After Ryan went to bed for the night, Chase followed Mallory across the compound to his temporary living quarters. They stepped up onto a small porch of the cottage.
“It’s not that large, but I’m sure it will meet your needs,” Mallory said as she unlocked the door. “And you’ll have more privacy here. Believe me, Ryan can be pretty trying. The kitchen has been stocked with essentials. But we want you to come up to the house for meals.”
“I’ll be fine, Mallory,” Chase assured her.
She opened the door, reached in and flipped on the lights, illuminating the room.
Chase stepped inside behind her. He was impressed as he took in the large room that held a sofa, a chair and a kitchenette with a counter and two stools. Down the hall, he found a newly tiled bath and a small bedroom. He tossed his duffel bag on the bed and returned to the main room.
“At one time this was the foreman’s house,” she explained. “But we don’t have one now. A foreman, I mean. And the ranch hands stay in the bunkhouse. We use this place sometimes for guests and clients.”
“It’s great,” he assured her. “And you’ve been gracious enough to allow me to stay here.”
“No, Chase, I owe you. I took away a lot of time you should have had with Ryan.” She looked sad. “So any time you want to be with Ryan…you’re welcome to stay here.”
He wanted more than just to visit Ryan. He wanted his son to come stay with him in Midland, too. Would Mallory be willing to let him visit? “Do you have time to talk?”
Nodding, she sat in the chair while he took a seat on the sofa. “If this is about telling Ryan who you are—”
He raised a hand. “No. So much has happened to him that I think you’re right, we should wait a little while. Of course our son isn’t stupid. He’ll probably figure it out pretty soon on his own. I’d like to be prepared.” He paused a minute, trying to figure out how to approach the next question. “How did Alan really treat Ryan?”
Mallory didn’t like to talk about her marriage with anyone, especially not Chase. “Alan was attentive to me during my pregnancy, but afterward, he couldn’t seem to get by Ryan’s different looks, especially after he found a picture of you.” She glanced away. “He got angry, but it was directed at me.” Mallory felt herself flinch just thinking about that time with her abusive husband. And more and more, Alan was jealous of the time she’d spend with Ryan.
“And I made sure I kept Ryan away. And I know for pride’s sake, Alan wouldn’t say anything to him.” She’d never let the violence touch her son. “I came to realize that I’d made a mistake, and I took Ryan and we left.”
Mallory felt the still raw emotions building. She shook her head trying to shut away the nightmare of her marriage. The months of living in fear. Alan’s threats of retaliation after she’d left him. For a long time, she’d worried that he might go after Chase.
She sighed. “It was sad for Ryan because he didn’t know why he’d never had his father’s love. And I couldn’t tell him about you.”
Chase’s fists clenched, wishing he had Hagan alone for just five minutes. He sure as hell wouldn’t show the coward any mercy.
Chase also knew he had to take responsibility…take some of the blame. He should have been there for her…for his son. Instead, Mallory had paid the price.
He crossed to her, crouched in front of her chair. “How bad did things fall apart, Mallory?”
She wouldn’t look at him. “It doesn’t matter,” she insisted. “It’s over now. I admit the marriage was a mistake. And there’s nothing I can do to change the past.” Tears swam in her eyes. “Please, believe me, Chase, if I’d known what a disaster it would have been, I’d never have married Alan. If you would have called me…”
God, he hated seeing her tears, her pain. “I know, Mallory. I was angry, too…. When I got the message that you called, I couldn’t talk to you. What you wanted I couldn’t give then,” he lied. He had wanted her. He’d just realized it too late.
She nodded and brushed back her hair. “I’m glad you’re going to be in Ryan’s life. He needs you. I saw that the minute you two were together.” A tear found its way down her cheek. She swiped it away. “Just love him.”
He couldn’t stand it any more. He reached for her and pulled her close. “I didn’t think it would happen so fast, but I already do love him.”
