Luke

by R. C. Ryan

  “I’m not going to sugarcoat things, boy. I won’t bother to tell you that pain will go away soon. It won’t.” Burke heaved a sigh. “But I will tell you that one day you’ll wake up thinking about something besides the loss of your ma and pa. Not tomorrow. Not the next day. But one day it will happen. It’s the same with all the tears that right now are sticking in your throat, threatening to choke you every time you swallow. One day, out of the blue, you’ll find yourself chuckling. Or laughing right out loud. It’ll catch you by surprise, but it’ll feel good, and you’ll do it again. That’s the way life is. One day your heart is so broken, you can barely breathe. And the next day, you find a reason to smile. Maybe just a little reason, but it’ll be enough to lift you up. And before you know it, you’ve gone more days smiling than crying.”

  “I’ve got no reason to smile. Not now. Not ever.”

  “You say that now. But you’re one of the lucky ones, Reed.” Burke turned to the boy. “You’ve got a powerful love of this ranch, this land, and especially the cattle. I’ve seen it since you were no bigger’n a pup.”

  Reed couldn’t deny it. He loved this ranch with an all-consuming passion. He loved the land, the cattle, the wildness of this place. And he had dreams. Dreams he’d shared with his parents of making their herds the healthiest, and demanding the highest price ever. The Malloy Ranch would be a name respected around the world. He wasn’t sure just how he would make that dream come true, but this much he knew: If being willing to work harder than anybody, if giving up everything others took for granted counted for anything, he would make it all happen.

  And the key was the cattle. He didn’t know the how or why of it, but the feeling was so strong, he was nearly consumed by it.

  But the loss of his parents left him feeling alone and crushed by the weight of his loss.

  The boy turned to the old man. “Did you ever lose someone you loved, Burke?”

  The foreman stared into the flames, his eyes shrouded in secrets. “I have. I’ve been where you are now, son.”

  Something in the quiet tone of his voice had the boy holding back any more questions. Instead he sat, absorbing the heat of the fire and the warmth of understanding he could feel vibrating from the tough old man beside him.

  Burke Cowley was the man every wrangler on the Malloy Ranch turned to in time of need, whether it was doctoring a sick cow or calming a cowboy during a crisis. He could be as tender as a new mother when treating a wrangler’s injuries and as vicious as a wounded bear when crossed by some drunken fool who didn’t follow orders. Burke could work circles around every wrangler on the Malloy Ranch and still tend a herd all night in a raging storm. If this tough old cowboy could survive a powerful loss, Reed felt the first tiny flicker of hope that he’d make it through the raw pain that burned like the fires of hell in his heart.

  Like the man said, maybe not tomorrow. But one day.

  Still, Reed sensed a storm raging inside him. Bigger, stronger than the one raging outside the walls of this cabin. Pa used to say he’d been born with it; it had been there simmering inside him from the moment he gave his first lusty birth cry. Unlike his older brothers—Matt, who was always in control, and Luke, a rolling stone who loved nothing more than a challenge—there was just something inside Reed, the tough, determined youngest of the family, that set him apart.

  But first he would have to learn to put aside this terrible grief and tame the temper lurking inside him. He sensed that if he didn’t learn to tame it, this emotion could take control, and that he would never allow. If anything, he wanted to be in control of his own destiny.

  He knew one thing. Nothing would ever take him from this place and the cattle. Not even the loss of the two people he cherished more than any in the world.

  Chapter One

  Malloy Ranch—Present Day

  After more than a month in the hills that circled the ranch, Reed Malloy looked more like a trail bum than a member of a successful ranch family. His hair hung to his shoulders. His face was covered in a rough beard. His clothes were filthy.

  He unsaddled his mount, tossing the saddle over the rail of the stall before filling troughs with feed and water. In the stall alongside him, his uncle, Colin Malloy, did the same.

  That done, the two men trudged toward the house, noting the line of trucks.

  “As usual,” Colin said with a laugh, “I see Matt and Luke and their wives manage to never miss a meal.”

  Both of Reed’s older brothers were building homes on Malloy land, and they currently divided their time between the new construction and the family ranch. The bulk of their time was still spent here, but because of its size, nobody felt crowded.

