A Reunion for the Rancher (Lone Star Cowboy League 1)

by Brenda Minton

  He wasn’t so sure Ben hadn’t given him the idea to try the trick.

  As they walked out the front door, the old adage about things had nowhere to go but up seemed as far off as the moon. Ruby pulled her old farm truck into an empty parking space and hopped out. She saw him and frowned.

  * * *

  Ruby could have gone a whole year without seeing Carson again. Or so she wanted to believe. But she couldn’t lie, not even to herself. Seeing him standing on that sidewalk with his nephew almost tore her heart out. It was a reaction she hadn’t expected. But seeing him with that little boy took her back. The sight made her think of dreams and what she might have had.

  If wishes were ponies, Granny Iva always said. Wishes weren’t ponies. Ponies, saddles, bridles and feed were bought with cold, hard cash. Just like Carson’s dad had tried to buy her. He’d tried to buy her and he’d tried to threaten her, with Iva as his target. She shook her head to clear that memory.

  “Hey, Ruby!” Brandon pulled away from his uncle. “Did you get that new pony you were telling me about?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did. Derek hauled him home today.”

  “Is he fast?”

  She smiled, because to a little boy it was all about speed.

  “I think he might be the fastest pony I have on the place!”

  He started to bounce. She smoothed a hand down the little boy’s shoulder.

  “What did you have for breakfast?”

  “Pancakes with chocolate chips and syrup. And I had bacon. And chocolate milk.”

  She glanced from the boy to Carson. He shrugged and she shook her head.

  “That’s a lot of sugar for one little boy,” she said, more for Carson than the child. “Maybe tomorrow just have eggs and toast?”

  He wrinkled his Thorn nose at her. “I don’t like eggs.”

  “No, I don’t imagine you do.” She glanced toward Maggie’s and then let her gaze settle on Carson. What a mistake. He stood there, relaxed and in control, his keys in his hand. The other hand reached for Brandon. “Is Doc Grainger inside? I called out to the ranch but they said he was in town having coffee.”

  Doc, as they all called him, had been born and raised on the Grainger spread. As much as the ranch was a part of him, he’d shared that he never felt like a rancher. He was giving the community a year and then he was heading for the city to practice medicine. She, like many others, hoped he’d stay in town.

  Ruby knew him well enough to doubt he would.

  “Yeah, I think he was sitting in a booth at the back. Is everything okay?” Concern edged into Carson’s tone, genuine concern. It softened the brittle tone and softened Ruby’s heart a smidge.

  “I think everything is okay. Iva doesn’t tell me everything, you know. She’s tough like that. But this morning I can tell she doesn’t feel well, maybe just a cold coming on, but I thought I’d see if he’d stop by the house later. I know he’s a pediatrician, but he’s always been so good about checking on her.”

  “If you need anything...”

  “We’re fine, Carson.” Her words didn’t sound as strong as she had intended but repeating them in a firmer tone wouldn’t serve her purpose, either.

  “Can I come by and see the pony? Does he have a name?” Brandon tugged at her hand as he asked the questions.

  “His name is Peanut and I will let you ride him Monday when you have your lesson.”

  Carson stepped closer, Brandon’s hand still in his. “Are you sure everything is okay with Iva? Do you need to drive her to Austin?”

  She shook her head. She didn’t need his help. She didn’t need him close. She didn’t need to get all tangled up in leftover emotions. That’s all this was, leftovers. They might sound good, but rarely were as good as the first time around. She swallowed and met his warm gaze and saw concern. Inwardly, she cringed. She didn’t want his concern. Remembering him as a person who genuinely cared complicated things.

  “I’m sure she’s fine. But I’ll feel better if Doc can come out and check on her.”

  “Let me know if anything changes. And if you need to cancel on Monday, we’ll understand.”

  At his mention of canceling, Brandon groaned. Ruby smiled down at the little guy. “Don’t worry, we won’t cancel.”

