The Secret Truth at Dare Ranch (15 page)

"Hi,"
she said in a low voice. She walked to the hearth, slid onto a side chair and
just stared at the crackling fire.

Mitch
patted the cushion beside him. "Come sit with me. I promise I won’t bite,"
he said in what he hoped was a teasing voice.

She
turned her head and looked at him. Her mouth moved in a tiny smile that she
seemed to struggle to find.

He
rested his head on the back of the sofa and gave her a long look. "Come
here and talk to me."

Her
eyes sparkled with unshed tears. The anguish he saw in their depths seared him
down to the marrow in his bones. She had always been so strong. Even after
losing her mother when she turned six and through the struggle of always
striving to prove herself to Mason Dare. Why couldn't that hateful old man have
accepted her for simply who she was? A beautiful, loving and intelligent woman.

 She
rose from her chair as if she were moving through water, walked to the sofa and
sat down beside him. The scent of her just washed skin wafted over him. He
inhaled deeply and let the smell of her engulf his senses. He wanted to touch
her, hold her but he needed her to make the first move.

Lexie
reached for a photograph of her father and Parker sitting on one of the end
tables. They had their arms slung around each other and grinned into the camera.
Rock formations shaped like two very tall chimneys, from which the town derived
its name, loomed in the background.

She
touched the tip of her finger to the photograph as a wistful expression stole
over her face. She lowered the photo to her lap and leaned her head against the
back of the sofa. She swallowed and blinked back the tears Mitch saw pooling in
her eyes.

"I
wanted so much for dad to love me.” Her voice, filled with sadness sounded just
above a whisper. "I did everything I could to please him. I worked hard, I
made sure my grades were good in school but most of all I nurtured this ranch.”
Her words faded to a soft murmur. "Not because he loved it," she said
on a ragged breath, "but because Parker did.” She paused, licked her lips
and swallowed. "The ranch was only a means to an end for him, a way to
make money. I thought I could please him, force him to care about me through
Parker and the land.” She looked down at the photograph still lying in her lap,
lifted it and set it back on the end table.

Mitch's
heart squeezed in his chest as her voice broke with sadness, regret and
something else...fear. Her face, her body didn't show any fear but he felt it
radiate from her into him.

With
a shaky hand, she toyed with the chenille pattern on her robe.  He wrapped his
fingers around hers to settle and comfort. Her hand closed gently around his. Thankfully
she let him and didn't pull away. He couldn't bear it if she refused his touch.

The
warmth and softness of her skin seeped into his, but he also felt the rasp of
calluses on her palm. He raised her palm to his mouth, kissed it lightly then
lowered her hand back to his lap waiting for her to continue.

"Everything
my father did was for Parker," she smiled wryly. I suppose a normal person
might have resented their brother or even hated him but I knew it wasn't Parker's
fault that dad didn't love me. It was mine," she said in such a low voice
Mitch almost didn't hear her.

Mitch's
heart broke at her words. He raised her hand to his mouth and grazed his lips
over her knuckles. "No, don't ever think that," he said softly.

She
turned and looked at him with misery swimming in her eyes. "What else
could it be?”  Her voice sounded thin and hollow as if the fight had drained
out of her.

He
smoothed a strand of hair from her face and cupped her cheek. Her skin felt
like heated silk beneath his palm. "I don't know. Mason was a hard man to
figure out. But whatever his reasons, Kitten, they were his alone. They came
from deep inside him, not from you.” Mitch smiled and rubbed the pad of his
thumb over her chin. "Judson has always been crazy about you and so has
everybody else in this town... including me."

Her
lips parted and her eyes shone with emotions he couldn't quite read. Surprise maybe
mingled with hope? Or was that wishful thinking on his part? Now that he had
gotten to know Dani and renewed his relationship with Lexie, he knew he wanted
to be a part of their life. He wasn't sure
how
exactly only that he
wanted to touch them, talk to them and laugh with them on a regular basis.

