“I want you on this ranch.”
“Here?”
Jed laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised. You worked out fine the first time, didn’t you?”
He had to take another long breath before he would trust his voice again. “We just went through this. I walked away. And you went five years without hearing from me, without me paying my debt. Yet you want to hire me on again?”
“Are you listening to what you’re saying, boy? That’s three loads of guilt in one sentence. Sounds like you’d darned well better take this offer if you’re ever gonna get over yourself.”
Cole shook his head. His old boss always had read him better than anyone could.
“I’ll wager Pete will be happy to see you again.”
Surprised, Cole said, “Pete Brannigan?” The man had broken him in during his early days on the ranch. He’d felt sure Pete, a few years older, would have moved on by this time. “He’s still wrangling for you?”
“That and more. He’s managing the place for me now. Lives right here on the ranch with his family. And he’s been saying we could use an extra hand. So, what do you say?”
He hesitated, though he knew full well he’d have to take the offer. He needed a steady job. This one would give him a chance to prove to Jed he’d changed. At the same time, it might give him an idea of how to pay the man back.
But it would also put him in danger of running into Tina. Tina...who, with one short conversation with her granddaddy, could get him thrown off Garland Ranch.
* * *
TINA PULLED THE ranch’s truck into the empty parking lot behind the Hitching Post. As she and her grandmother climbed out of the cab, she said, “Abuela, you go ahead in with the frozen food, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“You can handle all that?”
“Sure,” she said. “This is nothing.”
And that was a problem.
The small size of their order from the Local-General Store reflected the lack of guests at the hotel. As the hotel’s bookkeeper, she found that lack giving her plenty to worry about lately. Sure, it was only early March, never one of their busiest seasons, but it was quieter than usual for this time of year. Their bookings for the summer hadn’t begun to pick up yet, either.
“We’ll need to go back to the store again soon, before Jane and Andi arrive.”
“No problem, Abuela. I know you need to buy everything fresh. John Barrett must love seeing us walk into the L-G so often.”
“I think you’re right.”
John had established the market forty years ago, naming it the Local-General Store. He claimed building it smack in the middle of Cowboy Creek made it local to everybody, and stocking everything under the sun made it general. The store’s popularity—despite the attempt of a couple of national chains to take over—seemed to have proven him right.
She looked over at Abuela, who was still gathering the couple of insulated carrier bags she used for frozen food.
“Is everything okay? You’ve been looking tired lately.” More than tired. Her shoulders seemed slightly stooped, the lines under her eyes more pronounced. With her grandparents always so active, Tina sometimes had to remind herself they’d both reached their seventies. “Has Robbie been wearing you out? He’s got so much energy.”
“Don’t be silly. And a four-year-old must have lots of energy.”
It wasn’t till Abuela was halfway up the steps of the hotel that Tina realized she hadn’t answered the first question. Was everything okay with her? Was she concerned about Jed, the way Tina had been for a while now?
Though she hadn’t learned she was Jed’s granddaughter until shortly before she had started school, he had always been her abuelo. She loved him just as much as she loved Robbie and Abuela.
His behavior lately had her very concerned. He’d been acting odd, distracted, as if he were worried about something. But of course, there was one perfectly logical reason for that. He had the same worries she did.
Ever since high school, she had helped keep the hotel’s books for Jed. Very early on, she had learned that when people were forced to budget, vacation funds often went in the first cut. And the Hitching Post felt the pain. That meant she felt the pain, as well. She glanced up at the hotel, all three stories of it, all the way up to the windows of her attic hideaway. She loved the hotel, the only home she and Robbie had ever known. Jed, who had also lived here all of his life, couldn’t like the idea of all those empty rooms, either.
Sighing, she reached for one of the grocery sacks in the back of the truck. Footsteps on gravel made her pause. It wasn’t Jed’s familiar tread, and they had no one staying at the hotel at the moment. Maybe this was someone who wanted to book a room. She turned with a welcoming smile.
That smile died on her lips when she saw the cowboy standing in front of her.
Cole Slater.
In one startled, reflexive sweep, she took in almost everything about him. The light brown hair showing beneath the brim of his battered hat. The firm mouth and jaw. Broad shoulders. Narrow hips. The well-worn jeans, silver belt buckle, and scuffed boots. In the next reluctant second, she turned her gaze to the one feature she had deliberately skipped over the first time.
A pair of blue eyes that made her think instantly of her son.
Clutching the grocery sack, she demanded, “What are you doing here?”
His face looked flushed. But he didn’t appear angry, the way he would have if he’d seen Robbie and put two and two together. She breathed a sigh of relief at the reprieve, no matter how brief, giving her a chance to come to grips with his return to town. If she ever could.
Seeing him again had brought back years of memories she didn’t want to think about.
She should have known better than to fall for Cole Slater. At the tender age of seven, she had already heard about his reputation as a sweet-talker. By junior high, he had progressed to a real player. And by senior high, he had turned love-’em-and-leave-’em into an art form, changing girlfriends as often as she replaced guest towels here at the Hitching Post.
