At the Rancher's Request

“Mike, that’s an enormous library. Do you read constantly?”

He smiled and nodded. “It’s the family library. Many of the books are very old. Scotty has his own bookshelves in his room, so he doesn’t try to pull out valuable first editions from the family collection.”

“I don’t know how Scotty finds his way around this house.”

“This house seems large because it’s new to you. You’ll know your way around in no time.”

“Which means you think I’ll be snowed in for several days.”

“Don’t sound so glum. You didn’t mention having a deadline and we’ll find some way to pass the time.”

He smiled at her and she had to laugh. Was he flirting with her? She didn’t know him well enough to know. They branched off into the front hall with a sweeping staircase and she went upstairs beside Mike.

“This ranch is my whole life. My brothers have other interests, but my world is here. My sister is like me and has a ranch close by. I also have a house in Verity that I never use and a condo in Dallas that I’m rarely in. Do you live in town or in the country in Arkansas?”

“Definitely in town,” Savannah answered. “I don’t know anything about country living much less life on a Texas ranch.”

They walked down another wide hall. “My suite of rooms is at the end of this wing. Any of these bedrooms are empty along here. You might as well be closer so you don’t feel isolated. Scotty’s suite adjoins mine and his nanny has a suite adjoining his on the other side. Here’s where you can stay.” Mike entered a room and switched on a light. She looked at a sizable sitting room with a large-screen television, a wide glass desk, bookshelves along one wall, chairs and two sofas. The room had appealing turquoise-and-cream decor with a hardwood floor and thick area rugs. “There’s a bedroom beyond this room. If you need anything, just let me know. Make yourself comfortable. As soon as I get Scotty in bed I’ll come back and we can go have hot chocolate or a drink or whatever you would like.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“See you in a few minutes,” he said.

She watched him walk out, his son in his arms. He looked like a typical cowboy, his black hat squarely on his head and his jeans hugging his long, slender legs. Boots gave an already tall man additional height. Once again she was thankful he had been at the station when she had turned in.

Glancing around the sitting room, she thought of the rooms they had passed. Mike was not an ordinary cowboy to afford a house such as this. She walked through the sitting room into a bedroom that was warm, pretty and welcoming with antique maple furniture, a four-poster bed, a rocking chair, another large television and a tall cheval glass. Savannah put her bags on her bed and sent a text, including a photo of her temporary room, to her mother to let her know where she was and why.

She freshened up, then changed into jeans, a blue sweater and her knee-high leather boots. Undoing her braid, she brushed her hair, which fell across her shoulders. She thought about the moment beneath the porte cochere before they stepped out of the truck when she had become aware of Mike as a desirable man. When she had looked into his dark eyes, she had been certain from his intense expression he had felt something. She shook her head. Attraction had no place in her life at this time and it had surprised her that she even had such a reaction for a brief moment, although Mike Calhoun was a good-looking man and his calm in the storm gave him added appeal.

No matter how attractive Mike was, after what she had just been through, she knew better than to go from one problem of the heart straight into another one.

Two

Mike stood over Scotty’s bed and looked at his son. His insides tightened with pain. He still missed Elise and he missed her for Scotty. She should have been there to comfort Scotty in the car this afternoon, although Savannah had done a great job of taking the boy’s mind off the storm. Mike walked through the connecting door to his bedroom, tossing his hat on a desk and raking his fingers through his hair.

Thinking about Savannah, he turned to go see if she needed anything. He headed toward her bedroom when she stepped into the hall and started toward him.

Surprised, he drew a deep breath. A tall, beautiful blonde approached him. She had brushed out her hair and it fell across her shoulders. The oversize sweatshirt had been replaced by a blue sweater that revealed lush curves. Jeans clung to long legs and she still wore her suede knee boots. His heartbeat quickened and again shock stabbed him that he reacted to her—something he now had done twice this night, a startling response he had not felt for several years. His gaze raked over her once again before she was close and then he made an effort to look into her eyes. His heartbeat raced and even though unwanted, his desire was hot and definitely part of his life once again.

