The Lonesome Rancher (4 page)

“Oh, my, how do you keep up?”

“We aren’t a big community,” the woman named Liz admitted. “But I have a feeling that Jenny and Evan aren’t going to wait too long before they add to our town’s population.”

With that said Jenny’s face reddened. “We’ve only been married a few months.”

Beth spoke up. “I see you eyeing those babies that come in here. You want one, and when a woman wants a baby, a man doesn’t stand a chance.”

Jenny blushed so badly that Jade felt sorry for her. “Just put in your order for the color so we can get started early.”

The bell over the door sounded and Jenny let out a breath. “Thank you, I need to go back to work. Nice to see you again, Jade. Hope you’ll come back so we can visit longer.”

“I’d like that,” she said, and discovered she wanted to get to know her.

Jenny made her escape as Louisa announced, “We were going to lunch. Who wants to go? My treat.”

“We all do,” Beth joked. “And I vote for Rory’s Bar and Grill. Sean Rafferty is working today. That’s Jenny’s good-looking father-in-law.” She raised an eyebrow. “As my granddaughter would say, he’s some ‘eye candy.’”

The women laughed and Jade wondered if she could keep up with these ladies. She’d soon find out.

With a wave, Jenny called out, “Behave. And enjoy yourselves.”

They headed down the street only about a block. Jade kept a close watch on Louisa, but she seemed to be doing fine. They crossed with the streetlight and filed into the restaurant.

The inside was dim and there were several patrons seated along the long oak bar. But the women took interest in the one male behind the bar, a tall man with thick white hair, an easy smile and a twinkle in his light eyes. He waved and the women giggled.

Beth directed them to a large circular booth toward the back. After they filed in, Jade situated Louisa on the end, then got a chair and sat down at the head of the table.

“Did you see him?” Liz said.

“Of course we did,” Louisa said. “Sean’s a big man.”

Everyone turned as the man in question walked over toward them. For his age of about sixty, Sean was handsome and kept himself in shape.

“Saints preserve us, I’ve died and gone to heaven,”
Sean said. “What did I do to be blessed with you lovely lassies today?”

And charming, Jade thought.

“It’s just your lucky day, Sean Rafferty,” Louisa said.

“My, oh, my. The lovely Louisa.” Concern showed on his face. “It surely is good to see you out and about, and looking so well.”

Louisa nodded. “Living a good, clean life.”

He flashed a quick wink. “I’ll have to talk to the senator about that.”

That brought a hoot from the girls.

Jade found she was enjoying this. No wonder the women liked this man.

“And who is this lovely?” The big Irishman took her hand. “I’m Sean Rafferty, at your service.”

“Jade Hamilton.”

“She’s just arrived in town,” Louisa said. “She’s staying with me out at the ranch.”

“A pretty name for a pretty woman. I believe I have someone who would be interested in meeting you.” He glanced toward the bar and motioned to a guy. As the younger man strolled toward the group. Jade saw the resemblance right away. The difference was in the younger cowboy’s coloring. He had dark hair and killer bedroom eyes. Oh, and a wicked grin.

“Jade, this is my son, Matthew. Matt, Jade Hamilton, she’s just arrived in town. And you know all the other ladies.”

Matt was polite, and greeted the older women first, then turned his attention to her. “Jade. It’s definitely a pleasure to meet you. I hope you enjoy Kerry Springs enough to stay around for a while.”

“From what I’ve seen, I do like it here.”

“That’s wonderful news. And if you need anyone to show you around, I’m definitely available.”

“Thank you, Matt.” She was nervous with everyone watching her. “I’m going to be pretty busy for the next few weeks.”

“Yes, she’ll be working,” a familiar voice answered. Everyone turned to see Sloan.

Jade nearly groaned. What was he doing here?

“Hey, Merrick,” Matt said. “How’s it going?”

There wasn’t any handshakes exchanged between them. It was more of a standoff. “Not bad,” Sloan said as he glanced at Jade. “And it’s getting better by the second. You?”

“Working hard, and just trying to stay out of trouble.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Louisa spoke up. “Sloan, please tell me you haven’t been following me.”

He shook his head. “I came into town to pick up my order at the feed store. I saw Miguel and thought I’d stop and say hello.” He tipped his hat. “Ladies, I’m sorry to interrupt.”

They all smiled. This was the last thing she’d expected. For a small town there sure was a lot of testosterone floating around.

Then Sloan’s gaze went to Jade, causing her breath to catch. What was that about?

He finally turned to Louisa. “Mother, just don’t overdo it.”

“Not a chance of that with everyone hovering.”

