“Damn, Miranda. This is gorgeous. I had no idea it was so big.”
Seeing it through Eason’s perspective made it even more spectacular than I’d remembered. It wasn’t Dallas, and we didn’t have the Ewing mansion, but we had a ranch that had been in the family for generations. The farmhouse was nothing short of Gone With the Wind, and every blade of grass and stalk of hay from here as far as the eye could see belonged to Jack Adams. My daddy’s land was the envy of cattle ranchers for miles, and there was a time it had been my paradise. The house and surrounding area seemed untouched, and for that, I was grateful, although, I knew devastation didn’t lie too far off.
“You can pull into the circle,” I said to the driver, who responded with a quick nod.
I didn’t recognize any of the trucks parked by the barn, and I hadn’t seen anyone near the house as we’d pulled in. It was late in the afternoon, and the likelihood that any of Daddy’s hands were still here was slim, especially without him around to guide the troops. I had to wonder how Sarah kept this place running with Daddy gone. I didn’t know how many acres had burned, but there could be a massive herd in a space way too small to contain and feed them.
The Hummer came to a stop. The driver opened my door first. Eason didn’t wait for him to come to the other side. He hopped out when I placed a precarious heel onto the gravel. I cursed myself for wearing such inappropriate footwear. Hell, my entire outfit screamed New York, not Mason Belle. I didn’t own anything that would even remotely fit in here anymore.
I dropped my sunglasses onto my nose to shield my eyes from the afternoon sun and took a step away from the car to face the house I’d grown up in. Someone had painted it since I’d last been here, although it was still the same pale yellow.
There was a new porch.
My rocking chairs were gone.
In their place sat benches that looked miserably uncomfortable. No woman in her right mind would care to sip tea and watch the sunset on those things. Then I remembered, there hadn’t been a woman living here since I’d left. The truth was, I wasn’t even certain how often Sarah came by. I bit my lip, letting my teeth sink in, to fight off the emotion that threatened to overtake me. I’d caused those changes. I had no right to cry over them.
The sound of boots on the gravel driveway should have alarmed me or, at the very least, gotten my attention. Instead, I watched Eason’s interest shift from talking to the driver unloading our bags to the person approaching.
“You folks lost?” Even though it was deeper, more mature, I’d recognize that voice anywhere.
I couldn’t bring myself to move. Suspended in time, my heels remained firmly planted right where I stood. My mind screamed for me to stop Eason. My heart let him go.
“Hey, man. I’m Eason McNabb.”
The sound of palms clasping together in what I could only assume was a friendly handshake made me jump…and I nearly fell over when my ankle rolled in my stilettos. As fast as it always was, Eason’s arm snaked around me. In one swift move, he spun me into his side to keep me from busting my tail in front of Austin Burin.
Mother Nature decided to give our reunion a moment of silence while I took in the boy I once knew and had always loved.
Except now, he was a man.
His sandy-blond hair hid beneath his ballcap, but even the bill couldn’t conceal the brown eyes I’d memorized as a child. His neck was thicker, as were his chest and arms; nevertheless, it was clearly Austin. My heart stalled, then sputtered, and finally returned to a rapid rhythm that flushed my skin with heat…or maybe that was just the Texas sun.
“Randi,” Austin deadpanned. Not quite the greeting I’d hoped for, yet better than the one I’d expected.
Swallowing proved especially tricky around the cotton in my mouth and the lump in my throat. Speaking was even worse. “It’s Miranda.”
“Of course, it is.” He didn’t hide his appraisal of Eason or the sneer that lifted the corner of his lip when his sight landed on Eason’s arm still cradling my waist.
All it took was four words from Austin, and I felt Eason tense. He was oblivious to who stood in front of us. He didn’t care. Gone was carefree Eason McNabb. The grip he had on my side indicated the vengeance he quietly threatened to unleash.
I didn’t have a clue what to say or how to start any type of exchange. I’d convinced myself I could avoid Austin whether I was here for two days or two months. Clearly, I was wrong. “I wasn’t expecting you here.” Well, duh.
