Four
Two hours later, Patrick was still fuming. He pulled on his horse’s reins to slow him, then started walking along the barbed-wire fence. He turned in the saddle and saw that Forest was in his sights.
What the hell was wrong with him? He didn’t have any hold on Cynthia Reynolds. They’d spent one night together. She was only around now because she was paying him a lot of money to teach her to ride, not to give her attitude.
Patrick blew out a long breath. He’d prided himself on his control. For years, he’d fought hard to be nothing like his father. Michael Tanner hadn’t set much of an example for his son. He’d drunk to excess and used his fists freely, especially on his wife and kids. Years ago, the old man had told his son that a few slaps kept them in line. They needed to learn respect, just like his daddy had taught him.
Patrick was the second generation Tanner who’d been raised by an abusive father. Shutting his eyes, he felt his gut clench, remembering the awful circumstances of his mother’s death. The police had called it an accident. He knew better. He didn’t doubt that Mary Tanner had died at her husband’s hands when he’d shoved her down the basement stairs. He took several calming breaths, but it didn’t ease the guilt he’d carried with him for years. If he’d been home that night, he could have saved his mother.
Patrick heard Forest ride up.
“Hey, boss, you think I can have the night off if I get all my chores done?”
“Knock it off.” Patrick didn’t need his friend’s sarcasm.
“Look, Pat, I’m not interested in Cyndi. She’s nice and I like talking to her. That’s all.”
“Why should I care if you are?”
“Because, my friend, whether you want to admit it or not, you’re interested in her. You can’t even stand it when she talks to me.”
“That’s crazy.” He knew it was a lie, but he wasn’t going to admit to anything. “She’s just a client I’m teaching to ride. Yeah, she’s moved into my house and disrupted my life, but she’s also paying me enough to help plant a lot more acres of vines next spring.” He glanced at his friend and business partner. “That should make you happy since you’re in this venture, too.”
“I’ll always be your friend first, whether we’re in the wine business or not. You can tell me to stay out of it but something is going on between you and Cyndi.”
“It’s past tense. Something did happen between us, but that’s over. This is business. All the money from Ms. Reynolds’s riding lessons will be put into the vineyard.”
Patrick had known Forest Rawlins for the past eight years. He’d come to the ranch looking for work right after the second-worst time in Patrick’s life. Gwen had run off with nearly everything. It wasn’t until later that he’d discovered that Forest had an MBA in business, but had gotten fed up with the corporate life. Forest had just picked up and walked away from everything. But when he came to the Tanner Ranch, he’d also brought enough knowledge to help Patrick save the place.
He resided in the small foreman’s cottage and was paid a reasonable salary, and Forest claimed he’d never been so content. Now they were starting a partnership in the wine business. Patrick hoped in a few years they would be producing grapes.
“Let’s go check our vines.” Patrick kicked his horse’s sides and rode off, refusing to answer any more questions.
As he rode along he tried to concentrate on the calming scenery: the rich green hues of the valley, the high blue sky, the bank of white clouds just hiding the tips of the Cascade Mountain Range. He walked Ace along the trail, through the giant pines, and felt a deep pride at being a part of this land. Tanner land. His chest tightened as he came to a clearing and looked down at the ten acres of row after perfect row of rootstock vines that he and Forest had planted last spring.
This was the beginning of his dream.
Cynthia wasn’t going to sit around the rest of the day. After she put the plates and glasses into the dishwasher, she returned to the barn. Braver now, she went to check out the other Tanner Ranch residents and discovered she wasn’t alone.
A tall, lanky teenage boy came out of one of the stalls carrying a bucket. “You must be Cyndi,” he said.
“Yes, I am.” Once again she was glad that she hadn’t been recognized.
“You work here?” she asked. Patrick hadn’t told her about any other employees.
