by Dana Nussio
Why couldn’t Jace just admit that he was a novice? There was no shame in that. A lot of people weren’t comfortable or were inexperienced in the saddle. It also wasn’t Jace’s fault that he hadn’t been raised on the ranch, where he—
Had the word belonged almost sneaked into Asher’s thoughts? He reflexively yanked on the reins, causing Dancer to jerk his head back. When had he started to believe that Jace really was his brother? Why couldn’t he just stay neutral until the test results came in, like his brothers and sisters had been doing?
He leaned forward and patted the horse over its mane. “Sorry, buddy.”
Again, Jace rode closer to him.
“You never said anything about my hat.”
This time Asher had to hold back a laugh. Still, his mom had always told him that someone fishing for compliments must need a good catch, so he obliged. “It looks great.”
“You think?”
“Sure.” Well, the cattleman crown was fine, anyway. The turquoise conchos and studs on the tooled-leather hat band might have been over the top for a work hat, but Asher didn’t mention that.
“Ainsley said she liked it when I picked it out.”
“She took you to Shiny Buckle Western Wear?” Asher didn’t know why he’d asked when it was the only place, besides the feed store, where Jace could have bought a hat for miles.
“She offered.”
“Nice of her.” Not surprising, either. After all they’d been through lately, his sister was probably stress shopping.
“You told me I would need a hat. Guess I’ll put it to good use if it turns out I’ll be around for a while.”
“I did say that.”
“It was also great of your family to let me stay in the mansion until the results come in. I was serious that I’d be happy to get a hotel.”
Asher shook his head. “It’s no problem.”
“If I’d had any idea the DNA test would take a week, I would’ve booked a room right away. I’ve already overstayed my welcome.”
“Just like Ainsley said at dinner, you’re our guest. You’ll stay in the house until everything is settled.”
What his sister hadn’t mentioned was that they couldn’t have a Colton, even a potential one, staying at the Dales Inn when this whole story came out. Especially after Ace had briefly hidden out at the hotel to avoid press attention.
“Just want you to know that I’m not used to living on someone else’s dime. I make my own way. Always have since I got away from Luella.”
“Good to know.”
Asher would have asked who’d paid for that highfalutin hat, but he didn’t bother. If Ainsley had been in a shopping frenzy, she would have insisted on brandishing her credit card. As an attorney, she was used to winning arguments, too.
“I’ve already told you I’ll be volunteering with the rebuilding effort for all the earthquake damage. At least I can give something back to Mustang Valley while I’m in town.”
“I’m sure that the families who weren’t as lucky as ours will appreciate any help you can give.”
He clicked his tongue to encourage Dancer to pick up the pace, but movement along the southeast fencerow caught his attention. A few ranch hands, who were supposed to be doing regular inspections along the property perimeter, were gathered in a single spot instead.
“What’s going on up there?” Jace called from behind him.
Asher’s phone buzzed in his pocket before he could answer. He clicked on the call as the name of one of his ranch hands appeared on the display.
“What’s going on, Rex?”
“Sorry to bug you, boss, but someone cut through the fence on the southeast border of the new pasture. We have a couple hundred head hightailing it to the mountains or even El Paso.”
Asher’s breath seemed to freeze in his lungs, his heart punching against the wall of his chest. Someone was trying to sabotage the ranch. First, the bomb threat and now this? Could it even be connected to that fateful email sent to Colton Oil or to the attack on his dad? What was happening to the Coltons?
“Dammit. We’re not far. We’ll be there in five.”
He sent an apologetic look back to Jace. “I’ve got to handle this. Catch up when you can.”
He lifted his weight slightly from the saddle, leaned forward, nudged Dancer with his heels and loosened his grip on the reins, letting his mount know it was time to gallop. He couldn’t get there fast enough. Someone had threatened the ranch and the animals in his care this time. That he couldn’t allow.
Near the fencerow, he barely gave the horse the time and distance to stop before dismounting. Some of his men were already riding off to help herd the livestock, but Rex had waited for him. Asher tugged on Dancer’s lead, the horse balking before following behind him.
“Is this the only damage you’ve found?”
“You don’t think this is enough?”
Rex pointed with his thumb to the missing eight-foot section of the woven-wire fencing they used for the grazing fields.
“No, it’s plenty. I just wanted to know if it was worse.”
“I’ll ask Marty, Tim and Jarvis to continue riding the fences to check for any additional breaks.”
The two men traded worried looks over the amount of destruction the vandals could have caused to the livestock. Then Rex reached for his phone and sent off a quick text.
Asher stepped farther down the fencerow to examine the extent of the damage. Rather than a section with the horizontal wood top post or one with the diagonal wire brace, the vandal had cut through one of the more vulnerable panels on both sides, effectively creating an open gate for the cattle.
“At least the vandals cleaned up the extra fencing for us before they left.” Rex reached for the cut section that had been rolled and placed outside the fence.