Again he nodded. “I’ll leave you all to your lunch.” He started to leave, then paused and said, “Hey, Rafferty, I need to talk to you about the roundup.”

Matt said goodbye, but his gaze lingered on Jade. “Maybe we’ll run into each other again.”

Jade wasn’t sure what to say, so she nodded.

Sean was the only man left now. “I take it you ladies all want the barbecue lunch special?” With their nod, he said, “And a pitcher of iced tea.”

“That’s perfect, Sean,” Louisa said. “Thank you.”

When he walked off, Beth spoke up. “I’ll pick up the check today, Louisa. I haven’t had this much entertainment in years.” She glanced at Jade. “Don’t look now, darlin’ but looks like you caught a couple of live ones.”

Louisa had a smile on her face, too.

“I’m not here to catch a guy,” Jade stressed. “I’m here to help Louisa.”

“It doesn’t look like you have a choice.” Liz sighed. “Oh, I remember those days when my Randy used to chase after me, trying to get my attention.”

With their nods, they watched as Sean went behind the bar.

“Isn’t he something,” Beth said.

“Don’t let Millie hear you saying that,” Liz said. “She’s had a thing for Sean for years.”

“A lot of good it does her,” Beth told her. “The man hasn’t dated much. Do you think he has someone in San Antonio?”

“Who cares?” Lisa said. “I think we have more love budding closer to home.” She smiled at Jade. “Two men. And to think I thought life was getting boring around here, and then you come to town.”

T
WO
hours later, Jade brought Louisa home from town and talked her into taking a nap. Even though she insisted that she wasn’t tired from her outing, the older woman fell right to sleep once she lay back against the pillow.

Jade stayed a few minutes to make sure she was truly asleep, then left. She would have gone to her own room to relax, but found she was too keyed up to stay inside. She had had a great time with Louisa and her friends today, until Sloan showed up. Did he follow them? Did he not trust her?

Going down to the kitchen, she asked Marta if she would listen for Louisa.

When the housekeeper agreed, Jade walked out the back door to the porch to enjoy the late afternoon fall day. The sights and sounds of the operation were evident. She watched the ranch hands on horseback shout commands as they moved cattle into large holding pens.

This was her father’s life. He’d been born and raised on this ranch. Yet she’d been denied this life. Kathryn chose not to tell Clay about her. As a child Jade had daydreamed about a father. She never got the chance to
know any more about Jim Hamilton than that he never wanted anything to do with her and left the marriage.

Would Clay have accepted her as his daughter if he’d known about her? Did he know about her and walk away anyway? She couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like to come here to live.

She sighed. She couldn’t think about that. She hadn’t had a perfect life growing up but there was never a doubt that Mother loved her. Still the past few months had been difficult, trying to grasp the fact that her identity had all been a lie. She wasn’t a Hamilton, and there was a good possibility she was a Merrick. Was it crazy to want to know where she’d come from? To discover who she was.

Curious about ranch life, she was itching to go out and experience it all. But she didn’t want to get in anyone’s way, especially Sloan’s. Even though he was only a stepson, he was truly Clay’s son. They had a special bond.

What would happen when he learned the real story? The man didn’t trust easily. She’d probably be run out of town.

No. She couldn’t let anyone find out yet, if ever. Not before she talked to Clay. She was pretty sure how they’d react and right now she’d settle for a little piece of Clay Merrick’s life. She stepped off the porch, and headed toward the barn. She decided she wanted to see the filly again.

She walked through the double doors, and found Bud talking with one of the hands. “Well, hello, Jade.”

“Hi, Bud. Is it okay to visit the filly?”

His smile turned into a grin. “I don’t see why not. Come on, I’ll go with you.” Together they walked down
to the last stall. Immediately Polly came to the railing to greet them.

Bud spoke up, “Hello, Mama. Look who I brought by to see ya.”

The horse made a nickering sound and moved toward Jade. Jade tensed at first, but slowly began to relax recalling their connection during the birthing. “Hi, Polly.”

The horse pushed her muzzle against her arm. Jade reached up and began petting the large animal. Polly was eager for some affection. “Hello, girl. How’s your baby today?”

The animal bobbed her head and blew out a loud breath.

“Now, that’s one happy mama,” Bud teased and they both laughed.

“I guess I missed the joke.”

They both turned to see Sloan standing in the aisle. He didn’t look any happier than he had at Rory’s.

“Hey, Sloan,” Bud said. “Jade came out to check on Polly.”

With one look from Sloan, Jade felt as if she was doing something wrong. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not as long as you don’t go wandering around by yourself,” he told her. “You aren’t used to ranch life.”

