A Ranch Called Home

by Candy Halliday

  “I couldn’t care less,” Sara lied. “About Gabe or Ronnie. And especially what bed they’re sharing.”

  “That is such a lie, Sara. And I don’t care what you say, Gabe does have a crush on you. I’ve watched him all day. His eyes get all dreamy every time he looks at you.

  Sara laughed. “Now that is such a lie!”

  But she couldn’t keep from wishing it were true.

  She’d thoroughly enjoyed having the Grahams over. She liked playing hostess. She’d even enjoyed the fantasy that they were a real couple even though she’d promised herself she’d never fantasize about Gabe Coulter again.

  But she just couldn’t help it. Gabe really was her cowboy dream come true.

  Reality, after all, could always wait until tomorrow.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  SINCE THE FOURTH of July party, mealtime had become the only time Sara saw Gabe. According to Smitty, July was one of the busiest months on the ranch, but something told her Gabe had been avoiding her the past three weeks on purpose. And that reminded Sara of what Betsy had told her about there being no secrets in a small town.

  Was Gabe upset over Ronnie’s alleged affair?

  Or was Ronnie upset over Gabe’s party?

  Whatever the reason, Sara suspected they were feuding. And that’s why she’d asked Gabe if she could talk to him a few minutes after Ben was in bed. He’d looked surprised at her request. But he’d agreed to wait for her in his office after she got Ben settled.

  Now, Ben was settled.

  And Sara was still standing at the top of the stairs, rehearsing what she planned to say and dreading every minute of it. She finally took a deep breath and descended before she lost her nerve. Gabe looked up from his computer the minute she walked into his office.

  Sara took a seat in front of his desk.

  Gabe smiled slightly, but his expression was pensive.

  Sara got right to the point. “Betsy wants me to help her with a fund-raising booth at the Founder’s Day celebration in town next weekend.”

  He let out a loud sigh of relief, and hit Sara with a wide grin. “Is that all you wanted to talk to me about? Sorry, but you had me worried something was seriously wrong.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping to avoid,” Sara said.

  He looked puzzled this time.

  “I’m hoping to avoid something going wrong if I do decide to help Betsy at Founder’s Day.”

  He laughed, still not getting her drift. “You don’t have to worry about anything going wrong with Betsy in charge. She’s been on the Founder’s Day committee forever. All the proceeds go to Redstone’s volunteer fire department and Joe’s the volunteer fire captain. There are a lot of nice people you haven’t met yet, Sara. I’m glad you’re willing to help Betsy. You and Ben will have a great time.”

  “And what about the not-so-nice people in Redstone?”

  Sara knew the second he finally got it. His eyes turned a deeper shade of blue.

  “Your personal life is none of my business, Gabe,” Sara said. “But I hope you understand why I’m worried that Ben could be subjected to another temper tantrum from your girlfriend. Before I tell Betsy I’ll help her, I want your guarantee there won’t be any trouble from Ronnie.”

  “Sara,” he said. “Maybe it’s time we had a talk about Ronnie.”

  He stood and walked around his desk.

  But his voice had suddenly gone all soft.

  And the look in his eyes was, well, dreamy.

  Sara popped out of her chair like a jack-in-the-box. She was not up to hearing talk about that woman—not when Sara herself still hadn’t shaken those silly dreams where Gabe rode the white stallion and rescued her.

  “Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say,” Sara said, quickly backing toward the door. “I just wanted to warn you that Betsy was trying to recruit me. You know. So you could ward off any conflict if Ben and I do go into town.”

  Sara kept retreating.

  Gabe kept advancing.

  She could already smell him—fresh hay and leather—and the scent was so intoxicating it almost made her swoon. Her back bumped the doorjamb, and Sara flattened herself against it. He was standing much too close for comfort. One step closer and she’d have her arms around his neck and her fingers tangled in his sun-streaked hair.

  He kept looking at her.

  Sara kept holding her breath.

  “I should have explained about Ronnie a long time ago,” he said, “but I—”

  “I’m not asking you for an explanation, Gabe. Like I said, your personal life is none of my business. I’m only asking you to keep Ronnie away from Ben. And I don’t think that’s an unreasonable request.”

