“About what?”
“About who I was.” She bit the inside of her cheek and lifted her arms helplessly, unsure of which fire to try to put out first. Could this get any worse? “Why are you here?”
He frowned. “Jack Austin called and told me you turned this place around. He said Scott told him about the promotion and Jack thought I should reconsider you for the position.” He sighed. “I’m not happy with how you handled this but I have to admit, I’m impressed with the work you’ve done.”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t just me. It took all of us. The staff. Cal and Tim. Mac and his childr—” Her chest clenched painfully. “Look, I don’t care about impressing anyone anymore. That’s what got me into this mess to begin with. I lied to you. I lied to Mac. And I lied to myself.” She shook her head. “I don’t want the promotion and I don’t want to work at the company anymore, either.” She laughed, the sound harsh even to her own ears. “I don’t even want to stay in New York.”
“Dani—”
“Dad, please.” She headed for the hallway. “I can’t do this with you right now.”
She left, walking past an open-mouthed Ann whose rapt eyes stayed glued to every step she took.
The door to the room Mac had entered was slightly ajar. Dani nudged it open then stepped inside, shutting it behind her.
Mac stood at the window, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his broad back to her.
“Mac.”
His shoulders stiffened. “I asked you to leave.”
Dani trembled, her legs feeling as though they might give out beneath her. “I know.” She swallowed hard. “And after you hear me out, if you still want me to, I will.”
“There’s nothing left to say.”
“There is.” She moved closer and smoothed her dress with shaky fingers. “I’m sorry for lying to you. It means nothing now to say that I was going to tell you the truth...but I really was. And I have been telling you the truth for quite some time now.”
“Really?” He faced her, the tight set of his expression and shadowed eyes sending a stab of pain through her. “Which part was true, Danielle?” His mouth twisted. “The part where you made me think you were broke and desperate? That you actually needed a job on a run-down ranch about to be seized by the bank?”
She flinched, tears filling her eyes.
“The part where you let me confide in you then tried to talk me into selling my family’s land even when you knew I had no intention of doing so.” His tone tightened as he moved closer. “The part where you stood with me on the overlook, claiming you wanted to help—”
“I did want to help.”
“—then talked me into changing everything.” He clenched his fists. “Everything.” He winced, his face paling. “Or the part where you lay in my bed? When you put your hands on me and told me you loved me?”
A sob broke past her lips. She ran over, wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his chest. “That wasn’t a lie. Nothing about last night was a lie.” She squeezed him harder. “I love you, Mac. More than anything.”
His arms stayed still by his sides, his voice strained. “I didn’t even know your real name until today.”
“Mac, please.” She lifted her head and cradled his face, her thumbs brushing over the tight clench of his jaw. “I never lied about loving you. When I came here, I pretended to be someone I’m not because I wanted to buy this land and impress my father. But things changed and I fell in love with you.” She pressed closer. “The woman who kissed you at Sugar Falls was me. I’m the same woman you went camping with. The one you held in your arms by the creek. And it was me last night, loving you and wanting you more than anything in the world.”
He stared down at her, silently.
“I wish there was an easy answer,” she whispered. “I wish I could go back and do things differently, but I can’t. I wish I could tell you that I wasn’t the woman who lied to you. Who gave you a different name and was desperate to be something more than she was. But that was me, too.” She lifted to her toes, touched her forehead to his. “I’m not perfect, Mac. I messed up. I did a lot of dumb things trying to earn my father’s approval and none of it mattered because love doesn’t work that way. Not real love. The kind I feel for you.” She brushed her lips against his, kissing him softly. “You know me better than anyone. The real me. Flaws and all. And all I can do is start over, ask you to forgive me and hope that you can.”
His eyes squeezed shut and his arms wrapped around her, holding her close. It was quiet for a few moments then he spoke, his voice heavy. “But you didn’t just lie to me. You lied to my kids.”
Her heart sank and she sagged against him, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. “I know.”
His big hands drifted over her hair then smoothed over her shoulders. She hid her face against the base of his throat and cried, memorizing the feel of his strong palms on her skin.
After a while, he released her then walked slowly to the door. He opened it and turned away from her. “Please leave, Dani.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist and tried to regain her composure. “C-can I tell them goodbye?”
He looked back at her. His cheeks were wet and a muscle in his jaw clenched. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. This is going to hurt them enough as it is.”
Dani nodded, choking back another sob, then left quietly.
She returned to the cabin, changed her clothes then packed the few items she’d brought with her in her ragged bag. Hitching the worn strap over her shoulder, she took one last look around then started up the dirt path to her car.
“Here.” Nate stepped alongside her, his pace slowing to match hers as he lifted the bag from her shoulder. “Let me help you out with that.”
She averted her eyes and watched her scuffed shoes move across the dirt with each step. “I guess you heard about what happened.”
“Yeah. I ran across your father on my way out and Ann’s been telling everyone within a ten-mile radius.” He laughed, the sound humorless. “News travels fast around Elk Valley. That’s one of the reasons I keep my distance from this place.”
