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She shook her head. “Dad will be up from his nap soon.”
“Go. I can look after Ray.” She turned her niece around and nudged her toward the door. “Take a break, Tess. You need it.”
Tess didn’t argue, just headed for the door. She found Livy on the porch playing with her dolls and the kitten.
“Hey, sweetie, I want you to stay on the porch. It’s too hot to go out in the sun.”
“Mommy, can I go see Grandpa? I’ll be quiet. I promise.”
It was so sad. Livy and her grandpa Ray had had a close relationship since the day she was born. Now most of the time he couldn’t speak to her. “I think he’d like that. But maybe you should leave Jinx in the box in our room.”
“I will, Mommy. I know Grandpa doesn’t mean to, but he sometimes squeezes too hard.”
She knelt down in front of her daughter. “You know Grandpa’s sick. He doesn’t mean to squeeze too hard.”
Livy’s blond ponytail bobbed up and down. “I know, Mommy. I wish he wasn’t sick.”
“So do I, sweetie.” Tess had to fight her tears. “You’re my best girl.”
Livy smiled. “And you’re my bestest mom.”
They exchanged a kiss and then Tess started off, but her daughter called to her. “Are you going to go see Mr. Randell?”
“No, honey, Mr. Randell is busy. I’m going to work with Whiskey.”
Livy’s eyes narrowed. Tess knew her daughter was cooking up something else. “He’s a nice man. Maybe we should bake him a cake to welcome him home.”
Butter up the enemy. That was an idea. “We’ll talk about it later. Remember, don’t leave the porch.” She turned and walked toward the barn, knowing that ploy wasn’t going to work for long. She had to come up with something to keep Livy from intruding on Luke Randell.
Putting her wide-brimmed cowboy hat on her head, she glanced toward the large Victorian house. Perched on a hill with a grove of pecan trees lined up on either side for shade and protection from the elements, it was a sight to behold.
She’d heard stories that Mrs. Sam Randell had been so humiliated when her husband’s brother, Jack, had been sent to prison for cattle rustling, she insisted they leave the area. It had been twenty-seven years since anyone had lived there.
“Your father did a wonderful job with the upkeep,” a man’s voice said.
Tess swung around to find Luke Randell. “Oh, Mr. Randell…”
“Please, call me Luke.”
“Luke, and I’m Tess,” she said, a little breathless.
He’d changed into a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of boots. Cocked on his head was a worn cowboy hat, giving him a rugged look.
“Do I fit in a little better?”
Tess was tall at five-nine, but had to look up at him. Stand back was more like it. “You fit in dressed like you were before, but this is more practical for the ranch.”
“Especially if I’m headed for the barn.” He smiled, and it caused her pulse to race. Great. She was acting like a teenager.
“You want to see the barn?”
He glanced around. “Actually, I was looking for your father. Is he around?”
Oh, no. She wasn’t ready to discuss her father’s… situation yet. “I’m sorry, but he isn’t feeling well right now.” She rushed on to say, “I’m sure I can answer anything you want to know.”
“I just wanted to let him…and you—know that my arriving early isn’t meant to disturb your operation. You still have another two months on your lease. As the lawyer informed you, I’m just living in the house until a decision is made about the property.”
A decision? “What about your brother?”
Luke still had trouble getting used to that term…for Brady. “Half brother,” he clarified. “Brady is a pilot in the air force, and the only information I’ve gotten from the military so far is that he’s overseas. I left word for him to contact me here.”
“So your plans are to sell the ranch?”
Luke sighed. If only he could, it sure would solve his immediate problems. “There are a lot of things to consider when or if this place goes on the market.” His gaze locked with her rich blue eyes and it caused him to get temporarily distracted. He quickly glanced away. He wasn’t about to let that happen…again.
“I know you and your father need more information than that,” he told her. “But it’s all I can give for now.”
She nodded. “Of course, Dad and I would love to continue the lease arrangement we have now.” She gave him a sideways glance as they started walking toward the barn. “Are you considering staying on…and running the ranch?”
He frowned. “Technically I’ve never ranched before. I was just a kid when we moved away.”