  Sara could tell Gabe wanted to say something else.

  But he didn’t.

  And Sara saw her chance. She hurried through the door to safety. But when she reached the stairs, Sara looked over her shoulder to find Gabe still in his office doorway. “I told Betsy I would give her an answer,” Sara said. “I’d appreciate you clearing things with Ronnie as soon as possible.”

  Gabe nodded and walked into his office.

  And Sara’s heart sank.

  How badly she’d wanted him to come after her. How desperately she’d wanted him to say it was over with Ronnie and that Sara had nothing to worry about.

  But he didn’t.

  Just as she would never tell Gabe how she really felt about him. Or that the very thought of him being with Ronnie Kincaid made Sara crazy. That her bed was where he belonged. And that no one would ever love him as much or appreciate him more than she already did.

  ONLY MINUTES AFTER Sara went upstairs, Gabe lingered outside her bedroom, his hand poised for a gentle knock. He’d come to finally tell Sara the truth about Ronnie. He was only one second away from knocking. But, instead, Gabe’s arm fell to his side.

  If Sara opened the door, there’d be no going back. She’d know about Ronnie and that would eliminate the one solid obstacle between him and Sara. There would be no reason the two of them couldn’t turn this marriage into a true one.

  And Gabe couldn’t help it, but he just wasn’t ready.

  Not for love.

  Love was a risky business. Love left a man wide open. Disrupted his focus. Kept him off balance. Handing his heart over to Sara could very well result in her throwing it right back in his face. And that was a risk he just wasn’t ready to take.

  She’d told him only moments ago that his personal life was none of her business. That she didn’t want an explanation about his relationship with Ronnie. And though instinct told him that wasn’t necessarily honest, Gabe had to take her words at face value.

  Better to leave things the way they were.

  Honor the agreement they’d made, and stick to it.

  His decision made, Gabe stepped back from the door and headed down the hallway for his nightly check on Ben. Gabe had already decided that he would talk to Ronnie as Sara had asked him to do.

  Sara wasn’t the only one who had no interest in having Ben subjected to Ronnie’s wrath. And though Gabe hadn’t even seen Ronnie since the day he brought Ben and Sara home, he’d make sure Ronnie knew that his warning to leave his family alone hadn’t been an idle threat.

  Ben and Sara were under his care now.

  Coulters took care of their own.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  TWO MONTHS AFTER Sara and Ben’s arrival in Colorado, the Coulters left the Crested-C for their first official outing as a family. Smitty had gone on ahead to Redstone with the rest of the ranch hands in Gabe’s truck.

  “You’ll have to take the family vehicle to Founder’s Day,” Smitty had teased Gabe at breakfast. “I need your truck to haul the boys.”

  He’d been referring, of course, to Sara’s new red Jeep Cherokee.

  Sitting behind the wheel of the Jeep now, Gabe could have passed for the typical family man, Sara supposed. Except for the fact that this family man also had a girlfriend. A girlfriend who, according to Gabe, had been
pre-warned that he was taking his new family to the celebration.

  Still, Sara couldn’t keep from being nervous about running into Ronnie again. And the steep gravel road leading down the mountain from the ranch wasn’t helping the queasiness in her stomach one bit.

  “Junior’s gonna show me all the fun things to do,” Ben announced from the backseat. “He’s been to Founder’s Day before.”

  Sara turned sideways in her seat. “That’s fine, Ben. As long as you stay where I can see you.”

  “Aw, Mom,” Ben grumbled, prompting Gabe to laugh.

  “You’re forgetting you can practically see from one end of Redstone to the other, Sara,” Gabe spoke up in Ben’s defense.

  “It still doesn’t hurt to be careful,” Sara said. “Ben hasn’t lived here all his life. He doesn’t know his way around town yet.”

  “Do, too,” Ben argued. “Me and Smitty’s walked all over that town, Mom.”

  “Smitty and I,” Sara corrected. As far as she was concerned, the subject was closed.