She felt a sudden anger. That wasn’t her fault. “Then I guess I should learn the ins and outs, so I won’t get caught in a cattle stampede or something.”

“With the roundup scheduled for next week it’s going to be busy around here, that’s all. You could get hurt.”

She straightened. “I’ll stay out of the way, Mr. Merrick. I better get back to my responsibilities.” She smiled at the foreman. “Thank you, Bud.”

“Anytime, darlin’, you just call on old Bud.”

“Excuse me,” she said, then hurried off down the aisle.

Sloan glanced at the disappointment on Bud’s face, realizing that he’d spoken harshly. Then he watched Jade until she disappeared through the doors.

“Well, I’m willing to guess your daddy would be ashamed of how you handled that.”

Sloan turned back to his foreman. “What? She’s my mother’s nurse. She shouldn’t be out here.”

“Why not? Is she chained to the house?” He whipped off his hat. “You didn’t have any problem with her out here yesterday when you needed her.”

“That was different. We were all here.” His words even sounded lame to him. “Besides, she’ll be leaving soon.”

“I think anyone who has the smarts to go through college and get a degree would be able to find their way around a ranch without getting into trouble.” His gaze moved over Sloan. “But maybe not.”

“What was that supposed to mean?”

“You’re a smart college guy. Seems to me you ought to be able to figure out why one cute, green-eyed filly sets you off.”

He stiffened, recalling a different time, a different woman. “I won’t be fooled again by a pretty face. It’s a waste of time and trouble when all they want to do is change you.”

Bud sighed, and pushed his hat back off his forehead. “Now there’s your first mistake, son, thinking they’re all the same.” He glanced down the aisle toward Jade. “I’m thinkin’ this one could be a keeper.”

It wasn’t until the following evening that Sloan conceded Bud had been partly right. His attitude toward
Jade Hamilton had been uncalled for. The only reason he could come up with was the one old Bud hinted about, that the woman was one big distraction. She had only been here a few days, and she’d been in his head constantly. Yet, there was something about her that still nagged at him.

Okay, she was a beautiful woman. He’d seen the interest she’d gotten from other men, including Matt Rafferty. Why had it bothered him? He wanted to think because he was protective of her because of Matt’s carousing ways, but he knew the real reason: he was attracted to her, too. That could mean trouble for so many reasons. First and foremost, she was his mother’s nurse and he didn’t want anything to interfere with his mother’s recovery.

Then there was the fact he didn’t want to put himself out there again. Once before he’d thought he’d found a woman he could love. Crystal had seemed perfect for him, for the ranch life. Then he learned that he was being used because of the Merrick name. And his bad judgment cost them all a lot.

No. He wasn’t about to let that happen again.

He walked through the back door and saw Jade all fresh and pretty. She looked up. Her eyes drew him, causing an awareness that was so strong and so intense he had to work to slow his breathing. He definitely wasn’t thinking with his head anymore.

“Hello, son,” his mother called, drawing his attention away.

“Oh, hi, Mom.” Then he saw piles of fabric squares scattered on the table, and he asked, “How was your afternoon?”

She glanced at him. “Oh, it was lovely. When I saw all the girls yesterday, they convinced me, even if I
can’t hand sew right now that I still need to get back into quilting. So Jade’s helping me sort through some fabric, and we’re pinning it.” She shrugged. “Maybe I’ll even attempt to use the cutter.”

He watched as Louisa awkwardly picked up fabric. Her actions were slow, but she was putting forth the effort, and it was more than he’d seen his mother try in months. His spirits soared. He looked at Jade, hoping to get her attention, but she was busy sorting. Then suddenly she stood, picked up the empty glasses and walked into the kitchen.

Maybe he deserved the cold shoulder. He put on a smile and turned back to his mother. “It’s good to see you get excited over a project again. I suspect the ladies were happy to see you.”

“They were.” Louisa looked sad. “Even though I’ve been avoiding their calls.”

“Mom, you’re working through your recovery.” He squatted down beside her. “You’ve been through a lot. All we want is for you to get better.”

She touched his cheek. “I’ve been feeling sorry for myself.”

“You had a right.” He fought a smile. “Maybe for a little while. But look what you’re doing to get back at a hundred percent?”

“Jade has helped me a lot. I’m glad she’s here.”

He was beginning to realize that, too. “Seems she’s getting results where we couldn’t help you.”

“No, she just doesn’t let me get away with anything. Not like you.”

He smiled. “Okay, so she’s a miracle worker.”

Louisa gave him a playful smack, then sobered. “Whatever, she’s helped me see a lot of things. If I want to get better, I’m the only one who can do it.”

