The women in the scrapbook store told that their husbands and sons were taking things into their own hands, setting up patrols, tired of being victims, frustrated with the cops for not putting a stop to the wave of cattle rustling. Too many people had lost too much, and someone was going to get hurt before it was all over.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Misunderstandings
“Hey, there!” a deep voice called out from behind Gina. She turned to see Aidan striding toward her. She smiled at him and struggled to get a handle on her warring emotions, worried that she might burst into tears.
He continued toward her but let his gaze rest on Steve, walking away from them. He nodded toward her ex-husband and one dark eyebrow rose. “Friend of yours?”
She shook her head, considered how much to reveal, then shrugged and said, “Not exactly. Ex-husband.”
His smile faded and he nodded. “Oh, I see.” He pressed his lips into a thin line and his eyes narrowed as he watched the other man get into his truck and drive away, tires spinning in the loose gravel.
They stood there awkwardly for a moment, the silence stretching between them like a taut string. The horse nickered again, breaking the silence. She cleared her throat and raised her chin. “Thanks so much for inviting me and Toby to the barbecue. It’s very nice.”
He smiled and his whole face lit up. He inclined his head, so his mouth was inches from her ear. A shiver went up her spine when his breath tickled her ear. He whispered, “Want to know a secret?”
Butterflies danced in her stomach. She sucked in a deep breath and nodded.
He whispered, “I was worried you had a boyfriend.”
She blinked and pulled away to look at him, shocked. “Why would you think that?”
He straightened and shrugged, “That day at the scrapbook store, when I asked if you wanted to come to the barbecue, you asked if you could bring a guest.” He looked at her with those intense blue eyes, as if he were staring into her soul. A hint of red tinged his chiseled cheeks.
Her eyes widened as she realized what he had thought. She said, “Ah, and you thought I was bringing a guy.”
“I wondered, when I found out you had a son, if that was who you were bringing, but I still worried about your guest.” He grinned again, displaying nearly perfect white teeth. “I didn’t expect your date to be under four foot tall.” One dark eyebrow quirked up.
She grinned up at him and said, “And not of an age that he couldn’t legally partake of an alcoholic beverage.”
He nodded and touched the tip of her finger with his nose. “Exactly.”
It was such a casual movement, yet so intimate.
He sat up straight. “You know, all I know about you is that you are a talented invitation maker, you own your own business and you don’t have many tools. Maybe we should get to know each other a little better.”
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and nodded. “Agreed. What do you want to know?”
He laughed. “Everything. I want to know everything about you.”
Her smile faded. He didn’t want to know everything. He just thought he did. “Not much to tell. Divorced. Single mom.” That pretty much squelched any passion he might feel for her. No glowing coals, just dying embers.
“I pretty much figured that part out.” He looked into her eyes, as if she were the only person there. “How long have you been divorced?”
“Four years. Since Toby was a baby.” The crowd around them disappeared and the world shrunk down to them and only them. “How about you? Ever been married?”
He snorted. “No. No time for that.”
She gazed up at him. “Maybe you just haven’t found the right girl yet.”
He took a step closer to her. “Maybe I wasn’t looking in the right places.”
Only inches separated them. He bent his head, his eyes focused on her lips.
The rest of the world faded away. Her lips parted, seemingly of their own accord, and all she could think about was kissing him. She wanted him to claim her, for his lips to cover hers, for his tongue to tease hers.
A boy shouted in the distance, drawing her back to reality. She blinked and drew back. She laid one hand flat against his chest and murmured, “I’m sorry.”
His chest was hard under her touch. It wasn’t until he let his hand drop that she realized he’d been holding her. He winked at her. “I’m not.”
Her mouth opened and closed, then she yanked her hand back as if she’d been burned. Her chest rose and fell as she stared up at him. Those electric blue eyes smoldered with intensity.
She shook her head and turned away. She couldn’t do this. Not now. Her son was here.
Oh, jeez.