  Reed was grinning at the noise level as he scraped his boots before stepping into the mudroom. He hung his jacket and hat on hooks by the door and rolled his sleeves before pausing to wash up at the big sink.

  In the doorway he stood watching as the familiar scene unfolded. Yancy Martin, the ranch cook, was lifting a pan of cinnamon biscuits from the oven. The wonderful fragrance filled the room.

  Reed’s grandparents, Frank and Gracie, were seated on a sofa across the room, sipping coffee. His great-grandfather, Nelson LaRou, a once-famous Hollywood director now retired, who was called the Great One by all the family, seemed to be enjoying the heated conversation between Matt and Luke, who were standing nose to nose while arguing over the best grazing lands. Matt’s wife, Vanessa, and Luke’s recent bride, Ingrid, along with Ingrid’s little sister, Lily, continued setting platters on the big trestle table, oblivious to the noise. Burke Cowley stood to one side, grinning and sipping his coffee, without saying a word.

  Matt turned to Reed. “Finally, somebody with a brain. Tell Luke what you told me about the South Ridge pasture.”

  Reed crossed the room and helped himself to a mug of steaming coffee. “Sorry. It’s been a long morning. While you guys were still thinking about getting out of bed, Colin and I made the long trek from the hills after riding herd on a bunch of ornery cows for the past month. My backside aches, my stomach is grumbling, and I’m not getting dragged into a family feud.”

  “We’re not feuding. Hell,” Luke muttered, “if we were, fists would be flying.”

  “Not in my kitchen.” Yancy drained a platter of crisp bacon and handed it to Ingrid.

  The others chuckled.

  “We’re having a…lively discussion.” Matt set down his mug with a clatter.

  “And I’m having breakfast before I starve.” Reed turned to Yancy. “Is it ready?”

  “All ready.” Yancy began tossing flapjacks onto a huge plate. “Get it while it’s hot.”

  As one, the family began gathering around the big table, with Frank and Gracie at one end and the Great One at the other. Matt, Vanessa, Luke, and Ingrid sat on one side, and Lily, Reed, and Yancy sat on the other.

  Ingrid’s sister, nine-year-old Lily Larsen, had adopted the Great One as her very own grandfather, and she glowed whenever she looked at him. The old man accepted her hero worship as a sacred trust, and he had completely lost his heart to this tough little tomboy.

  As they passed the platters of bacon, scrambled eggs, flapjacks and syrup, as well as toast and cinnamon biscuits, the conversation turned, as always, to the family business.

  Frank turned to Reed. “I’m surprised you’d leave the herd in the middle of the season. How did Colin pry you away?”

  Reed took a moment to savor Yancy’s light-as-air pancakes before turning toward the ranch foreman. “Burke sent word that if I didn’t take a break soon he’d hog-tie me and haul my—” A glance at his grandmother had him pausing to remember where he was. He might swear like a wrangler when up in the hills, but here at home, he was respectful. He added lamely, “He’d haul my hide down the mountain himself.”

  Frank turned to Burke. “What’s this about? You know it’s do-or-die time for Reed.”

  “True,” the foreman said. “But even a dedicated cattleman needs time away from his herd so he doesn
’t forget how to be civilized.”

  Luke looked up. “Are you saying our little brother is going caveman on us?”

  At his remark, the others laughed.

  Burke nodded. “Take a look at him. Hair to his shoulders. Beard longer than Father Time’s. He’s been spending so much time in the hills, I wasn’t sure he was even human. So I suggested he take a few days here. I’m sure the wranglers can keep his precious herd safe that long.”

  Reed ducked his head and continued eating.

  It was no secret that he was pinning a lot of hope on a herd he was raising on the North Ridge, using no antibiotics to enhance their growth and feeding them only range grass. Since he’d begun experimenting with his special herd back in his teens, he’d never once seen a profit. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the family picking up the cost, he would have had to give up on his dream years ago.

  But now he was feeling even greater pressure to succeed.

