Home on the Ranch

by Tanya Michaels

  “I meant, what are you doing here in Cupid’s Bow?” Layla stepped backward, her voice softer. She didn’t look thrilled to see him, but at least she was no longer glaring. “Last I heard, you were following some job lead to a ranch in Colorado.”

  Had he imagined that she was angry at his presence? Maybe she was just tense because of her brother’s injuries, and Jace had been wrong to take it personally. “The Colorado thing didn’t pan out.”

  Behind them, Quincy snorted. “You know how Jace is—always bouncing between jobs and opportunities.”

  “And women,” Jarrett added.

  Being friends with these guys was like being kicked by a mule. “Ha ha,” Jace drawled. “Y’all are hilarious.”

  Hugh exchanged a look with his brother. “Who was joking?”

  “I manage the tack-and-supply store now,” Jace told Layla. “I’m half owner and pretty serious about making my investment back.”

  “And women?” she asked, not quite meeting his gaze. “Is there one you’re serious ab—Never mind. None of my business.”

  “He just broke up with someone last month,” Quincy said.

  “I...” Jace wasn’t sure how much he wanted to explain about that. Or why he cared so much what Layla’s opinion would be. He hadn’t seen her in three years. And, if she didn’t make peace with her mother, it could easily be another three years before anyone in Cupid’s Bow saw her again. Still, he and Layla had been close once upon a time. He had a nostalgic urge to confide in her, to tell her what had happened with his last relationship.

  “You’re here!” Emerging from the doorway at the other side of the waiting room, Suzanne Dempsey broke into a jog, nearly tackling Layla in her excitement. “Come on back—Chris will be so happy to see you.” She cast a glance at the men standing around. “Y’all don’t mind waiting a little longer, do you? They discourage everyone from piling in at once.”

  “Hey, we’re here for you,” Jarrett said. “Want us to wait, we will. Want us to go out and grab you some nonhospital food for lunch, we’re on it.”

  Gratitude lit Suzanne’s face. “These guys have been the best,” she told Layla. “I don’t know what I would have done without them. You must have been the luckiest girl in all of Cupid’s Bow to grow up with so many honorary big brothers.”

  Layla’s gaze collided with Jace’s and her cheeks went bright red before she quickly looked away.

  The old guilt twisted in his chest. On that long-ago steamy July night, his actions toward her sure as hell hadn’t been brotherly. In the days afterward, he’d hated himself a little, feeling as if he’d betrayed his friendship to her as well as his friendship with Chris. If he and Chris had gone to the same college, Jace probably would have ended up admitting his sins in an ill-advised, beer-fueled confession. By the time Jace moved back to Cupid’s Bow, he hadn’t seen Layla in such a long time he could almost pretend that night had never happened. Almost.

  But now, with her standing only a few feet away, suppressed recollections flooded his senses. The smell of honeysuckle and the distant rumble of an approaching storm, the way Layla’s touches had been soft and tentative at first, at odds with the resolve in her voice. Then she’d grown bold, eager for him, and he’d lost his damned mind.

  What is wrong with you? Past mistakes aside, he had no business lusting after his best friend’s sister—especially not when said best friend was laid up in a hospital bed down the hall. Perhaps it would be best to avoid being alone with Layla while she was here in town.

  But could he avoid his own memories of the night they’d shared?

  * * *

  Layla followed her sister-in-law out of the waiting room, trying to keep her pace normal. She didn’t want to look as if she was fleeing...even though one smile from Jace had been enough to trigger her fight-or-flight response. Her heartbeat thundered so loudly in her ears that she only heard every third word Suzanne said.

  As Suzanne explained Chris’s current medical situation, they passed a nurse’s station where a blonde in scrubs was boxing up smiling plush jack-o-lanterns and a man on a ladder was removing cute ghost posters from the wall. November was a time for people to be thankful, to count their blessings; Layla’s outlook was bittersweet. She knew Chris’s injuries could have been worse—thank God they weren’t—but she hated that he and Suzanne were going through this mere months after Suzanne’s difficult pregnancy and the twins’ birth. Layla couldn’t imagine what the medical bills would be like.

