So she still wanted to have everything her way. “So that’s your answer. We tell Ryan I’m his father, and then you leave here. I don’t think the boy’s going to be too crazy about that idea.”
“No, that’s the reason I think we should wait to tell Ryan who you are.”
He just stared at her. “You don’t think eight years is long enough?”
“Ryan’s been through a lot. Let him get used to you. I can see you’re building a friendship.”
Chase hated that she was right. “So are you willing to stay here so I can spend time with him?”
“I can’t, Chase. My business doesn’t run itself. I have a scheduled horse auction. I’ve made a commitment, too. My clients depend on me.”
“And I have my job here.”
She closed her eyes. “Then we’ll have to wait until one of us has some time off.”
“I guess that would be me. It just so happens, I have two weeks vacation coming. So it looks like you’re going to have a house guest for a while.”
The next morning, Mallory finished loading the SUV and was ready to leave for Lubbock…and her home for the past three years. Chase had arrived just moments ago to help share the news with their son…that he was coming to the ranch. As much as Mallory wanted a father for Ryan, she knew however this turned out she would end up the bad guy.
At least she had a reprieve for a few weeks.
“I’m coming, Mom,” Ryan called and she could hear his footsteps on the stairs. Her heart pounded harder…faster. She glanced at Chase who stood by the fireplace, eyeing a picture of a much younger Ryan. Another reminder of a time he’d missed with his son.
Ryan hurried into the room. He smiled at his mother, then spotted Chase. “Hey, Chase, what are you doing here?”
“I came to see your mother…and you.”
The boy’s smile dropped. “To say goodbye?”
“Not exactly,” she said. “Last night Chase told me that he’s been thinking about buying a horse.”
“You know that small ranch property I talked about buying?” With the boy’s nod, he continued his half-invented story. “Well, it’s up for sale and I put in an offer. And I thought since I had some time off, I’d look at some horses.” He glanced at Mallory. “Your mom is going to help me find just the right one.”
“Cool. We have a lot of horses at our ranch.”
Chase relaxed a little. “And that’s where I plan to start my search. Your mom has invited me to come for a visit. Would you mind me hanging around for awhile?”
“No! I mean, I want you to come to the ranch.”
Mallory had to turn away as another surge of guilt overtook her. She’d lain awake most of the night, trying to think of a way to explain to her son that she’d lied about his father. She hoped over the next two weeks she could find a way.
Ryan continued to cheer. “Oh, man, I can’t wait to tell Bobbie Everett.” He looked at Chase. “He’s my best friend in the whole world. He’s gonna flip when I tell him you’re a Texas Ranger, and you rescued me.”
Buck walked into the room. “Hey, what’s all the racket in here?”
Ryan ran to his grandpa. “Grandpa, Chase is coming to stay with Mom and me for a while.”
“That’s good. Then you can spend some time together.”
“He can meet all my friends.”
Chase stood next to Mallory, both watching their excited son. Then he turned to her, his gaze moved over her again. “Are you ready for me as a house guest?”
No! “As long as you remember this arrangement is for Ryan’s sake,” she reminded him. “Let’s not make this personal.”
He nodded. “Not to worry, I learned my lesson a long time ago.”
Before leaving on vacation, Chase needed to stop by the office and talk to his captain. Mallory asked if she and Ryan could follow so they could thank the men involved in the rescue. He didn’t object, but was a little disappointed he couldn’t introduce Ryan as his son. But that would happen soon enough.
Inside, the rangers gave Ryan a cheer and applause, deeming him a hero for acting so brave during the kidnapping. The captain awarded the boy with a ranger’s baseball cap, then Carol, the administrative assistant, showed him and Mallory around the office.
Chase went into the captain’s office to let him know he’d be out of town for awhile. “I’ll be just outside of Lubbock. Here is the number I can be reached at if you can’t get me on my cell.”
