Читать книгу Reclaiming the Cowboy - Kathleen O'Brien - Страница 11

CHAPTER FOUR

TEN DAYS LATER, when Annabelle arrived at Bell River Ranch with three suitcases in the trunk of her cheap rental car, she was carefully dressed—costumed, really—in worn jeans, faded flannel and scuffed boots. It was the way she used to look when she’d lived here before.

Except for one thing. Her hair had been dyed dark back then, and she’d quit coloring it long ago. Today, the red flame was tucked away in a coiled knot.

And her heart was in her throat.

She parked as far from the house as she could, giving herself time to adjust. She hadn’t set foot on Bell River land in almost a year and a half, if you didn’t count that night...the night her mother had died.

That night had been different. It was one thing to steal back in darkness as Bonnie O’Mara, to be seen by only Mitch, to spend a few secret hours in the comfort of his arms and then run away again.

It was quite another to show up in broad daylight, to announce herself to the whole family as Annabelle Irving and to face their questions...and, quite possibly, their hostility and rejection.

She’d decided not to approach by the front door, but to look around outside, hoping she’d find Rowena at work. Maybe she’d even find her alone.

Luck was on her side. There Rowena was, standing by a fancy structure that must be the new stables. Her black hair flew in the spring breeze as she talked animatedly to a crowd of people...guests, judging from their too-expensive brand-new Western wear.

Ro must be matching the riders to the horses they’d use during their stay at the ranch. Annabelle had left before the dude ranch opened, so she’d never actually seen her friend do this. But they’d talked about it so often. Annabelle would be cooking or ironing, and Rowena would be dreaming out loud, building the ranch in the air. She’d made it real enough to touch.

Annabelle put her fingertips against the rough splintered side of the old barn, unable to move for a minute, overcome by a rush of emotion. She’d been gone so long. Maybe too long.

She could already see how much the ranch had changed. When she was last here, Bell River had been a scrappy start-up business, struggling to lay its ghosts to rest and build a future as a dude ranch. Now it was sleek and polished under the bright spring sun, beautiful against its jagged mountain backdrop. They’d expanded the main house and put up at least a dozen new outbuildings.

And everywhere she looked, so many people. Guests and staff and...

So much change. What if it wasn’t just the physical space that was different? What if it was the people, too? They’d been kind to her once, especially Rowena. They’d taken her in as unguardedly as they’d shelter a stray kitten. But she’d repaid them by breaking Mitch’s heart. Mitch, the family darling, who could charm the rogue out of any horse or any woman. Any man, for that matter. His smile made the room sparkle. His veins seemed to be filled with laughter instead of blood.

Were they likely to forgive an interloper like Annabelle for lying to him, leaving him and, by doing those things, turning off all that sunlight?

She swallowed hard and tilted her face toward the sun, trying to breathe in courage. Maybe Bell River no longer had a place for her, but she must try. She needed to explain, partly because they deserved an explanation and partly because she intended to set things right. No matter how hard it was, no matter how long it took, she was going to get Mitch Garwood back.

Brave words, considering she had frozen in place, half-hidden behind the old barn and paralyzed with fear. Darn it, this wasn’t how she’d intended to start her new life. She tightened her jaw and moved her leaden legs forward, crunching the last patches of spring snow under her boots and arranging a confident smile on her lips.

Rowena was so engrossed in sorting the guests and horses she didn’t notice Annabelle until she was at the edge of the crowd. Ro glanced over, started to glance away, then did a subtle double take. Her green eyes grew very wide, but she maintained her professional composure.

That made Annabelle’s lips curve in a genuine smile. Composed and Rowena weren’t words used together very often. Or at least they hadn’t been, back then. Ro was all fire and energy, and she never had seemed to pull any punches.

Now, though, she finished pairing up the current guest with a lovely young paint, then smoothly excused herself and strode calmly to where Annabelle stood, waiting.

When she got close enough, she fisted her hands in her riding jacket’s pockets and planted her feet several inches apart. She looked Annabelle over slowly, studying every inch of her face.

