The Rancher Meets His Match

by Kate Pearce

  “Do you work for Kaiden’s father up at the ranch?” Julia asked.

  “Nope, just for Kaiden. I got kicked out of culinary class, and electronics, and this was the only choice I had left.”

  Kaiden winced. “Thanks, Wes, you make working for me sound so appealing.” He glanced down at Juan. “Shall I get you a menu, or do you know what you want?”

  “Gina knows.” He handed Julia a twenty-dollar bill. “Get whatever you want, my dear. It’s on me.”

  “I’ll give you a hand,” Kaiden said. “Wes will be wanting a third slice, and a refill.”

  He followed Julia into the sparkling red-and-white interior of the pizza shop where Gina was standing behind the counter.

  “Back for more?” She grinned at Kaiden. “I bet it’s for Wes.”

  “You’d be right about that. I should half his wages the amount of food he eats.” Kaiden handed over his debit card. “Can I have a coffee to go as well?”

  Beside him, Julia tensed. “Are we keeping you from your work? We don’t have to sit with you if you have to get back.”

  “We’re good.” Kaiden gestured at Gina. “This is Gina, the amazing woman who makes all the pizza dough.”

  “I’m Julia Garcia.” Julia’s smile was charming when it wasn’t directed at him. “My dad says you know what he likes, and I’ll take a chance, and have the same thing.”

  “Juan mentioned you might be coming home for a spell. How cool is that?” Gina put in the order and handed over two iced teas. “Your dad is such a lovely guy.”

  “He is.” Julia smiled again. “I’m glad to be back here.”

  Gina went back to the kitchen and Kaiden glanced down at Julia. “Are you really glad to be back?”

  She sighed. “It’s complicated.”

  “I always got the sense that you couldn’t wait to leave this place.”

  “I couldn’t.” She nodded at the door. “Shall we take these out?”

  “You know, you can talk to me about stuff,” Kaiden said as he held open the door for her.

  Julia puffed out a laugh. “Kaiden, you are the last person in the world I’d share my secrets with.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You know.” She eased past him. “Fool me once, and all that.”

  Kaiden stared after her as she headed toward Juan. What the hell was she getting at him for now?

  * * *

  Like she’d tell Kaiden Miller anything . . . They might not be in high school anymore, but she’d learned her lesson, and it had hurt enough to stick with her. She set the tea down on the table and took the only unoccupied seat, which left her between Kaiden and her father. Wes looked up briefly to acknowledge his drink, but rapidly returned his attention to his cell phone.

  Juan took a sip of tea. “Wes was telling me about the old movie theater, Kaiden.”

  “It’s certainly a project,” Kaiden said. “Chase’s architect has done a great job on the plans for its rehabilitation but it’s slow work.”

  “What exactly do you do apart from being a rancher these days?” Julia had to ask.

  “I’m a carpenter,” Kaiden replied. “The original structure is mainly wood, so I’ve been stuck with the job of making sure it’s structurally sound before anything else can go ahead.” He sipped his coffee. “With all the earthquake activity over the past century, it’s certainly moved around a bit.”

  “I remember going to that movie theater when I was a kid,” Juan said. “It was run by Mr. Lopez who lived over the shop. He sold you your ticket, then your popcorn and candy. He ripped that ticket in half when you went into the theater, and said good-bye when you left.” He chuckled. “I remember watching some cowboy show once and this rat ran over my boots.”

  “Ugh.” Julia shuddered. “I guess that’s why it closed.”

  “I think it was declared unsafe after some big earthquake in the seventies.”

  “I’m surprised no one tore it down,” Julia said.

  “No reason to do that when no one needed the land.” Kaiden stretched out his long legs and crossed them at the ankle. “But things have changed around here. We’re trying to use existing spaces to house incomers rather than building out into ranch territory.”

  “What’s changed?” Julia asked.

  Kaiden made a wide gesture. “All the stuff the Morgans are doing with their dude ranch and wedding business. It’s creating employment opportunities for locals, and encourages the kids to stay rather than leave for the city.”