“It would have to be quite an emergency before I’d call you back from vacation. You’re long overdue, Landon.” He eyed Ryan and Mallory outside the glass partition. “Just tell me you aren’t looking for a new home with the ranger company in Lubbock.”
Chase smiled, thinking about how he could put in for a transfer. “Hardly,” he told him. But realistically it wasn’t so far-fetched for Chase not to consider it. He’d do pretty much anything to be close to his son.
Robertson nodded. “Good. So go and enjoy your vacation.”
“Plan to,” Chase said as they walked out.
“One more thing,” the captain began. “Have you done any follow-up on the escapees, Reyes and Jacobs?”
“What do you mean?” Chase asked, knowing he’d finished all the paperwork from the capture.
“I’ll let Jesse fill you in,” Robertson told him.
Chase walked out into the hall and met up with Ryan and Mallory. “I have some work to finish with Jesse.”
Mallory nodded. “Then we’ll take off. You have my directions?”
“You really are coming?” Ryan asked.
“I’m really coming.” Chase tugged on Ryan’s new hat, finding he was excited to spend time with his son. “Give me a few hours. I need to stop by my place.”
Chase looked at Mallory, finding more confusing feelings. And how dangerous it would be to act on them. There couldn’t be a repeat of last night’s kiss. “I’ll see you later, too.”
He watched them both walk out the door, then headed down the hall and into Jesse’s office. “Captain said you wanted to see me.”
He stood. “Probably not important, but Reyes is making noise since he got out of solitary.”
“Like what?”
“Just more of the same. He says he has information about Wade Landon’s death. And he wants to make a deal.”
“He’s a three-time loser,” Chase said, not wanting to get his hopes up. “There are no deals.”
Jesse shrugged. “I know, but it wouldn’t hurt to go talk to Reyes.”
“What if it’s a load of crap?”
“And what if it isn’t?” Jesse countered. “What if Reyes knows what happened that day?”
“Then he’s got to have more details than just mentioning Wade Landon’s name to get me excited.”
Chase was pretty sure of one thing; his uncle’s death had been a gang-style killing. And Reyes was connected to the Bandidos gang, but so were a lot of other men in prison.
He moved toward the door. “Well, it’s going to have to wait, because I’m off to the Mooney Ranch for two weeks.”
Jesse grinned and sat down on the edge of his desk. “Ryan mentioned it several times.” He lowered his voice. “So, you’re going to play dad.”
“We haven’t told Ryan anything yet. I just want to spend some time with him, hoping he’ll get used to me.”
“From what I’ve seen of you together, I’d say you’re a perfect match. What does his mother think of this arrangement?”
“I don’t think she’s crazy about me barging in…but she’d better get used to it. I’m going to be in Ryan’s life, whether she likes it or not.”
CHAPTER FIVE
LATER THAT DAY, Chase turned his truck onto a narrow road about ten miles outside the small town of Levelland, just west of Lubbock. The large tires dug into the loose gravel surface, kicking tiny rocks upward, causing a pinging sound against the belly of the truck.
He turned and drove under an archway that read, Mooney Ranch, headquarters for Mallory
K Horse Broker. Chase saw ahead a compound with several whitewashed structures, along with two huge arenas. The house was a large, two-story clapboard, painted a sunny yellow with white trim.
Chase parked next to a mud-crusted truck imprinted with the ranch’s name on the side. He climbed out and looked toward the corral where a woman sat astride a large stallion. He gathered she was Mallory’s partner, Liz Mooney. He took a moment to admire the skilled rider as she worked the beautiful chestnut quarter horse through the Western Dressage pattern.
They were magnificent together.
Suddenly he heard a screen door slam and a kid’s voice call, “Chase!”
He turned to see Ryan jump off the porch step and break into a run. A German Shepherd mix dog scurried behind him, barking. The boy was fast and a little awkward as he made his way across the yard. Chase resisted catching him in a big hug.
“Hey, kid, haven’t seen you in a while,” he joked.
