Six Pack Ranch: Books 1-3

by Vivian Arend

  Joel’s quick gaze darted around the crowd celebrating on the lawn. “So we going to see you doing this kind of thing before long?”

  Oh hell. “That might be a touch difficult. She doesn’t think of me that way.” The expression of shock on his brother’s face made a laugh burst out.

  “Fuck, no—are you sure about that?”

  “Fuck, yes.”

  Joel shook his head. “But I’ve been hearing all kinds of stories around town about you taking her out all the time and shit like that. What’s going on if it’s not you working your way up to proposing to the woman down the road? You said you’d had enough of the casual route after the whole fiasco with Sierra.”

  The reminder of his ex-girlfriend was enough to turn his stomach. “It’s not as easy as all that, Joel. Beth’s a widow—she’s got the kids and—” The way Joel glared at him made him talk twice as fast. “It’s not that I don’t like the kids…”

  “Glad you didn’t try to bullshit me on that one. You know you sure as hell can’t make me believe you’re not the least bit excited about not only finding a woman who’s a knockout, but one who’s got kids.”

  Daniel ran a hand through his hair. Why did that topic have to come up again? “I don’t want to talk about that right now—”

  “You told her yet? I mean, the fact you can’t have kids was Sierra’s reason for calling it off, wasn’t it?”

  He flicked at a speck of dirt on his pants. “Shit, Joel. Beth and I have only been seeing each other for a short while. It’s not as if I’m going to up and announce, ‘Hey, by the way, you know you don’t have to worry about me getting you pregnant since I only shoot blanks.’”

  Joel grunted, his face screwed up in disgust. “When you put it that way…” He shook his head for a second then checked his watch as he rose to his feet. “Damn, I need to get ready. Jaxi will kick my ass if I haven’t got the dance music lined up.”

  “She and Blake do look good together, don’t they?” Daniel stood as well, ready to head over to visit with his mom for a while.

  “Yeah. I guess Jaxi did know which of us was best for her in the long run.” Joel punched him in the shoulder then set out whistling down the path. Daniel took a moment to center himself. His family was all around. Matt and Travis had smoke rising from the barbecues. Jesse’s grin flashed as he sweet-talked the girls congregating around the bar area. Daniel stared toward where his mama sat chatting with the bride’s parents.

  His big happy family. What he’d always known and enjoyed and secretly hated at the same time. The beauty of the ranch and the never-ending chores. The support of family and the unceasing noise. It was a blessing and a curse.

  At what point could what he wanted and loved—family and caring—be separated from what he’d had enough of?

  Living on the ranch was wearing him down. Tearing him apart, and he just didn’t know what to do about it. The small town? Not a problem, but he didn’t want to be mucking out stalls and driving tractors for the rest of his life. He didn’t have the grades to go back to school the way twins were doing. So here he was, trapped in a way. Trapped in the middle of love and caring, and he felt like the most ungrateful creature around that he wasn’t as pleased and happy as he should be.

  If only he could find a way to work with his hands to make a living, without being held captive by the whim of the weather and the animals. If he knew for sure there was a future for him that involved a family, in spite of the fact he couldn’t have any kids himself.

  He wasn’t sure what drew him to Beth, although it wasn’t the fact she had kids. His fascination had begun before he’d made that discovery. The lost expression in her eyes when she didn’t think anyone was looking. The way she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath before barrelling forward in the direction she thought she should go.

  He wished he understood better what haunted her, but every time he tried to turn the conversation in that direction, it seemed the topic got changed.

  She was running, he was searching.

  Maybe part of what they needed was each other.

  He headed back down toward the celebrations, wishing Beth were here, the boys racing around in circles with the other children. The wish made his heart ache even more.

  Beth sat quietly, staring into her coffee cup.

  “You want another piece of pie?”

  She lifted her head and made herself laugh. “Holy cow, Mom, you want me to roll home tomorrow?” Her mom smiled and pulled out the chair next to her. Plopping her elbows on the table, she turned and asked the question Beth had been dreading all weekend.

