Western Spring Weddings

by Lynna Banning

  She blinked. Their lives had been entangled for years because of Brody and she doubted they would ever be totally free of each other. “Your ranch? How did that happen?”

  “He paid the back taxes while I was in prison.”

  Her father had omitted that small point when she had asked him about Gabe’s presence on the ranch. What else had been carefully omitted? “You never cared about your property before. You said it tied you down. You always wanted to escape.”

  He dropped his rag onto the bench. “That was a long time ago. People change. I changed.”

  “In prison?”

  “Before that. Prison made it clearer.” He closed the gap between them until he stood right in front of her. “My turn. What took you so long to come back, Riley?”

  His brown eyes drew her in and his deep voice could easily mesmerize her if she wasn’t careful. “It’s...complicated.”

  “I’ve got time.”

  She inhaled long and deep. She didn’t want to tell him that it was because of him, because he’d hurt her in turning his back on her when she needed him. “I suppose stubbornness more than anything. I liked Philadelphia and wanted to raise Brody there. I wanted to be near my mother and she didn’t want to come back.”

  “I remember her,” he said, his tone slightly hostile. “You loved this place. I never thought you’d leave for good.”

  She pressed her lips together. He had always been able to see through to her true thoughts.

  “It was nearly for good,” she whispered. She didn’t want to talk about herself. The topic could too easily come to questions about Brody, which she wasn’t prepared to answer. “What about you? How did you end up in jail?”

  He didn’t seem upset with her question. Slowly he turned away and hung the tack up on the wall hook. “I killed a man.”

  Even though she knew it, to have him say it so bluntly, so matter-of-factly, shocked her. “You always did have a temper.” It was the wrong thing to say.

  His lids shuttered down. He started looping up a rope, winding it methodically between his thumb and elbow.

  “I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just...that’s how I remember you—always with a chip on your shoulder, ready for another fight.” When he still didn’t speak she added, “There must be more to it.”

  A muscle worked in his jaw. “It was an accident.” He looped the coil over a stall post and turned to face her. “I was working at a ranch south of here. The owner got familiar with his kitchen help—a young girl he had hired for a party. After most of the guests had gone home, he cornered her in the pantry. I happened to be passing through the kitchen and stopped him—forcefully. During the fight he pulled his gun. It went off. In the end I was the one still standing and he was dead.”

  “You shouldn’t have been accused of murder.”

  “I wasn’t. It was manslaughter, but I was considered dangerous.”

  “Y-you are not dangerous.”

  The glint in his brown eyes darkened...nearly as black as his lashes. “I can be,” he said, his voice low and sure and steady.

  She swallowed.

  His gaze fell to her lips and then slowly raised again to her eyes.

  Her mouth went dry. Did he think to kiss her? Her knees went weak with the thought. She doubted that she could move if he acted on that impulse.

  Slowly he dragged a calloused finger down her cheek. It left a trail of fire in its wake. “I’m all grown up. I can be dangerous.”

  Her heart fluttered in her breast. “Gabe...” Was he playing with her? She thought to bolt—a silly aspiration considering she could barely breathe.

  A movement near the door made her jump away from him. Johnson stood there, a suspicious smirk on his face. He sauntered farther into the stable and looked from one to the other. “What’s going on here?”

  “Nothing, Mr. Johnson,” she said quickly. Her heart clattered inside her chest. What had just happened?

  “Is Coulter bothering you?”

  “No.” Her cheeks heated anyway.

  His gaze slid to Gabe. “That right?”

  “Would you believe what I said?” Gabe asked, a challenge coating his voice.

  Johnson snorted but didn’t answer. “That fence needs mending on the west corner. The bull made a mess of it. As soon as you are done cleaning things in here, see to it.” Johnson’s order hung in the air, a direct test of his authority over Gabe.

  Riley held her breath, wanting to escape from the tension in the stable and, even more, the sensations that Gabe had aroused. Gabe was upset at Johnson’s interference although he hid it well. She didn’t want Mr. Johnson imagining there was anything going on between the two of them. “Mr. Coulter, thank you for your help.”

  His eyes narrowed. They both knew he hadn’t helped her with anything.

  After a moment, Gabe turned away, took up a pitchfork and began clearing out the soiled straw in the next stall.

  Johnson opened the door wide for her and the outside air swept through the building. She walked out, letting that breeze cool off her heated skin. Behind her, the door closed with a decided jolt.

  Chapter Four

  Gabe sat down at the long bunkhouse table and grabbed a tortilla from the plate in front of him then ladled a scoop of scrambled eggs mixed with onions, peppers and salsa onto it for breakfast.

  It had been two days since he had cornered Riley in the stable. What had he been thinking to touch her like that? Even now, just the thought of her had heat shooting up his arm and to other parts of his body. She’d caught him off guard when she asked about his fall off the horse. How long had it been since someone was concerned about him? Worried about him? Just like that, the barriers he’d erected around his heart had fallen, and feelings he’d thought dead rose to the surface. Rawlins would fire him for sure if he found out Gabe still had feelings for his daughter—even as muddled as they were. If that happened, he’d lose any hope of getting his property back.

