The Secret Truth at Dare Ranch (16 page)

# # #

Mitch
watched Lexie walk away until she disappeared around the front of the house. He
turned back to his work, hammered in a nail then grabbed another. Contentment
settled over him, as the force of the hammer zinged up his arm. He smelled the
scent of the new lumber, listened to the buzz of a drill and realized how much
he’d missed working on a ranch. For the past couple of years, he'd been
thinking about trying his hand at designing furniture but he'd never done
anything about it. Maybe he should. He’d become so absorbed in his work, that
he’d forgotten the simple pleasure of working with his hands.

And
now he could add new pleasures to his life. The feel of his daughter’s arms wrapped
tight around his neck, her sweet voice, the tender touch of her lips on his
cheek. When she’d told him this morning that she loved him, he’d almost bawled
like a baby. Now he just had to convince Dani that taking the ranch and
building the hospital was the right thing to do. But now, he was beginning to
have doubts. Did he really need to convince himself first?

# # #

The
next day, with the barn completed and the horses settled safely inside, Lexie
lounged in her father’s study and worked on the ranch’s books. She’d sent
Hattie home right after lunch. Friends had dropped off covered dishes and
desserts throughout the afternoon, enough to feed an army. She guessed they
thought in the midst of everything, it would be easier if she didn’t have to
cook. Her heart warmed at their thoughtfulness. Friends had rallied when she’d
needed them.

The
thought of their loyalty helped to dispel the sick feeling that swept through
her every time she added up the numbers against her debts. And still came up
with a negative. Her fingers cramped from using the calculator. Her head
pounded. Tension hardened the muscles in her back.

She
fingered the check Skinny had brought her earlier from the sale of a few cows. She
even traced the zeros, but it barely scratched the surface. The money would
hardly cover the cost of feeding the horses, of keeping a roof over their heads
and food on the table; much less begin to make a dent in the mountain of debts
she owed.

Lexie
reached back to massage her neck when she felt her fingers brushed aside. Mitch’s
warm, rough hands took their place. She shifted at his touch.

"Relax,"
he murmured.

Relax.
How could she relax when every time he touched her a little more of her
resistance crumbled? His thumbs rubbed over the knots between her shoulder
blades easing them, loosening them. Warmth suffused her skin and pleasure
rippled down her spine. His hands comforted and massaged away the tension that
gripped her in a hard vice.

"That’s
better," he said continuing to knead her tight shoulders.

His
touch felt heavenly. It had been a long time since she’d had a man to massage
away her aches and pains. She arched into him, closed her eyes and sighed.  

"Still
trying to figure out how to rub two dollars together and make four?"

Lexie
stiffened at his words and pulled away. Her back tingled from his touch. The
warmth still pulled at her, but she rose from her chair and walked over to the
window.

From
this side of the house, she couldn’t see the new barn but her gaze swept over
the hill where her father was buried. "I know you don’t think I can pull
it off, but I can. I will. I have to."

She
felt Mitch move up behind her. He turned her around to face him. When he put
two fingers under her chin, he forced her to look at him.

His
hair was ruffled, his face still ruddy from the cold after helping Dani gather
leaves for her science project at school. "Sell the ranch, Lexie. You know
you’re going to in the end."

She
pushed back the tears that threatened and stilled her heart after hearing those
final words. End. The end would come to her struggle and the end would come for
her and Mitch. She knew when the end came, he would turn and walk away from her.
But would he walk away from his daughter? "Yes, there will be an end. One
way or the other. But I can’t give up trying to make things end in mine, and
Dani’s, favor. I can’t quit until the last minute, of the last hour, of the
last day."

She
watched annoyance dance in his eyes. He huffed out a heavy breath and dropped
his hand. "Tommy’s in the kitchen. He wants to talk to you. Listen to him,
Lex. He only wants what’s best for you."

Lexie
found Tommy dipping into a dish of macaroni and cheese with a large spoon. His
keys lay on the table along with a folder.

"Mitch
said you wanted to talk," she said trying to sound unconcerned.

Tommy
glanced up at her. He swallowed, blotted his mouth and gestured to the table. "Sit
down, honey."

Dread
settled like a leaden brick in her chest. She moved to the table, pulled out a
chair and sat down. "I’m not selling. Period."

He
threw her a pained expression and pulled out a chair for himself. When he was
settled, he pushed a file folder in her direction. It had the Hudson Real
Estate logo on it. Her gaze flicked back to his. "What’s this about?"

"Open
it," he said leaning back in his chair.

Lexie
frowned, opened the folder and flipped through the papers. She saw flyers advertising
different properties for sale in the area. They were small, with only a few
acres, but enough so she and Dani could keep the horses. They all had houses on
them. Two bedrooms, less than half the square footage, but attractive and well
kept.

For
a moment, she let herself feel what it might be like not to wake up under so
many burdens. But then she heard the sigh of the wind around the house, heard
the windows rattle. Outside, sunlight dimmed under a passing cloud and shadows
crept over the floor.

She
closed the folder and slid it back over the top of the table. "No,"
she said simply.

Tommy
folded his hands and placed them on the table's surface. "Why not?"

Lexie
rose from her chair and walked to the window over the kitchen sink. Small
containers of pansies bunched in the kitchen garden. The blooms had faded a
bit, but their bright colors managed to cheer her up. She looked out over the
land, watched the grass bend against the wind and let her gaze wander over the
few cattle she had left. She looked toward the new barn. "I’m not licked
yet, Tommy."

