Home on the Ranch

by Trish Milburn

  She reminded herself he wasn’t staying. Not even if she’d caught a couple of longing glances on his face as he’d worked around the ranch earlier. And not even if she was having a hard time picturing him in a suit and tie, sitting in some sterile office in downtown Dallas.

  She hadn’t been lying when she’d said she was good at pegging people. Sometimes she saw things about them they didn’t even realize about themselves, even if that ability obviously didn’t work when looking inward. Her gut was rarely wrong about such things, and it was telling her that deep down Austin still longed for that ranching life he’d left far behind.

  But it was hard to change paths once you’d invested so much into a chosen career. She couldn’t imagine giving up her business and starting all over with something totally different. The very prospect was frightening. She’d make Restoration Decoration a success if it was the last thing she did. Failure wasn’t an option, not when she’d seen how it sent life into a tailspin up close and personal. She would not follow in her stepfather Jerry’s footsteps, trying and failing at one venture after another.

  She shook her head, wondering how admiring Austin’s profile had led down a mental path to her never-quite-successful stepfather. Maybe that was her cue to stop staring at Austin and get out of the car before he woke up and things got all kinds of awkward. Before she gave in to the desire to run her fingertips along his strong jaw. It was best she nip her attraction in the bud and keep things between them strictly professional.

  Careful not to make too much noise, she eased out of her seat belt and opened the door. With each movement she thought he’d surely wake up. That he didn’t was a testament that he was exhausted. Part of her didn’t want to leave him out here like this, but she needed some distance between them before she did or said something stupid that she couldn’t take back.

  Austin was only a temporary part of her life. Soon he’d be back in Dallas, and she’d be in her little house creating decor and furnishing for other people using yet other people’s things. In that moment as she closed the passenger door to Austin’s car, she realized that after years of living on her own she still didn’t have a lot to call hers. Every time she acquired something, she ended up using it on a project she eventually sold or intended to sell. Almost everything she brought into her life just passed through on the way to somewhere and someone else.

  So how were things any different from those teenage years when she’d felt alone and lost and grasping for a place that could really feel like a home?

  She turned and walked toward her loaded truck, wondering where all the self-reflection with a layer of melancholy had come from. It didn’t match the person she’d made of her adult self—the chipper, happy, driven designer and business owner. She’d had enough sad, dark days in her life after her father’s death. She was determined not to have any more.

  Focusing instead on the vast opportunities the load weighing down her truck presented, she walked away from Austin’s car, hoping no critters decided to crawl in through the window to join him. When she reached the truck, she remembered that she hadn’t yet tied down her load. Still tired despite her nap, she secured the load with as few tie-downs as she thought she could get by with and slid into the driver’s seat.

  Austin still hadn’t awakened, and for a moment she considered rousing him so he could make his way back to his hotel room. Instead, she let the sounds of her departure do the job for her, slamming the truck’s door and starting the engine. When she turned on the headlights, she saw him lift his head. But pretending she hadn’t, she put the truck in gear and headed down the driveway with her load of other people’s memories.

  * * *

  AUSTIN HELD UP his hand to shade his eyes as a pair of headlights cut through his car. It took a few seconds for him to realize it was Ella leaving with her heavily laden truck. She’d somehow managed to get out of the car without waking him. Was she upset that he’d gone to sleep beside her? It didn’t seem like something to be upset over. It wasn’t as if he’d lain down beside her on a bed. Not that the idea didn’t have more appeal than it should.

  He lifted the seat back to its normal position, but instead of starting the car and leaving, he found himself slipping outside and watching as Ella’s taillights disappeared beyond the stand of trees blocking the main part of the ranch from the road. He listened as she turned onto the road and headed toward town. Part of him wondered if she’d be back.

  Sure she would. There was too much stuff here for her to leave behind. He leaned one hand against the edge of the car’s roof and ran his other hand over his face. Why did he have to be so infatuated with someone who couldn’t be more opposite of him? She loved the boxes and boxes of what she viewed as possibilities the way he craved the sparse furnishings and lots of empty space in his apartment. She surrounded herself with the leftover pieces of countless other people’s lives while he could fit everything he’d be unwilling to part with in a single suitcase. If necessary, he could move with little notice and spent a good bit of time traveling for work. Ella, on the other hand, seemed determined to put down roots in a place where she had none. No, he was the one with roots here and had thought of little but ripping them up since he’d driven into town to make funeral arrangements.

  He looked toward the silhouette of the house in the dim light, then the barn, and hated how he’d allowed the disagreements with his grandparents over their hoarding, even when he’d offered to help them pare down or get counseling, to overwhelm all the good times they’d had, the love they’d shown for him, the way they’d taken him in and raised him as if he were their own son. He hated how that one point on which they’d disagreed had pushed him away from this place.

  With a sigh, he headed toward the barn to check on Duke. He flipped on the lights but didn’t immediately enter the barn. Even though he’d seen all the unnecessary items cluttering the interior several times, the sight still robbed him of breath again. His claustrophobia kicked into high gear, preventing him from moving any farther inside.