“Yeah, like two hours,” Ryan said, while the dog nudged at Chase for attention. “Max, sit,” Ryan ordered, and the animal obeyed. “How long you going to stay, Chase? Will you go riding with me?”
“Ryan, let’s give Chase a chance to catch his breath.”
They both turned to see Mallory. She was dressed in her usual jeans and a fitted pink blouse. He had trouble pulling air into his lungs, recalling how much he liked that color on her.
He shook his head. Don’t go there.
“Hi, Mallory.”
“Chase,” she returned. “You made it okay.”
“You gave good directions.”
“Hey, Mom,” Ryan called, “Can I show Chase around?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Since Chase is interested in buying a horse, how about I show him around? And you can come along.”
“Okay, but don’t show him my…project. I want to.” Boy and dog ran on ahead toward the barn, leaving his parents behind.
“Like I said before, he’s got far too much energy.”
“Well, you’re about to get a big dose of it so you better get plenty of sleep,” she warned. “And now that school’s out, you’ll have him all day long.”
He sighed. “I’m looking forward to it.”
She finally smiled. “So is Ryan.”
His gut tightened as he watched her. If there was anything that hadn’t changed over the years, it was that she could still stir him up. He glanced away. “What project was Ryan talking about?”
“I’ll let him tell you.”
They started walking toward the barn. “How does your partner feel about me…showing up?”
“Liz? If she doesn’t like it, she’ll tell you.”
He glanced toward the corral and saw the woman in question climb down from the stallion. She handed the reins to a man, then walked out of the arena toward them.
She looked to be in her midfifties, but her trim body and long rust-colored braid made her seem more youthful. As she approached, Chase caught her fresh-scrubbed look, showing off a dusting of freckles across her face.
“So you’re the famous Texas Ranger,” she said, and looked him over. “I thought you were a giant or something the way the lad described you.”
Chase laughed. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
She gave him another exaggerated once-over. “Oh, no, I’m not disappointed at all. In fact, I’m grateful to you for bringing Ryan back.” She stuck out her hand. “Hello, I’m Liz Mooney.”
“Chase Landon.” He shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Mooney. Thank you for letting me stay here.”
“It’s Liz, and it’s not a problem. This is Mallory and Ryan’s home, too.”
Mallory decided it was time to join the conversation. “We’re partners,” she added. “Liz is the breeder and expert trainer. I sell the horses and handle the business end of things.”
Liz snorted. “Don’t let her whitewash it. If it hadn’t been for Mallory’s skills, the ranch wouldn’t have survived. She’s built quite a successful business for both of us.”
“We’ve made a good living,” Mallory admitted. “And the arrangement has been perfect for both of us. The best part, I get to stay home with Ryan.”
“That’s good,” Chase said, not giving her any attitude. That surprised her. Maybe they could do this.
A horse whinnied and Liz glanced over her shoulder. “Well, it seems a certain guy is getting impatient. I better go and show him who’s in charge.” She turned back to Chase. “I’ll see you at supper.”
“I look forward to it, Liz,” he said.
The older woman hurried off toward the corral and Mallory and Chase continued on to the barn.
“She seems nice. How long have you been partners?”
“Officially about two years. We were neighbors first. Alan had inherited his grandparents’ ranch—the land borders Liz’s property.” She stopped, not wanting to go into any detail of her marriage. “When I separated from Alan, Ryan and I came here to stay at first. It was only supposed to be temporary, but Liz had recently lost her husband…and lost her desire to train horses. You can say we kind of helped each other through a rough time.” She faced him, not ready to explain how Liz’s home had become her and her son’s safe haven. “She adores Ryan.”
“I’m sure your father would have liked you to come home to Midland.”
“Of course, but I wanted to be independent. I wanted to teach the same to Ryan.” She sighed as they walked on. “I began by helping list Liz’s stock on the Internet, along with advertising her training expertise. She has the reigning champion, Sparks Will Fly, in stud here.”
Chase whistled through his teeth.