Too bad she hadn’t remembered all that when he had finally turned his attention her way.
He shoved his hands into his back pockets, which pulled his shirt taut against his chest. Now, she felt herself flushing as she recalled the one and only time—
No, she wasn’t going there. And he wasn’t staying here. “You must have made a wrong turn somewhere. I suggest you find your vehicle, wherever you might have left it—”
“I parked near the barn—”
“—and be on your way.”
“—and to answer your question, I came to see Jed.”
“What for?”
“He invited me.”
“Then I assume you’ve seen him already and, as I said, you can be on your way.”
“You and I need to have something out first.”
Please, no. Had he caught a glimpse of Robbie, after all?
He shifted his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t expect to run into you this soon, but since we’ve met up, it’s as good a time as any to talk.”
“I don’t really have anything to say to you.”
“But I’ve got something to say to you.”
He ducked his head, looking suddenly like the kindergartner made to give back the lollipop he’d just sweet-talked out of her hand. Even in those days, she’d have given him anything.
One night in high school, she’d proven that.
She turned to the truck and grabbed another sack. “I’m busy, sorry.”
“I’ll give you a hand, and then we can talk.”
“No.” He had stepped up beside her and stood only a few inches away. His nearness unsettled her. The thought of him going back into the hotel upset her even more.
While she and Abuela had been in town, her son had stayed over at the ranch manager’s house on the property. But Pete’s housekeeper might be bringing Robbie back home any minute.
“All rig
ht,” she conceded. “Say whatever you want to say right here.”
“I’m sorry.”
She blinked. “What?”
He ducked his head again, then tugged the brim of his hat down, shading his eyes. “Look, I know I acted like a real jerk to you back in high school.”
“High school? You mean that lunchtime you turned me down when I asked you to the dance?” The time you humiliated me in front of everyone in the school cafeteria? “I’m over that.”
“You are?”
“Of course.”
“Well. That’s good. But I still feel I owe you an apology.”
“Oh, please. Don’t even think twice about it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” She forced a smile and hoped he couldn’t see her grinding her teeth in frustration. She just wanted him gone. Off the ranch. Anywhere but right here, right now.
“Well, that’s good,” he said again. “I’m glad you’re not holding any bad feelings against me, since we’ll probably be seeing a lot of each other.”
“I doubt it. The hotel keeps me busy and close to home. I don’t go into town much.”
“You won’t have to.” His smile didn’t look the least bit forced. “You’ll see me here. I’m back to working for Jed.”
Chapter Two
“Men are more trouble than they’re worth.”
Tina’s best friend couldn’t possibly know how much Tina agreed with the familiar refrain right at that moment.
She looked down the length of Canyon Road, Cowboy Creek’s business section, then back at Ally. They had just met in the parking lot of the hardware store, where Ally worked as a clerk. As often as Tina could manage, they would get together at the end of Ally’s workday to walk, pacing the length of the business section of Canyon Road and back again, for as long as their time allowed.
Right now, just a few hours after her meeting with Cole, she needed a good, long walk to work off her sky-high stress. And listening to Ally’s complaints about the latest man in her life would be a good distraction. “What now, Al?”
“Oh, that new wrangler in town, the one I told you about—you know, the cute one.”
“They’re all cute to you. Can you be more specific?”
“Details. Always, you want details.” Ally rolled her eyes. “The tall blond one who just showed up in town a week ago. He’s been coming into the store a lot. But I can’t get him to look my way. And you know I can be pretty hard to miss.”
That was an understatement. Ally was nothing if not flamboyant. Today after work she had changed into a magenta exercise leotard paired with electric-blue biker shorts and her favorite purple running shoes.
Tina wore her navy sweatpants and her faded New Mexico State University T-shirt.
Ally looked her up and down and shook her head. “When are you going to listen to me, chica?” she demanded.
“Don’t start.”
“Too late for that. I started on you years ago. I don’t know why I love you when you’re so darned stubborn.”
“For my abuela’s Sopapilla cheesecake.”
Ally laughed. “You’ve got a point.”
“And as usual, my point right now would be that—as sorry as I am about your cute wrangler—you can’t throw yourself at every good-looking cowhand who walks in. Please tell me you didn’t do that with this one.”
“I can’t help my impetuous nature.” Ally grinned. “You could learn something from me, chica. How to have your heart broken on a weekly basis. It would sure make your life more exciting.”
“Once was enough for that, thanks,” she said grimly.
Ally frowned. “You’re not looking too happy yourself. What’s wrong?”
She hesitated. But Ally was the only friend who could understand what Cole’s return meant to her. “Your blond isn’t the only man who’s shown up in town. Cole’s back.”
“You’re kidding me!”
Her best friend was also the only woman Tina knew who could manage to screech in a whisper.
“Do I look like I’m kidding?”