“She’s not pushing you too hard, is she?”

“That’s just it, son. I need to push myself if I want to get back to how I was.” Tears flooded her eyes. “I’ve been putting you and Alisa through so much with my stubbornness.”

“We’ve survived.” In days, Jade Hamilton had accomplished more good than they had in months. “We love you, Mom, and you’re worth it.”

She looked sad again. “And your father…”

Sloan knew that his mother’s stroke had put a strain on their once perfect marriage. It had been hard to watch as she had pulled away from Clay and any offer of help or affection. “Dad will be home soon. Everything will be fine.”

She didn’t look convinced. “It’s only… I’m not the woman he married.”

He would never call his mother vain. Yet she had always taken special care of her appearance. She was still a beautiful woman, but he realized that a stroke changes people.

He reached for her hand. “Talk to Dad about how you feel.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if I can.”

Surely she didn’t think that Clay would reject her. “Of course you can.” He didn’t want to discuss his mother’s marriage problems. “You’ve always told me he’s the best listener.”

There had been a time during Sloan’s adolescence that he’d rejected any of Clay’s attempts at being a father. It took a year or so before he trusted the man to be there for him.

“Look, he won’t be home for another week. At least think about it. You two have been married a long time.”
He smiled. “I happen to know the man is crazy about you.”

When he saw his mother smile, he added, “I better let you get back to your project.” He stood. “Well, if you don’t need anything, I think I’ll call it an early night.”

His mother looked up and shook her head. “You lead a boring life, son.”

“Maybe you’re right, but I’m busy trying to get ready for the roundup.”

“And you’re thirty-two,” she retorted. “You should go out more…find that special woman.”

He’d been through this before with her. He hadn’t had much luck in the relationship department. He wasn’t a good judge of character. His choosing Crystal proved that.

“After the roundup.”

He kissed her cheek and headed to the kitchen and the back stairway to the second floor. Anxious to get away, he’d barely got out the door when he suddenly collided with someone. Jade.

“Oh,” she gasped.

He reached out and caught her around the waist to steady her. Except he wasn’t so steady, either, as her body pressed against his.

“You okay?” he managed as she raised those incredible eyes to his.

She released a breath, then quickly broke the hold and stepped back. “I’m fine.”

Damn if I am.
He still couldn’t take his eyes off her. He fought the urge to pull her back, to touch her, to feel her softness against him.

Jade glanced away. “Marta said to tell you she left your supper in the oven.”

The hunger he felt deep in his gut had nothing to do with food. “Your eyes are incredible.” She was tall and slender, but she had plenty of curves.

She lowered her lashes. “Thank you.”

The rest of her was just as incredible, too. “I was thinking of riding out to check my herd tomorrow. Would you like to go?” Where did that come from?

“You mean on a horse?”

He nodded. “It’ll soon come back to you.”

“Your mother’s therapist is coming in the morning for her exercise session. I have to be there.”

“Just call down to the barn when you’re free.”

He glanced down at her sandals. “I’ll dig up a pair of my sister’s boots.” He walked outside and hoped the night air would cool him off before he did something stupid.

Early the next morning, Jade stood next to Louisa in the home gym. The top-of-the-line equipment filled the large room. The therapist had just left and Louisa was finishing up her routine. Jade glanced at her patient and saw the beads of sweat on her face as she worked to raise the small hand weights.

Jade noticed Louisa’s range of motion had increased, and her balance was so much better, too. Louisa’s hard work on the treadmill and weights over the past few days had paid off.

“Let’s take a break,” Jade said.

Louisa put down the weights. “What’s this ‘us’ business. Seems I’ve been doing all the work.”

Jade smiled as she checked the woman’s heart rate. It was good. She draped the stethoscope around her neck. “And it’s showing.”

Louisa’s breathing wasn’t too labored, either. “Not
fast enough,” she said to Jade. “I’ve got other things to do besides hang out in here all day.”

Jade raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly are these plans?”

Louisa gave her a sideways glance. “Stop worrying. I’ve invited the girls here for lunch then we’re working on baby quilts.”

Jade was glad Louisa was being social again. “Sounds like fun.”

“You’re welcome to join us.”

Jade hesitated. She was supposed to go riding today, but she was having second thoughts about spending more time with Sloan. She’d seen his interest in her, and it would be so easy to reciprocate. Definitely not a good idea. This wasn’t why she came here.

“Sure.”

Louisa caught her reluctance. “Well, that was heart-felt.” She patted the towel on her face and paused. “You’re not on the clock all the time, Jade. You’re allowed some personal time.”