A Lot Like You

by Lane, Soraya

  She pushed her phone back into her pocket, determined to deal with the situation on her own, allowed herself a few deep breaths as she wiped beneath her eyes to remove any trace of her tears, and forced her feet to move. She had a job to do. A job she loved. She had a son to care for. A son she loved. That’s all she needed.

  Hope walked through the barn and emerged into the bright sunshine, tilting her face back to let the heat wash over her. Being in Texas and reconnecting with Chase could have been amazing. Instead it had only made her heart break all over again.

  Her phone rang and she yanked it out, eyes still shut as she answered.

  “Hope?”

  The gruff, deep voice on the other end shocked her eyes into popping straight back open. Chase?

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  “We have a problem. Meet me in the office.”

  Chase hung up before she could answer, leaving her to square her shoulders and make her way back to the main building. Whatever it was must be urgent, because she was certain she was the last person he had any intention of talking to ever again. Although, personal feelings aside, he still had a business to run, and she doubted the King empire would ever grind to a halt. Not for anything. Nate would never drop the ball when it came to ruthlessly acquiring property and balancing the books, and Chase would be riding his land and breeding top-quality cattle till his last breath, of that she was certain.

  * * *

  “Chase?” Hope called out, still uncertain about coming face-to-face with him after what had happened between them. His words still echoed through her mind, the feel of his anger, almost tangible, like a metallic taste in her mouth she couldn’t get rid of. It was even worse because she was starting to second-guess what she’d done all over again.

  “In here.”

  She followed his voice and found him with his arms spread, palms planted on the table in front of him.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Look,” he said, voice so low that it sounded even deeper now than it had earlier.

  Hope followed his gaze and saw two canisters lying on the ground. Shit. Any other time it might have been amusing to see the ground covered in sticky cow semen, except for the fact that each canister had cost King Ranch a small fortune. And it was the same semen she was preparing to inseminate his cows with. Now.

  “Who did this?”

  “Fucked if I know,” Chase muttered, standing up to his full height and raking his hands through his hair. Now that he wore it longer she noticed that he did that a lot, especially when he was stressed about something. “But when I find the son of a bitch I’m gonna kill him.”

  Hope took a deep, shuddering breath. The look in his eyes was wild, the menacing way he was staring at the turned-over canisters enough to tell her that he might just do exactly that when he found the culprit. Chase was big by any standards, his shoulders wide, biceps thick; there was no man alive who’d want Chase pissed with him. And the fact that she’d already infuriated him meant he wasn’t in a mood to be crossed.

  “Let’s be practical here,” she said, stepping closer and seeing that each cane of semen had been smashed so that there was nothing usable left. Not that she’d be able to use something that had been compromised anyway, but she was frantically trying to figure out how to salvage the situation. “Who would even want to do this to you?”

  Chase smacked his fist against the table, then folded his arms, walking toward the open door and staring out in the distance. She had the distinct feeling of being a caged animal, ready to bolt through the door the instant she felt trapped. Only right now his anger wasn’t directed at her, which meant she was safe. Temporarily.

  “We’ve employed the same guys for years here, and hardly any of them even know what we’re doing, or how goddamn valuable the canisters even were.”

  Hope shut her eyes, played back all the workers she’d met so far on the ranch. His brothers? No chance. They might like to play jokes and give each other shit, but they wouldn’t compromise something so important, not to mention valuable. When she opened her eyes, she cringed before speaking her mind.

  “I know you trust him, but have you ever considered your foreman?”

  Chase turned around, laughter dancing in his gaze. “Randy? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Sometimes it’s the ones we least expect,” she muttered. “Who else knows?”

  Chase raised an eyebrow, his mouth turning downward into a frown. She knew exactly what he was thinking—that maybe he had no idea who to trust anymore. “I trust Randy. Believe me when I say it wasn’t him.” His laugh was hollow. “Although I would have said you’d have my back, and I couldn’t have been further from the truth.”

  “Look,” she said, folding her arms, “who did this doesn’t matter right now, Chase, what matters is what we do next. We have a limited window that we need to use to our advantage, so the next few hours are crucial. Agreed?”

  Chase grunted. “You stored the other canisters at the lab at your work?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “I tested one straw out of each canister in the lab, so we still have enough to proceed with a smaller herd of heifers.” Hope found herself nodding, calculating. “It’s better than nothing, and if I leave now I can be back without us losing any time.”

  He turned away again, but his body was rigid, the muscles of his arms visible as he folded his arms tight across his chest again. Her fingers itched to touch him, to comfort him, wanting to feel her skin against his and go back in time. She should never have told him the truth. Or maybe she should never have hidden it from him in the first place.

  She took a few steps closer to him, near enough to inhale the faint tanginess of his cologne, her hands at her sides. They hovered, then she dropped them, knowing the last thing he would want was her touching him now.

  “Are you going to contact anyone from law enforcement?”

  He grunted. “And tell them some semen from King Ranch has been tampered with? They’d think that was damn funny, I’m sure.”

