Читать книгу The Cowboy's Return - Susan Crosby - Страница 9

At five-thirty the next morning, Mitch climbed the porch stairs. He’d been up for a while, Bo joining him as he walked the property and made a list of what needed to be done, sorting through a personal dilemma at the same time.

His father wanted Annie’s land. So did Shep Morgan. Morgan’s interest was understandable, since he owned the land surrounding her property. But his father? His only reason would be if he wanted to use it as leverage for a deal later. Mitch’s dad and Shep were both smart businessmen.

Ever since the gold rush more than a century and a half ago, the Ryders and the Morgans had ranched these parts, were stewards of this majestic land. Over time, however, cycles of drought, pestilence and the Great Depression had forced both families to sell much of their land. In the past forty years they had been buying back property, reclaiming their heritage and rebuilding their dynasties.

Theirs wasn’t a Hatfield-and-McCoy-style feud, but a fierce, relentless competition for domination of land and cattle holdings.

And now they both wanted Annie’s land. If she knew Mitch was a Ryder, she would send him packing, maybe even decide he was part of a ploy to get her land for his family. He wasn’t ready to go home yet, but also she needed him—someone, anyway—to get her greenhouse operational, if she stood a chance at all to turn a profit.

The irony didn’t escape Mitch. His father needed her to fail, and here Mitch was trying to help her succeed.

Except he couldn’t see how she stood a chance of surviving another year financially.

Mitch carried his empty coffee mug into the house for a refill and came upon Annie standing in the kitchen perfectly still, staring straight ahead.

“Morning, Annie.”

“You made coffee.”

Crap. He’d screwed up. Maybe she kept coffee for a special occasion. Maybe the price was too—

“Thank you,” she said. “This is going to sound maudlin, but no one’s done anything for me for so long.”

Honestly, he’d made coffee because he wanted some and didn’t want to wait for her to get up. He didn’t know what to say so he poured himself another cup, avoiding conversation. After a few seconds, he grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured one for her. “How do you take it?”

“Black, thanks.”

He finally looked at her face. She smiled. Her hair was freshly brushed, falling down her back in golden waves, reminding him of the Cinderella poster on his sister Jenny’s wall when she was a kid, the one of Cinderella scrubbing floors, her mice friends around her, which Jenny preferred to the ball scene with the prince.

Annie leaned against the kitchen counter, the mug cupped in her hands. “You’re up early.”

“Always. What time does Austin get out of bed?”

“I let him sleep until six-thirty, more for my sake than his. I like a quiet start to the morning. Once he’s awake, it’s noisy. I generally fix breakfast around seven. If you’d like something to tide you over, toast or—”

“Seven’s fine.” What he’d like was to untie her robe and see what she was wearing under it, what she wore to bed, although he doubted she slept in the nude. “Stick to your regular schedule. I’ll adapt.”

Mitch pulled a folded-up paper from his back pocket and passed it to her. “I made a list this morning of what I could see needing fixing. Anything you want to add, just write it down. We’ll get the high tunnel up today, provided it really can be installed in one day, as the literature says. I also came across some chicken wire in the barn, enough for three small patches anyway, which will do for a temporary fix.”

“Where’d you find that? I thought I knew every nail and post stored on this property.”

“Tucked behind some old boards covered in spider-webs.” He took a sip from his mug, stalling before he broke some bad news. “Um, are you aware there’s a leak in your barn roof?”

She sighed. “Yes. Will a patch do for that, too? I can’t swing a new roof yet.”

“We can try.”

“It’s going to have to be you, not we. I don’t deal with heights well.”

He wasn’t fond of heights himself, and that ladder of hers looked pretty rickety. Apparently she thought he was a superhero who could do anything. He wondered how long he could stall the roof job. The chance of rain was slim at the moment.

“Had the place been abandoned for long before you got here?” Mitch asked, copying her stance of leaning against the counter.

“A year, but Rick’s uncle hadn’t been able to take care of it for a while before that, so no one had been working the land. It was a mess. It had taken Barney’s lawyer a long time to find us, because we moved around a lot. Rick was surprised to be Barney’s heir. He hadn’t seen his uncle since he was a boy.”

“Where had you been living?”

“When they found us? In Reno. We were both blackjack dealers, working different shifts.”

“I can’t picture that,” Mitch said, more surprised than he let on. “You seem like Mother Earth.”

