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“What are you doing?” Hunter leaned against the bedroom doorframe, arms crossed. Looking casual. Amused.
Her eyes momentarily closed. So it had been him she’d seen. He must have left his hat somewhere, because his hair looked as though a hand had scrubbed through the short, dark blond locks only seconds before.
Stinky, stink, stink. How long had he been standing there? She looked down at the chair under her boots, then back to him, contemplating asking, God, why? Why Hunter? Why now?
“Nothing.”
“Just standing on a chair in the corner of a deserted house?”
“Yep.” Rachel didn’t have to explain anything to Hunter. For all he knew, she’d been looking at something on the ceiling. Or examining a crack in the wall. Or checking out her ability to fly if she jumped from the chair.
The real question was, what was he doing here?
He motioned to the floor. “Tell me that wasn’t a reaction to the cute baby mouse that just went through here.”
Rats. He’d witnessed her dramatics.
“What happened to the country girl I knew? The one who could ride as fast as the boys. Wasn’t afraid of snakes. Got dirtier faster than anyone else.”
“Most of that was true, but I faked the part about snakes. I was afraid of them. Just didn’t want to admit it. If I had, you would have tormented me with them.”
He laughed, the lines on his face softening. “Well played.” He nodded toward her strange standing place. “Don’t suppose you want any help getting out of here.” His dimples flashed. “You know, so that mean, scary mouse doesn’t get you.”
“I’m fine.” The mouse was long gone. Wasn’t it? Either way, Rachel wasn’t going to do anything to prolong being in Hunter’s presence. Even if that creature came back out. Ran across her boot. Gave her the heebie-jeebies again.
She could handle a little rodent. Just not the man looking at her with far too much amusement.
Besides, with all of the noise they were making, the mouse would be miles away.
Rachel only wished Hunter would follow suit.
* * *
“Don’t you have a ranch to run?” Rachel huffed loudly enough to blow the walls of the house down like the big bad wolf in the three little pigs story.
Hunter tried to stem the curve of his mouth, but it wasn’t working. He’d forgotten how much fun it was to rile up Rachel. “Trying to get rid of me?”
Her head tilted, ponytail bouncing with the movement. “Am I that obvious? Because I’m trying to be.”
Despite claiming she didn’t want help, she was still standing on the chair. He might be enjoying her predicament and annoyance with him just a bit too much. It had been a few years since he’d gotten any emotional response from her, and he kind of liked knowing he still affected her, even if it meant she wanted to smack him.
“All right, princess.” The name earned a scowl as he approached her chair/throne and offered her a hand. “Let’s get you out of here.”
Her body language screamed get lost and don’t touch in one easy-to-read display. “What are you doing?”
“Helping you.”
“I told you, I’m fine.” She made a shooing motion. “Just go.”
“Now, Rach. I’m not so much of a jerk that I’m going to let you get mauled by a mouse.” Her squeak of indignation and the fire in her eyes told him how she felt about that comment. “Come on.” He grew serious and dropped the teasing act, re-offering his hand. “Let’s go.”
“No, thank you.”
He’d also forgotten just how stubborn she was. When they’d been younger and first started hanging out, it had taken Hunter some time to prove she could trust him. Rachel’d been the queen of building walls and defending them. Eventually he’d gotten through. And once he had, it had been worth it.
But she’d had years to rebuild. Which meant they could be here all day. And, honestly, he just didn’t have time for that. Despite what she thought of him, he’d heard her scream when the mouse had spooked her, and he wasn’t going to just leave her stranded.
Before he could analyze how mad she’d be, Hunter bent and scooped her over his right shoulder.
She screeched and whacked him on the back, where the upper half of her body hung. Wiggled trying to break free. He strode through the bedroom and living room, one arm looped around her legs so she didn’t fall to the floor with all of her squirming.
“What are you doing? Put me down, you big ogre.”
His chest shook with quiet laughter as he exited through the front door. Rachel’s nephew Grayson played nearby, destroying an anthill with a stick. He only glanced up for a second—not the least bit concerned about the racket his aunt was making or the fact that she was slung over Hunter’s shoulder—and quickly went back to his digging and investigating.
Hunter deposited Rachel on the front porch. “This far enough or do you need me to go farther?” He adopted a serious face and nodded toward the field. “But who knows what-all is out there. Could be a spider or, even worse, a crow—they make scary noises. I’ve heard stories about them swooping down and snatching up small children. You’re a skinny thing. Can’t be too careful.”
