Ethan cast him a narrowed glanced. “So when you get to the ranch, what are you going to tell Lass?”
Lifting his Stetson from his head, Brady swiped a shaky hand over his hair. “I don’t have much choice. I have to tell her that her father is coming for her,” he said flatly. “And I have no idea how she’s going to react.”
Rising from his chair, Ethan rounded the desk and with a hand on Brady’s shoulder, urged him toward the door.
“You’ve done more than enough for today. Get home and give Lass the news. You can let me know what happens after Mr. Porter arrives tomorrow. And whatever you do, Brady, don’t let him take her without showing you the proper legal documents.”
As far as Brady was concerned the man needed to show more than a few paper documents to prove himself worthy of taking Lass anywhere. But he was only a lawman, sworn to protect a person’s legal rights, not their future happiness.
“You don’t have to worry about that, Ethan. I’m going to make sure Ward Porter is the real thing.”
An hour later, he arrived at the ranch and, other than the hired help, discovered the house empty. Even his grandmother was nowhere to be found, which was probably for the best, he thought, as he took the stairs to his bedroom two at a time. He wanted to go straight to Lass with this news. She deserved to hear it before anyone else.
Hurriedly, he changed out of his uniform, then drove over the mountain to Angel Wing Stables. The afternoon was warm and sunny and when he parked his truck in front of the main barn, he noticed that most all the activity appeared to be off to the right in the outdoor arena.
Climbing out of the truck, he headed in that direction only to be intercepted by Dallas, leading a chestnut pony behind her.
“Well, my little brother has finally resurfaced,” she said with a grin, then teased, “We were beginning to think we were going to have to drag out the family album to remember what you look like.”
“It’s been hectic,” he explained. “A couple of deputies have been off sick and another with a family emergency. The department’s been flooded with calls and working shorthanded made things even worse.”
“I’m sorry,” Dallas said and as she studied his strained features, her expression turned to one of concern. “You look so worn, Brady. Is anything wrong?”
He gave her a short nod. “I have news about Lass’s case. I need to talk to her about it.”
Sensing his urgency but having the tact not to question him, she said, “You should find her in the saddling corral.”
“Thanks,” he said, then turned to start in that direction.
Before he could take a step, Dallas caught his arm and he arched an inquisitive brow at her.
“What?” he asked.
Smiling, she suggested, “Maybe it would be better if you talked with Lass in private.”
“It would. Are you offering me the use of your office?” he asked.
“No. That place isn’t private. The staff comes and goes all the time. I was thinking you ought to drive her up to the old foreman’s house. I’d been planning on taking a few of the kids up there for a little cookout sometime soon, so I stocked the place with food last week. The two of you could relax without anyone bothering you.”
He couldn’t have been more grateful to his sister and he quickly leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thanks, sis. You’re my favorite.”
“And don’t forget it,” Dallas called out as he turned and trotted away from her.
The saddling corral was a small lot connected to a row of stalls where many of the Angel Wing horses were kept on a daily basis. When he stepped through a wide, wooden gate, he spotted Lass walking beneath the portico at the far end of the shed row. A saddle pad was bunched beneath her arm while Tyler was trailing after her, his gait stiff from the brace on his leg, but doggedly steady. She’d changed the boy, Brady realized. Just as she’d changed him.
“Hello, you two,” Brady called out to them.
Both Lass and Tyler turned at the sound of his voice and as he watched a bright smile light her face, Brady felt something stab him directly in the heart. Was he about to lose this woman forever?
Oh, God, he couldn’t think it. Not now.
“Hi, Brady,” Tyler greeted. “Have you come to ride with us today?”
“Maybe some other time, partner,” Brady told the boy. “Right now, I need to see if I can borrow our girl for a little while. Think you can manage without her?”
Tyler threw his little shoulders back proudly. “Sure, I can manage. Dallas is gonna let me brush Cloudwalker and help saddle him. So I’m gonna be busy anyway.” He held up a bridle for Brady to see. “I got to pick out his bridle today. See, it has silver and—” he looked to Lass for help “—what is that other stuff, Lass?”
She smiled. “Copper.”
“Yeah. Copper. It has all that fancy stuff on it. It’s neat, huh?”
Reaching out, Brady gently scuffed his knuckles against the boy’s cheek. “Hoppy couldn’t have done better.”
Tyler’s expression wrinkled with confusion. “Hoppy? Who’s that?”
Brady and Lass both laughed, then Brady promised, “Hopalong Cassidy, a famous cowboy. I’ll tell you all about him sometime.”
At that moment, Dallas hurried up to join them.
“Come on, Ty, let’s get that horse of yours saddled before the sun goes down,” she said, then gave a subtle signal to Brady and Lass to hit the trail.
As the two of them headed out of the corral, Lass shot him a glowing smile. “Do you know how happy I am to see you?”
At that moment, it was all Brady could do to keep from pulling her into his arms and kissing her. But with children milling about, he couldn’t take the chance, because he knew that once his lips touched hers, he wouldn’t be able to control his hunger.
“When you left my bed the other night, I had no idea we were going to be apart this long,” he explained. “Things have been…worse than hectic. But I’ll explain all that later. Right now we’re leaving here. I’ve already talked to Dallas.”
