Home on the Ranch: Texas Cowboy, Be Mine

by Trish Milburn

  Chapter 14

  “So, how are you doing?” Chris asked Angel as they walked side by side along the edge of the pasture.

  “Fine.”

  “Uh-huh,” he said, not sounding the least bit convinced.

  It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the past two weeks had been some of the loneliest of her life. It was why she’d invited Chris over for a horseback ride, hoping it would take her mind off the distinct lack of Hunter in her life.

  “No sense in wallowing because I can’t change things.”

  “I hate to see you give up so easily when you still have a chance.”

  Angel heard the layer of sorrow in his voice. He didn’t have the option of finding another path to being with the person he loved. She reached out and took his hand.

  “I should be asking you how you’re doing.”

  He shrugged as he looked out into the distance. “Some good moments peppered in between some not-so-good ones.”

  “Have you talked to your parents?”

  “Some, but it’s still really tense. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve second-guessed coming home.”

  She wrapped her arm around his and steered him back in the direction of the house, surprised to see how far they’d walked. “Well, you’re always welcome here, you know that.”

  He smiled. “You’re a good friend. That’s why I want to see you happy.”

  She sighed. “Trust me, I’ve tried to figure out a way, but while Hunter’s mom is still alive I don’t see how. And I would never wish her ill. She’s a good person, like he is.” She looked up at the wide blue sky, which didn’t match her mood lately. “Some things just aren’t meant to be.”

  They walked in silence as she wished that Chris had Darren back and some miracle would happen and she could be with Hunter. She couldn’t even hate him, not when his reason for not being with her had everything to do with the kind, selfless, hardworking son he was to his mother. He wouldn’t be the same person she’d fallen in love with if he could just stick his mom in a home so he could be free of responsibility. As much as she hurt and as much as a part of her might always feel easily abandoned, she couldn’t say she wouldn’t have done the same thing in his situation.

  She counted her blessings that her parents were still healthy and that she had plenty of family to share the work if they did eventually fall ill. She couldn’t imagine being as alone as Hunter was, how the early death of his father had likely turned him into the type of person who felt he had to shoulder all the burden himself and not bother others.

  “But maybe some things are,” Chris said.

  “Huh?”

  “Despite what I’ve been through, I believe if people are meant to be together, they will be. And you and Hunter are meant to be together.”

  His belief was still echoing in her head as she watched him drive away. Part of her was ashamed that she was so wrapped up in her own loneliness when she was surrounded by people who loved her. Chris was so much more alone. Despite having his mother, Hunter was more alone. Nora was alone.

  The thought of her birth mother and how they’d been getting to know each other better via phone calls and emailed photos gave her an idea. What if...?

  She hurried inside, her thoughts traveling at light speed.

  “Did you two have a nice ride?” her mom asked when Angel walked into the kitchen. There was no mistaking the question, perhaps even disapproval, in her mother’s voice.

  Angel sank into the chair opposite where her mom was clipping coupons. “I’m going to tell you something but you cannot tell a soul, not even Dad. It’s not really my secret to tell, but I don’t want you worrying about something where there’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Okay,” her mom said as she placed her scissors down.

  “There’s nothing between me and Chris but friendship. He’s gay.”

  Her mom’s eyes widened a bit before she leaned back in her chair. “That poor boy.”

  “What?” Surely her mom—

  “No, no, that’s now what I meant,” her mom said with a shake of her head. “I just know how difficult that must be with his parents, his mother especially. She’s not what I’d call open-minded. Or even motherly, if I’m being honest. Now it makes total sense why he left town as soon as he could.”

  “And why he didn’t want to date me.”

  “Also that. Why did he come back?”

  “Trying to mend fences.” Angel wasn’t going to share any more of Chris’s story. It was up to him when and with whom to share those details.

  “I hope it works out for him.”

  “Me, too. And speaking of things working out, I just had an idea and I need you to tell me whether it’s crazy.”

  “This have to do with Hunter?”

  “How did you know?”

  “Because you’re head over heels in love with him and have been miserable ever since the two of you broke up.”

  Angel acknowledged the truth of her mom’s assessment before outlining her brainstorm. When she was finished, she held her breath and didn’t release it until she saw her mother smile.

  “You don’t need my blessing, if that’s what you’re looking for, but you’ve got it.” Her mom reached across the table and wrapped Angel’s hands in hers. “I like this plan, and if it works how you hope it will, don’t let Hunter say no. I admire that boy so much for what he’s doing, but I want him to be happy. And you, my dear, are what makes him happy.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I am.”