This time her hit landed on his arm. He chuckled, which, judging by the way her face had turned as menacing as a thunderstorm, was only making her more upset.
“Are you done making fun of me yet? I don’t appreciate you taking the liberty to cart me around like a sack of feed.” She growled the last bit, crossing her arms over a simple white T-shirt that made renewed laughter catch in his throat. He’d been too amused and distracted by her antics inside to notice what she was wearing. Most often when she came home to visit and he caught a glimpse of her, she was dressed up for church. Always looking so put together. Usually in heels, too. Not cowboy boots and faded jeans and a fitted white T-shirt. The simple outfit almost knocked him over.
Though, right now he’d better concentrate on her not kicking him in the shin. She looked mad enough.
“I think I’m done, though I reserve the right to make fun of you about this again in the future. What are you two doing out here, anyway?”
He’d been out checking for signs of coyotes when he’d spotted Rachel and her nephew. He’d stopped to talk to her because he thought they needed to get some things worked out. Like, was she still planning to help the youth build the float? If not, he’d need to find someone else. Hunter was happy to help with the float building, but he didn’t feel qualified to be the only one in charge of a group of teens.
“Grayson wanted to explore.” Rachel stared straight forward after answering him, her jaw set in that stubborn look she did so well.
“Did you back out of helping with the youth?”
Her cheeks pinkened, highlighting her freckles. “No. I didn’t.”
“So you’re committing?”
Her gaze snapped to him. Oops. Bad choice of words.
When she finally nodded, his worry decreased. “That’s good. They need someone like you in their lives.”
At that, her demeanor softened a bit. “Did you back out?”
“Nope. Wouldn’t want you to lose out on the delight of working with me.”
That earned him an eye roll and a shaking head. Just like the old Rachel.
He nodded over to Grayson, who was now inspecting under the front porch as though he might find a treasure. “Ran into Grayson on my way in and he told me he was planning to move out here.”
Cute kid. Always dressed like a miniature cowboy, that one. Boots. Jeans. T-shirt. Coupled with scrawny arms, a mop of brown hair and eyes that brimmed with curiosity.
“I wish.”
“What’s that mean?”
Rachel peered through the front window before releasing an audible sigh. “Cash’s house is so crowded with me added in. Grayson was asking if this could be his fort, and I was thinking the same thing. That I want to move out here.”
“With the mouse?”
Was that a halfway smile claiming her mouth? Hunter should call the Fredericksburg Standard. News like that could make the front page.
A visible shudder followed. “Definitely not with the mouse.”
“You know, you can get rid of mice. The place didn’t look too bad when I was in there. Seemed mostly cosmetic. Cleaning. Paint. Looked like someone had the law on their tail and left half their belongings. Granted, you were screaming like someone was after you, so I didn’t get a great look.”
“I could never do it on my own, and I’m not asking Cash. He has enough to do.”
“I would help you.” The words were out of his mouth before he had time to think, but once they registered, he decided the idea wasn’t so crazy. If he was going to follow through with the two of them getting along and putting the past behind them, he might as well jump in with both feet.
Curiosity and concern mingled in the depths of her distractingly beautiful green eyes. Maybe even a bit of fear. “Why?”
“Why not?”
It was easier to answer that way than to tell her the truth. I don’t want to turn into my father seemed like a strange answer. There was one thing he’d never seen his dad and mom do—make amends. Forgive. Move on. Therefore, that’s exactly what Hunter planned to accomplish.
And this way, when Rachel did her next disappearing act for the job she wanted and came back to visit her family, she and Hunter would be able to get along. Wish each other well.
She studied the toes of her camel-colored boots as though they held the answer to all of the world’s problems. “It was nice of you to offer, but I can’t accept.”
Couldn’t? Or wouldn’t? He could pretty easily guess the answer to that. Her response didn’t surprise him. She wasn’t the type to welcome his offer—or anyone’s for that matter—with open arms. Nope. Rachel had always had a bit of an edge to her, and that was putting it nicely. The woman had more spunk in her pinkie finger than most people had in their whole body. It had been one of the things he’d liked about her back then. Still did.
“We need to get back.” Rachel shut the front door of the house. She grabbed the small cowboy hat propped on the stair railing and tromped down the steps, heading for their horse and calling Grayson at the same time.
After a few seconds of complaining from the boy, Rachel and Grayson mounted up. They took off with quick waves in his direction.