  “That’s good, right?” Julia looked from her father to Kaiden, who nodded.

  “Absolutely, but now we need affordable places for them to live. It’s tough on the older families here when their own kids can’t stick around. When it’s finished, the movie theater will have at least four apartments to buy or rent.” He laughed. “Sorry, I get quite passionate about this stuff. I didn’t mean to bore you.”

  “That’s really cool.” Julia looked up as Gina approached with a loaded tray, and moved to one side so that she could place it on the table. “The pizza looks awesome.”

  “Try it first.” Gina grinned as she handed out red napkins and pepper flakes. “Enjoy.”

  As Wes started on his third piece, Julia and her father dug in. Julia repressed a moan as the hot dough base and tangy tomato hit her taste buds.

  “Good?” Kaiden asked

  “Oh, yes,” Julia breathed. “Almost as good as—” She caught herself before she finished the sentence, but Kaiden didn’t look fooled. As Juan chatted to Wes, Kaiden lowered his voice so only Julia could hear him.

  “If you equate the best sex of your life with a piece of pizza, someone hasn’t been doing you right, my friend.”

  She snorted. “Like how would you know?”

  His gaze lingered on her mouth and she unconsciously licked her lips.

  “Jeez, don’t do that,” Kaiden breathed and she widened her eyes at him.

  “What, this?” She did it again and added a breathy moan just for fun.

  He let out his breath and sat back, one hand curved over the fly of his jeans. “You ready to go yet, Wes?”

  “Sure!” Wes folded the pizza in four and stuck it all in his mouth at once followed by a huge glug of soda. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Julia.” He stood up, shook off the crumbs, and belched loudly. “See ya, Mr. G.”

  “Charming.” Kaiden winced as he also stood. “He’s still something of a work in progress.”

  “I heard that,” Wes said. “Even if I don’t know what it means.”

  Kaiden patted his shoulder and turned him toward Main Street. “I’ll explain it on the way back. Have a great rest of your day, guys.”

  Julia watched them walk away. Kaiden kept one arm around his apprentice and was obviously still talking to him.

  “He’s a good boy, that Kaiden,” her father said.

  “You didn’t think that when we were at school,” Julia reminded him.

  “That’s because he fell out with Miguel, and neither of them would tell me why.” Juan sighed. “And, after he lost that friendship, I lost Miguel, too.”

  “Miguel made his own choices, Dad. I don’t think you should blame yourself or Kaiden, and he’s sorted himself out now, hasn’t he?”

  “The military did that,” Juan said. “I just want him to come home, now.”

  “Have you asked him?” Julia held her father’s gaze.

  “Not in so many words.” He shrugged. “I don’t want him to worry about me. I want him to make his own decisions.”

  “But don’t you think he’d rather know how things really are here, right now?” Julia persisted despite the firm set of her father’s jaw. “Dr. Tio seemed really nice and knowledgeable, but he had some hard truths to share about your current condition.”

  “Dr. Tio is great, but you’re here now, Daughter.” Juan took her hand. “Maybe together we can hold on to things so that when Miguel does decide to come back there is something for him to come back to, eh?”

&
nbsp; “Dad, we already talked about this.” She gently disengaged her hand. “I have a job. I have to get back to it at some point.”

  “Then help me set things up so that I can go on without either of you,” Juan said. “I’m not dead yet, and I’m certainly not ready to give up.”

  Julia stared at him as emotions and logic crashed into each other in her head making her feel like she was on a runaway horse. What Dr. Tio had told her about the likely progress of her father’s MS now that he was out of remission had frightened her far more than she’d anticipated.

  “I’ve only been here a couple of days. Can you give me more time to decide?” Julia asked.

  “Of course, my love.” Her father smiled at her. “I know that you’ll do the right thing for everyone. You always do.”

  Julia wasn’t so sure about that. She’d left Morgan Valley at the first opportunity and hadn’t returned for years. Back then, her father had never suggested she owed the ranch anything. He’d been determined to pass it on to Miguel, and Julia’s desertion had meant nothing. The fact that he needed her now was somewhat bittersweet.