  “So, how are you really doing?”

  Could she answer without answering? Beth opened her mouth and her mom cut her off.

  “Sweetie, don’t try to pull a fast one on me either. I had enough of your lies during the time you were married to Samuel. I’m not going to let you slip one past me again.”

  The pain in her mother’s eyes was real. “Mom, none of what happened to me was your fault.”

  “Well, it wasn’t yours either, but you still had to go through it. The fact you didn’t tell any of us that Samuel had changed so much over the years—”

  “Mom.” Beth rose, ready to escape, but her mom laid a hand on her arm.

  “Stay. I’m sorry, I won’t bring it up again. I need to know…are you doing okay? The boys talked through the meal about friends at school and all kinds of things they’ve been enjoying. Sounds as if they’ve settled into the community the way you hoped.”

  The boys rambling during dinner had been a saving grace. She hadn’t been forced to add anything to the conversation, just smile and pass the food from one side of the table to the other. Her big happy family. Grandma and Grandpa doting on the boys, and her sister and her new boyfriend laughing together about something. Beth managed to ignore the happiness radiating from Darleen like a neon light.

  She thought she’d had love in the beginning with Samuel.

  “Rocky’s been good. In some ways the fire in the apartment house was a blessing since the house where we ended up has been fabulous to live in. I’m not looking forward to having to move again in a few months.”

  Her mom spoke firmly. “I think you should ask for an extension. Wait until the spring to move. Shifting stuff in the winter isn’t a lot of fun.”

  Beth shook her head. “Us living there has already put the older Coleman boys into a tough situation. I’m grateful for how giving the whole family has been, but I don’t want to take advantage of their goodwill.”

  “You know, there’s times it’s not goodwill or charity, it’s because people can see it’s the right thing to do. Have you thought of that?”

  The sad part was her mom was probably right. Mike had already told her there was no rush for her to move, but she still felt uncomfortable.

  Her mom folded her hands in her lap. “Tell me about Daniel. The boys seem to think a lot of him. He’s an instructor at the swimming pool, right?”

  Beth snorted. “Where’d you get that idea?” Daniel would get a kick out his new profession.

  “The boys said he takes them swimming every Saturday. I figured they were in lessons or something.” Her mom’s eyes narrowed and Beth blushed. “He’s not an instructor. Beth, are you seeing someone?”

  “No.” The word shot out so fast she surprised herself.

  Mom raised a brow. “Okay.”

  “I’m not.” Her cheeks heated even more, and she scrambled for what to say to throw her suddenly very attentive mother off the track.

  “All right. Relax. If you’re not ready to talk about it, that’s fine. But I was going to remind you that if at some point you get involved with someone and need a few days alone, you give me a call. Grandma has wheels and loves to travel.”

  She forced her mouth closed. In spite of the fact her mother was close to the truth, Beth had no desire to confess anything quite yet. “Mom, what do you think I’m doing out in Rocky Mountain House?”

  “
Hopefully you’re starting to live a little again. Doctor said you could leave the brace off more often, right?”

  “What does my brace have to do with…?” Beth bit her lips. She was not going to continue this conversation. She was twenty-nine years old and talking about sex with her mother had stopped when she was sixteen.

  Mom rose and grabbed the coffeepot, refilling both their cups. She sat back down and let out a huge sigh. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I’m going to talk and you can listen. Honey, you lived with an abusive man for ten years and kept it from us for most of that time. Now that he’s gone, you’ve been making changes I think most women with your history would be afraid to attempt. You’re taking charge of your life and trying to make sure you’ve got nothing but the best happening for your boys.”

  Her mom reached over and clasped their hands together. “I applaud your decision to make a fresh start in a small town, even though it means you and the boys are farther away from me. I want to help, okay? I love you, and you deserve to smile again like you used to when you were young. You are one of the strongest people I know, no matter what Samuel used to tell you. You are beautiful and trustworthy and valuable, and I’m very, very proud of you.”

