Sweet Talking Rancher

by Kate Pearce

  “You know we’ve had an outbreak of scours up at the ranch?”

  “Yup, what about it?”

  “We just got the results back from the state lab. It’s E. coli and cryptosporidium which is super infectious.”

  Daisy grimaced. She was enough of a rancher’s daughter to know that was bad. “That sucks.”

  Danny let out his breath. “It also means we can’t invite the entire valley up to the ranch for your wedding.”

  Daisy blinked at him and then slowly closed her mouth. When she remained silent, Danny kept talking.

  “Adam and I were thinking you could hold it here in town instead. That maybe the hotel or the community hall could host it. We’ll pay for any extra cost.” He reached over and took her hand. “I’m really sorry about this, Daiz, I wish things could be different, but we can’t be responsible for spreading scours around the entire valley.”

  “I understand.” She swallowed hard and a single tear slid down her cheek before she shot to her feet. “I . . . just need to talk to Jackson, okay?”

  “Daisy—” Danny also rose, but she waved him away and rushed out of the coffee shop leaving him standing there feeling like the worst brother in the world. She was normally the unflappable one in the family and he hadn’t expected her to react like that.

  “What happened?” Lizzie appeared with their lunch and set it on the table. “Is Daisy okay?”

  “We can’t hold the wedding up at the ranch,” Danny said. “We’ve got to work out why our calves are dying first.”

  “Okay.” Lizzie nodded, her worried gaze fixed on the door Daisy had run out of. “That’s horrible, but I can see why you wouldn’t want the whole valley up there right now.”

  “We thought they could hold it here in town.” Danny groaned. “I didn’t realize Daisy would be so upset. I should’ve gotten some feedback and presented her with some definite alternatives before I dropped that on her.”

  “It might have helped.” Lizzie looked sympathetic. “Is she coming back?”

  “I don’t know.” Danny gestured helplessly at the food. “Maybe you could box it up while I try and get hold of her?”

  “Will do.” Lizzie set the plates back on the tray. “I’ll check in with Adam and see if she’s gone home.”

  “She’s more likely to be on her way to Jackson’s place.”

  “I guess.” Lizzie bit her lip. “I’m sure she’ll be fine about it.”

  “Sure didn’t look that way.” Danny got out his phone, texted Daisy, and sent a heads-up to Jackson. “Adam’s going to kill me. I was supposed to have the easier job.”

  He sipped his drink and waited to see if Daisy or Jackson would respond to him. He had to believe they were more interested in talking to each other than to the bearer of bad news. Just as Lizzie set the to-go boxes on the table the door opened, and Daisy came back in holding Jackson’s hand.

  Danny instinctively stood as they approached the table.

  “Hey, I’m really sorry—”

  Daisy held up a finger. “It’s okay. I just . . . needed a moment.” She looked up at Jackson, who looked uncharacteristically solemn. “Jackson reminded me that it’s the getting married that counts, not where the actual ceremony takes place.” She drew a resolute breath. “We’re going to talk to Mr. Hayes at the hotel and see if there is anything they can do for us. If that doesn’t work, as you said there’s always the community hall.”

  “I should’ve done that before I even spoke to you,” Danny said. “I just dumped the whole problem right in your lap. I’m really sorry, Daiz.”

  “We’re good.” Jackson spoke up for the first time. “We’ll make it work. I mean I don’t care if I marry Daisy in a pitch-black cellar as long as we’re married by the end of it.”

  “Hardly flattering, Jackson, but I know what you mean,” Daisy murmured. She gestured at the table. “Can we sit down and start again, Danny? It was really rude of me to run out on you.”

  “I thought you were very restrained,” Danny said even as he relaxed a little. “I was expecting a bridezilla.”

  “Like I’d be that person.” Daisy sat down and Jackson brought a seat over to join her. “It’s not exactly your fault we have calf scours at the ranch now, is it?”

