The Rancher's Return

by Kathy Douglass

  “Is that what you did?” Raven knew the answer to that question. Her parents had been a love match. Marilyn’s parents hadn’t approved of Rudy because they’d thought he was too old for her. They’d also wanted her to go to college before she married. So Rudy and Marilyn had eloped the day after she’d graduated from high school. Raven’s grandparents had been furious and disappointed. That disappointment had disappeared when Marilyn started college the following fall. They’d been beyond proud when she’d graduated at the top of her class four years later.

  Her mother had the good grace to look flustered. “No. But our situations are different.”

  “Because I’m a single mother?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then why?”

  Marilyn chuckled. “Because you’re my little girl and I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

  “I want what you and Dad have. I want a love so strong that it lights up a room. A love that people can see from miles away.”

  “You can have that with Carson.”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “You don’t think you have that with Donovan.” Marilyn sounded aghast at the very notion.

  “I don’t know. We haven’t seen each other in years. I don’t even know him. Not really.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t be so willing to throw away what you can have with Carson on a man you barely know now.”

  Having had the last word, Marilyn walked away. Raven hadn’t expected her mother to change her position on Carson easily and she hadn’t. Her father was the romantic parent. He’d tell her to follow her heart wherever it led. Regardless of whose direction she followed, Raven was left with the problem of facing Donovan again.

  Because, ready or not, in a little over an hour she and Elias would be on their way to “accidently” meeting him.

  * * *

  Donovan stood in the shadow of the building near the entrance to the carnival and watched as the crowd grew. He’d deliberately arrived early because he’d wanted to get the lay of the land. He’d parked near city hall and walked around town for about an hour. Sweet Briar, a small beach town, had grown significantly in the years he’d been gone and, from all appearances, was thriving. New businesses had popped up and the older ones looked more prosperous than he’d remembered.

  Driving to town, he’d been surprised to see a couple of subdivisions of huge houses on what had previously been open land. The narrow and bumpy road he remembered had been widened and paved.

  As he’d neared the spot that had been indelibly marked on his mind, his stomach had clenched and his palms had become sweaty. He’d pressed down on the accelerator, anxious to speed by the place where his life had been so drastically changed.

  It looked no different from any other stretch of the road. Passing, he felt...nothing. Not fear. Not anger. Nothing. The trepidation dissipated and he’d continued on to Sweet Briar and the carnival.

  Growing up on a ranch, coming to town for a reason other than to attend school had been a big deal. Mabel’s Diner had been the Friday-night hangout for all of the teenagers. He and his friends had spent countless hours there. He grinned as he recalled gobbling down burgers, shakes and fries mere hours after eating a big dinner with his parents. The diner had been open for business when he’d passed it earlier, but he hadn’t stepped inside. He had peered through the plate-glass window and was pleased to note that the interior hadn’t changed. The same red-vinyl booths lined the walls. He wouldn’t be surprised if the menu was the same.

  After his stroll through the town, he’d come to where he now stood. He checked his watch. Raven and Elias weren’t due for another ten minutes. He could walk around some more but he didn’t want to miss them.

  “Donovan?”

  He turned and watched a man and woman approaching. As they neared, Donovan smiled. “Jericho.”

  Laughing, they pounded each other on the back as they embraced.

  “It’s good to see you. I heard that you were back in town but I needed to see for myself before I could believe it.” Jericho Jones laughed and shook his head. “Even though I’m staring right at you, I can’t believe you’re really here. We looked all over for you, but it was like you’d vanished into thin air. Where were you all this time?”

  “Texas. At least for the past seven years.” It was clear Jericho wanted more of an answer than that, but that was the best Donovan could do right now. He didn’t want to pollute the night with talk of Karl Rivers. Later he would tell his old friend the whole story without leaving out a single detail. But not now.

  “Why didn’t you come back or call? Something?” Jericho sounded confused and frustrated.

  Coming home was definitely more difficult than Donovan had anticipated. As he searched for words, the woman beside Jericho cleared her throat loudly. Thank goodness.

  “Sorry. Let me introduce you to my wife, Camille.”

  She extended a hand, which Donovan shook. “Nice to meet you, Camille.”

  “You, too. I’ve heard so much about you, I feel like I already know you. Don’t let the curious people press you for more information than you’re comfortable giving. I had to get out of town rather quickly myself once, so I understand. Lucky for me, I ran to this rancher who saved me.” She and Jericho smiled at each other. The love between them was apparent and Donovan’s heart ached with longing.

  Jericho laughed and gently squeezed his wife’s shoulder before looking at Donovan again. “Camille is right. I apologize for being nosy. I’m just glad you’re home again. You’re staying, right?”

  “Yes. The ranch is my home.” And the life and people he’d left behind in Texas? Where did they fit? He’d figure that out later. Right now building a relationship with his son took priority over everything. Donovan looked at Camille. “Maybe I’m as nosy as Jericho because I’m curious about what you meant by getting out of town quickly. But don’t tell me if you don’t want to.”

