Читать книгу Skylar's Outlaw - Linda Warren, Linda Warren - Страница 12

“WHAT?”

“While your mother lived at the Rocking C, you came many times to visit, usually with a couple of friends in tow.”

“Yes, but I don’t remember seeing you.” Her voice came out hoarse, and she curled her hands into fists.

“The cowboys and I were hired hands, and beneath you and your friends. You mostly made fun of us and called us names.”

She swallowed a wad of guilt that haunted her from those years—years of rebellion, years of living life on the edge. How did she explain that to him? How did she admit she had been a pampered, spoiled bitch?

Her throat worked but no words came out.

“You and your friends spent the afternoons around the pool in skimpy bikinis, leaving the privacy gate open so the cowboys could see. At night y’all hit the clubs in Fort Worth. One night y’all came in around 3:00 a.m. I was checking a mare that was about to foal. You were trying to put a saddle on Juniper Rose, and I told you no way were you going to ride that horse. You were drunk out of your mind. You gave me a tongue-lashing I won’t soon forget, but I refused to let you ride the horse. You told me to pack my things because I wouldn’t have a job in the morning.”

Sky felt color stain her cheeks. She remembered. Oh, God! She hated going to the Rocking C, but her mother had whined and whined until she’d given in. Sky had always taken friends with her to get through the weekend. And they did what rich girls did best—they partied.

“The next morning Everett said you were leaving that afternoon, and to make myself invisible until then. Ol’ Everett had a plan and nothing was getting in the way of it, including you.” Coop’s eyes bored into her. “I spent six months in a Huntsville prison because of him.”

“I’m sorry. I really am, but I had nothing to do with that.”

“I know,” he admitted, to her surprise. “But women like you and your mother, who drive men to do the unspeakable, rub me the wrong way.”

She licked her suddenly dry lips. “I’m not my mother and I’m not the same woman you met on that ranch.”

His eyes swept over her and a chill ran through her. “You look the same.”

“Really?” She lifted an eyebrow. “My hair is frizzed out. I’m not wearing makeup, and I have oil on my boots and on my jeans. Not to mention I’m broke. I’m hardly that self-centered, tongue-lashing bitch you met.”

“Maybe.” He folded his arms across his chest. “It’s hard for me to believe you’re Dane’s daughter. Cait and Maddie are so loving and caring. As a boy, I wanted to run away many times, but I stayed and finished high school because of Cait. She never gave up on me. And Maddie…well, she’s the nicest person I’ve ever met.”

“And I’m the bitch.”

His eyes met hers. “If you say so.”

“I don’t.” She straightened her backbone, determined to tell her side. “Motherhood has changed me. Back then I hated all the glitz and glamour of the Rocking C, and I especially disliked my mother’s husband. I suppose I felt if I rebelled enough, Mom would stop insisting that I visit. My life wasn’t as much fun as you might think, but I’m not going to stand here and try to explain my past behavior. I’m sorry for what was done to you by Everett. He’s a scumbag. But hating me is not going to help our situation here at High Five. That’s my concern now.”

Coop unfolded his arms, his eyes still holding hers with that sizzling glare. “You think you can work with an ex-con?”

“Yes.” Her eyes didn’t waver from the challenge in his. She took a step closer. “Cait says this ranch can’t survive without you. We can either see if that’s true or we can make High Five a prosperous operation once again.”

He didn’t move or speak, but the muscles in his arms worked from clenching his hands.

“Cait’s always talking about the bottom line. Well, this is it. We can either be friends or enemies—your choice.” Sky paused and then added, “Ru said I needed to give you a chance. That works both ways. I can’t change the past, but I can make the future better.”

On that, she walked out the door and didn’t bother to close it. Once she reached the edge of the lighted area, she bolted through the darkness. Her lungs tight, she sank to the ground beneath an oak tree.

Life was hell when you had to look at yourself through a two-way mirror and see all your faults and bad habits in living color. Pointed out by a man who had been on the receiving end of her bad behavior. She never dreamed she’d met him before. She’d never…Damn it! She could blame a lot of people, but the only person to blame was herself. Back then her resentment toward her mother had clouded her judgment and her actions. Sky had been out of control, drinking and partying way too much.

Drawing a long breath, she listened to the coyotes in the distance and the crickets chirping. She was wrong. She’d misjudged Cooper because he hadn’t been bowled over by her. That’s what had irritated her. Seeing vanity in herself wasn’t easy.

