Home on the Ranch: Texas Cowboy, Be Mine

by Trish Milburn

  She glanced over at him. “Really?”

  “Yep. Only the dreams pale in comparison.”

  More heat suffused her already overheated body. A part of her mind told her she should be embarrassed, that she should pull a sheet up to cover her breasts, but she didn’t want to. Though she would have never thought it of herself, she didn’t mind Hunter looking at her naked body. And she certainly liked looking at his.

  Hunter let his fingertips trail across the swell of her breasts, and she felt desire stir again. How was that possible when moments before she’d been convinced she was completely sated?

  “It’s kind of crazy, isn’t it, how we’ve known each other all these years but had no idea we could be like this together?”

  “I had some idea,” he said, then lowered his mouth to lightly kiss her breast.

  “So I’m the only one who was clueless?”

  “To be fair, I didn’t know how great this would be.”

  “So it was good for you, too?”

  “I’d think that was obvious.” He ran his hand down her side and let it rest where her waist and hip met. “I don’t ever want to leave this bed.”

  That sounded glorious.

  “But you were exhausted even before,” he said. “We should get some sleep.”

  “Sleep is overrated.”

  He laughed. “Where did you get this second wind, woman? Because I’d like one.”

  Angel wished they didn’t have to stop exploring each other’s bodies and bringing each other pleasure like she’d never known before, but after making love again she couldn’t keep her eyes open. As Hunter pulled her close to his side and covered them both, she drifted toward sleep feeling happier than she’d ever thought possible.

  * * *

  Hunter came awake with a jolt, disoriented for several seconds until he remembered where he was and realized that his phone was ringing. Beside him, Angel sat up suddenly, concern on her face that mirrored what slammed into him. No one would call this early unless something was wrong. Light was barely coming in from around the curtains when he managed to grab the phone.

  “Hello,” he said, his voice still heavy with sleep.

  “Hunter, it’s Diane.” He tried not to react to the fact that Diane was calling him instead of Angel.

  “Who is it?” Angel asked in a whisper.

  He held up a finger. “Is everything okay?”

  “It is now, but we had a bit of a scare last night. I thought you should know, your mom woke up and didn’t know where she was. She walked through the house calling out for you, and when Julia came out of her room, well...she grabbed her and shook her a bit, asking where you were.”

  Hunter’s heart sank, and he hated himself for leaving his mother alone, depending on others to watch out for her when it was his responsibility.

  “Are they okay?”

  Beside him, Angel stiffened. “What happened?” She didn’t whisper this time.

  “Is Angel there?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Are they okay?” he asked again. If his mom hurt Julia, she’d never forgive herself. He’d never forgive himself for putting Julia in danger and his mom in the position to hurt someone. But she’d never done anything like that. He felt sick that her disease had chosen when he was away to advance another step.

  “Shaken up, but everyone is fine now. Your mom is really embarrassed, though. Hunter, it was like she suddenly woke up from sleepwalking and realized what she was doing. I think she cried the rest of the night.”

  “We’ll be there as soon as we can.” He hung up without offering Angel the phone or waiting for a response. They needed to not waste any time getting on the road.

  “Hunter, tell me what’s wrong,” Angel said as she grabbed his arm.

  He repeated what her mother had told him while he pulled on the clothes he’d tossed onto the floor last night.

  “Is Julia hurt?”

  He heard the panic in her voice, and when he looked at her his heart sank. She looked like a mama bear who would attack his mother if she’d injured Julia in any way. He couldn’t say he blamed her, but he felt the same protective instinct toward his mom. This whole thing was his fault.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left Mom.”

  He knew in that moment he’d never be able to leave her in anyone else’s care outside her comfort zone again.

  * * *

  Angel felt as if the distance between Oklahoma and Blue Falls grew larger with every mile Hunter drove. Neither of them had said anything for a long while, and when she glanced at him he didn’t even look like the man who’d made love to her last night. Gone were the smiles, the looks of pleasure, the happiness. His posture was tense and more than once she saw him force his grip to loosen on the steering wheel.

  Of course, she likely looked every bit as tense. She wished they could magically transport home instead of worrying about what they’d find for seemingly endless hours. They should be spending this time waking up in each other’s arms, maybe even making love again, then meeting Nora for breakfast before they headed home at a normal pace. As it was, Hunter would be lucky if he didn’t get pulled over for speeding. Not that she wanted him to go slower. She needed to hold her daughter in her arms, make sure with her own eyes that she was okay despite the fact that her mother had assured her Julia wasn’t harmed beyond being scared and not understanding how Evelyn could be fun one moment and then scary the next.

  Guilt swamped her that she’d not been there to comfort her daughter, that she’d been so far away. She couldn’t help the thought that if she hadn’t started things with Hunter, the whole ordeal would have never happened.

  Angel hated that this was happening to Evelyn, that it was breaking Hunter’s heart, but Julia was her number one priority. Keeping her safe was her top duty as a mother. If that meant making sure she was never alone with Evelyn, then that was what would have to happen.