  With hope welling up inside her, Angel headed outside to make a very important phone call. One that had the potential to be life changing.

  * * *

  Hunter didn’t think he’d ever been so tired in his entire life. Not even in the days after his father’s death had fatigue weighed him down so much. Add to that the fact of how hollow he was inside and that his mother was angry at him, and he felt about three seconds away from collapse all the damn time. But he didn’t have time to collapse.

  While Mildred and his mom’s other friends stayed with her, only adding to her frustration and irritation and making her feel like a child or an invalid, he worked from before sunrise until late at night. In addition to keeping the ranch running until he could find a buyer for the herd and the rangeland who’d be willing to let him keep the acreage that held the house, he was also working roofing jobs, had a couple of shifts a week making deliveries for the lumber company and was even delivering pizzas for Gia’s one night a week.

  Desperate to bring in money any way he could, he’d even taken a few of his little carved horses to a gift shop in Fredericksburg, too embarrassed to try in Blue Falls in case he was rejected. To his complete surprise, the shop owner had loved the horses and said she’d take whatever he had for a commission on each sale. Now he spent every free moment on lunch breaks or right before he went to bed at night carving more.

  If only he could find a way to stay awake longer, but he knew he had to sleep. He didn’t tell anyone about falling asleep at the wheel the night before on his way home, waking up as he crossed the center line when the driver of an oncoming car honked at him.

  But he had to make money and fast. He couldn’t depend on his mom’s friends staying with her all the time. They had lives to lead and as his mom’s condition worsened, he didn’t want to expose anyone other than himself or a paid professional caregiver to the potential hazards and heartbreak. But those caregivers didn’t come cheap.

  An image of Angel came to him, and his heart felt as if it was going to literally break. She’d been the one truly wonderful thing in his life, and he’d had to let her go.

  You chose to, a voice in his head whispered.

  But with what lay ahead, it wouldn’t be fair to her. He remembered Mildred’s warning about not setting himself up as some sort of martyr. That
wasn’t his intent. He was just a guy trying to do right by everyone he cared about. Lord knew he’d beg Angel to forgive him and take him back if he could figure out how to make a living, take care of his mom and give Angel and Julia the safe, secure, happy lives they deserved. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find a way to do it all.

  He couldn’t be a good romantic partner, not when he was mentally and physically spent all the time. And after what had happened with Julia, he couldn’t guarantee their safety. Not to mention as he’d told Angel, it would be cruel to allow Julia to become attached to his mom only to see her deteriorate. Sure, his mom might have several mostly fine years left, but there was no putting the brakes on Alzheimer’s disease or reversing the damned disease. At least not yet.

  He stopped at the mailbox to grab a bunch of sales flyers for things he couldn’t afford, tossed them onto the seat beside him and headed up the driveway toward the house. His heart rate kicked up several notches when he spotted a familiar vehicle. As he drew close, he saw Angel sitting on the lowered tailgate of her truck. Damn, it was good to see her, but it made his heart ache at the same time because nothing had changed.

  When he parked and cut off the engine, he didn’t immediately get out of his own truck. He was so tired he had no doubt that he could fall asleep where he sat. And he didn’t know how he was going to face Angel knowing that he still hadn’t been able to find some miraculous way to give her the life he wanted to.

  Somehow he found the strength to get out and face her.

  “You look worn-out,” she said by way of greeting.

  “That’s because I am.”

  She patted the tailgate beside her. Despite how part of him feared to get too close to her, he sank onto the spot she’d indicated.

  “How have you been?” he asked.

  “Busy.”

  “I know the feeling.”

  “And missing you.”

  He closed his eyes and barely resisted rubbing against the ache in his chest. “I know that one, too.”

  “What if I told you that we didn’t have to miss each other anymore?”

  His heart feeling as if it weighed a ton, threatening to crush him, he turned slightly toward her. “Angel, I want that more than anything, but nothing’s changed.”

  She smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  Confusion twisted around the fatigue in his brain. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve found you some help.”

  “I can’t afford it yet.”

  She wrapped her hand around his. “You don’t have to.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You remember how Nora said she worked in a nursing home and had experience with dementia patients?”

  He nodded.

  “Well, we’ve been talking, and she wants to get to know me and Julia better. She said nothing is keeping her in Oklahoma, so she’s moving here.”

