by Jamie Begley
“Run, baby, be free!” Jo laughingly yelled after the fleeing creature.
The man who was steadily moving the cows into their pens gave her a censoring glare.
“Sorry.” Grinning, she tossed her hair over her shoulder as she stared raptly at Rider as he maneuvered the calf back over to his mother.
“Better luck next time.” She couldn’t help enjoying the sight of the baby bellowing out as if it was angry at Rider for cutting its fun short.
Rider’s cinnamon-colored horse changed directions, turning toward her.
Jo raised her hand to cover her eyes as he approached. With her other hand, she gripped the fence to balance herself, keeping herself from falling backward as she looked at him.
Rider lifted his hand to raise the brim of his Stetson. “Having fun?”
“Yes, but not as much as you seem to be having.” Jo pouted up at him, stroking the horse’s muzzle.
“Then you shouldn’t have talked me into taking you for a ride this morning. Your sore ass should be thanking me.”
“I hate that we have to leave tomorrow.”
Rider’s eyes grew distant at her reminder as he rested his forearm on the saddle horn. “It is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes. You don’t get tempted to come back and work with your father and brothers?”
“No,” he answered shortly. “Come on; it’s time for dinner.”
Rider lifted her off the fence, placing her in front of him as his knees tightened to get the horse moving.
“I like riding with you on a horse better than a motorcycle.”
“A motorcycle doesn’t shit and doesn’t draw flies.” He rested the palm of his hand across her waist, making the butterflies circle around in her stomach again.
During the last two weeks, she had seen a new side of Rider.
When he had first introduced her to his father and stepmother, she had wanted to leave. His father had the same build as his son, but that was where the similarities ended. Ben Stiles was a cold, distant man who Jo hated being in the same room with, when he did decide to show up for the family meals.
Rider’s stepmother was much younger than her husband, closer in age to Rider than her husband. She seemed to spend most of her days with friends, shopping, if the numerous bags she came home with each day were anything to go by.
That Rider wasn’t close to either of them hurt her for him. When his half brothers were around, his father tried to make an appearance of a family unit, yet the young boys kept looking at the adults, as if sensing the strain between them. His stepmother was the opposite, sending Rider furtive looks when no one else was watching, making it awkward every time she was near.
Fortunately, Rider and Jo spent most of the last two weeks out on the ranch. He had shown her the vast operation his father owned, from the quarter horses he raised to be sold, to the citrus farming that Rider explained he had been responsible for starting. But it was the miles of turf that she had enjoyed seeing the most.
Rider fit in with the surroundings like a glove. The sight of him riding a horse and the way the horse followed the slightest movement of his supple body made her ache that they fit together so well. He was a natural-born cowboy, and she couldn’t understand why he preferred Treepoint to the life waiting for him here.
“Can I ask you something?” Jo laid her head on his shoulder, using the brim of his hat to shield her from the sun.
“Yes.” He tightened his hand on her waist.
“Why Treepoint? Don’t you miss this?”
“Every fucking day.”
“Then why stay in Treepoint?”
“You’ve met Ben. What do you think?”
“I think you and your father don’t like each other.”
“It’s a love/hate relationship, one where there’s never been any love between us. We’re both alpha dogs who have always fought over the way we want to run the ranch.”
“You live with a clubhouse of alpha males, and you’re all close.”
“Viper, me, and the brothers like the life we lead at the club. We’ve seen firsthand that if you’re content doing just one thing, then at the first catastrophe, it can wipe you out. We’re not content putting our faith in one business. But as a team, we can divide and conquer.”
“I’m glad you made friends like them. They’ve become your family.”
“That’s why I stay in Treepoint.” Rider turned his horse so he could gaze back at the beauty of his birthright.
She raised her head so she could see him better, a tight ball forming in her throat at the stunning profile of a man who constantly changed, assuming the qualities of each environment he was in. It was like if he stepped into a room of mirrors, a different reflection would show when he stopped in front of them.
“I’m sorry.”
Rider looked down at her, his laugh lines crinkling. “What for?”
“I can see how it would be hard to live in the same house with Ben and your stepmother. I wish you shared a closer relationship with them. Were you close to your mother?”
“Very.” His voice cracked, showing a reflection of the pain he felt at losing her. “She died when I was sixteen.” Raising his eyes, he turned the horse forward again.
During the rest of the ride back to the main house, he described his mother. The lump in her throat grew at how much Rider had loved her and the close relationship they had shared.
In the barn, he got down before lifting her off.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “We need a shower.”
“Go ahead. I’ll see you at dinner.”
Jo left him unsaddling his horse, going to the bedroom that his stepmother had shown her to the first day they had gotten there. It had been decorated with luxury in mind and would make up four of hers in Treepoint. His stepmother had expected Rider and her to share, but after showing her the room, Rider had carried his suitcase to the bedroom across the hall.
Over the last two weeks, Rider had been nothing but a gentleman. Other than small touches when she rode with him, he had kept his distance, a distance that was beginning to grate on her nerves.
