by R. C. Ryan
Reed glanced around. “No microwave?”
She shook her head. “Too modern for this place, I guess. But I have all the necessities.”
Together they walked to the second bedroom and lifted the box spring and mattress onto an old wooden frame that had been carefully polished. While Reed threaded a pair of white curtains on a small metal rod, Ally dressed the bed in simple white sheets and a white quilt. For color she added two mismatched red and blue pillows.
Reed leaned a hip against the windowsill. “You’ve got a real flair for making a plain room feel homey.”
She flushed. “I don’t have much to work with.”
“That’s just it.” He trailed her along the hallway to the small living room, where Kyle was busy playing with the now-empty box, turning it into a fort. “My grandmother and my sisters-in-law all commented on how smart your displays were yesterday. I’m betting my grandmother bought more than she’d planned to, just because everything looked so special.” He shook his head. “The music stage, with all those instruments. The tables filled with lace cloth and fancy dishes. And the farm implements all around that bale of hay. Really clever.”
Her cheeks turned even brighter pink. “I’m glad people noticed. I gave it a lot of thought.”
Kyle looked up from his fort. “Can we sleep here, Mama?”
She gave a shake of her head. “I wish we could. But all our clothes and personal things are at Archer’s house. And I’m too tired to think about packing them up tonight. We’ll spend tonight at Uncle Archer’s and then haul the rest of our things over in the morning.”
“My truck’s out front. If you’re finished here, I’ll drive you back.”
“Thank you. I’ll take you up on your offer.” With a sigh she stretched her arms over her head. “I think I’m going to hurt tomorrow in places I’ve never hurt before.”
“You got a lot done.” To keep from staring at the way her shirt stretched tautly across her breasts, Reed looked around at the sparkling apartment. “And it shows.”
Ally walked through the apartment, turning off lights before calling to her son. “Time to go, Kyle. Your fort will be here waiting for you tomorrow.”
The little boy trailed Reed down the stairs and out to the street, where the lights were already coming on along Main Street.
As they moved along the streets to Archer’s house, Kyle kept up a running commentary about Dot and Barb and how much fun he had at their diner.
“Dot let me stand on a stool at the cash register and showed me how to ring up a sale. She said I should learn how, so I can help you run your business. And Barb took me in the kitchen and showed me where she makes the best milk shakes in the world. And she said when I get bigger, she’ll let me try to make one myself.”
“You did all that in one visit?”
“We had to wait a long time, ’cause Dot said she always makes special stuff for Reed.” He turned to their driver. “Doesn’t she, Reed?”
“She does. And has since I was no bigger than you.”
“You were little like me?”
Reed chuckled. “Once upon a time.”
“That’s how all my books start. Were you little like me, too, Mama?”
“I was.” She glanced over his head to smile at Reed. “Once upon a time.”
The three shared a laugh.
As they pulled up to Archer’s house, Ally noted the house in darkness. “Looks like my uncle is still at work.”
At her words, Kyle visibly sighed with relief.
Reed turned off the engine and circled the truck to open the passenger door.
On the porch, Ally dug in her pocket for the key and unlocked the door before switching on the interior light.
Kyle raced inside. “Where are my trucks, Mama?”
“Up in your room. I wanted to be sure we didn’t leave anything lying around. You know what Uncle Archer said.”
“Okay. ’Night, Reed.”
“Good night, Kyle.”
Ally held the door. “Would you like to come in?”
Reed removed his hat, shoving a hand through his hair. “I don’t think it would be wise.” He waited a beat before saying, “I wish I could give you a hand again tomorrow hauling all your belongings over to the apartment, but I need to head up to the hills where my herd is grazing. I’ve been away from them too long.”
Ally put a hand on his arm. “Please don’t apologize. You’ve already done so much. I never would have had the apartment ready so quickly without your help today. Thank you, Reed. For everything.”
He closed a hand over her shoulder, drawing her slightly nearer. “You’re welcome. I enjoyed the hard work. And the company wasn’t so bad, either.”
That brought the smile back to her eyes. “Well…” She started to turn away.
His fingers tightened at her shoulder. “I don’t know how long I’ll be up on the ridge, but when I get back, I’d like to stop by.” Seeing her eyes widen, he added, “Just to see how your apartment looks with everything in place.”
She dimpled. “You’re always welcome, Reed. And I know Kyle will be thrilled to see you.”
“Thanks.” He leaned close and touched his mouth to hers.
It was intended as the merest brush of mouth to mouth, but the moment they came together, the sudden flare of heat changed everything.
The hat slipped from Reed’s hand and drifted unnoticed to their feet. His fingers were tangled in her hair, though he couldn’t recall how they got there.
Her hands fisted in the front of his shirt, and he was enveloped in the most amazing sensations.
She smelled of lemon and furniture polish. And she tasted as sweet as the wildflowers that grew in the high country.
He absorbed a quick sexual tug, so deep, so unexpected, his head swam.
In some part of his brain he recognized the slam of a car door, but his mind was already clouded by erotic images that had him pressing her back against the door and taking the kiss deeper.