  “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”

  He still wasn’t connecting all the dots.

  “She’s going to be working part-time at the nursing home here, but she can help take care of your mom.”

  He was already shaking his head.

  “Just stop,” Angel said, gripping both of his hands now. “She wants to make a deal with you. She’s sold her house and bought a small RV. If she can hook it up here, she wouldn’t have to pay for a space in a campground or buy land of her own.”

  “That seems way too little payment for being a caretaker.”

  “That wouldn’t be the only payment. She wants to do this for me because she wants me to be happy. And you, Hunter Millbrook, make me happy.”

  He just stared at this beautiful, amazing woman, not trusting that this wasn’t all just a dream.

  “You don’t hate me?”

  Now she was the one to look confused. “Why would I hate you?”

  “Because I left you.” He swallowed against a sudden, uncomfortable lump in his throat. “I knew how you felt about being left, and I did it anyway.” He hadn’t known how to avoid it without condemning her to a relationship in which he’d largely be missing, but he hated how much he may have hurt her anyway.

  “I won’t lie and say it didn’t break my heart. But while part of me was angry, another part understood. You were in a position I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”

  He lifted a hand and caressed her cheek. “I’m so sorry. The last thing in the world I ever wanted to do was hurt you.”

  “I know,” she said. “But that can be behind us now if you’ll agree to this plan.”

  Though he’d been carrying all the responsibility on his shoulders for what seemed like forever, he found himself nodding. He didn’t think he had the strength to deny himself any longer. Still...

  “I’ll have to ask Mom. I honestly don’t know if she’ll go for it.” To be this close to a possible solution and not be able to take it might break him.

  “She’s agreed.”

  That surprised him. “You talked to her already.”

  “I wanted to make sure she would be okay with it before I got your hopes up. If she wasn’t, I’d decided not to upset you anymore.”

  He just stared at Angel, marveling at this woman who’d stolen his heart. No, not stolen. He was giving it to her freely.

  “What about Julia?”

  Angel smiled and nodded at the house. “She’s in there with your mom and Mildred. We had a long talk about what was likely to come in the years ahead. It makes her sad, but she also understands. She loves your mom.”

  If this was all a dream, he hoped he never woke up.

  “My God, I love you.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the bottled-up emotion he’d been carrying around inside him since the last time he’d seen her.

  When they finally came up for air, her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Do you mean it? Because I don’t think I can stand to lose you again.”

  He framed her face with his hands. “Yes, I love you, with all my heart. I felt like I died inside when I pushed you away. I felt like the worst person on the planet and didn’t know how to make everything right. But I’ll make it right now. I will never, ever leave you again.”

  A couple of tears escaped her eyes as she looked up at him. “After Dave left, I didn’t think I could ever allow myself to love someone again. It felt too dangerous. But I was wrong. I love you, too, Hunter Millbrook.”

  And then she slipped off the tailgate, lifted onto her toes and kissed him with so much emotion that it nearly knocked him over. Wait, something actually did run into him. Angel must have felt it, too, because she broke the kiss and looked down at the same time he did. There, hugging their legs and looking up at them with a huge smile and big, dark eyes was Julia.

  “Are you going to get married?” she asked.

  “Julia,” Angel said, evidently embarrassed.

  Hunter smiled as he rubbed his hand over Julia’s silky hair. His gaze met Angel’s.

  “Maybe someday. I’d be one lucky man.”

  “Does that mean Evelyn would be my grandma, too?”

  Angel rolled her eyes, but Hunter looked down at Julia’s hopeful expression. His heart opened even more and he knew he’d do whatever he could to protect this precious little girl as well as her mother.

  “Yes,” he said as he glanced toward the porch to find his mom and Mildred standing there, both with wide smiles threatening to take over their faces. “And I know she’d love that.”

  “Darn right, I would,” his mom called out.

  Julia released them and jumped up and down. “Yes! Three grandmas! Awesome!”

  Hunter and Angel laughed, but as Julia ran back toward the porch and no doubt some spoiling by the two women there, Hunter pulled Angel close.

  “I wish I had the right words to tell you just how happy I a
m right now.”

  “You could always show me.”

  He lowered his lips to hers and did exactly that.

  * * *

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  ISBN-13: 9781488085970

  Home on the Ranch: Texas Cowboy, Be Mine

  Copyright © 2018 by Trish Milburn

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