Brooks lowered the brim of his hat and nodded at his father’s praise. “Thanks. The truth is, I don’t know much about horses. I don’t get out of the city much. My friend Josh Calhoun owns a dairy farm in Iowa, and that’s about the only time I’ve seen the backside of a horse. Let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty.”
Beau chuckled. “I think I learned to ride before I could walk, son. You’ll get the hang of it, and if you need any help, just ask me or Ruby. She’s actually the expert. She’s got the touch, you know.”
He knew.
“That girl can tame the most stubborn of animals.”
Beau went on to explain that in the summer months, Ruby gave lessons to children three mornings a week, teaching them how to respect and care for the animals. “It’s a sight to see. All those kids swarming around her, asking her questions. Anyone who knows Ruby knows she’s not the most patient kind. She likes things to get done, the faster the better, as long as they’re done right. But Ruby, with those kids...well, it’s my favorite time of year, watching her school those young kids.”
Ruby with kids? Now that was an image that entered Brooks’s head and lingered.
They rode out a ways, Beau showing him all the stables and corrals and training areas. There were outbuildings and supply sheds and feed shacks on the property. They rode along the bank of a small lake and then over flatlands that bordered the property. Beau’s voice filled with pride when he spoke of his land and the improvements he’d made on the horse farm through the years.
“Enough about me, son. I want to hear all about you and your brothers. And your life in Chicago.”
“Where do I start?”
“From the beginning...as you remember it.”
“Well, let’s see. Going back to my earliest years, Mom was always there for us. We lived with Mom’s best friend, an older widow named Gerty, as you know. She was Grandma Gerty to us, and there wasn’t a day that went by that my brothers and I didn’t feel loved. As adults, we found out what a truly generous woman she was. She put a roof over our heads, raised us while Mom was working and helped all three of us get through college.”
Brooks sighed, relieved. “That’s good to hear, son.”
“We had a good life, but all throughout growing up, Mom always told us we were better off that our father wasn’t in our lives. I guess that was Mom’s way of protecting us. And you, as well. I’m guessing she feared her fake identity would be discovered. Gosh, her father must’ve really done a number on her.”
Beau’s brows pushed together, and his scowl said it all. “You don’t want to know.”
Brooks nodded. Maybe he didn’t.
He went on. “While she was pregnant, she worked for Sutton Winchester as his personal secretary. They fell in love, and she must’ve shared her secret with him about her life and the true father of her twins. I think he protected her secret all those years, and then things went bad between them. His ex was making all kinds of trouble, and Mom walked away, but by then, she was pregnant with Carson.”
“It’s quite a story.”
“I know, but all through it, Mom was our constant. I miss her so much. But I will admit to being angry with her, with you, with Winchester. I became obsessed with learning the truth.”
“Good thing, or we would’ve never found each other, son.”
“That much is true. But I’m pretty relentless when I go after something.”
“You saying you have regrets?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. But not about coming here and being with you, Dad.”
Sitting tall in the saddle, riding the range with his father and learning about Look Away all seemed sort of right to him. Though he had a full life in Chicago, a successful business to run and family he could count on, being in Texas right now gave him a sense of belonging that he’d not had for a long time.
“I think we all have regrets,” Beau said. “I shouldn’t have stopped until I found Mary Jo. Gosh, son, you have to know how much losing her ate me up inside. After a time, I really thought she was dead. And I blamed her old man for it. He’s a shell of what he once was, but I never knew a meaner man.”
“He must’ve been for my mom to run from you and her hometown, the only place she’d ever lived. Only goes to show how strong my mother was.”
“And brave, Brooks. I don’t know too many women who would be able to assume a new identity, get a job, raise her boys and give them a life filled with love. Mary Jo was something.”
“Yeah, Mom was that.”
As they continued their ride, Brooks scanned the grounds, looking for signs of Ruby. She hadn’t joined them for breakfast, which was a disappointment. He’d been looking forward to seeing those big brown eyes and the pretty smile this morning. He knew enough to stay away from her, but he had an uncanny, unholy need to see her again.
