Southern Charm: A Single Daddy Cowboy, Secret Baby, Ranch Western Romance (Rainbow Canyon Cowboys Book 5)

by KC Crowne

  “Mama G always makes plenty,” I said, leaning closer to Sam. “So no excuse for not stuffin’ yourself.”

  “Oh,” Mama G added with a smile. “Last rule is there’s always desert – so don’t forget to save a little room.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Sam said with a smile.

  “Alright,” Mama G said, clapping her hands. “Let’s dig in!”

  The plate of meatloaf made its way around the table, all of us stabbing a big slab, juicy and hot, and dropping it onto our plates. After the meatloaf came the mashed potatoes and gravy, and after that, some made-from-scratch bacon biscuits.

  Everyone was eager to get to know Sam, asking her where she came from, what’d she’d been up to before she decided to move to Texas and other questions of the like. She held her own just fine, not appearing shy or flustered by being the center of attention.

  And all through it, Ellie watched her with the same big-eyed expression. There was something going on between the two of them, a connection in the process of happening. It might’ve been wishful thinking on my part, but I couldn’t wait to see what would happen between my girl and this lovely young woman.

  Was Ellie finally going to come out of her shell? Was Sam the key ingredient that would make my little girl feel more at ease at the ranch? I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, but I had a darn good feeling about it.

  After the main course came dessert – two of Mama G’s homemade pies, one apple, and one blackberry. They were served with vanilla bean ice cream Mama had made herself, of course, and by the time I finished my second helping, I was good and full, ready for a quiet couple of hours before bedtime.

  “Mind if I help clean up?” Sam asked when everyone had eaten their fill. A few laughs sounded from the table. “What?” she asked, slightly confused.

  “Oh, don’t take any offense,” Wyatt said, waving a hand. “It’s just that you’re a guest, and guests don’t do the dishes.”

  “That’s right,” Mama G said. “Right now, we want you to get good and comfortable here. If a week or so goes by and you’ve still got a hankerin’ to pitch in, then we can talk. Until then, you relax and make yourself at home.”

  Sam opened her mouth to speak, but before anything came out, she closed it, offering a smile in my direction.

  “Come on,” Ellie said, getting up. “I want to see your room!”

  “Now, now,” I said. “What do we do before we leave the table?”

  Ellie nodded, sitting back down and looking at her grandmother. “Oh yeah. May I be excused?”

  “You sure may, kiddo,” Mama G granted.

  Ellie didn’t wait a second before bounding out of her chair and dragging Sam out of the room. I excused myself and followed them. Sam gave me a knowing look over her shoulder as Ellie led her up the stairs by her hand. I arrived just in time to see Sam finish showing Ellie her new digs.

  “Aright, El,” I said. “Think it’s about time for you to start winding down. We’re gonna stay here for a few nights while Sam gets settled in.”

  “Oh yay! I like staying here. Can Sam read me a story first?”

  I glanced at Sam, who nodded in the affirmative. “I’d love to.”

  Sam helped Ellie get washed and ready for bed while I excused myself and cleaned up as well. I had a little more work to do before I turned in, but as I passed Ellie’s room, seeing her curled up at Sam’s side as she read her a story, I couldn’t help but watch.

  Something was happening, alright.

  I stepped in and finished putting Ellie to bed, dropping a kiss on my daughter’s forehead. It was the happiest she’d looked since coming to live with me. I managed to catch Sam before she disappeared into her room for the night.

  “First day go alright?” I asked.

  “It was a lot,” she admitted. “But I think so, yeah. Everyone in your family’s so kind. Can’t wait to get to know them better.”

  “Don’t worry, you will. People don’t stay strangers for long around the ranch.”

  A silence fell like before, and a strange tension crept up. Sam stood just inside her room, looking at me, and all I could think about was how gorgeous she was, how much I wanted to put my hands all over her curvy body, push her up against the wall and kiss her hard and deep.

  It was almost scary how attracted to her I was. But I had to keep myself in check. I couldn’t afford to lose control.

