Back in the Rancher's Arms (Trinity River #1)

by Elsie Davis

  “He’s awesome. I like the goofy eye patch. Reminds me of a pirate. What’s his name?”

  “Patches.”

  “Fits, I guess.” He laughed. “Hey, Patches. You’re a good boy, aren’t you?” He talked to the dog like he was a little kid.

  “If he ain’t yours, whatcha doing with him?” Derek looked up at her, curiosity in his big brown eyes.

  “He needs a home, and I had an idea to bring him along.”

  “You thinking of keeping him?” he asked, his hand absently rubbing the dog who now sat contentedly next to him, his face planted in Derek’s lap.

  “I was thinking more about you.”

  Derek’s eyes lit up with excitement but just as quickly the light vanished.

  “Dylan won’t let me have a dog. I told you, I asked before, and he said no.” Derek wrapped his arm tightly around the dog, pulling him close to his chest.

  “Why don’t you let me talk to Dylan? That is, if you think you’d want him?”

  “I want him. He’s awesome and he likes me,” Derek said. “Would you really ask Dylan for me? No one’s ever done that before. Like stood up for me.”

  Who could resist such a pitiful plea? No matter what Dylan decided, it was worth the risk to ask.

  “I will, but there are conditions. First, he would be your responsibility. Feeding, bathing, buying food, paying his vet bills.” If she was going to have a shot at this, she had to beat Dylan. He was a master at getting what he wanted, but he was about to meet his match.

  “Um, I don’t have a job. How could I pay for his stuff? I knew this wouldn’t work.” He looked like he’d lost his best friend and was about to cry.

  Kayla took pity on him, but it was important she get the message across if this was going to work. “You’re thirteen, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well then, I would think if you do all your chores, Dylan would work out an allowance that would cover most of the expenses. And I bet he might even be willing to help you with some of the costs provided you do all your chores and all the work for the dog.”

  “I can do that,” he answered with confidence. Kayla believed him. Now she had to make Dylan a believer.

  “But no playing with the dog until your chores and homework are done. Is it a deal?”

  “Do you hear that, Patches, you’re gonna be my dog and live with me.”

  “Do we have a deal?” she asked him again.

  “Hell, yeah.”

  “Pardon me,” she said in mock horror.

  “Sorry. I meant heck, yeah.” At least he had the good grace to look like he meant the apology.

  “That’s better. It’s important to learn your manners.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, smiling again.

  He was a good kid who needed a little guidance. She didn’t blame Dylan for his shortcomings. Running a ranch and raising a kid all by himself must be next to impossible, but it looked as if he was managing. It would have made his life a whole lot easier if he’d married Becky, not to mention he could have raised his son here.

  Kayla laid out the plan with Derek, who proved he could be an avid listener when he wanted. With so much at stake, he was willing to do anything to make it work. She could tell he wasn’t convinced Dylan would agree, but if he was more than willing to give it his best shot, then so was she.

  “Think you can keep an eye on him until this is settled? I need to run to the barn. If you can find a long rope, it might be easier to tie him up out front to keep track of him until he becomes accustomed to you and the house.”

  “Gotcha. And, Kayla,” he said, his boot scuffing at the ground, “thanks. Even if it doesn’t work, it’s nice you tried for me.”

  “It’ll be fine, partner.” If only she could be sure.

  Kayla grabbed the nutrient mix from the truck and headed to the barn to check on the calves. The familiar smells of the barn evoked memories of last night’s miracle. She made her way to the stall and watched as the two calves suckled on the cow’s teats hungrily.

  So much sweetness. Such innocence. Velvety fur covered the calves, their hide mostly white but with a few small black patches to decorate their bodies, reminding her of Patches. She mixed the nutrient additive with some warm water and offered it in a bottle to one of the calves, but he rejected it in favor of his mother’s milk. Kayla sat Indian style on the floor next to the second calf, before offering him the bottle, hoping a better position would help things along.