  Beth watched with tear-filled eyes as her mom squeezed her fingers then fussed at the table for a moment before sipping from her coffee cup. Silence surrounded them as Beth took her time to process what her mom had shared. The shattered pieces of the past had cut everyone involved, and the lacerations went far and deep.

  “You’re proud of me?” She sniffed and wiped her mouth, taking a deep breath to slow her pounding heart.

  Her mom nodded. “Very.”

  Beth closed her eyes and soaked in the familiar sounds of family. The boys’ laughter, their Grandpa’s deeper boom and the noise of the television mixed together and poured from the room next door in a kind of harmonic soundtrack to her life.

  Her world had changed so much from the rose-coloured future she’d imagined as a newlywed. Samuel’s demands rose so slowly that she wasn’t even aware he was abusing her. Controlling her, yes, then making her dread making a mistake. He’d never physically threatened the boys, but they had quickly learned when it was time to stay out of sight and sound of their father.

  And when the day came he finally hit her…

  Beth stared out the window. There were a few leaves left clinging to the branches. Brown dead things swinging in the breeze. She was tired of being dead.

  Daniel made her feel alive.

  “Daniel is…” She puffed air, her bangs wiggling. “He’s special.” Beth lifted her gaze to see her mom smiling, the corners of her mouth twisted a tiny bit.

  “You seeing him?”

  Beth shook her head at first then grudgingly shrugged. “Kind of. He’s been around a fair bit. Supportive, caring, fabulous with the boys.”

  “Good looking?”

  “Oh, Mom, you want a physical dossier?”

  Her mom grinned. “Why yes, yes I would. So if he’s not an instructor at the pool, what’s he do?”

  “He’s one of the Coleman boys, from the ranch next door.”

  The smile on her mom’s face faded. “Oh.”

  Beth frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Mom wiggled her nose. “I see why you said you felt as if you were taking advantage of them.” She took another drink before putting the cup down firmly. “Still, there’s nothing wrong with it. You feel…comfortable around him?”

  Beth flushed at the thought of the last time they were together. Comfortable? Oh yeah. She dragged her mind out of the gutter and concentrated on what her mom was really asking.

  “I took it slow at first, only seeing him in public, but he’s been nothing but trustworthy. He’s actually very gentle. It’s kind of confusing. Even when Samuel was nice, you know at the beginning, he always added that underlying ‘I’m the man, you’re the woman, my way or the highway’ component to our relationship.”

  “Daniel doesn’t do that?”

  Beth hesitated. “He’s confident, and a naturally take charge kind of guy, but I never feel as if he’s pushing too hard. It’s like what he wants the most is what I want.”

  Her mom made one of those hmm type sounds. “Then I’m going to be even nosier and ask. If you feel comfortable around him, are you planning on giving him a real chance? Or is this going to be something that you need more time on?” She shook her finger in Beth’s direction. “Don’t make that face at me. You know what I’m talking about. After all those years fighting, striving to keep your identity when all Samuel wanted to do was make you into the image he wanted to see…it’s got to be hard to know when you can really trust a person.”

  Beth lost the logic in that one. “You think I can’t trust him?”

  “I didn’t say that. I said maybe you think you can’t trust him. Or anyone except yourself, yet. There’s a time coming when you have to expand your radius of trust farther than simply your father and me. I’m not suggesting this man is someone you’re going to be with forever. I don’t know anything about him except what you’ve just told me. Still, you need to think about it. If he does become someone you want around more permanently, you’ll have to show him that you’re ready.”

  It was a lot to consider, so all Beth did was nod, then come around the table to give her mom the biggest hug possible.

  A soft pat landed on her cheek. “Now, about another matter. We were wondering if you wanted to have Christmas at your place. Then you won’t have to drive the winter roads with your bad leg and the three boys. I worry about you on the highway.”

