Texas Ranch Justice

by Karen Whiddon

  “Kendra?” She said the name as if it tasted bad in her mouth. “No, I didn’t forget. I just didn’t see you. I figured I’d tell you when I did. But since you apparently already hooked up, I guess there’s no need.”

  “We most certainly did not hook up,” he drawled, deciding his non-relationship with Kendra wasn’t anything he needed to elaborate on. “You’re kind of far from the house. You’re not lost, are you?”

  “No. I needed to walk.” She took a deep breath, looking around as if she expected someone else to show up out of thin air. “I’m a little upset. Someone hand delivered a threatening letter. They put it in the mailbox with the mail.”

  Instantly alert, he kept his gaze locked on her while getting his restless horse settled. “Threatening how?”

  “It was vague, not a specific threat, so I’m not too frightened.” Her calm, matter-of-fact tone contrasted the worry in her eyes.

  “Maybe not, but tell me what it said.”

  “Go home. Or else.”

  “That’s all?” He relaxed slightly.

  “Yes. I told you it wasn’t specific. But the fact that they—whoever they are—took the time to cut out letters from magazines and paste them, instead of simply printing out something, has me a bit concerned.”

  She had a point there. His first thought was of Hal. “You didn’t tell Hal about this, did you?”

  “No. Only Delilah. And I hid the letter in my bedroom so Hal won’t see it. I just can’t figure out why anyone would want to do such a thing.”

  Impatient with the delay, Travis’s horse shifted his weight and stomped his feet. While getting the animal back under control Travis used the distraction to remind himself he really didn’t need to be thinking about her lips. “From what you’ve said, that letter sounds more like a prank than a threat.”

  “Maybe so.” She gave a graceful shrug. “But if it was, again I have to wonder why? And who? As far as I know, there are only a handful of people who even know who I am. You, Hal, Delilah, Vivian and Amber.”

  “That’s probably where you’re wrong. Anniversary is a small town and gossip travels fast. Especially since you walked around the square yesterday. I’ve already gotten a few text messages from my guy friends asking about you.”

  “Really?” Hands on her shapely hips, she peered up at him. “What were they wanting to know?”

  Belatedly realizing his ambivalence about all that, he decided to tell her anyway. “They saw you in town yesterday and wanted to know if you’re single.”

  Her face colored. “Oh. That’s nice, I suppose.”

  “Are you?” he pressed. “Single, that is?”

  She lifted her chin, once again appearing cool and collected. “Why do you want to know?”

  Since he didn’t have an answer for that, he said nothing. He supposed he could have offered to fix her up with one of his friends, but the thought of another man putting his hands on her had him clenching his teeth.

  She took a step closer, which intrigued his mount. Since the horse seemed more curious rather than startled, Travis simply kept an eye on him.

  “Travis?” She stopped and gazed up at him. “Why did you kiss me?”

  Damned if he knew how to respond to that, especially since he had no idea. Even worse, he wanted to kiss her again. He went with the truth. “I don’t know.” Aware he revealed his frustration in his tone, he took a deep breath before continuing. “I apologize.”

  “No need. I was into it, actually.” The lightness of her tone contrasted the determined glint in her green eyes. “But it doesn’t seem like us taking that any further would be a good idea. I’m thinking maybe we should make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  Though he managed a nod, he didn’t want to make a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep. Especially since she’d admitted she’d been into it. Now all he could think about right now was how badly he wanted to dismount and sweep her into his arms.

  “Is that what you want?” he finally managed to ask. Maybe if she told him directly that she wouldn’t welcome his kiss or that she found him repulsive, that would help him get past this absurd attraction to her.

  “I’m not sure,” she answered, surprising him. “To be completely honest, you’re a pretty good kisser.”

  Elation and desire surged through him, which he quickly throttled. He might want her, true, but he needed to be more than careful. Until he learned exactly what her true purpose was here, he’d try to keep his distance.