She was sure in an all-fired hurry to get out of here. Away from him. Not that he blamed her. He’d been a jerk when they were younger. He’d asked her to stay when he shouldn’t have.
Some people just weren’t built for this life.
Hunter had learned that lesson too well. A painful brand had been burned into him because of his mother’s unhappiness. She’d detested ranching and small-town living. Yet Dad had convinced her it would grow on her one day. He’d pursued her until she’d agreed to marry him and live on the ranch. Hunter had heard the beginning of their story many times.
But the middle and end had never improved. In all of his childhood memories, his mom had been sad. Lethargic. Broken. When he was nine, she’d given up pretending and left them. Moved to Dallas.
After, Dad had sunk further and further out of reach. It wasn’t that they didn’t see each other. It was that they didn’t really talk about anything besides ranchTing. His sister, Autumn, had been his saving grace. Three years older, she’d taken to mothering him.
Hunter wouldn’t copy his father’s mistakes again. He’d been selfish asking Rachel to stay and marry him. She’d only been eighteen. He’d been twenty. Hunter had watched his mom live a life she didn’t want. He’d witnessed her unhappiness. He’d known better than to ask Rachel to do the same, yet he’d been grasping at straws to keep her in his life.
And, in the process, he’d lost her completely.
Suggesting they get married had been impetuous of him, and when Rachel had said she loved him but she couldn’t, he’d reacted so badly. Out of hurt, he’d pushed her away.
Not a shining moment for him.
But it was time to turn all of that around. Hunter had been at a loss about how to prove to Rachel that they could get along again. She’d built so many walls between them over time—and he’d only been too happy to help her hold them steady—that he wasn’t sure where to begin.
But now that he knew about the house, she’d given him the perfect way to start.
He only hoped it wouldn’t backfire on him.
Chapter Three (#u0adc5e1f-428e-5664-a08d-98b8206d8c5b)
Rachel surveyed the small ranch house from the doorway, frustration zinging along her spine. It was Wednesday, and she and Grayson had gone out for another ride. He’d been antsy after it rained all day Tuesday, and he’d wanted to visit the house again—which he’d started referring to as his fort. But since they’d been out on Monday, someone had been here. Supplies were sitting just inside the door, paint cans included. The mountain of trash was gone.
All fingers pointed to Hunter, since no one else even knew what she’d been thinking. What part of no didn’t he understand? She did not appreciate his intruding in her life like this.
Rachel slipped her cell phone from her pocket, hoped the reception would work and called her friend Val. The two of them had been best friends since junior high, and the fact that Val still lived in Fredericksburg was, for Rachel, a definite plus in being home. They’d kept up their friendship over the years—one of the only people Rachel could claim that about. Val had always been levelheaded back when Rachel had been anything but. Now she hoped the two of them were on a more similar plane. Except, at the moment, level was not a feeling Rachel was experiencing.
“Hey,” Val’s voice sounded in her ear. “Connor is eating mac and cheese, which means I’ll probably have to go in a sec when he puts a piece of it up his nose even though I’ve tried to teach him not to do that a million times.”
“Okay.” Not for the first time, Rachel thought what a strange thing motherhood was. “You are never going to believe what Hunter did.”
“Ooh, what?”
She explained about finding the deserted old ranch house, running into Hunter and the conversation that had ensued. “And now he’s started fixing it up after I told him no. I didn’t even know he’d been out here and a bunch of stuff got done.”
“Huh.” Prolonged silence came from Val’s side of the conversation. “That’s...horrible?”
“It is horrible! I don’t want him involved in my life.”
“Technically he’s not involved. You weren’t even there when he did anything.”
“Whose side are you on, anyway?”
A stifled cough-laugh combination answered her. “I mean, how could he just help you like that when you didn’t even give him permission?”
“Your sarcasm is impressive.”
“Thank you. I learned it from you. So, do you want my old-married-lady advice?”
“You’ve been married two years, so I don’t think that qualifies you as headed out for pasture yet, but sure.” Rachel’s mouth curved despite her annoyance with Hunter. “Hit me with it.”
“Let him help. You’re out of space at the house. I’d offer to let you stay here—”
“You guys don’t have room for me, either.”
“That’s why I’m telling you to accept his offer. At some point, you need to let go of what happened between the two of you. This is the perfect opportunity.”
“No.”
“Just...no? That’s all you’ve got?”