Annabelle had to fight to keep from lifting her chin defensively. Whatever Rowena was going to say, she probably deserved it, and she’d take it without complaint.

Several awkward seconds passed, and then Rowena finally spoke, with that wry, throaty voice Annabelle remembered. “Well,” she said cryptically.

Annabelle took a breath. She met Rowena’s eyes. “Well?”

Rowena chuckled. “Well...well, nothing, really. I’m just surprised, that’s all. Mitch said you looked like a completely different person, but then, he’s in a major snit, so obviously he was overstating.”

A snit? Was that what Ro called Mitch’s intractable anger? That was definitely understating it a bit.

Annabelle wanted to break the awkward silence, but she hardly knew where to start. She had so much to say, so many apologies to make. She wanted to explain why she’d come, how she hoped she might be able to make Mitch understand and forgive, but how to begin?

“The red hair is a bit startling,” Rowena said, tilting her head to continue her appraisal. “But otherwise you look exactly the same. Well, not exactly, but almost. You look a little sadder, but then...why shouldn’t you? Mitch says your mother just died and your cousin is a homicidal, moneygrubbing sociopath.”

Annabelle laughed in spite of her nerves. Rowena never had been a fan of sugarcoating.

“A sociopath who tried to kill you, for God’s sake. Nearly getting murdered is enough to make anyone sad, and—” As Rowena’s words broke off, she wrinkled her nose sheepishly. “And... Oops! I’m suddenly realizing we should have this conversation somewhere more private. Come on. I’ll ditch work, and we’ll talk. I’ll make you some tea.”

She moved toward the house, but then stopped so fast that Annabelle, following closely, almost ran into her. Her feet tangled and Annabelle reached out to steady herself on Ro’s elbow. Again, she had to laugh. How could she have forgotten how mercurial, how tempestuous Rowena’s emotions were?

“Hey.” Ro smiled. “It just occurred to me. Didn’t we skip an important step?” And then, with a graceful simplicity, she held out her arms.

A hug. Such an easy thing, but everything Annabelle had hoped for was written in Rowena’s dazzling smile. Ro was offering her the embrace of friendship, of forgiveness, of understanding.

Her chest muscles relaxing in a flood of relief, and her eyes welling with tears, Annabelle simply nodded, unable to form words.

“Well, okay, then!” Rowena enveloped her in an enthusiastic bear hug that left no doubt. Whether she arrived as Annabelle or Bonnie, brunette or redhead, enigma or heiress, she was still welcome in this corner of Bell River Ranch.

When they finally pulled apart, Annabelle felt a hundred years lighter.

“Come on. Tea and talk. It’ll be like old times.” Still smiling, Rowena took her hand and headed for the house.

The big stone-and-wood two-story structure had been so thoroughly renovated Annabelle was a little disoriented at first. But Ro plowed on, up the back porch and then through the charming, busy rooms, giving Annabelle hardly enough time to take it all in.

Ro stopped for nothing. She smiled at guests but didn’t pause to chat. She waved away a dozen staffers with questions until finally they reached a newly built wing, separated from the public areas by a small hall and a door.

“Our quiet, private Garwood haven,” Ro said, putting her hand on the doorknob. “Although I’m not sure you can call a place ‘quiet’ when both Alec and a newborn live in it.”

Annabelle pulled up, shocked. “A newborn? Is it...?” She began to smile. “Oh, Ro! You and Dallas had a baby?”

Rowena laughed as she flung the door open. “Well, frankly, I think I did all the work, but yeah. We named her Moira, after my mother. Moira Rose. Rosie for short. She’s gorgeous, but she’s a pistol. She’s almost two months old now, and she’s got us all wrapped around her fussy little fingers.” She paused. “Didn’t Mitch tell you?”

Annabelle shook her head. “We didn’t talk about anything but—well, we argued, mostly.”

Rowena groaned. “Oh, Mitch. You idiot.”