She stared at him in surprise. “Leaving? Why?”
He grimaced. “Because—we need to talk.”
Picking up the serious note in his voice, she nodded in silent agreement. “I’ll go get my things and meet you at your truck.”
The old foreman’s house was a small stucco structure built on the side of the mountain about a mile from where the riding stables were located. The road up to the old empty home place wasn’t graveled, but since the last rain was long ago it had dried up to make the narrow path hard packed and easy to navigate.
As they climbed the twisting road, through a thick stand of juniper, Lass looked at him in confusion. “Why are we going on this road? I thought you said we needed to talk.”
“We’re going somewhere quiet,” he answered. “You’ll understand when we get there.”
“Why don’t we talk now?” she asked, and then slanted him a confused glance. “Are you angry with me about something, Brady?”
Realizing she didn’t understand anything that was going on, he reached across the console between their seats, to clasp her hand. “No. I’m not angry at all. Why would I be?”
Her gaze dropped to her lap. “I’m not sure,” she said quietly. “You seem upset. Maybe…you’re regretting the other night…when we made love.” Her head came up and she squared around in the seat to look at him. “Maybe you’re wishing that it never happened, that I…hadn’t fallen in love with you.”
She looked miserable and Brady felt even worse. Groaning, he shook his head. “No! I’m upset because—” His jaw tightened as they topped a steep rise then flattened out directly in front of the old stucco. “Here we are. Let’s go in.”
Even though the cool evening air had already started to move in, the house was stuffy from being closed up. While Brady opened the windows, Lass walked around, gazing at the rustic surroundings, but not really seeing anything. She was too anxious and keyed up to concent
rate on her surroundings. Whatever it was that Brady had to say, she wanted him to get it over with.
The tenseness she was feeling must have shown on her face because the moment he returned to her side, he gently took hold of her arm and led her over to a small, wood-framed couch. “Let’s sit down,” he suggested, “so we can be comfortable.”
Lass sank next to him on the green cushions and while she waited for him to continue, her thoughts rolled over the past few days since his work schedule had gone awry. Without his company, she’d felt empty and as each day had come and gone, she’d imagined how it would be once he was back home and they finally had a chance to be together. Her whole body had been hungering, pining for him, and she’d envisioned him swooping her up into his arms and kissing her until they were both breathless. Had their time apart caused his desire for her to wane?
“I have news for you,” he said finally. “And I wanted us to be alone when I gave it to you.”
The grim look on his face put a chill in her heart. “What sort of news?” she asked hoarsely. “Is it…about me? My case?”
He wiped a hand over his face, then swallowed as though his throat was so lodged with words none of them could get out. “I don’t know any other way to tell you this, Lass, except that I—”
His troubled gaze caught hers and she inwardly shivered at the dark, foreboding shadows she saw in his green eyes. “I believe I’ve found your father.”
Incredulous, her head reared back as she stared at him. “My…father!” she spluttered. “I thought—Oh, God, I thought you were only going to say that you’d found someone else who’d recognized me being in Ruidoso. This is…Are you sure?”
“Not a hundred percent. But close to it.”
Unconsciously her fingertips lifted to her mouth as her breaths started coming fast and short. “Oh, Brady, how—”
“The brand on your old horse, Rusty. It was an F that went with the P. An F for Farms. Porter Farms. Does that ring a bell?”
She closed her eyes as all sort of images began to fly at her like whirling debris in the spin of a tornado. Rooms and furnishings. Barns and stalls. Large trees and thick St. Augustine grass covering the lawn like green carpet. She could almost smell the grill on the patio, the mockingbirds chirping in the live oaks, her mother’s sweet voice calling to her, calling out her name.
“Oh, God,” she whispered in awe. “My name is Camille! Camille Porter.”
A heavy breath rushed out of him and she opened her eyes to see his expression had turned to one of a sad sort of acceptance. His reaction didn’t make sense to her. In fact, it scared her and she flung her arms around his neck and held on tightly.
“Brady, what does this all mean? What’s going to happen now?”
His arms circled around her and pulled her so close she could scarcely breathe. “Your father is coming tomorrow. I’m figuring he has plans to take you back home with him. Do you remember his name?”
Her face buried in the side of his neck, she continued to cling to him. “No. But I can visualize him now. He—I was very angry with him when I left the ranch. I remember that much. I think I’ve been angry with him for a long time. Each time I picture him—the two of us together—I feel this huge sense of betrayal and disappointment, but I can’t remember why I should feel that way.” Lifting her head from his shoulder, she looked at him with sudden conviction. “I don’t want to go back with him, Brady. I—”
“Oh, Lass, sweet Lass, don’t go getting all worked up right now. We don’t know what’s going to happen yet.”
Another thought struck her, and she untangled herself from his arms and rose to her feet.
“Brady, did he…Did you find out about the man? The one who took me from the racetrack? Did my father mention him or a…husband?”
“No. If this man truly is your father, he didn’t mention you having any sort of family. And when I first talked to his secretary she only mentioned Mr. Porter and a daughter. I didn’t bring up the subject of the man at the racetrack. To him or the secretary. I didn’t want to tip our hand.”
