The Secret Truth at Dare Ranch (8 page)

And
just like that it was over. Kids were so much more resilient than adults. "Daddy
and I are going riding," she said turning her head to look up at Mitch.

Lexie
rose to her feet and pasted on a smile. "Is that so?"

"Yes
ma'am," Dani said. "I want to show him how I take Morning Star over
the jumps.” Her voice resonated with excitement. Dani took off the glasses and
stuffed them into her pocket before she led Morning Star from her stall and got
busy brushing her down.   

Lexie
looked at Mitch. "Sounds like fun. She's been asking to practice a lot
more lately. Now I know why."

Mitch
threw her a wink that set her pulse thumping before he walked to Dani's side
and helped her put the saddle on Morning Star's back.

"Thank
you, Daddy," Dani said. Lexie heard the ring of wonder in her little girl's
voice as if she still couldn't believe Mitch was her father. "I know how
to tighten the girth and everything," she said proudly.

"Did
your mom teach you how to do that?”  Mitch asked.

Dani
glanced at Lexie. "Mom says it real import--import--"

"Important?"
Mitch asked.

Dani
nodded her head in a rapid movement. "Yes. If the girth isn't just right
it could be danger--"she shrugged a shoulder--"well anyway I could get
hurt."

Mitch
smiled. "That's right.” He turned and walked over to Lexie when they both
heard Dani exclaim, "Ouch!"

Lexie
raised her brows and watched in awe as Mitch rushed to her side. What she would
have given to have Mason's caring and concern whenever she'd had even the
slightest injury. Only he hadn't given any of her cuts and bruises a second
thought. She'd had to take care of them herself.

Dani
sucked on the side of her finger then pulled it from her mouth.

Mitch
feigned mock horror. "Oh no, there's blood gushing out!  We might have to
amputate!"

Dani
giggled. "No, silly, I just pinched it."

Mitch
pressed a hand to his chest and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Oh, thank
goodness," he said. Then he took Dani's hand and pressed a light kiss to
her finger.

Dani
smiled and batted her eye lashes. "Thanks, Daddy."

Mitch
drew the tip of his finger over her nose. "You're welcome, little
butterfly."

Would
Mitch still want to stick around once Dani got used to having him call her his
'little butterfly' or would he hot foot it out of town like he did years ago
with 'Kitten' still on his lips?

Mitch
strolled to Lexie's side. She finished brushing the horse's coat and pulled a
mane comb from her pocket. As she drew the comb through the tangled strands of
the horse's mane she said, "You handled that very well."

"You
sound surprised.” He moved behind her and laid his hand on the horse's withers
effectively blocking her in. He smelled clean with a hint of aftershave. His
body heat wrapped around her making her skin feel tight.

Lexie
cocked her head to the side. "I am...a little. Catering to a little girl's
mood isn't easy."

"Tell
me about it.” He shook his head and chuckled. "After lunch which included
chocolate cake for dessert she tried to talk me into stopping at the ice cream
parlor on the way home. She said the cake had been dry and made her throat
scratchy so she needed the ice cream to make it feel better. Can you believe
it?"

Mitch
didn't know it yet but Dani had already wrapped him around her little finger. Lexie
suppressed a smile. "What did you have to promise her in return? For not
stopping, I mean.” She couldn't wait to hear it.

Mitch
sighed in resignation. "Dinner out tonight."

Lexie
burst into laughter and Mitch joined her. The deep male sound of his laughter
slid all the way to her toes then back up to her chest.

Dani
strolled over to them leading Morning Star by the bridle. "What's so
funny?" she asked glancing from Mitch to Lexie and back again.

Lexie
turned to Dani and yanked the brim of the baseball cap she wore down on her
forehead. "I heard you talked your dad into taking you out to dinner
tonight."

Dani
grinned sheepishly.

"I
was planning to take all three of us," Mitch said. He turned and looked at
her. "If you'll join us."

Lexie
knew she should put her foot down and say no. After all, Dani had been indulged
enough for one day. But it had been too long since she'd been taken out to
dinner. "Okay," she heard herself saying before she could change her
mind.

"Ready
to go, Daddy," Dani asked grabbing Mitch's hand.

"Ready,"
Mitch said as he turned toward Morning Star. "I just want to double-check
the girth on your saddle."

"I
can do it," Lexie stated and she swiveled the same time as Mitch. They
bumped into one another, their bodies touched from hip to thigh. Their gazes
collided. Awareness danced through Lexie's blood.

Mitch
smiled. His gaze roamed over her face before settling on her lips. One corner
of his mouth kicked up. "Okay. You check the bridle. I'll check the girth."

By
the time Mitch and Dani left the barn, Lexie was a bundle of nerves but she'd
discovered a new respect for Mitch. He'd interacted with Dani so well and with an
ease that surprised her. It was as though he knew instinctively what to say and
do. He didn't search for the right words. He didn't brush Dani away when she
reached for his hand. He looked at her as if she were the most important person
in his life. Why hadn't her father ever looked at her that way?

Chapter Five

A
couple of days later, Lexie zipped up her coat against a cold, stiffening
breeze. A bright blue sky filled her vision overhead and the fresh smell of
newly mown hay lay heavy in the air.

Dani
was at school and she'd been picking up bales and tossing them into the back of
the truck for the past hour. Her back ached, her arms felt like limp noodles
from lifting the bales. She stuffed her gloves into her pocket and pressed her
hands into the small of her back.

Two
nights had passed since she, Mitch and Dani had gone to dinner together. She'd
forgotten what good company Mitch could be. He'd been charming and funny. Dani
had the time of her life giggling and smiling at Mitch while she ate her plate
of pasta. Mitch's mood had been light. Lexie smiled as she pulled back on her
work gloves. Yes, she'd actually had fun in spite of herself.