“He’s so angry, Ro.” Annabelle could hear the fear in her voice. Fear that, this time, his anger might never go away. “He’s angry because I never told him the truth. Because I left him.”

“Oh, heaven spare me from Garwoods,” Rowena growled. “They are the most stubborn men on the planet. Anyone with half a brain could figure out you only left Mitch to protect him.”

Annabelle inhaled sharply, as if she could truly breathe for the first time in months. Rowena understood. Rowena loved Dallas, probably just as much as Annabelle loved Mitch. So she knew how impossible it would be to think you’d put the man you loved in danger. She knew you’d give up anything, even your chance at happiness, just to keep him safe.

“He doesn’t see it that way,” Annabelle said. “He thinks— I don’t know. He’s taking it personally, as if I underrated him. As if I didn’t see him as man enough to trust in a crisis.”

Rowena’s green eyes flashed as she thought that through. “Yeah, that sounds like Mitch. Idiot.” But her tone was affectionate. “And you’ve come back to see if you can change his mind?”

“Yes.” Annabelle was grateful Rowena made it all so easy to explain. “I’ve come to Silverdell to stay, and...if you’ll have me back, I’d like to work here, at the ranch. I’ll do anything, and I wouldn’t want any pay. I just want to be here. I’ll need chances to talk to him. To show him. And maybe I can...maybe he’ll see...”

She let the words dwindle off, realizing how naive they sounded. How half-baked this plan truly was. It wasn’t even a plan. It was the flailing of a drowning person, trying to splash her way back to shore.

But apparently the idea didn’t sound dumb to Rowena. She narrowed her sparkling eyes and nodded. “Excellent. Okay, I’ll have to think. We’ll have to see what kind of work we can find. Can you start today?”

“Today?”

“Of course. In fact, yesterday would have been better.” Rowena tugged Annabelle into the room and closed the door firmly behind them. Annabelle got a general impression of warm elegance, blues and creams and flowers everywhere. But she couldn’t focus on anything except the female pillar of determination and grit in front of her.

Rowena was a force to be reckoned with—and, Annabelle realized with sudden gratitude, she would be a terrific ally. Ro put her hands on her hips, a sure sign she was ready to go to battle, and studied Annabelle, her eyes focused fiercely.

“Look, Bonnie. Or Annabelle. What do you want to be called?”

“Annabelle, I suppose,” she said slowly. She’d thought about this a lot. She didn’t want Mitch to think she was still playing games. “Or Belle. Our gardener, one of my closest friends growing up, always called me BonnyBelle. I guess that’s where I came up with Bonnie in the first place.”

Rowena absorbed that a moment, then, with her usual pragmatism, moved on. “Fine. Belle works. So anyhow, Belle, I suspect you’re not going to want to hear this, but there’s a lawyer lady over in Grand Junction who’s been hanging around Mitch for the past couple of months.”

Annabelle steadied her nerves. “Well, I knew he would date. I didn’t expect him to be—”

“This isn’t just dating. Indiana Dunchik is her name. She’s gorgeous, and she’s ambitious, and she helped him patent one of his goofy inventions. A jacket that has magical properties or something.”

Annabelle’s mouth opened. “The chore jacket? Oh, that’s wonderful, Rowena! I knew that one was a winner!”

“No, it is not wonderful.” Rowena shook her head, as if she were talking to a child. “Focus, Belle. Believe me, I know Ms. Dunchik’s type. She’s trying to corral him, pure and simple. She wants to saddle him up and ride him all the way to the altar.”

The altar? Annabelle’s heart took slow dragging paces, as if it had hit an unexpected patch of molasses. She felt momentarily light-headed. The altar.

Had she waited too long?

“But surely Mitch isn’t... He won’t...”

“He might.” Rowena shook her head again, but Annabelle glimpsed a soft gleam of understanding behind her eyes. “He doesn’t love her, but she’s clever. She knows he’s wounded. And like any predator, she recognizes when it’s time to close in for the kill.”