“I’m Kevin Northbrook.” He set the bucket down and tipped his hat, revealing short blond hair. “I help out some, mostly because it pays to board my horse. Patrick is cool. When my dad wanted to sell Ranger, Patrick said I could keep him here as long as I help out to pay for feed. So I come by as often as I can.” He stepped back to the stall gate and a brown horse with a black mane came to him. “This is Ranger. Ranger, meet Cyndi.”
The horse’s head bobbed and Cynthia smiled. The boy held Ranger still while she petted him. The horse blew air out of his nostrils and Cyndi almost pulled away, but stood her ground.
Kevin smiled. “He likes you.”
“I have to admit, I’m a little afraid of horses, but Patrick is helping me get through it.”
“I know. He told me you were staying here for a little while and I wasn’t to tell anybody because you were up for a movie role and needed to know how to ride a horse.”
Cynthia was a little surprised that Patrick would confide in this boy. “You know who I am?”
“Of course.” He smiled. “Who wouldn’t recognize Cynthia Reynolds? You’ve been in about a gazillion movies. My mom loves you.”
She bit back a groan. Great! His mother loves me.
“It’s nice to know that I have fans. But I’d appreciate it if you kept it quiet. I don’t want the media discovering I’m here.”
“Don’t worry, it’s cool. I can keep a secret. I haven’t even told my mom or sisters. But could you sign an autograph for my mom before you leave?”
She smiled at the boy’s thoughtfulness. “My pleasure. And I’d like you to help me.”
His grin widened. “Sure, anything. I just have a few chores to do first.”
“Maybe I can help you.”
He studied her. “You’ll get pretty dirty.”
“You think I can’t handle a little dirt? I guess you didn’t see me in the movie Romancing a Stranger where I was in a fight and got shoved down a muddy hill.” When Kevin shook his head, she continued. “It took us four takes to do it just right for the director.”
“Wow, that’s so cool. A lot better than mucking out stalls.”
They started walking down the aisle toward the next stall. “You wouldn’t say that if you had to do some of the things I’ve had to do in movies. I could tell you stories….”
It was about four o’clock when Patrick and Forest rode back to the barn. He hadn’t planned on being gone all afternoon, but he needed time away from Cyndi. He wasn’t used to having someone around, someone so disturbing. And she would be in his house, and in his life for the next week. Worse, every time they were together, he couldn’t keep his hands off her. She wasn’t doing much to resist him, either. He thought back to the kiss they’d shared on the porch. Of course that was tame compared to the wild night of passion just forty-eight hours ago.
Of course that wasn’t an excuse to leave Cyndi to fend for herself. Oh hell, maybe he should just send her down to Gus Peters’s place and let him deal with her. His neighbor would love the notoriety and before long would be holding a press conference for anyone who would listen.
Suddenly, Patrick’s protective instincts kicked in. There might not be any future for the two of them, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t help her reach her goal. She was paying him a fortune just for the simple task of learning to ride. Besides, he was a grown man. If he couldn’t control his urges, then he had a big problem.
“Hey, Pat, you have to see this,” Forest called from the barn door leading to the corral. He walked over just in time to hear Cyndi’s throaty laughter. Looking out to the arena, he saw her and Kevin along with th
e six-month-old bay colt, Spirit. They had the playful animal cornered and Kevin gave the cloth halter to her.
Slowly, Cyndi approached the horse, all the while speaking in a soft voice. The colt’s ears perked up in interest and it froze as if mesmerized. A thrill of excitement rushed through Patrick as Cyndi continued to croon and walk toward the horse. With a slow hand, she slipped the halter over Spirit’s face and Kevin buckled the strap. Then she took hold of the lead rope and the boy gave her a high five.
“Will you look at that,” Forest said. “She’s a natural with animals.”
Patrick glared at his friend’s satisfied look, then returned his attention to the pair working with the colt. There was deep concentration on Cyndi’s face as Kevin instructed her on what to do.
“Maybe Kev should be her teacher,” Patrick said.
It was Forest’s turn to frown. “Sounds to me like you’re running scared.”
Maybe he was, but he wouldn’t admit it. “I’m busy.”
“For what she’s paying, I’d never be that busy.”
