by Geri Foster
Aaron watched as the fancy Dallas attorney picked up his briefcase and marched out the door. He felt perhaps his last chance for freedom had just abandoned him and fear set in, feeding his anger.
“This is so unfair,” he gritted out in a low voice. “I want them to pay for making me suffer like this.”
His dad waved his hand. “Don’t go getting any crazy ideas. We both know if anything happened to the girl, you’d be the main suspect. And you’d better think long and hard before going after an FBI agent. That’ll get you locked up in a federal prison right alongside Bobby Joe Cochran.”
“This whole business pisses me off. I only went there to tell her to call off Quinn. I didn’t intend to hurt her.”
“According to almost every citizen of Rainwater you hurt her every time you walk in that diner. You and that bunch of thugs you hired to work the ranch are nothing but trouble. I’d thought by now that gal would be out of your system and you’d move on. I’m beginning to think you really love her.” He sneered on the word love. “Pathetic.”
He snarled and glared at his dad. “Didn’t you teach me not to love anyone? I heard it all my life—do what’s best for the family, no matter what that is. And after mom left? Love leads to pain and disappointment, isn’t that right? Weren’t those your favorite words? Must be stuck in my head because I heard them every day. You should be really proud of me because I’m just like you now. Cold hearted and alone.” He dropped down on the bunk. “Go home. There’s nothing here for you.”
Without a word, his dad disappeared through the door. Huffing out a breath, he got up and cleaned up the mess he’d made with the food. He might as well if Deputy David saw it, he’d have him on his hands and knees scrubbing the whole jail.
Sitting the container on the outside of his cell, he sat back down on the cot and wondered how his life had gotten so out of hand. He used to worship Candi. Sure, he got mad because she didn’t put out like he wanted, but that was normal, teenage boy behavior. He smiled at the memories. She practically had him pulled inside out before they actually did anything.
Then, when she’d said they were expecting, he’d panicked. Not knowing what to do, he run to his daddy to fix another mess. Only his dad made it worse by forbidding him to see Candi. Made him publicly deny the kid belonged to him and claim Candi Matthews was a poor girl trying to better her lot in life by naming him as the father.
He knew that wasn’t true, but he hadn’t been man enough to stand up for himself. But Candi had. She’d thumbed her nose at both of them, created a life with her son and fell completely out of love with him.
Good job, asshole.
* * *
Sneaking a peak at Candi in the passenger seat, Austin had to admit he loved the way she filled out a pair of jeans. She had her hair pulled back into a long braid, swishing softly in the breeze through the open window. Several free-wielding strands refused to be confined.
Tyler’s excitement was contagious as well. The boy could hardly be contained in the car. If not for the seatbelt, he’d have bounced straight out the window by now. According to him, they couldn’t get there soon enough.
Checking on the road, he glanced back over to Candi for a second, seeing her staring out the windshield, smiling. He hoped she enjoyed getting away as well. How pretty she looked with her blonde hair, bright blue eyes and perfect complexion. And her small frame was like a work of art. One he totally appreciated.
Soon enough, they pulled onto the dirt road to Jeff’s property. As they drove along the fence toward the barn, Tyler pushed himself up to where he could easily see out the window. All the livestock were roaming about, active, knowing instinctively when feeding time rolled around. They were all traveling toward the barn, except for the cows.
Parking close to the concrete slab where the house used to be, he motioned toward the small camper where Jeff had been staying since the tornado. “There isn’t much in there but a bathroom. Feel free to use it.”
“Thank you,” Candi replied.
He alighted from the vehicle and, before he could open Candi’s door, Tyler had jumped out and was running across the road toward the fence.
“Be careful, Tyler!” she called out. “Don’t go on the other side. It might be dangerous.”
He watched as the boy scurried up the wooden fence and stared across the field. “He’s a natural.”
“He loves animals.”
“In that case, this is the place to be. Jeff has been running this place ever since he got back from Afghanistan. It’s kind of his therapy.”
She looked around. “It’s absolutely beautiful.”
He glanced at the empty space where Jeff used to reside. “He had a really nice little house before the storm hit. Luckily, he found safety, or we’d have lost him too. Dad told me this morning his offer was accepted.”
“Russ told me about the tornado. I’m so sorry, but I’m glad Jeff is moving into the Patrick’s old place. It’s lovely out there with plenty of land.” She walked toward Tyler. “What will he do with this property?”
“He plans on selling it to a developer who wants to build houses on it.”
“That’s a shame. All our country land is being turned into mini communities. Driving out here, I can’t believe how the area has been built up. I’ve never seen so many big, fancy houses.”
“Yeah, that’s the trend lately. More houses, bigger houses, and very little land with it.”
She turned her head back and forth slowly, scanning the area. “I love it here.”
“It’s a lot of work. And I do mean hard work. The back-breaking kind.”
Raising her hand against her brows to shade her eyes, she asked, “Doesn’t Jeff have hired hands?”
“Used to, but he let them go when he cut back on the herd while looking for a new place.”
“Does he come out here every day to tend to the livestock?”