She
glanced away for a moment then looked back at him. "I want to thank you
for helping me tonight," she said in a quiet voice. "I know you think
it was crazy of me to risk life and limb to save my animals but I had to do it."

He
squeezed her hand briefly. "I won't sit here and pretend that what you did
was okay because it wasn't. I'm just grateful you weren't hurt.” When she
started to speak he shook his head. "There's something else worrying you
besides what happened tonight. I get the feeling you're afraid of something
more than just losing the ranch. What is it?"

She
took her hand away from his and rubbed her palms over her face. With an exhale
she dropped her hands to her lap. "The land always gives back what you
give it in return...or so I thought," she said with a light tone of
surprise in her voice. "I've loved this ranch all my life and now I think
I've loved it too much. It's consumed my days and kept me from sleep at night
for longer than I can remember.” She paused as if gathering her thoughts. "Before
you came back to town I thought I was doing everything for Dani and maybe I was...but
since she's gotten to know you I see love in her eyes and I hear it in her
voice."

She
looked at Mitch. Anxiety shimmered in the depths of her eyes and creased her
brow. High color dotted her cheeks. She pressed her lips together briefly then
inhaled a quick breath. "She loves you and once my little girl loves
someone or something like the soft little dog you gave her, she falls toes over
ears.” Tears spilled from her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. She quickly wiped
them away. "You want to know what scares me more than losing the ranch or
even my own life?"

Her
chin trembled and her breath grew even more ragged. "I'm scared to death
that Dani will love you too much and you won't return her love.” Her voice
rasped in a hushed stillness. "I was crazy about my father. I thought he
was Superman and could do just about anything.” Her hands twisted in her lap
and her shoulders slumped as if in defeat. "Except love me."

Unable
to keep from holding her a moment longer, Mitch pulled her into his arms. She rested
her head on his shoulder. He cupped the back of her head as the first ragged
sob shuddered out.

Mitch
felt lightheaded almost faint. Because she had told him her deepest fear he
realized that he trusted her not to hurt him. Somewhere in a secret place deep
within his soul a door slowly opened and allowed the feelings he had been
fighting for Lexie since he returned to ease inside his heart.

Chapter Nine

The
sound of hammering broke through Lexie’s sleep congested brain. Voices mingled
with the sound from outside and floated into her bedroom. Quickly, she threw
back the covers and shuffled on bare feet to the window.

When
she threw back the curtain, sunlight streamed into her eyes still heavy with
sleep making her squint. After a moment, her eyes adjusted to the bright light
and the sight below made her stomach jump and fresh tears spring to her eyes.

At
least fifteen men were building her a new barn next to the smoldering rubble of
the old one. Trucks were parked all around the site, some with their flat beds
filled with hay and sacks of feed and others stacked with lumber. Amidst all
the activity, Mitch was easy to spot.

She
watched him hold a six by eight in place and drive a nail into the board. His
nut brown shirt stretched over his wide shoulders, the muscles bunching beneath
the material. Faded jeans molded the cutest butt she’d ever seen on a man. A
tingle skittered down her spine.

Dani
stood beside him, handed him nails when he needed one and beamed as if he’d
just descended from heaven. She was dressed for school, Lexie noticed, with her
backpack in place. It must be later than she thought. She looked at the clock
on the nightstand. Nearly eight thirty.

God
bless Hattie. She hadn’t slept this late in well; she couldn’t remember
sleeping this late since long before her father died. Lately, she arose at the
same time each day, even on the weekends, because there was too much to be
done.

# # #

A
few minutes later, Lexie stepped outside to take a gander at the new barn. Frigid,
gusty air swirled around her. She pulled the edges of her coat together and adjusted
the collar up around her neck. A few wind swept clouds left from the storm made
a transparent veil over a cobalt sky, as though nothing had happened. Ice lay
in patches on the ground.

