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She kissed Sammie’s warm cheek. Their father’s death had affected the girls so differently. Sammie clung to her while Sadie was defiant and seemed determined to get away from her. Cheyenne was at her wit’s end trying to get Sadie to talk about what was bothering her.
Gathering the girls close, she whispered, “I love you guys.”
“I love you, too, Mommy.” Sammie was quick to say the words.
Fat tears rolled from Sadie’s eyes. “I…I…” she blubbered.
Cheyenne held her tighter, feeling hopeless. Why couldn’t she help her child? She smoothed Sadie’s hair and kissed her forehead. “You love Mommy?”
Sadie nodded and Cheyenne held her daughters, wondering how she was ever going to reach Sadie. The fire crackled with renewed warmth, and she leaned against her dad’s recliner holding the two most important people in the world to her. They snuggled against her.
Cheyenne’s body was so cold she didn’t think she’d ever get warm again. The fear in her slowly subsided. They’d been in town and on the way home when Sammie suddenly had to go to the bathroom. Running into the house, she’d turned on the TV for Sadie and helped Sammie out of her coat. When they’d come out of the bathroom, Sadie was gone. Cheyenne was frantic, calling and calling for Sadie.
It wasn’t the first time Sadie had disappeared, and Cheyenne had tried to breathe past the fear. But Sadie wasn’t in the yard or at the barn. Sammie trailed behind her crying. Cheyenne made her go back into the house for her coat. It was cold. The only place left was the road, and it had started to snow again.
When she saw a truck stopped and a man talking to her child, real terror had leaped into her throat. She had to do better than this.
And the man had turned out to be Tuf Hart, the last person she’d thought she would ever see again. She was too worried about Sadie to give him much thought. He’d changed, but she still knew who he was. He was the only man who ever made her nervous and excited at the same time. One thing was clear, though: the skinny, affable boy from school had returned a man, with broad shoulders and a muscled body that was toned from rigorous training. She knew that from her marine husband, Ryan. He’d hated the training, but Tuf seemed to have flourished in it.
Tuf is home.
His family would be so relieved. He’d called his mom two years ago to let her know he was out of the marines and okay. After that, there’d been no word until his cousin Beau had seen him at a rodeo in November. Tuf still didn’t come home, though. The family was worried. Understandably so. Beau had assured the family that Tuf looked fine. Cheyenne could attest to that. Tuf Hart looked very fine. Yet different somehow. Being a marine changed men. It had changed Ryan and not for the better. Mentally it had destroyed him. And their marriage.
The front door opened and her dad came in after wiping his boots on the mat. He removed his hat and coat, hooking them on the wrought-iron coatrack. Tall and lean with a thatch of gray hair, Buddy Wright’s rugged, lined face showed a life of too much alcohol and too many days on the wrong side of the law.
Cheyenne thought she’d never return to Roundup. As a young girl, her dream was to leave and get far away from her alcoholic father. He’d caused her and her brother, Austin, so much heartache. Yet when she was at her lowest, she’d come home to the only parent she had.
He’d finally stopped drinking and gotten his life together. It couldn’t have happened at a better time for both his children. Austin had married Dinah Hart, and the Wrights were now included in the Hart family circle. It was a what’s-wrong-with-this-picture type thing. When John Hart was alive, he made it clear Buddy was not welcome at Thunder Ranch. That was the main reason she would never go out with Tuf. The Harts were a prominent family and the Wrights were from the wrong side of the tracks. She would not expose her wounded pride to the Harts, especially Tuf.
“I thought you were coming to the celebration,” her dad said.
“I was, but—” She got to her feet and flipped on the TV. The girls scurried to sit in front of it. “Sadie ran away again.”
“Again?” Her father followed her into the kitchen and watched as she made coffee. “I wondered what had happened. Leah was asking about you, and Jill wanted to know when the twins were coming, so I thought I’d better come check.”
“Tuf Hart found her walking in the ditch by the road.”
“Tuf?” One of her father’s shaggy gray eyebrows rose as she placed a cup of hot coffee in front of him. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, Dad. I know Tuf Hart.” She stirred milk and sugar into her coffee and sat at the table with him. “He’s changed, though. He’s not that laughing, fun-loving kid anymore. He seems so serious now.”
“War does that to a man.” Her father took a sip of his hot coffee, making that face he always made when he took the first taste. That oh-I-needed-this look. He sat the mug down. “The family must not know he’s coming or Sarah would have been so excited. He must be planning a surprise visit.”
She toyed with her cup. “I thought of calling Dinah, but if Tuf wants to surprise them, that’s his business. I’m not getting involved.”
“Wise decision.” Her dad frowned. “Wonder where he’s been for two years.”
“Dinah thinks he was wounded and in a navy hospital somewhere recovering and didn’t want the family to worry.”
“Did he look like he’d been wounded?”
“He seemed okay.”
“He’ll have some questions to answer, but like you said, it’s none of our business.”
“No.”
Her father eyed her. “So you’re not going to the party?”
