by Amanda Renee
“I started a few days ago, but I’ve known Tori for a lifetime and then some. I’ve mostly been working on the other side of the ranch. I met your daughter for the first time this afternoon.” He knelt on one knee beside Peyton and signed as he spoke. “I need to explain to your mother what happened. Don’t worry, it will be okay.”
Chelsea groaned and freed herself from Peyton’s stronghold, allowing her to use her hands. “What did she do?”
“Missy and Peyton were playing near the barn while I was off-loading hay from a flatbed. A stack of bales fell off the truck and almost hit her. She didn’t get hurt, but it gave her a good scare.”
Chelsea forced the fear that grew deep within her to remain at bay. Ever since Peyton had gone deaf three years ago because she’d contracted osteomyelitis after surgery for a broken leg, Chelsea couldn’t stress enough how important it was to always be aware of her surroundings.
“What did I tell you when we first came here?” she asked Peyton.
“Not to wander around the ranch.”
Chelsea blew out a breath in frustration. “You need to sign when you speak. It’s the only way you’ll improve.” The teachers had already cautioned her that Peyton’s lazy signing would become a hindrance as she got older.
An eye roll was Peyton’s only response.
“Okay, that’s not helping the situation. We’ll discuss this later.” She returned her attention to Ryder and continued to sign. “I appreciate you telling me what happened. I apologize, and I’ll pay for any damage.”
Ryder rose, standing close enough for her to touch him, but not nearly as close as she would like. Good Lord, it’s been too long since I’ve been on a date.
“There wasn’t any. And it was an accident. Right, kiddo?” He winked at Peyton. “Tori told me the feed deliveries usually come in the morning, so this was probably the first time your daughter’s been here for it. It was an honest mistake.”
“I appreciate your understanding.” She wrapped an arm around Peyton’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I hope to see you soon.” He tipped his hat briefly before walking away.
Chelsea averted her eyes from the magnificent view of him leaving and returned her attention to Peyton. “I’m glad you’re all right, but you need to be more careful. I can’t watch you twenty-four hours a day.”
The corners of Peyton’s mouth turned slightly upward. She was doing her best not to smile and Chelsea didn’t find humor in the situation. Being a single parent was hard enough—raising a child who was still adjusting to being deaf and learning to communicate all over again was even harder.
“Chelsea.” Tori ran down the walkway toward them. “I’m assuming Ryder filled you in on what happened. I’m so sorry. The phone rang and when I went to answer it, they took off. I figured they were in the stables and headed down there when I heard Ryder trying to warn Peyton. I should have told him there was another deaf child around.”
“I understand.” Chelsea’s concern began to subside. “I don’t expect you to have eyes on them nonstop. They’re kids, and they want to play. They know better though. This was on them.” She signed to Peyton, “Let’s get your things and head home.”
Riding in a car with Peyton always proved challenging. Her daughter could chatter away in the back seat, but Chelsea couldn’t respond...at least not fully. Ryder was proficient in signing and she wondered if he had learned for Missy’s benefit. She wanted to drill Tori about him, beginning with is he single followed by doesn’t your husband mind?
“Missy said Ryder and her mom used to be married.”
That got Chelsea’s attention. “Really? Wow.” Chelsea signed with her right hand.
“He just got out of jail, so Mrs. James gave him a job.”
Chelsea braked hard, twenty feet before the stop sign. She twisted in her seat to face Peyton. “What do you mean he just got out of jail?”
“Missy said he killed his dad and has been away for a long time.”
The sound of a car horn behind them startled Chelsea. She had a million more questions she wanted to ask her daughter, but they’d have to wait until they got home.
Forget that! She wasn’t about to wait for an explanation. She pulled over, allowing the other car to pass as she pressed the phone button on her steering wheel. “Call Tori.”
“Calling Pizza.”
Crap! Chelsea disconnected the call. She pushed the button again as Peyton continued to tell her about her day. “Call Tori.”