She finally broke down and sobbed. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the sofa, reveling in the fact she clung to him. Her sweet body pressed against his. Even after all these years, it felt so right.
“I’m sorry, Chase,” she whispered. “I’ve made such a mess out of everything.”
“Sssh,” he breathed and held her. Damn, she was breaking his heart. “We’ve both made mistakes, Mal. I have to take some blame, too. If I hadn’t left you back then—if I’d stayed—” He wasn’t about to tell her that he’d returned only to find she was already married…so all he could do was walk away from her a second time.
It broke his heart.
Mallory raised her head and looked at him, her green eyes luminous. “No. I knew all along how much you wanted to be a ranger. And you are such a good one.”
“I was wrong to leave you the way I did,” he said. “I wish I could go back and change—”
She placed her finger against his lips to stop his words. “We can’t do that, Chase.” She gave him a sad smile that made his chest ache. “Please…no more regrets. Let’s just look toward the future.”
He swallowed and managed to nod. He still had a lot to make up to his son. So things were going to be different from now on. He was going to be in both their lives. She touched his face and he about lost it. “You’re a good man, Chase Landon.”
What he was feeling and thinking right now was far from being good. “And you’re a good mother.” He couldn’t resist her any longer and touched his mouth to hers.
“Chase…”
“Quiet, Mal. We’ve talked enough.” He was at the end of his patience. His mouth closed over hers, and he forgot about everything else but the woman in his arms. A whimper escaped her as he deepened the kiss. He parted her lips, and delved inside to taste her. She was just as hungry as her arms went around his neck and she pressed against his chest.
He was quickly getting lost in her scent, her touch, her taste. He wanted more…. Pushing her back on the sofa, he started to stretch out beside her, but she resisted and broke off the kiss. There was fear in her eyes as she pushed him away and sat up. “I can’t do this, Chase. I just can’t.” She stood and went to the door.
He sat there a moment trying to gather some composure. He hated that she still could get to him. “It’s okay, Mallory. Although enjoyable, it’s far too late for seduction.”
She gasped. “You’re the one who kissed me,” she tossed at him. “I only stayed to talk about Ryan.”
“It’s hard to turn you down when you’re so tempting,” he said, trying to cover his own weakness. Her. He definitely hadn’t been thinking of Ryan when he had Mallory in his arms. “You were a willing participant in the kiss, too.”
She shook her head. “I’m not going to jump into bed with you.”
He raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore the leftover feelings. “Seems to me we’ve always had that kind of reaction toward each other.”
Her eyes were pleading. “Reactions or not, I’m not ready for this.”
“Okay, but there’s no reason to be afraid of me.”
She squared her shoulders. “I’m not afraid of you or anyone,” she insisted. “I just don’t want to get involved with you. I think right now we should concentrate on being Ryan’s parents.”
“That’s fine by me.” He motioned for her to leave.
“Okay. Good night,” she said and walked out.
Chase watched her hurry toward the house. His body still ached for her. Damn, he hadn’t planned for this to happen. He didn’t want to desire Mallory again. He’d vowed he wouldn’t let her get to him again…. But it was
too late. He cared about her, probably always would.
There was a lot more at stake this time. With their history, how were they supposed to keep away from each other?
The next morning brought sunshine and mild temperatures for an early June day. Liz was outside unloading the new mare.
Ryan was dancing around the breakfast table setting out the flatware waiting for Chase to appear. Mallory was anxious about the same thing, but for a different reason. She’d overreacted last night.
It was just a few kisses, though Chase’s kisses were anything but ordinary. She shivered. He might be a good guy, but she didn’t trust herself, or any man at this point.
“Chase said he’d be here at seven,” Ryan said. “He was going to help me on my project.”
Mallory glanced at the kitchen clock. It was only ten after. “If Chase said he’d be here, he’ll be here.” She set down a plate of eggs and bacon. “Now eat.”
“Okay,” he groaned and had just picked up his fork when the back door opened and Liz came in, followed by Chase.