  “Well, it’s definitely someone’s fault,” Jackson said. “It rarely just appears by itself.”

  Danny was used to Jackson’s plain speaking, so he didn’t allow it to faze him. “If we knew how the infection started and where it had come from, we’d be in a much better place to hold a wedding.”

  “There’s nothing up at our place,” Jackson added. “And yeah, I wouldn’t appreciate it if I went to a wedding and brought home an unexpected infection with me either.” He glanced down at Daisy. “I just wish it wasn’t our wedding.”

  Danny nodded as Jackson opened one of the boxes.

  “Is this our lunch? Thanks!”

  “Well—” Danny glanced at Daisy, but she was still smiling up at Jackson. “Sure it is.” He turned to look for Lizzie. “Can we have another salad when you’re ready, please?”

  * * *

  After delivering the bad news to the Millers and Red Ramirez, and running the afternoon clinic, Faith finally got the opportunity to go home and grab something to eat for dinner. She was now leaving all the clothes and instruments she used at the infected ranches in a separate place from her usual gear. The fear of cross contamination was real. As she and Dave were the only people who had to travel between ranches the onus was on them to keep the infection away from everyone else. Luckily, when her father had built the new house, he’d added a large mudroom and separate bathroom at the back just for veterinary clinic use, which was proving really useful. He’d even installed a washing machine and dryer out there.

  Faith had already changed into a completely new set of clothes before she stepped foot in the house. She checked her cell as she waited for the microwave to heat up her leftover pizza. There was nothing from Danny, whom she was still expecting around eight. There was, however, a text from her mom.

  Call me right now, young lady. No excuses.

  Faith repressed a sigh. She’d known her mom would get involved in the situation with her dad and that she’d have to deal with it. She checked the time in Scotland and clicked on her mom’s number.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s me, Mom. What’s up?”

  Faith retrieved the pizza from the microwave. There was the sound of a TV and then of a door shutting.

  “Okay, your father can’t hear us now. Why are you two fighting?”

  “We’re not. We just had a fundamental disagreement about how he handled the whole Danny and the baby thing.” She took her pizza and sat up at the counter.

  “He didn’t make those decisions on his own. We were all involved.”

  “Danny wasn’t.”

  “He was still a minor. Jeff didn’t want him making any impetuous choices that might ruin his life.” Her mom sighed. “I know you think we were highhanded, but we genuinely were terrified that you were going to die. We wanted to make sure that your child had the best chance in life with two parents who loved him.”

  Faith winced. “Like you think Danny and I hadn’t talked about the baby? Or made plans together?”

  “Oh honey . . .” Her mom sighed. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thanks for that, at least.” Faith took a bite of pizza she really didn’t want.

  “It’s way easier to look back and admit that maybe we made some mistakes, but at the time we thought we were doing the best for all of you.”

  Faith couldn’t deny the sincerity in her mom’s voice.

  “I get that.”

  “Then will you at least talk to your father? He’s so upset he doesn’t even want to play golf.”

  “That bad, eh?”

  “Yes, and you know how much he’s dreamed about this trip.” Her mom continued. “I don’t expect you to apologize for what you said to him because you have a perfect right to be mad,
but maybe just acknowledge that he thought he had your best interests at heart?”

  Faith wasn’t sure it felt right to have to make her father feel better for what had happened to her, but he wasn’t a bad person. None of them were bad people. Just human. She couldn’t change what had happened in the past, she’d confronted him about his behavior, and now maybe it was time to let it go.

  “Okay.”

  “Oh, sweetie, that’s wonderful! I’ll just get him on the phone.”

  “Mom—” Faith wasn’t sure she was ready to talk to him right now, but her mother obviously had other ideas.

  “Faith?” Her father’s gruff voice came on the line.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “I’m sorry I lost my temper with you, sweetheart.”

  “I get that you were just trying to do your best for me,” Faith said.

