Chapter 3

Leah dressed hurriedly. She’d been embarrassed by her earlier encounter with Ty. She hadn’t even bothered to dry her hair. He probably thought she looked like a drowned rat. She expelled a pent-up breath. Who cares what he thinks? He’s not interested in me at all.

He looked even more attractive in the morning. The dark stubble of beard around his jawline was sexy as hell, and the expression in his eyes was smoking hot. His body could best be described as ripped. An involuntary smile teased her lips. He’d looked so cute holding his bundle in front of himself, as though he could hide his broad bare chest behind a little wad of clothing.

She concentrated on helping Gracie get dressed. Holding her shirt, she guided the cast through the armhole. “There you go. Let’s see if we can help Gran with breakfast.”

Gracie’s smile lit up her whole face, reminding Leah of what was really important in her life. This is all about my daughter. I’m here to protect her and give her a better life.

When they stepped out into the hall, the scent of bacon wrapped around them and buoyed them toward the kitchen. Eddie ran out and headed to the kitchen ahead of them.

Gran was expertly juggling skillets on the old gas stove, but she looked up and grinned when they entered. “Good morning, my sweethearts. I hope you slept well.”

“Great.” Leah snapped her fingers to get Eddie’s attention. “Gracie is going to take Eddie out for a walk, and I’m here to help with breakfast.” She smiled as her daughter fastened the leash and led the dog out the front door. “Come right back. We’re almost ready to eat.”

Gran waved the spatula at her. “Help yourself to some coffee if you want.”

Leah poured the dark liquid into a mug and inhaled the delicious fragrance. She replaced the battered coffeepot on the trivet and took a sip. Strong.

In a short time, Gracie returned from the walk, Eddie close on her heels.

Leah motioned her to the table. Seating Gracie, she gave her hair a stroke. “Love you, baby.” She turned to her grandmother. “What can I do to help?”

“You can set the table for me and pour milk for Gracie.” Gran nodded toward the old refrigerator.

Leah poured milk into a jelly glass and set it in front of Gracie, who picked it up with both hands and began drinking.

Satisfied that her child was being nourished, Leah picked up her coffee cup. The aroma filled her senses, offering strength and renewal. A new day. A new life. Here I am, ready to meet you head-on.

Smiling, she turned to see Ty. He had been standing in the doorway, staring at her. She felt a flush creep up from her neck but managed a smile. She held up her coffee cup with raised brows, and he nodded.

“Sit right down, young man,” Gran said. “Breakfast is a-comin’ right up.”

Ty grinned and took a seat beside Gracie. They had an exchange in low voices, and something he said caused Gracie to giggle.

Leah wondered why he had to go to Dallas. What could be so all-fired important in the big city? She took down a cup for him and poured from the battered metal coffeepot. When she turned, she felt a little clutch in her chest. He looked so natural, chatting with Gracie. They were both grinning. Why couldn’t there be a man like this in her daughter’s life? Or in mine, for that matter?

The thought hit her that he might be going to meet a woman in Dallas. It made sense that he would have a girlfriend. In fact, she couldn’t imagine that he didn’t have to peel women off him. He was handsome and very masculine…and exuded some kind of sexy vibe, wrapped in a blanket of caring. Of course, he couldn’t really care. He was probably just a nice guy, and she had mistaken his normal niceness for something else.

Leah sucked in a breath, realizing she had been staring at him while his coffee was getting cold. Giving herself a nudge, she propelled her feet forward and placed the cup in front of him. He reached for it, his hand closing around hers before she had a chance to let go. A spark of electricity shimmied up her arm from where their fingers had met. He must have felt it too, because his gaze riveted on hers, intense and smoldering. She flashed a smile and turned back to the stove.

Gran was filling plates with eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes. She thrust two plates into Leah’s hands. “For Gracie and Ty.”

Leah followed orders, delivering the plates to the table and placing them in front of the appropriate diners.

“That looks great,” Ty said.

Gracie nodded her approval.

Leah brought the two remaining plates to the table as Gran directed her to be seated. She chose to sit beside Gracie, leaving the seat beside Ty for Gran.

“I got your biscuits right here,” Gran called. She dumped an iron skillet filled with golden-brown biscuits into a napkin-lined basket and placed it in the center of the table.

“Everything looks great, Miz Fern,” Ty said.

“Have some of my blackberry jam,” she invited. “I put it up last summer. It was a ’specially sweet crop.”

Ty complied, scooping a spoonful of the jam onto his plate.