  She smiled. “No worries. Before becoming a rancher’s wife I was a city girl. New York City, to be exact. I discovered money laundering in my Wall Street job and reported it. A little while later I overheard my boss plotting to kill me. I didn’t waste time. I beat it out of New York and raced to the Double J. This heroic rancher took me in. We fell in love and the rest, as they say, is history.”

  “Wow.” Her story didn’t sound all that different from his and he found comfort and hope in that. Despite everything she’d endured, she’d fallen in love and was happily married. Maybe he could have a happy ending, too.

  “Yes. So you see, no matter what your story is, it won’t seem too farfetched for us.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Donovan rubbed the back of his neck. “Do Billy and Tony still live around here? I would love to catch up with them.”

  Jericho shook his head. “You remember Tony went to UCLA, right?”

  “Yes. He’d been blue and gold all the way.”

  “He stayed in California after college. His parents retired to Hilton Head about five years ago. Their ranch had originally been part of the Double J, so I bought it. When he comes back to visit them, he stops in for a day or two, but that’s about it.”

  “And Billy?”

  A look of sorrow crossed Jericho’s face. “He was killed in Iraq eight years ago.”

  “Oh, man.”

  “Yeah. His parents and sisters are still around, though I don’t see them all that much. To be honest, I’d lost touch with people myself for a while there. I’ve been trying to do a better job of keeping in touch with my friends, so consider this an open invitation to come out to the ranch anytime you want.”

  “And hang out in the clubhouse?”

  Jericho laughed. “Nah. I’m afraid the clubhouse has been torn down. You’ll have to settle for sitting on the patio.”

  “Will do. I’ll drop by sometime next week.”

  Jer
icho nodded. “Do that. We’re going to get a couple of funnel cakes. Do you want to join us?”

  Donovan shook his head. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Donovan watched as Jericho and Camille meandered through the crowd. It was good to see his old friend so happy. Maybe he’d be as lucky as Jericho had been and he’d find someone to love, too. He’d think about that later. Right now it was time to meet up with Raven and Elias.

  Donovan spotted them as they walked through the entrance and went to the ticket booth. Raven glanced around as she dug through her purse, probably trying to find him without being too obvious.

  He took a moment to look at her. Dressed in a pink top and shorts with flowers on them, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. She packed a lot of sex appeal into her five feet and three inches. She turned away from him, treating him to a perfect view of her straight back, tiny waist and round bottom. Her calves were strong, proof that she not only lived on a ranch, she worked there.

  “Come on, Mom,” Elias said, reaching out and grabbing Raven by the hand and pulling her after him.

  “Okay.” She took another look around.

  It was time to stop lurking and put the plan into action. Donovan took a deep breath and stepped from the shadows. “Raven? Elias? I thought that was you.” He managed to inject his voice with just the right amount of surprise so anyone witnessing the interaction would never suspect that this was a planned meeting. He trotted a little to catch up with them.

  “Hi,” Raven said. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. A small diamond sparkled in her lobe.

  “Hey,” Elias added. He glanced over his shoulder and took a step toward the rides. Clearly he wasn’t interested in making small talk when there was fun to be had.

  “I’m here alone. Do you guys mind if I hang out with you?”

  “Sure,” Raven said. “That should be all right, don’t you think, Elias?”

  “Uh. Sure. I guess. But you said I could hang out with my friends some, too.”

  “You can. We’ll be behind you.”

  “But not with us, right? You know I’m nine. That’s halfway to being a man. I can take care of myself.”

  “I know.”

  Donovan bit back a sigh and a laugh at the same time. Spending time with his son wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped. Donovan had envisioned them going from tent to tent together as they played the various games, then sitting side by side on the rides. Instead he was going to be relegated to watching his son do those things from a distance. Still, it was easy to recall feeling the same way when he’d been that age. The last thing he’d wanted was to have his mom and dad close enough to overhear what he and his friends were saying to each other. And God forbid one of his parents make a comment.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll still get plenty of time with him,” Raven said as Elias ran off to join a group of five or six boys who then darted to a tent and handed over game tickets.

  “You’re being nicer about this than I’d expected you to be.”

  “What did you think I’d do? Grab my kid and go sneaking off in the middle of the night?”

  Donovan inhaled a sharp breath.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

  “I suppose not. I’m just a bit sensitive, I guess.”

  “And I’m a bit uncomfortable. Have you noticed how many people are staring at us?”

  On his walk through town, he had encountered several people he’d recognized. To a person, they’d welcomed him home with a kind word and a smile. “They’re not staring at us. They’re staring at you. You’re the prettiest girl here and they can’t help but look.”

  Raven laughed. “There’s no need for flattery. I already said you can spend time with Elias.”

  “It’s not flattery. It’s the truth. You’re gorgeous.”