Austin stuck his hands in his pockets, although he didn’t relax. “That makes two of us.” It was a warning, as if he had more right to be standing on my family’s property than I did. “What are you doing here?”
“Sarah called me.”
Eason’s talons hadn’t let loose. Taking his aggression out on me wasn’t fair, but if it kept him from lashing out at Austin, I’d take one for the team.
Austin scoffed. “From what I understand, she does that a lot. It hasn’t brought you running back. Why now?”
That was it. It wouldn’t have mattered if a herd of buffalo came charging down the driveway at eighty-four miles an hour. Eason McNabb wouldn’t let Jesus Christ himself talk to me in the manner that Austin Burin currently did. It wasn’t so much the actual words as the tone and sheer hatred that lined each snarly sentence.
“I’m sure you’ve heard about Miranda’s father.” Eason still didn’t have a clue this was Austin in front of us. If he had, he would know that Austin was the one who’d found Daddy. So when Austin pulled his hands from his pockets, crossed his arms over his chest, and rocked back on his feet, Eason took it as a challenge and finally let go to shield me.
“Eason—”
He glanced at me over his shoulder. “Miranda. Why don’t you go inside?”
“Don’t do this.” I managed to get the sentence out without my voice cracking, and I hoped he saw the plea in my eyes. “Please.”
“Does Sarah know you’re here?” Austin directed his question to me.
This was my battle to fight. I’d just hoped I’d have a little more time to prepare for it. As I stepped to Eason’s side and moved forward, I lifted my sunglasses to the top of my head. With one hand, I took Eason’s, and my other found his forearm. “Why don’t you take our bags inside, and let the driver go. There’s no need for everyone to witness this.”
Eason glanced between Austin and me several times. “You sure?”
It was a weak smile, but I managed it all the same. Eason kissed my temple and did as I asked. Even though I heard the door open and close, I was confident he wasn’t out of earshot. He’d figured out who this was, just not why the man was here.
I plucked the sunglasses from my head and folded the stems. Austin watched as I reached into my Gucci bag for the case and tucked them neatly inside. Once I returned the purse strap to my shoulder, I straightened my spine and dared to ask, “Why are you here, Austin? Why are you on my daddy’s ranch? And why were you in the pasture that night?” There was more bite in my tone than I had any right to unleash.
He was like a concrete wall. Not one word I said unnerved him or even caused him to flinch. Austin stood stoically. Then he licked his lips, drawing the bottom one between his teeth before releasing it. I’d seen him do it a thousand times to calm himself. The only difference was, every time I’d ever witnessed it, it had happened when he’d been protecting me. Something told me that wasn’t what was about to take place.
“You can’t really be that clueless.”
It was offensive, yet sadly, I was. I didn’t have any idea why he was here. “Apparently, I am.”
“Guess you changed more than your hair and your clothes since you’ve been gone.” He sneered as his gaze traveled from the top of my head to my toes. “It seems you’ve also forgotten where you came from.”
I pulled back, not certain what kind of insult he had thrown at me. “Pardon?”
“When things get tough in Mason Belle, the town comes together. They don’t run. I’ve
been here”—he pointed to the ground—“for six years. Every morning at five. Working the ranch when no one else could. The real question, Miranda, is why weren’t you here?”
Breaking down, confessing what had happened, none of that would do any good. Austin had formed his opinion a long time ago, and I hadn’t been around to shape those thoughts. Anger, resentment, and hurt were written all over the lines in his face and the tight purse of his lips. I’d bet every penny I had that if I got close enough, I’d see all the flecks of gold and strands of honey were gone from his irises, and his pupils would be mere pinpricks. When his nostrils flared a hint, I sealed my armor. “I’ll make sure to stay out of your way. We won’t be here long.”
Austin shook his head slowly. “Imagine that.”
4
Austin
Randi didn’t argue. She didn’t fight back. Any other time, she would have put me in my place. Reminded me of whose property I currently stood on. It wouldn’t have surprised me if she’d gotten in my face and barked at me. Instead, she let some man speak for her and then cowered.