  Johnson had called her Miss that day. He’d noticed the way Johnson looked at her when he thought no one was around. Didn’t care for it. Whatever Riley’s story, she could have easily returned to the ranch with a made-up last name, saying her husband had died or left her. She didn’t. He respected her for that. She always had preferred honesty over lies.

  So where had Brody come from?

  After the men finished their breakfast and left the table, Johnson approached. “Senor Padilla is coming today. Rawlins expects you to show off that stallion.”

  Gabe had hoped to get away from the ranch for a few days. Rounding up the young spring calves with the rest of the ranch hands sounded a lot easier than dodging Riley. He felt smothered...working and living so close to the woman he couldn’t forget. He had only been half teasing when he’d told her he was dangerous. A hard ride, a night or two under the stars, would help ease the tension building inside. “Any one of the men can show that horse.”

  “Rawlins must think you get along poorly with the others. Besides, rounding up calves requires skill.”

  Gabe grit his teeth.

  “Looks like you are going to miss all the fun,” Johnson said with a smirk. “But then maybe it is more fun for you here with Miss Rawlins.”

  “I’m here for a paycheck. That’s all.”

  “Better not forget she’s the boss’s daughter then.” With that, Johnson strode out of the bunkhouse and toward the stable.

  Gabe swallowed and rose from the table. Johnson’s digs were getting deeper and more frequent. He could ignore them when they focused on him, but his temper flared every time Riley’s name came up.

  He headed to the stable to curry the big stallion and ready him for showing. The other ranch hands were there, saddling their horses and preparing to head out for the roundup. They bantered back and forth until they final
ly mounted and rode out in a noisy group.

  The sudden quiet in the barn made him restless, and he led the stallion out to the corral to finish the job. The morning sun felt warm on his shoulders. A light breeze blew through the oaks that shaded the house and carried the scent of flowers from the fields beyond the ranch. Blue sky surrounded him and as he worked the thoughts troubling him eased.

  The front door of the ranch house opened and Rawlins stepped out. He glanced at Gabe, looked down the road and then reentered the house. Guess he was anxious to get the situation with Padilla finalized. Or...he was keeping an eye on Gabe as Johnson had mentioned.

  Gabe saddled the horse and mounted. He started working the stallion, loosening him up for his showing.

  Raised voices erupted from inside the house. Suddenly Brody slammed out, leaving the door wide-open. He dashed down the lane, in a flat-out run.

  Riley rushed out onto the porch after him and stopped, an exasperated expression on her face when she saw that he was already too far away for her to catch. She was dressed to go riding today—maybe hoping to teach her son a thing or two about horses. She wore a moss-green split skirt with a cream-colored shirtwaist and had her blond hair in a thick loose braid down her back.

  What was going on wasn’t any of his business, but he kept an eye on Brody. The kid was fast and showed no signs of tiring or slowing. He disappeared from sight around the bend, not winded in the slightest.

  Riley turned back to the house, her shoulders slumping in defeat. That...he didn’t like. Before entering the house, she stopped and leaned one hand on the door frame. Her shoulders heaved as though she were taking huge controlling breaths. What the heck was going on?

  Had Rawlins said something that upset Brody?

  About that time, Senor Padilla and two of his cowboys came into view on the lane, riding their horses toward the ranch. Gabe dismounted and strode up to the house. When Riley noticed him approaching she quickly scooted inside.

  He knocked on the open door but didn’t enter. “Rawlins?” he called. “Senor Padilla is coming up the lane.”

  “See to the stallion. I’ll be out.” The gruff voice came from the study.

  Gabe turned to do as he was asked and spotted Riley standing behind the door. Silvery trails streaked down her cheeks from watery light green eyes. The urge to reach out and hold her...try to comfort her...came over him, but then he remembered Johnson’s words. She was the boss’s daughter. And there was too much muddy water between them.

  She sniffed and straightened her shoulders. “Would you please point out a gentle horse for me to ride? I can saddle it.”

  “I’ll go after Brody, if you want.”

  She shook her head. “You need to be here for my father. I’ll take care of my son.”

  “He just needs to work through whatever is bothering him.” Although Gabe didn’t know what had upset Brody, he spoke from experience. He had run miles after his father had died from that cougar attack. It was the only thing that had made him too exhausted to think or feel when the pain would overtake him.

  She met his gaze, her own filled with anxiety. “Anything could happen to him. He doesn’t know the country. He could get lost.”

  He wanted to ask...was burning to ask if Brody was his son...but now didn’t seem like the right time. Not with Padilla tying up his horse at the corral. Not with Rawlins striding from his study. He looked into her pretty eyes, her dark lashes were spiked and wet from her tears. He didn’t like the idea of her going alone. “Farthest stall. A pinto. Gracie.”

  “Thank you.” She rushed outside toward the stable while Gabe followed, striding to the corral.

  He was putting the stallion through its paces for Senor Padilla, when Riley rode off. Rawlins noticed her departure and his jaw tightened with disapproval...or possibly worry. Why didn’t the man do something? Instead of excusing himself to go after her, Rawlins started to negotiate with Padilla.