  “It’s a valuable product,” she affirmed.

  “I’m going to go tell Nate, let him and Ryder know what’s going on,” Chase said, heading out the door. “I’ll call in law enforcement if and when we need it, but we have our own way of dealing with assholes who mess with our stuff, if you get my drift.”

  “Chase…” she began, not sure exactly how to say what she wanted to tell him, or whether she should be scared of him, too.

  He paused and half turned back toward her. “Don’t,” he said. “We talk business and that’s it. Got it?” He ran his fingers hard through his hair again. “As far as I’m concerned, once this is done, we’re through.”

  “I’ll take Harrison now.”

  “No, you won’t. He can stay here.”

  Hope raised her chin, stared him in the eye. “He’s my son, Chase. I’ll leave him here to keep playing, but don’t go telling me what to do.”

  They stared at one another, neither giving in. “Just leave him here and come back when you have the straws.”

  She nodded, bottom lip snapped firmly beneath her teeth. She got it loud and clear. Trouble was, if she knew Chase, then she knew he wasn’t going to just forget what she’d told him. He had a son, and there was no way in hell he was okay with having a child out there who didn’t know the truth about his dad.

  She watched him walk away from her for the third time that day. Chase King had broken her heart into a million pieces five years ago without even knowing it, and it was starting to splinter all over again right now. She didn’t blame him—he’d had no idea that she’d fallen pregnant, so it wasn’t like it was his fault—but still. There had only ever been one man capable of truly hurting her, because she never let anyone else close. Her husband had stung her financially, but he hadn’t been even close to shattering her heart.

  Hope grabbed her phone and speed-dialed work, walking briskly back toward her vehicle. It was a Sunday, but she knew the place wouldn’
t be empty and her call would be redirected to the after-hours mobile.

  “Hey, it’s me,” she said when Kate, one of the other vets, answered the phone.

  They chatted for a second, laughing about something Kate’s new dog had done, before Kate got around to asking her what she’d phoned in for. They’d both been involved in all the lab work this week, so Hope knew she’d be able to help.

  “I need you to check on something for me, just for peace of mind,” Hope said, speaking more quietly when she spied Chase’s foreman tying up a horse near her vehicle. She lowered her voice again. “Just a second, Kate.”

  Hope waved to Randy and smiled, jumping behind the wheel of her truck before continuing her conversation. As far as she was aware, the only two people on this ranch who knew about the additional canisters were her and Chase, and that’s the way she wanted it to stay. Chase might trust his second-in-command, but she wasn’t convinced.

  “I have two canisters stored in the lab,” she told Kate as she started the ignition. “They’re both clearly labeled King Ranch, and I need you to do a quick check to make sure they haven’t been tampered with in any way. I’ll be back within the hour, but it’s kind of urgent. Can you call me back as soon as you can?”

  She said goodbye and drove slowly past the main homestead, admiring the immaculate post-and-rail fencing and a herd of mares with foals grazing together. She’d had a ranch not so different from this back home, a ranch that she’d always dreamed of owning, and of raising her own children in the home and on the land where she’d grown up. Now she’d lost it all—she was more in debt than flush with money, a single mom to a gorgeous son. And her son could have had all this. If only she’d stayed in Texas, things might have turned out differently. Maybe her family ranch would still be hers, too.

  She shook her head and reached forward to crank up the music, looking straight ahead instead of reminiscing about the scenery. What ifs were dangerous thoughts, she knew that better than anyone.

  Nate was looking after Harrison, and she owed it to the whole King family to do what she could. Their empire was the biggest in Texas, but she wanted no part in them sustaining any kind of financial hit, not if she could help it. The stakes were too high, and the sooner she could walk away, the better.

  * * *

  Chase stormed into the house, searching for Nate. He couldn’t find him. His hands were clenched into tight balls, desperate to punch something, anything, but he fought to keep his cool.

  “Nate!” he called.

  He took a look outside and spotted him, with Ryder and Chloe, by the little corrals they’d used when they were kids. He jogged straight down to them, stopping before he got too close. Harrison was sitting up on their old pony, Whiskey, a grin on the boy’s face so wide Chase was certain he’d see all his teeth if he was in the corral with him. Damn it! Nate was supposed to have waited for him to get back.

  “Nate!” he called, not wanting to think about Harrison yet. He had to figure out what the hell had happened under their noses first, right here on King Ranch. “Ryder!” They both looked up and he waved them over, yelling out, “Chloe, can you look after the little fella a bit longer? His mom will be back soon and I need these two for a sec.”

  She waved, smiling as she passed Ryder, kissing him before trading places and ducking through the railings so she was in the corral with Harrison. Chase could have stared at Harrison all day. He’d been so goddamn stupid. How the hell could he not have seen the similarities himself and worked out the time line?

  “What’s so urgent?” Ryder asked.

  Chase frowned and dug his toe into the dirt. “Some asshole stole from us.”

