by Kylie Brant
“Don’t worry. The way I’ve been feeling the last couple of days, I’ll be on my feet again before you know it.”
“You’ll be on your feet when the doctor says it’s okay, and not a moment sooner,” Julianne corrected her. “Jed and I aren’t going to let you push yourself harder than you should.”
Annie’s eyebrows raised. “Jed and you, is it? Think because you’ve got the big man himself on your side that you’ll scare me into staying down for a few weeks more?” She snorted, reminding Julianne vividly that this was the woman who’d raised her and kept both her and Jed in line for more years than she’d like to count. With effort, she suppressed a smile. Annie would be supremely unimpressed with anything either of them suggested.
Placatingly, she said, “Now, Annie. We just want you to follow doctor’s orders, is all. Dr. Brierly said you’re going to have to take it easy for a couple of months, at least.”
“That old fool,” Annie sniffed, forgetting for the moment that the two of them were only months apart in age.
“Once I get off this blasted walker, I’ll be back to my routine again. I really could do more right now. There’s no reason at all I couldn’t dust a few things for you. I’m moving along well enough with this thing.”
The look of horror on Julianne’s face had the other woman allowing, “Well, so maybe it will be a few more weeks, but I can’t believe you’ll be so unwilling to give up some of these tasks.”
“I promise to hand over dust rag and mop just as soon as the doctor releases you to work,” Julianne pledged, hand over her heart. “Satisfied?”
“Not that you aren’t doin’ a fine job around here, you understand. I’ve been right proud of the way you’ve stepped in and taken over for me.”
“Well, it did make me feel useful, and that’s something I’ve needed for a long time.”
Reaching out to pat her hand, Annie said, “You’re a good girl, Julianne. None finer, and that’s the truth. There’s not a useless bone in your body.”
“Maybe not.” Though the words warmed, they didn’t quite dim the doubt. “But I’ve had a lot of time while I’ve worked around here recently to think about my future, and what I want from it.” Her eyes flashed to the other woman’s. “No offense, but I think it involves more than washing, cooking and cleaning.”
“None taken. Everyone needs to choose their own paths, and any job, when done with pride, is a responsible one in my book.” Annie tilted her head and surveyed her.
“Did that time spent thinking result in any plans for that future you’re talking about?”
“Well, I could ride out with Jed and the men every day, but—” she shrugged “—he doesn’t really need me to help him run the ranch.” The words struck an answering pang in the depths of her heart. Jed didn’t need her on any level, none but the obvious. The knowledge shouldn’t have had the power to wound, but it did. Deeply. Careful not to let emotion color her voice, she continued lightly, “And let’s face it, Jed and I working side by side daily would be the quickest path to homicide. No, I’ve been thinking of going back to college.”
Annie looked approving. “That sounds like a good idea. Never did like the fact that you quit to get married before you got your degree.”
Julianne wondered if the other woman understood that quitting school had been just one in a long list of failures in her life. Some of them she had to chalk up to experience, but this was one she could rectify. Wanted to rectify, more every day. “I’ve only lacked a year from getting my degree, but I’m going to change majors, so it will probably take me even longer.”
“What major are you thinking about?”
“I thought…counseling. I’d like to get a job in an elementary school. Jed will jeer at what he calls my bleeding heart, but there’s a lot of need out there, and I’d like to be part of the solution.” Her mind streaked to Jed’s childhood. Who had been there to calm a little boy’s devastation at the loss of his mother, his brother, his home? Her chest ached as she thought of all he’d endured when just a child. Surely someone had been assigned when he was taken from his mother, perhaps another when he’d been in foster care and then adopted. But the adults hadn’t been able to ease the suffering from his injuries, hadn’t freed him from his jail of guilt.
“Don’t you worry none about what Jed will say. You’ve got a soft heart, but you’re wise enough. You’ll do fine. He isn’t exactly an authority on the subject of letting others help him.”
