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“It’s not me you have to apologize to.”
Tess sighed and hesitantly clambered up the porch stairs and entered the house. Rustic log walls reached up toward a bevy of skylights in the Langtrys’ great room. Hand-hewn wood beams led to a large open loft. Intricate beaded artwork from the Native American Kickapoo tribe decorated the far wall leading to the kitchen. Plush, cognac leather sofas formed a horseshoe before a monumental, floor-to-ceiling river-rock fireplace.
The house was indulgent, yet it swathed you in warmth and comfort the moment you stepped within its depths. Tess headed for the dining room, stopping when she overheard her mother and Kay’s voices.
“I’m so glad Tess is still coming to the wedding,” Kay, her mother’s best friend, said from beyond the kitchen wall. “It hurts me to think of her staying in New York by herself.”
“It hasn’t been easy for her” came Maggie’s reply. “She still has her roommate, but I think that relationship’s a little strained since Tess was laid off.”
“This vacation will do her some good,” Kay said. “Maybe she’ll move home. You can set those in the other room to cool. I’m afraid we’ve run out of counter space in here.”
Maggie placed a tray of honey-drizzled croissants on the dining table a few yards away from Tess, who flattened herself against a large sideboard, almost gouging her ribs on a deer antler lamp in the process. Her mother would tan her hide if she caught her eavesdropping. A ravenous belly grumble almost betrayed her location. Maggie turned and walked into the kitchen as Tess let out a sigh of relief.
“Shh,” Tess whispered. She placed a hand to her abdomen and tried to concentrate on the conversation, not the sweet aroma that beckoned her.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when the screen door creaked behind her. Cole stood in the doorway, the light behind him shadowing his face.
“Lose your way?” Cole placed his hat on the hat rack beside the door.
Tess crept closer to the kitchen to hear more, motioning to him to keep quiet.
“Tess, it’s so wonderful to see you!” Cole bellowed. A wide grin spread across his face when he sauntered into the room and grabbed a croissant from the table. Admiring the flaky crust, he broke off a piece and motioned for her to taste it. “These are amazing. Try this before it cools off much more.”
Tess shot him a look that would have killed most men on the spot. How dare he give her away! Even worse, he was distracting her with food. Unable to resist a moment longer, she reached for one of her own.
“Here.” Cole offered her the other half.
Tess opened her mouth and took the piece from him, almost nipping his fingers.
“Holy hot!” She danced around the dining room, Cole chortling at her pain. “You set me up, you idiot!”
“I thought you were going to take it from me.” Cole laughed. “Not bite it right out of my hand.”
Maggie and Kay emerged from the kitchen in time to see Tess fanning her face. Caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar, Tess fumbled for an excuse to explain her silent entrance into the house.
“Look who’s calling who an idiot.” Cole jumped up and down flailing his arms, mocking Tess.
“Colburn Joseph Langtry!” Kay threatened. “Put a cork in your pistol.”
“Oh—” Tess giggled. “You’re in trouble.”
“Tessa May Dalton,” Maggie howled. “How old are you? Two?”
“Ha-ha!” Cole shouted.
Kay snapped a towel at him, hitting his elbow with a resounding thwack. He held his arm like a wounded child while Tess did her best not to burst out laughing. Nope, life in Ramblewood hadn’t changed. At least Cole’s antics eased the tension in a potentially strained greeting.
Maggie rushed over and gave her daughter a body-engulfing hug, then held Tess at arm’s length to get a better look. Pleased, she drew her in for another clinch.
“We weren’t expecting you until tonight,” Maggie squealed. “You should have called.”
“I took the chance of waiting on standby and got an earlier flight,” Tess said. “I hate flying later in the day. It’s a waste of valuable hours.”
She turned to Cole’s mother, who was standing next to her son. “Hello, Kay. How are you?”
Maggie released her daughter as Kay enveloped Tess in a warm embrace.
“Were your ears burning?” Kay asked. “We were talking about you this very minute. My, it sure has been a long time.”