“You don’t look as if you’ve had a harrowing drive,” he said, smiling at her.

“Thanks to you,” she said, smiling in return. Her winning smile caused another response as his insides tightened. She had full pink lips and even white teeth and when she smiled, her eyes twinkled. “How’s Scotty?”

“He’s in bed asleep now,” Mike answered, her warm, enticing smile drawing him. “Did you have enough dinner? I’ve got steaks, casseroles in the freezer, an array to choose from.”

“I did have dinner. But I’d love something warm to drink.”

“How about hot chocolate and popcorn? Or if you want something stronger, we have drinks from wine to whiskey.”

She laughed as she walked beside him. “I’ll take the hot chocolate and popcorn. Right now that sounds just the thing for a cold, winter night.”

“I agree,” he said as they headed to the kitchen. As he made the hot chocolate and got the popcorn going, he was aware of her moving around him. Her perfume was light, barely noticeable, yet inviting. While he waited for the popcorn, he realized he was staring at her full lips and wondering what it would be like to kiss her. Again, the attraction startled him. It had been a long time since he had wondered any such thing. He didn’t welcome those feelings back into his life yet. He didn’t need any more complications for either Scotty or himself.

He still lived with a constant, dull pain over Elise. He missed her every waking hour. At least there was no danger of any complications with Savannah because she was leaving for California as soon as Ed repaired her car. By that time the weather shouldn’t be a factor, so she would be gone in days. For all he knew, she was married, although she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.

Finally, they moved to the family room that adjoined the kitchen. Mike placed two cups of hot chocolate on a coffee table while she set down a big bowl of popcorn. He picked up the table to move it closer to the hearth.

“Let me get a fire going,” Mike said, adding a few logs to the fireplace. In minutes they sat on the floor in front of the blaze with the popcorn and hot chocolate on the nearby table. As Savannah looked around, he glanced at the familiar surroundings. He never gave them any thought: brown leather furniture, a game table and chairs, a large, wall-mounted flat-screen television, thick area rugs and a stone fireplace that dominated one wall. Adjacent was a glass wall with doors that opened onto a covered patio that now had snow blowing over it.

“So tell me about your life. Who are you and what do you like besides ranching?”

“I have a simple life that centers around my son, my family and friends, my ranch, my horses. I like rodeos, flying, skiing, baseball, tennis, apple pie. Some things I’ve dropped since Scotty’s birth. I have a responsibility now, so I’m not as reckless as I was before. No more bull riding when Scotty is so young.”

“That’s good.”

“It’s a simple life. What about you, Savannah?” he asked. She sat facing him with her long legs tucked under her. Firelight gave her a rosy glow and once again desire stirred, increasing his awareness of her appeal, bringing the same surprise that she stirred such feelings, surprise now tinged with guilt for feeling that way even though Elise had been gone almost two years now. Overriding those feelings was the ever-present sorrow over his and Scotty’s loss.

“I think my life may be quieter and more simple than yours,” she said, flashing another engaging smile. “My world centers around my family and friends. I’m a neonatal nurse and I love babies and children. As I mentioned earlier, I have three siblings and I’m the youngest. I adore my four little nieces and nephews.” She thought for a moment. “The only thing we have in common that you listed is tennis. I still play occasionally.”

“Is the trip to California a vacation?” he asked, wondering why she left Arkansas.

“Not really. I have an aunt in California and she wanted me to come,” Savannah said, watching the fire while Mike watched her. She was a beautiful woman and he wondered what she was running from.

“My aunt said I won’t have difficulty getting a job and I’d love to live in California. I love a beach, swimming, warm weather—so I’m going to try it for a while and see how things work out.” She turned to face him. “I’ve never been away from home before except to college and that was still in Arkansas, so I have mixed feelings,” she said. “Since we’re a close family, this is an experiment in my life.”

Mike nodded and kept silent, thinking she shouldn’t gamble because she couldn’t bluff her way through anything unless she was playing with Scotty. Her voice was filled with reluctance, so whatever she was leaving behind, she wasn’t happy about it.

“How old are your siblings and what are their names?” he asked.