  She finished her pizza and allowed her gaze to drift to the bustling shops along Main Street. Kaiden had been right that the town was enjoying something of a renaissance. There were at least four tour buses parked up alongside her dad’s truck and the through traffic was constant and loud.

  “We almost lost the Cortez Ranch to developers last year,” Juan said. “That’s one of the reasons why the town started this infill project to make sure that all the historic buildings in Morgantown, and anything industrial, got a makeover and became useful. Chase Morgan is chairperson of the committee, and he’s invested a lot of his own money into making the trust workable.”

  “He’s a multimillionaire. He can afford it.” Julia drank some tea, suddenly aware that Kaiden had left his coffee on the table. “It’s probably some kind of tax break for him.”

  “So cynical.” Juan chuckled. “Just like your mother.” He pointed at the coffee. “Why don’t you take that down to Kaiden while I sit here and enjoy the sun?”

  “I don’t know where he is.” Julia felt herself blushing.

  “Didn’t you listen to a word he said? He’s in the old movie theater.” Juan pointed out onto the street. “It’s right on the corner opposite the Red Dragon Bar. It’s a five-minute walk at most.”

  * * *

  It was hard not to stop and look at the shops that ran along both sides of Main Street. There were some familiar ones like Maureen’s General Store, and Daisy’s flower shop, and some newer places like a coffee shop that smelled divine. Aware that Kaiden’s coffee was rapidly cooling down, Julia kept walking until she reached the crosswalk where the Red Dragon Bar sat on the corner. Even the bar looked in far better shape and had a new coat of paint.

  She crossed the street and looked up at the unassuming façade of the old movie theater with its faded fake frontage, and the overhanging porch with spiral metal poles holding up what had once been an etched glass entryway. There was no open door in the front, so she walked around the back. She heard Kaiden whistling before she saw him and paused in the doorway to observe him until he looked up.

  “Hey.”

  She held up the coffee. “You forgot this.”

  His smile brought out the dimple in his cheek. He’d always had a twinkle in his gray eyes and the kind of face that looked like he was inviting you to share a joke. She’d been one of the rare people not to fall for it because there had always been a watchfulness behind his gaze, as if he needed you to like him a little too much. And somehow, as if he’d known he didn’t fool her, his comments to her had often been barbed.

  “What?”

  Julia blinked as he advanced toward her.

  “You’re staring at me.” Kaiden angled his head and studied her. “Are you considering running off with my coffee after all?”

  “I wouldn’t do that.” To avoid touching him, she set it down on his cluttered workbench. “I suspect there is much better coffee at that café a few doors down.”

  “Yeah, Yvonne’s is great.” Kaiden leaned back against the bench, his arms folded across his chest. He wore a tool belt low around his hips like a gunslinger. “If you like, we could have lunch there one day.”

  It was Julia’s turn to stare. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

  His brow creased. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Because you’ve always disliked me, and I bet you have some opinions about daughters who don’t come back to see their fathers very often.”

  He whistled. “Er, I think you’re projecting here.”

  “I’m not—I’m just trying to work out what your game is.”

  “What game? You look stressed. I was just trying to be neighborly. There’s no need to take everything the wrong way.” He glanced down at his workbench and moved a screwdriver. “If you ask me, it looks like you just want someone to argue with right now.”

  “Why on earth would you think that?” Julia asked. “I don’t know what to do about my dad, my brother isn’t returning my calls, and I’ve got about a hundred problems with my day job.” She shook her head. “Trust me, I really don’t need to get into it with you right now, Kaiden Miller.”

  “Okay.” He picked up his coffee and retreated to the other side of his workbench. “As I said, if you want to talk about any of this stuff, give me a call.”

  For some reason his calmness was fast becoming irritating.

  “Is this amusing for you?” Julia asked slowly. “Because I’m not feeling it. But why should I be surprised? You’ve been making fun of me your whole life.”