I’d watched her sulk into the house, while I stood in the same spot, staring at the front door that she’d closed behind her. Nothing about her was right. Everything was wrong. Off. I could have dealt with that awful haircut and the uppity clothes. Hell, even I had to admit, the heels were hot. That was where the heat ended. The fire that had lit her up like the sun in high school had burned out. Her eyes were sad and lifeless, and it wasn’t just because of her dad. I didn’t have a clue where the girl I loved had gone, but she sure wasn’t the person who had walked inside that house.
A part of me wanted to march up the steps, fling the door open, and demand answers…right after I tossed that preppy, suit-wearing asshat out. I could admit he was a good-looking guy if a girl liked that type—Randi didn’t. I didn’t give a rat’s ass what she did to change her appearance or the reasons behind why she had done it—although, all fingers pointed to Eason. His name grated on me. It was too soft. Maybe if he added a T in the middle, it would toughen it up. Randi didn’t need soft. She’d never needed soft.
The longer I stood there, and the more I pondered it, the angrier I got. Yet, I couldn’t figure out who I was madder at, Sarah, Randi, or myself. Sarah could have given me a heads-up. Randi could have picked up a damn telephone once in six years. And I should have moved the hell on when I had realized she wasn’t coming home. None of those things had happened. Once again, Randi Adams wreaked havoc in Mason Belle, and she’d been here all of ten minutes.
“Austin?” Tommy called from the barn.
I finally dragged my stare away from the house. “Yeah?”
He brushed the dust off his jeans as he approached. “You need anything else?”
I needed a beer, or maybe even a shot of SoCo. “Nah. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Have a good night, man.”
Tipping my head in a quick gesture, I wished him the same without speaking. I wasn’t in the mood to be cordial, but my mama would hogtie and dangle me from a tree by my toes if I were rude unnecessarily.
Tommy clicked the alarm on his truck, and I shook my head, wondering who he imagined would break into it. Before he got in, he stopped. “Hey. Who was in that limo? Is Jack thinking of selling the place?”
Shit. It hadn’t occurred to me how Randi’s arrival would appear to the guys who hadn’t met her. I wasn’t certain which of the hired help were even aware Jack had another daughter. “No one important. And no, he’s not selling.” Hundreds of singed acres wouldn’t draw a terribly high bidder, anyhow.
Suddenly, Tommy removed his hat and waved his hand at something behind me. “Ma’am.”
I dropped my head, my chin nearly hitting my chest, and I prayed she hadn’t heard me say she wasn’t important. Not that I cared whether she believed I thought she was insignificant to the ranch because she was. It had run just fine in her absence. What I couldn’t handle would be her crying.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Tommy. Have a good night.”
Thankfully, he didn’t question me or try to interact further with Randi. He took the cue and got in his truck without another word. I, on the other hand, could feel her stare. Eighteen-year-old Randi would have stomped down those steps, sashayed right past me, and straight up to Tommy with her hand out to introduce herself. If Miranda had moved, she hadn’t made a sound.
I didn’t glance back. Instead, I marched to the barn, removed the saddle and reins from Nugget, and then spent the next hour brushing him out. He was a better listener than any human I knew. I also needed to prepare him. Unlike the people in my life who hadn’t bothered to let me in on the secret of her arrival, I couldn’t do that to Nugget. She’d come for him, and he needed to be ready. It was silly, and all I was doing was wasting time. The horse wasn’t going on a date. He wasn’t about to be showcased in a parade. Somehow, in my mind, the way I’d cared for her horse was as significant as how I would have cared for her…had she bothered to stick around.
By the time I exited the stall and then the barn, the sun had long since set. I hadn’t seen the house so lit up in years. There weren’t all that many lights on, yet somehow, it still seemed bright. Until a shadow moved on the porch. The man descending the steps of Jack’s house was shrouded in darkness, yet I didn’t have any difficulty identifying him.
I took a deep breath and let it out through my nose. It was probably better this happened now versus another time when other hands might see it.
“Hi.” The friendly tone I’d heard when he introduced himself was long gone. “Got a minute?”
I didn’t have the energy for whatever this was, so I leaned against the back of my truck and let Eason come to me. “Yeah.” If he wanted to talk, he could do the walking. He could scream across the driveway for all I cared.