Mitch's
heated statement of conviction about wanting the hospital to preserve Parker's
memory flickered through her mind. She didn't want to believe him, but his
words held a startling ring of truth and believability. What if he truly believed
what he was saying? Would she be able to give in, let go of the ranch and set
herself free from the past?

She
knew he and Judson had suffered at the hands of her father. She knew they had
grieved over Parker's loss.  But she had suffered too. Why couldn't she make
him understand? Every time she looked at him, she saw determination in his
eyes, determination she knew reflected the pain of the past.

Dani
had already fallen head-over-toes in love with her father...what if she loved
him too much? She stopped for a moment, her heart thudding. What if Mitch
didn't love her in return? Where would that leave her little girl then? She
couldn't stand the thought of Dani being hurt and brushed aside.

Lexie
walked over to one of the large bales and grabbed the heavy twine binding the
hay together. Mitch's hands gripped the twine right beside hers. She lifted her
head and found herself staring into his misty green eyes. A charming grin
spread over his handsome mouth. He winked at her. She recognized the hum of feminine
appreciation, but pushed the feeling away.

"Hold
on a minute. I'll help you."

He
was dressed in faded jeans and a dark blue sport shirt that deepened the green
in his eyes. A worn, gray Stetson sat on his head. He looked sexy and appealing.
She didn’t want to be attracted to him. He was here to take her land after all
and probably hurt Dani in the process.

Together,
they lifted the bale and tossed the bundle onto the flat bed of the truck. Mitch
climbed in the truck and slid the bale to the back, where he stacked the hay on
top of another row of bales. He leaped to the ground and moved close to her. With
a smile, he swept off his hat. "I heard Tommy and Emily Flowers are throwing
their annual fall dance on Saturday. Will you go with me?"

She
glanced around to see if he was talking to someone else then back at him. "You're
asking me on a date?"

A
twinkle lit his eyes. "Yeah."

The
pulse jumped in the side of her neck. She'd wanted to go to the dance, to
forget her troubles for a while. She knew without question that Dani would
enjoy it. The dance was for everyone, adults and kids alike. No booze was
served only soft drinks and tons of food. She knew it would give Dani a chance
to spend even more time with her father and Mitch could get to know his daughter
a little better. She rubbed a hand over her hair. At least a century had passed
since she'd been to the salon. She made a mental note to have her hair trimmed.
Maybe she would splurge and have a manicure as well. "Okay, but Dani will
be joining us."

He
set the hat back on his head. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll have
the two prettiest girls in town as my date."

Lexie
rolled her eyes then grasped another bale. To her surprise, Mitch reached out
and cupped her chin in his glove covered hand. She was forced to look directly
into his eyes. The bright sunlight toned down the gray and enhanced the green
color of his eyes. Her throat felt tight and a startling rush of awareness
heated her skin. Why did she feel this way every time he touched her?

"You
don't think you're pretty."

Her
old inadequacies about her looks sprang to the forefront. She gazed up at him
while embarrassment heated her skin. His gaze moved over her face. "Why
are you blushing?"

Lexie
lifted her chin from his grasp and straightened her shoulders. "Don't
tease me about my looks. I know I'm no raving beauty.

He
frowned. "Your old man really did a number on you, didn't he?"

Lexie
lifted the bale. "Doesn't matter now. He's dead. End of story."

"Dad
always said you were pretty. Didn't you believe him?"

Fond
memories of Judson filled Lexie's mind. Growing up, Judson saw her father's
indifference and his preoccupation with Parker. So, he had paid attention to an
awkward teenage girl when Mason wouldn't.

He
taught her to ride and to care for horses. He gave her advice when he thought
she needed it. Judson even took her down to the recreation center and taught how
to swim. He was more of a father to her than Mason Dare ever thought about
being. He even looked out for her and protected her when her own father
wouldn't.

"He
always told me I was pretty even when my hair was stringy and my face smeared
with dirt.” She shrugged. "But he was just being kind."

"No,
Lexie. He meant what he said," Mitch stated firmly.

She
smiled. "Look, I just need to keep my mind on running the ranch. I don't
need to believe I'm beautiful to get the job done. Dani will be thrilled you're
taking us on Saturday," she said quickly in an attempt to change the
subject.

"You
believe in the land beneath your feet, but you don't believe in yourself."

She
halted at his nail-on-the-head observation. Mitch always did cut to the chase. How
could she make him understand that she was a no nonsense woman who'd never had
to compromise? She believed in the land, the ranch and her daughter. "Daddy
didn't know what to do with a little girl.” Why was she making excuses for him?
Because she loved him...even now. "Besides, he was too wrapped up in
Parker to really notice me. I'm plain. I don't think I ever wore a dress until
I turned thirteen."

Mitch
moved closer, took the bale from her hands and tossed it aside. He lifted his
hand and pulled a piece of hay from her hair. "Look at me."

She
didn't want to look at him. Every time she did he chipped away a little more of
the protective armor surrounding her heart. When her gaze finally met his she
wanted to drown in the green pools of his eyes. "You're not plain, Lexie. Far
from it. You're a beautiful woman.” His aura encompassed her pushing and
pressing at her defenses. She wasn't beautiful. He was only saying those things
to get to her, to make her trust him. Compassion bloomed in his eyes.

She
pushed against his chest in annoyance. "I don't want your pity,
Mitch."

"I
don't pity you, Lexie.” His voice whispered over her skin and a shudder of
longing swept through her chest.

With
aching slowness, he lowered his head, his breath fanning her mouth. His lips
brushed over hers, tender and light. Her breath hitched and her blood slowed to
a syrupy glide in her veins. He lifted his mouth but his gaze never left her
face. "You're beautiful. Don't ever forget that."