  Nate’s face was like a thundercloud, his dark brown eyes turning a stormy shade of black. “Stole what?”

  “The imported semen. It’s all gone, fucking dumped on the floor.”

  “That’s half a million dollars worth,” Nate growled.

  “Someone did this, on our land?” Ryder was shaking his head, hands fisted tighter than Chase’s. “Who the hell would have the goddamn balls to walk in here and do that?”

  Chase shook his head. “No idea. Hope had some stored at the lab in town, so it’s not a completely lost cause yet. We’re gonna make each one count.”

  Nate’s arms were folded tight as he leaned closer, like he was trying to keep their conversation confidential even though there was no one within miles who could eavesdrop. “When we find the motherfucker who did this, there’ll be no holding back. You two hear me?”

  “Damn right,” Chase muttered at the same time as his younger brother.

  They all stood, silent, the only noise Harrison’s laughter from the corral. Chase couldn’t help it, couldn’t fight the pull to look at the boy and watch his every move.

  “Cute kid,” Nate said with a chuckle.

  Chase cleared his throat, pushed his hands into his pockets. “About what you said earlier.”

  Nate laughed and slapped him on the back. “I was just messing with you. I should have kept my big mouth shut. You know how I get.”

  Chase blew out a breath. “You were right.”

  “What?”

  “Sorry, can you guys fill me in on whatever the hell you’re talking about?” Ryder asked.

  Nate looked pissed when he moved to stand in front of Chase, forcing him to drag his gaze away from Harrison. “You’re telling me that Harrison—” He paused, looking over his shoulder and hooking his thumb in the direction of the corral. “Is your son?”

  “What the hell?” Ryder’s eyes widened when Chase glanced at him.

  “Yep. It seems that the one that got away was pregnant when she disappeared.” Chase almost laughed, it sounded so insane. “So do I tell her to leave and take the kid, or do I man up and do the right thing?” He was talking like an asshole but the truth was the boy was his and there was no way he was going to let her go away, let alone tell her to.

  Nate moved back to stand beside him. They were all staring at Harrison again.

  “You know what you’ve got to do.”

  “About Hope?” Chase doubted he’d ever be able to forgive her, not after what she’d done.

  “No, about the child,” Nate said. “What you decide about Hope is your business, but if this boy is yours? Then he’s a King, and there’s no way he’s not gonna be a part of our lives. He’s staying in Texas and that’s the end of it.”

  Chase knew his brother was right. He just had to deal with one thing at a time, and right now that thing was catching out the asshole who’d stolen from them.

  Chapter 13

  Hope watched the last cow walk out of the crush. Everything had gone completely to plan, except for the volume of inseminations. The herd was settled and relaxed, they’d happily munched on hay, moved through while she’d worked on them, and now she was standing alone as they started to graze in the small adjoining field.

  She rolled her shoulders as she stretched her neck out, yanking out her ponytail. There had been plenty of times in the past couple of months that she’d felt alone, but none so acutely as right now. Chase was nowhere to be seen, and she was preparing to head over to the house to collect Harrison. She just needed a few moments to herself to think, to try to figure out a plan. Being in Texas was great for now, it gave her the chance to earn enough money to build up her finances again, but staying wasn’t her long-term plan. She wanted to go back to Canada when she could, once she could take out a big-enough loan to try to buy her ranch back.

  “Hi, Hope.”

  She turned around and found Randy walking over, his gaze trained on the heifers. A couple of younger ranch hands who’d been with him disappeared into a barn, and she wished she wasn’t alone with the man she suspected.

  “Hey. How you doing?”

  He nodded, thumbs looped into his belt as he came closer. “Not bad,” he replied. “You been doing inseminations?”

  Hope didn’t care what Chase said; there was something about Randy that told her not to trust hi
m as far as she could kick him.

  “We’ve done some of the herd,” she said, not sure whether she should elaborate or not. “Everything went pretty smoothly.”

  “Huh.” Randy stared at her, too long for her liking, before turning his attention back to the livestock. “When Nate said the canisters had been tampered with I thought this’d all have to be put on the back burner.”

  Hope wanted to extract herself from the conversation. And fast. “Hey, it was great seeing you, but I’m beat,” she said, holding up her hand to stifle a very real yawn. She was exhausted, her body weary from working and her eyes burning from the tears she’d shed earlier. Not to mention she just needed some time alone, away from anything to do with the King family or ranch, to just figure everything out. “I’ll catch you when I’m back tomorrow.”

  Randy nodded and she left him standing there, one leg hitched on the fence rail. “See you later.”

  Hope collected up her things and went back to her vehicle, systematically putting everything in place and then jumping behind the wheel. She would usually have just walked over to the house, but she wanted to get Harrison and go.

  As she was pulling away she saw Chase. He was standing by the barn, a solemn expression on his face as he stared in her direction. Tears burned like acid against her eyeballs, but she swallowed hard, pushed them away. No more tears. She’d promised herself that the day Harrison had been born, and the last thing she needed was to go back on her word now.