Patrick tensed. “You’re not me.”
“We’ve all been hurt, Pat, but you can’t let the past affect your…opportunities. Cyndi seems like a nice person.”
Forest had never spoken much about his own past, but he had been married years ago. And Patrick never asked for any details.
“Yeah, and she’s so out of my league.”
Forest snickered. “Yeah, aren’t we all. But you might be surprised with Cyndi.” Just then a car pulled up into the driveway, and Kelly Reynolds climbed out. “Speaking of opportunities…” Forest smiled. “I would never pass up a pretty blonde. Brains and beauty are a great combination.” He pushed away from the fence. “I think I’ll go greet our visitor.”
Amazed, Patrick watched as Forest strolled off toward the expensive sedan and the attractive lawyer. The man had a slow, deliberate walk, taking his time to reach Kelly Reynolds. Forest had a way with people. He put them at ease with his friendliness, and by Kelly’s reaction, she wasn’t immune, either. Forest took her hand and after a few minutes he had her laughing. They were walking toward him when Patrick heard Kevin’s warning yell. He turned back in time to see Cyndi sitting in the dirt holding her leg.
Patrick hopped the fence and was beside her immediately. “You okay?” Then before she could answer, he looked at Kevin. “What the hell happened?”
Cynthia couldn’t believe it when she looked up and saw Patrick. “It’s nothing,” she said, her leg stinging. “Spirit and I were just getting to know each other and he got a little too playful and kicked me.”
Kevin knelt down beside her. “I’m sorry, Cyndi. Spirit has a habit of playing a little rough.”
“And if you knew that, why did you let Cyndi handle him? She’s not used to being around horses.”
Kevin’s face flushed and Cynthia felt bad. “It was my fault, Patrick. Kevin warned me that Spirit kicked, but I got cocky.”
Patrick wasn’t paying attention to her explanation. He pushed up her pant leg, exposing her boot.
“See, my leg was protected by my boot.” Her leg hurt some, but she was more embarrassed when she looked up and saw Kelly and Forest running across the corral.
She pushed Patrick’s hands away from her leg. “I’m fine. Just help me up.”
His blue eyes locked with hers. “I want to check you out.”
She doubted he meant his words to sound so suggestive, but they did. She shook away the thought. “I’m capable of doing it myself. Just give me a hand up.”
Finally Patrick stood and held out a hand. Cyndi was on her feet just as her sister got to her.
“Cyndi, what happened?”
“Nothing. I’m okay.” She walked around, letting everyone see she was fine. Then she looked for Kevin and the colt, but they were gone. “Where is Kevin?”
“He’s finishing his chores,” Patrick said.
“But I want to talk to him.” Cyndi started off toward the barn.
Her sister chased after her. “Cyndi, maybe you should go up to the house. Look at you. You’re a mess.” She wrinkled her nose. “And you smell.”
Cynthia looked at her soiled jeans and blouse, recalling her working afternoon. “Oh, I guess I do.”
“What have you been doing?”
Cynthia glanced over her shoulder at Patrick and Forest, who were following them. “Chores. You name it and I’ve probably done it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to see Kevin.” Her gaze met Patrick’s. “I’m going to let him know that he didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Are you trying to embarrass me?” Nora asked Patrick as she paced angrily in front of the desk. The knotty-pine-paneled office had been his sanctuary over the years. A place he could go to be alone, to organize his thoughts and have some peace from a houseful of females. The room had been off-limits, but his sisters had ignored that rule and had come in when they needed to talk with their big brother.
“Cynthia Reynolds is my boss’s sister, not to mention an award-winning actress.” Nora suddenly stopped. “I did this for you. I thought you’d be happy with the extra money to help with the vineyard.”
Patrick was beginning to wonder if it was worth it. An hour ago, Kelly, Forest, Cyndi and Nora were at the Tanner kitchen table talking and laughing while eating Nora’s chicken and rice. After Forest escorted Kelly to her car, she drove back to Portland. Cyndi had gone to her room. He’d come into his office for some quiet, but his sister had cornered him.