  She wanted to find something to say to break the silent tension inside the cab of the truck, but what could she say? Small talk wasn’t appropriate. It felt wrong to be happy about the amazing night they’d spent together. Actually, it felt as if they were being punished for daring to take some time for themselves.

  And she didn’t want to delve into the fact that no matter the cause, his mother had grabbed and scared the most important person in Angel’s life. The idea that Evelyn could have hurt Julia without meaning to made her stomach twist into painful knots. That fact wasn’t going away, and she doubted she’d be able to hide her conflicted feelings about the situation from Evelyn when she saw her. Maybe once she held Julia and made sure with her own eyes that she was fine, she’d relax. But she had a sinking feeling in her middle that Hunter would never relax again.

  The miles ticked by in agonizing silence. She hated how she hadn’t been able to get enough of Hunter the night before and now it was as if they were strangers forced to take a road trip together. And that she had not the first clue how to regain the closeness they’d shared such a short time ago. Maybe all he needed was to see his mother in person, too, to make sure she was okay, to take her back to where she was comfortable.

  When they finally rolled into Blue Falls, it felt as if they’d been gone for ages. So much had happened since they’d left. With her thoughts so preoccupied with getting home to Julia, she hadn’t really been able to process the fact that she’d actually met and talked to her birth mother, that they might be able to build some sort of relationship, that her fears that the woman would be horrible had all been for naught.

  The truth was that despite the fact Nora could have possibly found help if she’d looked, Angel accepted that Nora had felt trapped with no options other than to give up her baby in a way that would keep her birth father from ever looking for her, putting her in danger. Part of the reason Nora had gone back to her husband was to sell the story that she’d lost their baby, so h
e’d never know that Angel was out there somewhere. As Nora had divulged all the details, Angel’s heart had ached for her. She tried to imagine herself in Nora’s shoes, and the truth was she would have done whatever was necessary to protect Julia.

  She had no idea what the future held for her relationship with Nora, but she’d have to deal with that later. One life upheaval at a time.

  As Hunter pulled into the ranch drive a few minutes later, she gripped the door handle so hard she thought she might leave indentations where her fingers dug in. Though she belatedly thought it might make him feel even worse than he already did about what had happened, she opened the door and hopped out even before he’d turned off the engine. But by the time she made it to the porch, where her mom met her, Hunter was close behind.

  “Where’s Julia? Is she okay?”

  “She’s fine, dear. I told you that.”

  “I need to see her.”

  “She’s out back playing.”

  “And my mom?” Hunter asked.

  There was sympathy written all over her mom’s face as she looked up at Hunter. “She was so agitated, wanting to go home, that Mildred came and got her early this morning.”

  “I’m sorry about this,” he said, his voice strained. “It won’t happen again.”

  “Honey, it’s unfortunately just part of the disease. Your mom is a sweet soul, and she was mortified by what happened. She apologized profusely, to all of us.”

  “That’s really kind of you to say, but I should have never put you or her in the situation in the first place.”

  Angel knew her mother well enough to know that if Hunter had been standing closer, she would have reached out and taken his hands in support. But Hunter stood so rigidly that it felt as if he’d erected a thick armor around himself to keep everyone away.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” her mom said. “You deserve a life, too.” She shifted her gaze to Angel. “Both of you do.”

  With that, she went into the house, leaving the two of them alone to say their goodbyes.

  “Tell Julia I’m sorry,” he said as he turned to leave.

  Though she needed to see Julia, she instinctively reached out and gripped his arm. “Hunter, wait.”

  She didn’t want them to part this way, not after what they’d shared the night before. She was in love with him, and she wished with all her heart that she could take away his guilt, his stress, his pain. That she could make his mom completely healthy. But she couldn’t, and they’d have to find a way to navigate their reality.

  He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “I’ll call you.”

  And then he was eating up the distance to his truck with his long strides. She felt as if she’d taken only a single breath before he was speeding down her driveway. A pool of fear formed in her middle that it was for the final time.

  Chapter 13

  To look at Julia, you’d never know that she’d been so scared the night before that she’d slept with her grandparents. Now she giggled as she repeatedly tossed a stick for Maggie, her favorite furry companion, to chase. Each time Julia threw the stick, Maggie would bark once, then speed off as if she were being timed in a competition for the world’s biggest bag of dog treats.

  Angel’s panic that her mom might have been keeping part of a scary truth from her dissipated.

  Julia smiled and ran toward Angel when she saw her. “Mom, you’re home!”

  Angel bent down and opened her arms to receive her daughter. “Hey, sweetie. I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too. Where did you go?”

  Without letting on what she was doing, Angel scanned her daughter, looking for any sort of injury but mercifully finding none. “Oklahoma.”

  “What were you and Hunter doing in Oklahoma?”

  Okay, so maybe she should go ahead and tell Julia about everything that had transpired since she’d left. Well, not everything. She wouldn’t share everything even if Julia was an adult. Some of it was private, and Angel’s face heated at the mere thought of all those hours in bed with Hunter. She missed him already despite the tension that had settled between them since her mom’s early phone call.