Big blue eyes gazed openly at him. “Dan is thirty-two, Phillip is thirty, Kelsey is twenty-eight and I’m twenty-six. They’re all married.”

“You can always go home if you don’t like California.”

“That’s the plan,” she said. “Now tell me about your family.”

“We’re close, too. I’m the oldest, thirty-five, and then Jake, who married Madison Milan last fall.”

“Madison Milan, the artist?”

“So you’ve heard of her in Arkansas?”

“Sure. Is she from Texas?”

“Yes, from this area. Josh is next in age and then our baby sister, Lindsay, is the youngest. Lindsay is a full-time rancher, the same as I am. I’m the only one of my siblings with a child and I told you that I’m widowed. Elise died of breast cancer when Scotty was almost a year old.”

“That’s heartbreaking. I’m so sorry,” Savannah said.

He glanced at her and nodded. “Most of my family is in this area,” he said to change the subject. “Some more than others. Lindsay and I are the ones that are here most all the time.”

The hiss of sleet grew loud and Mike glanced toward the glass doors. Outside lights were on and beyond the covered patio, he could see sleet coming down steadily, tree branches and posts beginning to glisten with a coat of sparkling ice.

“We’ll be a solid sheet of ice tomorrow. Power lines will go down in this, although some of ours are underground and we have generators. Look at that stuff come down.” He stood and walked to the glass doors, standing with his hands on his hips to watch. “It’s a good thing you don’t have to be in California by a deadline.”

“I am so glad that I’m here in your house,” she said, coming to stand beside him.

“It’s freezing solid as we speak,” he remarked. “I have a feeling no one can cross even the west bridge now,” Mike said, glancing at her. “Did you have any food or a blanket in your car?”

“Yes. Not for an emergency like this. I just had some leftover candy and some cold drinks from drive-throughs. I did have a blanket in the trunk. I can’t stop thinking about how close I came to being out there by myself in the cold and the dark with a car that wouldn’t run.”

“You’re here. Warm and safe.”

Standing close beside him, she looked up. Blue depths ensnared him and that sizzling current of awareness shook him again.

Her eyes widened and he inhaled deeply as desire swept him. Her mouth looked soft, tempting. It had been a long time since he had held a woman in his arms, kissed anyone. He leaned closer as he looked at her mouth and thought of his loss. She closed her eyes and tilted her face for only seconds and then she looked into his eyes.

“Savannah,” he whispered, frowning.

“Mike,” she whispered at the same moment, shaking her head slightly.

* * *

Startled, Savannah stepped away. Her heart raced and she was torn between desire and common sense. His dark brown eyes revealed longing. Now that his hat was gone, his black hair was a tangle of curls, locks curling on his forehead. To her surprise, desire drummed steadily, increasing tension while tugging at her senses. Shocked by her reaction to him, she decided it was the nerve-racking night, her car, the storm, relying on a total stranger. She walked away to sit on the floor in front of the fire again.

She glanced up at the mantel at a picture of Mike and a beautiful black-haired woman who must have been Elise. Her pictures were in every room Savannah had been in so far and some rooms held several pictures of her, which Savannah could understand. She would have probably done the same if she had been the one to suffer the loss of a beloved spouse and the parent of a child.

Mike picked up his cup of cocoa and followed, sitting facing her and taking a long drink. As he lowered the mug, his gaze went from the fire to her. “What are you trying to get away from, Savannah?” he asked quietly. “Can I help?”

Surprised again, Savannah focused intently on him. “How did you know?”

He shrugged. “I’ve seen a lot of people bluff their way through things. You shouldn’t even try,” he said softly, smiling at her to take the edge off his words.

“You’re wondering why I’m going to California,” she said.

“You don’t need to tell me. In a few days you’ll leave Texas and we’ll probably never see each other again. I asked simply to see if I could help in any way.”