“No, his neighbor helps out a few days a week but, like I said, today Jeff had business to attend to, and the neighbor, Clay Burcaw, had a wedding to attend in Fort Worth.”
“Why doesn’t Jeff just rebuild the house?”
“He wants to be closer to my dad.”
“I’m glad for that. Russ loves him dearly.”
She climbed the fence and stood next to Tyler. He had to turn away, those tight jeans fit so perfectly. “There’s a big age difference, isn’t there?”
“Yes,” he said, dragging his mind back to the conversation. “Grandma always said Jeff was her ‘Oops’ baby. She had him at fifty.”
She laughed. “I bet that was a surprise. To both her and your grandfather.”
“Oh, Grandpa was surprised, all right. It landed him in the spare bedroom for the rest of his life.”
They laughed together. “I can imagine.”
Opening the gate, he motioned for them to join him. “Stay close Tyler, and whatever you do, don’t stand behind an animal. Not a safe place to be.”
Tyler ran up and grabbed his hand. It startled him at first, but then he clutched the tiny paw tightly, reminding himself that no matter how excited he appeared, there had to be a certain amount of fear in the little guy.
“I’ll stay close to you, Austin. That way, I won’t get hurt.” He glanced back at his mom. “She worries about me all the time.”
Something warm and nurturing touched his heart. The innocence of the young boy’s face touched him in a place he hadn’t known existed. For years he’d been afraid he’d be the kind of parent his dad had been. He always figured it’d be safer to watch from afar, never falling into the parent trap, or even marriage. Yet, Tyler’s freckled face, innocent eyes, and generous grin were working on him. Working really hard.
Chapter 9
Candi watched as Tyler and Austin walked toward the large barn. Several goats, a gaggle of geese and four little piglets followed closely behind. She guessed they all knew when it was feeding time.
She followed at a close distance and allowed the two guys to get bette
r acquainted. Not that she tried to push Tyler on Austin. She’d never do that, but she did like him interacting with other males. That’s why she loved Russ so much. He and George provided her son with excellent male role models.
Inside the barn the aroma of hay and animals filled the air. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the familiar fragrance. Austin filled up a bucket of feed and handed it to Tyler. Kneeling to his level, he said, “Did you see the chicken coop when we came in?”
Tyler nodded strongly. “I sure did.”
“Okay, take that bucket and go feed them. Dump the feed in a line in the trough then take the hose next to the coop and fill up their water feeders. When that’s done, open the gate and let them run loose for a while.”
Tyler stared at him, listening intently. “Spread out the food, water them, then open the gate.”
“That’s right. Then, get back here so we can finish feeding the other animals.” Several crowded closer and Austin had to shove them gently away. “Everyone wants a meal today and we have a lot of work ahead of us.”
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the young boy sprinted across the barnyard and headed directly toward the chicken coop. “Be careful of the rooster. Don’t let him bully you.”
She smiled, stepping closer. “I’m not sure he knows which one the rooster is.”
“Oh, he’ll learn fast enough. Lucky is a real showboat and he lets everyone know who’s boss.”
“He won’t hurt him, will he?”
“No, but he might chase him.”
“Good,” she liked that idea. “He can run off some of that energy.”
“He’ll do that for sure.” Austin stepped over to several barrels and dipped buckets in them. Turning, he handed her one. “Take this over there to the right corner of the barn. That’s where the goats eat.”
She leaned back, surprised. “I guess this isn’t going to be a nice relaxing day for me, either.”
“No, ma’am. We have work to do.”
It wasn’t long before the loud cackling of chickens filled the air. She looked up to see Tyler running as fast as he could around and around the chicken coop, a big red rooster behind him flapping his wings and screeching in outrage.
“Oh dear,” she gasped. “Go get him before that bird hurts him.”
Austin laughed. “He’s okay.” Stepping out of the barn, he cupped his mouth with his hands. “Tyler, run toward me. Hurry, get over here.”
Tyler heard the warning and made a beeline for Austin, the rooster in hot pursuit. When he got close, Austin reached down and snatched her son up in his arms. Surprisingly, the rooster took one look at Austin and started pecking the ground.
Poor Tyler leaned his head on Austin’s shoulder, panting hard. “I thought for sure he’d get me.”
She watched as Austin rubbed his back, her heart warming at the sight. “Aw, he’s just flexing his muscle. All you need to do is stand still and don’t stare him down. Here, I’ll show you.”
“No!” Tyler screamed, clutching his neck tighter. “Let me stay here for a minute.”
“Son, there’re a hundred ways to get hurt on this ranch and that rooster is just a small part of it.” He put him down, reached for his hand and pointed as Lucky lowered his head and initiated his war dance. Slipping something out of his pocket, he handed it to Tyler. “Give him this.”
Taking the offering, Tyler sprinkled several pieces of chicken feed on the ground and while Lucky immediately attacked the food, he and Austin walked right past him. She followed close behind, patting her son on the back. “Let’s find your hat.”
Tyler immediately put his hand on his head and, feeling nothing but hair, exclaimed, “Oh man, I lost it.”
“No, I think it’s behind the chicken coop.”
“Bet it’s all ruined because of that rooster.”