  “Well, good night,” I said. “You need me, I’m just down the hall.”

  Another warm, sweet smile. “Thanks. Good night to you, too.” She stepped back into her room and shut the door.

  I had my routine at the ranch, a routine I’d created over years of living, and between Ellie and Sam, my life felt all out of sorts – but in a good way. Things were going to be different as hell at the ranch.

  I couldn’t wait to see what the weeks ahead had in store.

  Chapter 4

  SAM

  Between the food and the events of the day, I was asleep the second my head hit the soft pillow. I woke up the next morning feeling more refreshed and ready to start the day than I’d been in a long, long time. Soft morning light poured in through the window, birdsong outside pulling me gently out of my rest.

  I stretched and rolled my head from side to side. Life was good. It was surprising to be able to say it – after all, good hadn’t been the word I’d have used to describe my life in quite some time. A tinge of hope ran through me. This whole idea of packing up and starting a new life halfway across the country had been totally crazy.

  But what if it worked?

  I checked my phone and saw that it was a little after six. Before bed, Chance had sent me a text letting me know that breakfast was at eight, and my first day with Ellie would start after that. So I had time.

  I hadn’t unpacked the night before, so I decided it was as good a time as any to settle my things in their proper places. I put my feet on the floor, the area rug soft and plush beneath my toes. I stretched again before standing up and turning my attention to the suitcase.

  A whole life was in that suitcase, what I could pack in a hurry and stuff in my car, at least. A wave of sadness flowed through me as I thought about Portland, thought about everything I’d left behind. Nothing to do but start fresh. I opened the suitcase and looked at the clothes, books, and other little knick-knacks that been at the apartment I’d shared with Kyle.

  Just thinking about the man sent a chill through my body. He’d been the reason I’d left, the reason I’d been forced to abandon my old life. I didn’t want to think about him ever again, but that wish wouldn’t be as easy as I wanted it to be.

  And, of course, the moment I lifted the small stack of books out of the box, I was face-to-face with something that reminded me of him instantly. A stuffed panda bear, one he’d won for me at a local fair. I remembered the night like it was yesterday, Kyle playing the game where you shot the targets with an air gun. The man had been a crack shot, and at the time I’d thought nothing of it.

  I picked up the bear and held it in my hands. The thing was so silly, so innocent, I couldn’t believe it was capable of reminding me of such pain.

  I stared off into space, and just like a movie in my mind, the last night before I’d left Portland played. I was in Portland at the apartment. Kyle was standing in front of me. He was a tall, reedy man with sandy-blonde hair tied in a ponytail. He was thin but muscular, dressed in his usual sleeveless T-shirt and dark jeans. His face was thin, his features sharp. And in those dark eyes was a mania that chilled me to the core.

  “You’re talking shit,” he said, putting his hands on his hips and staring at me hard. “You’re only saying that crap because you know it’ll get to me.” Kyle shook his head in total disbelief. “That’s just like you, you know? Always doing whatever it takes to push my buttons. It’s fucked up, you hear?”

  I was back in the moment, trying to stay strong in the face of my fear.

  “I’m not trying to push your buttons,” I retorted, my voice
and expression calm as I could be. “I’m telling you how I feel.”

  “And that’s how you feel, huh? Simple as that. We’ve been together a year, and now you wanna throw it all away, like what we had was some fucking trash. That’s what you’re telling me?”

  He began pacing back and forth, reminding me of a caged animal, a predator too long kept from the hunt. More fear ran through me – I’d seen him like that enough times to know it meant he was capable of anything.

  “Kyle,” I said, my voice shaking despite my effort to sound calm. “It’s…it’s not like that.”

  He stopped, turning those wild eyes on me again. “It’s not, huh? Then tell me what it’s like. Because it sure as hell sounds like what you’re doing.”

  “We had something,” I admitted. “Something special. I’m not saying it wasn’t ever good.”

  “But you’re saying it’s not good enough. You’re saying that you’re, what, tired of me? Tired of what we have together?”