Though his employee was only trying to cheer him up, Asher gave him a dirty look.
“Yeah, they were downright charitable.”
The thuds of approaching hooves announced that Jace had finally caught up with him. Jace pulled hard on Tally’s reins, and the horse jerked her head back and whinnied in protest.
“What happened up here?”
Jace lifted his leg from the stirrup and awkwardly climbed down, from the right side again. Good thing the mare wasn’t a runner, or she might have taken off since he failed to grab her reins. He glanced at the rein in Asher’s hand and reached for his mount.
Rex pointed to the gaping hole in the fence. “Somebody cut it. Several cows escaped.”
Jace blinked several times and pulled the brim of his hat lower. “Why would anyone want to do something like that? Wait. Not the new mothers and the calves?”
Asher shook his head, though he appreciated that at least someone was concerned about the animals.
“No, we kept them in the pasture closer to the outbuildings.”
“Well, that’s a relief, but it’s still awful. What are you going to do now?”
That was the big question, and he had no idea how to answer it. His family couldn’t seem to do anything to stop this series of attacks. Would they escalate until someone else was hurt? Or worse? He had a job to do, though. He would start there.
“I need to get the truck so I can repair the fence. Rex will guard the opening until I return, while the others chase down our stragglers.”
“Why don’t you let me?”
Asher had been scanning the pasture for escapees, but the other man’s words brought him around.
“You want to track the cattle? Because I hate to tell you, but this...” Asher gestured toward him and the horse.
Jace shook his head, his lips lifting despite the gravity of the situation. “You think I want to ride? We both know I’m a lousy horseman. My only real time in the saddle was the pony rides at the county fair.”
“Good. I was
worried.” At least Jace had come clean about his lack of experience.
“Don’t be. I was only offering to guard the fence until you make it back with the truck.”
Asher tilted his head and squinted. “What if a cow decides she wants out?”
“You’ll give me some suggestions for how to talk her out of it. Hopefully, they’ll even work.”
“Well, Rex needs to be out herding our strays. You’re sure you want to do this?”
“Sure, I am. I’m your...well...guest.”
Swallowing, Asher glanced at Jace and quickly looked away. He wasn’t the only one who’d begun to believe, perhaps even to hope, that the DNA test made them brothers.
Rex mounted his horse and pulled his hat lower over his eyes. “So, it’s okay with you two if I head out?”
“Yeah, go. We’ve got this.”
As they watched the ranch hand ride off, Asher gave Jace some suggestions for guarding the opening. At the next post over, he demonstrated how to remove Tally’s bit from her mouth and tie the reins around the wood and through the interlocking galvanized steel wires.
Jace got it right on the second try.
“You know, I have zero experience with that, either, but I’d love to help you repair the fence. If you’re okay with it, I’ll even serve as watchman around the ranch and the house whenever I’m not assisting with the earthquake rebuilding efforts. With all the stuff happening lately, it sounds like you could use some extra hands around here.”
He hated to admit that Jace might have been right about the last part. They needed to hire more security. “It sounds like you’re going to be busy for the whole week.”
“It’s better than sitting around waiting for the hospital to call with the test results,” Jace said.
Now that Asher could relate to far more than Jace could possibly know. He’d been driven to stay occupied, even before this most recent discovery, so he couldn’t blame the other man for the same need.
“So, how do we begin?”
Asher blinked, then shook his head.
“Right. I need to get the truck, the extra fencing, tools and the fence stretcher.”
“I’ll be here, fending off Bessie and Buttercup.”
“Good.” Asher mounted Dancer and guided the horse in the direction of the stables. But as he stepped away, he spoke over his shoulder. “Thanks, Jace. I appreciate it.”
“Hey, Asher.”
He’d started away again, but he glanced back.
“If you need someone to talk to about whatever happened with that call the other day, well, I’d be happy to listen. Your brothers and sisters are, you know, busy.”
“Thanks.”
Asher nodded before turning and giving Dancer’s reins more slack. He wasn’t normally a sharer regarding his private matters, but this week he’d already poured his guts out to one person, and he was tempted to open to another. He’d almost confided in Jace when he hadn’t shared the information with his confirmed brothers and sisters. Maybe he wasn’t ready just yet, but he sensed he could trust him.
As he leaned forward and urged Dancer into a faster pace, he tried to compartmentalize those other thoughts that he had no time for right then. This land and these animals were his responsibilities as much as Harper was, and now he couldn’t separate them. Whoever had brought fear to the Colton Oil offices had expanded that darkness to the ranch now.
Where his daughter lived.
Asher nudged the animal into a canter, grateful that he’d chosen a mount that loved to run. He would take care of his responsibility there, but then he had to get away from the ranch at least for a little while. And he would spend that time with the one other person who might understand how scared he was.
Chapter 11
Willow ground her molars as the buzzer to her apartment sounded for the third time that night. When would it sink in for the guy that she didn’t plan to answer? He’d already tried the doorbell outside the front-door business entrance several times, which also triggered the one upstairs. She’d ignored that, so now Asher had climbed the exterior stairs to her home.