“Gracie, maybe you can help me feed the chickens after we get done?”

Gracie’s eyes opened wide. “Me? I get to help you?”

“Sure,” Gran said. “In fact, if you do a good job, maybe that can be your chore.”

Leah chuckled. “Feeding the chickens was my special chore when I spent my summers here as a child. I really got to know those hens.”

Gracie grinned and wiggled in her chair. “How about the cows? Can we feed the cows too?”

“Them cows is sittin’ on easy street,” Gran said. “I got ’em in the east pasture for grazin’, and they got the stream right there for drinkin’. When it gets to be winter, we got lots of hay stored up in the barn.” She gave a wink. “Them cows is doin’ good.”

Leah picked up a slice of bacon and munched it. This was all too comfortable. She just had to keep breathing, and he would be gone in the blink of an eye. Gone to his girlfriend in Dallas.

“Miz Fern,” Ty said. “Last night, when we were out walking, I noticed there was a charred section at the rear of the barn. It looked like some of the fence behind it got burned pretty badly.” He set his fork on the table and stared at her earnestly. “I was just wondering how something like that got started.”

Gran’s forehead furrowed, and her lips tightened. “It was them danged Carter boys. They keep messin’ with me.”

“Carter boys?” Leah asked. “You mean some children are giving you trouble?”

Gran made a scornful noise. “Not hardly. Them boys is older’n either one of you two.” She picked up her biscuit and bit into it. “Don’t let your food get cold.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ty replied, dutifully picking up his fork again. “There are a lot of Carters around here, but you’re saying these particular Carter boys are adults?”

A small muscle in the side of her face twitched. “Aw, it ain’t nothin’ to worry about. Not a big deal at all.”

“You’re certain about that?” Leah held her napkin, gripped in her hand.

“Yeah, it’s nothin’ at all.” She made a big show of buttering her biscuit.

“If you say so,” Ty said, but his expression remained skeptical. “I’m going to drive in to Langston first thing,” Ty announced. “I’m going to get a new serpentine belt and try to get Leah’s car running, so if anybody needs anything, I’ll be happy to pick it up.”

Gran rolled her eyes and made a humming noise. “We could use a couple of things. Maybe Leah can ride along with you and do a little shopping.”

Panic clawed at Leah’s insides. The last thing she needed to do was spend any more alone time with Mr. Hot ’n’ Unavailable. She cast about for some reason she couldn’t ride into Langston with Ty, but of course, she was the obvious choice.

Leah took a biscuit and broke it open before slathering it with butter. The aroma offered comfort to her miserable psyche, but not enough…not near enough. She ate in silence, becoming a bystander to the blur of babble.

The conversation swirled around her. Oblivious to her discomfort, Gran and Ty chatted about the ranch and what needed fixing. Gracie chimed in, her voice floating above the rest.

Even Leah’s subdued mood couldn’t cancel out the effects of Gran’s delicious breakfast. Slowly, her taste buds asserted themselves, making her aware of the food she was eating. Better than most anything she had eaten in a while. She idly wondered if she would become one of those fat little farm girls, chowing down on Gran’s great cooking.

As soon as the meal was over, she rose to clear the dishes, but Gran waved her off. “You go on with Ty. Get your car fixed. I’ll jot down a list for you.”

“Sure, Gran.” Leah gave Gracie a kiss and settled her at the table with a book while Gran cleaned the kitchen.

“After I tidy things up, Gracie, you an’ me will tend to those chickens.”

When Leah turned, Ty was standing by the door, gazing at her. His frame seemed to fill the doorway, yet he didn’t frighten her the way Caine had. She thought Ty was a gentle giant, more likely to break her heart than her bones. She tucked Gran’s shopping list in her pocket along with the ten-dollar bill she’d been given. “You two stay out of trouble,” Leah called, the note of false gaiety sounding flat to her ears.

Ty held the door open for her, and when she stepped out onto the porch, he took her arm, as though she were incapable of navigating the steps by herself. Opening the big diesel truck with his remote, he gave her a boost up onto the passenger seat, his touch scalding her like a hot iron.

He rounded the front of the cab and climbed in beside her. “We’ll get your car fixed, and you can be running the roads in no time.”

“That will be great,” she said stiffly. “I mean, I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. I kind of enjoy working on old cars.”

She exhaled heavily. “Well, you should have a great time with my old heap.”

He glanced at her, suddenly serious. “I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay.” She shrugged. “I know how old it is. How did you learn to work on cars?”