  “Please!” I interrupted, my voice raising. “Stop putting words in my mouth! If you’d just give me a chance to expla—”

  “I’ve given you all the chances in the world. And so far, you’ve given me nothing but bullshit!”

  Talking would do no good. When he reached this point, there was no getting through to him. Sucking in a deep breath, I said, “Kyle, it’s over. I’ve tried, and I’ve tried to make things work, but it’s not going to happen.”

  It was a generic answer, one that hid the truth of what I’d learned about Kyle that made me realize I had to leave. But bringing up that subject would only make things worse.

  He stopped and stared off into space. His expression was wide-eyed as if he’d just realized something. He slowly turned his eyes on me. “I know what it is,” he stated, his eyes mad. “I’ve been in total fucking denial. But now I get it.”

  “Wh—what?” I stammered nervously.

  A grin formed on his face, a horrible little sliver that terrified me. “There’s someone else.”

  “What?” I repeated the word in disbelief.

  “You got a guy on the side. That’s exactly what the fuck is going on! You’re stepping out behind my back, screwing some other guy.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it had taken him so long to figure it out. “How the hell could I have been so fucking blind!”

  “No, Kyle – it’s not like that!” It was such a crazy accusation that I didn’t even know how to begin defending myself.

  “Of course it is! One minute we’re happy, the next you’re talking about leaving. For what other fucking reason would you be pulling this bullshit if you didn’t have some other guy waiting for you?”

  The jealousy I’d seen so many times was rearing its vicious head. Kyle had always been paranoid about other men and me, though I’d never cheated in my life. But that didn’t put his mind at ease.

  He stepped toward me. Without thinking, I moved back until I hit the wall behind me.

  “You’re…you’re scaring me, Kyle.”

  He laughed, an ugly sound with no humor. “And now you’re playing innocent, acting like you’re some sweet, helpless girl who’d never do a thing like that. Total, total bullshit.”

  “There’s no other man,” I repeated. “There’s never been another man. You have to believe me.”

  Kyle scowled at me, madness gleaming in his eyes. He’d never laid a hand on me before, but at that moment, looking into his eyes, I understood he was capable of anything.

  Before I could react, he pulled his hand back and brought it toward me. I gasped as I heard a thud when he punched the wall to the side of my face.

  “You’re a fucking liar,” he growled, his face only inches from mine. “A liar and a slut. And I’m gonna tell you this right now, put it to you in words even you can understand – you’re not going anywhere, Sam. Because if I can’t have you, no one can.”

  I cowered, holding my hands up in front of my chest to ward him off, to keep him at bay. “Please…Kyle, you have to stop.”

  “Do you understand? If I can’t have you, no one can. It’s as simple as that.”

  I opened my eyes; he was still staring at me, his eyes narrowed into hateful slits. Then, his fist still against the wall, he pushed himself off and stormed away. I watched as he stomped into the kitchen, returning moments later with a bottle of whiskey. He pointed at me, fiercely glaring. “Remember what I said. You’d better be here when I get back.” He grabbed his keys, opened the door, and stormed out.

  I remained huddled in place for a long time before I was finally able to come to my senses enough to start moving. And when I did, only one thought was on my mind: it was time to leave.

  He hadn’t hit me, but he’d come close. Without a doubt, I knew it was only a matter of time before he finally crossed that line. I was not going to let that happen.

  I packed my things, knowing that when Kyle went on one of his benders, he wasn’t likely to come back any time soon. And I left. Packed what I could and got the hell out of there.

  I finally snapped out of the hideous reverie, shaking my head to rid my brain of the horrendous personal movie. Relief hit me as I realized I wasn’t in Portland, in the tiny apartment where I’d felt more like a prisoner than anything else. The cozy room at the ranch was a comfort, and I sagged as the tension left my body.

  My situation now was so much of a contrast to what it was like before that it still felt like a dream. I’d gone from shacking up with an abusive, controlling man to being surrounded by family and nature and everything else I’d gone without for so long.