“I’m not rewarding Sadie with fun time. I have to start disciplining her.” And that would just about kill Cheyenne. “I’m going to fix them something to eat and put Sammie to bed. Then Sadie and I are going to have a talk. She’ll shrug and start crying like always. Honestly, Dad, I don’t know what to do anymore.”
He patted her hand on the table. “Just love her.”
She nodded and got to her feet. “I imagine there’s a lot of celebrating going on at Thunder Ranch right about now. I hope for Tuf’s sake everyone is glad to see him.”
“Sarah will be happy to see her youngest child.”
“But what about the rest of the family? The ones who have been struggling to save John Hart’s legacy?” Cheyenne took their cups to the sink. “I’m glad we’re not there. This is family time.”
“You bet. I’m going to check on the horses.” He ambled back into the living room to get his hat and coat.
Tuf Hart was home and that didn’t mean a thing to her. She planned to stay away from him, just as she had as a teenager.
* * *
TUF TURNED ONTO THUNDER ROAD that led to the ranch. He stopped the truck once again and stared. The big two-story house he’d grown up in was lit up like a Christmas tree, and the driveway was full of parked trucks and cars. What was going on? His mom always had Christmas on Christmas day, so they couldn’t be celebrating the holiday. Not wanting to deal with a crowd, he drove to the barns, parked and got out.
He breathed in the heady scent of the ponderosa pines and saw the snow-covered Bull Mountains in the distance. He was home. No more war. No more killing. No more dying.
It had stopped snowing and the air was fresh and invigorating. Glancing toward the house, he decided to wait a while before making his appearance. An agitated neighing caught his attention and he walked toward the corral attached to the barn. A beautiful black stallion circled the pen. At the sight of Tuf, the horse reared his head and pawed the ground with one hoof.
Tuf leaned on the fence and watched the black horse with the flowing mane. He was magnificent and Tuf wondered what he was doing on Thunder Ranch. The more he watched, the more agitated the horse became, snorting, his nostrils flaring as he pawed the ground. Finally the horse trotted over to a dun mare drinking from a water trough. The mare’s rounded belly indicated she was pregnant. The two neighed back and forth and the black horse seemed to calm down.
“Tuf?”
He looked over his shoulder to see Royce, one of the ranch hands, staring at him. “Hey, Royce.”
“Man, it is you.” Royce vigorously shook his hand. “Your mom’s gonna be beside herself. I’ll give her a call.” Royce reached for his cell.
“No.” Tuf stopped him. “I’ll surprise her in a minute.” He glanced toward the house. “What’s going on?”
The other man frowned. “You don’t know?”
“What?”
“Beau got married today and your mom threw him and Sierra a big reception.”
“What?” He’d seen Beau at a rodeo in November, and he hadn’t said anything about getting married, but then, Tuf hadn’t given him time to talk. Beau had been full of questions and Tuf couldn’t answer them. He wanted to go home but couldn’t, and Beau wouldn’t understand that. Making a quick exit was all he could do.
“Go on up to the house and join the celebration,” Royce urged.
Feeling chilled, Tuf pulled the collar up on his coat, his eyes centering on the black horse, who was watching him as Tuf had watched the horse earlier. “What’s the story on the horse?”
Royce leaned on the fence. “That’s Midnight. Ain’t he a beauty? Your mom and Ace bought him at an auction when his owner died. The foreman mistreated him so he’s a little gun-shy, if you know what I mean. His lineage goes back to the great bucking horse Five Minutes to Midnight and they paid a pretty penny for him.”
“Yeah. He’s prime horseflesh.”
“Ace outbid ol’ Earl McKinley, and Earl wasn’t too happy.” Royce shook his head. “Midnight has caused a whole passel of problems. Went missing for a while and upset the whole family. Turned out thieves who were stealing tack left the gate open and Midnight sprinted for freedom. The horse turned up at Buddy Wright’s place. That gave everyone pause, but Buddy just patched up the horse’s wounds and kept him safe. Ol’ Buddy has changed a lot.”
Tuf digested that for a minute. It would be nice if the Hart and Wright families could exist in peace. Life was too short for petty grievances.
Royce watched the horse. “Very temperamental and hard to handle, but Ace and Colt are working wonders with him.”
“Is he for breeding or bucking?”
“Depends on who you ask. Ace wants to keep breeding him, but Colt’s entered him in a few rodeos. Midnight twisted his left knee in November, and the family is at odds on what to do with him now. Ace doesn’t want to risk getting him injured again. The family has a lot riding on that black horse.” Royce peered at him. “You do know the Harts are in the rodeo contracting business?”
“Mom mentioned that.”
“Things have changed since you’ve been gone.”
“Mmm.” He’d spent six years fighting in a war-torn country, sometimes sleeping on the ground and living off military-issue food not fit for a dog, but it kept him alive. It was always a celebration to get back to base for real food. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to live in the real world and to enjoy the freedom he’d been fighting for. His adjustment was yet to come.
Midnight reared up on his hind legs, pawing at the air, clearly upset at the stranger eyeing him.