When they had been in Treepoint, she had never seen the man he was showing her in Texas. He didn’t walk with a confident swagger. In Texas, when he came into a room, he took it over, dynamically dwarfing his father and making him seem smaller, a shadow of Rider, unable to compete with the real thing. Even the cowboys who worked the cattle and the land showed him deferential treatment when they were together, looking to him when they wanted their orders confirmed instead of asking his father.
Still, nothing he had shown her had changed her opinion of him until she had seen him with his half brothers. Their father would show his impatience with them when they would beg to help the cowboys work the cattle. However, Rider would agree without hesitation. Then he would patiently correct them by showing them how to do something right. When his youngest brother had managed to rope a calf, Rider had ridden over to him to congratulate him as their father had returned to the house.
An ache settled in her chest at imagining Rider teaching his child the skills he was showing his brothers. He was going to make a caring father, that his children would never doubt his love for them. The type of father that other children would wish was theirs.
Showering, she decided she wanted to look pretty for him tonight, with it being their last night together at the ranch. Unfortunately, the clothes she had brought weren’t cooperating.
Taking a dark navy blue dress out of the closet, she wished it were fancier, yet was satisfied that it showed off her feminine curves. Brushing her hair out, she slipped her feet into the low-heeled shoes she had found in her closet at home. She had packed the dress and shoes as an afterthought and was glad she had. It didn’t compare to Rider’s stepmother’s tailored clothes, but she didn’t have the desire to have them either.
Jo went down the staircase and to the dining room. She knew she was too early, but she had wanted to spend more time with his half brot
hers. The gregarious boys always made her laugh and lessened the strained atmosphere between the adults. They were already showing signs of Rider’s personality. The three together made the nights fun as they ended up watching movies together before going to bed.
The stairway ended with a foyer and two huge rooms on each side. One side was the living room, and the other was the dining room. Smelling dinner cooking, she went back to the foyer, making her way down the hallway and passing Rider’s father’s study.
As she walked by, she heard a raised voice coming from the other side of the door.
“What time are you leaving in the morning?”
Jo wanted to snatch the door open at the hostile way his father was talking to Rider.
“Long before you’ll be up.”
“Good.”
“Ben, don’t be that way. Ty, you’re welcome anytime—”
“Shut up, Quinn. We need to talk about the orchard before you leave. You’ve put me off for two weeks. I told you it’s a waste of our men. I want—”
“Do what you want. After tomorrow”—Jo pressed her ear to the door, listening to the sound of crackling papers coming through the door—“it will all be yours.”
The silence coming from the room had her frowning, wishing she could see the papers Rider must have given to his father.
“About damn time. Your mother should have never left it to you anyway.”
“She left it to me because it was hers to give. She knew you would destroy the ranch, even before you married her for it. That’s why she had you sign the prenuptial agreement before she married you. She fooled you, didn’t she, old man? You weren’t able to tear it up, were you?”
“The stu—”
“Be careful … I’ll kill you, and you won’t benefit from one dime of that piece of paper you’re holding in your hand.”
“You always were too soft where your mother was concerned.”
“I agree with that. If I didn’t love her so much, I would have kicked your ass out the day I turned eighteen. Instead, I let you stay; even trusted you to take care of the ranch while I went to basic. Of course, I didn’t expect you to have an affair with my wife while I was gone.”
“Ty, I told you it didn’t mean anything. I was lonely. You left me all alone.”
“You were the one who told me to follow my dreams of joining the service. But your dreams were bigger than being married to me. I bet you shit your pants when I came home on leave for you to tell me you wanted a divorce to marry my father and then found out I was the one who owned the ranch.”
“It was a mistake I will always regret, Ty. I handled it badly.”
“You can say that again. You both have what you want now, and you can let the ranch go down the toilet together. With the interest you managed to wrestle from me when we divorced, if you divorce Ben, you should be set for a couple years. I would say for life, but with the way you like to spend money, he won’t be able to keep you afloat for that long.”
“She won’t be divorcing me.” Ben’s usually harsh voice had a hint of doubt that Jo picked up on.
“I’d get a bodyguard if you do. I haven’t seen Reno since I’ve been here.”
“He’s on vacation.”
“I bet. He’s lucky no one was hurt from that stunt he pulled in Kentucky.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re lucky Shade hates Texas, or you’d be searching for another foreman. At least with that paper in your hand, it’s one less target on my back. And you can quit breaking into the church. What you want isn’t there. Here”—Jo heard a paper crinkling—“I made an extra copy of my will to save you the trouble. If I die, neither of you nor my brothers will see a dime. I’m leaving everything to The Last Riders, who will administer a trust I have set up. A piece of advice, Quinn; make a will in case an unfortunate accident happens to you. Leave the ranch completely to Ben. Don’t let my father put a target on the boys’ backs.”
“Ben wouldn’t harm a hair on their heads.” Quinn’s uncertainty was plain to hear.