“Chase,” Ryan called as he jumped up from the table and rushed to greet him.
“Sorry I’m late. I helped Liz unload the mare. She’s real pretty. After breakfast we’ll go see her.”
“Are you going to buy her?” Ryan took him back to the long pine table.
“I wish, but she isn’t for sale,” he said. “She’s here to make a foal.”
“You mean Spark’s going to cover her,” her son said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Mallory bit her lip to keep from smiling. Most ranch kids learned about sex from watching it with the animals. Ryan was no exception.
Liz sat down and joined in. “Yep, I’d say Spark is going to be a daddy again.”
“But we never get to keep any of them,” Ryan complained.
“That’s because your mom and Aunt Liz have to make a living,” Chase told him.
“I know.” The boy smiled again. “I’m lucky, too, because I have my own horse, Rusty. What kind of horse do you want?”
Chase shrugged. “Not sure yet. I haven’t had much time lately to look.”
Mallory came to the table carrying two plates, setting one in front of Chase.
His dark eyes met hers. “Thank you,” he said.
She swallowed. “You’re welcome,” she barely managed to say. She sank into the chair across from him.
He was freshly shaven and his hair was combed back from his high forehead. His brown eyes had golden flecks in them and were fringed with long, black lashes. He grinned and her heart leapt. Good Lord. Get a grip. She couldn’t do this for two weeks.
She put on a smile, too, ignoring her pounding heart. “I have a few listings to show you,” she began. “If you’re interested in any, I’ll take you to see them.”
“Sounds good.”
They ate for a while, and Ryan said, “Chase, are you still going to help me with my project?”
“Yes. But I don’t know what that project is.” He looked around the table, and both Liz and Mallory shrugged.
The boy glanced at Liz, then his mom. “You have to come with me to see it first.”
Chase looked at Mallory. She knew her son had been gathering leftover wood from the repairs to the corral and the stalls over the last few months. She suspected that he wanted to build something.
Definitely a father-and-son project.
After breakfast, Liz went out to the mare’s barn while Ryan disappeared upstairs to finish his chores. Chase sat at the table and looked around the big farm kitchen. There were knotty pine cabinets and cream-colored tile covered the counters. The hardwood floors were scarred, and a few of the boards squeaked. It was a great room.
Mallory stood at the sink finishing the rest of the breakfast dishes. She was ignoring him. He had gotten under her skin last night. She had done the same to him, stirring up memories of their time together. A time he didn’t need to think about today, or any day.
He didn’t want to think about what she’d gone through in her marriage to Hagan, either. It only made him angrier. She wasn’t about to trust anyone right now, and after last night, especially not him. He needed to tread slowly, or keep out of her way.
His gaze moved over her slim figure. The nice curve of her bottom was outlined by her jeans. Suddenly his own jeans were uncomfortable and he shifted in his chair. This wasn’t going to be easy.
Mallory came to the table with the coffeepot. Her dark hair was tied back into a ponytail, and a thin row of bangs brushed against her forehead. “Want more?”
His gut tightened again. Definitely. “Only if you join me and we talk.”
“Unless it’s about Ryan, we’ve already said everything, Chase.”
She was right. He’d be foolish to start up anything with her. He had a job with the rangers to return to, and his home was over a hundred miles away. Then he recalled last night and how she’d felt in his arms, the way her lips felt under his…that had him forgetting all practicalities, and everything that had happened in the past.
He also saw her determined look. “Not a problem,” he lied.
She looked relieved. “It’s for the best. You’re trying to build a relationship with your son.”
Suddenly Chase realized that he wanted his son’s mother included in some of those plans, too. But she was right. It wasn’t possible. “You’re right. Ryan has to be my main focus. Although, it would help if you would turn ugly and didn’t distract me.” When a rosy blush spread across her cheeks, he couldn’t stop. “You are one hell of a beautiful woman, Mallory Hagan, but I’ll try to control my urges.”
