Red Hot Rancher

by Maureen Child

  “Turned around,” she said, perfectly in time with him.

  Irritated, he took another swig of beer. “Funny.”

  She laughed. “It’s what you always said.”

  “Not anymore. That almost never happens now. Besides, I’ve always found my way well enough. Seems to me you’re the one who’s been lost.”

  Just like that, her smile died and her eyes went cool. “I guess you’re right about that. I have felt lost for a long time.”

  “And now you’re back,” he said. “And you’re having all your questions answered... Now it’s my turn.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Before he could ask his question, someone pounded on the back door just before it swung open. A blast of cold air rushed into the kitchen, followed by Jack Franklin, who swept off his hat and slapped it against his thigh, sending a tiny blizzard of snow to the floor. “Sorry, boss.” He nodded. “Emma. Big storm blew in in the last half hour or so. Thought you’d want to know.”

  “How bad?” Caden was already up and moving.

  “Most of the horses are safe inside. A couple of the guys are bringing in the mares from the south pasture.”

  Nodding, Caden said, “Good. Send a couple more out to help. If the snow’s too bad, they’ll need it coming across the river.”

  “On it,” Jack said, turning for the door again.

  “I’ll be out there in five minutes.” He shot a look at Emma. “Make that ten.”

  “Right.” The door closed and Jack was gone. Emma got up, went to the window and stared past the darkened glass to the wall of white beyond. “How could we not notice what was happening?”

  He snorted. “We were busy.”

  “Yeah.” She threw him a quick look. “I’ve gotta get back.”

  “No way in hell, Emma.” He said it flatly, brooking no argument. “Not even you can navigate a road you can’t see.”

  “I know every bump in that road, Caden. I need to get home. Help Gracie. Check on Molly and Dad.”

  “Call ’em,” he ordered. “No point in you crashing or getting stuck. That won’t help your family any.”

  She really hated it when he was right. “Okay. I’ll stay. I’ll get coffee on and make soup or something for you and the guys.” He nodded, already heading out of the kitchen, stalking down the hall. Emma was right behind him. “Once I’ve got it going, I’ll come out and help in the stable.”

  He whirled around, looked down at her, then yanked her to him, planted a fast, hard kiss on her mouth, before letting her go. “All right.”

  Swaying a little, Emma stared after him as he took the stairs, then she fell into step. They had to get dressed and take care of business. Everything else would just have to wait.

  It only took a minute or two for Caden to dress and then he was gone. Emma picked up her cell phone and walked to the windows overlooking the front of the ranch and hit speed dial. Staring out at the swirling rush of white, she shook her head. Caden was right. Nobody should be driving in this.

  “Emma?” her father said when he answered. “You all right?”

  “Yeah, Dad. But it looks like I’m stuck here at Caden’s until the storm blows out.”

  “Good. I was worried you’d try the road. No need.”

  “But Molly...” Guilt. She’d brought the baby home with her and she should be there caring for Molly herself. She had never intended to hand off responsibility for her to the family.

  “Molly’s fine. We’ll keep her safe and warm. You do the same for yourself.” That was an order, too, not a request, and Emma realized she had a couple of men in her life who had no problem dishing out commands. And she had no problem arguing with them. When it made sense.

  “I will. Is Gracie okay?”

  “Got home just a while ago,” her father said. “She’s fine. Out in the barn helping the men bring in the horses.”

  “Okay, then.” Emma nodded to herself. Everyone was safe. That was the important part. “I’ll call again in the morning. But if you need me, call and I’ll find a way there.”

  “We’re fine,” her father said again. “You just sit tight and take care of you and Caden.”

  When he hung up, she looked down at the ranch yard and watched Caden and another of the cowboys getting a couple of horses moving to the stable. Even in the rush of snow, she had no trouble picking Caden out of a crowd. She never would. If her eyes couldn’t do it, her heart could.

  And now was a hell of a time to admit to herself that she was still in love with the cowboy of her dreams.

  Seven

  I’m home. Everything’s good. Emma’s staying at Caden’s till after the storm.

  Gracie hit Send and waited, hoping Madison would answer right away. When she did, Gracie smiled.

  Be careful. I’m fine, too. And I’m in for the night unless that cow has other ideas.

  Frowning, Gracie texted back.

  Let the cow handle her own problems. You’re not used to driving in snow like this.

  A moment later, Don’t worry so much.

  But Gracie was worried. She looked out the open stable door at the wall of icy white outside and shivered. This kind of storm could blow out in a couple hours or settle in for days. No one knew what would happen, not even the weather guy on TV who had predicted mostly cloudy skies today.

  “Gracie! Need some help over here!”

  She shoved her phone into her back pocket and rushed down the wide center aisle to the stall at the back. Her latest purchase, a gelding named Herman of all things, was refusing to go inside. So she’d take care of business, help her father with the baby and hope that Emma and Madison stayed safe.

  An hour later, she was in the house, looking for hot coffee, and found her dad in the kitchen with the baby.

  “Where’d you find the high chair?” Gracie asked, watching Molly slap both hands on the tray in front of her.