  With a glance, he saw that Duke appeared fine. He’d already been fed his grain for the day, so thankfully didn’t need any care that required Austin to enter the barn more fully. Instead, he turned the lights off and backed out until he could see the starlit sky above. It was a gorgeous night, the kind he couldn’t fully see in Dallas. Though he was still tired, he wasn’t ready to go into town and close himself up in a hotel room at the Wildflower Inn.

  Though his claustrophobia wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t stand being in a normally furnished room, right now he wanted nothing more than to breathe fresh air and sit under all that endless sky. He walked several yards away from the barn and climbed up to sit on the top rung of the wooden fence. Most of the ranch’s fencing was barbed wire, but along the driveway his grandfather had built a more visually appealing wood-slat fence.

  Austin had no idea how many times he’d sat atop this fence wondering how many stars he could see from his little slice of the universe. It had made him long to see more than what could be seen from Blue Falls.

  He realized now that the freest he’d ever felt was not in his Dallas office or free-from-clutter apartment. It was right here on this ranch, which was ironic since it was also the place that had made him feel the most trapped.

  He thought back to the way Ella’s face had glowed while she was talking about her business, her creations, and he wondered if that was how his face had looked whenever he rode out across the ranch. Did he look happy and fulfilled and at home?

  Did Ella go outside her house at night and look up at these same stars, marveling at how many there were and how far they extended? Or did she live in town or so close that even Blue Falls’ lights obscured part of the celestial show? Maybe she’d seen the stars from so many places around the world that they’d ceased to bring her any sort of awe.

  Austin closed his eyes and let the sounds of the summer insects a
nd the warmth of the night tinged with a slightly cooler breeze soak into him. His muscles relaxed, his breathing slowed and his mind eased. He had lots to do in the days ahead, but for this one moment he was going to just be and enjoy something he’d almost allowed himself to forget—being at peace in the great outdoors.

  The longer he sat, the louder the whisper in his mind became when it asked why he was going to leave this behind for a second time.

  Because no matter how much he might want to, there was no going back in time and making different decisions. Instead, you dealt with the ones you made and kept moving forward.

  Right back out of Blue Falls, off this ranch, away from a petite, curly-haired brunette who made him wonder things he shouldn’t be wondering.

  * * *

  ELLA TOOK A big swig of her Coke as she pulled into the driveway for the ranch the next morning. She needed the caffeine after another late night of working, but it was already too blasted hot for coffee.

  And as if she wasn’t already hot enough, when she spotted Austin up on her ladder scraping old paint off the side of the house, the T-shirts he’d been wearing had given way to a tank-style undershirt that showed off his arms nicely. Damn, how did a man who worked in an office have arms like that?

  As she backed her truck toward the front of the house, she told herself she wasn’t going to ogle Austin when she stepped out. After waking up sleeping next to him the night before, the last thing she needed was something else to add to the pile o’ awkward.

  Seemed her hormones had different ideas, though, because the moment she shut her door, her gaze went right to him in all his sweaty, muscled glory. Images of doing sweaty things with him popped into her mind, causing her face to flame. Thank goodness she wasn’t fair-skinned.

  “Morning,” he said as he wiped his forehead with his right forearm.

  “Good morning. Going to be a hot one.” State the obvious much?

  “Already there.”

  “Make sure you drink enough water.” And...now she sounded like someone’s mother.

  The smile that nudged up the edge of his mouth darn near had her moaning out loud. She suddenly wondered if he was seeing anyone, and if it was okay for her to hate the woman without having ever met her.

  Before she could open her mouth and make an even bigger fool of herself, she made for the front door. Once inside and out of view of Austin, she rolled her eyes at herself. She was here to do a job, not pant after a guy simply because he looked good in a tank. Okay, really good.

  Cognizant of how Austin wanted the house emptied quickly, she sped up her logging process using abbreviations instead of more detailed descriptions. She just hoped she could remember what everything meant later. Making her way through another section of the master bedroom, she occasionally came across things that seemed as if they ought to mean something to Austin. Instead of asking him about them and getting the same “I don’t want anything” answer, she started putting them in a box in the corner she’d cleared out. When she was done with everything, she’d ask him one last time about them.

  The sound of scraping outside the window drew her attention. The sight of Austin’s torso in that white undershirt made her mouth water so much she considered going outside and sticking her head below the spigot again. She knew she should look away and get back to work, but she couldn’t. It’d been a long time since she’d been with anyone, and her body was screaming at her that it was time to end the drought. But she couldn’t exactly go outside and say, “Hey, Austin. You look mighty hot up there. Why don’t you come down here and let me help you out of those clothes?”

  She forced herself to turn her back to the window, but not even going through boxes like she was digging for buried treasure was able to steer her mind away from the sexy man working just on the other side of the wall. And that was saying something.