“Oh, that makes me feel so much better,” she said, trying to act irritated.
“Happy to oblige.” Grinning, he leaned back in his chair as she sat down across from him.
“All I care about is that you oblige your son.”
A warm feeling spread through him. “I like that.”
“What?”
“That you called him my son.” He leaned forward and grasped her hand on the table and squeezed it. “I might be angry for not knowing about him, Mallory, but never about the great kid you raised.”
“Thank you, that means a lot.”
There was a sudden commotion upstairs, then a sound on the stairs warned them Ryan was coming. Mallory pulled her hand away.
“Hey, Mom, I finished making my bed and cleaned my room,” he announced, then turned to his father. “Chase, you ready to go now?”
“Sure,” he said and carried his mug to the sink. “We’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, Mom, later.”
Together they went out the back door and walked past the barn about fifty yards to where there was a big tree. The thick trunk was split and two branches angled out about four feet from the ground.
“What do you think?” he asked Chase.
He had no idea what Ryan was talking about. “It’s a great tree.” He moved underneath and looked up into the oak. “You got plans for it?”
Ryan nodded and went to a bush where an old horse blanket covered a stack of wood. On second look they were wood scraps. “I want to build a tree house. Just for me. But I need help.”
Chase pushed his hat back. “I’d say so. It’s a big project for one guy.”
“I know. Grandpa was supposed to help me but he got too busy, then he got shot.” Squinting from the sun, Ryan looked up at him. “So I was wondering if you ever built anything before.”
Chase eyed the branches, searching for a good base for the platform. “I’ve built a few things in my day. In fact, I had a tree house once. My uncle Wade helped me build it.”
“Cool. So you know how?”
He wasn’t an expert with power tools, but he could put something together. “Yeah, I could help you.”
Ryan pumped his fist in the air. “All right. Wait until I tell Bobbie about this.”
“Whoa, slow down, Ryan. This needs to be approved by your mother first.”
His smile drooped. “Why? She
won’t let me. She’ll just say it’s too dangerous.”
CHAPTER SIX
“OH, RYAN…it’s too dangerous,” Mallory said, looking up at the enormous oak tree.
Her son gave his best pout, then looked at Chase. “I told you she’d say that. She thinks I’m still a baby.”
Mallory resisted the urge to argue with her son. She’d only end up the bad guy. “We’ve talked about this, Ryan. You could fall out of the tree and hurt yourself. I thought you were going to build something on the ground.”
“Mom…” he whined. “That’s no fun. It won’t be cool unless it’s up there and no one can see me. Like a secret hideout.”
Great. How was she supposed to keep an eye on her child if she couldn’t find him? “It’s still pretty high up.”
“Chase will build it real strong…and safe. Right?” Those pleading brown eyes turned to Chase.
“Well…sure,” he began his pitch to her. “I’d put four-by-four posts in the ground for support, and build the base about six, seven feet high.” He raised his hand over his head, giving her an estimate of the height. Then he had the nerve to smile at her. He was worse than Ryan. “I’ll make sure it meets all your standards.”
“What does that mean?” Ryan asked.
“Her rules on how we build it.” He folded his arms over his chest and his gaze caught hers. “What do you say, Mal?”
“Yeah, Mom, what do you say?” Her son stood next to Chase and mimicked his father’s words and actions. She was lost. She couldn’t take this away from either one of them.
“Are you sure it will be safe?”
“I’ll put in extra braces and a sturdy ladder.”
“Okay…I guess you can build it.”
Her son launched himself into her arms. “Oh, thanks Mom, I love you.” Just as soon as he released her, he hugged Chase. “Thanks, Chase. I’m gonna call Bobbie and tell him.” The boy tore off toward the house.
Mallory turned back to Chase. “I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
He grinned. “I doubt it, but I do know I’m going to love every minute of it.”
Texas Ranger Takes a Bride Page 7