  “Up in the attic,” Frank said. “Your mom never threw out anything that her girls used.”

  True. Somewhere in that attic was every report card, every history paper and even a few stuffed animals that Gracie and Emma had outgrown. A swell of regret filled her when she looked at Molly and realized how much Gracie’s mom would have loved having a baby in the house again.

  Heck, she was enjoying it. Molly was happy, always smiling and seeing what a miracle the baby had brought to Gracie’s father was especially endearing.

  “I’ve got her tied into the chair,” Frank was saying. “She can’t really sit up well on her own yet, but that’ll come, won’t it, Nugget?” He tapped Molly’s nose with his index finger and the tiny girl laughed in delight.

  Gracie poured a cup of coffee and looked around the large, familiar kitchen. The walls were still a sunshine yellow because that was what her mom had loved. The cabinets were white and the oak floor was scarred, but shining clean. The old table under the window had been the spot that she and Emma had gravitated to after school, for cookies, milk and homework.

  “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?” Gracie dropped tiredly into a kitchen chair.

  “Having my granddaughter in the house?” Frank asked, obviously surprised at the question. “’Course I am. About time you girls started giving me grandkids to spoil.” He winked at Gracie. “It’ll be your turn soon.”

  She only frowned and looked down into her coffee to avoid meeting her father’s gaze. “Hard to do it on your own,” she muttered.

  “Oh, you’ll find someone when the time’s right.”

  She risked a glance at him and wondered what he’d say if she told him her secret. If she took the risk and let him know what she’d been hiding for too long. But how could she chance it? He was only now looking healthy again. For so long, he’d been sliding into a depression, and now that Emma and yes, Molly, had come home, he was like a new man.
Did she really have the right to throw something at him that might set him back again?

  “Everything all right, Gracie?” Frank sat down at the table opposite her. “Your face is telling me something’s on your mind.” His soft, understanding gaze was locked on her and she could only shift uncomfortably.

  She hated lying to her father, but she wasn’t ready to take a step from which there was no coming back.

  “Yeah, Dad. I’m fine.” Gracie forced a smile and made herself believe it. “I just needed some coffee, then I’m headed back out there. We’ve still got a few horses to bring in and I want to make sure they’ve all got fresh feed and water.”

  “All right.” He nodded and set a few slices of banana on the baby’s tray.

  Instantly, Molly’s little hands curled around them and smushed them completely. Then she licked the mess from her fingers, spreading it all across her face.

  “You’re happy, aren’t you?” Gracie whispered, looking from that sweet baby to her father.

  “’Course I am,” Frank said, reaching out to pat his youngest daughter’s hand. “I’ve got my girls and this little nugget. What more could a man ask for?”

  Nodding again, Gracie told herself she was doing the right thing by keeping quiet. Her secrets would have to stay buried deep—at least for now. She took a long drink of her coffee, then set the cup down. “I’d better get back.”

  “You tell the boys I’ve got some beef stew going. When they need it, just come on over and get it.”

  “Wondered what smelled so good,” she said, taking a deep breath of the wonderful, steamy air. “I’ll tell them.”

  And the men would be expecting it. At times when the whole crew was working nonstop, the big house always provided a hot meal and hot coffee to keep everyone going.

  “Tastes even better.” Frank winked and gave Molly more bananas to smush. “You come in to eat, too.”

  “I will.” She turned to leave, but paused for one more look at her father and the baby. It wasn’t fair, considering how hard she’d worked the past five years to keep this ranch alive, to keep her father going—that it was Emma and her daughter that had brought everyone back from the brink.

  But as that thought settled in, Gracie pushed it out again and remembered Mad telling her she was being bitter and deliberately clinging to her own anger. It didn’t really matter what had turned things around, did it? Wasn’t the important thing that her father was better? That the ranch had someone else now to help care for it?

  Some of the anger she’d been carrying around in her heart slowly drained away and it was simply amazing how much lighter she felt. Not that she was ready to throw her big sister a party or anything, but she was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. If Emma was here to stay, then Gracie would just try to be happy about it. And if her sister up and left again? Well then, she’d survive. As she had before.

  And with any luck, her father would continue to get stronger and someday soon, she could reveal her own secrets without risking the loss of those she loved.

  * * *

  For hours, Emma worked side by side with Caden and it was like old times only better. When they were younger, he’d had more of an I’m-in-charge-do-what-I-tell-you-to-do attitude. Naturally, she hadn’t paid any attention to that, so they’d butted heads more often than not. Now, though, things were more equal between them as they worked together to get the horses in and secure for the night.

  The storm kept raging and in just a couple of hours almost a foot of snow covered the ground. With the wind howling, Emma felt frozen to the bone. Cowboys took turns going into the kitchen in shifts for hot soup and coffee. By the time the work was done and everyone settled in for the night, she was exhausted.

  Emma was also proud. She’d stood her ground and proved that those years in Hollywood hadn’t changed the ranch girl inside. Spending time with the horses, calming them, feeding and watering them, had been nearly a spiritual experience. It brought back to her exactly what she’d figured out more than a year ago—this was where she belonged.