She’d left her son with a stranger. She needed to get back to him.
She turned to scan the crowd, and spotted the older woman, Charlotte, standing near the deck, just below the barbecue grill. She glanced up at Aidan and said, “Shall we go rescue Charlotte?” She felt as giddy as a schoolgirl around him. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
As they turned to walk toward the house, he briefly placed his hand on the small of her back. She stiffened momentarily at the touch, then relaxed. The warmth of his light touch steadied her. Again, casual, yet intimate.
As they wove through the crowd, several spoke to Aidan, calling him by name. Several then nodded at her, and she caught the jealous glance of more than one woman.
As they walked up to the deck, she became aware of the tension in the air. The older woman, Charlotte, stood on the next to the top step with Toby on the step one down from and behind her. The woman leaned forward, resting her weight heavily on the railing. She was huddled with a man and a woman. Gina had seen both at the barbecue earlier. The woman was cute and perky, slender with red hair and a porcelain connection. Her fiery hair was pulled up in a messy bun, with fine tendrils curling around her face. The man wore Wranglers (what is it about a man in Wranglers, she thought) and a denim button down shirt. A straw cowboy hat shaded his face and an apron was slung over his shoulder.
Aidan put his hand on her shoulder and whispered, “Something’s going on. Wait here.”
She caught him before he could go up the steps and said, “Who is that?”
“That’s Beau, the ranch foreman – my boss – and Beth. She’s the big boss lady. Owns the ranch.” He jogged up the steps to join the huddle.
Gina reached out, then let her hand drop to her side. “But my—” Gina stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Perhaps she should just take Toby and move on, but she wanted to wait for Aidan.
She stepped forward and tapped Charlotte on the shoulder, just as Toby turned around.
Toby said proudly, “Hi, Mom! I helped Miss Charlotte hand out drinks. That is a very important job on a hot day like today.”
Charlotte turned toward Gina, hesitation in her movements, then glanced back at the trio on the deck. She shifted her attention back to Gina and smiled as she patted Toby on his head. She said, “Your son is adorable, absolutely adorable. He was a big help.”
Gina smiled and nodded her agreement. “He always helps me at home. Thank you for taking him for a bit.”
Charlotte said, “Not a problem at all.”
Gina looked up at Aidan, decided not to let the opportunity pass her by. She would thank him for the invitation, perhaps make arrangements to see him again. She placed one foot on the bottom step, but Charlotte suddenly stepped down, blocking Gina’s way.
Charlotte inclined her head. “Give them just a moment.”
Gina blinked, then nodded. Just as she was about to excuse herself, Beth and Beau went inside and Aidan jogged down the steps. He grinned at her, exposing those deep dimples, when he reached the bottom step. He put his hands on his knees and bent down so that he was eye level with Toby. The little boy narrowed his eyes and tucked his arm around his mother’s leg, suddenly shy. Aidan said, “I’ve got a special secret in the barn I’d love to show you.”
The kid hugged Gina’s leg tighter and glanced up at her. She grinned down at him and nodded her encouragement. He studied Aidan through narrowed eyes, then asked, “What?”
Aidan grinned. “Have you ever seen a baby cow?”
Toby nodded his head. “At my party.”
“How about an itty-bitty baby cow, even littler than the calves I brought to your party?” Aidan straightened and held out his hand. “You want to come to the barn and see one?”
Toby looked at Aidan’s hand, but made no move to let go of his mother’s leg.
Gina put her hand on her son’s shoulder and said, “It’s OK. I’ll go with you. I want to see the baby cow, too.”
Toby let his hand drop. Aidan turned and motioned. The little boy still looked suspicious. On a whim, Aidan took Gina’s hand in his. She hesitated, but after a moment squeezed back and then grabbed her son’s hand. The three of them walked through the crowd and slipped into the big red barn.
It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the dimness after the glaring summer sun. The sounds of the barn surrounded them. Horses snuffled, and a three-legged cat trotted up to them, meowing his welcome.