She
strolled toward the ruins of the barn and felt sick to her stomach even as she
felt relief. So much was lost. Tack, feed, the barn itself, but at least the
horses were alive.

“Mommy!” 

Dani tore
herself away from Mitch's side and raced toward her. She threw her small arms
around Lexie's waist and gave her a tight hug. “The barn burned, Mama.” Her
little chin wobbled and tears welled.

Lexie
knelt down in front of Dani and cradled her face in her hands. Her young,
beautiful eyes were full of worry and concerns that she shouldn’t have. “I
know, honey. But everything’s going to be okay.”

Dani
attempted a smile. “I know. Daddy said so.”

Lexie
lifted her head and looked at Mitch over Dani’s shoulder. He kept his back to
her, hammering nails and talking to some of the men who worked by his side. The
sound of a car’s horn brought Lexie out of her thoughts.

Dani
turned. “Anna's here.” She gave Lexie a quick kiss then ran for her father. Lexie
watched Mitch pick up his daughter. He hugged her tight and rubbed his face
against her neck. She giggled then he set her on her feet. “Bye daddy,” she
yelled as she raced for the car.

Lexie
kept her eyes on Dani until Anna's mother pulled safely onto the highway and
headed for school. When she looked back at Mitch, he gave her a smile. She
started toward him, when Tommy Flower's gray Cadillac rattled over the cattle
guard.

He
climbed out, walked over and enfolded her in his big arms. Lexie inhaled the
warm, comforting scent of his aftershave and fought back tears. She wouldn’t
cry again nor did she intend to give up.

He
pulled her out of his arms and clasped both hands around the upper part of her
arms. “How you doing, sugar?”  He looked over her shoulder at the half-finished
barn. "Mitch and I didn't even have to call those men. They called us
wanting to know how they could help.”

The
warmth of friendships that had never been lost even after her father's passing quieted
the ragged edges of Lexie's battered emotions and infused her with renewed
strength. She smiled. “I’m okay.” She turned her head toward the men working on
the barn then back to Tommy. “I don’t know how I'll ever repay them but as soon
as I get on my feet—“

Tommy
let his hands fall to his sides. His eyes narrowed and his mouth curved wryly. "Those
men aren't here because they want to get paid, Lexie. They're here because they
want to help you in any way they can. So don't go insulting them by talking
about money."

     Lexie nodded.
"You're right. I know they're here because they care.” She looked over at
Mitch and found his gaze pinned on her. One corner of his mouth curved.

“Go
talk to the boy," Tommy said. "I’ll come by again tomorrow. We’ve got
business to discuss.”

Before she
could ask what kind of business he'd walked away toward his car. Mitch had his
back to her when she walked up to him. Her heart tumbled in her chest and her
stomach trembled. His hair was mussed and windblown. She remembered how his
warmth and solid male strength had calmed her the night before. Her knees
suddenly felt weak.

He
tossed a quick glance at her over his shoulder then hammered a nail home. “Morning.
You look rested for once. I'm glad.”

She
shoved a hand into the pocket of her coat and waved at the men with the other. "I
don't know what to say except thank you. But I can't quite figure out why
you're helping to build this barn when you're still planning to take the
ranch."

"Your
horses need to come home if only temporarily," he said as he reached for
another nail out of the tool box at his feet.

Home.
This was their home as much as it was hers and Dani's. Even though things
looked bleak right now, she refused to give up. “This is just a set back. I’ve
still got cows left to sell and horses to train. I’m not finished yet.”

Mitch
shoved the hammer through a loop in the tool belt around his waist and looked
at her. His eyes appeared more green than gray in the bright sunlight. "Maybe
not, but soon.” He turned and looked up at the construction completed so far
then back at her. "We should have this barn finished by the end of the day.
I'll notify the neighbors who picked up horses last night and tell them when
it's ready.” He cupped her chin. "In the meantime, why don't you go up to
the house and rest a while.”