“Remember, this is his empire,” Austin explained. “He’s only protecting what’s his. Now, get your hat and let’s collect those eggs.”
Tyler stopped short. “You think he’ll let us go in there and take the hens’ eggs?”
“We’re not giving him a choice. Those have to be gathered and we’re going to do it.”
“But what if he comes in and gets us?”
Austin winked. “I have more food in my pocket.”
She didn’t like the idea of her son going in the chicken coop and Lucky trapping him inside, but she kept quiet, trusting Austin. It surprised her how well he knew his way around a working ranch. He appeared as comfortable here as he would in a big office in Dallas.
She especially enjoyed the way he treated her son. It didn’t seem Tyler was a nuisance to him. Instead, he went about teaching him how certain chores were done and, as a boy without a dad, Tyler enjoyed it all immensely. Even Lucky.
It wasn’t long before he ran out with a basket of eggs gathered from the coop. “Look, Mom, I have nine eggs.” He glanced up at Austin. “Can we keep them?”
“That’s not polite, son,” she corrected. “They don’t belong to us.”
“Oh, that’s not a problem. You take those home, Tyler. My dad and Uncle Jeff have more eggs than they know what to do with.”
Running toward the vehicle, Tyler shouted back, “Thank you! I’m going to set them in the car.”
She watched him scurry along with a big smile on her face. “I want to thank you, too. It’s not often he gets to spend so much time one on one with a man, on a ranch. He’ll never forget this day.”
Austin watched carefully as her son ran to the car. She knew if the rooster took off after him, he was prepared to step in. “He’s quite a young man. Polite and eager to learn.”
“I’m so proud of him.”
He lowered his head and their gazes clashed. “You have every right to be. It’s too bad Aaron doesn’t see what he’s missing out on.”
“He doesn’t want to see anything but his own selfish needs. I really don’t want him around Tyler. I’m afraid his influence would undo everything I’ve strived to instill in him. He’s not worthy of my son.”
Tyler ran back to them. “What next, Austin?”
“Now comes the hard work.”
* * *
Austin went around the back of the barn with Candi and Tyler in tow. He spotted the old pickup and helped them get in the back. Warning them to sit down, he backed up the old junker and hitched it to a trailer piled high with bales of hay.
Having done that, he came around with instructions. “I’m going to drive out to the feeding station for the cows. Once I’m there, Candi, you will get behind the wheel and drive around slowly while Tyler and I toss the bales out for the cows to eat.” He pointed to the front of the trailer. “After all the hay is gone, we’ll stop and fill up the feeder with the grain back there. Then, we pump water. Once the water troughs are filled, we’ll almost be done.”
“Wait,” she said, her brows furrowed. “Tyler can’t toss a bale of hay.”
“You’re right, but he can shove them forward for me to pitch.”
She put her hands on her hips. “What do you mean?”
“We’ll start out with me tossing out the bales near the back. At the same time, Tyler can sit down and scoot the bales toward me with his feet.”
“So, he won’t be near the back where he could fall off?”
Chuckling, he assured her, “I’m not going to let him fall.”
She nibbled her bottom lip. The same one he’d kissed last night. All of a sudden, he wanted to nibble it as well. “I did this as a kid and I never fell off.”
“You were raised on a ranch?”
“Not exactly. Every once and awhile I came out here and helped my uncle.”
“But weren’t you older by the time Jeff retired from the service?”
“I was, but this ranch has been in my family for years and Uncle Jeff only just took it over when he retired from the military.”
Her doubts made a grand entrance as her features darkened. “I guess that makes sense.”
H
e reached over and patted the Stetson on Tyler’s head. “He’ll be fine. I’m back here with him.”
With everyone settled, he drove to the south pasture where the cattle were sprawled out, grazing. As soon as they recognized the old pickup, they came waddling toward the feeding area. He got out of the truck and lifted Candi to the ground. “You can drive a stick, can’t you?”
She laughed. “Barely.”
“Okay, that’s good enough.” Opening the door, she crawled inside. “Excuse the mess inside. No one ever cleans this thing out.”
She gripped the steering wheel and scooted the seat closer. “I’ll be fine. How fast should I go?”
“Just barely enough to keep it from stalling.”
He shut the door then jumped on the trailer next to Tyler. Taking a large pair of gloves out of his hip pocket, he handed them to him. “They’re big, but you’ll need them to protect your hands.”
Though he struggled putting them on, he still smiled. “This is fun, Austin,” he said, his face bright with excitement and the cool air. Pointing, he shouted, “Look, here come the cows!”
“Let’s get busy.”
He shouted for Candi to drive in a large circle while he tossed bale after bale of hay. She did a good job of driving, except for a few times when she braked to avoid hitting a cow and he nearly fell off.
Little Tyler worked pretty darn hard for a kid. He moved bales of hay as fast as he could. He rarely had to wait for the next one because the kid stayed on his toes. He also kept away from the back of the trailer, being sure to keep Austin between him and the rear.
“Only two more!” Tyler called out over the loud truck engine. He gazed out over the herd. “Man, look at them eating.”
Austin tossed a bale. “That’s what cows do.”