Seizing the opening, Julianne told Annie of the call from John Sullivan, and Jed’s reaction to it. The woman’s face went slack with surprise.
“My, oh my,” she murmured, rocking a bit in her chair.
“I don’t know what Jed will do. I wish I could think he’d reach out just a little for the chance of family. But I have to believe that he won’t.” Her gaze rose, and she caught sight of Julianne’s face. “It won’t do you no good to hope, I’m afraid. Something has burdened him for as long as I’ve known him. People have disappeared from his life too many times for him not to have built a mighty tight shield around his feelings. He’s a grown man. Right or wrong, he’s gonna make his own decisions.”
The woman hadn’t said anything Julianne didn’t know in her heart, but she couldn’t prevent a fresh wave of disappointment. Last night Jed had given her a clue about the cause of his guardedness, and she was afraid that Annie was right. He wasn’t going to contact John Sullivan, wasn’t going to risk emotion on another, wasn’t going to trust, even a little. She didn’t want to examine the rush of pain that accompanied her certainty.
A door opened and closed somewhere in the house, and Julianne’s gaze flew to the clock in panic. What was Jed doing in an hour before his normal time? And entering by the front door, at that? Wiping her hands on a dish towel, she went to the hallway to greet him, questions on her lips, and was confronted by the sight of her father.
Shock held her still for a moment, before welcome bubbled up inside her. “Dad!”
“There’s my Julie-girl.” Harley Buchanan held out his arms. “Got a kiss for your old man?”
She hugged him, words tumbling from her lips. “I didn’t know you were coming. Or, I guess Jed said you were planning a visit, but he didn’t say when. How did you get here? Someone could have picked you up at the airport, if you’d let us know.”
“Oh, I just rented a car.” He stepped back, an easy smile sitting on his face. “I have to be getting back tomorrow. No use putting anybody here out.”
Julianne’s smile dimmed. “You’re leaving tomorrow already? What’s the rush? Take a few days and look at what Jed’s done to the ranch. Visit the neighbors.” Spend time with me. The words remained unspoken. She’d never come high on Harley’s list of priorities. She wondered when that fact would lose its bite.
He patted her shoulder. “I would, but my motto is Don’t Walk Away From the Table in the Middle of a Winning Streak, and honey, the streak I’m on is blazing.” He winked at her, a tall, still-handsome man, long-limbed and broad through the shoulders. He didn’t look any different from the last time she’d seen him, which had been—she mentally calculated the time—almost two years ago. She’d arranged to visit him when he was in Atlantic City. Other than a couple of dinners, they’d spent very little time together. She’d been unable to compete with the lure of the cards.
She tucked the hurt away with an ease borne of long practice. She’d never let him see it. Demands made Harley uncomfortable and changed nothing, except to leave her feeling ashamed and guilty when he left.
Pasting a smile on her face, she slipped her arm through his and led him to the kitchen. “Well, we’ll have to make the most of the time you’re here. Are you hungry? Dinner isn’t ready yet, but I can make you a sandwich. You’ll be surprised to learn that I’m well on my way to becoming a domestic goddess.”
“Annie can get me something. I didn’t eat on the plane. Got into a game of blackjack with the guy beside me.” He winked, grinning widely. “He never kn
ew what hit him.”
“I’m sure not.” Competently, she began to get fixings for a sandwich out. “Annie had a fall a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been taking over for her until she gets better. She’s sleeping right now, but I’m sure she’ll be as tickled as the rest of us to see you.”
“Don’t know about everyone,” he muttered, picking up the glass of milk she’d set before him and taking a long swallow. “Somehow I can’t imagine Jed feeling tickled.” He surveyed the thick roast beef sandwich Julianne set before him with pleasure, and began eating. “He sounded downright menacing the last time he phoned.”
That snagged her attention. “Jed called you?”