  When the calf started to suckle the bottle, Kayla’s heart exploded with love for the little guy. It was almost too much like feeding a baby. And she liked it. Babies weren’t in her future, but still, it was nice. More than nice. She closed her eyes, relishing the moment.

  The barn door scraped open.

  “Kayla, you in here?” Dylan called out.

  “Over here,” she answered. She drew in a deep breath to calm her sudden nerves.

  Dylan stopped outside the stall and watched her. “I saw your truck and figured I’d find you here. How’s he doing?”

  “This one took some nutrient milk and looks great. The other one looks good, but I’ll feel better if he drinks a little from the bottle.”

  “I’m sure you’ll get him to drink. You look like a natural. Are you sure you don’t have experience with cattle you’re hiding from us? Or maybe you have a secret kid stashed somewhere?” He smiled.

  Kayla gasped in shock. She closed her eyes to fight the gut-wrenching pain that knifed through her body.

  “Kayla, what is it? What did I say?”

  She turned away, not wanting him to see her face.

  “Nothing,” she squeaked out. “Why haven’t you ever gotten married?” She asked the first thing that came to mind, anything not to have to explain her reaction to his words.

  “Whoa. Talk about a change of subject. Where did that come from?”

  “I was thinking about it earlier. It would have been easier for you with Derek if you’d gotten married.”

  “Can’t.”

  “Can’t or won’t?” she asked, digging deeper to understand Dylan and to move further from the subject locked deep in her heart and soul.

  He seemed to relax with her explanation. “It doesn’t matter. But lots of reasons, I guess. Between Derek and the ranch, I’ve never had time to invest in a relationship, and I didn’t have anything to offer. I needed to rebuild the ranch, make it a place a woman would want to come home to, and more importantly, a place to stay, I reckon.”

  “By the looks of things, you’ve done all right. Derek needs a woman’s influence.”

  “I think we’ve done fine.” He shrugged.

  “I agree. I’m not criticizing you. It’s simply an observation.”

  “The wrong woman would be as detrimental as no woman.” Was he talking about Becky? Or her?

  “I agree with you there. He’s a good kid.”

  “You wouldn’t know it from his teachers lately, or even here at home. I don’t know what ails him, but I’m guessing a little hard work and strict rules will keep him on the right track. Same thing my dad did for me.” Dylan crossed his arms as if challenging her to disagree.

  “And yet you wanted to leave.” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

  “Cripes, Kayla. That’s low.” She hadn’t meant them to sound judgmental, but Dylan needed to face the past and remember what it was like being a boy growing up on the ranch.

  “It’s the truth. Maybe it’s time to change your way of thinking.”

  “You have no idea what it’s like. You left everything behind and never looked back. You don’t know the meaning of responsibility in my world, so don’t think you can preach to me or criticize what I do with my brother.” The angry glint in his eyes didn’t bode well for the next conversation.

  “Don’t go there. Just because I got out and you couldn’t, doesn’t mean you have the right to judge what I do, either. And I’m not preaching, merely offering an observation.”

&
nbsp; She stood there facing him, squared off, toe-to-toe, unwilling to back down. Kayla wasn’t the scared teenager she’d been the last time she ran away from Dylan. Life had dealt her a double blow, and her recovery made her stronger.

  “Around here, we call that meddling,” he said.

  “I’m only trying to help. Surely you still know what it is to dream for bigger things?”

  “I do. What I want is so close I can finally taste it after all these years, but I realize I was a fool to think I could ever be good enough to get it. Life is full of disappointment, and Derek needs to learn it like the rest of us.”

  “Well then, I guess I just handed you his next life lesson.”

  Poor Derek. Kayla didn’t stand a chance of convincing Dylan. Maybe it would have been better to talk to him first. The way he was acting now, he would go ballistic when he found out what she’d done.

  “What the hell does that mean?” he asked, his voice low and demanding.

  “You’re a hard and overbearing brute sometimes. Someone who can’t see past his own disappointment to figure out the power of love works better than the power of rules.”

  “What have you done?” Dylan glared at her.

