“Jared?”
Jared recognized the child’s voice and turned to see Evan coming out of the house.
He smiled at him. “Hi, Evan.”
“Are you mad at me?”
Jared crouched down to the boy’s level. “Of course I’m not mad at you. Why would you think that?”
“Mom wouldn’t let me help you anymore. She said I had to clean my room.”
“And that is what you needed to do. You should always mind your mother. Besides, I didn’t do much more work on the stalls after you left. I had other chores to finish myself.”
The boy’s eyes rounded. “Did Mom get mad at you, too?”
“No. She’s just worried that you might get hurt.”
“She always gets afraid.” He pouted. “I’m not a baby.”
“Sorry, partner, that’s just a fact of life. You never stop being her baby. And it’s only because she loves you so much that she worries.”
“But I’m gonna have a birthday. In July.” He held up his hand, his fingers spread wide. “I’ll be five. I’m gonna go to school, too.”
“You are getting big. But we still have to listen to our mothers.”
“I bet you don’t.”
A sadness spread through him as he thought about the fragile woman who’d stood in the shadows as Graham Hastings ruled the family like he did his corporation. Then one day Audrey Trager had gotten sick. She’d died when Jared was only ten, taking so many secrets with her. “No, but I’m a lot older than you.”
Evan looked thoughtful. “You old enough to be a dad?”
Dana stood at the screen door, shocked by her son’s question, and surprised to find Jared Trager there. She had figured he’d be gone by now. Which was unrealistic since he didn’t have a vehicle to drive off in.
“I guess I’m old enough,” Jared began. “I’ve just never settled down and married.”
“My mom isn’t married. She’s pretty and you could—”
Hearing enough, Dana called out to her son. “Evan.”
Both males turned in surprise.
“It’s time for supper.” She glanced quickly at Jared, fighting to keep the heat from her cheeks. “You both need to wash up.” She headed back to the kitchen, knowing she had to have a long talk with her son. She didn’t want him trying to marry her off, especially to a drifter.
All through the meal, Jared felt invisible as the conversation centered around the next day’s chores and Dana directed her orders to Bert. Evan was quietly eating his supper, obviously sensing his mother’s sullen mood, and remained on his best behavior.
Smart boy.
Jared knew that he, too, better watch how far he went without checking with Dana. She wasn’t a helpless female by any means. She had run the ranch and raised her child pretty much on her own. But something had happened today, something related to her trip into town that seemed to take away her fight. Did it have anything to do with her business at the bank? Bert had let it slip earlier that Dana was having trouble financing the ranch. Even Dana herself had admitted this past year had been a rough one.
Mind your own business, he told himself. Stay the two weeks as agreed, then just give Dana Marsh’s letter and walk away. There was probably some money for her along with Evan’s trust fund.
“Jared.” Dana spoke his name, surprising him. “I want to thank you for repairing the stalls. I didn’t get a chance to see everything, but Bert said you did a great job.”
“You’re welcome. I had a good helper.” He winked at Evan.
“That’s me, Mom.” The boy puffed out his chest.
“Can I help Jared tomorrow? There’s lots of things broke.”
Dana felt a sting of battered pride. Even though the condition of the ranch was evident to everyone, she hated to think even her son saw it, too. “I know, Evan, but you can’t keep expecting to tag along after Jared. It’s not his responsibility to—”
“The boy isn’t a bother,” Jared blurted out, then quickly took another bite of food.
Dana couldn’t hide her irritation. “That’s not what I meant. I just don’t want you to think that I expect you to repair everything around here.”
“Unless you have a problem with me replacing the wood in the stalls or corral, I don’t mind doing it, and there is plenty of wood stacked behind the barn.”
“Yeah, Mom,” Evan said. “Jared’s real good at fixin’ stuff and Sammy likes his new gate. And I’m a good helper.”
Dana and Jared exchanged a look. Jared smiled, then said, “Evan is the best helper I ever had.”
“See, Mom. Jared wants me to. Please…can we?”
Once again Dana looked at Jared. Big mistake. Those bedroom eyes were lethal. “I guess it’s not a problem if your other chores are done.”
“Oh, boy!” Evan cheered, then jumped up from his chair and hugged his mother. “I love you.”
Dana enjoyed the moment. Just as quickly her son released her and went back to his seat and began eating his least favorite vegetable, green beans. So there were miracles.
“Who wants dessert?” Dana stood and picked her still-warm Dutch apple pie up off the counter.
Bert’s eyes lit up. “Hot diggity! Jared, you haven’t lived until you’ve had a taste of Dana’s apple pie. Won a blue ribbon at the fair four years in a row.”
“I guess I have to try it.” Jared carried his and Bert’s plates to the sink; Evan followed with his. Then Jared walked to the coffeemaker. “Would anyone like a cup?”
“I wouldn’t mind at all,” Bert said, “since you’re up.”
He glanced at Dana. “How about you?”
“Coffee would be nice.”
Dana turned back to her task of serving up dessert, allowing Jared to enjoy the view of how her jeans fit over her nicely curved bottom and long shapely legs. His body began to stir and he finally turned back to the counter and busied himself with the coffee.