  There was a pause before he spoke again. Faith wondered if her mom was coaching him through the call. “Thanks for saying that.”

  “You’re welcome.” That was as far as Faith was willing to go right now. “Now, go and play golf and have a great vacation.”

  “Will do.” This time there was a definite pause and the sound of muted discussion. “Faith, before you get off the line, there’s something you should see in my office. Check the right-hand drawer of my desk, the bottom one, and look for a red leather folder with your name on it.” Her dad cleared his throat. “I should’ve given them to you years ago, but I didn’t want to upset you.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Hello?” Danny let himself in through the mudroom and took off his boots and hat. The smell of pizza hung in the air but other than that the house was quiet. “Faith?”

  “Come on through.”

  He made his way into the kitchen, checking carefully that Dave wasn’t going to pop out and punch him again. Faith was sitting at the counter with a half-eaten piece of pizza in front of her.

  “Hey. Sorry I’m early. I snuck out before Dad noticed and wanted to know where I was going.”

  Even as he said the words Danny realized how lame it was for a guy who was over thirty to be worried about what his dad thought. He moved closer and then paused.

  “Is this a bad time?”

  Faith hastily scrubbed at her eyes. “No, it’s just that I talked to my parents, and—” She gestured helplessly in front of her. “I wasn’t expecting . . .”

  Danny was already reaching for her when she started talking again.

  “I asked you to come over because I wanted to show you the pictures Dad took of Marcus after he was born. The ones you never received.”

  Danny’s hand dropped to his side. “You still have them?”

  “I carried them around with me for years until I started to worry they were going to fade away.” She swallowed hard and pushed a tattered envelope toward him. “Here you go.”

  Danny perched on one of the stools and slowly took out the three small photographs. He reminded himself to breathe as he scrutinized each picture.

  “He’s beautiful.” Danny cleared his throat. “Man . . .”

  Faith nodded. “He weighed about six pounds, which isn’t that big, but I wasn’t at full term when they did the caesarian.”

  Danny traced a finger over the tiny scrunched-up face. From the state of the photo he obviously wasn’t the first person to do so. A rush of love for this tiny unknown human being he and Faith had created together threatened to overwhelm him, which was ridiculous.

  “Thank you.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “This means a lot to me.”

  She nodded and offered him a watery smile. “I just wish you’d received my original letter.”

  “If I’d seen him then,” Danny said slowly, “I would’ve come to Vegas, taken him home, and dared anyone to try to stop me.”

  She leaned in; her body aligned with his as they both gazed down at the picture of their son.

  “About five minutes after that picture was taken all hell broke loose, and I ended up in a medically induced coma,” Faith said. “I didn’t see him again.”

  Danny wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “That sucks.”

  “Tell me about it.” She sighed. “I talked to my dad today.”

  “I guess it didn’t go well?” Danny asked, aware of the catch in her voice.

  “We kind of made up.” She paused and he was aware of her whole body stiffening as though whatever she was going to say next was going to be hard. “He told me to go and look in his desk.” She tapped the red leather folder in front of her. “I found this.”

  With a shuddering breath she opened it and Danny went still.

  “Is that . . . Marcus?”

  She nodded. “Apparently his new parents sent regular pictures of him for the first couple of years. I obviously had no idea because Dad chose not to share them with me until now.”

  Danny was hardly listening as he sifted through the pile of photographs and notes. Marcus sitting up for the first time, walking, sitting on the back of a horse . . .

  “Damn.” Danny’s throat closed up and he pushed away from the counter. He had to get away, had to deal with this somehow, had to—

  * * *

  “Where are you going?” Faith watched Danny march out of the kitchen, her mouth hanging open. “Are you okay?”

  She was now speaking to herself as the door banged shut behind him. Was he leaving? Had she done something wrong?

  She waited a couple of minutes and then got down from her stool and followed him outside. It was cool with a cold wind blowing off the Sierra foothills that tempered the high heat of the day. The pine trees around the house were roaring and sighing like high tide at the beach and it was difficult to see. She almost fell over him as he’d slid down the side of the house, his head in his hands.