Ally shook her head, sending her dark curls tumbling around her shoulders. “No. You look like you’re in shock. C’mon, let’s get going.”
Tina moved through the parking lot and out onto the sidewalk on autopilot, in the same manner she had gotten herself to the store. Somehow, she had made it all the way here without thinking again of Cole. Blurting out the news of his return to Ally had brought him back to her again.
A ridiculous choice of words, since he’d never been hers to begin with.
All through the years, despite his reputation, she saw glimpses of a Cole no one else knew. Or so she’d thought. Those glimpses gave her just enough hope for him. For her. Just enough reason to keep her crush alive.
But years of love from afar didn’t equal a real relationship.
“How long is he going to be in town?” Ally demanded.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, we need to find out. And then you need to stay away from him. Hang out at the ranch, that’s all, like you usually do. And keep Robbie with you.”
“I can’t hide from the man, Ally.”
“Who’s saying hide? But Cole doesn’t deserve to know the truth. Not when he hasn’t even bothered to send you a postcard in all this time.”
All this time.
Five long years.
Ally shook her head. “After what he did, I can’t believe you’ll tell him anything.”
What Cole had done to her that lunchtime had been bad, but what she had done to herself leading up to that day was much, much worse.
In high school, they shared a few classes, and in their senior year, her dream of getting closer to him had come true. She was ecstatic when they became lab partners in biology and then study buddies in English.
Once Jed hired him to work at the ranch, she was thrilled for the chance to see more of him—whether he knew she was watching or not.
Evidently, he did know. One Friday night after he had collected his paycheck from Jed, he asked her to go for a ride in his truck. She said yes, proud to have the world—or, at least, the folks in their world—finally see them as a couple, too.
Only no one had seen them together at all.
They had gone for a long ride before parking near the school baseball field, where they sat and talked for hours. She was puzzled when he took her straight back to the ranch afterward. But on Saturday, she was pleased again when he finished up work and asked her out for another ride. This time, they trusted each other with glimpses into their pasts. She shared stories with him she had never told anyone else.
Yet, again, he took her directly home. Alone in her bedroom, she struggled to push away the rising doubts that kept her from falling asleep.
On Sunday night when they had driven away from the ranch in his pickup truck again, she ignored the replays of childhood memories, pushed away the nagging thoughts of the boy he had been because she saw the boy he was now. The boy who seemed proud to have her with him, too, who treated her as if she were the only girl in his world.
The boy who was giving her this magical weekend.
On Sunday, they had done very little talking...
“You can’t forget what he did,” Ally said.
“No, I’ll never forget. And luckily, you’re the only one who ever knew.” Cole’s attentions hadn’t lasted long enough for anyone else to realize they had so briefly become partners of another kind outside English class and the biology lab.
“Why is he here, anyhow?” Ally asked.
“He didn’t say.”
“I’m guessing he’s come back to help Layne,” Ally said thoughtfully. “I heard things haven’t been going too well for her. So, everything’s okay—Cole will be busy with her and Scott, and you’ll stay on the ranch. You’ll never have to see him again.”
“No, everything’s not okay.” She repeated what Cole had told her, which brought Ally to a halt. “Keep moving,” Tina sai
d over her shoulder. “You know I’m tracking our time.” From behind her, she heard a huge sigh. Despite her tension, she couldn’t hold back a smile.
Once Ally caught up to her again, she said, “He’ll be working on the ranch?”
“Yes.”
“Then, we need to find out what’s going on.” Ally took her by the elbow again and marched her down the street. “Let’s stop in at SugarPie’s and talk to Layne.”
Tina kept walking but pulled her arm free. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. She’ll just tell Cole.”
“Not if we handle this right.”
They were within a hundred yards of the bakery and sandwich shop when Ally came to a stop again. “That day in the cafeteria...”
“Yes,” Tina said with a sigh. “That day...”
At lunch in the school cafeteria that Monday, she had invited him to the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance. He had turned her down, then walked away—with his arm around another girl.
The rejection, coming after what he had done to her—done with her—the night before had left her stunned.
Yet, as much as it had hurt at the time, she had later thanked heaven for Cole’s brutal response. It had made her face the reality she hadn’t been able to admit during the weekend. The reality that all the magic she had seen in him was nothing but a much-practiced act full of smoke and mirrors.
Ally shook her head. “It took you forever to work up the courage to ask Cole out, didn’t it?”
She nodded.
“But,” Ally said softly, “if I were in your place now, I know what you’d say to me. You’re not that scared high-school girl anymore, are you?”
“No, I’m certainly not.” Over the past few years, she’d grown up and developed a backbone. She’d learned to stand up for herself, to be a good role model for Robbie.
Something his father could never be.
“All right, then,” Ally said, “let’s go inside. We can take care of two birds with one sticky bun—find out from Layne what’s going on with her and get her to tell us how long Cole’s staying in town.” She raised her eyebrows in question.
The Cowboy's Little Surprise Page 2