  The laughter vanished from her voice and the sparkle left her eyes. “No flirting. We’re not on a date getting to know each other. We’re here for Elias.”

  “But we are getting to know each other. Not for the purpose of falling in love again. I know you’re engaged and I respect that.”

  “Who told you I was engaged?”

  “Carson. He stopped by and told me. Congratulations, by the way. I hope you’ll be happy together. Just so you know, I have no intention of interfering in your life. But if we’re going to co-parent Elias, we need to find a way to be friends again. And we were friends, weren’t we?”

  She nodded and the smile reappeared. Apparently he’d said the right thing. She poked him in the chest. “Until you decided that you didn’t want to be my friend anymore. You with your boys only club.”

  “Blame it on Jericho. The club was his idea.”

  “So you’re going to throw your friend under the bus like that.”

  “Yep. Especially since he’s not around to hear me.”

  Raven laughed again. The sound touched the place in his heart that had once belonged to her.

  “I saw him earlier and met his wife.”

  “Camille? She’s great. I’m so glad she came along and got him to live again. He’d become a real recluse. Not that I’m one to talk.”

  “Jericho Jones? He was always the life of the party.”

  “That was before his first wife died in childbirth. The baby died, too. After that he shut himself off from everyone. He barely left the Double J and he made it clear he didn’t want people coming to see him.”

  “Wow. I didn’t know that.”

  “You weren’t here.”

  “I know.” During the years in Texas, Donovan had always pictured everyone he knew living happy lives. He’d believed he was the only one whose life had been derailed and whose dreams had been shattered. He’d been wrong. Jericho had suffered actual tragedy, losing a wife and child. And Billy had been killed. Learning that shone a different light on his experience. It didn’t diminish his pain or right the wrong that had been done to him. Nothing could do that. It simply let him know that life had been hard on others, too.

  He looked at Raven. Though her eyes were clear, he knew she’d experienced her share of pain. She’d told him about it that first day. He’d listened but he hadn’t really heard. She’d loved him as desperately as he’d loved her. And then she’d lost him just as he’d lost her. But he’d had the benefit of knowing why he’d left so suddenly. She’d had to deal with the unknown. The questions. The heartbreak of unfulfilled yet undying hope. She’d had to worry every day, not knowing if he was dead or alive. For all she’d known he could have been abducted by a serial killer. Or a sadist who’d hurt him for years. The not knowing must have been nerve-racking.

  Donovan stepped in front of Raven and took her hands in his. Though she worked on the ranch, her palms were soft. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry for what?”

  “For putting you through ten years of hell. Ten years of hoping I’d come home. For not being around while you were pregnant or to help you raise our son. All of it. I’m sorry for all of it. Please forgive me.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise and she blinked. Was what he’d said so unexpected? He didn’t think so. Just what kind of jerk did she think he’d become? He replayed the conversation they’d had that first night. It must have looked like he was playing games when he hadn’t fully answered her questions. He could tell her about Karl Rivers now but he didn’t want to risk upsetting her. He didn’t want to find out if she’d actually follow through on her threat if he mentioned the past. Elias was too important to risk. He didn’t want to end up in court fighting for the right to see his son. Besides, Raven was engaged to another man, so his reasons for staying away really didn’t matter now. They’d have to start here to build their relationship.

  “You’re forgiven.”

  “Clean slate?”

  She smiled. “Clean slate. Now let’s catch up
to Elias and play some games. I plan on winning one of those oversize teddy bears.”

  As they walked across the field, Donovan felt truly happy. He didn’t kid himself that the rough patch between him and Raven was in the past. There were too many unresolved issues for that to be the case. But right now he’d take the temporary peace.

  Chapter Seven

  Raven took aim with the air rifle and pulled the trigger, knocking over the last moving duck. Raising her hands above her head, she let out a triumphant squeal. “I did it. I won!”

  “Yes, you did,” Donovan said. “Congratulations.”

  What had started as a friendly competition between a few parents had turned into a serious battle that had drawn quite a crowd. In the end, Raven was the last person standing.

  “I guess all those hunting trips with Dad and my brothers paid off.” Rudy had insisted that all of the kids, including Raven, accompany him. To this day Raven suspected her mother had been behind the tradition, using the hunting and fishing trips as a way to have a quiet weekend without her five boisterous kids.

  “You won, Mom. You’re the only person who shot all the ducks, so you get a big prize and not just one of those plastic rings or necklaces.” Despite the fact that his friends were around, Elias gave her a tight hug. His pride touched her heart and she basked in the moment. “Pick your prize. Mom. You can choose between the big rabbit and the pony.”

  “I want the teddy bear.”

  “But you already have a big teddy bear at home,” Elias pointed out as if she didn’t see it every morning. It sat in a rocking chair by the window in her bedroom, so she couldn’t miss it.

  “I know. This one will be its friend so it won’t be lonely.”

  “They’re not alive, Mom. They’re toys. They don’t have feelings.”