“It’s not private, just difficult to talk about. I was engaged,” she said, aware of Mike’s dark brown eyes focused steadily on her. He saw too much and the attraction that had flared briefly between them had unnerved her. She didn’t want to be attracted to anyone right now. “I was engaged and thought I was so deeply in love. We were going to get married in April and I was busy with wedding plans when it all came crashing around me. Although I’m the one who broke off the engagement, he didn’t want to get married after all. It hurt and it upset me that I had judged so poorly. Even though I’ve known him for years, I didn’t see this coming. So many mistakes...” Her voice trailed away as she watched the fire.

“Don’t beat yourself up. Relationships are complicated. None of us see things coming sometimes that we should.”

She smiled, turning to focus on him again. “You’re very sweet, Mike. Scotty is lucky to have you for a dad.”

“I’m lucky to have him. He’s the best thing in my life.” They sat quietly for a few minutes. She watched logs burn, crackle and pop, before turning back to Mike.

“This is going to be a lot longer trip than I expected. Perhaps I should have flown and bought a car in California.”

“Ed will probably be able to fix your car to run just fine.”

“Are you always so positive?” she asked, amused by his constant optimism and confidence.

“Try to be. It doesn’t help to be negative. I want Scotty to have a good attitude about life.”

“That’s a good goal for a dad,” she said.

He smiled and took a sip of his cocoa. “So is California really about putting distance between you and your ex-fiancé?”

She nodded. “Our families are friends and we move in the same circles. I just want to get away for a while. After a time it won’t be such a big deal and I’ll go back home.”

“Sorry. It hurts to have your life blow up in your face and it hurts even more to lose someone you love.”

Her heart went out to him. He definitely knew that first-hand from experience. “I thought I was in love. It’s been a shock that hurt badly.”

“So this just happened?”

“Yes, the first of the year and maybe I should have stayed home and waited to see how I feel six months from now before packing and moving, but I just wanted to get away from him and everyone else.”

“I can see that.”

She appreciated what an attentive listener Mike was. “I’m angry with him and I don’t want to marry him, but it hurts because I was very much in love with him. Or thought I was. It makes me question my own judgment.”

“We all make mistakes. That’s part of life,” Mike said. “I hope it works out for you when you go to California. Your family will miss you, I’ll bet.”

She nodded. “I sent a text to my mom to let her know where I am tonight. She would have been wild with worry if I’d had to text that I was stuck on the highway in a storm and the car had caught on fire.”

He smiled. “That does sound bad. A neonatal nurse. You have to deal with some tough situations.”

“Yes, but we have a lot of wonderful moments that make it all worthwhile. I love taking care of the babies and each one that pulls through is a miracle. That’s as good as it gets.”

“I’m sure it is.” They sat in silence a few minutes while she watched the logs burn and thought about babies she had cared for.

“Sure you’re not hungry for dinner?” he asked. “I’ve got all sorts of things in the freezer and fridge, plus I don’t mind cooking something.”

“Thanks, but I’m really not hungry. I would love a little more hot chocolate, though.”

They stood and headed toward the kitchen, the lights flickering out. “We’ve got generators, but the lights may come back on like they did before,” he said, taking her arm.

Instantly, she was aware of the physical contact with him. His warm, steady hand created a tingling current. It was dark and his deep voice, as he spoke about a previous storm that had knocked out power, drew her as much as his touch, her reaction to him again surprising her.

He stopped and from the sound of his voice, she assumed he had turned to face her. “It’s as dark as a cave in here. Are you all right, Savannah?” he asked. His voice had changed, gaining a husky note.

She pulled away a bit. “I’m fine,” she whispered. “What about Scotty? His monitor won’t work if the power is off.”

“I’ll start the generator and then go check on him, but it hasn’t been a minute since the power went off. Scotty will be fine.”

“It’s all right if you want to go check on him now,” she whispered.

“I don’t want to leave you alone in a strange house in a pitch-black moment,” he replied, his voice even lower and the husky note more noticeable. “Did I make you uncomfortable by taking your arm?” he asked. “A gentlemanly touch to lead you down the hall shouldn’t be a big deal,” he whispered.

Logic said he was right, but her reaction didn’t follow logic. She was intensely aware of the contact, of his closeness, of the dark that enclosed them and transformed the moment. The restrictions that light brought—reminders they were almost strangers, ordinary caution—were gone in the blanket of darkness and made Mike essential.