  “We’ll go then. Let me know if you need anything.” Carson walked away with his nephew.

  She watched them go, drawn to the pair, drawn by the past and by the present. That was even more of a complication. One she didn’t need. It seemed that somewhere beneath the hard exterior, the Carson she knew still lived and breathed.

  The door to Maggie’s opened and the man she had been looking for stepped out. Tyler Grainger, tall and all blond good looks, stopped to look around as he pulled car keys out of his pocket. He saw Ruby and nodded.

  “Ruby, how’s Iva?” Tyler headed her way with an easy gait, comfortable in his own skin. He still looked like a kid who’d grown up in this small town. But she understood wanting to shed that skin and be someone or something else.

  “She’s not good, Tyler. I’m worried, and of course she refuses to go to the doctor. She says she went and going wears her out.”

  “I can stop by,” he offered as he glanced at the watch on his wrist. “In an hour?”

  “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble. I know house calls are a thing of the past and this isn’t your specialty.”

  He shrugged off her comments. “I don’t mind.”

  “Thank you.”

  A truck started. She turned, knowing it would be Carson’s and realizing immediately that she shouldn’t have turned. It was too easy, this getting pulled into the past, into remembering how he’d cared.

  She didn’t need those reminders. She didn’t need to think about confiding in him the way she once had. No, she had to think about her small family and how to keep them together and keep them solvent.

  “Everything okay between you and Carson?” Tyler asked.

  “Yes, just fine. I’m just tired. I need to head home and check on Gran. If something comes up and you can’t come out, I understand.”

  “I don’t foresee anything coming up. And you know to call me or call 911 if her condition worsens.”

  “Yes, of course. I don’t think it’s dire. I’m just not used to seeing her so weak and tired.”

  “No, you aren’t. And Ruby, it’s unfortunately going to get worse.”

  “I wish that wasn’t the case.”

  Tyler’s features softened and for a minute he lost that composure that schooled his mouth into an even line. Not a smile. Not a frown. “I wish it wasn’t the case, too. But she is going to get worse. Probably sooner and not later. The two of you, or the three of you, should talk about what she wants. I wouldn’t wait on that.”

  “I won’t put it off.”

  She left then, going back to her truck—dazed, afraid and alone. As she backed out of the parking space she saw Carson’s truck driving away and she wondered how it would feel to confide her fears in him the way she had once upon a time.

  Too many years had passed since she’d been able to turn to him, trust him. It wouldn’t do to look back, she told herself as she shifted the truck into gear. She didn’t want to remember resting her head on his shoulder and telling him how it had felt when her dad had sold everything, bought a camper and hauled them all over the western US to rodeos. Always chasing that buckle she’d seen on Derek’s belt the previous day. He’d finally won it. Only to die a week later in a freak accident in a chute as he settled on the back of a rangy, unknown horse.

  The memories evaporated as she drove past the gas station. Her attention was drawn to a cherry-red convertible at the pumps. A young woman stood next to the car, laughing as she spoke to the man standing next to her.

  Derek.

  Ruby slowed but she didn’t stop. Her heart raced, and so did her mind as she thought of all the reasons her brother might be in town and with a young woman obviously not from around here.

  “No, Derek.
Don’t be in on all of this.” Ruby spoke to herself in the interior of the rattling old truck.

  Of course her brother wasn’t in on the thefts. She had to believe in him. He’d paid for his previous crimes. He was going to church and helping her at the ranch. He had goals, and he was slowly letting go of the desire to be their father.

  It had taken her years to convince Derek that their dad had been wonderful, but he hadn’t made the right choices for his children. After their mother’s death he should have brought them here, not packed up and taken off after that crazy dream.

  The buckle Derek cherished was a reminder of those chaotic years, struggling to get by with Ruby trying to take care of her father and little brother. What Derek cherished, she wanted to forget.

  She shook it off. She didn’t have time for melancholy, for memories. She didn’t have time to dwell on what could have been or dark-haired little boys who walked next to Carson, mimicking his long strides.