The man nodded, making short work of the food on his plate. “He’s getting to be a real nag, you know that?” Catching her eye, he hastened to add, “Not that I’d tell him so to his face, you understand. The man’s got a slice of mean that doesn’t bear crossing.” He finished the rest of the sandwich in two quick bites. “Only people I’ve ever noticed him having a soft spot for were Annie and you.”
“Me?” Julianne sank to a chair beside him, eyes wide.
“I’ve never noticed that Jed had any particular soft spots, and certainly not one with my name on it.”
Harley leaned back in his chair contentedly. “Well, you could fight like two tomcats on occasion, but he watched out for you. Still does.”
“Too much, sometimes,” she murmured. Then something else he’d said caught her attention. “Is Jed the one who gave you the idea to visit?”
The man’s gaze shifted away. “Well, I’ve been promising him I would. Been meaning to for a while. I wanted to come check on you when your divorce went through, but I figured you needed some time to yourself.”
Her face went set and still. What she’d needed at that time, she recalled, was someone, anyone, who cared about her, to just be there. Not to rescue her, not to chastise her, but just to listen. Her chin angled. She’d made it through without help, and maybe she was the stronger for it. But she wouldn’t be thanking her father for that.
“And I was right.” He beamed a smile at her. “Look at you—beautiful as ever. You’re the picture of your mother. I’ve told Jed over and over that he worries too much about you.” He nodded wisely. “You’re stronger than he thinks. I’ve always known that. Don’t know why he can’t see it.”
She rose and took his plate and glass, rinsing them and setting them in the dishwasher. It was too easy to imagine how Jed had pushed and prodded Harley to act like a father and go to her aid when she’d been at her lowest point. Irritation warred with the swift warmth that spread at the thought. The warmth won. Maybe Harley was right. It did appear that Jed had a “soft spot” where she was concerned. Wistfully she wondered just how deep that spot went.
She wouldn’t have to wonder long. Harley was speaking again, expansive after satisfying his appetite. “I heard from your ex-husband, did I tell you that?”
Her attention snapped back to him. “Andrew? When? Why?”
He wrinkled his brow. “Oh, it must have been a couple of weeks ago. Called me up and asked for money, of all things.”
Something twisted in her stomach then, a quick, nauseating turn. “He called me, too. When I turned him down, he must have been desperate.”
Harley snorted. “Desperate is right. Never did care much for the boy and I told him so. As if I’d give him the time of day after what he did.”
“Well.” She drew in a deep breath. “I’m glad you didn’t agree to help him. Andrew is going to have to make some hard decisions and pay for the mistakes he’s made.”
His hand slipped inside his pocket and he withdrew a slim cheroot. Putting it to his lips and lighting it, he inquired, “Can you get me an ashtray?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Annie still doesn’t like people smoking in the house.”
He aimed a winning smile at her and blew out a stream of smoke. “Let’s not tell her, then.”
A laugh gusted out of her. He was incorrigible, always would be. The rules had never applied to Harley Buchanan. She’d passed the time when she believed they ever would. She rose and took out a small bowl to place in front of him. He reached for it, running a finger around the rim in a quick, restless motion that spoke of nerves or boredom. Since he hadn’t been here long enough to max out even his attention span, she had to assume it was the former. Her eyes narrowed.
“Something on your mind, Harley?”
His gaze was startled, a bit guilty. “Me? No. I do have something to tell you, though.” He set the bowl twirling in a dizzying motion. “I got myself married again.”
Of all the things he could have said, she thought this one was the most unexpected. Clutching the back of a chair, she said weakly, “Married? When?”
“Last week. Mona—I mentioned her the last time we talked, didn’t I?—she said let’s do it, and I thought, why not.” He shrugged and smiled sheepishly. “I’ve been alone a long time. We enjoy the same things.” He inhaled and expelled a line of smoke. “That’s why I have to hurry back. We’re going on a honeymoon in a few days.”
Comprehension filtered belatedly through her shock. Mona must have been the bodacious babe he’d had to get back to, cutting short their last phone conversation. “Congratulations. When am I going to meet her?”