  Angel stood and took Julia’s hand, then led her to one of the picnic tables beneath the shade trees. Once they were seated side by side on one of the benches, backs leaning against the table, she tried to figure out how to begin. Maybe just dive in without preamble as she had with Nora.

  “I found my birth mother and went to meet her.”

  Julia looked confused for a moment, but then her eyes widened. “You did?”

  Angel nodded. “She lives in a small town in Oklahoma, and her name is Nora. And guess what.”

  “What?”

  “Now I know what our heritage is. We are Choctaw.”

  “Choctaw,” Julia said slowly, as if testing out the feel of the word on her tongue. “How is that different from other tribes?”

  “We’ll do some research together, okay?”

  “Books from the library?”

  “Yes, and reading online.”

  “Is she nice?”

  Angel didn’t hesitate because, despite her conflicted feelings, she knew the truth. “She is.”

  “Did you meet your real dad, too?”

  “Your grandpa is my real dad, but no. My birth father died a few years ago.”

  “That’s sad.”

  Angel didn’t ever wish death on anyone, but she couldn’t agree that it was sad. By Nora’s account, he hadn’t been a good person, but Julia didn’t need to know that, at least not at her young age.

  “Why did your mom leave you at that hospital?”

  Angel had hoped in vain Julia wouldn’t ask that question. “She wasn’t able to take care of me.”

  “Why not?”

  Angel sighed. So much for keeping the harsh truth away from her inquisitive daughter. She should have known better.

  “My birth father wasn’t a nice man, and Nora was afraid he might hurt me.”

  Julia looked appropriately shocked. “Who would hurt a little baby?”

  No one who had an ounce of goodness in them.

  “Most people wouldn’t, but some people are not like the rest of us. For some reason, they have a lot of anger inside them and they take it out on others by hurting them.”

  “Like when I wanted to punch Cara for saying bad things about us?”

  “Not exactly. Yes, that’s anger, and we all feel it sometimes, but not all of us act on it. You were mad, but you didn’t punch Cara. That’s good. It would have just gotten you in trouble and not changed her mind. Some people don’t hold back, though. They don’t know how to express what they’re feeling except with their fists.”

  Julia placed her small hand atop Angel’s. “I’m glad Nora gave you to Grandma and Grandpa, but I think she was sad to give up her baby.”

  Angel recalled how Nora had instantly started to cry the moment she saw her. “She was, but sometimes mothers have to do whatever’s necessary to protect their children.”

  “Can I visit her? I’ve never been to Oklahoma.”

  “Maybe. We’ll see.” Right now, Angel’s protective instincts were telling her to keep Julia on the ranch and away from anyone who wasn’t a Hartley. That wasn’t realistic, but she couldn’t help how she felt.

  Julia looked back toward the house. “Did Grandma tell you about Evelyn?”

  “She did. I’m sorry that scared you. I know Evelyn is sorry, too.”

  “Why did that happen? Grandma said it’s because Evelyn has a disease, the one that makes her forget stuff.”

  “That’s right. I know she’d take it back if she could. Alzheimer’s disease makes people do things they’d normally never do.”

  “Why do people get diseases?”

  “I don’t know, sweetie. They just do
sometimes. It’s not fair, but life isn’t always fair.” Her thoughts drifted to Hunter, who had faced more than his share of unfairness.

  “Will you get a disease and forget who I am?”

  Angel’s heart broke at both the idea of that happening and the fact that Julia would fear such a thing.

  “I hope not.” She hugged Julia close and kissed the top of her head.

  “Can we go see Evelyn to make sure she’s okay?”

  That Julia would want to do that after Evelyn had scared her the night before spoke to the kindness her child possessed.

  “Not today. She needs some time without visitors.”

  Though Angel had to admit that part of her wished she could be there at Hunter’s side to give him support the way he’d been for her the day before. It felt wrong that he had to do this alone. She hoped he knew he could call her at any time, that he would instead of trying to shoulder all the responsibility himself.

  “When we do visit, I think we should take Evelyn a cake.”

  Angel smiled. “That sounds like a great idea.”

  * * *

  He knew as soon as he saw the expression on Mildred’s face that he wasn’t going to like what he found when he stepped inside.

  “She’s not forgiving herself,” Mildred said. “As if she deliberately scared that little girl. I’ve never seen her like this before.”

  He heard the sadness in Mildred’s voice. She and his mom had been friends for decades, since way before he was born.

  “Thank you for going to get her. I’m sorry you had to. I should have been here.”

  “You stop that right this instant.” Mildred’s voice was firm and invited no argument. “You cannot put your life on hold for the remainder of your mom’s life. God only knows how long that will be. Could be years and years, and you will have wasted the prime of your life.”

  “She’s my responsibility,” he said.

  “No, she’s your mother. You love her, take care of her the best you can, but you don’t use her as an excuse to not live your own life.”