The Rancher's Return

by Kathy Douglass

  Raven sat for a minute, trying to sort out her thoughts. She had no idea what the right thing would be in the future, but she knew the right thing to do now. She went to her room where she kept most of Elias’s pictures. She had a thick volume for each year of his life. Today she’d give Donovan one or two pictures from each book. Doing the right thing was a process and this was the best she could do today.

  After she’d chosen her favorites, she stuck the pictures in a manila envelope. Elias was spending the day with his best friend, Kenny, so there was no reason she couldn’t drop the pictures off right now. She went downstairs before she could change her mind. Her father was going through ranch books in the kitchen. She held up the envelope.

  “I take it you reached a decision.”

  “Yep. I’m going to drop them off before I talk myself out of it.”

  “That’s the spirit.”

  Knowing she was doing the right thing made her feel better and she hummed a little tune as she grabbed the truck keys and headed for the Cordero ranch.

  * * *

  Donovan heard a car approaching and opened his eyes. His parents were still strolling—they had been known to be gone for hours—so it was up to Donovan to welcome the visitor. He got to the front door and went out just in time to see a Mercedes SUV pull into the driveway. Carson emerged from the vehicle before it had come to a complete stop. He was holding a leather-bound book in one hand and a few sheets of paper in the other.

  “What did you see?” Carson yelled as he neared Donovan.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me. The other day you hinted that my father was the reason you left. I found his journals. Not the ones he wrote for posterity’s sake, just in case someone wanted to write a biography about what a great man he was. No. I found the one he hid. The one he died before he had a chance to destroy.”

  Carson swung the book wildly and Donovan ducked to avoid being hit. It was evident that Carson had discovered his father wasn’t who he’d believed him to be and was taking it hard. Donovan felt for the other man. It couldn’t be easy to discover your father was a monster. But Donovan’s sympathy was limited. Karl Rivers had killed a man in cold blood and threatened to kill even more people. He deserved for his son to know all about his evil deeds. Too bad he wasn’t there to see it.

  Carson took a step closer to Donovan. “It says in here that you knew something about him. You’d seen something that made him run you out of town. That as long as you kept your mouth shut and didn’t return, it would never be discovered. So what was it? What did you see?”

  “I can’t believe that’s all it said.” Actually, Donovan couldn’t believe Karl Rivers had written any of it down. Maybe his arrogance had him believing he would get away with it. And in a way he had. Until now.

  Faced with the opportunity to destroy Karl’s image in his son’s eyes, Donovan hesitated. Carson had been his friend. More than that, he’d cared for Raven and Elias when Donovan hadn’t been around. That counted for something.

  “No. He said that I’m the reason he went soft. He felt he owed you for the way you’d always protected his nerdy son. That he’d always hoped that if I hung around you long enough I’d become like you instead of the loser that I was.” The pain was evident in Carson’s voice and Donovan ached for him. Good old Karl Rivers, ruining lives from the grave.

  “There was nothing wrong with the way you were. I was proud to call you my friend.”

  “I don’t care about that,” Carson yelled. His voice carried across the acres. He was on the verge of losing control. Still there was a determination in his stance. Donovan wasn’t going to be able to divert him. And really, should he even try? Carson deserved the truth and Karl Rivers certainly didn’t deserve protection. “I want to know what you knew that made him run you out of town.”

  “What?”

  Donovan spun around. Raven. He’d been so focused on Carson that he hadn’t heard her truck. She ignored Carson and stared at Donovan, never once breaking eye contact as she closed the distance between them. “What is Carson talking about? Who ran you out of town? Is that why you left me?”

  “It’s a long story. One I don’t intend to tell while standing in the middle of the driveway.”

  “My father...” Carson interjected.

  “What?” Raven looked shocked, but she was still standing. Maybe she was stronger than he’d given her credit for being.

  “My father ran Donovan out of town.” Carson’s eyes moved from Raven to Donovan in under a second. “But what I don’t know is what he held over you to make you go and never come back until he was dead. That is why you didn’t come back until now, right? What was he so afraid of you telling?”

  “Well?” Raven asked when Donovan only stood there. “I want to know, too. I put my life on hold for ten long years while I waited for you to come home. Don’t you think I deserve the truth?”

  “Fine. I’ll explain everything.” Donovan glanced at Carson. “You’d better be sure you want the truth. I can tell you now that you won’t like it.”

  “I’m not a child. I no longer need your protection.”

  Donovan nodded. Instead of going inside, he led them to the backyard and across the grass to the corral. They leaned against the fence. Donovan focused on the horses.

  “The day I left, I was going to town. This was before they built all those houses, so the road was deserted. I don’t think I passed a car for miles. I drove past the main entrance to the Rivers Ranch and was near the isolated part of the ranch when I heard a gunshot. At first I thought it was a hunter. But then it occurred to me that it was private property and no one should be hunting out there. I knew Mr. Rivers would be pissed. Before I could think of what to do, a man stumbled into the road right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, barely missing him. He was bleeding from his shoulder. He staggered to his feet and tried to get in the car.”