  In one swoop, she was back to being the child and her mom taking care of her. “Mom, it’s only a couple of hours.”

  “We’d love to see where you’ve landed. You didn’t want any help getting settled and I can respect that, but for Christmas, we want to come to you.”

  They ironed out the details and another small section of the ice in her heart thawed. It would be their first Christmas without Samuel. Having a house full of family and being in a new location would be a good thing.

  10

  The light tapping on the door made her heart start pounding. Every time she swore she wasn’t going to let it happen and it still did.

  Beth opened the door then frowned in confusion.

  “Hey, Ms. Danube.”

  Instead of Daniel, whom she’d expected, the tenth-grade student who usually babysat for her stood there, backpack slung over one shoulder. The girl slipped into the house and peeled off her bag and jacket, looking around the house in anticipation. “Where’re the boys?”

  “They’re upstairs getting their pyjamas on. Sandy, why…?”

  “Beth.” The door opened again, and Daniel stepped in, his eyes flashing as he swept a glance over her body that heated her up in an instant. “Sandy’s going to babysit for the evening, if that’s okay. I have something I want to show you.”

  Sandy called out from the kitchen. “You want them in bed at the usual time, Ms. D?”

  Beth answered without thinking, watching Daniel stalk her across the room. That was the only way to describe what he was doing. He took slow, deliberate steps toward her, his heated gaze melting her defences. Then he was standing right there, inches away from her body.

  She yearned to touch him.

  “I want to kiss you,” he whispered. “I need to kiss you.”

  She glanced at the stairs. The boys would be down in only seconds, but if this relationship had any chance of moving on, like her mom had suggested, maybe it was time to see how the boys reacted.

  She tilted her head back and leaned in, letting him close the final distance between them so their lips could touch. Light. Gentle, a simple press together that still made her body sing.

  They drew apart before anyone arrived. Except the fact she’d initiated the kiss, here where they could get caught—he’d noticed. He beamed at her and stepped back. “Hey, no brace. Doctor say things are fine?”

>   There were two questions in his voice. “My leg is doing much better. He wants me to use the brace as little as possible. And everything else is good too.” No condoms needed anymore, if that was the other part of what he was asking.

  The smile on his face grew. “That’s great about your leg. I bet it will make it easier to get around, but you be sure to let me know if I ever need to help you, okay? Oh, and me too.” He pulled a folded paper from his pocket, displaying the edge.

  They stared at each other for a minute. Beth tried to decide if the X-rated thoughts racing through her mind made her evil or if it was a good sign.

  “You got a coat?”

  She nodded, curious what he was up to. The boys poured down the stairs and surrounded him, shrieks of joy ringing out at his presence.

  “Daniel. You going to read to us?”

  “Did you see my bruise? It’s huge.”

  Beth held on to the back of a chair as Daniel gave complete attention to the trio of wet-headed boys. He knelt down and talked to each in turn, and Beth shook her head to fight off the urge to picture this more permanently. That was too soon and not what she’d asked for.

  Her heart didn’t care.

  Daniel stood. “Well, guys, that’s all very fascinating, but you know what? I’m not here tonight to see you. I’m stealing your mama away for a bit, so Sandy is going to take care of you.”

  Lance narrowed his eyes, and Beth held her breath as she wondered how he’d react. “You going on a date?”

  Daniel looked at her, waiting for her to respond. Letting her make the decision of what was said. Three more pairs of eyes stared her direction and she hesitated for a second. Damn it, it wasn’t fair to anyone to hold off on moving forward. She smiled brightly. “Yeah, it’s a date.”

  Her littlest one wrinkled up his face. “Mommies don’t date.”

  Beth laughed. “It’s a way of saying we’re friends and we want to spend some grown-up time together. Sandy is here to take care of you.”

  Nathan tugged on Daniel’s sleeve. “You still going to be our friend and play with us?”