  Suzanne pointed to a door on the left. “Here we are. He had a roommate, but Patrick checked out yesterday.”

  She was sure her brother was anxious to do the same. “When will Chris get to go home?”

  “The doctors are hoping for the day after tomorrow, but it’s too soon to tell.”

  From the slow way Suzanne said the words and the confused look on her face, Layla realized her sister-in-law must have already told her that.

  “Sorry. I was preoccupied. Worrying.”

  “I get it, trust me. The first time the doctors talked to me after surgery, it was just meaningless noise. If your mom hadn’t been there to ask the right questions and repeat the details for me later... Have you talked to her since you got to Cupid’s Bow?”

  Was Layla imagining the note of censure in Suzanne’s tone? “I texted her that Addie and I made it safely to town. I wanted to check on Chris as soon as possible. I’ll call Mom tonight.” And won’t that be fun? Trying to squelch her dread, Layla reached past her sister-in-law to open the door. “Hope you’re decent, bro! Womenfolk are entering the room.”

  Chris snorted. “Have you ever tried to be ‘decent’ in a hospital gown? It’s not possible.”

  The fact that he sounded like his usual self was the only thing that kept her from crying when she got her first look at him. Chris had always been her strong big brother. Now he was covered in bruises with a cast on his right leg, bandaging around his skull and two of his fingers taped together. The accident had only been a few days ago, but he’d already lost weight. His face looked too thin beneath the scruffy beginnings of a beard.

  “Hey,” he said impatiently. “I’m not dying. Quit looking at me like there should be a priest giving last rites.”

  Layla forced a smile. “Well, you can understand my confusion. You always told me you were invincible, unbreakable, a supergenius and pretty much the definition of perfection.”

  “Guess I forgot to tell the bull. Now come give your brother a hug—gently.”

  Blinking hard, she did as ordered. She hadn’t felt so nervous about accidentally hurting someone since she’d brought a newborn Addie home from the hospital.

  With his good hand, Chris patted her upper arm. “You see what I’m willing to go through just to get my only sibling to visit me?”

  Ouch. That statement hit home. Since Suzanne’s parents lived about twenty minutes from Layla, she’d benefitted from the times Chris visited his in-laws. But she almost never set foot in Cupid’s Bow.

  It was on the tip of her tongue to promise she’d do better in the future, but, frankly, now that she knew Jace Trent lived here again, she’d be a nervous wreck any time she was within the city limits. She’d almost hyperventilated when he spoke to her at Chris’s wedding reception, and that had been a mere three-minute encounter. She’d managed to mostly avoid him, a task made easier by his flirting with a hot bridesmaid.

  How long would she be able to avoid him while she was in town? He knew that she had a daughter, but what if he actually met Addie? He might ask Addie’s age. The math was fairly self-explanatory, unless he believed the lie she’d told her family.

  “Layla? Earth to my kid sister?”

  That got her attention. She rolled her eyes at Chris. “You’re only a year and a half older. And neither of us are kids anymore.”

  “Where’d your mind wander?” he asked. “I don’t think you hear
d a thing we said.”

  Suzanne frowned. “You zoned out earlier, too.”

  “I’m just tired. I’ll be better tomorrow after a good night’s rest.” Ha! As if she’d be able to sleep a wink tonight. “Is there anything I can bring you when I come back? Extra pillow? Candy bars? Dirty magazines like the ones you used to hide from Mom?”

  He looked sheepishly at his wife. “I was young and stupid then. You know I have the utmost respect for women.” To Layla, he said, “There is one thing I could use, since you’re offering. Be a dear and rob Cupid’s Bow First National Bank for me. I need a rental wheelchair and your nieces need college funds.”

  She pretended to think it over. “Our cousin is a teller there. I suppose Gena can get me the blueprints and guard schedule. But I’m only doing the robbery if I get to drop suspended from the ceiling Mission-Impossible-style,” Layla said. “It’s my chance to finally be cool.”