  “It’s okay, Donovan,” Raven said and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He’d forgotten she was there. Forgotten Carson was there. Telling the story had set him right back on that road. He was nineteen years old and scared.

  “Keep going.” Carson’s voice sounded flat and unemotional, but Donovan knew Carson was trying to mask the dread he had to be feeling, knowing what he was about to hear would be awful. Donovan admired Carson’s determination to learn the truth no matter how painful.

  Donovan blew out a breath. “The man put his hand on my passenger window. It was smeared with blood and left a red print behind. Then there was another gunshot. He jerked and slid to the ground. I was in a state of shock. I couldn’t move.”

  Donovan heard the panic in his voice and breathed deeply. “The next thing I knew, someone was pulling me from my car. It was the sheriff.”

  “The sheriff?” Raven and Carson spoke at the same time.

  “Yeah. Sheriff Brown. Karl Rivers was behind the other guy and he was holding a gun. He’d shot that other man in cold blood. The sheriff asked what Mr. Rivers wanted to do with me. Mr. Rivers said it was a shame I had seen what I did. Now I was going to have to die, too. I begged and pleaded with him. I swore I wouldn’t tell a soul what I’d seen. Ever. He was still pointing the gun at my chest. I thought he was going to shoot me, too. Then he lowered his gun. He said I had better leave town right then and stay gone. If I ever came back, he’d kill me, my parents and you, Raven.”

  “Me? Why?”

  “Because he knew how much I loved you and that I would do anything to keep you safe.”

  Raven’s eyes filled with tears. She blinked and the tears fell. Without thinking, he brushed the moisture from her soft skin. Then he remembered she was engaged and that her fiancé was standing beside them and dropped his hand. Not that Carson appeared to be aware of anything—he had a dazed look on his face.

  “You know the rest of the story. I left and I didn’t come b
ack until I found out he was dead.”

  “I never heard of anyone being murdered,” Raven said, then looked over at Carson. “Did you?”

  He shook his head. “But...”

  “But what?” Donovan demanded.

  “My dad was acting strange around that time. I didn’t pay much attention to it because that was around the time you disappeared. After a while he became his usual self again and I forgot about it.”

  They were silent for long minutes as Carson and Raven digested what they’d learned. After a while, Carson spoke to Donovan. “Are you sure about what you saw?”

  “Perfectly. I know this is hard for you, but that’s what happened. Your dad murdered someone in cold blood.”

  “I’m sorry for what my father did to you.”

  Donovan looked at the other man. He looked absolutely destroyed. “You don’t need to apologize for him. You didn’t threaten me and my loved ones and you certainly didn’t kill that man. The guilt belongs to your father and him alone. Bury it with him.”

  “Did you recognize the—” Carson cleared his throat but his voice was still choked “—the man my father killed?”

  “No. I never saw him before in my life. For all I know, he could have been someone who stumbled on your father and the sheriff doing something illegal and paid for it with his life.”

  Carson nodded absently. He didn’t seem convinced. Perhaps it didn’t line up with whatever else he’d read in the journal. “Maybe.”

  “Anyway. Now you know the truth.”

  Carson blew out a deep breath. “Yeah. I’ve got to go.”

  “Carson, wait.” Raven reached for her fiancé but he stepped back before she could touch him.

  “Not now, Raven.”

  “But...”

  “No buts. I need some time.”

  “I can help.”

  “Help? How? I just learned my father was a murderer. You can’t help with that. Just leave me alone.” Carson turned and, without another word, stalked around the house to his car. A minute later the roar of a car engine filled the silence as he drove away.

  Donovan leaned against the fence. Now that he’d told the entire story, he felt relieved. It was as if by saying the words the incident lost its power over him. He would tell the new sheriff what he’d seen and let the lawman handle matters from there.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Raven’s voice trembled, whether with sorrow or fury, he couldn’t tell.

  “At first I was worried about you. You fainted the second you looked at me. I didn’t think you could take another shock. I thought I’d give you time to adjust to having me around before dropping another surprise on you. Later you threatened to take me to court if I mentioned the past again. I didn’t want to risk it.”

  “I really wouldn’t have done it. I hope you know that.”

  “I didn’t think you would, but Elias was too important for me to risk. Besides, what difference would it make? Nothing between us would have changed. I still would have been gone for ten years. I still would have missed my son’s entire life. And you still would have been engaged to someone else. Now that you know the truth, have any of those things changed?”

  Raven shook her head.

  “I didn’t think so.” He watched his horses race through the grass before turning back to her. “Why did you come over? Last I knew, you weren’t speaking to me. In fact, you hung up on me. Did Carson tell you he was on his way here and ask you to meet him?”

  “No.” She handed him an envelope. “I brought pictures of Elias.”

  “Really? I thought you said if I’d wanted to see Elias grow up I should have hung around.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know the truth.”

  He nudged her. The fact that she’d changed her mind before she’d found out what really happened made him happier than it should have. “I’m kidding, Raven. Thanks.”

  “Are you going to open them now or do you want to look at them alone?”