“Regardless, I’ve warned you. What you do with it is on your own conscience.” Rider’s warning had Jo shivering outside the door. “If I have to come back to Texas because of anything you’ve done to those boys, the whole state of Texas won’t be large enough to hide in, and The Last Riders will be coming with me.”
“Don’t threaten me with those thugs!”
“They aren’t thugs. Every damn one of them has a medal showing their bravery. They have more courage and honor in one cell of their bodies than you have in all of yours. The only good thing about me signing ownership over to you is that I’ll never have to see you again after tonight.”
“Then I’ll make it better for you. I’ll stay in the bunkhouse tonight.”
Jo hurried down the hall when she heard Ben slide his chair back.
The housekeeper stared at her curiously when she hurried into the kitchen.
Jo tucked her hair behind an ear. “You mind if I watch? I promise I won’t get in your way this time.” She moved toward the large stove, hearing someone coming in just as she was sniffing the large pot of chili.
“Are you still trying to steal Mary’s recipes?” Rider teased.
“I promised to behave.” She stealthily picked at the cornbread sitting on the stove.
“How’s that working for you? It’s been hell for me behaving around you.” He grinned, reaching over her shoulder and confidently stealing a whole slice.
She raised imploring eyes to his teasing ones, seeing the lurking pain in their depths.
She turned around, pressing her hand to his chest. “Don’t. We can leave tonight if you want.”
His feigned grin faded, and he stared down at her before pressing his cheek to the top of her head. “You were listening, weren’t you?”
Jo nodded against him. “I hate him.”
“I feel sorry for him. He’s going to destroy the ranch, and Quinn will cut and run when he does.”
“Your mother wanted you to have it.”
“I found something I care about more.”
“The Last Riders or Treepoint?” She lifted Rider’s hand to take a piece of his cornbread.
“You.”
“Why are we stopping here?” Jo asked as Rider turned the blinker on and pulled to the side of the road.
“I want to take a picture of you,” he stated after stopping the car. “Do you mind?” Picking up his cell phone, Rider waited for her answer.
“Why here? There’s nothing here.” She rolled her window down, seeing nothing but a landscape of overgrown flowers growing on the side of the road.
Rider raised his hand, pointing out the window. “Those are bluebonnets.”
Jo got out of the car, her knees trembling as she followed him.
As she walked deeper through the flowers, she trailed her fingers over the blue blossoms.
“It’s beautiful.” She looked over to see he was videotaping her walking through the flowers.
“Yes, it is.”
Blushing, she made a comic face at him, then stopped when he put the phone to his side and just stood there, staring at her.
Jo tilted her head. “What are you doing?”
“Remembering how you look.”
“You’re really not coming back to Texas anymore, are you?”
“No. It’s not like I come that often anyway. After my divorce from Quinn, I only came back when I needed to take care of something concerning the ranch and it was too big to take care of from Treepoint.”
“You loved Quinn, didn’t you?”
“I did. I was young and missing Mom, and my father and I living alone in the house was not a good thing.”
Jealousy tore at her composure. She would never again be able to brag that she wasn’t jealous-natured.
“Not even to see your brothers?” she prodded, trying to make him change his mind.
“In a few years, they’ll be men, and then they can come
see me. They have my number if they need me before then.” He took her hand, leading her back to the car. “We need to leave, or we’ll miss our flight.”
“Are we going to drive from Lexington back to Treepoint tonight, or are we going to stay the night in Lexington?” she asked once they were back inside the car.
“We’re going to stay the night in Lexington. There’s someone I want to introduce you to.”
Jo caught Rider’s arm when he got in line to check them into the hotel for the night.
Her cheeks felt like they were on fire as he waited to see what she wanted.
“We only need one room.”
He placed his hand on the side of her neck. “As much as I want to take you up on that invitation, I have to wait.”
Disappointment filled her. She had thought they had drawn closer over the last two weeks. She knew she had fallen deeper in love with him. Had Rider already decided there wasn’t a chance he was going to fall in love her? Had she just been giving herself false hope that he would?
“Jo, bear with me one more day.”
So, it was true. He wasn’t going to love her.
Giving him a shaky smile, she released his arm. “I guess that’s what friends are for.”
Rider frowned, searching her face. Then his eyes darkened at what he must have seen. “Just wait. Tomorrow—”
“It’s okay, Rider. I understand. I can wait one more day.” She had one more day to pretend that there was a chance for them. It was more than some other couples had before deciding to break up.
She hated herself for wanting more than he was able to give her, for the years ahead of her without Rider.
How was a woman supposed to get over the Winston Hero?
45
“This is where the person you want to introduce me to lives?”
“Yes,” Rider answered as he opened the car door for her.
At the front door, Rider knocked.
As they waited, he felt Jo’s curious eyes on him. It was always hard for him to come here for a visit. That was why he had never taken anyone before. It wasn’t a place where he could hide his emotions, but if he wanted Jo, he had to show her all the parts of his life.