“I took to this land instantly. I was so glad to get out of the casino, where you’re barely aware of day and night, much less actual time. And then there’s the noise and desperation. It got to be too depressing for me.”

“I’ll bet you were good at it, though.”

“I make it a point to be good at whatever job I’m doing. I’m kind of fanatical about that. But this land? I’m willing to work my fingers to the bone to stay here, to raise Austin where he’s outdoors a lot and in a real community, even if we have to eat beans most of the time. I’m finally home.”

Mitch admired her determination but was worried about her, too. Someone that driven, that single-minded, often didn’t see it was time to quit until they were broken, which made for a much longer recovery.

“Where’d you grow up?” he asked, sipping his cooling coffee.

“Everywhere—although always in cities. My parents moved all the time. I ended up marrying a man who lived the same way. By the time we landed here I was worn-out from it all, but more than ready to settle.”

She was still worn-out, but in a happier way, he supposed.

“I’m going to go read the instructions on the greenhouse,” he said.

“Really? A man who reads instructions?”

He leaned around her to set his mug in the sink, intentionally brushing her arm while trying to make it seem unintentional. She didn’t move out of the way. In fact, she went very still.

“I’m out of my element,” he said. She smelled good. Fresh. Female. “But I’m pretty good with my hands.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

He liked that she didn’t let him get away with trying to unsettle her a little. He also liked that she seemed to have the same attraction that he did.

Although he had no idea what to do about it.

“There’s a video on YouTube that shows a high tunnel being put together,” she said. “I can pull it up, if you like.”

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.”

She found what she was looking for then stood behind him as he watched. He was completely aware of her. If he angled back just a little, his head would rest against her breasts. He’d already deduced she wasn’t wearing a bra. On some women, that wouldn’t matter much, but Annie’s breasts swayed when she moved. At one point, she rested her hand on his shoulder and leaned closer to the monitor, the fluffy fabric of her robe brushing his ear. She pointed at something he couldn’t see through a sudden burst of desire, which affected even his vision.

“This is the part that confuses me,” she said. “Do we have to bend all those poles ourselves?”

The only reason he knew the answer was because he’d unwrapped all the parts and inspected them. “They were pre-bent at the factory.”

“Oh. Good.”

He turned around in the swivel chair. She didn’t move away, not one inch. He decided he needed to have some amount of truth between them, to be honest about how she was making him feel. “You plannin’ on keepin’ this up, Annie?”

“What?”

“Puttin’ yourself this close to me. Makin’ me want you.”

She stared back at him for a full ten seconds. “I didn’t mean to. But I can’t seem to control it.”

He appreciated that she didn’t apologize or make excuses or pretend innocence. “Well, if you want me to, you’d best be careful what you do. If you don’t want me to control it, that’s good, too. But I’d like to know where we stand on this.”

Her voice was quiet, and a little shaky. “I haven’t been touched in a very long time. And I’m attracted to you. That’s a hard combination to ignore.”

“You have a son in residence.”

“Which will keep me on the straight and narrow.”

“While I stay on the straight and up,” he said, then watched her drop her gaze to his lap. “Every man has a limit to how much teasing he can take, even a man like me who was raised to respect women and to step away when she says no.”

When she still didn’t answer his question, he pushed his chair out of range. “I think I need to watch the video again. Alone.”

“I’ll get dressed,” Annie said in a rush, retreating, almost running to her room, where she shut the door and leaned against it, breathing hard. She hadn’t recognized herself, coming on to him like that. She’d never been the instigator, having been rejected by Rick too often. They’d been almost strangers for the last few years of their marriage.

She covered her face with her hands, could feel the heat there, from embarrassment and desire. She’d wanted to drop her robe and climb onto his lap, to kiss and be kissed, to feel him, strong and sure, inside her. To feel desirable.

She was going to have to take big steps back, in thought and deed. As a single woman, she might be able to fulfill fantasies with him, but as a mother, there was no way. Austin was rarely gone, just an occasional afternoon movie with a friend from school, no overnighters, which was Austin’s choice. He wasn’t comfortable away from home overnight yet, although he’d had friends stay over with him.

Annie pulled on her jeans and boots. She grabbed a bra from her dresser and sighed. It used to be white, until she’d accidentally washed it with her jeans once. Now it looked gray and tired. She hadn’t bought new clothes for herself in so long, just new things for Austin as he outgrew them. And occasionally Rick would decide to send Austin a care package, usually when he was feeling guilty about not following through on a promise. The box would be filled with clothing and video games, this last time even an iPod.

