, I’d appreciate it, okay?” Having said her piece, she started around him.
He caught her arm. “What about Emilee?”
Her gaze snapped to his and pure fear flashed in her eyes. He dropped his hold as though she was on fire. Her expression eased some, but she looked away. He’d heard bits and pieces--mostly rumors—that her marriage hadn’t been stellar, that she’d been in an abusive relationship. “What are we going to do about the promise I made to her about the trail ride?”
Her gaze, softer now, looked up at him, but she held her ground. “We aren’t going to do anything. I’ll need to think about it, like I told her.”
“Fair enough, and while you’re at it, think on this. There may be one or two things about that night I don’t remember too well.” He touched her chin and forced her gaze to his. Those dark eyes bore into his sorry excuse for a soul. He knew he didn’t deserve someone like her, but that didn’t make things any easier in the middle of the night. “I must have said something that hurt you enough to make you detest me like you do.”
She jerked her arm from his grasp. “I don’t detest you, Dalton. I just don’t see any possible future with you. To be honest, I’m not sure I ever did. I admit, I’m as much to blame for what happened that night. It was careless and stupid.”
“It might have been careless, might have been many things, but stupid wasn’t one of them.”
“I’m surprised you felt anything. Figured as much time as you spent at Dusty’s that day…. ” She shook her head and looked away.
That stung, and maybe he deserved it. He could refute it, but it was true--he’d been there most of the afternoon. Still, if darts were being thrown, it wouldn’t be easy to pin her with why she’d given up her daughter for the past four years to be raised by someone else. Maybe there was more to the story, maybe not. He’d known one woman who hadn’t thought one red hot damn about abandoning her children. But that wasn’t what challenged him. It was her disbelief in his memory. Because he’d sure as hell remembered that night--remembered her sighs, the way her hands fisted in his hair as she called out his name. “That’s not at all how I remember it.” He took a step closer, knowing he risked bodily injury. “In fact, I felt everything in vivid detail. And so did you, let’s be truthful about that, shall we?”
Her expression remained stoic. “Well, I guess we can both agree that it was a mistake. And as long as we’re being truthful, until that night--when I seduced you, by the way--you never knew I existed.”
He couldn’t deny that either. Hell, when he’d seen her with Sally at Dusty’s that night, he’d not recognized her. Only after she stormed out and Sally chewed him a new one did he realize who she was. She blamed him for embarrassing her. Hell, he blamed himself, which is why he’d apologized. Had he planned on what happened between them? No, but he couldn’t deny she’d put his life in a tailspin that night. Just before she went back to Chicago and got married. One last fling, he figured. He’d tried to shrug it off, to pretend he hadn’t burned for her weeks after she’d gone.
But that was then, and this was now. Whatever he had stuck in his craw about her, he’d have to battle through, which shouldn’t be too difficult since it seemed abundantly clear that she wanted even less to do with him than he originally thought. She had, however, sparked a curiosity. Or fuck, maybe he just saw it as a personal challenge. Without a trace of alcohol in his system, he wondered if her lips would taste as sweet as he remembered. Tossing good sense aside, he moved closer, forcing her back against the barn until she couldn’t escape. He braced one arm above her and looked down at the fire dancing in her defiant gaze, almost daring him to make a move.
So he did.
She pushed her fists against his chest and he grabbed them, lifting them above her head as he closed in, taking his fill of that sweet mouth. She may have wanted to tell him to go to hell, but her body responded differently. Kiss for fiery kiss, she met his mouth until she broke free of his grasp and held his head, keeping his mouth to hers. He wasn’t sure if the moan he heard was his or hers.
Dalton was ready to take this to a nice soft patch of hay when she ducked away from him. “No.”
“No?” He chuckled. “That sure as hell didn’t feel like no.”
“I wish you hadn’t done that.”
“It was a kiss, Angel, nothing more. And, by the way, you participated fully.”
Her eyes met his. “Exactly, and that’s why it won’t happen again.” She whirled on her heel and headed toward the house.
He whipped off his hat and shook his head. Frustrated in more ways than one, he strode back into the barn. Snatching a horsewhip from the wall, he used it to knock a bottle of Jack Daniels he kept hidden in the rafters. Settling in a hay bale, he uncapped the bottle and took a long pull from it. His eyes watered as the liquid fire slid down his parched throat.
A soft whinny brought his head up and he realized that Beauty had managed to jimmy the latch on her stall. She dipped her head and nuzzled his hand holding the bottle, shaking her blonde mane in protest.
“Yeah, probably not the best medicine for frustration.” The memory of Rein’s words rolled over him, dredging up guilt as he eyed the half-empty bottle in his hand. He had his drinking under control, didn’t he? It was everything else going on that made it seem like he wasn’t together. He took another drink, capped the bottle, and stuffed it in his jacket. Her scent lingered in his mind. Her lips tasted just as he’d remembered. No great consolation.
He raked his hand through his hair and, heaving a sigh, led Beauty back to her stall, taking care this time to secure the latch. Hearing the sound of a car starting up, he stepped out of the barn and watched the taillights of Angelique’s car disappear as she turned onto the highway.
Not the least bit hungry or ready to face the questions his famil
y was likely to pepper him with, he retreated to his cabin, fixed himself a sandwich, and then showered, letting the hot water ease the tensions of the day. Tossing the towel aside, he turned off the bathroom light and immersed himself into darkness.
He walked over to the window and opened it, letting the mountain’s night breeze cool his body. Tearing back the comforter, he dropped onto the sheets, staring at the moonlight streaked across his ceiling. Thoughts of her knotted his stomach. Why should it matter what she thought of him? Even now, with one simple phone call, he could enlist the help of any one of a down women who’d happily help him ease his frustration.
Maybe Angelique was right. Maybe that night in the school lot had been a mistake. It wasn’t the first choice he’d made in his life that had gone awry. But if it was a mistake, then why had it taken him weeks, months to stop thinking of her every damn second of the day? He rubbed his hand over his chest, still cool and damp from his shower. A gentle breeze fluttered the curtains, causing the gooseflesh to rise on his body. He remembered how she’d touched him, her hands exploring, tentative, yet without fear. Remembered how she’d crawled onto his lap, taken him deep inside her, how their bodies rocked in tandem.…
His body tightened. Relinquishing his control to the memory of her sweet sighs, self-made pleasure ripped through his body, but there was no satisfaction. He took a deep breath and gazed at the ceiling fan spinning above him. No less tense, he dropped his feet to the floor and stood in front of the window, hands braced on the frame as he let the chilly mountain air cool his fevered body. She wanted to be “friends.” As though nothing had happened to possibly change that.
He should drop it. Give her what she wants. But her kiss tonight, the way she responded to him, stuck in his brain. He’d seen the fear on her face. Was it only the past, or something else? Regardless, if she just wanted to be friends, why the hell would she kiss him like her life depended on it? It left him more than curious. It left him wanting—more than just a roll in the hay. He was determined to find a way to get to the truth of whether that night meant anything at all to her. Maybe then, he could move on with his life.
Renegade Hearts (The Kinnison Legacy Book 3) Page 6