“Calling Mom.” Oh, come on! She ended the call, waved her hand to get Peyton’s attention and brought a finger to her lips, signaling for her to be quiet.
“Third time’s the charm.” She tried again. “Call Tori.”
“Calling Tori.”
Chelsea inhaled deep, trying to calm down as she waited for Tori to answer. How could she allow a man like that near Peyton or even her own daughter?
“Hey, Chelsea.” Tori’s voice boomed through the car speakers.
“Peyton just told me something about Ryder and I need to know if it’s true. Was he just released from prison for killing his father?”
“Yes, but—”
“But nothing.” How dare she have the nerve to make excuses! “I realize you can hire whoever you want, but you had an obligation to tell me.”
Tori paused before responding, leaving Chelsea to wonder if she’d hung up on her. “Hello?”
“I’m here.” Tori sighed. “You’re right. I should have. But Ryder Slade isn’t who everyone makes him out to be.”
“Ryder Slade? How do I know that name?” Slade. “Is he related to Harlan Slade, one of the deputy sheriffs in town?”
“They’re brothers.”
In the rearview mirror, Chelsea watched Peyton touch the speaker next to her head and detect the sound vibrations were from a phone conversation and not music. “Who are you talking to?”
Chelsea shook her head and continued her conversation with Tori. “Peyton said Ryder killed their father.”
“Accidentally.”
“I don’t care if it was an accident or not.” Tori’s casualness began to irk her further. “How long has he been in prison?”
“Five and a half years.”
“Oh, good Lord. And let me guess, he’s out on parole.”
“Yes. He needed a job and a place to live—”
“He’s living with you?” How much worse could this get? “Your husband’s okay with this?”
“I’m sorry.” Tori’s tone thickened with sarcasm. “That’s none of your business. I apologized for not telling you about Ryder. And I should have informed you before he arrived, but as for my relationship with him or my husband, that’s off-limits.”
“Fine, but Peyton’s not allowed over there again.” Chelsea jabbed the steering wheel’s phone button, ending their conversation.
Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into their driveway and parked, almost forgetting to unfasten her seat belt as she got out. How dare Tori allow an ex-convict near her nine-year-old daughter. She shoved her key in the front door so hard, she was surprised when it didn’t snap in half. Peyton grabbed the mail from the box before following her into the house. Not bothering to even take off her jacket, Chelsea dropped her briefcase and bag on the floor and beelined for her desk on the other side of their small craftsman-style living room.
Answers. She needed answers.
She flipped open her laptop and fumbled for the power button. Just great. Now she had to tell her daughter she couldn’t go to Missy’s anymore. She hated to leave her in the after-school program and dreaded the fallout. Peyton was crazy about the sanctuary’s rescued horses and donkeys. They fed her dream to become an equine vet one day. She started talking about them at breakfast and didn’t stop until her head hit the pillow at night. Hearing loss wouldn’t hold her child back from r
eaching for the stars. Now Chelsea had to be the bad guy and take away the thing her daughter loved most.
They hadn’t had these problems when they’d lived in Helena. Her parents had watched Peyton every day after school, and most nights they’d had dinner over there too. It had been the perfect arrangement until the deaf school closed. Without another school nearby, Chelsea had been forced to move. When a law firm in Saddle Ridge near the highest-rated deaf school in the state made her a lucrative offer, she jumped on it. The four-hundred-mile move away from family and the only place they’d ever lived had been tough on Peyton. It took a while for the two of them to adjust, but after renting an apartment for a few months, they’d finally found a home and settled into a solid routine...until today.
“Mama? Are you mad at me?”
She closed her eyes and gripped the edge of the desk. Peyton was too young to understand Chelsea’s anger and fear. She turned to her and signed, “No, sweetheart. I’m not mad at you. I love you.” Chelsea needed a minute alone to think. “Do you want to help me make dinner tonight?”