“Jared, you want ice cream with your pie?”
He could only nod. Oh, yes, he definitely needed something to cool him off.
Around midnight, Dana couldn’t sleep and, finally giving up, she made her way to the porch. So many times she would go sit on the old glider swing and enjoy the peaceful night. The sound of the crickets and faint scent of jasmine in the air was a quick cure to lull away the day’s troubles. The ranch had always been her sanctuary. She loved it and wanted desperately to raise Evan here. But for the first time it appeared that might not be a possibility, and she had to face it.
Dana tucked her feet under her and tugged her robe tighter around her body. Where would she and Evan go? What would she do? Never in her life had she thought about doing anything else but ranching. She hadn’t finished college. So what was she qualified to do to support herself and her child? There were so many things she had to think about.
She was desperate enough, she’d even thought about finding Evan’s father, Marsh Hastings. The last thing she wanted was to drag a man into her son’s life who didn’t want to be there. Marsh had made his choice nearly six years ago. If he’d cared, he would have checked to see if something happened after their one night together. When he’d never called, that pretty much told Dana what he thought about her, and his child. A tear found its way down her cheek. It didn’t bother her anymore, but for her son, it made her sad.
Evan needed a father.
A scuffing noise drew her attention and she looked up to see Jared walk by. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” he apologized as he stopped at the porch, then rested his foot on the bottom step.
The man had only to be around to unsettle her. “It’s all right.”
“Too warm to sleep?” he asked.
“And a little restless,” she said. “I sometimes come out here when I can’t sleep.”
“I guess we’re both plagued with the same problem. Walking sometimes helps clear my head.” He stared out into the moonlit night. “It’s pretty quiet here.”
“Not like Las Vegas.”
&
nbsp; He shook his head. “Hard to tell day from night in that town.” He was quiet for a while, then said, “I guess I better head back to the bunkhouse. The day starts pretty early around here.”
A familiar loneliness erupted inside Dana as she watched Jared start to walk off. There had been so many nights when she’d lie awake, aching to share a conversation or a touch with another person.
“Jared?” She called out his name.
He turned around and looked up at her. When her throat suddenly felt sand dry, she swallowed. “You…got a minute?”
“Sure.”
He took the three steps in one climb and swiftly he was standing in front of her, so big and intimidating. For a second she thought he was going to sit next to her; instead, he perched on the railing across from her. Still he was close, so close she could tell he’d taken a shower. She could smell a combination of soap and shaving cream.
“I wanted to apologize for earlier today,” she finally said.
“It’s forgotten.”
“I had no right to snap at you like I did. I’m not used to people helping me.”
“I was only working for my pay,” he said. “I can understand about Evan. I shouldn’t have let him get near tools without checking with you first. You barely know me….”
“I’m sure you were careful,” she conceded. “It’s just that…I know things are run-down…. Since my father took sick, it’s been hard to keep up with everything.” Darn, she didn’t want to make excuses.
“So, you’re going through a rough time. All of us have been there. I’m happy to help. If I have a little extra time, I hope you don’t mind if I work on a few things around here. It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s a big deal to my son.” She had to make him understand. Jared Trager was the kind of man you didn’t forget easily. “Evan is getting attached to you.”
“I think he’s a great kid, too.”
She smiled. “Thank you,” she said, trying to get the words out. “Soon you’ll be moving on, and…I just don’t want him hurt.”
Jared studied her a while, then spoke. “Do you think that’s wise, Dana?”
This was the first time he had spoken her name, at least, in that deep husky tone.
“You can’t protect the boy from life,” he went on.
She gritted her teeth. “I’m sure going to try. He’s only four.”
“He’s nearly five,” he offered. “And people have to say goodbye all the time. If I’m honest with Evan, he’ll understand that I have to leave when my truck is fixed. Haven’t there been other ranch hands that have left?”
Dana sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just that since his grandfather died, there haven’t been many men around….”
Jared knew he should get up right now and leave but something prevented him. Maybe it was seeing her with the moonlight dancing off her hair, or hearing the loneliness in her voice. Dressed in an old-fashioned white cotton gown and robe, her auburn hair hanging loose and wild, Dana Shayne resembled nothing like the bossy woman who’d hired him. Tonight she just looked vulnerable…and too damn tempting.
“What about you, Dana? Is there someone in your life?” He told himself that he wanted to know for Evan’s sake.
She looked away. “No, not for a long time.”
“Evan’s father?”
She shook her head.
“He hurt you, so you’re not going to allow another man in your life?”
Dana looked startled at his words. “As you can see, men aren’t exactly pounding on my door.”
That made them both smile. “Then the men in this town are crazy.”
“No, they’re smart. Not many guys want to raise another man’s child, and take on a stubborn woman with a failing ranch.”
Dana paused as if she’d said too much. “I think I should go inside.”
She moved to stand up, when her foot caught in her robe and she began to fall forward. Jared’s reaction was quick and he caught her. He grabbed her around the waist and helped her to stand.