He ran his hand through his hair, and I watched as it went right back to where it had been before he’d touched it. Clearly, he had something to say. However, I was struck by how pained he appeared to actually have to spit out the words. His entire demeanor was different than it had been with Randi around. Maybe it was the fact that he’d put on jeans and a T-shirt or perhaps not having her at his side weakened him—it sure as hell had me.
“I know you and Miranda have a past—”
“Randi.”
He wrinkled his brow and stared at me for a fraction of a second. “What?”
Crossing my ankles and my arms, I explained, “I don’t know Miranda. I have a history with Randi. They aren’t the same person.”
“Seriously?”
I wasn’t sure what had confused him. It seemed crystal clear to me. All I knew was that if this was going to turn into an all-night cockfight, I needed to eat first. My stomach growled, but I was fairly certain her boytoy thought it was me. “We don’t know the same person. That’s all I’m saying.” I kept my tone free of irritation and contempt. The faster I could get out of here, the better.
Eason cleared his throat and suddenly appeared uneasy, like he expected an argument. “This is really difficult for her.” He swiveled his head, looking around. At what, I wasn’t sure. It was dark as Egypt beyond the house. “She just wants to see her dad and try to get out unscathed.”
I pushed off the truck with one foot. “Look, I don’t know what she’s told you. Hell, you may have more insight than I do. Regardless, if she believed she could stroll into town and the Mason Belle Welcome Wagon would pull up with a basket of freshly baked cookies and bread, she’s got another thing coming. I’m not interested in making her time here difficult. In fact, I want to make it as easy as possible so she’ll leave sooner.”
“You don’t have to be like that, Austin.”
“No, I don’t have to be, but by God, I have every right to be. There’s a reason she hasn’t come home. Maybe you should ask her what it is.” I wasn’t interested in his reply, so I didn’t wait for it.
I hadn’t gotten three strides away when I felt him grab my bicep. “I get that
you’re hurt, man. Can’t you let bygones be bygones?”
I lowered my head, and subsequently my stare, to his fingers wrapped around my arm. When he released his hold, I didn’t answer his question. I warned him. “If you love her, I’d advise you to get her out as fast as you can. This town is going to eat her for lunch.”
* * *
Attempting to sleep was pointless. Every time my lids drifted shut, images of Randi popped into my head. Memories from years ago. Except it was the version of her I’d seen today, not the one who’d actually created the stories my mind held onto. No matter how hard I tried to push her from my thoughts, my resentment prevented me from letting her go.
A lack of rest on a cattle ranch was never a good thing, much less after the week we’d had. The work was physical, and the days were long. Add to that an ache of resentment that settled into my gut the second I pulled into Cross Acres, and I had been less than pleasant to the other guys all day. For the most part, they’d all given me a wide girth and let me be. They’d been around long enough to know not to ask questions. There was plenty to do without making conversation, so I kept my hands busy with it. I’d also managed to stay as far away from the farmhouse as possible since the first light had come on.
Maybe it was immature, and I should quite possibly figure out a way to make amends. However, the last thing I had any desire to do was extend an olive branch to the girl who’d broken my heart and ruined me without so much as looking back. Never in a million years had I imagined Randi would leave Mason Belle, much less under the cover of night without a word to anyone. But that one choice opened my eyes to what she was capable of. And so had her absence since. The best thing the two of us could do was stay far away from the other. It was clear she no longer belonged in Texas, and I would never belong anywhere else.
I’d been tortured by my thoughts all day. Luckily for me, Corey wasn’t much of a talker. It never bothered me, even though it made it difficult to bring him into the fold. Today, I was grateful he didn’t have a need to fill empty space with words. He tossed me a bottle of water as we both took a much-needed break. It had to be in the nineties, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, although the lingering smoke hadn’t burned off yet. After taking a long drink, I lifted my hat and poured the rest over my head. My shirt was already drenched in sweat. In this heat, the fabric under my arms stayed damp all afternoon. My sides were chaffed, which only added to my discomfort and irritation.
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