“Can we have homemade pizza?” Peyton signed, restoring her faith that her daughter had paid attention to their earlier conversation.
“The dough takes a long time to rise. Do you really want to wait that long?”
“I had a snack at Missy’s house. Please, Mama. We haven’t made it in months.”
“Okay, you’re in charge of the menu tonight. Go find the recipe and get all the ingredients ready. I’ll be in to help you in a few minutes.”
Peyton spun around and skipped out of the room, giving Chelsea a chance to do a little research on Ryder Slade.
Within seconds, the screen filled with hundreds of search results. Numerous articles detailed the events that had occurred the night of his father’s death. Ryder and Tori’s marriage had just ended, and he had drowned his sorrows at a bar. Tori picked him up and drove him home, where an argument ensued with his father, resulting in Ryder getting behind the wheel of a truck and running him over. Frank Slade had been pronounced dead at the scene. Ryder confessed to involuntary manslaughter and had been sentenced to ten years in prison. He had just become eligible for parole last month.
Chelsea scanned article after article, the most recent from the morning of his release last week. Her hands shook as she logged on to the county website and entered his name. Two pages’ worth of charges from his late teens and early twenties filled the screen. Nothing serious. Mostly disorderly conduct, speeding and trespassing. But it was enough to show a pattern of bad behavior.
Regardless, he had killed a man, spent time in prison and there was no way her daughter was going anywhere near Ryder Slade ever again.
Chapter 2
The sun had just begun to climb over the Swan Range when he heard Tori’s front door slam shut, shattering Ryder’s early morning tranquility. He continued to fill the troughs in the donkey corral as Missy stomped down the porch steps toward her mother’s pickup. He waved, but instead of a wave in return, she nailed him with a death glare that wordlessly said he was in trouble with the ten-year-old.
When Tori emerged from the house a minute later, he shut off the water and jumped the fence so they could talk, but the slow shake of her head cautioned Ryder not to cross into enemy territory. With a nod in acknowledgment he headed to the donkey barn to turn them out for the day. Even the most hardheaded mule could figure out he was the source of Missy’s anger. He’d squealed on her and her friend yesterday and judging by Missy’s attitude, one or both had been punished in some way. Tori handled problems by discussing them—at least she had when they’d been together—but he knew nothing about Peyton’s mom.
Chelsea.
The woman he couldn’t get off his mind. He wanted to believe his incarceration played a role in her filling his every thought. That made the most sense. But he’d passed some beautiful women in town since his release and he hadn’t given them so much as a second glance. Chelsea was different. His fingers itched to touch her. His mouth already craved the taste of her kiss.
Maybe it was because she was still a mystery to him. He hadn’t seen a ring or telltale tan line of one, so he assumed she wasn’t married. And she definitely hadn’t been around before he went away. He would have remembered her. She had to be new to town, or at least relatively so. Her long, wavy golden blonde hair reminded him more of California than Montana, making him wonder if she was a West Coast transplant. Chelsea on the beach wearing nothing but a bikini would make any man drop to their knees in surrender. She wasn’t what he would call a skinny woman, but she sure had curves in all the right places. Curves he would never feel. Because no matter how attracted he was to her, he wasn’t about to test his relationship with Tori by trying to date her friend.
Besides, judging by Chelsea’s tailored black skirt and cream-colored blouse he’d bet a million dollars was made from silk, she was way out of his league. A woman like her would never get involved with a man out on parole.
After releasing the donkeys and horses into their respective pastures, Ryder saddled Tori’s horse, Sadie. He ran his hand down the side of the animal’s neck, missing his own horse. His mom had sold him, along with the family ranch, shortly after his father’s death. At the very least, she could have given Dante to one of his brothers or his uncle after the sacrifice he’d made. He’d like to say guilt had played a role, but he still wasn’t sure if his mother remembered that fateful night. He hadn’t spoken to or seen her since his sentencing. And even then, she had been mostly despondent.