“Mike, I don’t need another complication in my life.”

“You’re being sensible,” he said after a stretch of silence and she felt as if he had been about to say something else. His words were in agreement, but his husky tone wasn’t and he hadn’t moved.

“I have to be. I don’t need one more tangled crisis tearing my emotions,” she whispered as they remained immobile.

Silence stretched. “Come on,” he said finally. “We’ll get a funny movie or just talk.”

His tone of voice sounded normal again and she felt relieved that he let the moment go, a physical contact with him that had shaken her because mutual attraction once again sprung to life between them. He took both mugs and the bowl from her hands as if to prove he wouldn’t touch her again. Lights flickered and came on again.

“Timed just right,” he said.

“You go check on Scottie and I’ll refill our cocoa,” she suggested, taking the mugs and bowl back from him.

Mike nodded and she watched him walk away. Tall, with that thick, curly black hair, he held a growing appeal and her awareness of him had heightened, something that continued to amaze her.

As she entered the kitchen she thought about the past minutes with Mike. This was a complication she really didn’t want. She didn’t want to risk her heart even in a deep friendship. She didn’t trust her judgment of men—she had failed completely to see the defects in Kirk’s character. The break with home and family had been stressful enough—her future even more uncertain, lonely and difficult. Lost in thoughts, she reheated and stirred the hot chocolate Mike had made earlier.

He came striding into the kitchen and desire stirred again, physical, unwanted, something she intended to quell. It didn’t help that Mike looked virile, energetic and filled with life.

“Scotty is blissfully sleeping. He’s a sound sleeper which is great.”

“That’s wonderful.” She handed him a mug of cocoa, taking a sip of her own. She turned to walk to a nearby hutch, pointing to a picture of a dark-haired woman holding a baby. “Is this a picture of your wife and Scotty?”

“Yes,” Mike said. A muscle worked in his jaw as he gazed at the picture. “That’s Elise.”

“She was beautiful. I’ve noticed her other pictures.”

“Since Scotty lost her when he was too young to really remember I feel better with her pictures around. She loved him beyond measure.”

“I’m sure. A baby is a treasure,” she said. “That’s nice to have a lot of her pictures around for him. It’ll help him. He really looks like you, but maybe that’s because I know you a little and can see a resemblance.”

“People say he looks like me. Right now I don’t see it so much except for his curly hair and brown eyes.”

He led the way back into the family room, to their spot in front of the fire.

“So would you like to tell me how you met Elise?”

“Sure. We were in college and had an elective class in world history together and just gradually did homework together. We both were dating other people. I broke up first and then she did and we got serious fast. As soon as we graduated, we married and moved to the ranch. After a couple of years we had Scotty. She was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after he was born and she died right after he turned one.” Mike stared into the fire, looking as if his thoughts were far away in another time and place. He turned to face her.

“So what’s your life been, Miss Neonatal Nurse?”

She smiled at him. “College and work. I started dating Kirk and got engaged to him last spring. We’d planned to marry in July.”

“That’s a long engagement.”

“It was a long engagement, but we didn’t talk about the things we should have. Even though I’ve known him for years, I didn’t know about his feelings on a lot of subjects. We never talked about kids.”

“You’re a neonatal nurse and you didn’t talk about kids?”

“No. I didn’t talk about the babies I cared for at the hospital because they all had health issues and that’s personal and confidential, even when the patient is hours old—not something to share with others. I should have at least found out his feelings about babies and wanting kids. Kids just didn’t come up between us until the breakup. I found out he didn’t want to have children. At least not for the next fifteen years while he’s young and the business is growing.”

“Wow. That would be a shock. Seems like he might have mentioned this to you.”

She nodded. “Kids are definitely in my future.”

“They will be unless you get a new career. Sorry.”

“Well, any feelings between us are over, but I’m still eager to leave for a while. If I don’t like living in California, I’ll go back home.”

“You’ll miss your family. I would miss mine since we’re fairly close. If you’re here long enough, you’ll probably meet some of my family. We see each other often.”