  Though he suspected that might be easier said than done.

  “You’ve been walking a lot lately, haven’t you?” Changing the subject to something safe.

  “I have.” Her smile let him know she understood exactly what he was doing. “I’ve been enjoying the countryside, plus getting some exercise. Walking is a great way to see the ranch. It’s much more up close and personal than driving around in my car.”

  “Would you like to learn how to ride?” he asked, surprising himself. “It’s not that difficult and I have a couple of older, well-trained horses that would be perfect for a beginner to learn on.”

  Tilting her head, she considered his offer. “And you’d be willing to teach me?”

  “Yep.” Though doing so would entail them spending more time together, he didn’t reckon it would take that long. She just needed to know the basics, not anything fancy.

  “I think I’d like that.” The mischievous sparkle in her emerald eyes should have warned him. “As long as you promise to be civil.”

  “Civil?” He frowned. “I’ve gone out of my way to be—”

  “I’m kidding.” She cut him off with a wide grin. When she placed her hand on his leg, he knew he was in trouble. “You don’t have to take everything so seriously.”

  Though logistically impossible, her fingers seared his skin through his jeans. Staring down at her, her lovely face raised to his, laughter curving her sensuous mouth, he couldn’t breathe, never mind think.

  “When?” Scarlett asked.

  “When what?” he managed to reply.

  “When do you want to teach me how to ride?”

  “Soon.” Nudging his horse with his leg, he moved away from her. “I’ll let you know.”

  Then he rode off, refusing to look over his shoulder, aware he’d be seeing her face in his mind the rest of the day.

  Chapter 6

  A hint of crispness had begun to creep into the air, signaling the possibility that summer might be ready to relinquish her grip on East Texas and allow autumn to visit awhile. Back in Atlanta, Scarlett knew decorated pumpkins and scarecrows would be appearing on people’s front porches. In the South, the leaves might have begun to turn—nothing dramatic, just a few spots of bright red or yellow here and there. So far, she hadn’t seen any leaf changes here, though Delilah assured her it would eventually happen.

  Since they were so far out in the country and so isolated, there wouldn’t be any trick-or-treaters, so there was no need for any decorations. Though Scarlett didn’t comment, inside she felt disappointed. Halloween had always been one of her favorite holidays. She’d amassed quite a collection of ghoulish decorations. They were all in storage now.

  As she walked into the kitchen, something caught her eyes. An invite sat on the Formica counter. A bright orange jack-o’-lantern on a jet-black background. A yellow crescent moon decorated one corner and the words You’re Invited were spelled out in silver glitter.

  “What’s this?” Scarlett asked, picking it up.

  “An invitation to the annual Anniversary Halloween Harvest Fair and Costume Ball,” Delilah said. “It’s quite a big deal around here. Hal is usually involved in the planning committee.”

  “Not this year,” Hal said grumpily. “Been too damn sick. Who knows what it’ll be like without me?”

  “I’m sure it will be fine.” Delilah’s brisk tone warred wit
h her watchful expression as she met Scarlett’s gaze. “I’m hoping we can talk Hal into attending, even if it’s only for a little while. Vivian already said she’d take him.”

  “Not gonna do it.” Hal shook his head. “I don’t want people staring and pointing and telling me how much weight I’ve lost. As if I didn’t already know.”

  “It won’t be like that.” Stubbornly persisting, Delilah glared at him, her hands on her ample hips. “And it would do you a world of good to get out of this house once in a while.”

  “I’d love for you to show me around,” Scarlett interjected.

  “I’m sorry.” Hal’s gaze softened. “But maybe you and Travis can go instead.”

  Though Scarlett nodded, she couldn’t help but frown.

  “What’s wrong?” Hal asked, clearly noticing.

  While she didn’t want to say anything bad about Travis, Hal also needed to understand that everything wasn’t roses and sunshine between them.

  “I’d rather go with you,” she settled on.