Dressed in her thin layers of clothing, there was little left to the imagination. Dana’s body was slim and lush all at the same time. Desire, like he’d never known, shot through him. It only grew worse when she raised her head and their eyes locked in a heated gaze. He told himself it was because he’d hadn’t been with a woman in a while. Whatever the reason, he had to put a halt to it. He didn’t need any entanglements, not with this woman. He released her and stepped back.
“I take it things didn’t go well at the bank today,” he said brusquely.
She tugged nervously at her robe, then brushed her hair back. “They don’t think a woman can handle things on her own.”
From what he’d seen, Dana Shayne was more capable than most men. He wanted to ask her how much she needed. “Can you survive?”
“Maybe. If I get a good price for my calves in September. But it’ll be rough going for the next six months.”
He hated to ask the next question. “Could you lose the ranch?”
She sighed. “There’s a chance. There’s one other thing I could do….”
“What?”
“I could sell a section of my land to the Randells.”
Jared was tired of hearing about the Randells. They had haunted him since he’d read Marsh’s letter and found out that there was a distinct possibility that Jack Randell could be his biological father.
A cold shiver went through him as he tightened the cinch against Scout’s belly. The horse shifted restlessly as Jared checked the length of the stirrups. He hoped he hadn’t forgotten anything. It had been a long time since he’d saddled a horse, but Bert had expressed confidence in him when the foreman asked him to ride out to check fence in the north pasture.
Jared took the reins and walked the horse out of the barn. Pushing his straw cowboy hat down on his head, Jared placed his foot in the stirrup, grabbed the horn and swung his leg over the horse. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel that strange sitting in a saddle. He’d ridden horses during the brief time he’d done ranch work years ago, and luckily he remembered how.
Bert strolled up to him, wearing a big grin. “Lookin’ like a natural up there.”
“Hope I feel the same by the time I return. If I return.”
“All you have to do is follow the fence line. Check for any sections that are down. There’s a supply shack under a group of trees about a mile out. Can’t miss it. You’ll find everything you need inside. If you see Romeo, chase him back on the east side of the fence.”
Jared shifted in the saddle, wondering how to make Romeo, the huge Brahma bull, do anything he didn’t want to do. “You sure this is the best way?”
“This is a job you need to do on horseback. Besides, Dana took the truck. And you got the fancy little phone in your pocket if you get lost.” Mischief danced in the old man’s eyes. “If all else fails, wrap the reins around the horn and tell Scout to take you home.” Bert then smacked the horse on the rump sending the horse and rider on their way.
Thirty minutes into the ride, the Texas sun got a little hot, but Jared enjoyed the easy motion of the horse. Following the fence line, he found a section that had been trampled down, but no sign of Romeo. He located the shed and materials. He spent the next two hours digging a new posthole, then stringing barbed wire. About noon, he took a break and sat under a tree, enjoying the shade and the two sandwiches that Dana had packed him. Drinking thirstily from the water jug, he stripped off his shirt and poured some water over his chest, hoping for a bit of relief.
Jared’s thoughts turned to last night, and Dana. When he’d tried to sleep, her face kept reappearing in his head. He wanted to help her. But how? Making repairs wasn’t going to stop the bank from foreclosing. She needed to find the money somewhere. Marsh. His brother had arranged child support for Evan’s care. Jared made a mental note to call the lawyer. Could she use part of the trust money to help save the ranch? Or would Dana have to go to the Randells? And how much of the Laz
y S did they want to buy? One would think it might be better to lose a small part of the ranch than all of it.
Jared released a long sigh into the hot still air. “Thank you, brother, for getting me tangled up in all this.”
Deciding it was time to go back to work, Jared climbed to his feet. After putting away his tools, he climbed back on Scout and continued down the trail. After another mile the terrain began to change. Scout started down a steep slope toward a grove of trees and large shrubs. Under the ancient oaks, little sun filtered through the heavy branches, causing the temperature to be a good ten degrees cooler. It seemed like an oasis in the middle of a desert. Scout continued on toward a winding stream rushing over a colorful rock-lined bottom. The animal stopped and drank the cool water.
Jared dismounted and bent down to sample the inviting liquid himself. When he had his fill, he stood to see the horses. About fifty yards away a herd of ponies were grazing in the tall grass. Jared searched the area, realizing he might not be on Shayne property. Across the stream in the distance, he discovered the cabins dotting the landscape.
Mustang Valley. Was he in Mustang Valley?
He turned and continued to search the area. That’s when he saw a man on horseback riding toward him. He was older, probably in his sixties. When he was close, he tipped his hat in greeting, then leaned his arm against the saddle horn. “You lost?”
“Could be. I’m Jared Trager, I work for the Lazy S. I was repairing a strip of fence. I think I might have wandered off course. I didn’t mean to trespass.”
“You didn’t. You’re still on Shayne land, but barely. Did that old coot Bert send you here to irritate me?” The man climbed down off his horse and walked up to Jared. He peeled off his cowboy hat, revealing thick white hair and friendly hazel eyes. “I’m Hank Barrett. This here is Mustang Valley.”
Hank Barrett couldn’t help but stare at the stranger. He knew two things right away. Jared Trager wasn’t from around here, and he wasn’t a ranch hand. But there was something about him that seemed familiar.
Jared's Texas Homecoming Page 4