“But you still have a lot of family here. I’m sure they’d help out.”
They came to the barn and he slid open the large door. “So you know the Randells?”
Tess nodded. “There’s something else. The lease arrangement your father had with my father could continue…or if you’d like to raise cattle under your own brand, we could stay on as the foreman.” She shrugged. “It’s just something to think about.”
Not waiting for an answer, Tess walked into the cool interior. Although the barn was clean and well organized, the smell of hay and horses was prevalent, and she liked the earthy scent. She headed down the concrete aisle, passing several empty stalls. She was hoping to have them filled by now, but without her father’s help she couldn’t board any more horses.
There were two quarter horses here she’d been working with, but her main focus was still on Whiskey. Taking the time, she greeted the valuable equines before she reached the last stall. Her bay stallion greeted her with a soft whinny, and he nuzzled her hand.
“How’s my favorite guy?” she crooned. “You ready to work?” He bobbed his head.
“This is Smooth Whiskey Doc. He’s the future cutting champion.”
With an ease that surprised Tess, Luke walked up to Whiskey and stroked him. “Hey, fella, how you doing?” Whiskey took to the attention and moved closer to the stranger. “You sure are a beauty.”
“Don’t give him too much praise. It’ll just go to his head.”
“So you breed horses?”
She nodded. “Been working on it. I’ve had a lot of help from Chance Randell. He also breeds quarter horses. I’ve done some training and competing with my mare, Lady. I helped out Chance with training, in trade for his stallion, Whiskey Pete, to breed with my mare, and as a result we got Smooth Whiskey Doc.”
“You’re partners?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Hardly. Chance doesn’t need me. He’s made quite a name for himself on his own. He just did me a favor.” She patted the horse’s neck. “And I appreciate it. As neighbors we all kind of help each other out.”
“So you and your father aren’t running cattle any longer?”
“There’s just a small herd now.”
Here was her opportunity. “Cattle isn’t our main focus anymore. Like I said, we’ve been breeding and training cutting horses for competition. And if for any reason, you and your bother decide to stay, I’d—we’d like to continue to rent the foreman’s cottage and rent barn space to board the horses.”
Luke Randell just stood there for a long time, then finally spoke. “I can’t say one way or the other what will happen now. I have no plans to ranch at this time. To be honest, I never planned to come back here…ever. So as soon as it’s possible for me, I’ll be leaving.”
Tess was angry. “And the hell with us.”
He blinked at her bluntness. “You have two months to relocate.”
The man didn’t have a heart. “The Rocking R has been my father’s and my home for well over twenty years. My daughter hasn’t lived anywhere else.” She hated that she sounded so desperate. But she was. “It isn’t so easy to move a family and livestock.” Or a father who barely remembers his name, she added silently. She studied the stubborn look on his face. “Besides, how can you be so anxious to sell land that’s been in your family for generations?”
Luke Randell stiffened, then glanced away, but not before she saw a flash of emotion. “Maybe because that family deserted me a long time ago.”
CHAPTER TWO
AN HOUR later, Luke leaned against a post on the back porch. He held a long-neck bottle in his hand as he watched Tess Meyers work her quarter horse in the corral.
Impressive. He took a thirsty drink of beer. She looked strong astride the powerful stallion, and the two together were as graceful as a ballet, moving in perfect unison in their performance.
There were a half-dozen steers in the pen, and she and Whiskey easily separated a calf from the others, then drove it back into the herd. Even from a distance, he caught her smile as she patted the horse’s neck affectionately after he completed his task.
Once again his body stirred. For the second time in hours this cowgirl had him wondering about things he had no business thinking about.
Luke sat on the porch swing and propped his booted feet on the railing. What the hell was he doing here? He never wanted to come back to this place. The home he’d once loved, where he’d been part of a family. That had ended when his parents divorced, his dad went back into the military and his mother took him to live in Dallas.
He closed his eyes and he could still hear the fights late at night. Doors slamming, his dad starting the car and driving off. The worst sound was of his mother’s crying. He hated his father for that. Most of all he hated Sam Randell for deserting them.