Tess knew a subtle reprimand when she heard one. “I’m so sorry for your loss and I sincerely apologize for not being here.”
“I’m sure you had your reasons, dear.” Kay was polite, but the underlying criticism was clear. “When you’re settled, I need your expertise.”
“Mom,” Cole warned. “What are you up to?”
“Go make yourself useful and check the humidistat in the wine cellar,” Kay said. “It felt too damp down there this morning.”
Cole’s booted feet stomped loudly out of the room. What was his issue? Tess wondered. Maggie wet her fingertip and tried to smooth Tess’s hair from her face.
“Eww, Mom, stop! I’m aware it looks bad.” Before the day was through, Tess needed to do something with her hair. Once her mom started in with the spit styling, she knew she was long overdue for a trim.
“It’s nice to see you and Cole made some progress with this mysterious rift between you two,” Kay said, once Cole was out of earshot.
“Rift? There’s no rift.” Tess wasn’t surprised to hear Kay didn’t know why she and Cole were no longer together. How did a son explain to his mother that his libido had ruined a relationship? “What do you need my expertise on?”
“I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to marketing a hippotherapy facility. Since you’re here, I’d like to hire you to get us headed in the right direction and really showcase Dance of Hope.”
“But I thought that was on hold. Mom told me Shane and Chase are blocking the project from going further.”
“Eh!” Kay dismissed the thought. “They’ll come to their senses soon enough. I don’t want to waste any more time.”
“I’m not sure I can help.” Working so close to Cole would completely negate the peace and relaxation she’d anticipated for this trip. “I’ll be here for a few short weeks, and then I’m heading home.”
“Tess, outside.” Annoyance registered on Maggie’s face.
“Uh, okay, I—”
“Tessa May!”
Use of her full name twice in one day meant her mom was serious even though Tess wasn’t sure what she’d done wrong.
“Kay is offering you a paying job and you’re second-guessing her?” Maggie chastised her daughter on the porch. “After the crap you pulled this summer, you owe this to her.”
“What?” Tess didn’t believe her ears. “I have other things going on, Mom.”
“And what are they, Miss Big Shot? You don’t even have a job.”
Tess spun around, “Yes, and thanks for bringing that to all of Ramblewood’s attention. I also hear everyone knows Tim ditched me.”
“Oh, dear.” Maggie furrowed her brow. “I told people the truth. What’s the big deal?”
“Mom, it’s none of their business.” Tess wouldn’t allow her mother to twist the situation. Truth or not, no one needed the details of what was going on in her life. “Second, I can get a job in New York in a heartbeat. What’s the harm in my taking a little break to regroup?”
Maggie reached for her daughter’s hand and held it in her own. Tess noticed the deep laugh lines in her mother’s face, but there was no laughter there now. She watched her mother anxiously push a strand of chestnut hair out of her eyes as she attempted a smile, looking thinner than she had in recent memory.
“Kay is putting aside whatever this...this thing is between you and Cole and offering you an olive branch for not making it to Joe’s funeral. The least you can do is take it. You’ve put a major strain on your father and my relationship with the Langtrys and you need to set things right.”
If anyone knew how to shame Tess into doing something, it was Maggie. Tess couldn’t blame her mother for being upset when Tess hadn’t exactly been the greatest friend to the family that had treated her like one of their own all her life.
* * *
“YOU DID WHAT?” Cole was blown away by his mother’s revelation after Tess and Maggie left. “How could you hire Tess without consulting with me?”
“Now you know how it feels.” Shane stormed through the kitchen door. “You’re such a pro at doing things yourself, I guess you came by it honestly.”
“Shane, don’t—”
“Don’t what, Cole?” Shane shrugged. “Stand up for my share in Bridle Dance?”
“Stand up all you want but don’t talk about Mom like that.” Cole sat at the table next to Kay. “Why did you bring Tess into this?”
“We need her.” Kay folded her hands around Cole’s. “Look at the corporate websites she’s created. She’s good at what she does and she knows this family. No one can put the personal touches on our marketing campaign like she can.”