  “Oh, horse-pucky,” Hal countered. “Travis could do a much better of job of making sure you have a good time. Me, I’d get exhausted within thirty minutes and need to be taken home. You go with Travis.”

  “Travis is a difficult man to get to know,” she said, quietly.

  Her comment made Hal hoot with laughter. “Tactful as your mother was, aren’t you?”

  Reluctantly, she nodded. “I just don’t know what I’ve done, but Travis doesn’t like me very much.” Or trust her, but she’d leave that unsaid. And she also wouldn’t mention the tiny fact that he’d kissed her.

  “Though he did offer to teach you how to horseback ride,” Delilah put in helpfully, making Scarlett regret telling her.

  “He did?” Hal raised both his bushy eyebrows. “That’s promising. See, he likes you. He wouldn’t have offered to show you the ropes around his beloved horses if he didn’t.”

  Thankful she hadn’t said anything to anyone about the kiss, Scarlett reluctantly nodded.

  “I worry about him,” Hal confided. “Even as a young boy, Travis had a serious nature. He works hard, too hard if you ask me. Never makes time for fun. Ever since Kendra...”

  “I met her in town,” she confessed. “She asked me to pass a message on to Travis.”

  “She’s back?” Hal frowned. “That can’t be good,”

  “What happened between her and Travis?”

  Hal looked down. “Now I feel like I’m gossiping. But maybe if I tell you, it’ll help you understand why Travis acts the way he does.”

  Intrigued, she waited.

  With a sigh, Hal leaned forward in his wheelchair. “Kendra was Travis’s high school sweetheart. After they graduated, they’d planned to get married but she decided to go away to college. She chose the University of Texas, down in Austin. She wanted Travis to go with her, but he’d never wanted to do anything but run the farm. He was happy for her, though. He said he’d never begrudge her getting an education.”

  “I can guess what happened,” Scarlett interjected. “She got to college, met other boys and broke off the engagement.”

  “Not exactly.” Hal’s morose expression had her reaching out to cover the back of his hand with hers. “They stayed engaged the entire four years she was at school. She came home on breaks and during the summer and he tried to get down to Austin at least once a month. It was tough on both of them, but they did it.”

  “Wow. I’m impressed. That’s some dedication.”

  “It is.” Grimacing, Hal shrugged. “She came back with a business degree. She stuck around, sent out résumés, but she wanted to work in Houston or Dallas for a big company. When she landed her dream job, she kept it a secret for two weeks.”

  Scarlett winced. Clearly hearing this story for the first time, Delilah did the same.

  “She wanted them to try to make it work. A long-distance thing, like they’d done while she was in college,” Hal continued. “Travis put his foot down. He wasn’t moving to Houston and she wasn’t staying in Anniversary. When he told her she had to choose, I suspect he knew that the choice had already been made.”

  “How long ago did all this happen?” Scarlett asked.

  “Right about two years. Travis was a wreck for a long while, but he dealt with it by throwing himself into work. I swear, he did more around the ranch than five men the first months after she up and moved to Houston.”

  Two years. “I’m guessing he’s over it now.”

  “As far as I know,” Hal agreed. “Anyway, the reason I told you this story is I wanted you to understand why he might be a little uncomfortable around you.”

  “Because I’m a woman?” Incredulous, she shook her head.

  “No. Because you’re a lot like Kendra. You’re also college-educated and you clearly prefer big city life to that in the country. You wear designer clothes and high heels. And you’re beautiful.”

  “I have a fine arts degree,” she protested. “Not business. There’s a huge difference.”

  Hal shrugged. “Maybe so, but not to him. Why does it bother you so much?”

  Now she squirmed, not wanting to admit how attractive she found Travis. “I don’t know,” she finally said. “I just couldn’t figure out why he didn’t like me. I go out of my way to be pleasant to him...”

  Eyeing her, Hal nodded. “I see.”