Now, as they headed back to the stables, he kept his eyes peeled.
“Ruby’s got a date this afternoon,” his dad said, practically reading his mind. Was Brooks that obvious about what he’d been searching for? He had no right to feel any emotion, yet the one barreling through his belly at hearing Ruby was on a date was undeniable jealousy. “Or she’d be on the ranch today. I’ve asked her to show you a little about her horse training program. Looks like it’s gonna have to wait until tomorrow, if that’s okay with you, son?”
“Of course. I’m on Ruby’s schedule. She’s not on mine. If she’s seeing someone, that takes precedence.” Damn, if those words weren’t hard to force out.
His dad chuckled. “No, it’s not like that. Gosh, I’m sure glad that ship has sailed.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, the man she was seeing a while back didn’t sit straight with me. I’m glad he’s out of the picture now.”
“Didn’t like him much, huh?” Brooks shouldn’t have been prying, but he couldn’t help but want to know more. Ruby fascinated him in every way.
“No. Trace Evans wasn’t the man for her. Hurt her real bad, too, and she’s moved on. She’s having lunch with a girlfriend, and you know how that goes. She could be gone for hours. I told her not to worry and to take all the time she needs. Man, it sure is different raising a girl, that’s for sure.”
Too much relief to be healthy settled in his gut. “I wouldn’t know, having two brothers.”
“Yeah, I hear ya. When Ruby came into the family, my boys had to clean up their act. Not a one of them ever disrespected her, and that’s what I want for her. Whoever takes her heart better damn well treat it with tender care. I owe it to her and her daddy.”
The more he was around Beau, the more respect Brooks had for him. He liked that Beau was watching out for Ruby, and again it underscored his need to keep their relationship platonic. If only he could think of Ruby as a half sister.
Instead of the sexy, hot woman who’d heated up his sheets two nights ago.
Five
Ruby bit into a pulled pork slider, and barbeque sauce dripped down her chin. She dabbed at it with her napkin. “Yum, I feel better already.”
Serena Bartolomo chuckled as she lifted her slider to her mouth and took a big bite, too. When it came to settling nerves, there wasn’t anything better than the Cool Springs Café’s food, and the combination of being with Serena and downing pulled pork made Ruby’s hysteria from yesterday seem like a thing of the past.
“So, let me get this straight, Rube. You’ve got two hot guys in your life right now, and that’s what’s making you crazy? I should be so lucky.”
Serena had her own set of issues with the opposite sex; namely, she was looking for the perfect man. Someone kind, strong, honest and funny, just like her daddy, and all others need not apply. It was a tall order, and so far, Serena hadn’t found the man of her dreams.
“Luck has everything to do with it,” Ruby said. “Bad luck. I thought I had it clear in my mind what I wanted. If the right guy comes along, fine. That would make me happy, I guess. But if he doesn’t, and I’m certainly not looking, then I’m g
ood with my horses and family. I’m in no hurry to get hurt again.”
“Yeah, Trace did a number on you. I can see you not wanting to jump back into that arena.”
“But you should’ve heard him on the phone, Serena. He was really sweet, and he said everything I wanted to hear. How he missed me. How he’s been thinking about me night and day.”
“Are you buying it?”
“I shouldn’t. But he sounded sincere.”
“The rodeo season is over. What will you do if he comes knocking on your door?”
Ruby shrugged. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t asked herself that question a dozen times already. “I don’t know. Wait and see. I’m not rushing into anything.”
“That’s good, hon.”
She released a sigh that emptied her lungs. “And then there’s Brooks.”
“Yeah, tell me about him.”
“Smart, confident, handsome. We had that one night together. A crazy impetuous fling, and afterward we parted ways amicably, only the next day he shows up at Look Away as Beau’s long lost son. I never thought I’d see him again, and now he’s a fixture at the ranch and I’ve got to pretend nothing’s happened between us.”
“Is that hard?”