Cait had always said that one day Sky might have to eat her words about Cooper. She was, and they tasted like a bull nettle going down her throat. Startling. Burning. Awakening.

She glanced up toward the heavens. “If you’re watching, I could use a little help.” Her father had said that when she was grown she would see her faults clearly. They were about as bright as the twinkling stars. She rose to her feet and started toward the house.

Growing up was hell.

COOPER STOOD THERE for five minutes before he closed the door. He hadn’t meant to say so much, but she had a way of triggering his emotions. He didn’t analyze that any further because he didn’t want to know why the woman had such an effect on him. Never in his life had he judged anyone, but with her he couldn’t help himself.

He sat at the table and pushed the plate aside.

Friends or enemies.

His choice.

There was only one way to settle this, the same way he settled every big decision in his life. He never thought of himself as a gambler, but some days a man just had to take a risk.

Jamming a hand into his jeans pocket, he pulled out a quarter. As he flipped it in the air, he called, “Heads.” Catching the coin, he laid it flat on the table and stared at it a long time. “That’s the way it will be.” He blew out a breath. “And God help us all.”

COOPER WOKE UP at 4:00 a.m., as always. He had an internal clock that never failed him. After making coffee, he dressed. The food the redhead had brought still sat on the table. It was ruined now, so he carried it outside and gave it to the dogs. Then he washed the plate and drank two cups of coffee. Ready for the day, he headed for the barn, keeping his mind blank. He refused to think about the redhead.

He walked to the lean-to and crawled onto a tractor with a front-end loader. The open well shaft he’d found yesterday had to be filled. The tractor puttered to life and he could see clearly in the beam of the headlights. An hour later he had the hole filled with sand. He laid the boards back on top and dumped more sand to make them secure. Now he felt sure the problem was solved.

Driving back, he saw a group of wild pigs scurrying away from the tractor. Damn! They could do more damage than good to the pastures.

As he parked the tractor in the lean-to, he knew he couldn’t hold off the morning. And his decision.

A yellow glow already bathed the sky, and soon the sun would burst forth to start another day. A peaceful quiet seemed to prevail before the world awoke. He felt that quiet inside him, urging him on. He headed for the house.

As he entered the kitchen, Etta was at the stove and Ru sat eating breakfast.

Etta glanced at him. “It’s about time. Have a seat. I’ll have your breakfast ready in no time.”

“Thank you, Etta.” He placed his hat on a rack.

Sitting next to Ru, he avoided looking at the little girl seated across the table in a booster chair.

“Glad you and Sky got everything sorted out,” Rufus said, buttering a biscuit.

Coop didn’t answer as he accepted the mug of coffee Etta handed him.

“I’m Kira,” a little voice said from across the table.

Cooper didn’t know a thing about kids so he thought it best to ignore the child.

“What’s your name?”

He took a swallow of coffee.

“What’s your name?” the kid persisted.

“For Pete’s sake, answer,” Ru snapped.

Coop looked at the little girl with the red curly hair. Dressed in a pink nightgown, she held an orangey-red stuffed animal in one arm.

Swallowing, he said, “I’m Cooper.”

“Coo.”

“Cooper.”

“Coo.”

“Coop…”

He trailed off as Etta placed bacon and eggs in front of him.

“What you eating, Coo?”

Cooper clenched his jaw. Did the kid have a hearing problem? “Bacon and eggs,” he muttered, hoping the little girl turned her attention elsewhere.

“Etta, can I have bacon and eggs, please?”

“You haven’t finished your oatmeal.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Mmm. You’ll eat bacon and eggs?”

“Yes.”

Coop dug into his breakfast and did his best to ignore the child.

“I played with Georgie yesterday. He’s having a birthday party and I’m going.”

Coop took a bite of biscuit and kept on ignoring her.

“I think it’s tomorrow. I don’t know. I have to ask Mommy, but Aunt Maddie’s making a cake and everything. Do you like cake?”

Coop took another swallow of coffee.

Rufus stood with his plate in his hand. Bending low, he whispered, “She’s not contagious.”

“Yeah,” Coop mumbled.

Etta laid a small plate with a cut-up egg and some bacon in front of the girl. The child picked up a fork and began to eat. Coop noticed her watching him. Every time he put a bite in his mouth, so did she. When he reached for his coffee, she drank her milk.

The redhead appeared in the doorway, dressed for the day in tight jeans and a pearl-snap shirt that outlined her curvy breasts. Not that he noticed.

The child swung to her. “Look, Mommy, I’m eating with Coo.”