Rowena sighed, as if the thought hurt her, too—or maybe she just knew how much it would hurt Belle.

“Anyhow,” she said, rallying. “What I’m saying is...if you really want that idiot man back, there isn’t a minute to lose.”

* * *

MITCH KNEW THE dinner date was in trouble when he found himself playing the anti-Bonnie game. The game’s rules were simple: every time he noticed something that was the opposite of Bonnie O’Mara, he took a swig of iced tea.

He’d played the game on every date for months right after Bonnie left, but he’d given it up a while back, finally recognizing that even the anti-Bonnie game was just one more way of obsessing about her.

Here he was, though, doing it again. By the time the bill came, he was on his fourth glass, and the waiter was looking at him funny. But Indiana made it so easy. The differences were endless. She was the epitome of the anti-Bonnie.

She wore three-inch heels, where Bonnie refused to be uncomfortable and always went for flats. Drink. She wore all kinds of expensive jewelry, including those ridiculous dangly earrings, where Bonnie had one pair of pearl studs she never took off, even to shower. Drink. She ordered the most expensive thing on offer, where Bonnie always shopped from the right side of the menu. Drink.

Indiana laughed at his dumb jokes, but she made refined chuckle noises through pursed lips, where Bonnie had found him so funny she sometimes had to cover her mouth to keep from spitting her tea everywhere. Drink.

The waiter smothered a sigh and strode over to refill his glass again.

Indiana waved the man away. With a smile, she reached her hand across the snowy tablecloth and touched Mitch’s knuckles lightly. “How about we go to my place for coffee?”

Mitch summoned an answering smile, surprised at how un-thrilled he felt. Supposedly, the more points a woman scored in the anti-Bonnie game, the better. By that measure, Indiana was an A-plus. Her body was darn near perfect, too. And look at that face! The earrings kept swinging against her elegant jawline, sending out sparks of light that accented her blue eyes. Normal blue, nothing otherworldly, cryptic and mystical like Bonnie’s.

Drink.

“Coffee sounds great,” he said. Though he couldn’t possibly swallow coffee, or anything else, as he was swimming in tea already, he knew she had no intention of brewing anything. Coffee, said in that particular tone, with that dimpling curve of the lips, was just another word for sex.

In fact, sex had been the foregone conclusion of this evening from the get-go. This was probably their fifth dinner, and they liked each other. A lot. Tonight, as he was leaving her office, she’d suggested a restaurant only two blocks from her condo here in Grand Junction. Their eyes met, and she had smiled with an honest, confident candor that said it all. She might as well have slapped a condom on the desk.

And so what? He really did like her, and not just because she was helping him make a lot of money. She was smart, beautiful, worldly, divorced and straightforward. He was tired of being alone.

If he said no to a woman like Indiana, he might as well go get fitted for a hair shirt...or a shroud.

The starry night was cool, so he gave her his jacket. Her hand was warm in his, but her long, immaculate nails grazed his skin, so unlike...

For crying out loud! No more of that. He was finished playing that game. If they were going to have sex, he owed it to her to be making love to Indiana Dunchik, not just the anti-Bonnie.

But he couldn’t help thinking how different her fingers would be on his skin. Some men had fantasies about long, predatory red nails tickling across intimate parts. But he’d developed a preference for scruffy, hardworking hands.... In fact, some of the best sex he’d ever had was the minute they got in the door from work, before either of them even showered to wash the mud off.

Suddenly, Indiana swiveled into his arms, and her face was so close it would have been rude not to kiss it. So he did. He dimly realized, by the warm temperature around them, that they must have entered the condo while he’d been distracted. He peeked between his lashes and noticed a lot of red and beige. Okay, not bad. A little impersonal, maybe, but a lot of elegance and a lot of clean.

Her eyes were firmly shut, so he risked looking more thoroughly. Yeah, her living room was superneat and tidy. Not a speck of dust anywhere, not a cushion out of alignment. If she had hobbies or quirks, she kept them out of sight.