  “I got Derek a dog.” No pretty speeches. No convincing plan. The plain truth.

  “What?” he yelled in disbelief, a thunderous look on his face.

  “You heard me. I brought him a dog who needs a home as much as Derek needs a dog. They’re up at the house playing as we speak.”

  “Who the hell do you think you are? You can’t swoop in here, make a mess of everything, and then walk away. He already hates me enough without you stirring up trouble.” Dylan turned and started to walk away.

  She wasn’t backing down, and she wasn’t letting him walk away from her again without an explanation. “Why not? I deserve an answer. You walked away once before and left my life in a mess.” Her words stopped him in his tracks.

  He spun back around. “Are you serious? I saved your life. I kept you from being stuck in a town you hated. You can’t even begin to compare it to this,” he growled. “You didn’t even bother to ask me first because you knew I would say no.” Dylan closed the distance between them. “And do you know why I would say no? It’s because an untrained dog can be a hazard around cattle and stir up trouble. It’s because Derek can barely do his homework and chores. It’s because my hands are already full with everything else I need to do around here. Where do you get off thinking he can handle a dog?”

  “Maybe it’s time to find out. Maybe he needs a friend. Maybe it’s exactly what he needs in his life at this exact moment to get him back on track.”

  “The answer is no. You don’t know him the way I do. And you’re going to be the one to tell him.”

  Like hell she would. Maybe if he’d been nicer they could have talked it over, but this was total bull. “I won’t do it. I’m leaving. I’ll be back tomorrow to check on the calves.”

  “Kayla, I’m warning you. Get the dog and tell Derek you changed your mind.”

  “Tell him yourself, Mr. Heartless. But hear him out before you tear them apart. You can return the dog to Mr. Thompson if you still feel the need. Or better yet, I can pick up the dog in the morning. Patches is a great dog who needs a little love in his life, too. Something you obviously don’t understand.”

  Chapter Eleven

  He couldn’t believe Kayla had dumped the whole dog crisis on his head, but the early morning barking coming from Derek’s room was a stark reminder. She had no right to interfere in something she knew nothing about, but she’d played her hand well. Round one went to Kayla.

  The minute he’d laid eyes on Derek and the dog playing happily in the front yard, Dylan knew it was too late. The damage had already been done. His brother was hooked, and he would be the heartless jerk Kayla accused him of being if he took the dog away. It was an underhanded move on her part, and there was nothing he hated more than having someone force his hand to accept something he knew would end badly.

  Dylan relented, but only for the time being. Patches would have to prove his place on the ranch, something not all dogs were cut out to do. A lesson Dylan had learned the hard way.

  High-strung and eager for action, Patches reminded him of his dog Buster. They’d been inseparable, or at least they had been until the day Buster had been trampled by a herd of stampeding cattle.

  His father claimed Buster had spooked the herd, but Dylan never believed it. Either way, it didn’t matter. Dylan had been forced to bury Buster. From that day forward, he couldn’t wait to get the hell out of Riverbend and far, far away from the ranch.

  The irony of the situation still had the power to reach deep into his soul and twist his insides with its deathlike grip. It was Buster’s death that had driven Dylan to want to escape, but it was his parents’ deaths that had shackled him to stay.

  There was no way to know how this would end for Derek, but Dylan would be there to help him pick up the pieces if it didn’t work out. Contrary to Kayla’s accusations, he was far from heartless.

  Heartless would have been leaving Derek with their aunt and uncle in the city, and heartless wouldn’t have let Kayla walk away. No, he wasn’t heartless by a long shot.

  “Derek, get up, lazy bones.” The dog turned his head to see who’d come into the room before he curled back up next to Derek. It was as if the dog sensed Dylan didn’t want him around. A dog in bed was another big rule breaker, but it was a rule Dylan had managed to break quite a few times when he used to sneak Buster in late at night. It was the first time he thought of Buster without an ache in his heart. Patches was a good-looking dog, and Derek had fallen hard.

  “What time is it?” Derek mumbled. His arm came out from beneath the blankets and wrapped around Patches to snuggle the dog closer.