  On his last trip to Italy, Matt, the family’s designated business manager, had managed to swing a deal with Leone Industries, a successful, well-respected multinational conglomerate. They were willing to take a chance on the fledgling green industry, hoping to corner the market on all-natural beef. For the first time since he’d begun his project, all Reed’s years of backbreaking work promised to pay off. Not only could he repay the debt he owed to his family, but he could also bring their already successful ranch business into the future.

  “They’re looking healthy.” He turned to his uncle, who’d accompanied him on his predawn ride. “Wouldn’t you say so?”

  Colin nodded. “We did the usual weigh-in, to see if they’re keeping up with the herd getting antibiotics and enhanced feed. So far, they’re matching pound for pound.”

  “That’s great.” Frank turned to Matt. “Think they’ll be ready for shipment after roundup?”

  “If Reed says they’ll be ready, they will be.” Matt smiled at his wife. “Maybe Nessa and I will go along to make sure they arrive safely.”

  “Very noble of you, bro.” Reed nudged Yancy, and the two shared a grin. “I’m sure while you’re in Rome, you’ll be forced to spend some time at Maria’s villa and sip a few bottles of her family’s wine.”

  “Just to be sociable,” Matt deadpanned.

  Around the table, everyone shared in the joke. Matt had been promising his wife a trip to Italy when their new house was completed. And in truth, no one else was willing to volunteer. Most of them preferred life on the ranch to international travel, even if that travel meant enjoying some exotic perks.

  “I need someone to drive me into town today,” the Great One announced.

  “What time?” Reed helped himself to seconds.

  “Noon. I have an appointment with”—the old man stared pointedly at Colin—“Dr. Anita Cross. She wants to check my heart.”

  “Did you tell her you don’t have one?”

  At Colin’s comment, the others chuckled.

  “This is your last chance to have an excuse to see the pretty doctor, sonny boy.”

  “Sorry, Great One.” Colin shook his head. “You know I’ll take any excuse to spend time with Anita, but it’s my turn to take up the Cessna.”

  The family routinely flew across their land to check on herds, outbuildings, and far-flung wranglers, to assess anything that might need their attention.

  Reed polished off the last of his eggs. “I don’t mind driving you, Great One. While you’re seeing the good doctor, I’ll load up on supplies and maybe even stop by the Pig Sty and have a longneck with the locals.” He shot a grin at Burke. “Is that civilized enough for you?”

  “Just so you don’t spoil your appetite for supper.” Yancy circled the table topping off cups of coffee. “I’m planning on grilling steaks.”

  “With your special twice-baked potatoes, I hope.” Frank reached for a pitcher of maple syrup.

  “You bet.” Yancy ruffled Lily’s hair before adding, “And chocolate torte for the ladies.”

  Grace was all smiles. “You just said the magic word, Yancy.”

  “I thought that’d make you happy, Miss Grace.”

  Later, as breakfast wound down and the family members made ready for the day, Luke elbowed his younger brother. “I suggest you shave and have Yancy cut that hair before you go to town, or nobody will recognize you. But I’m glad you’re the one stuck taking the Great One to town. I’d rather watch paint dry than have to spend hours twiddling my thumbs in Glacier Ridge.” He shook his head as he turned away muttering, “Nothing ever happens in that place.”

  Reed halted the ranch truck next to the entrance of the Glacier Ridge Clinic and hopped out, circling around to the passenger side to assist his great-grandfather.

  After breakfast he’d taken a seat in the yard while Yancy gave him a haircut, a chore the ranch cook had gladly taken on when Reed and his brothers were kids. Then Reed had shaved his beard before taking the longest shower of his life.

  Burke had been right, he thought. He was feeling almost human again.

  The minute they stepped inside the clinic, the medical assistant, Agnes, hurried over. “Hello, Mr. LaRou. Dr. Anita told me to take you into Exam Room One.” She turned to Reed. “Are you staying in town?”

  He nodded. “I’ll either be at D & B’s Diner or Clay’s Pig Sty.”

  “I’ll call you when Dr. Cross is finished here.”

  He patted the old man’s shoulder. “Have fun.”

  The Great One gave him a slanted look. “Don’t I always?”