She
heard his soft chuckle and the scrape of his chair. In a moment, he stood
beside her, shoved his hands in his pockets and stared out the window. "You’re
licked, honey. You just won’t admit it. Your daddy was stubborn as an old,
twisted weed. You’ve got a good wide streak of stubborn in you, as well. But,
stubborn won’t pay the debt you owe on this place. I wish I had the money to
give to you, but I don’t.” He lowered his head then looked back up at her. "As
far as my mind and heart are concerned, you'll always be my daughter.” His
voice trailed away in a husky tone.

Her
heart softened at his words. For a moment she wished he had been her father
then everything would have been different. She put an arm around his waist and
leaned her head against his shoulder. "You've always meant the world to me
too, Tommy, and I know you would have helped me financially with the ranch if
you could have. But you have to understand why I can’t let go of this place. Not
yet."

He
placed an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "I know why. You’re
trying like hell to hold on to Parker, even hold on to your daddy. You think by
keeping this place going, your brother’s memory won’t die.” He drew her away,
grasped her shoulders and looked in her eyes. "He’s gone, honey. And
keeping this place won’t bring him back. If you go ahead and sell to Mitch--"

Annoyance
slapped the ends of her nerves. She tried to jerk out of his hold, but he held
her fast.

"Now
wait a minute and listen. If you sell, that hospital will be built and Parker’s
name put on it. That will keep his memory alive, Lexie. Not this ranch.” He
exhaled a breath and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Think about it."

# # #

A
couple of days later, a knock sounded at the back door just as Lexie pulled the
last batch of peanut butter cookies from the oven. She set them on the counter,
drew off her oven mitts and walked to the door. Morning sunlight streamed
through the windows making the kitchen bright and cozy. With Dani at school and
the cookies made, she planned to head to the barn.

Upon
reaching the door, she peered through the glass window in the upper portion of
the door and saw Jake Ellis smiling back at her. Shock fluttered through her
and mingled with irritation. Of all the people on this planet, he was the last
person she ever expected to see again. She grasped the knob and swung the door
open. "Jake, what a surprise," she said with warmth in her voice that
she didn't feel. "It's nice to see you."

He
pulled the light grey Stetson from his head and held it by the brim between
nervous fingers. "I wasn't sure if you would want to see me or not. I mean
after what happened and everything...” His gravelly voice trailed away.

Jake
stood just under six feet with a thick crop of sandy hair and eyes the color of
cocoa. She supposed he was cute in a boyish kind of way with a ready grin and
the hint of a dimple in his chin. Although he had never appealed to her in a
man/woman kind of way. Jeans covered his lean frame along with a red flannel
shirt and black boots.

What
else could she do but invite him in? Lexie shifted to the side and opened the
door wider. "That was seven years ago, Jake. I'm over it," she said. Then
why didn't it feel like she was over it? She admitted to herself that the stunt
her father and Jake had pulled still stung. "Come in and have a
seat."

He
shuffled over the threshold and inhaled. "Something sure smells
good."

Now
I have to offer him cookies.
"I'm
baking cookies for a bake sale that Dani's class is having. I'll let you sample
a few."

He
pulled out a chair from the breakfast table, sat down and laid his hat on top
of the table. Lexie placed several cookies on a small plate, poured a glass of
milk and brought them to the table.

He
picked up a cookie and devoured it in two bites. "They're awesome, Lexie. But
you always were a great cook.” He cocked his head to one side. "I remember
you having a special talent for pies."

Lexie
slid onto a chair at the table. She smiled even as the bittersweet memory of
making Parker's favorite chocolate meringue pie came flooding back. It was the
last one of her pies he would ever eat before his death. "Thanks. So what
brings you back to town?"

He
polished off another cookie and gulped down some milk. "I heard about what
happened...you losing the barn and cows in that storm and another ranch hand
leaving.” Since that time she'd actually started to consider selling the ranch,
something she thought she would never do. Some of the real estate brochures
Tommy had brought her advertised some really nice houses with prices she might
be able to afford.

Jake
straightened in his chair and leaned forward. "What I’m trying to say is
that I'm here to help. I have a new job over in Pine Bluff but I don’t start for
two more weeks. I can give you some work before then--free of charge."

He
obviously still felt guilty about what he had done and for some perverse reason
she was glad. His feelings of guilt made up in some small way for the trick he
and her father had perpetrated. Despite that, his offer touched her. Lexie
reached over, squeezed his hand briefly and leaned back in her chair. "Nice
offer, but I can't let you do that."

He
nodded. "I figured you'd say that," he said with resignation in his
voice. "How about half-wages? You can pay me when you get back on your
feet."

As
much as she'd like to take him up on it she knew she couldn't. "Your offer
means a lot to me but I wouldn't feel right accepting it.” She pushed some
stray hair away from her face then rested her elbow on the table's surface. "Things
aren't great around here...but they're getting better."

He
gestured toward the door. "I saw the new barn out there."

She
smiled. "My neighbors helped out...and Mitch too."

Jake
nodded and reached for his hat. "I'm glad. I hope things will finally work
out for the two of you.” He stood up and placed the Stetson on his head. "Thanks
for the cookies. I'd best be going."

He
walked to the door, turned and smiled. "Look out for yourself, Lexie and
good luck with the ranch. I mean that."

Lexie
returned his smile. Because she'd decided to forgive him despite the past
though there was never anything romantic between them, she put her arms around
him. He smelled of pine and soap. "You take care too, Jake," she said
and gave him a pat on the back.

When
she pulled from his arms, she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Mitch
stood on the porch with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a mixture of pain
and shock blanketing his face. He tossed the flowers onto the floor of the
porch, turned and sprinted down the stairs.

"Damn,
I'm sorry, Lexie," Jake said in a contrite tone. "I'll go and talk to
him.”