Now, all these years later, he had no choice but to come back here. The perfect scenario would be to sell the place, make some money and start over.
He doubted he could go back to Dallas. Thanks to a bad deal, his reputation had been destroyed in the real estate business. Because of a woman, Gina Chilton, he’d gotten involved with the wrong people. Her daddy, Buck Chilton, had invested money in his real estate venture.
In the end Luke had barely escaped criminal charges, and it had cost him everything. His employees hadn’t fared much better, but at least he’d been able to give them a severance package. That meant there’d been nothing left for him. Everything he’d worked so hard to build was all gone now. Just some personal things, his clothes and the car remained. And he had to sell the luxury vehicle so he’d have some money to live on.
Well, at least he had a roof over his head… for now.
“Hey, mister. Are you sleeping?” a young voice said.
Luke opened his eyes and saw little Livy Meyers standing on the porch step. She was wearing jeans and a ruffled pink blouse, holding her kitten.
He dropped his feet on the floor. “No, just doing some thinking.” He glanced around to see if Tess Meyers was around. “Does your mother know where you are?”
Looking sheepish, the child moved to the top step. “Kinda.” She shrugged. “She said not to bother you ’cause you were moving in. Are you finished?”
With what was left of his furniture in storage, he had only a few suitcases to empty. “Yes, I’m moved in.”
She smiled at him, and something tightened in his chest. She strolled to the swing and sat down. “I’m glad. And I’m glad you came here to live, too. You want to hold Jinx again? He likes you.”
“You think so, huh?” He couldn’t help but take her offering. He doubted many people could resist her big blue eyes and dimples. The kitten immediately curled up against his chest and closed his eyes.
“Hey, mister, see he likes you.” She studied him. “So do I.”
“Well, I like you, too. Maybe you could call me Luke.”
She frowned. “Mama says I can’t call big people by their first names ’cause it’s not ’spectful.”
“Respectful,” Luke corrected gently.
She nodded. “Yeah. Maybe I can call you Mr. Luke.”
Luke wasn’t used to being around kids. But Livy Meyers didn’t seem to notice. “Sounds like a good idea.”
Her smile widened, and he saw the resemblance to her pretty mother. But the smile suddenly disappeared when someone called Livy’s name.
They both turned to see Tess coming out of the corral. “Oh, no. I gotta go.” She grabbed her kitten and went to the edge of the porch. “I forgot to ask you something.” She came back. “What’s your favorite flavor of cake?”
He blinked. “I guess it would be chocolate. Why?”
Livy leaned forward and whispered, “It’s a surprise.” Giggling, the little nymph ran off toward her mother.
Tess approached her daughter, and he didn’t have to hear to know that the child was getting a lecture. With a nod, Livy started for the foreman’s house while Tess headed his way.
Luke stood, feeling a little rush of excitement on seeing her graceful strides, and those long legs encased in jeans and covered with worn leather chaps. She wore a Henley-style shirt and her battered cowboy hat on her head. Suddenly he couldn’t remember why he swore off women. He adjusted his own hat and went to meet her.
“I want to apologize for Livy bothering you,” Tess began. “It won’t happen again.”
“She wasn’t a bother. She asked if I was busy. So please don’t let her think I’m some sort of ogre.” Why did he care what a five-year-old thought?
“Well, she still shouldn’t have come here. I told her to stay on the porch.”
“Technically she was on the porch.”
Tess jammed her hands on her hips and frowned. “Not her porch. And with you living here now, she especially needs to know boundaries. There are too many things that could happen to her around a ranch.”
“I understand.” He nodded. “But there’s also no reason for us to avoid one another.”
“Of course.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, Mr. Randell—”
“Please, it’s Luke.”
Tess hesitated. She didn’t want to get too friendly with this man. “Luke… It’s just that there’s never been anyone living in the house.”
“Like I said, it’s temporary. And I don’t want or plan to disturb your operation.”
“So you aren’t giving any more thought to staying and going into ranching?”
Not in the last hour. “I’ve never given any thought to staying permanently,” he said stubbornly.
Tess couldn’t understand how he could walk away from this incredible property. “Maybe you should talk to your cousins before you make a decision.”