  “Hey, you’re related to me,” he said. “It doesn’t get any cooler than that.”

  “Oh yeah?” Layla smirked but lost track of what she’d been about to say when she noticed Suzanne’s pinched expression.

  Chris followed her gaze. “Honey, what is it? Because I made the joke about money?” He reached for his wife’s hand. “I was kidding—you know me. We’re going to be okay—I promise.”

  “Sure.” Her breath hitched, and she rubbed her knuckles under her eyes. “I—I know that.”

  “Come here. You and I are going to get through this.”

  Suzanne leaned down to hug him, burying her face in the crook of his neck, and he murmured low reassurances Layla couldn’t hear. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, moved by their obvious love for each other. They were a team, an unshakable unit. Layla was doing the best she could as a single parent, but there were nights she tossed and turned, wishing—

  No. This was not the time or place for self-pity. She was here to help Chris and Suzanne... If only she could figure out a tangible way to do that. She empathized with what Quincy had said. We all wish we could do more. Her brother had very loyal friends.

  Loyal, attractive cowboy friends.

  Layla suddenly smiled. I might just have an idea.

  Chapter 3

  “How much would I pay for a shirtless cowboy?” Gena repeated the question with some confusion as she stirred the spaghetti sauce.

  “Twelve cowboys!” Layla rubbed her hands together, enthusiasm a buzz in her system. “Or three of them, four times? I haven’t really done the math yet. Group shots? Six, twice each?”

  Gena darted a glance to where Addie was watching the opening credits of The Wizard of Oz in the next room, then lowered her voice. “Um...did you help yourself to some unauthorized meds at the hospital? You’re not making much sense.”

  Layla crossed the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water, trying to get her thoughts in order. “The toughest thing about seeing Chris in the hospital was feeling helpless. There’s so little I can do for them. And I know other people feel the same way. Jarrett Ross was in the waiting room with the Washington brothers. Everyone wants to help, but it’s not like any of us are swimming in millions. Then I remembered this charity calendar I did last year, photographing hunky local firefighters.”

  Gena sighed wistfully. “Your job is so much better than mine.”

  “They sold the calendars to raise money for the fire department. Why couldn’t we do something like that? I’ll do all the photography, and if we can get the printing donated, people will have plenty of time to buy calendars before the New Year.”

  “Your brother does have very attractive friends. Jarrett and Quincy and Jace and—”

  “Jace.” Layla’s stomach dropped. She’d been so excited about a possible way to help her brother’s family that she’d overlooked the obvious. Once she started asking for volunteers, Jace Trent would want to be involved; he’d been Chris’s best friend since grade school. The idea of working with him...seeing him without his shirt...touching him as she helped position him for the best light and framing... “I, uh, heard he’s busy as the co-owner of a store. Maybe he won’t have time?”

  “Are you kidding? For Chris, he’ll make the time. Besides, he might even agree to carry the calendars in the store, which would be a huge help. Cowboy calendars go right along with all the rodeo and equestrian gear he sells.”

  It would be helpful, having them stocked in an actual store. She hadn’t thought that far ahead yet, but local vendors seemed more effective than trying to sell calendars out of the trunk of her car. You can do this—for Chris. You’re a grown woman, and that night with Jace was a lifetime ago. It wasn’t as if she’d be bringing Addie to the photo shoots. “Well, it’s all a moot point until I figure out printing costs. If we can’t turn a significant profit, there’s no sense going through the trouble. And I want to give Hugh and Jarrett time to talk to their wives, make sure everyone is all right with the idea.”

  “Another reason why Jace is an ideal candidate. I hear he just broke up with his latest girlfriend. Good thing for Mrs. Trent that her other two sons are happily married, providing her grandkids to spare. That youngest of hers is never going to settle down.”

  A half-dozen questions about Jace’s personal life tumbled through Layla’s mind, but she refused to voice any of them. She had zero claim on Jace Trent. Her birthday wish the summer she’d turned seventeen was one night to remember him by. When she’d worked up the courage to make it happen weeks later, she’d told him she wanted a first time with someone she cared about, without strings. Without complications.