“Chase and I won’t agree to this.” Shane strode across the room. “You’re setting yourself up for a big disappointment and then everyone will blame me. Why are you doing this, Mom?”
“Because I’m hoping, by the grace of God, you boys will honor your father’s wishes. This was his dream.”
“A waste of a dream if you ask me.” Shane removed a white porcelain mug off the shagbark hickory cup holder he’d made in Cub Scouts. “Of course, no one gives a hoot what I think.”
“Knock it off, Shane,” Cole said. “Mom’s been through enough and she doesn’t need any more.”
Shane slammed the mug on the counter with such force, Cole was amazed it didn’t shatter.
“We’ve all been through a lot!” Shane was dangerously close to the table. Cole rose to confront him, a breath separating the two men. “I find it laughable that you and our hypocritical, wayward brother, who never cared one iota about this place, are trying to take control. It’s throwing good money after bad and I’ll block you at every turn. I’ve already informed Henry about your continued plans, and as coexecutor of the estate, he’ll make sure the corporate bylaws are enforced.”
“You called Tess’s father?” Kay pushed her way between her sons. “There was no reason to put him in the middle of this, Shane. This is a family dispute and I don’t appreciate you involving him.”
“He has every right to be involved, Mom. Dad made both of you coexecutors so Henry could handle the business side of Bridle Dance and you wouldn’t have to. All I’m doing is keeping him in the loop so he can legally watch out for the ranch’s best interest.” Shane’s expression turned smug. “This is what happens when you continue to move forward with these plans without a majority vote.”
“I really wish the two of you would keep the Daltons away from here.” Cole threw his arms up in defeat.
“Listen, I have no idea what’s been going on with you and Tess, but the Daltons are always welcome in this house,” Kay said. “And whether either of you approves of my hiring Tess, you’ll just have to deal with it, because she’ll be working here with me. You boys may own the ranch, but I own this house and the land, and you’d be wise not to forget it. The Lord’s not the only one who can giveth and taketh away around here.”
Cole shook his head. “Mom, I don’t mean to imply they aren’t welcome. But I don’t think they need to be involved in this—this battle.”
Kay left the room, dismissing her sons with a wave of her hand.
Shane snickered. “Under normal circumstances, I’d pity you for having to tolerate being in the same town as Tess after that stunt in Vegas. But, considering you, Mom and Jesse are trying to force my hand with the ranch, I’m okay with Mom forcing yours with Tess. Payback’s a bitch.”
Cole had had more than enough of the constant bickering over the ranch’s future. It had started the day they elected officers based solely on age and Cole, being the eldest, assumed the role of president. Trying to convince Shane it was nothing more than a title was next to impossible and the power struggle began from that moment forward.
Neither Shane nor Chase appreciated the fact that when Cole retired from the rodeo to take the reins of the expansive ranch, he’d allowed them the extra time to remain active on the circuit.
Cole did have to agree with Shane, however, about their mother hiring Tess without consulting them, even if Tess was the best person for the job. Hopefully she would work remotely, because her close proximity might push him over the edge in more than one way. Just knowing she was back in town was occupying more of his thoughts than he’d believed possible. The woman might be a blessing to his mother, but she was a curse to him.
Chapter Three
The following morning Cole parked his truck in front of the Daltons’ house, debating whether to go inside. Why was he so nervous? He felt like a teenager on his first date. An unannounced visit first thing in the morning might not sit well with them, especially since his mom and Shane had thrust Tess and Henry on opposite ends of the Langtry spectrum. That could easily pit father against daughter if Henry blocked Kay from continuing with the hippotherapy facility and pushed Tess out of another job.
What am I doing? Cole didn’t care if Tess was employed or not and he certainly wasn’t about to let Shane or Chase kill this project. He simply didn’t want outsiders involved in their personal dispute.
Cole laughed to himself. This had gone way past a dispute. It had become an all-out family feud and now the Daltons were smack-dab in the middle of it.