“I should’ve listened to you.” She dragged the back of her hand across her wet face. “I should’ve told Mac myself a long time ago.”
“Maybe. But do you really think it would’ve made a difference?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. But at least he wouldn’t have found out from someone else. I could’ve spared him that.”
They reached her car and Nate put her bag in the passenger seat. “Give him some time. He might come around.”
Fresh tears surged to her eyes and she turned away. Blinking hard, she focused on the mountains in the distance. The smoky mist was thin and the sun shined bright across the valley.
How in the world would she manage to leave Elk Valley and start over? Without Jaxon, Nadine and Maddie? Without Mac?
Nate gestured across the valley. “There’s a couple people that want to speak to you before you go.”
She rolled her lips and looked at the fields. Horses were saddled in one of the paddocks and a group of guests sat on the ground by their backpacks.
Tim and Cal noticed her, left the group of guests and strode over to the car.
“Headed out?” Tim asked.
She nodded. “I’m not exactly welcome anymore. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you who I really was.”
Cal scoffed. “We know exactly who you are.”
Dani rubbed her forehead, her stomach churning with guilt and embarrassment. “Look, Cal. I don’t want to argue with you right n—”
“You’re a damned hard worker and a helluva good boss.”
Her eyes shot to his. There wasn’t a trace of sarcasm or mocking in his gaze. Just sincerity and...admiration?
Cal tipped his chin to the mountains in the dista
nce. “Not just anyone could come in here and bring this place back to life. You got to understand the land, respect your team and work your ass off. You’re damned good at all that.”
She gaped then struggled to find her voice. “You...you think I’m a good boss?”
“No.” He raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching. “I said you’re a helluva good boss. Get it straight, city girl, ’cuz I ain’t got time to explain it to you.”
Surprisingly, that made her smile. Then laugh. And before she could reconsider it, she threw her arms around Cal and hugged him as tight as she could. “Thank you.”
He patted her back awkwardly then wiggled away, a scowl on his face. “You could cut back on the girly stuff though. Ain’t got time for this foolishness. There’s work to do.” He spun and stomped off. “Come on, Tim. We got guests waiting.”
Tim smiled and tipped his hat. “It was a pleasure working with you, ma’am.”
Heart aching, Dani whispered, “Same here.”
Chapter Twelve
Mac nudged a bowl of strawberries across the kitchen table toward Maddie. “Eat up, baby.”
She continued pushing scrambled eggs around her plate, her breakfast mostly untouched. “I’m not hungry.”
He picked up the bowl and moved it the other side of the table. “Nadine?”
“No, thank you,” she said, poking a slice of ham with her fork.
Mac moved it to the left. “Jaxon?”
He looked up from the table briefly, glancing at the strawberries. “Uh-uh.”
Sighing, Mac returned the bowl to its original position. In the two weeks since Dani had left, all three of them picked at their food, rarely cracked a smile and barely talked. And he couldn’t blame them, since he’d done the same.
As much as he hated to admit it, he missed Dani. Missed her smile and her laugh. Even her sassy ponytail. Nothing on the ranch had been the same since she’d left.
“I got to head out,” Nate said, rising from the table and tossing his napkin on his plate. “I need to get on the road if I’m gonna make it to that competition in Texas.”
“You can’t stay a few more days?” Mac asked.
He’d known it was coming. Nate had been as morose as he and the children had over the past two weeks, though Mac suspected it was for a reason other than Dani leaving. And Nate had grown especially antsy over the last couple of days. A sure sign he was getting ready to bolt again.
“What for?” Nate shook his head. “You canceled the last two reservations we had for retreats and Cal and Tim are handling the hikes and trail rides fine on their own. You don’t need an extra hand anymore.”
Mac stilled, smiling a little as he recalled the day Dani had arrived. He could still see her standing there with her hands on her hips and fire in her eyes, insisting she could do the job. He’d had his doubts, but she’d proved him wrong and pulled it off—in more ways than he’d suspected at the time.
The thought punched another hole in his heart, a stark reminder of why he’d halted the corporate retreats Ann had booked. It wasn’t just the bitter taste in his mouth that had made him throw in the towel. It was also the fact that the new side of Elk Valley Ranch’s business just didn’t work well without Dani.
Between his lack of drive and business floundering again, he hadn’t seen the point. So, he’d neglected to submit the back payment on his loan. Which meant the thick envelope bearing the bank’s logo that Cal had brought in this morning more than likely contained a foreclosure notice. Mac hadn’t had the courage to open it and face the reality yet.
“Stay at least one more day, Nate,” Mac said through stiff lips.
“And do what?” Nate asked. “Sit in the lodge and stagnate? That’s all you’ve been doing for the past week.”
Mac winced. The idea of returning to his regular routine, for however much longer he owned this place, filled him with dread. He’d tried going through the motions for several days after Dani had left but almost every square inch of the ranch reminded him of her.
He could still see her swinging that ax in the field, a satisfied expression on her face. Could still feel her soft lips against his as he rode his horse past the paddock fence she’d helped repair. And he swore he could still smell her sweet scent in his bed despite the fact that he’d changed the sheets at least a dozen times.