  Though she suspected she hadn’t fooled him, she kept her expression bland. “Thank you for telling me. That explains a lot.”

  “You’re welcome. But you can’t say anything to Travis.”

  “I won’t,” she promised.

  Hal gripped her hand. “Will you help him?”

  This confused her. “Help him how?”

  “He needs a friend,” Hal said.

  “I’m sure he has plenty of those.” She hastened to assure the older man. “He told me about some of his friends texting him.”

  “Yes, he has a couple of guys he plays ball or poker with or goes drinking with. They watch football occasionally. All but two of them are married with kids.” Hal shifted in his chair, his frustration evident. “I’m not really sure what I’m asking of you. Maybe just be there for him, in case he wants to open up. He’s got a lot on his plate right now. He runs the ranch, worries about me and takes care of his mother and sister and nephew.”

  Touched, she nodded. “I’ll do the best I can. But honestly, I’m pretty sure he’s not going to want to be friends with me.” Friends. When all she could think about was the intensity in the way Travis had kissed her. She knew if they were to take things any further, smoldering embers would ignite into a blazing inferno.

  Not only was she not sure she could handle anything that deep, she suspected Travis definitely couldn’t. And since the last thing she’d ever want to do was hurt him, or get hurt herself, it’d be best for both of them if they kept their distance. She didn’t see friendship as a possibility at all.

  None of that could she say to Hal, who continued to eye her hopefully. “You’re a good man, Hal Gardner.”

  Delilah snorted. “I wouldn’t go that far.” She and Hal grinned at each other. “I see what you’re doing there, Mr. Hal.”

  “Innocent until proven guilty.” He held up both hands in mock protest.

  “Don’t let him play matchmaker on you,” Delilah told Scarlett. “That kind of thing rarely works out for the best. There. I’ve said my piece.” And she turned and stomped away.

  Not sure what to make of this, Scarlett stared after her.

  “She’s not really mad,” Hal claimed. “She’s actually tickled pink at the possibility of getting Travis to come out of his shell.”

  “I’m not sure I’m the right person to do that,” she protested. “Seriously.”

  “But you’ll at least think about going to the Halloween ball, right?”

 
“Yes.” With Vivian and Amber, if they invited her. No way was she going to try to force Travis to endure her company at a Halloween ball. He definitely didn’t seem like the type to feel comfortable wearing a costume whereas she quite naturally would revel in it.

  For lunch, Delilah fixed an assortment of sandwiches. “Travis called and said he’d be stopping by,” she informed Hal and Scarlett. “You know how hungry he gets after working all morning.”

  Just the mention of Travis’s name made Scarlett’s entire body perk up, though she took care not to show it.

  He arrived a few minutes later, striding through the door, his sheer size filling the room. Scarlett almost lost her words as she let her eyes drink him in, but she managed a casual greeting.

  They ate at the kitchen table. Surprisingly, Scarlett managed to finish her sandwich. She hadn’t realized it would be such a struggle to keep herself from staring at him. So she did what she always did when she got nervous—chattered about inconsequential things like the monarch butterfly migration. She caught both Hal and Delilah giving her odd looks, but Travis pretty much ignored her.

  When they’d finished eating, Delilah gathered up the plates and began washing up the dishes. Though she knew she was rambling at this point, Scarlett continued her discourse on butterflies.

  “I need a word with you,” Travis said, interrupting her as she’d just about finished describing the time she’d been right in the middle of thousands of the beautiful creatures. “In private.”

  Though both Hal and Delilah stared, neither commented. Delilah shot Scarlett a look of warning, while a small smile played around Hal’s mouth.

  Heart pounding and curious, Scarlett stood and followed Travis outside.

  As they stood on the front porch, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, making her realize he was uncomfortable.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, genuinely concerned. “Is it about Hal?”

  “No, nothing like that.” He cleared his throat. “I need to ask you for a favor.” The reluctance coloring his tone revealed how much doing so pained him.