  Today she had to think about how to keep a ranch afloat, her brother out of trouble and her grandmother in the best health possible for as long as possible. As she drove past the entrance of the Thorn ranch, she let out a sigh. Some things were easier said than done.

  Forgetting Carson was one of those things.

  Chapter Five

  After a rainy morning, Monday afternoon cleared up. The sun came out. Carson had a list of things to get done. A long list. Instead of checking off a few things on that list, he’d been to the school to register Brandon for kindergarten. The boy would be starting the next day. Now the two of them were on their way to the Donovans’ for a riding lesson.

  “I’m going to need crayons. And pencils. Even a backpack.” Brandon proudly recited the list of things the teacher had told them he would need. Carson let out a sigh that had more to do with not knowing the next step than anything else. Brandon looked at him, his mouth turning down at the corners and his eyes narrowing. “I’m a lot of work.”

  “What?” Carson jerked himself out of his list making.

  “I know that sigh. That’s the one my mom uses when I’m a lot of work.”

  “You’re not a lot of work. You’re a normal kid and you need things. That’s what kids do, Brandon. And it’s okay.”

  Brandon bit down on his lip and studied Carson. “Yeah, okay. But you don’t have to get all of that stuff on the list if it’s too much trouble.”

  “It isn’t too much trouble.” He smiled, amazed by the kid and how easily he let go of what he wanted. As if he was used to not asking for more.

  That thought made Carson mad at his sister.

  “Okay, but if you change your mind.” Brandon turned to look out the window. “Are you sure riding lessons are okay? Derek said he’d teach me to rope.”

  “Riding lessons are fine, too.”

  He turned at the entrance and headed up the drive, pulling past the house to the barn and parked. Ruby walked out the side door. Her auburn hair was covered with a white cowboy hat, leaving her face in shadows. But he saw her quick look, saw her lips turn ever so slightly.

  Brandon had his seat belt unbuckled and he was reaching for the door. Carson let him go, and he got out a little slower, taking his time. He needed time. He needed to figure out how this woman could crash back into his life this way after the way she’d walked out on him, and it didn’t feel as though she’d walked away. It felt like being eighteen again and still believing she was the one.

  She wasn’t, though. She wasn’t the girl he’d thought he loved. She wasn’t the person he’d spend his life with. Instead, she was the person who’d taken a check and walked away without a goodbye or an explanation.

  That memory alone should have him angry. It should make him question why in the world he was here with Brandon. Why couldn’t he let it go?

  “Uncle Carson, look at this pony!” Brandon yelled from the fence where he stood next to Ruby. “Isn’t he great? And I get to ride him.”

  “He is a good-looking horse, Brandon.” Carson stopped at the fence, placing his hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Let’s not yell, though. That’s not the best way to act around livestock.”

  “Oh,” Brandon said in a quieter tone. “You’re right. But he’s so tame he doesn’t seem to mind.”

  “Maybe not, but another horse might.”

  Ruby led them away from the fence. “Let’s get him saddled up. Derek is inside. He’s going to help you learn to put a bridle and saddle on Peanut. And then we’ll work him in the corral here.”

  “But I get to ride him today, right?” Brandon headed into the barn, glancing back just briefly.

  “Ride him, yes.”

  “And I can see how fast he can run,” the boy called from inside the barn.

  “No, we won’t be seeing how fast he runs.” Carson entered the barn and saw Brandon watching Derek clean out a stall.

  “Soon?” Brandon asked.

  “Not until Ruby says you’re ready,” Carson answered in the firmest tone he could.

  Brandon frowned but he didn’t argue. Instead, he took the lead rope Derek handed him and followed the other man out a door to the corral. Carson watched from inside the barn as Derek showed the little boy how to approach the horse, helping him clip the lead to the halter, and then the two walked back to the barn, the pony walking next to them.