“Calm down,” Royce said to the horse, and Midnight trotted back to the dun mare.
“Do you leave him out here all night?”
Royce slapped him on the back. “Man, you have been gone a long time if you’ve forgotten what Ace is like.” Royce pointed to the right of the barn. “See that opening? It goes into Midnight’s personal oversize stall. Once the mare goes inside, he’ll follow. She has a calming effect on him.”
“I noticed.”
“Midnight hates being penned up. He likes open spaces. When he injured his knee, we closed the doors and Midnight went crazy. Ace had to sedate him to keep him calm so he wouldn’t injure the leg further. That horse is either gonna make or break Thunder Ranch.” He held out his hand to Tuf. “Glad to have you home. Go join the celebration and make your mama happy. I’m feeding the pregnant mares, but I’ll be up for some grub as soon as I finish.”
Tuf nodded and breathed in the crisp air off Bull Mountains. Time to face the family, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Midnight, who continued to circle the pen.
“I’ve dreamed of riding a horse like you all my life,” he muttered under his breath.
Midnight flung his head and stomped his hoof again in protest as if he understood every word.
“Tomas. Tomas. Tomas!”
Only one person called him that. His mother. Damn! Royce had called. He turned around as his mother flew across the yard in a dress and heels. At the sight of her silver hair and smiling face, his heart thumped against his ribs. Oh, how he’d missed his mom.
How did he explain the past two years?
Chapter Two
“Tomas!” His mom grabbed him in a bear hug. He held on with arms that felt weak, but he was buffeted by a strength he couldn’t describe. Being over six feet, he leaned down so she could kiss his cheek. He’d started doing that when he was about fourteen.
Sarah stroked his face and then ran her hands over his shoulders, arms and chest, much like when he was younger and a horse would buck him into the dirt. “Are you hurt? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Mom.” The family stood behind her all dressed in their Sunday best. Some of the faces he didn’t recognize. The guys were in pressed jeans, pristine Western white shirts with bolo ties. The women were in dresses or suits. Before he could see anything else, his brothers, Aidan and Colton, nicknamed Ace and Colt, barreled into him with fierce hugs, and then twin cousins Beau and Duke and Uncle Josh. He’d missed this connection to family.
Someone grabbed his arm and jerked him around. His sister Dinah’s fiery hazel eyes flashed up at him. “Where have you been? You’ve had us all worried sick.”
“Hey, sis.” He reached for her and lifted her off her feet into a tight embrace.
“Be careful. She’s pregnant,” Sarah warned.
“Oh.” Tuf eased her to the ground.
Dinah laughed. “Get that look off your face. I’m respectably married.” She pulled a guy forward. “This is my husband, Austin. You remember him?”
Austin Wright. His sister had married Austin Wright, Cheyenne’s brother. How did that happen?
Before he could find an answer, his mother linked her arm through his. “Let’s go to the house. It’s cold out here. We have a lot to celebrate. My baby is home.”
Baby. Usually when she called him that, it would cause sparks of resentment to flash inside him. Thank God he had finally outgrown that reaction.
Dinah also linked her arm through his, and they made their way into the house through the spacious, homey kitchen to the great room. He barely had time to remove his hat. People milled around him. To the right was a long buffet table laden with prime rib and all the fixings. In a corner stood a ten-foot spruce fully decorated. The piney scent mixed with vanilla and cinnamon filled the room with a relaxing feeling of warmth enhanced by the fire in the river-rock fireplace. A large maple mantel showcased rodeo trophies from every member of the Hart family.
He was home.
But he felt as if he’d been dropped into enemy territory and he was waiting for the first round of fire. This time, he knew, he would be hit. There was no way of escaping the inevitable.
Ace approached him, carrying a baby in a pink blanket. “I want you to meet Emma, the first Hart grandchild.”
“You have a daughter?”
“Yep. Isn’t she beautiful?”
Tuf looked at the perfect baby face with swirls of blond hair. “Yes, she is. Does she have a mother?”
Ace frowned at him in that familiar way Tuf remembered well, especially when Tuf had done something to displease him, like wearing Ace’s best boots to a rodeo. “Of course—Flynn.”
“McKinley?”
Ace’s frown deepened to a point of aggravation until Flynn walked up. “Don’t look so surprised, Tuf,” the beautiful blonde said.
“How did you manage to lasso him?”
She leaned over and whispered, “It wasn’t easy, but I finally found the magic rope.” She winked and gently took her daughter from Ace. “She’s only three weeks old and all this celebrating is too much for her. I’ll put her in the bassinet in Sarah’s room.”
“Congratulations,” Tuf said to his brother.
“Thanks. Glad you’re home,” Ace replied, but Tuf felt he wanted to say a whole lot more. They both knew this wasn’t the time. Ace was the oldest, the responsible one and the head of the family, next to their mom. And Ace would hold Tuf accountable for two years of silence, two years of ignoring the family and two years of shirking his responsibility to said family. Accountability was coming but it would not be tonight.