He grinned. “Around our place, there was always something breaking down. Lots of equipment and vehicles. My dad is pretty handy with all things mechanical. My brothers and I were usually hanging around learning from him.”

“That’s nice. It sounds like you have a good family.”

“Yeah, I do. Things have been different since my mom passed away. Dad’s always angry about something or another. It seems like he’s always yelling, and mostly at me.”

This declaration brought Ty’s mood way down. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel, and he frowned at the road ahead.

“Tell me about your brothers,” she said, anxious to change the subject.

“Colton is the oldest, and Beau is the baby of the family. I was stuck in the middle. Colt was the big football star in high school. Now, he’s totally focused on the ranch, so he’s my dad’s clone. Beau just graduated last summer from his studies at Texas Tech. He majored in agriculture.”

“I’m sensing a theme here.”

He gave out a snort. “Yeah, somehow, I got left out of the farmer genetic cycle.”

Leah turned to assess him. “I think you have it. At least you know a lot about farming and ranching. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have stored up so much knowledge about horses and cattle and crops. You wouldn’t care.”

“I guess. I’ve got a degree in ag too, but it’s not my everything, like it is theirs. I swear they wake up in the morning thinking about the ranch, the herd, the crops.”

“What do you wake up in the morning thinking about?” She steeled herself for the answer. The woman who waits for you in Dallas?

“Music.”

She must have given him a surprised look, because he laughed.

“I’m all about the music. I hear it in my head all the time. I write it. I play it. I sing it. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Leah’s chest felt tight. It was as though he had shared something of himself with her…something important. “I think that’s nice. Are you any good?”

He grinned, giving her a sideways glance. “I’ll let you be the judge of that.”

His words brushed over her skin, intimate as a caress, setting off little tingles of anticipation along the way. Did that mean he was going to sing for her? That sounded promising. “You must be talented.”

“A few people have told me so.” He was grinning as he gazed out the windshield.

She held her breath a moment, then blurted out, “What are you going to do in Dallas?”

He glanced at her, and she responded with a blush.

“I—I mean,” she stammered, “you seem to be on some kind of deadline. I thought you might have someone…special waiting for you.”

His grin widened. “Nothing like that. I’m just meeting up with an old bud from college. He’s got a sound studio, and he’s going to record some of the songs I’ve written.”

A rush of unreasonable joy swirled through her insides. Nothing like that. She smiled.

He pointed over the steering wheel. “There’s Langston up ahead. Put your number in here, and you can shop while I’m getting the things I need.” He handed his phone to her. “Just call me when you’re ready.”

She stared at the device in her hands. “I—I don’t have a cell phone.”

Ty glanced at her, seemed to bite off a response, and reached for the phone. “You should have one in case of emergency, at least.”

Leah nodded, gnawing her lip.

“Not a problem. I’ll just get that belt for your car, and then we can do a little shopping.” He pulled into an auto supply store and jumped out, leaving the diesel motor idling.

She watched him enter the shop, thinking the whole situation was feeling entirely too comfortable. In a matter of four days, she had gone from a total hellish disaster to sitting in a big, air-conditioned truck, waiting for the nicest guy she had ever met. She did a mental tally of the little she knew about Ty.

He must be from some kind of well-off ranching family, or he wouldn’t be driving this truck, wouldn’t have a beautiful Arabian horse, wouldn’t feel like he could follow his dreams without a backup plan.

She hoped he would be able to make it in the entertainment industry…but she really hoped he would decide to stick around for a while. The more time they spent together, the more reasons she found to like him.

Ty pushed out of the glass door and climbed into the truck. “Out of luck. They’ve got an order coming in from their store in Amarillo and managed to get the serpentine belt on the truck. It will be here in a few hours.” He backed out onto the street and shifted gears. “I have another stop, and then I’m all yours.”

Leah swallowed hard. All mine? That would be nice.

Ty drove to a hardware store that was part of a national chain. “This is the last stop for me. Want to come in or wait here?”

Flustered, Leah decided to wait. Again, she watched him walk away with longing in her heart. She sat alone, wrapped in her private thoughts, an ache in her chest for the mistakes she had made…for the things she could never hope to have.

After about twenty minutes, she spotted Ty pushing a cart toward the truck. He disappeared to the rear, and she heard the sound of something heavy and hard hitting the bed of the truck.

A few seconds later, he was leaping onto the driver’s seat and backing out again. “My list is complete. Where to next?”