“Patrick, are you listening to me?”
“I’m listening. And no, I’m not trying to embarrass you.”
“Then why weren’t you with Cyndi today? She could have been hurt badly.”
“I was with her this morning,” he argued. “I just rode out to check on the herd. I didn’t expect her to clean out stalls, bathe horses and train colts and fillies.” He was still shocked that she’d done so much.
“What did you think she would do? Sit around and play spoiled starlet?”
He stood up. “How the hell should I know? Look, she knew from the start I had a ranch to run.”
“Forest and Kevin can do most of the chores. Oh, Patrick, you said you would do this, and I’ve never known you to go back on your word.”
She blinked as if she were going to cry. Damn. He hated when she pulled that.
“I told her you were the best,” Nora continued. “Please, don’t let me down.”
Patrick stood, came around the desk and pulled his sister into his arms. “Hey, don’t cry.” He remembered holding his nine-year-old sister after their mother had died. He’d promised her then that he’d always be there for her. That she could count on him. He needed to do this for her. “I won’t let you down, honey.”
She raised her head. “Then you’ll spend the day with Cyndi tomorrow? Help her ride Daisy?”
“Can I break for lunch?”
Nora smiled. “I expect you to. Half the time, I don’t think you eat all day. I’m staying here tonight so at least you and Cyndi will have a good breakfast.”
“Good.” He kissed her nose. “I’ve missed your biscuits.”
“Then find yourself a woman who can cook and I won’t worry so much.”
He didn’t want to get into this old discussion tonight. “You find me a woman who can make biscuits as good as yours, and I’ll consider it.”
Nora’s pretty blue eyes lit up as she held out her hand. “It’s a deal.”
There was a little bruise on her shin. Who would have thought such a small horse could pack such a wallop? It was a good thing she’d had on boots.
Cyndi sat on her bed. She’d showered and lathered her filthy body twice before she was presentable enough to go down to dinner.
Now, dressed in a cotton nightgown, she wasn’t going to have any trouble sleeping, especially when she had to be up at dawn.
She’d nearly forgotten one thing. Cynthia went to the dresser and opened the bottle of NoWait and, as instructed, dabbed some behind ea
ch ear. After returning to the bed, she lay back on the pillow and pulled the lightweight blanket over her. A soft breeze was coming through the open window, cooling the room enough to be comfortable. Cynthia tried, but couldn’t erase from her memory Patrick’s panicked look when he’d found her on the ground. There was definite concern showing in his eyes.
So far she hadn’t been able to forget the fact that just two nights ago he’d made love to her. She closed her eyes, feeling her body grow warm and achy as she recalled Patrick Tanner’s skilled hands against her skin. She shifted restlessly against the cool sheets, but found no satisfaction.
Cynthia groaned in frustration. What was she doing? The man was off-limits. So she had to quit thinking of him, of their night together. It was one crazy night! Besides, just because Patrick Tanner had wanted her didn’t mean that was a good thing. He didn’t seem to like her. The familiar loneliness washed over her as she thought about her life. Her acting career had filled it to a point, but… She shook away the regrets. She couldn’t think about a relationship with a man right now. She had to concentrate on learning how to ride. And, she hoped, in a few months, she’d be in Wyoming, starring in a movie.
That made her smile and she reached for the bedside light, but paused when there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Nora, Cynthia called out for her to come in. She was surprised when Patrick came into her room and walked straight to her bed.
“I wanted to check to see if your leg is okay.”
She worked to control her breathing. “I told you earlier that I’m fine.” She pulled back the blanket and exposed her bare leg, but before she could cover it, Patrick gripped her ankle.
His warm hand nearly made her gasp, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “I want to see for myself.” He sat down on the mattress and began to examine the bruise high on her calf above her boot. Cynthia closed her eyes, feeling her body run hot. Every cell was aware of this man. No doubt, she wanted him. Angry with herself for being so needy, she jerked away.
What a Man Needs Page 5