  Of course, Ben getting lost in Redstone was the least of her worries. She’d tried to take Betsy’s words of encouragement that Gabe wouldn’t let Ronnie cause a scene to heart. But another run-in with the woman had never been far from Sarah’s mind. How did the pretend wife address the girlfriend who had a legitimate claim to the man’s affection? Not something any of Sara’s experience had prepared her for.

  And so Sara forced herself to ask, “What about you, Gabe? Where will you be while I’m helping Betsy, and Junior’s showing Ben all the fun things to do in town?”

  “Close at hand.”

  You’d better be close at hand.

  “Betsy never actually told me what she wanted me to do to help her. What type of fund-raising booths do they have?”

  Gabe shrugged. “The usual, I guess. Some booths have arts and crafts. There’s always plenty of food. And there are some carnival-type booths where the kids can try their luck at winning prizes.”

  “And I’m gonna win lotsa prizes,” Ben declared.

  Gabe laughed and said, “Did you bring your allowance, Ben? You have to pay to play the games.”

  Ben grinned and held up his two ten-dollar bills.

  Sara had never been to a Founder’s Day celebration. But it did sound like something she would enjoy. And that’s exactly what she intended to do. She was going to enjoy herself and have fun without worrying that something bad was going to happen.

  Maybe all the worrying was the real problem anyway. She had a bad habit of expecting the worst. And the worst was usually what happened to her. Maybe it was time to expect nothing but the good.

  Bring on the good.

  It would be a welcome change from a lifetime of bad.

  GABE KNEW exactly why Sara had asked where he planned to be during Founder’s Day—the same reason he’d made a trip to the Flying-K earlier in the week. He’d told Ronnie he was taking Ben and Sara to Founder’s Day, and he’d warned her she’d better not start any trouble.

  “Don’t flatter yourself,” she’d snapped.

  But now, Gabe worried his visit had only been the equivalent of waving a red flag in front of a bull. Ronnie never took any slight—real or imagined—lying down. And that meant he’d keep an eye on Ben and Sara just in case. What he wanted most was for Sara and Ben to have a good time, to feel like they belonged in this town.

  He glanced at Sara again, noticing for the first time she was wearing a hint of makeup today. The mascara emphasized her long, dark eyelashes, and a touch of pink lipstick made her lips look full and moist.

  She glanced over at him.

  For once, Gabe said exactly what he was thinking. “You look exceptionally pretty today, Sara. Doesn’t she, Ben?”

  “Mom always looks pretty,” Ben said.

  “I agree.”

  She blushed slightly.

  “Well, thank you both,” she said, reaching up to push a few wisps of hair under her hair clasp.

  Gabe turned his attention to the road, pleased with himself that he could pay Sara a compliment, she could accept it, and that was that. No expectations, no declarations of undying love, just a simple observation. He’d been able to get a grip on his emotions over the past week after that close call of almost knocking on Sara’s bedroom door.

  And what a mistake that would have been.

  Sara didn’t need him sending her mixed signals—not when he wasn’t ready to offer her anything other than the friendship he promised. He’d let his emotions temporarily override his own common sense. But now he was back in control, and Gabe intended to keep it that way.

  He’d weathered the storm and he’d come through, his old self again. And the fact that Sara had agreed to go to Founder’s Day led him to believe she was finally beginning to be comfortable with him and their arrangement. Just as he was feeling comfortable.

  Sara and Betsy hitting it off so well was even more assurance that Sara seemed to be settling in. And he was definitely glad Ben and Junior had become best friends. Kids needed other kids around, an escape from the adults who looked after them. Gabe wouldn’t trade anything for his boyhood days. He hoped one day Ben would look back on his childhood and feel the same way.

  Yes, things did seem to be falling into place.

  Sara and Ben had friends to keep them happy.

  And Gabe had a ranch to run.

  Life was good.

  Gabe drove into Redstone and the first person they saw was Betsy waving madly in their direction. She held Junior’s hand as Gabe pulled the Cherokee up beside them.