  I glanced down at the stuffed panda. Without a second thought, I walked over to a small wastebasket under the room’s desk and dropped the toy inside, covering it with crumpled paper and other trash already there.

  I was done with my old life and ready for something new.

  Unpacking could wait, I decided. I stripped out of my clothes and stepped into the en suite bathroom. The room was spacious and clean, and a big smile formed on my face when I saw the shower was no ordinary one, but one of those double-headed showers that sprayed you from the front and behind.

  I turned on the shower, hot water spraying out with perfect pressure. Then I stepped in, letting out an “oh, hell yeah” as the water flowed over my muscles, massaging out all the tension.

  I was in total Heaven. I had time to kill, so I was in no rush. I enjoyed the first unrushed shower I’d taken since I’d left Portland and washing away the dirt and grime felt like washing away the memories of what I’d been through.

  But a thought hit me as I tried to relax. It was only a matter of time before Chance, or one of the other members of the family, asked me the truth about what I’d left behind. Chance had seemed satisfied with my answer of wanting to start fresh, which wasn’t a lie.

  Chance wasn’t stupid, however, and I was certain he’d try to get more details over time. I would have to tell him the total truth about why I’d left eventually. But how would he react? Would he think differently of me? My new situation at Rainbow Canyons was perfect, exactly what I needed. The idea of losing all that made my gut sink all the way to my feet.

  I put it out of my head because I didn’t want to ruin my relaxing shower. When I glanced down and saw that my fingers had turned pruny, I realized I’d totally lost track of time. With a quick twist of the nozzles, I turned off the shower and jumped out. As I dried, a knock resounded through the room. I checked my phone on the bathroom counter and saw it was almost time for breakfast. Another knock sounded.

  I threw a towel around my body and called out “one sec!” before stepping out of the bathroom. Just as I walked into the bedroom, the door opened. I turned, my eyes widening as I pulled a sharp gasp down into my lungs. My hand tried to close the door, causing the towel to fall from my body and onto the floor. I stood there naked as the day I was born, staring at Chance, whose expression was one of total surprise.

  “Shit!” I reached down and grabbed the towel, wrapping it aro
und my body.

  “Aw, hell,” Chance said, averting his eyes and putting his hand in front of his face. It would have been comical if I hadn’t been burning with embarrassment. “I thought you said come in.”

  “No-no-no,” I said, the words coming out in a panicked stammer. “I said one sec.”

  “Shit. Sorry about that. Just, ah, just wanted to let you know breakfast is almost ready.”

  “Oh! Okay, thanks.” I was still in a state of mild shock and wanted him to leave before I died of humiliation.

  “Anyway, I’ll, uh, let you get back to it.” Without another word, Chance shut the door and was gone.

  Holy shit. He’d misheard me, of that I had no doubt – it was a totally honest mistake. Chance didn’t remotely strike me as the kind of man who’d peek on women like that. But that didn’t change the fact that he’d seen me totally naked. And I wasn’t sure if I’d imagined it, but I could’ve sworn the faintest hint of a smile had appeared on his face before he checked himself.

  It was insane, but I had to admit that part of me was kind of turned on by it. Chance was gorgeous, easily the most attractive man I’d ever seen in my life. And he’d seen me nude, and he’d liked it. Can’t believe you’re thinking about that right now. My inner monologue spoke up, letting me know exactly what it thought of the matter.

  Nothing else to do, I finished drying off before throwing on some clothes and heading down for breakfast. The smell of eggs and bacon and sausage led me to the kitchen. When I walked in, I saw that the table was nearly empty. Mama G was there, along with Chance and Wyatt and Ellie. Seeing Chance made my face turn a hot, deep shade of red, and I quickly slid into the seat next to Ellie.

  “Mornin’!” Mama G said, chipper as ever. “Was just about to send someone to check up on you.”

  “Sleep alright?” Wyatt asked as he scooped a big mound of scrambled eggs onto his plate.

  “I did!” Ellie nearly shouted, offering a big smile with her words.

  “And I did too,” I said. “Should we wait for everyone else?”