She continued. “And, yes, I sell his stud services via the Internet, too.”
He broke out into a grin. “You’re quite the business-woman. I’m impressed.”
For some strange reason, she cared what Chase thought. “Liz has been a big help, especially when I branched out and started brokering other horses in the area. It took some time, but we’ve made a name for ourselves.”
“I’d say so. I’m impressed, and a little envious.” He glanced around. “You have a nice place here.”
“Thank you.” That meant a lot to her.
“Growing up in an apartment in town, I always wanted a small ranch.”
She didn’t know that. “I thought you always wanted to be a ranger.”
“That, too. But I plan to retire someday.”
“I guess I never thought about you retiring, not until you found—” She paused. “I mean you were so anxious to find the answers to your uncle’s shooting. Was his case ever solved?”
He shook his head. “No. There hasn’t been any new evidence.”
She felt his demeanor change. Even after all this time, he hadn’t seemed to let it go. “I’m sorry, Chase. I wish…” She didn’t know the right words to say. She never had.
He stopped at the barn doors, his dark gaze locked with hers. “You wish I could find the person who brutally shot Wade, and stripped him of his badge as if it were a souvenir?” He paused as if composing himself. “Yeah, me, too. Me, too. Maybe we’ll catch a break someday…and find the guy.”
Before Mallory could say anything more, Ryan called out and waved for him to come to a stall.
“You better go see what he wants.”
Chase started down the aisle, but Mallory stayed back. She’d already gotten too engrossed in his personal life. It was hard not to react to the pain she still saw in his eyes. When they’d met, Wade Landon’s death had been fairly recent, and Chase had been so determined to find the killer. She hated that he hadn’t gotten the closure he needed.
She watched Chase and Ryan and smiled. She wanted to give them time alone together, although she wasn’t sure what her son had planned for his father. Maybe if Chase concentrated on just being Ryan’s father, he’d find what he’d been missing.
She knew he had no family left. There’d only been his uncle and his mother to start with. And they were both gone.
His own father had bowed out of his life a long time ago. Ryan was all the family Chase had now. Hopefully, his son could help fill some of that emptiness. Regret rushed through her, recalling it was something she’d never been able to do.
“My, my, my. There’s a man who’d be hard to pass up.” Mallory turned to see Liz. “I thought you had a stallion to work.”
“Juan put on the wrong bridle.” Her friend studied her. “And what are you going to do? Just stand in the background and watch them?”
Liz had been one of the lucky few; she’d been happily married for over thirty years. She knew everything from Mallory’s past, including Chase.
“What do you expect me to do? Chase let me know a long time ago that he didn’t want me in his life…especially after what I did.”
“Well, looks like things have changed. You have something he wants…his son.”
“I’m not starting up with him just because of Ryan.” She couldn’t handle that kind of hurt again, not for any man.
“It seems like a good place to start,” Liz told her.
Mallory shook her head, knowing her friend’s ability to play matchmaker. “No way. One bad marriage is my limit. I’m not letting any man dictate to me again.”
“Did Chase show any signs of that before?”
“No, but neither did Alan.”
“Are you kidding? Your ex-husband was selfish all of his life. Of course I put a lot of the blame on his daddy and mama who spoiled him rotten. And when he couldn’t have you…he tried to control you.”
Mallory allowed Liz to be the expert since his grandparents’ ranch bordered her property. She’d known Alan Hagan all his life, the good and the bad.
“Just because they were rich doesn’t mean they’re better than anyone else.”
“Well, Alan is dead now.” She recalled the horrible car accident he hadn’t survived. “He can’t hurt Ryan or me anymore.” She glanced toward her son. “And I won’t let anyone else hurt us ever again.”
“Okay, you handle it your way.” Liz shook her head and sighed. “Those two sure look good together.”
Mallory noticed it, too. She realized that having Chase here was the right thing to do for her son. She wasn’t so sure about herself.
Texas Ranger Takes a Bride Page 6