Ryder led Sadie from the stables just as Tori’s truck turned onto the ranch road. His morning ride would have to wait a few more minutes while he found out what was going on with Missy.
“I see I’ve already made an enemy out of your daughter,” Ryder said as he crossed the dusty parking area with Sadie in tow.
“Unfortunately, she isn’t your only enemy.” Tori hopped from the truck and slammed the door behind her. “Chelsea Logan is furious I let you anywhere near her daughter. She refuses to allow Peyton to come here anymore.”
Ryder’s stomach tightened. He’d expected some fallout from yesterday, but not this. “What happened? What did she say?” Not that it mattered. He was an ex-con fresh from prison.
“Not much. When they left here Peyton told Chelsea who you were and where you’ve been. She called me on her way home, asking if it were true. I said yes, and before I had a chance to explain she tore into me and even went as far as questioning how Nate feels about you.” Tori’s eyes narrowed. “Can you believe her nerve? Let me tell you, I had a few things to say about that and then she said Peyton couldn’t come over anymore. And that’s fine. You would think a lawyer of all people would take a moment to listen to both sides of the story.”
“Chelsea’s a lawyer?” Ryder groaned. By now she’d probably read about every last detail of his criminal past. And that bothered him. It shouldn’t, but it did. A record like his was impossible to hide. But the police report had clearly stated his father’s death had been an accident. “Maybe things will be better today. It’s not as if I had maliciously set out to kill my father.”
“You didn’t kill him, period.” Tori stomped her foot, spooking Sadie.
“Easy, girl,” Ryder soothed as he rubbed the horse’s muzzle. “Leave it alone, Tori.”
“It was one thing when you were still in jail. But you’re out now and I don’t see how you can live a full life here in Saddle Ridge when everyone believes you killed Frank. You should’ve never covered for—”
Ryder had had enough. He grabbed Sadie’s saddle horn and mounted before Tori finished her sentence. “I think it’s best if I find someplace else to work and stay. You’re too close to this.”
Tori reached for Sadie’s halter, stopping him from riding off. “You can’t leave.”
Ryder leaned forward and covered her hand with his. “Look at the damage I’ve already cau
sed. Your friend is furious with you. And Missy hates me.”
“She could never hate you.”
“Missy was four and a half when I went to prison. She’s lived longer without me than she has with me. I’m sure she has more memories with Nate and that’s the way it should be. He’s her father now.” Ryder released her hand and sat back in the saddle, studying Tori. When had their relationship gotten so complicated? “You of all people know our divorce damn near destroyed me. We only got married so Missy could have a home. I had one job and I couldn’t make us work. How was I supposed to walk away from the little girl I’d helped raise as my own? I didn’t want to be a part-time dad. Not in this small town where I’d inevitably run into you and Missy. My heart couldn’t have handled that. Prison made it easier.”
“How can you say that?”
“Because it gave me a chance to heal.” Even though those old wounds were beginning to open again. “It gave you a chance to find someone new and until a few days ago, Missy had a normal life. I came back into the picture and she’s lost her best friend. My being here makes things worse. Not better. I’ll finish out the rest of the week and then I’m gone.”
“And go where? No one else will hire you. If you walk away from here, you’ll go directly to jail. Don’t make me call your parole officer.”
Ryder laughed at the threat. She wouldn’t call just like he wouldn’t quit without having another job in place. But that had always been their relationship...a constant game of taunts and empty threats. It had worked in their friendship but had suffocated the marriage. “You can hire someone else.”
“They won’t work for what I pay you.”
“Now I get it. You only like me because I’m cheap.”
The corners of Tori’s mouth lifted at the remark. “Even if I could afford to pay you more, your salary would still be lower than what I could offer anyone else because you live on the ranch. I don’t trust a stranger around my daughter. It’s difficult enough communicating with a ten-year-old. You’re able to talk to her when none of the other hands and volunteers can, and she loves you despite her attitude this morning.”