Her little purr of pleasure encouraged him to linger over her lips. He could feel himself sinking deeper into a pool of deep, dark temptation.
“You son of a…”
Archer’s fierce oath was a dose of ice water that had them lifting their heads and breaking contact.
Chapter Seven
At the wave of pure fury, Ally stepped back, as though poised to run.
Archer Stone barreled up the walkway and grabbed a fistful of Reed’s shirt. “What part of my warning didn’t you understand? Now I’m going to have to teach you a lesson, Malloy.”
Reed’s work-roughened fingers closed around Archer’s wrist and squeezed like a steel vise until the deputy swore and yanked his hand free.
Rubbing his bruised wrist, he shot Reed a hate-filled look. “I ordered you to stay off my property, Malloy. Now I’m going to spell things out. You come near me or mine again, I’ll arrest you. You hear me?”
“You figuring on hiding behind that badge, Archer?”
The man’s eyes were flat. “I won’t need a badge next time. I find you here, I’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”
Ignoring him, Reed turned to Ally. “I’m sorry for this.”
“I’m not. It just reinforces my decision to move out as soon as possible. Now the decision has been made for me.”
Archer spun toward her. “What do you mean…?”
Before her uncle could finish, she reached out a hand to Reed. “Could you wait just a minute while I get Kyle? I’d like you to drive us both back to the shop.”
“What about your things?”
She shot a glance at her uncle’s face, twisted in a look of absolute fury. “We don’t need things. As long as we’re somewhere safe and comfortable, we’ll be fine.”
She turned away. Minutes later she and Kyle stepped out onto the porch. While holding firmly to Kyle, still clutching his trucks, she turned to Archer. “I’m sorry this ended so badly. Thank you for the use of your house. If you don’t mind, I’ll come
by tomorrow and pick up the rest of our things.”
He swore. “Why am I not surprised that you’re leaving with a man you hardly know? You’re just like your ma. I guess some things never change.”
Though her eyes filled, she lifted her chin. “Reed Malloy spent the day making it possible for us to have the space we need, in order for you to have your privacy back. You ought to be thanking him.”
Archer’s face twisted into an insulting sneer. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to thank him for both of us. It’s the way of women like you.”
Without another word Ally spun on her heel, lifting Kyle tightly to her chest, and followed Reed toward his truck, with Archer spewing a string of fierce oaths at their backs.
As soon as they were buckled in, Reed put the truck in gear and pulled away. In the rearview mirror he saw the silhouette of Archer still standing in the glare of the porch light, still raising his fist to them.
“I’m sorry my presence caused all this.”
Ally glanced toward her son in the backseat, quietly moving a toy truck across the window. She kept her voice low enough that Kyle wouldn’t overhear. “It wasn’t you. It was the alcohol.”
“Maybe. But drunk or sober, Archer has the right to order me off his property, and I have no right to interfere with such an order.”
“I understand. I’m just glad now I have a place of my own.”
“A place without your clothes or even the simplest things, like a toothbrush, a pair of pajamas for Kyle.”
“We’re fine without any of those things. All we need is to be together, and safe.”
Reed pulled over to the curb. “Why don’t you let me take you to my ranch for the night? My family could come up with everything you and Kyle need to be comfortable.”
She gave a quick but firm shake of her head. “We’re almost home. And we’ll be fine as soon as we get upstairs.”
“How do you know Archer won’t follow you here?”
“We’re out of his hair. I really believe his anger is related to the fact that he lost his sense of privacy when he opened his home to us. We need our own space and he needs his. Please, Reed. Just take us back to our apartment.”
Reluctantly Reed continued driving.
As they pulled up to the shop, Ally unbuckled her son and took his hand before leading him to the door.
Reed stepped up beside them. “I’ll see you safely upstairs.”
Ally shook her head. “We’re fine now. We need to do this on our own. Thank you again, Reed.”
He paused, understanding her need to take charge of their situation but feeling a need to see to her safety. “Take my cell phone number. If you need anything at all, just call me.”
She plugged his number into her phone, then gave him hers.
He held the door. “I’ll wait until you lock up down here and I see a light go on upstairs.”
She gave him a grateful smile as she led Kyle inside and locked the door. Kyle turned and waved before the two disappeared.
A minute later Reed saw the light go on upstairs, and Ally stepped to the window to wave to him.
Once in the truck, Reed sat a moment before pulling away.
He hated leaving Ally and Kyle alone like this. But it had to be better for both of them than spending another night under Archer’s roof, when he was in such a temper. Still, Reed had no doubt his family would have made Ally and Kyle feel welcome.
His family. He’d been letting them carry the bulk of his work while he’d been distracted here in town. He was glad now he’d taken the day to help Ally with that apartment, even though it had been precious time he’d lost with his herd.
It was good that Ally was able to be on her own. Apparently she’d had plenty of experience. He understood her hunger for family, but he wondered if putting distance between herself and her uncle would have the desired effect of eventually bringing them together.
There was so much anger simmering inside Archer Stone, it could easily explode, causing a rift wider and deeper than the one between Archer and Ally’s mother all those years ago. That chasm had never been bridged.