Toby pointed at the cat. “That’s the kitty I saw earlier.”
Aidan said, “That’s Tripod.”
“What happened to him?” the boy asked.
Aidan shrugged. “Don’t know. He showed up like that.”
Aidan stopped in front of the calf’s stall and held one finger up to his lips. “She’s a baby so we have to use soft voices while we’re in there.”
Toby nodded solemnly. Gina placed one hand on his shoulder and reminded him gently, “We’ll use an inside voice, right?”
Aidan slid the door open just wide enough for them to slip inside. He went first, followed by the boy and, finally, Gina. He glanced back at her.
Toby’s eyes grew wide and he dropped to his knees in front of the black calf. She stepped toward the boy, then looked at Aidan and snorted. Her fuzzy ears swiveled back and forth and she nodded her head.
Gina leaned down and grabbed her son’s shoulders, looking down at the straw. Aidan quickly assured her, “I cleaned the stall right before I came and got you. It’s okay.” She released her grip and her shoulders relaxed as she dropped to her knees beside Toby.
Aidan squatted next to the boy. “Here. Hold up your thumb, like you are going to suck your thumb.” He demonstrated by holding his thumb up.
Toby’s eyes narrowed. “I’m a big boy. I don’t do that no more.”
Aidan grinned. “Neither do I, but she does.” He jerked his thumb toward the calf.
Gina took hold of her son’s hand and gently turned the thumb toward the baby. The calf sucked his thumb into her mouth and sucked eagerly, which elicited a burble of giggles from the boy.
Aidan said, “You keep her busy for a minute and I’ll be right back.” He slipped out the door. In a couple of minutes, he returned with a large plastic bottle filled with milk. He held it out the boy.
Seeing how excited Aidan was about showing off the baby just about melted Gina’s heart.
Toby took the bottle and pointed the nipple toward the calf. “It’s warm,” he said.
“That’s how she likes it, and it’s easier on her tummy,” Aidan said. “Hold on with both hands. She’s pretty strong for a baby.”
Toby giggled as he grasped the bottle tightly. The calf bumped against him and slurped away, as if she were starving, even though Aidan had just fed her two hours ago.
Aidan stepped back. Gina felt the glow of love as she watched her son. She laughed and encouraged him, asked him what it felt like.
Once Toby seemed confident in what he was doing, Gina pushed to her feet and stepped back, letting Toby enjoy the moment. She turned to Aidan and looked up into his amazing blue eyes. The irises were shot through with dark blue. She whispered, “Thank you.”
He grinned back. “I knew he’d like it.”
She said, “He’s always loved cowboys and horses and this is like a dream come true for him.”
“Living here is like a dream come true for me, so I know how he feels.” He shifted his weight to the leg closest to her. He inclined his head toward her and whispered, “I’m happy you were able to come to the party.”
She smiled. “So am I.”
They stood side by side and watched Toby with the little calf. Aidan let his hand brush against the smooth skin of her arm, and she made no move to shift away. It didn’t take the young calf long to drain the bottle. She suckled and bumped the bottle, trying to get the last drop of warm milk.
Aidan took the bottle from the boy. “All done. Now that her tummy’s full she’ll probably take a nap. Let’s leave her alone for a little bit and let her sleep.”
Toby’s shoulders drooped and he huffed out a big sigh. Gina took him by the hand. “Aidan is right. Let’s leave her alone. She’s a baby so she needs lots of sleep.”
Aidan slid the door open and the three of them slipped out. The calf bawled her disgust at being left alone.
As they exited the barn, Gina prompted Toby. “What do you say?”
Toby looked up at her and his eyebrows pushed together in a look of intense concentration. His eyes rounded and his whole face brightened, then he swiveled his head to look at Aidan. “Oh, yeah! Thank you very much, Mr.—Mr.—”
Aidan grinned. “Call me Aidan.”
“Thank you, Aidan.”
“Yes,” Gina echoed. “Thank you, Aidan.”