  “Redstone Boulevard’s blocked off and Joe’s gone ahead to find a parking place,” Betsy said. “I was hoping you’d let Sara out here with me. It’ll save time and we need to beat the crowd to our booth.”

  “Sure,” Gabe said, looking over at Sara. “Go on with Betsy. Ben and Junior can go with me to park the Jeep. We’ll find Joe and catch up with you later.”

  Sara sent him a worried look.

  And Gabe realized maybe Sara wasn’t as comfortable with him as he’d hoped. For reassurance, he said, “I’d never let anything happen to Ben. You know that.”

  Only then did she open her car door.

  Trust, Gabe thought.

  Slowly but surely Sara was beginning to trust him.

  Provider.

  Protector.

  Friend.

  Sara could count on him to be all those things.

  GABE DROVE OFF with both boys and Sara found herself being dragged along by Betsy, who still hadn’t bothered to tell her exactly what fund-raising booth needed her help so desperately.

  “You look absolutely gorgeous, Sara,” Betsy said. “All wholesome and sweet. Like a fresh summer day.”

  Sara laughed. “I’m sure you say that to all the victims you railroad into helping you.”

  But as they walked down Redstone Boulevard Sara realized even in her simple white eyelet cotton sundress she was still completely overdressed for the occasion. Betsy and all of the other women she’d seen so far were wearing jeans.

  “I do wish you’d warned me that I needed to wear jeans, though,” Sara said, thinking out loud. “I’m starting to feel self-conscious in this dress.”

  “Oh, pooh,” Betsy said. “You always wear dresses. I bet you don’t even own a pair of jeans.”

  “But I could have bought a pair,” Sara protested.

  Betsy looked at her. “Seriously? You really don’t own a pair of jeans?”

  “I’ve always preferred dresses,” Sara lied.

  She didn’t know Betsy well enough yet to tell her the hurtful things her foster mother had said when she threw Sara out because she was pregnant. That the self-righteous woman had accused Sara of being a low-life whore just like her mother. And that the woman had screamed at her, demanding to know what Sara expected walking around in skintight jeans and flaunting her body in front of men to get their attention.

  Sara hadn’t worn jeans since.

  “I can’t believe yo
u don’t own a pair of jeans,” Betsy said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m sorry, Sara, but that’s just plain wrong. You can’t be a rancher’s wife and not own jeans.”

  “I’ll be sure to jot that down in my rancher’s-wife handbook,” Sara shot back.

  Betsy laughed. “You do that. But honestly, you couldn’t have dressed more appropriately for our fund-raising booth.”

  “What type of booth is it?” Sara quizzed.

  An older couple approached, delaying an answer.

  “Sara Coulter, I want you to meet Marge and Hank Jones,” Betsy said. “Hank and Marge own Jones Country Store.”

  Being introduced as Sara Coulter for the first time addled Sara for a moment, but she managed to nod and say a polite hello.

  “Your Ben is just adorable, Sara,” Marge told her. “And so polite. I told Smitty the other day how refreshing it was to see a boy Ben’s age with nice manners.” She winked at Sara. “Proof that he has a good mother.”

  “Why, thank you, Marge,” Sara said.

  Betsy waited until Hank and Marge walked on down the street before she looked over at Sara and said, “Good girl.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’m bragging on you for accepting Marge’s compliment without reading anything into it,” Betsy said. “It gives me hope you might eventually lose that Princess of Paranoia tiara you’ve been wearing.”

  Old habits die hard, Sara thought.

  Out loud she said, “Oh, pooh!” stealing Betsy’s favorite expression.

  They both laughed.

  Until Betsy came to a stop.

  “Here we are,” Betsy announced happily.

  Sara felt the blood drain to her feet.

  The booth had two giant red lips painted on the front.

  The sign below the lips read: Kisses $10.00.

  “Okay, cutie, now get behind the counter and make us lots of money,” Betsy said. “I’ll round up the business and collect the money. You pucker up and deliver some smoking-hot kisses.”

  Sara remained glued to the spot.

  “Oh, no, you don’t. Don’t you dare read anything into why I asked you to help me. I didn’t even know which booth we’d get until this week.”