The Secret Truth at Dare Ranch (11 page)

Her
heart lurched suddenly and her pulse jumped in her veins. Lexie stopped the
tractor at the end of the row and cut the engine. Dani scrambled down and ran
to meet Mitch. She adored him already. He’d attended the father/daughter
function at school and taken her shopping for girl stuff. Of course she'd fallen
like a sack of bricks. What else could she do?

Mitch
would eventually tire of being a father. She was sure of it. His visits and
phone calls would drift farther and farther apart until they ceased all
together. But Lexie knew she would be there to soften the hurt Dani would
inevitably feel when Mitch walked away. She needed a stable, safe and
predictable life a life only Lexie could give her. Mitch Quinn was none of
those things.

# # #

Mitch
stopped the truck next to the hay field and watched Dani run toward him. Her
smile was bright, her cheeks flushed. She wore pink sunglasses. Her hair
streamed behind her in a chestnut wave. He suddenly felt inadequate in the face
of her innocence and vulnerability. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever
seen.

Dani
bounced up to him as he climbed out of the truck. "Hi. Will you go riding
with me? Mama said it was okay.”

She
slipped her small hand into his. A sharp stab of love pierced his heart. When
had it happened?  When had the newfound love for his daughter shaken his
control and left him weak?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Mitch
looked down into her clear, happy eyes and knew he was lost. "Sure, kiddo.
I’ll even let you sit on my lap and drive the truck home."

Dani’s
face bloomed into a combination of disbelief and unbridled joy. "Really? You
mean it? I can drive the truck?”  Her voice rose with each question until it
topped out in a high pitched squeak.

"Afternoon,
Mitch."

He
lifted his gaze from his daughter to Lexie’s startling blue eyes. She stood
there like a small, well built pillar holding the world on her shoulders
covered in faded green flannel. She’d stuffed her hair under a dirty, baseball cap,
but a few stray curls escaped to tease her neck. Her jeans were worn and hung a
bit loose on her frame.

Annoyance
tightened the muscles in his shoulders. Her weight loss looked even more
prominent now with the strain of exhaustion and worry that etched her face. He'd
noticed her thin frame the moment he'd clapped eyes on her his first day back
in Chimney Rock.

At
the time he hadn't said anything because he'd been so stunned to find out he
had a daughter. She'd lost weight because she hadn't been taking proper care of
herself. He was going to change that. Starting today.

Dani’s
hand slipped from his and grabbed her mother’s arm. His gaze shifted to Dani’s
face. Her lips curved in an engaging grin, her eyes sparkled. "Daddy said
I could drive the truck. Cool, huh?"

Lexie
cupped Dani’s cheek and gave her a smile. "Very cool, sweet pea."

Lexie
took off her gloves and shoved them into her pocket. "Mind if I hitch? I'm
done for the day and I don’t feel like walking back up the hill."

He
stared at her, the weariness in her face, the shadows under her eyes. "You
mean you aren't going to work another eight hours or more?" Mitch said his
tone heavy with sarcasm. "I'd even carry you back if I thought you'd let
me."

Lexie
lifted a brow at his statement. "What's wrong? Did you get up on the wrong
side of your breakfast meeting today?” 

He
leaned toward her so only she could hear his words.   "You look like hell.”
He tried to tamp down the irritation in his voice at finding her overworked and
exhausted but failed.

"Thanks
a lot," she said in a courteous but condescending voice.

He
turned to Dani who stood beaming beside him. "Ready to drive?"

She
raced for the truck. Mitch took a step forward to follow her when Lexie’s hand
gripped his arm. He turned toward her. She was close, close enough to see the
gold chips in her eyes, close enough to smell the scent of hay, light sweat and
female on her. Attraction swelled in his chest.

"You’re
becoming more and more important to her. Be careful. Okay?"

Mitch
touched her face. "One day soon you’ll believe I’m not going to walk away
from our daughter. Or you. Until then," he leaned forward and pressed a
light kiss to the corner of her mouth, "Try to have a little faith."

He
slid into the truck, lifted Dani onto his lap and started the engine. Dani’s
small hands gripped the steering wheel and he placed his own larger ones gently
over hers. They felt tiny, fragile.   

Dani
leaned against him, the soft fragrant scent of her hair curled through him. She
turned her head and looked up at him with her eyes filled with wonder. Love washed
over him and into his heart.

Mitch
shifted the gear into drive and pressed on the gas. The truck surged forward
and Dani giggled with glee. "Look, Mama, I’m driving."

Lexie
smiled and swung her arm over the back of the seat. "Yep, you’re doing
great too.

The
truck jounced along the road, the sun dipped behind the mountains and the light
grew dusky. Mitch switched on the headlights. Dani gave the steering wheel a
sharp jerk to the left and the truck swerved. A shallow canyon lay where the
road turned up toward the ranch house and barn.

The canyon
where Parker had died.

Mitch
whipped the truck around while his heart slipped back down his throat. He
glanced over at Lexie. Her gaze slid from the canyon to Dani and an uneasy
smile trembled over her lips. "Take it easy, pumpkin," she said softly.
"Just keep the wheel steady."

When
they pulled into the drive beside the house, Lexie climbed out of the truck and
shut the door. She walked around the front of the truck, removed her cap and
slapped it softly against her thigh. "Dani would love it if you stayed for
dinner."