She sipped from her float, the icy soda sliding down her throat as she contemplated her answer. “Well, it’s not easy. Especially with the way he looks at me with those dreamy blue eyes. And he’s funny, too. We laugh a lot.”
“Uh-oh, that’s dangerous. A man who can make you laugh—that’s the kiss of death.” Serena began shaking her head. “Do you think of Trace at all when you’re with him?”
“Dios, no. I don’t think of any other man when I’m with Brooks. He may not know it yet, but he’s so much like his father.”
“Being like Beau Preston is a good, good thing.”
“So true. But Brooks has a sharper edge, I think. He’s pulled himself up from humble beginnings, and this whole situation with not knowing who his real father was has hurt him and maybe made him bitter.”
“Wow, that’s heavy. Did he tell you that?”
Ruby dipped her head sheepishly, hating to admit the truth. “No, I Googled him. I wanted to find out more about him. He’s entering the Preston family, and they’ve had enough heartache in their lives. Is that horrible? I feel like I’m spying on him.”
“It’s the way of the world, hon. Don’t beat yourself up. You were concerned about Beau, right?”
“Yes, that’s part of it. Anyway, now you know my dilemma. Brooks is off-limits to me. He’s part of Beau’s family now, which means he’s my family, too. And then there’s Trace. I have to admit, hearing from him last night really threw me off balance.”
“Ruby, we’ve been friends a long time. I know how strong you are. You can handle this. You’re Ruby Lopez. Anybody who messes with you lives to regret it.”
Ruby laughed. “That’s my persona, anyway.”
“Hey, you’re forgetting I’ve seen you in action. You’ve got self-defense skills any woman would love to have.”
“Yeah, I can toss a man over my shoulder, no problem. But can I evict him from my heart? That’s a totally different matter.”
* * *
Texas breezes ruffled Brooks’s shirt on this warmer than usual December day and brought freshness to the morning as he strode down the path toward the lake. He didn’t mind the walk; it helped clear his head. Beau, so proud of his operation here, had recommended that Brooks check out Ruby in action. Hell, he’d already seen her in action. She’d downed a big oaf of a man in that saloon. And then he’d been private witness to her other skills in the bedroom. But of course, Beau had meant something entirely different.
“You want to get a better sense of what we do on Look Away, then go see Ruby down at the lake this morning,” his father had said. “She’s working with a one-year-old named Cider. Beautiful filly.”
The truth was, Brooks hadn’t laid eyes on Ruby yesterday, and he’d missed her like crazy. It baffled him just how much. Now, with his boots pounding the earth as he headed her way, his hands locked in his pockets Texas-style, a happy tune was playing in his head. He liked it here. He liked the sun and sky and vastness. He liked the howl of a coyote, the smell of hay and earth and, yes, horse dung. It all seemed so natural and beautiful. But mostly, it was Ruby in this setting that he liked the most.
And there she was, about twenty yards up ahead, near a nameless body of water his father simply called the lake, holding a lead rope in one hand and a long leather stick in the other. She wore a tan hat, her long raven locks gathered in a ponytail that spilled down the back of her red blouse. Skin-tight jeans curved around her ass in a way that made him gulp air.
He lodged himself up against a tree, his arms folded, to take in the scene for a few seconds before he made his presence known. How long had it been since he could simply enjoy watching a woman do her job? Probably never.
Ruby was sweet to the horse, though she wasn’t a pushover. She spoke in a friendly voice, using the rope and the stick as tools to train the filly. She was patient, a trait he hadn’t associated with Ruby, but then, he really didn’t know her all that well. The time she took with the horse notched up his respect for her even more.
“Why don’t you come away from the tree, Brooks,” she called, catching him off guard. He hadn’t seen her look his way; he thought her focus was mainly on the horse she was training. “Cider knows you’re here, too.”
Brooks marched over to her. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Too late for that,” she said quickly, with a blink of her eyes, maybe surprising herself. He got the feeling she wasn’t speaking about the training session. “Actually, I’m glad you’re here. Beau wants you to see how we train the horses. And I’m just beginning with Cider.”