Dressed, she made her way tentatively into the living room, but Mitch was gone. Through the window she saw him dragging large metal poles over to the spot where they would erect the high tunnel.

She decided not to join him, even though it went against her work ethic not to be there helping. She figured he wanted some time alone.

How long will you stay? she asked him silently. Would he give her notice before he left or just take off? They’d only agreed on a few days, no more than a week. She couldn’t afford him for longer than that.

So. Get Austin to the movies with a friend and enjoy this opportunity with a man who wants you.

She shoved her hair back, pulled it into a ponytail so hard it hurt. Who was this Annie Barnard, thinking about having a onetime fling with a drifter whose last name she didn’t even know?

He comes with condoms.

She finally laughed at herself. She was a woman in the prime of her life who’d been denied intimacy for far too long, and it was manifesting itself by turning her into some kind of … tart. That made her laugh harder. She dropped onto the couch and buried her face in her hands, stifling the sounds.

“Are you okay, Mom?”

She felt the grin on her face as she looked up at her son, all sleepy-eyed and adorable. “I am A-okay.”

“It kinda looked like you were going crazy.”

“In a good way.” She pulled him into a big hug, then offered her pinky. “A day at a time,” they said in unison.

“Where’s Mitch?”

“Outside, I believe. He’s anxious to get started on the high tunnel.”

“Me, too!”

“Then I’ll get breakfast going so we can do just that.”

Breakfast was scrambled eggs plus oatmeal with blueberries from their garden. Annie was grateful that Austin filled the dead spaces in the conversation, as Mitch said little. Then they all headed to the yard and the immense project awaiting them.

Maybe one person could have erected the structure, but it would have taken days. By dinnertime, there was still work to be done, even with three of them working almost nonstop on it. But the construction went smoothly and would be finished by the next day. Then there would be end walls to construct and water lines to update from the old greenhouse remains—if they could be salvaged.

Annie was beyond pleased. She sat on the porch late in the day, sipping water and admiring what they’d accomplished so far. If Mitch had to leave now, she and Austin could finish it. Her relief was beyond measure, as the greenhouse was a huge part of her future success.

Yes, there were a lot more projects that needed attention, but none as important.

With Austin inside computer-chatting with a friend, she closed her eyes and pushed the glider with her toes until she heard Mitch’s boots as he climbed the stairs.

“Good day’s work,” he said, not sitting beside her, not sitting at all, in fact.

“Tremendous. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Teamwork.” He looked out over her land. “It’s peaceful here.”

“It took me a while to get used to,” she said. More than a while, especially after Rick left and it was just her and Austin. The isolation occasionally got to her. Although she was friendly with a few people in the area, she didn’t have a true girlfriend yet. For one, she was too busy. Then it also cost money for gas to head to town to have lunch now and then, not to mention the price of the lunch.

Her only real social time was on Monday nights at the farmer’s market.

“Someone’s coming,” she said, sitting up at the sound of a vehicle turning into her road.

“I’m not ready for anyone to know I’m back yet,” Mitch said.

“Okay.” She wasn’t sure she should be protecting him, but for the moment, she would.

He jogged over to the shed where his truck was stored, shutting the big doors to block the vehicle from view inside.

A truck with a Morgan Ranch sign painted on the door pulled up. Win Morgan got out and sauntered over to her. He was younger than Annie and looked much like his father, Shep, who’d tried to buy her land. His brown hair and eyes might be commonplace, but his face wasn’t. He was about the handsomest man Annie had laid eyes on, especially when he smiled, like now.

“Evenin’, Ms. Barnard,” he said, all slow and charming.

“Mr. Morgan.”

“Now, I told you to call me Win.” He’d eased his way to the bottom of the steps. She didn’t go down to greet him, didn’t want to give up the advantage of height. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by and see if you need anything.”

“I appreciate the offer, but everything’s under control.”

“I see that. I’d heard through the grapevine that you got yourself a high tunnel and thought I’d offer to help you set it up, but I see you’ve already done it.”

There was a question in his words but not his inflection, so she didn’t answer him.

“Still don’t trust my motives, I guess,” he said with that charming smile. “Takes a while for a city girl to figure out we do things differently here. We help each other.”

“I have heard that. I just don’t need any help at the moment. But thanks.”

The screen door burst open. “Mom! Ben wants to—” He stopped, seeing Win. “Hi.”