  “Danny.”

  She crouched beside him and put a tentative hand on his shoulder. He turned his face away but not before she’d seen the tears on his cheeks.

  “It’s okay.” She wrapped her arms around his rigid shoulders. “It’s okay.”

  His reply was muffled against her shoulder, but she kept holding him until his arms came up and held her back. It wasn’t until she settled against him that she realized she’d been wanting someone, wanting Danny to comfort her like this for years.

  He pulled her close until she was basically sitting on his lap as the trees swayed and murmured around them and the moon appeared through the clouds. For the first time in forever, Faith finally felt at peace even as her heart broke right alongside Danny’s.

  He’d never been a great talker and she had no problem merely being in the moment for him, being there.

  “Sorry,” he eventually said.

  She kissed his ear. “Nothing to be sorry about. I’m a wreck, too.”

  “I just lost it.”

  She concentrated on breathing him in, not quite sure where the pine scent of the trees and his shower gel diverged, but quite willing to stay there until she worked it out.

  “It was the shock.”

  “I know.” She didn’t want to move—hadn’t felt so safe with anyone since they’d been together in their teens.

  “I mean, like, I’ve imagined what he looks like a million times but actually seeing him?” He shuddered. “It just hit me hard.”

  “He looks like you,” Faith said.

  “With your dark blue eyes.” He finally raised his head and leaned back against the wall of the house as Faith settled against his shoulder. “My dad doesn’t think Miller men should cry.”

  “Your dad is an idiot,” Faith said succinctly.

  “True. Why do I still care what he thinks? I’m almost thirty-five. It’s pathetic.”

  “He’s hard to ignore, especially when you live in the same house.”

  “Which is also ridiculous. I should’ve moved out years ago,” Danny said.

  “Hard to run a ranch from town,” Faith said.

  “Adam’s doing it.”

  “So I heard.” Faith shivered slightly
as the wind kicked up a notch.

  “I just see those pictures of Marcus looking so damn happy and well cared for, and part of me is like, that’s wonderful, and the rest of me is like, I should have been there. I should’ve been the one making him happy,” Danny said. “And then I realize that I’m talking like this has just happened and we weren’t two scared seventeen-year-old kids with no money, nowhere to go, and parents who would’ve been absolutely horrified if we’d admitted you were pregnant.”

  “They were horrified,” Faith agreed. She looked him in the eye. “And if Marcus came and told me he’d done the same thing right now I’d be freaking out, too, wouldn’t you?”

  Danny sighed. “I’d sure be disappointed.” He slid his hand around the back of her neck. “We’d already decided that if we couldn’t make a go of it, we were going to have him adopted, so I’m not sure why I’m getting bent out of shape about it now.”

  “He did look happy,” Faith said. “But I still wish—”

  Danny angled his head and kissed her, stopping her words. She didn’t have to think about whether to kiss him back and opened her mouth to him. With a groan he delved deep and she clung to his shoulders. He tasted the same, but the body beneath his clothes was now fully formed and honed with the strength of hard work into something far more potent.

  Eventually he drew back and looked down at her, his expression careful.

  “Do we mark this down to closure or is it something else?”

  “I don’t know,” Faith said honestly. “I just need—”

  This time she was the one who leaned into him and took his mouth. His arm locked around her hips bringing her astride his lap, making her aware of the hard ridge trapped behind the fly of his jeans. She rocked against him aware in some part of her brain that she was not thinking straight but was too into what was happening to care. She might care later, she tended to overanalyze everything, but not now, not now.

  She slid her hand into the collar of his shirt and explored his collarbone and his shoulder as his fingers curved around her breast. God, she wanted this . . . needed this.

  * * *

  A sweep of light monetarily dazzled Danny’s eyes as a truck pulled into the parking space in front of the house.