Sky glanced from her child to him. “You ate eggs?”

The girl nodded, sporting a milk mustache.

“Time to get dressed, baby.”

Cooper rose to his feet, banking down any resentment he felt toward this woman. “I thought I’d check the hayfields this morning to see how much rain we got. As soon as it dries out, we should be able to get a first cutting.”

Sky did a double take. His voice sounded cordial. Almost. But she wasn’t going to look this gift horse in the mouth. He was here, eating. That was a step forward.

“Good,” she replied.

“I saw some wild pigs this morning and I want to make sure they’re not rooting up the fields.”

“Wild pigs?”

“They’re common around here.”

“Yeah.” Rufus joined the conversation. “Skully Lutz traps them. I can give him a call if you want.”

“What does he charge?” Sky asked.

“Nothing. He just keeps all the pigs he catches.”

She looked at Cooper. “Do you think it’s a good idea to call him?”

“It couldn’t hurt. They travel in groups and they could really damage our hayfields. Our pastures, too.”

“Then call, Ru. We don’t need anything else working against us.”

“Will do.”

Both men ambled toward the back door.

“Coo,” Kira called.

Cooper stopped in his tracks and slowly glanced back.

“Bye.” Kira smiled.

He nodded, grabbed his hat and was gone.

Sky suppressed a grin. Evidently Cooper was a little nervous around children. But her daughter had a way of working magic.

“Come on, baby. Mommy has to get you dressed. I have to go to work.”

“I can dress myself.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Kira crawled from the chair with Sky’s help. “I’m big like Georgie and Coo.”

Cooper was in a whole different ballpark than Georgie, but obviously Kira saw them as strong hero types.

“Miss Dorie and I will help her,” Etta said. “You better go or you’ll never find Ru and Coop.”

“Thanks, Etta.” Sky bent low to kiss her child. “Mommy will be back later.”

“’Kay.”

“Etta…”

“I have your cell number. Stop worrying.”

She grabbed a worn felt hat as Etta and Kira walked out, the little girl chattering nonstop. Sky and her baby had been together so much Sky thought Kira would miss her. But Kira was social and adaptable to every situation, much like her mother.

So many times during her youth, Sky had had to adjust to new living arrangements, a new home, a new stepfather, but she never did it with as much grace as Kira. Sky tended to pout and rebel. She prayed that part of her nature was gone forever.

She hurried out the door to start this new phase of her life. She was going to be so damn agreeable, Cooper Yates wasn’t going to know what hit him.

THE DAY WENT BETTER than Sky had hoped. Cooper didn’t ignore her, but she felt her presence was a strain on him. Yet they were trying. That was the important part.

The ranch had gotten two inches of rain, so the crops were thriving. A week of sunshine and they could start cutting hay for baling.

At noon they went back to the house for lunch. Kira and Gran were having a tea party in the parlor around the coffee table. Kira wore a hat with faded satin ribbons and feathers, definitely from the forties as was Gran’s.

“We’re having camel tea, Mommy,” Kira said, lifting a cup to her mouth with her little pinkie stuck out.

“Camel tea?”

“Chamomile, my baby,” Gran corrected her.

“Yeah, that.”

They were having fun so Sky left, feeling better about being away from her daughter.

That afternoon she, Rufus and Cooper rode through the herd. They stopped putting out feed long ago, since there was plenty of green grass. Toward the woods, they could see buzzards circling.

Cooper pulled up the paint. “Let’s hope that’s a dead squirrel or a raccoon.”

Sky and Ru followed as he steered the paint into the woods.

“Son of a bitch.” Cooper swung from the horse and ran to the black cow stretched out on the ground. A baby calf’s feet protruded from her rear end.

Coop knelt by the cow and she didn’t move. “Damn it! I knew this heifer was fixing to calve, and I was keeping a close watch on her. With the rain and all, I didn’t check her last night.”

Sky knelt beside him. “Is she dead?”

“No, but she might as well be.” He removed his hat and swiped an arm across his forehead.

“Isn’t there something we can do?”

Cooper ran his hand over the cow’s swollen stomach and studied the unborn calf. “First, we have to get this out of her. It’s dead. No telling how long she’s been out here like this. Damn it! Damn it!” He stood and marched to his horse, grabbing a rope. “We have to pull the calf.”

Sky didn’t say anything, because this was something she knew nothing about. She had a feeling she was going to get a lesson in ranching today.

From a man who wished she was anywhere but here.