Annie prayed Austin wouldn’t mention Mitch, but at the same time she didn’t want her son to lie for him, either. “Do you remember Mr. Morgan, Austin?”

“Sure.” Austin lifted his chin in acknowledgment. “How’s it going?”

“Good,” Win said. “Nice to see you again.”

Austin looked around. “Where’s—”

“What does Ben want?” Annie asked, diverting her son.

“For me to go bowling with him. His mom would pick me up and bring me home. Can I?”

She didn’t want to discuss specific times, since Win would then know when she would be home alone. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now you need to finish cleaning your room.”

He frowned but obeyed.

“I wouldn’t harm your son,” Win said, also frowning. “Nothing wrong with being friendly.”

“Your father put a lot of pressure on me to sell, which didn’t sit well. I’m suspicious of your offer of help—for good reason. Maybe in time I’ll relax about it.”

“Good enough.” He touched the brim of his hat in farewell, then he was in his truck waving a final goodbye.

Mitch moseyed over. “Thanks.”

She crossed her arms. “Why the secrecy?”

“My dad will want me back working at the family business. I want a little vacation between jobs.”

She laughed. “This is a vacation?”

His smile was crooked. “I’ve always considered a change of scenery to be a vacation. Hard work doesn’t bother me. I wouldn’t know what to do with idle time, anyway. In that sense, this is a vacation.”

“As long as you’re not hiding from the law.”

“No, ma’am. Not me.”

She decided he’d used the word ma’am to show he was serious and accepted that at face value. “You must be pretty well-known, since you got out of sight even before you knew who was coming up the drive.”

“As I said before, born and raised here.” Mitch came up beside her on the porch, close enough to touch but not doing so.

“I can’t ask my son to lie about you. He may very well tell his friend Ben, and therefore his parents, since he may be going bowling with them. In fact, I’m sure he would say something.”

Mitch shrugged. “If it happens, it happens. It’d just be sooner than I want.”

“I’m done,” Austin said as he pushed open the screen door and joined them.

“Thanks, honey. Now tell me about the invitation.”

“Tomorrow right after lunch. Ben’s big brother will be there, too. He’s thirteen. Their mom’s gonna do errands then come back and get us.”

Mitch wondered why Annie was hesitating. Because she kept her son tethered? Was she afraid to let him go somewhere without her? Because she didn’t know this boy Ben’s family well enough?

Because with Austin gone, they would be alone?

Mitch decided that was wishful thinking on his part. Attraction didn’t mean action. They were adults. They could control themselves.

Unfortunately.

“Pleeease,” Austin begged.

“Okay.”

She’d barely gotten the word out when Austin leaped into the air, spun a hundred and eighty degrees and opened the screen door, all at the same time.

Mitch smiled at his exuberance. “He must love bowling.”

“He’s never been before,” Annie said, staring at the door. “I think he’s happy to be getting out of some work.”

“I get that. I always had to work, too. Not much downtime, even during summer breaks. I missed my friends a lot when school was out, even with five brothers and sisters.”

“Five? Wow. I have a brother somewhere. He stopped communicating about ten years after he had a big fight with our parents. I really miss him.”

“Do you see your parents?”

“Now and then. They’re still moving from town to town, job to job. At the moment they’re in Florida working as campsite hosts. Rick’s parents are AWOL, too. Austin’s never had a chance to know his grandparents. Every time you talk about your grandfather, I feel sad for Austin.”

“He was my best friend,” Mitch said, but not wanting to talk further about him. “Need help making dinner?”

“Is that code for I’m hungry?”

“Maybe.”

“I’ll get it started.”

“I don’t mean to rush you.” He grinned, belying his statement. He’d been hungry for a couple of hours.

She laughed and went inside. He followed, intending to use the bathroom then see if he could fix the chicken coop before dinner. As he walked past the computer, he saw the boy Austin was talking to via Skype. They were exchanging energetic dialogue about video games and levels and blasts. In the background a woman walked by. Mitch stopped and stared as she came closer to the screen and waved.

Stunned, Mitch backed up as she spoke.

“Hi, Austin! See you tomorrow.”

“Okay! Thanks for inviting me.”

“You’re always welcome, sweetie.”

“Something wrong?” Annie asked from behind him.

“That’s Ben’s mom?” he whispered.

“Yes, Marissa Mazur. Do you know her?”

Mitch faced her. He wondered whether it was an omen or just fate laughing at him. “Pretty well, yes. She’s my ex-wife.”