With gloved hands, she gathered the rope into a circle, her tone businesslike and stiff. It had to be this way, but Brooks didn’t like it one bit. He knew she was untouchable, but of course the notion made him want her all the more.
“For the record, you disturb me too, Ruby.” He didn’t give her a wink or a smile. He wasn’t flirting or teasing. He meant it.
“Brooks.” She sighed, giving him an eyeful of her innermost thoughts by the sag of her shoulders and the look of hopelessness on her face. Then she turned her full attention to the horse, patting Cider’s nose and stroking her long golden mane. “We need to be just friends.”
She was stating the obvious.
“I can try,” he said.
“For Beau.”
“Yeah, for Beau.”
Because they both knew if they got together and it didn’t work out, Beau would be hurt, as well. Brooks didn’t want friction in the Preston family. He was the newcomer. He was trying to fit in and become a part of this family. It would do no good to have a repeat of what happened at the C’mon Inn. His father and this family deserved more than that from him.
Brooks’s brain was on board. Now if the rest of him would join in, it wouldn’t be an issue at all.
That settled, he gave the horse’s nose a stroke. Under his palm, the coarse hair tickled a bit, yet it was also smooth as he slid his hand down. “So, what are you doing with her today?”
“Today, we’re working on gullies and water.” Ruby jumped right in, eager to share her knowledge. “People sometimes think horses know what’s expected of them from birth, but nothing is further from the truth. This girl is water-shy, and she doesn’t know how to jump over a gully. Both frighten her. So I’m working with her today to make her more comfortable with both of those situations. Here, let me show you.” She walked Cider over to a dip in the property, the gully no more than a yard across. “First I’ll let her get familiar with the terrain.”
Ruby released the lead rope and, using her stick, tapped the horse on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’m not hurting her. The stick on the withers or neck lets her know she’s crowding my space. When she gets scared, she closes in on me. I’m trying to get her into her own
space.”
Ruby worked the horse up and down the area. The horse avoided the gulley altogether. Ruby gave the horse room to investigate, leading her with the rope. “See that, Brooks? She’s stopped to sniff and get her bearings. That’s good. Now I’m going to bring her in a little closer. She won’t like it much—she doesn’t know what to do about the gully—but she’ll figure it out. I keep sending her closer and closer to the gap and tapping, like this.” She tapped Cider again and then gave the horse time to overcome her fear. Back and forth, back and forth. Then Cider stopped again, put her head down and sniffed around. The next time Ruby led her close to the gulley, she jumped. “There! Good girl. That’s wonderful, Cider.” She stroked the horse again, giving praise. “Good girl. Want to try it one more time?
“I’ll keep this going,” Ruby explained to him. “Leading her back and forth near the gully. And soon she’ll be a pro at jumping over it. It’s a start.”
“It’s amazing how she responds to you, Ruby. I saw a change in her in just a few minutes. Will she go in the water?”
“She’ll go near it and take a drink. But she won’t go into the water. That takes a bit more time. She’s thirsty now, which will work in my favor. But I won’t push her right now. She can have a peaceful drink.”
Ruby let the rope hang very loose, taking off any pressure, and approached the water. Cider resisted for a few seconds. Then, without being prompted by the stick or the rope, she walked over to the bank and dipped her head to lap up water. “See how wary she is? She won’t put her feet in. But she will, very soon.”
“I never thought about horses not feeling inherently comfortable with their surroundings. I don’t know a whole lot about horses, that’s for damn sure. I guess I figured they were naturally at ease with jumping and going in the water.”
“Yeah, I know that’s the perception. But horses, like children, need to be trained to do the things we know they are capable of doing. They certainly don’t understand what it means when we put saddles on them or bits in their mouths. The truth is, when I train the horses, they tell me what they need help with. And I listen and watch. The reason this method works so well is that I give the horse a purpose. I kept sending Cider across that gully and let her figure out how to solve the problem. It’s a matter of knowing what they need and providing it.”
The Texan's One-Night Standoff Page 6