Why had she told him Harper could have the spot at Tender Years in the first place? She should have known better than to believe that he would show up before closing time, as he’d said he would. Men never came through on their promises. Especially ones whose whole lives had been about their “adventures,” whether they were dads now or not.
“I told him not to be late.”
Luna didn’t appear to have an opinion on the matter, her face smeared orange from the squash baby food dinner she’d just devoured. She just kept banging her baby spoon on her high chair and smearing her free hand in what remained of the Os cereal on the tray.
The buzzer hummed for a fourth time.
Luna stopped and listened before resuming with her banging.
“This guy just doesn’t get it.” Willow bent to peek through the oven window at her lasagna, though she’d checked it two minutes earlier.
“I am not—”
The buzz even interrupted her declaration.
“That’s enough.”
She marched to the door, unlocked it and yanked it open. “Don’t you get it? I’m not answering.”
Asher stood on the landing looking back at her. Something, besides the summer-weight checkered shirt he wore, was different about him, but she couldn’t place it. Harper, perched on her dad’s hip, beamed back at her. Now, bringing the baby with him, that was cheating.
“It looks like you did answer.”
“After you rang five times, plus the three downstairs, it was either that or call the cops.”
“Does that mean you’re inviting us in?”
“You didn’t have to bring Harper to register her.”
“Think she’s old enough to stay at home alone?”
“Is anyone at the Triple R ever really alone? How many people live on that property? Eight or so in the mansion, plus staff and ranch hands?”
“Been thinking about this a lot?”
He grinned, but the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes. Had something happened? What was she missing?
“Do you make a point of knowing those kinds of details about all your clients?”
“I don’t know that much.” Her cheeks burning, she cleared her throat. “Anyway, you aren’t even a client yet, and you’re already showing up late.”
“I’m sorry about that. Technically, though, it wasn’t to pick up my kid.” Asher gave his daughter a meaningful look, which she rewarded with a pat to his face from her slobbery hand. He barely winced.
“Still. I gave you until six thirty. I even waited fifteen more minutes, something I didn’t have to do.” She showed him her watch, which read seven fifteen.
“Thanks for waiting, at least a while.” He lifted his free hand, palm up. “Please. Let me in and hear me out before your air-conditioning bill doubles. I have a good explanation.”
With a sigh, she pulled the door wide enough for him to pass through without squeezing the baby. “It had better be good. It was also unfair for you to bring Harper along.”
“Never claimed to be a dumb guy.” He paused and slowly scanned her living room. “Hey, this place is great. Did you decorate it yourself?”
Willow considered making another snarky remark, but she always lost when they sparred verbally. Instead, she took in the space as he had, trying to picture it through a wealthy outsider’s eyes.
He probably didn’t love each piece as much as she did, but maybe he could appreciate the combination. The downsized comfy sectional, rustic industrial wood tables with matching square-jar lamps and the painting of a Texas longhorn steer showed her attempt at New York City chic. The baby swing and the standing infant activity center announced that she was a mom.
“I liked the challenge of it in this tight space.
”
“Well, you’re good at it,” he said. “I like the painting.”
“How could I have guessed that?”
“What can I say? I’m a cattleman.”
She shook her head. “You were going to share that amazing excuse, I mean explanation, of yours.”
He didn’t appear to be listening as he strode right past her, following the baby chatter into the kitchen. The squeal told her just when Luna recognized their guests.
Willow was still shaking her head when she rounded the corner. Asher was bent in front of Luna’s seat, so their daughters were on the same level, but he straightened when he noticed Willow in the doorway.
“Squash, I presume?” He indicated Luna’s messy face.
“Good guess.”
“And what’s that incredible smell in here?” He glanced toward the oven.
This time she couldn’t help but to smile. She could stay immune to flattery for only so long. “It’s my lasagna.”
“Homemade?”
She nodded.
“You mean you raced out of work and whipped that up—” he paused to gesture toward the oven “—in the thirty minutes since you left the office? Feeling like a slacker here.”
Earlier in the week she would have felt compelled to mention that with a full-time cook at the ranch, he never had to “whip up” anything if he didn’t want to, but now it didn’t seem right. He was trying awfully hard to be funny. Maybe he really did have a good excuse for showing up late.
“You know, it wasn’t too hard to slip up here to preheat. And, for the record, since making lasagna is such a pain, and I’m cooking for one, I always prepare a few pans at the same time and freeze them.”
“That’s smart.” He shot one more look at the oven.
“Would you like to stay for dinner?” she heard herself saying.
When had she gone from refusing to let him into her place to inviting him to join her? She hadn’t even heard his explanation yet.
“You sure you have enough?”
“There’s plenty. You two haven’t eaten yet, either?”
He shook his head. “Well, she did. Formula, cereal and strained peas, right, sweetie?”