“Oh, soon,” he said vaguely. “Since this was going to be such a quick trip there wasn’t really time for her to prepare to come. And she’s busy selling her business so she can travel with me. She has a liquor supply company. That’s how I met her, at the Flamingo in Vegas.”
“Well.” Julianne sat down and took a deep breath. “I hope this works out for you. I want you to be happy.” Sincerity laced her words. Harley had been searching for something for as long as she could remember. She hoped for his sake that he’d found it.
He looked relieved and reached over to pat her hand. “Exactly what I’ve always wanted for you. Now, why don’t you tell me what your plans are. You’re not going to hole up on the ranch indefinitely, are you?”
A sudden thought struck her then. “Why? Are you and Mona thinking of living here?”
“Us?” He looked amazed. “No. Of course not.”
Of course not. She shook her head slightly to clear it.
“I’ve decided that I’ll be going back to the university to finish my degree. Then I guess I’ll get a job.”
“Well, that’s fine then.” He beamed at her, as pleased as if he’d made the decision himself. “You landed on your feet just like I knew you would. You’ll do well in whatever you try. You’re smart,” he said, pointing the cheroot at her. “And you’re lucky, too. That’s a damn near unbeatable combination.” He put the cigar back in his mouth and puffed furiously. “I told Jed he was worrying for nothing, but he insisted I tell you about the deal.” Shaking his head, he leaned over and tapped the cigar’s ashes into the bowl.
Something in the word made her go still. “The…deal?”
“To sell the ranch.” He managed to look both abashed and charming. “I kind of had a slump for a while. Oh, I won some, but it just seemed like I lost it faster than I could win it back.” He shook his head reflectively. “I haven’t had a streak that sour for years. Hope I never do again.”
His ruminations failed to penetrate her shell-shocked brain. She couldn’t focus on any words beyond the first ones. Dimly she realized that Jed had stepped into the room, but her attention was focused on her father. “You’re…” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat before trying again. “You’re selling the ranch?”
His gaze searched the room, couldn’t seem to find a place to land. “The fact is, Julianne…I’ve already sold it.”
His words punched through her with the force of a fist, sending her senses reeling. Her lungs constricted, couldn’t seem to draw in oxygen.
“You promised.” The words were strangled, all but inaudible. Certainly Harley didn’t seem to hear them.
“I was in a real bad way, honey. And t
he fact was, I wasn’t ever going to live on the ranch again. It was a business decision. You understand.”
She stared at him with no acknowledgment of his wheedling tone. You understand. The words could have been echoes from the past, back to haunt her.
“I know I promised I’d be back for your play, baby, but something’s come up…I can’t make it to your concert after all…I’m just not going to get back in time for your graduation, honey…you understand….”
“Who?” She barely recognized the dull voice as her own. “Who did you sell it to?”
For the first time Jed spoke, and his words completed her descent into utter despair.
“He sold it to me.”
Chapter 14
The only sound in the awful stillness of the room was the nervous tapping of Harley’s fingers against the stoneware bowl. Julianne stared at Jed for long moments. His face was a hard, grim mask. There was no doubting the truth of his words. And no denying the rush of bitterness that nearly swamped her.
“When?” Her gaze swung back to pin Harley’s, and he shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with the emotional-laden question. “Not long ago. Before the divorce, wasn’t it, Jed?” He lobbed the ball neatly back into the other man’s court and breathed a distinct sigh of relief when his daughter’s attention shifted away from him.
“It was a few weeks before Andrew’s arrest,” Jed affirmed. His eyes were steady on hers, and she could read nothing in their gray depths. “Harley called and told me he was planning to list the ranch with a Realtor.” His voice carefully blank, he added, “He took me by surprise.”
Julianne pressed a hand to her stomach, hoping to quiet the nerves grinding there. “Yes. He’s good at that.” She made no attempt to mask her resentment. She doubted she could have done so, at any rate. It bubbled and churned inside her with violent intensity.