But
would you?

Dani
bounced on her feet. "Stay, Daddy, stay!" she cried with excitement.

Mitch
ruffled her hair then looked back at Lexie, her face in shadow. "Thanks,
I’d like that."

He
held his hand up in a high five to Dani. "Good job.” Dani giggled and
slapped her small palm against his. He barely felt it.

A
chilling breeze whirled around them and Dani shivered. "Better run inside
and wash up, sweetheart. If it’s okay with your mother," he said glancing
at Lexie, "I’ll come by tomorrow and we’ll go rollerblading."

Dani's
small face turned sober. She looked up at him with serious eyes. "Okay,
but I don't skate too good."

Mitch
smiled and winked at her. "No problem, sweetheart," he said in his
best Humphrey Bogart imitation. "We'll work on it. Together."

"Okay,"
Dani said and smiled at him.

The
door of the house swung open and a small wiry woman with a puff of gray hair on
her head, like a small fluffy cloud, stepped onto the porch. She waved a skinny
but strong hand through the air. "Mitch Quinn. As I live and breathe,"
she said in a loud, raspy voice that belied her petite stature.

Dani raced
ahead and bounded onto the porch. "Hi, Hattie," she said then stopped
suddenly and turned toward Mitch. "He's my dad," she said with pride
in her voice.

"Hi,
Priss. And a fine daddy he is too."

As Lexie
walked past Hattie she laid a hand on her arm. "Thanks for making
dinner."

"Glad
to. It's almost ready. You and Dani go wash up," Hattie said.

Dani
and Lexie disappeared inside the house. Mitch walked forward and propped a foot
on the front steps. "Hattie. It’s good to see you."

"Good
to see you too.” Her wise, brown eyes narrowed slightly. She tossed her head in
the direction of the house's interior. "First time seeing her?"

"No, we
got reacquainted the other day."

Hattie
smiled as a look of satisfaction covered her tanned thin face lined with
wrinkles. "'bout time."

 Mitch
nodded. "Yeah."

"Come
on in," Hattie said turning toward the front door. "I don't want my
meatloaf to get cold."

# # #

"Not
hungry?"

Mitch's
question drew Lexie from the weight of exhaustion pulling at her body and mind.
She glanced at him. He stood next to the counter by the stove, poured another
cup of coffee and took a sip.

She
looked down at the leftover food on her plate. She'd eaten next to nothing,
just pushed the food around without really tasting anything. Emotions from the
drive back up to the house still haunted her. When Dani had yanked the wheel of
the truck in the direction of the canyon where Parker had died, she'd nearly
lost it. It was as though the past were about to repeat itself.

"I
don't have much of an appetite these days.” She rose from her chair to gather
the dinner dishes. Hattie had gone home after helping Dani bathe and get
settled up in her room for the night.

Mitch
walked toward her, his steps slow and measured as if he had all the time in the
world. Dark with emotion, his eyes roamed her face and body surveying her with
subtle precision. His mouth thinned with displeasure. Without saying a word, he
took the dishes from her hands and set them on the table.

"What
are you doing?"

Still
silent, he ignored her question and lowered her into a chair. She popped up
from the seat. "I need to clean up the kitchen," she protested.   

She'd
only made it half-way when Mitch laid his hands gently but firmly on her
shoulders and pressed her back down. "Then I have bills to pay--"

He
slid his warm, male fingers from her shoulders up her neck until he cupped her
head between his hands. His touch felt like heaven. She wanted to relax and
just enjoy the moment but she couldn't.

"Okay,
what's going on," she asked surprised by the combination of sensuality and
irritation she saw on his face and in his eyes.

"I'm
taking care of you," he said in a velvet-edged whisper.

"But
I don't need--"

Before
she could finish Mitch lowered his head and laid his lips over hers. He rocked
his mouth against hers, coaxing her lips apart, slipping his warm, wet tongue
inside to stroke and lick. Deep-seated needs, too long ignored unfurled like
ribbons in her blood.

Her
legs turned weak. If she hadn't already been sitting, her knees would have
buckled beneath her. When he decided to stay for dinner, she never expected him
to...she wasn't sure what she expected but not this. Not this tender, yet
sensual kiss, this slow penetration through the emotional barriers she kept
firmly in place.

By
the time he lifted his head, Lexie was dazed and edgy with arousal. She stared
into his eyes. "What was that for?"

He
straightened and smoothed the back of his hand over her cheek in a gentle
caress. "I just thought it was time we both got past a few things,"
he murmured in a husky voice.

Lexie
swallowed. "What things?"

He
picked up the dishes, walked to the sink and set them on the counter. With a
twist, he turned on the water and rinsed the plates. "Like the fact that
you're working too damn hard, running yourself into the ground."

Lexie
rolled her eyes and shrugged. "If I don't do what needs to be done who
will?"

Mitch
turned and looked at her. His eyes flashed with concern. "If you don't
start taking better care of yourself you're going to get sick--and then who
will take care of Dani?" he asked in a low controlled voice.

How
could she have been so stupid? Of course he was right. There was no one but her
to take care of Dani. She depended on her for everything. But so did the ranch.

She
rose from the chair and picked up the remaining dishes and cutlery. If she
could just hang on a little longer, she might be able to pull it off. She walked
toward the sink and placed the dishes on the counter.