  Dylan’s heart melted a little more. “Time for you to get up and get your morning chores done, which now include the dog, I might add. It’s what you promised.”

  “But it’s only four thirty,” he groaned.

  “Welcome to your new world. It’s called responsibility. A deal’s a deal.”

  “Yes, sir,” he mumbled groggily, swinging his legs to the side of the bed.

  Dylan was impressed, not only by the “sir”, but by the fact Derek was moving. It probably wouldn’t last, but it was a nice change. And when his brother got off to school on time and left the dog tied up out front as instructed, Dylan was bowled over.

  He’d spent the morning working on one of the fences, returning to the house when it was time to meet up with Leroy. With a few extra minutes to spare, he stopped in to check on Patches.

  He laughed when the dog lifted his head, a pleading look in his puppy-dog eyes. Written in the laws of inevitability, a dog tied to a rope near any immovable object, the dog would become wrapped around the object. He stooped down to pat the dog on the head.

  “There, there, boy. I’ll take care of you.”

  Dylan untied the rope from his collar, an action made more difficult with each lap of wet doggy tongue across his hands.

  “Yeah, I know. Being tied up stinks. But until you learn your way around, it’s safer. We wouldn’t want you getting hurt and breaking Derek’s heart, now would we?”

  He picked up a stick from nearby and threw it. “Fetch, boy,” he commanded. The dog jumped and barked, running after the stick, and pounced on it. Patches lay down across half the stick and began chewing on the other half.

  Fetch obviously hadn’t been a part of his training.

  “I hope you’re a good dog, because I wouldn’t mind keeping you around. You bring back bittersweet memories for me, but I reckon it’s time they were replaced.”

  The dog returned to his side and rubbed his head against Dylan’s knee, as if he understood.

  “But don’t tell anyone. Let’s keep it as our little secret. Okay, Patches?”

  He needed to get going but stayed and watched the dog a few more minutes before reluctantly retying him. “I’ll be bac
k to check on you a little later. Try to stay out of trouble this time,” he said, refilling the water bowl. Walking away, he could hear Patches barking. It was almost impossible not to turn around and go back, but he had work to do, and it didn’t include being hampered by a dog who could cause more trouble than help.

  “Hey there,” Kayla said from behind him. He spun around in time to see her grinning, a far cry from last night’s parting expression.

  They both knew damn well why she was grinning. “Morning. Calves are looking good,” he said, hoping to avoid any conversation about the dog. Last night had been enough.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “For what?”

  “Keeping the dog. Giving him a chance. You won’t be sorry.”

  A man could get used to waking up next to her radiant smile, not to mention the rest of her perfectly delectable body. She was dressed in tight blue jeans and a T-shirt, and Dylan felt the pull of attraction hit him square in the gut.

  “I hope you’re right,” he said, trying to tamp down the desire to pull her in his arms and kiss her.

  “What changed your mind?” she asked. Her smile deepened, if it were possible.

  “You. Mr. Heartless was a bit heavy handed, but not nearly as heavy handed as conspiring with a thirteen-year-old to counter any argument. Well played.” Dylan removed his hat and tipped his head in a sweeping gesture to acknowledge her win.

  “Deep down, you’re a softie, but you try to keep it hidden. It’s okay to show the world who you are and what you want. And when you hurt. I know this is about Buster.”

  “You’re wrong. Men are expected to be tough and strong. Any sign of weakness, and you lose respect. You wouldn’t understand.” This wasn’t the conversation he expected to be having with Kayla.

  “You never talked about him after he died. And as far as I know, you’ve never had another dog. Maybe it’s time to let another dog in your life. It could be great for you both.”

  She could save her psychoanalysis for her city friends, especially since her words hit too close to home. “Hmmphh,” he said gruffly. “You here to check on the calves?”

  “I’ve got some more colostrum for them. Hopefully, I can get them both to drink today. Doc said it’s safer and there’s a lower rate of mortality if I can do the supplements for at least the first four days.”