Toby tugged on Gina’s hand. “Can I go play in the straw maze again, Mom?”
She released the boy’s hand and waved him on. “Yes, just remember to take turns and be polite.”
As Toby ran ahead, Gina adjusted her path ever so slightly, so she was walking right next to Aidan. Their arms brushed against each other with every stride. She glanced up at him. “You made his day, you know.”
“I hope so. I remember how excited I was about stuff like that as a kid.”
“Did you grow up on a ranch?”
“No, but I was around calves sometimes because of my father’s work.” His voice held a hard edge.
She raised her eyebrows, encouraging him to continue. “Tell me.”
His mouth went dry. “My mom died right after I graduated high school. My dad was busy building his own business. When I made it clear I didn’t want to be a part of that business, he had no time for me.”
She frowned. “Then you understand how important it is to spend time on you, to take time for your own family, not to get so focused on work.”
He warmed to the subject. “That’s just it. This place isn’t work. It’s home. The people here are my family.”
She cocked her head. “But what about your father? He’s still alive?”
“My father is nothing like Beau and Charlotte and the others here. He was — is — a cold, cold person who cares about nothing more than making a buck.” His voice cut through the spring air like a blade.
She reached out and touched his forearm. The muscles were corded and tight, tense and she massaged gently, as if trying to relax him. “You’re not cold.”
He sighed, then took her hand in his. “I hope not. I don’t want to be anything like him. That’s why I left as soon as I could.”
She trailed her fingers down his arm, letting them rest on the back of his hand. “So you’ve been on your own since then?”
“Yes,” he murmured. “I couldn’t stay with my father. Couldn’t stomach how he earned his money. Hated the thought of what he did, and didn’t want any part of that.”
She pulled back and frowned, suddenly wary. “Is he a criminal or something?”
He barked a laugh, a harsh, humorless sound. “Not exactly. He owns a huge meat processing company. And he’s never been caught doing anything illegal.” He emphasized the word caught with a shake of his head.
The furrows in her forehead deepened. “But that’s what you do here at the Diamond J, right? It’s all farming and ranching, right?”
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“No.” He turned toward her and gripped her forearms. “We raise and train cutting horses. We raise cattle. Yes, we raise livestock, but it is nothing like big corporate farms or the giant meat processing plants. The animals here are treated with respect and care.”
His grip was strong. She blinked rapidly and her mouth hung open in astonishment. “But that doesn’t happen at your father’s business?”
He snorted derisively again. “It is a factory, where living creatures are mercilessly processed in the cheapest, fastest way possible.”
She wiggled under his grip and he quickly released her. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, then he turned away and rubbed his face roughly with his hands.
She reached out and rubbed his back gently as he took deep breaths in and out.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “That sounds horrible.”
“It is,” he mumbled through his hands. “You have no idea how horrible.”
She’d seen undercover videos taken by animal rights activists. Those images were horrible and disgusting. They had been enough to make her consider going vegan.
But surely his family wasn’t involved in something as horrible as that. “You are nothing like your father.” She continued to rub his back, running her hand in lazy circles over his broad shoulders.
He took a deep breath and said, “My family owns Brackston Meat Processing.”
Her eyes widened in recognition “You mean THE Brackston Meats? Like the beef and pork we buy at the grocery store? The family that owns the football team? The family rumored to have organized crime ties?” She clamped a hand over her mouth. Good grief. That family was larger than life. Always in the news.
He nodded and ducked his head. When he left home, he hoped to never hear that name again, but it seemed impossible to escape. The name held nothing but memories of pain and horror for him.
She blinked at him. “That’s a huge business. I’ve heard a lot about it.” She looked a bit green around the gills.
He snorted as he thought of the sprawling metal buildings, the crowded feed lots where animals stood in filth and mud while awaiting their final trip to the kill floor. The stench hung in the air, covering the animals like a blanket.
Diamond in the Rough (Diamond J #2) Page 17