  Somehow she managed to keep making progress throughout the morning, letting herself glance casually out the window at Austin’s very fine body only every few minutes. She had a feeling that fantasies about this man would linger long after he’d sold this place and gone back to his life in Dallas.

  Shaking her head, she grabbed a box of costume jewelry and embroidered linens she’d finished logging and headed out to the truck. As she stepped out onto the porch, she nearly collided with Austin. He veered just in time to prevent getting a box to the stomach.

  “Sorry,” she said. “Thought you were still up on the ladder.”

  “Taking a break. Someone told me I needed to keep hydrated.” He leaned down and picked up a large bottle of water. As he took a long drink, she couldn’t manage to tear her gaze away. Was there anything sexier than a sweaty, good-looking man in a shirt that adhered to his chest, jeans hanging at just the right spot to make her think about taking them off, scuffed cowboy boots—where had those come from?—and topped off by a cowboy hat that looked so perfect on him she would swear he’d never stepped foot off this ranch?

  It was as if her brain had received a jolt of electricity, rendering her temporarily mute, because she hadn’t the foggiest idea how to respond. As if the universe was taking pity on her, she heard the crunch of gravel on the driveway and turned to see a small silver car heading toward the house.

  “Expecting company?” she finally managed to say.

  “Nope.” Austin took another long drink of water and moved to the edge of the porch. When he braced one forearm against a support pillar, it was all she could do not to moan out loud. Honestly, the man should come with a big, blinking warning label that said, “May cause extreme hot flashes and naughty thoughts.”

  She peeled her gaze away from him as the car stopped and the driver’s side door opened. When Verona Charles stepped out, she couldn’t stop the single curse word she muttered under her breath.

  Austin looked over at her. “Something wrong?”

  Not wrong, precisely. “You know how every small town has that one person who thinks they know what’s best for everyone else?” She nodded in Verona’s direction as the older woman pulled something from the passenger seat of her car.

  “She’s the one who suggested I contact you,” he said.

  “So I heard.”

  He appeared as though he was about to ask something else, but he was prevented from doing so by Verona’s approach.

  “Hey, you two,” Verona said with a wave and a big smile that should be accompanied by its own warning sign.

  “Ms. Charles,” Austin said as he pushed away from the pillar and descended the steps. “What brings you all the way out here?”

  Verona flicked her fingers in a dismissive gesture. “None of that ‘Ms. Charles’ stuff. Call me Verona like everyone else does.” She lifted a large white paper bag with a pink primrose on the side and the words Primrose Café in a pretty script. It looked way prettier than the homespun atmosphere at the Primrose would suggest.

  “The Primrose is trying out a new picnic lunch idea with plans to launch it in conjunction with the beginning of the arts and crafts trail if all goes well.” She tapped her fingers against the side of the bag. “They need some test subjects to try it out, and I thought of you two out here working up an appetite.”

  Austin looked genuinely confused, which almost made Ella laugh out loud. Verona wasn’t what one would call subtle in her matchmaking efforts. But Austin hadn’t lived here in so long that he probably hadn’t gotten that particular memo.

  “You must have read my mind,” Ella said, pretending like she hadn’t a clue what Verona was up to. “I’m starving.” She hurried down the steps to take the bag from the other woman.

  “Um, what do I owe you?” Austin asked as he reached for the wallet in his back pocket.

  “Not a penny. Just stop by the Primrose and tell them what you think of the meal when you get the chance. Maybe you’ll like it so much that you will decide to grab dinne
r while you’re there.” Verona had a sparkle in her eyes that telegraphed for anyone to see that she was proud of her efforts. “You could even request another lunch like this and have it down by the lake.”

  “Is retirement getting boring and you’ve taken a job with the Primrose?” Ella asked, barely suppressing a smile.

  “Nah, just helping out friends when I can.”

  Uh-huh. Ella might not be a native of Blue Falls, but she knew Verona’s tactics well enough to know that she’d more than likely fed the idea of the picnic lunches to the Primrose’s owners with the sole purpose of being able to bring one out here to Ella and Austin.

  “Well, gotta run. You two enjoy your lunch.”

  “Thanks,” Austin said, sounding every bit as confused as he looked.

  As Verona retraced her steps to her car and slipped into the driver’s seat, Austin turned partly toward Ella.

  “I know Blue Falls is a friendly town, but this seems out of the ordinary.” He pointed toward the bag in Ella’s hands.

  “Not for Verona.” She hesitated before filling him in when her mind shifted back to the thoughts she’d been having about him only a few minutes ago. “Let’s just say that retirement has given her more time to indulge her favorite pastime, matchmaking.”

  Austin glanced toward where Verona’s car was disappearing beyond the tree line. “So, she’s...”

  Feeling the heat rising in her cheeks again, Ella directed her attention to the contents of the bag. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll be gone soon and she’ll move on. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m not letting a perfectly good free lunch go to waste.”

  Ella turned and headed up the steps. When she realized that Austin wasn’t following her, she stopped and turned halfway back toward him. “Are you not hungry?”