  “He’s good with kids, Carson.” Ruby defended her brother in tone that told him to agree, not argue.

  “Yes, he is.”

  “People do change,” she continued. “He has changed. He isn’t stealing from our neighbors. I would know. If he wasn’t here for long periods of time, I’d notice.”

  He nodded, unsure if she was trying to convince him or herself. As a man with a sister who seemed to be making a lot of mistakes and not changing, he wasn’t going to discourage her from believing in her brother.

  “People change,” he agreed. He had certainly changed from the teenager who’d believed this woman could change everything for him.

  It seemed a little nonsensical now to think of her as his sunshine. He’d been the kid with everything. He’d never worried about the next meal, what he’d wear or where he’d live. Those had been her fears. But he’d been the one needing her. He’d needed her warmth, her laughter. He’d needed her because a lost football game hadn’t been the end of the world when she’d been at his side. His dad’s severe demeanor had been easier to handle when he’d known he could spend time with Ruby.

  James Thorn had insisted on perfection and on children who understood the importance of success. Ruby had been a distraction, he’d informed Carson. And he’d taken care of that distraction.

  And she’d taken the check his father had offered.

  He shouldn’t blame her. If his dad hadn’t used money to rid the Thorns of Ruby Donovan, he would have used other means.

  “Carson?”

  He cleared his throat, swallowing past regret. “Yeah?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m good,” he answered, stepping back as Derek and Brandon entered the barn with the pony. The little bay had a deep red coat, a long black tail and a mane buzzed short.

  He watched as they tied the pony, and then Derek showed Carson’s nephew how to brush the animal. Carson got hit with more regrets. He should have been the one teaching his nephew these things. Unfortunately, Jenna had steered clear of the family ranch and Carson. She’d lived in Austin, in San Antonio and Dallas. And Brandon had been dragged along.

  He would get a lawyer. Somehow he’d keep the boy here, keep Jenna from uprooting him again. There was no reason for a kid to live the way Jenna had her son living.

  “Try to smile—you’re going to scare the boy.” Ruby nudged him, reminding him that he wasn’t alone.

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. You care about him. That isn’t something to apologize for.”

  He didn’t answer. But her shoulder still leaned into his arm and it made him want to wrap an arm around her and draw her close to his side. He d
rew in a breath and put some distance between them. She looked up, her eyes narrowing, asking questions.

  “Iva’s okay today?” he asked, sounding a little abrupt to his own ears.

  “Yes, she’s better. Tyler said she might have had too much sugar yesterday. She isn’t going to change that. She said she’s not going to get any better, and eating less sugar won’t change that. She likes pecan pie and she’ll eat pecan pie.” Ruby smiled as she said it, sounding a lot like her grandmother.

  Carson chuckled, because he knew Iva and knew she would dig her heels in on anything that didn’t make sense to her.

  “Did she remind him that she’d changed his diapers more than once and doctored him when he had a cold?”

  “Doesn’t she use that on anyone who tries to tell her what to do?” Ruby asked, her voice sweet. He got lost in that voice, remembering. Always remembering.

  “Yeah, she does.” He took a deep breath and got himself back on track. “Derek and Brandon are outside. I think I’ll head on out that way.”

  “Chicken,” she called out to his retreating back.

  Yeah, he was. But he couldn’t help the grin that latched on as she followed him out the door of the barn.

  He’d missed her. He wouldn’t deny that because he’d never been one to lie. Not even to himself.

  Twelve years of missing someone was a long time. Too bad mistrust was layered in with the missing.

  * * *

  Ruby enjoyed Carson’s nephew. The little boy had too much energy and a penchant for trouble, but he also gave good hugs and loved the little pony he’d been riding. As they finished their lesson she let her gaze drift toward the house where Carson had retreated when he’d left the barn.

  She could imagine him on the front porch with Iva, telling her stories about town or discussing the thefts. Hopefully he would reassure her that it wasn’t Derek, rather than worrying her with concerns that it might be her grandson.