She stared at him. “What do you mean?”
Rising from the couch, he closed his hands over her shoulders. “Lass, as a lawman I have to keep my mind open to any and every thing. If Ward Porter had any sort of connection to the man at the racetrack, I want to question him about it before he has a chance to plan his answers.”
Stunned, her head jerked back and forth with disbelief. “Do you think…Oh, surely my father didn’t send him to harm me?”
The horror of that thought filled her eyes with tears and then she gripped the sides of her head with both hands and moaned. “I can’t think, Brady,” she said, her voice full of anguish. “Everything is rushing at me. Emotions. Memories. Fears. Oh, God, it has to end! No matter what happens to me, it has to end!”
Her knees suddenly grew so mushy that she was forced to grab the front of his shirt to prevent her body from sliding to the floor.
Muttering a curse, Brady quickly swept her up in his arms and carried her to the back of the house to one of its two bedrooms.
As soon as he deposited her on the bed, she rolled to her side and pressed a hand to her forehead. “I’m sorry, Brady. I just got a little shaky there for a moment.”
“Lie still and don’t talk,” he ordered. “I’ll be right back.”
By the time he returned with a cool glass of water, she was feeling stronger. After she took several long sips from the glass, he placed it on a nearby dresser, then took a seat on the edge of the mattress.
“Better now?” he asked.
She nodded weakly. “At least my head doesn’t feel like it’s going to rip apart.”
“I should call Bridget to come look you over. Or take you into the hospital,” he suggested, his expression tight with concern.
Sighing, she turned on her back and looked up at him. “I don’t need medical attention, Brady. I need time to absorb all of this. It’s…too much for me to deal with all at once.”
He stroked the hair off her forehead. “I knew this wasn’t going to be easy for you. It’s not…easy for me, either.”
With a look of anguish she rose to a sitting position and cupped his face with her hands. “Brady, I’m so scared. What’s going to happen to me?”
Gathering her close to him, he spoke close to her ear. “Nothing is going to happen to you, Lass.”
“It will,” she sobbed into his shirt. “If I have to leave you.”
Suddenly his hands were on her face, tilting her head back and away from him. She blinked away the moisture in her eyes to see that he was gazing at her with hunger and need and something she’d not ever seen on his face before.
“Lass, ever since the night we made love—no even before that—I knew that you were special, I could feel something happening between us. I didn’t want to think I was falling in love with you. I thought that was something that would happen a few years down the road, when I was good and ready to let it happen.” His mouth twisted to a rueful grin. “I didn’t understand it was something a person couldn’t control.”
Her heart seemed to stop as it waited, wondered, hoped that she was hearing the very thing it needed to survive. “Brady, are you—are you telling me that you love me?”
His fingers delved into her hair, stroked ever so softly against her temple. “I’m telling you that I love you, Lass.”
Tears brimmed over the rim of her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. “Are you saying this because you…think it’s something I want to hear?”
An anguished groan growled deep in his throat. “Oh, Lass, how could you think that? I…wasn’t going to tell you. Not now. Not with everything else that’s going on. You already have more than enough to deal with.”
“But…don’t you understand, Brady? All this other stuff about me—about my past—it doesn’t matter. Hearing you say that you love me is all that I need.”
With a rueful shake of his head, he pulled her back to him and buried his face in
the side of her hair. “But it does matter, Lass. You can’t just wipe away the life you’d been leading, as though it didn’t exist. You need to go back—to remember—to face the problems you were having and deal with them. Unless you do that I don’t think—” He paused as a heavy breath rushed out of him. “I don’t think we could ever be truly happy together.”
“But Brady—”
“That man, Lass, the one at the track. If you remember him kissing you, then the two of you must have had some sort of relationship. That’s why you need to go back to Porter Farms, to give yourself time to remember what he meant to you. Because I…don’t want us being together to be a mistake, Lass.”
Pulling back from him, she stared at him in stunned wonder. “Brady, I told you that he was kissing me against my will! He was the one who was trying to hurt me! How do you think I could ever have feelings for him?”
Grimacing, he closed his eyes. “Because I don’t know what he meant to you in the first place! Lovers have arguments, Lass. They do and say terrible things to each other. In my line of work I see it all the time. Then after a few days, everything is forgiven and forgotten and the two of them are back together.”
“Not with me,” she said flatly.
His eyes opened, then narrowed skeptically on her face. “All right. Maybe that man wasn’t important to you. So how can you be sure there wasn’t someone else? Someone you’d fallen in love with and you just haven’t remembered him yet?”
More tears formed in her eyes, then splashed onto her face. “Because I know I wouldn’t feel what I do whenever I touch you, Brady. When I search my heart, all I can find is the love I feel for you.”
He stared at her for long moments, and then with a stifled groan, he pressed his cheek against hers. “Oh, Lass, I hope you’re right. Because I—I’m not sure I can live without you.”
She wanted to assure him that he wouldn’t have to, but she held the words back. She understood that nothing she could say now would convince him that her life was meant to be with him. The best she could do to convey her love was to show him, to let her lips, her hands and fingers do all the talking.
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