  Now if she could just convince Caden that she also belonged with him. But sex wasn’t commitment and when he looked at her, she could still see suspicion shining in his eyes. He was waiting for her to leave again. How long would it take to prove to him that she wasn’t going anywhere?

  With that depressing thought circling her mind, Emma stopped on her way to the house and though she was half-frozen, she paused long enough to enjoy what was happening. The air was silent and icy. The sky was obliterated in the wall of white rushing down. Snow settled on her eyelashes, her cheeks and her hair and she laughed with the glory of it. This was something she’d missed in California. The changing of seasons. The hush of winter snow. Now she was back and it felt right.

  “Are you crazy?”

  She turned to look at Caden and smiled. “Maybe, but this is beautiful.”

  “You’re beautiful,” he murmured and her eyes widened. Before she could enjoy it, though, he added, “And frozen. Come on.”

  He took her hand and pulled her toward the back door. They dumped their coats and hats in the mudroom, stomped the snow off their boots and brushed it off their jeans before walking into the warm kitchen. There was a stack of dirty bowls and utensils in the sink, melting, snowy footprints on the floor, and the scent of the beef soup still hung in the air.

  Shaking his head, Caden said, “We’ll worry about kitchen duty tomorrow.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she said, because honestly, even the thought of trying to clean up tonight made her want to lie down and weep. On the other hand, the thought of lying down with Caden, wrapping herself around him, made her feel downright perky. “You want more soup?”

  “No,” he said and went to the fridge for a beer. “You want one?” he asked. “Or wine?”

  “Wine. Definitely.” Emma sat down on one of the stools and watched him get their drinks. Working with him had been good. They’d reawakened the rhythm they used to have and made Emma think that maybe, even if they couldn’t go back, they could rebuild what they’d once had.

  He handed her the wine, then took a seat across from her and had a long pull of his beer. Shoving one hand through his hair, he said, “Thanks. For the help tonight and for the soup. The guys appreciated it.”

  “You’re welcome.” Well, weren’t they being polite? The camaraderie she’d felt earlier was quickly draining away and she didn’t know how to get it back.

  A second or two of silence passed with the two of them staring at each other across the center island. He was studying her, and the look in his eyes wasn’t what she’d hoped to see.

  “Had plenty of time to think tonight,” he said, his voice quiet, thoughtful, “while we were getting the horses tucked away.”

  “Yeah?” She felt as if she should be bracing for something, but how could she when she didn’t have a clue what it was he’d been thinking about? Was he going to tell her he didn’t want to see her again? Tell her he still loved her, but would never trust her? She had a stomach full of raucous butterflies inside her going absolutely nuts.

  “We’ve done a lot of talking since you’ve been here and that’s fine. But what I keep coming back to is one thing, Emma.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You left because you said you had to chase your dreams and that didn’t leave room for getting married or having a family.” He set his beer down on the countertop and idly twisted it in circles. “But when you come home you’ve got a baby. Now, what am I supposed to think about that?

  “Who’s Molly’s father? Who were you willing to have a family with, Emma?”

  “Caden—” Those butterflies in her stomach became dragons. She’d come home with a secret and he was asking her to share it. But if she wanted him to trust her again, didn’t she have to trust in him, too?

  “No stalling.” He shook his hea
d and locked his gaze on hers, making it impossible for her to look away. “I answered your questions earlier today,” he reminded her. “Now answer mine. Tell me about that baby.”

  In a way, she wasn’t surprised that he was asking about Molly. Emma had known when she came home that eventually she’d have to tell people the truth. Especially Caden. There was just no way the man she loved would calmly accept, without an explanation, that she’d left him only to have a child with someone else.

  But damn it, this had been a good day. She and Caden were, if not back together, at least not at open war with each other anymore. She didn’t want to lose that. But if she didn’t talk, wasn’t she risking losing him anyway?

  As soon as that thought scuttled through her mind, though, something else stood up, demanding to be recognized. Emma had to protect that baby no matter what. And if she were to open the box and let the secrets out, how could she keep Molly safe?

  Shaking her head, she said firmly, “I’m really sorry, Caden. Believe me, I am. But I can’t talk about Molly.”

  He scrubbed both hands over his face, inhaled sharply and stood up. Coming around the end of the counter, he loomed over her, and Emma had to tip her head back just to meet those glittering blue eyes of his.

  “Damn it, Emma. You owe me this. You left me, found yourself someone else and had his baby.”

  She could see the anger in his eyes, but beyond that, she saw hurt, and that she couldn’t stand.

  “Then you left him, too,” he continued. “So what the hell is going on with you? Enough secrets, Emma. Tell me.”

  She looked up into his eyes, firing with hurt and anger and frustration. His entire body was tense and his jaw muscles twitched he was grinding his teeth so hard. Her heart ached because she’d never meant to hurt Caden. She was just trying to do the right thing.

  “Stop thinking, Emma. Hell, I can almost hear your brain spinning.” He grabbed her shoulders and held on. “Just say it.”

  “Molly’s not mine.”

  * * *