  Gabe frowned. Riley didn’t have a gun with her. Nothing to protect her. He brought the stallion to a stop.

  Rawlins continued his bartering.

  Gabe had had enough. He jumped down and tossed the reins to one of Padilla’s men. Rawlins stopped talking and narrowed his gaze on Gabe. Too bad. Gabe wasn’t about to ask permission to go after Riley and Brody, but he was going to go.

  He ran into the stable and saddled the palomino. The horse was larger than the rest and therefore a bit slow at cutting out calves, but perfect for any other riding. He urged the horse into a gallop and raced down the lane after Riley. At the main route he checked for tracks in the dirt, spotted them and headed toward the high ridge.

  By now Riley could have caught up with her son. His dashing after the two of them might be a rash, unnecessary waste of time. But if that were the case, they would have turned back and he would see them coming down the road. Gabe was half-angry at himself for caring about either one of them. But the fact was...he did. Why was it that girl...that woman...could be gone for fourteen years, be back only four days, and already he wanted to protect her as if she’d never left.

  Even when she was little it had been that way. She had always tried to prove that she was as fast, as smart and as tough as the other kids. Often it ended with her in a pickle. This—his going after her again—only proved what he’d always suspected. He had never gotten over her. She’d captured his heart all those years ago and no woman had ever taken her place. Years ago he’d had the audacity to hope he might win her only to be brutally reminded of his shortcomings by her father. Now—an ex-convict—he no longer hoped. He knew that he didn’t deserve her.

  Three miles farther and something white flashed in the distance. A little closer and he realized it was the pinto tied to a bush at the side of the road. There was no sign of Riley or Brody.

  “Riley?” he called.

  “Up here!”

  Her voice came from a cluster of boulders halfway up the steep hillside. The leaves and branches of a large spreading oak dappled sunlight over the area leaving half in shade while the rest baked in bright light. He didn’t see her or any sign of the boy.

  He dismounted, tied the palomino next to the mare and started climbing. He skirted a large manzanita bush and continued up the grade, grabbing small clumps of grass for balance on the way up. He stopped at the base of the first large boulder, which was taller than him, noticed evidence of crushed grass and brush, and followed the markings around to the higher side of the hill where he spotted Riley.

  In her haste to chase after her son her new hat had fallen to her back, held there by the leather chin cord. A few golden strands of hair, loose from her long braid, now whipped across her face. Her skin was slightly pink from the heat and exertion of her climb. She let out a relieved sigh when she saw him...which made him feel stronger inside just like it had all those years ago. She pointed to the boulders. “He’s in there. I...can’t climb it.”

  He turned and studied the boulders, looking for a toehold. “Come on out, Brody.”

  “Go away!”

  “You won’t like it if I come in there after you.”

  “What’s it to you? You’re just a hired hand.”

  Gabe had never talked much to kids but he remembered something of being that age. “You are worrying your ma.”

  “She always worries.”

  He turned at that and raised a brow at Riley. “Well, I don’t like it.”

  “Think I care about that?”

  While Brody talked, Gabe circled around and found a high pocket in one boulder and hauled himself up. From the top, he saw that the stones were shaped in such a way as to create a fort. An open area of dirt in the center made a perfect lair for just about any type of animal. Brody stood to the far side, watching him.

  Gabe jumped to the ground.

  The boy crouched, ready to fight.

&nbs
p; “What’s this all about?”

  “I ain’t going back to school. I don’t like those kids.”

  “It’s always tough at first, especially for the new kid. It’ll get easier.”

  “I don’t need schoolin’. I’m old enough to learn at the ranch.”

  “Guess you are mite big for her to force. Your ma just wants you to be smarter than her. Smarter than your grandad. Likely you’ll be running the ranch one day and you will need to know things.”

  Brody’s belligerent expression didn’t change.

  Gabe surveyed the enclosure. Not a bad hiding place. Good thing Riley had spotted him heading for it or they might never have found the boy.

  “About this time of day, the rocks are nice and warm and rattlers like to sun themselves. I don’t suppose you checked the area or have a plan if you happen upon one.”

  At that Brody glanced nervously about. “You are just trying to scare me.”

  Gabe would have grinned but for the fact he was telling the truth. The boy needed to learn a few things about life in the country before running off. “Trying to smarten you up. Now, whatever is going on at school, I do know the time comes to face things. I had to in prison. Seems like learning to now, for you, would make a whole lot more sense.” Gabe heard the words, recognized them for ones his father had handed down to him when he was young...except for the part about prison. He hoped Brody did a better job of listening to them than he had.

  “So they were right. The kids at school said you just got out of prison.”

  “Yep.” He didn’t like the fact that people were talking about him in Santa Ysabel. Seemed he might never live down his past and there was nothing he could do about it.

  He focused on Brody. His prison record should make the boy leery of him. Didn’t seem to be the case. “You ready to go back now?”

  Brody lifted his chin. “Try and make me.”

  So much for reasoning with him.