  In the living room, Addie cheered for Toto, and Layla’s heart twisted. Her night with Jace hadn’t been uncomplicated, but she would never be sorry. Blindly in love with the boy who’d been the bright spot of her life during her parents’ awful divorce, she’d wanted Jace to give her a few hours of pleasure. Instead, he’d unknowingly given her the gift of a lifetime.

  A gift he’s missing out on. She chewed the inside of her lip. Would telling him now do more harm than good? How would she even go about it? Would you like to see a picture of my daughter? Oh, by the way, she has your eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Gena asked. “You went from talking so fast I couldn’t follow what you were saying to eerily quiet.”

  “Just mulling over this calendar idea.”

  “Want to chop veggies for salad while you mull?”

  “Sure.”

  Layla was retrieving cucumbers and carrots from the fridge when the phone rang.

  Behind her, Gena answered with a hello and a pause. “Um, yeah. She’s right here. Layla, it’s for you.”

  Mom. Well, this had been inevitable. She might as well get it over with. Holding out her hand, she mouthed to Gena, “My mother?”

  “Much better.” Gena grinned. “Jace Trent.”

  Layla’s stomach churned like an entire line of tornados had just blown through her. She hoped Gena hadn’t gone to much trouble making the spaghetti; there was no way Layla would be able to eat. “H-hello?”

  “Hi, beautiful.” There was no flirtation in the word, just habit. Jace had called her that even when she’d been a frizzy-haired thirteen-year-old with braces. No wonder she’d gone all starry-eyed over him, daring to hope he might someday return her feelings.

  “Mama!” From the living room, Addie’s exasperated tone let her know that the “good part” of the movie had passed.

  Layla went cold in the irrational fear that Jace might somehow guess his paternity just by hearing his daughter’s voice in the distance. “Um, Jace, hold on.” She set the phone on the counter, glad for the moment’s reprieve to compose herself.

  Addie was glowering at the remote to the DVD player. Gena’s was a bit more high-tech than the one they had at home. “I don’t know these buttons. Can you restart it?”

  “S-sure, baby.”

  “Why do you sound like
that?”

  Layla wished she could ignore the question, but she knew from experience how persistent her daughter was. “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. Funny. Like when I played tag with Meredith and ran too fast and it made my tummy hurt.”

  “You are exactly right. I do have a stomachache.”

  “Are you gonna hafta drink the pink stuff? Yuck.”

  “I’m not sure yet. But I haven’t ruled it out.”

  Addie patted her hand sympathetically. “I love you, Mommy.”

  “Love you, too.” And unless she wanted her daughter’s already fragile world turned upside down, she would get back on that phone with Jace Trent and act like nothing was wrong.

  Layla wasn’t a deceptive person by nature—but for her daughter’s sake, she would stick by the lies she’d told. Even Jace’s closest friends described him as someone who quickly grew bored with a girlfriend or a career after a few weeks. Parenting was a lifelong commitment, one she’d assured him wasn’t a risk. Part of her naive seduction plan had included birth control pills, but she’d overlooked the necessity of taking them for seven days before trusting their effectiveness.

  She tried to sound casual when she greeted Jace again. “Sorry about that. Duty called.”

  “No problem. I can be patient.”

  Too bad. It would have been simpler if he’d hung up and gone away. “What can I do for you?”

  “Other way around. I wanted to do something for you. Chris said you probably won’t see your mom until tomorrow. I thought you might not want to face her alone. My mother loves any reason to throw a dinner. I could suggest she invite—”

  “Jace, that’s sweet.” She was moved by his unexpected thoughtfulness, but it shouldn’t come as such a surprise. He’d always been kinder than necessary to Chris’s tagalong little sister. “But I’m afraid we’d just end up causing a scene. Your family doesn’t need that.” She sure as hell couldn’t bring Addie to dinner with the people most likely to spot any childhood resemblance to a young Jace.