Henry Dalton was the Langtry family’s attorney, although Joe had kept a bevy of legal representatives for a myriad of reasons. The most recent addition was Cole’s old classmate, Jonathan Reese.
Jon had become an unfortunate victim of Joe’s machinations when he inadvertently came between Cole’s brother Jesse and their father before they had a chance to make peace. Good ol’ dad was well-intentioned when he set Jon in motion to block Jesse from buying Double Trouble after the owners died. His plan was meant to force Jesse home to Bridle Dance.
Joe didn’t count on his son taking off in the other direction and accepting a cutting horse trainer position in Abilene. Fortunately, that plan changed when he fell in love with Miranda, Double Trouble’s new owner. And even though Jesse was only a few miles away, Joe wanted his boys home, on family land. But that was their father—a man who stopped at nothing to keep his family together. Ironically, his death had now torn the family in half.
Cole hated the situation his brothers had forced him into, but at the time he’d figured if they wanted to play, he’d toss his Stetson in the ring. He’d immediately retained Jon as his attorney. Since he moved back to town, Jon was a worthy adversary for Henry Dalton, thanks to his involvement in Joe’s constant scheming to keep Jesse on Langtry land and the resulting intimate knowledge he’d gained of Joe’s future plans for the ranch. Through the Daltons’ leaded-glass door, Cole saw Tess and her father eating breakfast at the kitchen table. Maggie’s car wasn’t in the driveway, which he assumed meant she was already at the luncheonette. After a slight hesitation, he rapped on the mahogany frame, not wanting to presumptuously walk in.
“Cole.” Henry wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Since when do you knock around here? Come on in, sit and have something to eat. Tess rustled up a mess of food.”
“Morning, Henry,” Cole said. “I didn’t want to barge in not knowing where things stood with us, especially since my brother has you fighting his battles against me.”
“Nonsense, business is business and this is breakfast. No shoptalk here.”
“You heard my dad,” Tess said. “Sit.”
Tess laid an extra place setting before him and filled a mug with fresh coffee. Her hair was slightly shorter and more tamed than it was yesterday. The length suited her, even though he was used to the long waves she’d had since grade school. The auburn locks graced the nape of her neck, leaving the delicate skin exposed above the edge of her heather-gray sweater.
Shift focus, Cole. She’s the enemy. The enemy in matters of the heart, that is. Even though he hated the thought of his mother hiring Tess, she might prove to be one of his strongest allies. She was a webmistress genius and a master at convincing people to see things her way through her designs. He needed her on his side, no matter how much of his own peace of mind he had to sacrifice.
“Thank you.” Cole helped himself to a spoonful of scrambled eggs, pancakes and some odd-looking baconlike strips. “Everything looks great.”
“It’s low-sodium turkey bacon.” Henry leaned over and whispered to Cole, “Maggie has me on a restricted diet since—well, since the summer.”
“It’s all right, Henry.” Cole understood his meaning. “Since my father died my mom blames herself every day, wondering if her cooking contributed to his heart attack.”
Tess stood beside the table, listening intently while Ricky walked between her ankles in a figure-eight pattern. “I’m sorry, Cole.”
“Stop apologizing.” Cole placed his hand over hers, immediately wishing he hadn’t when he felt the silkiness of her skin. “We’ve asked ourselves the same question. Jesse blames himself for the stress he caused Dad over the years. I wonder if I’d been around more, maybe he would’ve had less of a workload. Then I tell myself Dad had enough money to hire more help if things became too much for him to handle. It’s speculation and we’ll never know. We just have to move on from it.”
Guilt was a hard pill to swallow. Cole talked until he was blue in the face, trying to reassure everyone in his family that his father’s death wasn’t their fault. He wasn’t so sure he believed it himself. Many things should have been handled differently, but regardless of how he felt, he was damn certain he’d finish what his father started. He owed the man that much.
“What brings you by?” Henry asked, breaking the heavy silence.
“I’m afraid you’ll consider it shoptalk.” Cole nervously laughed and leaned down to rub Ricky between the ears.