He sincerely hoped Ally and Kyle hadn’t come all this way on a doomed mission.
Burke climbed the hill and paused beside Reed, looking out over his herd spread below him.
“Why the frown? I figured you’d be happy with such a healthy herd.”
Reed pulled himself out of the dark thoughts that were plaguing him. Thoughts of Ally and Kyle facing Archer’s fury this morning when they returned for their clothes. He cursed the often absent cell phone service that plagued them this high in the hills.
Nothing to be done about it. He’d neglected his obligations long enough. The herd, the ranch, the demanding chores were dependent on him. As was his family. He had a contract to live up to. A healthy herd to deliver.
He forced a smile. “They’re even better than I’d hoped. I really think Leone Industries will be so pleased with the results of this experiment, they’ll want to expand the contract.”
“Like you said, son, organic beef is the future.”
Reed nodded. “It’s a risk. A herd of this size, with no antibiotics to ward off disease, could become a disaster if they were to come into contact with a virus.” He pointed to the new fencing he’d built to segregate this herd from the others, while he dealt with the dozens of things that could go wrong with raising a completely organic herd of cattle.
“Like you asked, son, I have the wranglers weigh at least a dozen of the herd once a week, along with a dozen from the open-range herds, just to be certain they’re gaining weight at the same rate.” Burke shook his head. “I have to admit I was the first to doubt they could weigh the same without the use of any hormones. But so far, they’re equal.”
Reed and Burke walked down the hill and made their way through the cattle milling about, pausing every so often to run a hand over a sleek hide or to look into clear eyes, searching for any sign of a less-than-healthy animal.
Hours later, after taking blood samples that would be sent to a lab in town and feeling satisfied with what he’d seen, Reed slipped off his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “So far, so good, Burke. Now, if we can bring this herd through roundup without incident, Leone will boast of buying the ultimate organic beef.”
“And charge their customers double,” the old foreman said with a chuckle.
“They’ll have to, if the cost of raising these million-dollar babies is any indication.”
Burke nodded. “That fence alone cost you a pretty penny. Then there are the lab fees, the need to hire extra wranglers to guard this gold mine and weigh them weekly.”
“Not to mention protecting them from predators. But there’s no choice. When I signed this contract with Leone, I knew I was betting the future of our ranch on these babies.”
“Your family is proud of you, son.”
“It’s too soon for that.” Reed clapped a hand on Burke’s shoulder. “You know what Great One likes to say. Don’t count your money until it’s in the bank.”
Burke chuckled. “Leave it to your great-grandfather to throw water on your fireworks.”
Reed grinned. “It’s called ‘keeping it real.’”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m real hot and sweaty and starving. You ready to head on up to the range shack?”
In answer Reed pulled himself into the saddle. “More than. I want a long swim in the creek, a change of clothes, and whatever Yancy sent up with us for supper.”
“Now you’re talkin’, son.” Burke mounted and turned his horse toward the distant meadow, with Reed’s horse moving along beside.
“This is something I never get tired of.” Reed leaned his back against his saddle and lifted a blackened coffeepot from the fire to top off Burke’s cup and then his own.
The old cowboy nodded. “Give me a cool evening, supper over an open fire, and that view of the sun setting over the hills, and I’m already gone to heaven.”
Th
ey sat in companionable silence for long minutes, enjoying the whisper of the breeze in the trees and the distant lowing of cattle.
After a string of nights in the range shack, they’d opted to spend their last night in bedrolls under the stars.
“It’s been a good week, son.”
“Yeah.” Reed stretched his long legs toward the fire.
Burke looked over. “I figured you were having such a good time in town with the pretty shopkeeper, you might need a nudge to get your head back in the game.”
“My head’s always in the game.” He shot Burke a look. “But you’re right about one thing. That shopkeeper is pretty.”
“Miss Grace said she has a son.”
“Kyle. He’s four.”
“His daddy?”
“Gone. One too many tours of military duty.”
Burke gave a hiss of breath. “That’s a tough thing for a young woman and boy.”
“Yeah. She came west hoping to give her son a sense of family. That’s why she moved in with Archer.”
“How’s that working out?”
Reed gave a slight shake of his head. “About how you’d expect with Archer Stone.” He took a long drink of coffee before asking, “What’s his history with our family?”
The old man gave a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s like your grandparents said. He used to be your pa’s friend. I thought they were thick as thieves. Then they weren’t.”
“Do you remember anything in particular that could have driven a wedge between them?”
Burke stared down into his coffee. “It was too long ago, son. The only ones who know for certain are the ones involved, and Archer’s the only one left of them. But if I had to guess, I’d say jealousy played a part.”
“I know he resents our success. But it’s nothing new. Our ranch wasn’t exactly failing all those years ago when he and my dad were friends.”
Burke shrugged and held his silence.
Reed tossed aside the last of his coffee before linking his hands behind his head and settling deeper into his bedroll.
Burke rubbed his shoulder. “You’d be wise to hit the trail early in the morning if you hope to get those blood samples to the lab. Rain’s coming.”