  Reed was grinning as he climbed into the truck and drove slowly through town. Knowing the Great One, he’d soon have the entire staff mesmerized with his inside stories of Hollywood’s rich and famous.

  He spotted a vacant parking slot halfway between the diner and Trudy Evans’s shop, Anything Goes. Minutes later he started walking up the street, enjoying the sunny day as he glanced in the windows of all the buildings that made up the little town of Glacier Ridge.

  He paused to wave a greeting at one of the customers in Snips and Dips, the local beauty and barbershop, and almost missed the blur of motion that dashed past him and darted into the street.

  He was still grinning, but his smile was wiped away when he realized that the blur was a little red-haired boy wearing a superhero cape, his legs pumping and arms swinging as he raced headlong into the middle of Main Street.

  “Hey. Hold on there.” Reed dashed after the little guy and scooped him up just as a driver in a delivery truck leaned on his horn and veered to one side, barely missing the boy.

  Reed’s heart was thundering when he realized how close he’d come to witnessing a tragedy.

  He carried the boy to the curb before kneeling down, still holding on to his wriggling bundle. “Didn’t your mother teach you to stop and look both ways?”

  “Mama?” The boy shoved round-framed owl glasses up the freckled bridge of his nose and looked around with a puzzled frown.

  “Yes. Your mama. Where is she?”

  Suddenly the sunny smile was wiped from the cherubic little face, and the boy looked close to tears. “I want my mama.”

  “Yeah. So do I.” Now that the danger had passed, Reed’s famous temper flared. What kind of mother let her kid run wild? “Now let’s find her.”

  When the little guy tried to wrench his hand free, Reed picked him up to keep him from dashing back into the street. As he walked along the sidewalk, he was peering into the window of each shop.

  Within minutes, a young woman sailed out of the doorway of a shop, her eyes wide with fear. “Kyle. Kyle. Where are—”

  Seeing her son in the arms of a stranger had the words dying in her throat.

  “What are you doing with my…? Where did you…?”

  “In the middle of the street. Isn’t he a bit young to be running loose without someone looking out for him?”

  Reed hadn’t meant to be so harsh, but the thought of what could have happened had the words spilling out in a much rougher tone than he in
tended.

  “My fault completely.” She held out her arms and Reed handed the boy over. Then she buried her face in the boy’s hair. “Oh, Kyle. You scared the wits out of me.”

  Reed studied the mother and son. It was easy to see where the little boy got his hair. Hers was a tangle of wild copper curls, falling past her shoulders and framing a face so pretty, he couldn’t stop staring.

  “I was flying, Mama.”

  “Yes. I see. But you know better than to go in the street.”

  “Cars can’t hurt me when I’m Super Kid.”

  She took in a deep, shaky breath. “That’s what I get for going along with your game.” Over his head, she met Reed’s disapproving look. “Thank you. I’m grateful you were there to save him. I’m Allison Shaw…Ally, and this is my son, Kyle. He’s four.”

  “I’m almost five,” the little boy corrected.

  “He’s almost five.” She stuck out her hand and Reed was forced to accept her handshake, though he was still feeling less than cheerful about a mother who let her kid tempt Fate.

  “I guess almost five can be an…imaginative age,” Reed said.

  “If his imagination was any stronger, I’d have to clone myself to keep up.”

  That brought a grudging smile to Reed’s lips. Or maybe it was the tingle along his arm when their hands met. The rush of heat caught him by surprise.

  “I’m sure he keeps you on your toes.” He released her hand. “I’m Reed Malloy. Are you and Kyle new in town?”

  She nodded. “We moved here from Virginia. I’m opening a business”—she pointed to the sign over a tiny shop that read ALLY’S ATTIC—“and Kyle and I are staying with my uncle. Maybe you know him. Archer Stone.”

  “Yeah, I know Archer. Sheriff Graystoke’s deputy. I didn’t know the town’s bachelor had family.”

  “I think we’re his only family. I know he’s all we have. He was my mother’s brother.”

  Was. Reed didn’t bother to ask more. He was well acquainted with family that was here and then gone in the blink of an eye.