  “Wow, that’s some leap.” Kaiden’s smile abruptly disappeared. “Thanks for bringing the coffee, Julia. I’ll be up to the ranch this weekend with some preliminary plans to discuss with Juan.”

  He took the pencil from behind his ear, bent his head, and started writing on the plans as if she no longer existed. She stared at his hair and swallowed hard.

  “I’m sorry, Kaiden. That really wasn’t fair.”

  He didn’t reply, and she turned and walked away, her eyes stinging with tears. It wasn’t his fault that everything was wrong with her life, and he certainly didn’t deserve her anger. She had just been looking for someone to argue with, but why on earth had she chosen him?

  “Hey, while you’re being honest, would you care to explain why you don’t think I’m trustworthy?” Kaiden called out.

  His words made her stop and turn around. He met her gaze head-on. His usual easygoing smile was absent, making him look more like his terrifying father.

  “I . . .” Julia made a helpless gesture. “It was a stupid thing to say.”

  “I’d still like to know what I’m supposed to have done.”

  “You know what you did.” She sighed. She certainly wasn’t going to talk about the awful things he’d said to Miguel about her, but there were plenty of other occasions to gripe about. “That ridiculous Valentine’s Day thing when you grabbed that poem out of my hand and read it out loud just to make me look stupid.”

  “That’s it?” He shook his head. “That’s . . . all kinds of messed up.”

  “Why?” Julia demanded. “I was embarrassed not only for myself, but for the poor guy who wrote it. Why would you do that just to make everyone else laugh?”

  His lips twitched, and she stared at him in frustration. “You still think it’s funny?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “Why?” She might have stamped her foot.

  “Because I wrote the damn thing!”

  She blinked at him. “Excuse me?”

  “Seeing it in your hand, and watching you open it, I knew I’d made a terrible mistake, so I jumped in, and made fun of myself before you could rip me a new one.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Julia blurted out.

  “Not my problem.” He glanced down at the plans. “Wes is going to be back any minute now, so if you’ve finished doubting my every word, I’d like to ge
t back to work.”

  This time she didn’t stop to look back when she left.

  She made her way along the raised walkway, aware that she’d messed up, and yet unable to think how to fix things. Kaiden had written the poem? She couldn’t get her head around that at all. He’d always made fun of her. He’d never been one of the guys angling to ask her out. In fact, sometimes she’d thought he hated her.

  “Julia?”

  She looked up as someone called out her name, and she had to squint into the sun to see them.

  “It’s Nancy, Maureen’s daughter. I just saw your dad down at Gina’s. He was wondering where you’d gotten to, so I said I’d come and find you.”

  “Hi! It’s good to see you again.” Julia belatedly remembered her manners. “Are you still working at your mom’s place?”

  “Sometimes, but I mainly work at the bar. Jay’s a good boss, and the pay is better because of the tips.” Nancy frowned. “Hey, are you okay? You look like you’re having a bad day.”

  Nancy had always cut straight to the point.

  “I’ve had better,” Julia admitted.

  Nancy gently took her arm. “Look, I know you’ve got to get your dad home safely, but why don’t you come and see me at the bar tonight? You can buy me a beer and share all your secrets. I’m really good at keeping confidences, ask anyone in Morgan Valley.” She grinned. “If I ever want some extra income, I could set up a fantastic blackmailing business.”

  “That’s really kind of you, but—”

  Nancy held up a finger. “You either come see me at the Red Dragon, or I’ll arrive on your doorstep with a six-pack of beer. Your choice.”

  Julia managed a smile. “Then I’ll definitely come to the bar, if Dad’s okay with it.”

  “Good.” Nancy waggled her pierced eyebrows. Her short hair was dyed scarlet and styled into points like a hedgehog’s spikes. “Remember, I know where you live, and I’ve got your dad’s cell phone number, so you won’t be able to avoid me for long.”

  “I hear you.” Julia nodded. It was kind of nice to have someone telling her what to do. “Now, I’d better get back to Dad.”

  * * *

  “So, if you and Ms. Julia aren’t a thing, can I ask her out on a date?”