“We could all hike up to the overlook,” Mac added. “Camp out for a night or two.”
That’d get him away from the ranch for a little while, at least. But the problem was, the memories of Dani’s soft touch and open arms didn’t exist solely in his bed or on the land. They were rooted firmly in his heart.
“You hear that, kids?” Nate leaned on the table and smiled. “Your dad wants to know if you want to hike up to the overlook and camp. Want to go?”
Jaxon crossed his arms, Maddie shook her head and Nadine stabbed the ham on her plate harder, rattling the dishes on the table.
Nate looked at Mac and raised his brows. “There’s your answer.”
Mac dragged a hand across the back of his neck. “Jaxon, take the dirty dishes to the sink, please.”
“If I do, can I call Ms. Dani?”
Maddie straightened in her chair and blinked. Nadine stilled, her fork sticking in the mutilated meat.
“Jaxon, take the dishes—”
“That’s not an answer.” He shoved away from the table and stood. “Can I call her or not?”
Mac stiffened. “I know you’re upset, son, but you need to watch your tone. Don’t raise your voice to me.”
Jaxon blushed and dipped his head. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I just miss her.”
“Me, too,” Maddie said.
“Why can’t we call her, Dad?” Nadine asked.
Mac cringed. “Because things are complicated.”
“What kind of complicated?” Nadine asked.
Mac hesitated. After Dani had left, he hadn’t had the courage to explain the entire situation to the girls. He’d told them as gently as he could that Dani had returned to New York for another job. It hadn’t been the whole truth, but it was the best he could manage at the time.
Jaxon, on the other hand, had seen and heard the majority of what had happened and his resentment at being unable to reach out to Dani grew more intense with each of Mac’s refusals.
“She said she was sorry.” Jaxon frowned, his mouth trembling. “Why won’t you just give her a chance to fix it?”
“Fix what?” Nadine asked.
Mac rubbed his temples. “She lied, Jaxon. To all of us.”
“People make mistakes,” Nate said quietly.
Mac shot his brother a look. “You’re not helping, Nate.”
Nate shrugged and held up his hands.
“What did Ms. Dani lie about?” Maddie asked.
Mac glanced at Maddie. She looked up at him, confused and vulnerable, and he had no idea how to explain it to her. “Ms. Dani lied about why she came here. She’s not a ranch hand and she didn’t need the work.”
Nadine scooted close to his side. “But did she say she was sorry?”
Mac grimaced. “Nadine—”
“Yes,” Jaxon said firmly. “She did say she was sorry. Didn’t she, Dad?”
Mac shifted in his seat and rubbed his chin. “She did but—”
“No buts.” Nadine pointed her finger at him and shook it. “If she said she’s sorry then everything’s okay.”
Mac groaned. “Nadine, that’s not how it works.”
“Yes, it is.” She rose to her knees in her chair and brought her face level to his. “When I make Maddie cry, someone always make me say I’m sorry then everything’s okay. That’s how it works.”
Mac smiled and brushed his fingers through her hair. “That’s true. But this is different.”
“Why’s it different?�
� Nadine asked.
“It’s different because Ms. Dani did something that hurt us all very badly.”
Maddie climbed up close to him, too, and frowned. “So you don’t love her anymore?”
Mac froze. His heart gave a clear answer but his head didn’t want to acknowledge it.
“Because you said...” Maddie’s brow furrowed and she thought for a minute before reciting, “You said, if you love someone, there’s nothing they can do or not do to make you love them any less.” She stared at him, expression earnest. “That’s what you told me. Was that true, too?”
God help me. Mac slumped back in his seat, studying the accusation in his daughters’ eyes. He was at a loss—a complete damned loss—of how to argue his point.
Nadine looked at Maddie, nodded then climbed down from her chair. “Maybe you need to say you’re sorry, Dad.” She stacked her dirty dishes then glanced at him with a stern expression. “And make it a polite one, ’cuz that’s the kind Ms. Dani likes.”
She sashayed to the sink, dumped her dirty dishes in it then left, saying over her shoulder, “I’m going out to play.”
Maddie and Jaxon smiled then followed suit, putting away their dirty dishes and chasing each other out of the room.
Nate laughed and rocked back on his heels. “Just so you know, that kid got her smarts from me, not you.”
Mac grunted. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“It’s true,” Nate said, voice firming. “Otherwise, you’d be talking things out with Dani right now instead of trying to defend yourself to your seven-year-old daughter.”
Mac’s cheeks heated. “You know this isn’t that simple.”
“In this situation? With you and Dani?” Nate nodded. “Yeah, it is. You may not have had a choice with Nicole all those years ago, but you’ve got one right now with Dani.”
“And what choice would that be?”
“You can choose to forgive her.” Nate dragged a hand over his face. “Not all of us do the right thing like you. Some of us screw things up pretty badly. I know I do.”
Mac sat silently, studying his brother.
A Home with the Rancher Page 17