  He opened the envelope and pulled out a small stack of pictures. On top was a photo of a toothless baby with a wide grin. His hands were open and he was reaching out. Raven leaned over and rested her head on Donovan’s shoulder. Her sweet scent reached his nostrils and he inhaled deeply. It had been years since she’d been this close to him. Years since she’d put her head on his shoulder. He was tempted to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her closer, but he didn’t. Their time had ended long ago. She was engaged to another man. She’d moved on and he needed to do the same. It was time to get on with his life.

  Chapter Nine

  “What is he doing here?” Donovan asked, holding a picture out so Raven could see it. Elias had his arms out to the side and one foot off the ground.

  The picture brought back fond memories and she smiled. “He’s trying to convince me to let him walk on the fence. He’s showing me how good his balance is.”

  “Oh. How old is he in this picture? Six?”

  Raven nodded.

  “I remember walking across this very fence at that age.”

  “And falling off a lot, as I recall.” She looked at him pointedly. “You spent more time on the ground than on the rail.”

  “Yep. Balance wasn’t my strong suit. If I remember correctly you managed to do it on your first try.”

  “Not really,” she confessed with a grin. “I have four older brothers, remember? I had to keep up with them. I’d been walking the fence at home for years before we tried here.”

  “And you never said a word. My poor damaged male ego took quite a hit that day. A girl was able to do something I couldn’t.”

  “And yet you survived.”

  He laughed. “Barely. Luckily none of the other boys could do it, either. So how did Elias do? Did he inherit your grace or my lack thereof?”

  “I didn’t let him try.”

  “Why not? Don’t tell me you turned into one of those overprotective mothers who don’t let their kids do anything fun?”

  “Not a chance. I told him no because he wanted to do it blindfolded.”

  “Blindfolded?”

  “Yep. He’d read a book about circus performers and wanted to see how it felt to walk the tightrope blindfolded. He was skipping the baby stuff and going for the gusto. He was positive he could do it. If you look closer, you’ll see his bicycle. After he walked across blindfolded, he was planning to ride across the same way.”

  Donovan threw back his head and roared with laughter. The sound brought back happy memories the two of them had shared. They’d been lovers, but they’d been so much more than that. They’d been best friends. He’d understood her better than anyone else ever had.

  Raven had always been a tomboy. Growing up, she’d preferred to ride her horse, fish and hunt. She’d never played dress-up or with dolls and couldn’t name a single Disney princess. As a result, she’d had more in common with the boys her age than with the girls.

  Even as a teenager, when other girls had been doing things to attract boys like wearing fancy clothes and perfume, she’d stuck with her jeans and T-shirts. She hadn’t polished her nails and hadn’t bothered with makeup. She hadn’t spent money getting her hair done because she’d only pull it back into a ponytail and out of her way. That had been fine with Donovan. He’d been proud of who she was and hadn’t ever tried to change her. That had only made her love him more.

  She glanced over at him. He was staring at another picture, a wistful expression on his face. He touched Elias’s image. “I wish I could have been there.”

  “I know.” She squeezed his arm. She felt bad about having been so rough on him when he’d first come back. She should have known he’d had a good reason for leaving her. “You’re here now.”

  “I know I should be content with being a part of his life now, but I can’t. I want more.”

  A chill raced down her sp
ine. She’d threatened him with a lawyer. Would he do the same? “Are you going to try to take him from me?”

  “What?” He sounded positively appalled at the idea and her heart slowed back to normal. “Of course not. I just want to be able to tell him who I am.”

  “I know. You can. But we need to take it slow.”

  “Yeah.” He turned, leaned his back against the fence and stared across the green field. “When can I see him again?”

  “He’s spending the day with Kenny. Kenny’s dad is taking them back to the carnival, but he’ll have him home by eight.” She took a deep breath and hesitated before continuing. Once she said the words there would be no taking them back. “If you want to come over around then, you can.”

  Donovan’s face lit up then fell. “Won’t it look suspicious if I just happen to turn up at the same time as he does? What am I supposed to do, ask to borrow a cup of sugar?”

  The bitterness and frustration in his voice saddened her. She’d be heartbroken if she’d been the one to miss out on Elias’s life. “Okay. Well, how about you come over for dinner tomorrow? And you won’t need a reason. You’re an old friend and we’re catching up. He has dinner with his friends, so it won’t appear odd to him.”

  “And Carson? How is he going to feel? He was pretty upset. This isn’t going to make him feel better. If anything, it might look like we’re piling on.”

  She blew out a breath. It might be complicated, but her dad was right. One thing had nothing to do with the other. She couldn’t in good conscience keep Donovan from spending time with his son, especially now that she knew why he’d stayed away. Besides, with everything Carson had to be feeling, Donovan was probably the least of his concerns. “I’ll talk to him. He knows you’re Elias’s father.”

  “In that case, yes.”

  “Good. We eat at five thirty, so come around then. Okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’d better get going.” She walked to her truck. Her heart leaped as she thought about Donovan joining her and Elias for dinner. They were going to have their very first family dinner. She tried to tell herself it was not a big deal, but she wasn’t convinced.