Leah gave him a tight little smile. “I only have ten bucks and Gran’s grocery list. Where do people shop for food around here?”

“That would be the Bag ’n’ Save. But I think we have a little more time to waste if we want to get that serpentine belt today. Let me show you around Langston.”

She took a deep breath and expelled it forcefully. “Sure. That sounds okay.”

“And we can grab lunch somewhere. Would you like to go back to Tiny’s Diner? Or there’s a great Mexican restaurant. How do you feel about Mexican food?”

She had to laugh. He looked so cute and enthusiastic. “Whatever you want is fine with me.” Beggars can’t be choosers.

“Well, I haven’t had Mexican food in a long time. How about it?”

“I’m willing,” she said.

He drove to the west side of town and pulled into the parking area of a restaurant. Only a few cars were clustered close to the entrance.

“It looks like nobody else thinks this is a good place,” she said.

“It’s just barely eleven. It will fill up,” he said. “Let’s grab a table and chow down.” He swung out of the pickup and came around to open her door. He reached to help her alight, his hands at her waist. For just one long second, he held on to her, gazing into her eyes with an expression that seemed to match her own state of longing. She thought for a moment that perhaps he too wanted something he couldn’t have.

* * *

Inside, the hostess seated them in a high-backed booth and handed out menus with the day’s specials handwritten on a sticky note.

“Everything’s good here,” Ty announced. He gazed across the table, noting her hesitation.

“I…uh…I only have the ten my grandmother gave me,” Leah said. “I shouldn’t spend it on food.”

“Order whatever you want,” he said. “My treat, of course.”

She pressed her lips together for a moment. “I don’t feel right about you paying for me.” She laid the menu down as though that settled the matter.

“Look, Leah, I wouldn’t have invited you to lunch if I wasn’t paying. Don’t worry about it.” He reached over to open the menu for her. “Now figure out what you want, or I’ll have to order for you.”

She gazed at him and then, as though coming to some decision, picked up the menu again. “Thanks, Ty,” she said under her breath.

“I can afford to pay,” he said. “I’ve worked for my dad since I was in grade school. My brothers too, and Dad always paid us for our work. He said we needed to learn the value of hard work, and believe me, we worked. I still have a healthy bank balance, so don’t think it will be anything but a pleasure to take a pretty woman to lunch.”

He noted the slight flush that tinged her cheeks, but she smiled, even though she couldn’t meet his eyes.

When the waitress returned, they ordered, but conversation seemed to be hard to come by.

“I’m going to work on your car when we get back to your grandmother’s. Then, maybe I can repair the barn door and start mending fences.”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all that you’re doing, Ty.” She leaned forward. “Maybe I can get a job to help my grandmother.” She glanced around the restaurant. “I could be a waitress.”

He smiled. “I’m sure you could. What kind of work have you done in the past?”

She shrugged, lifting and dropping her shoulders in a singularly defeated manner. “I worked in a veterinarian’s office once. Not with the animals but just answering the phone and keeping the records straight.”

“There’s a veterinarian here in Langston,” he said. “But she works out of her house and makes personal visits to all the ranches around here. What else have you done?”

“I worked in a Family Dollar for a while and as a file clerk and receptionist.” Her brows knit. “Not very exciting, but I’m not afraid of hard work.”

“I’m sure you’ll find something,” he said. “After we eat, we can stop by the newspaper office and grab a copy of the weekly paper. Check out the want ads.”

She nodded and brightened a bit. “I just need to do something to help Gran out. I can’t be mooching off her.”

He smiled encouragingly. “You’ll be fine. I know your grandmother loves having you here.”

Their food arrived, and they ate heartily. He noted that Leah made short work of the large platter of food. He admired her spirit and hated that she seemed to have fallen on hard times. Whatever had caused her to leave Oklahoma and come to North Texas with only her daughter, a scruffy dog, and their few belongings, he hoped they would have a better life from here on out.

If only…

He quickly reined in his thoughts. He couldn’t go imagining there might be something between them. Nothing romantic. There was no time, and it wouldn’t be fair…to either of them.

But still, her kisses the night before had been earthshaking. Every time he glanced at her pretty, soft lips, he was jerked back to the moment when he held her tight, when she clung to him and returned his kisses. It would be so easy to give in to the temptation those lips promised. So easy…

After they had eaten, he drove to the newspaper office and paid for the latest edition. He spread the paper open on the countertop and turned to the want ads. “Let’s see what we have here.”

“You looking for a job?” the lady behind the counter asked.

“My friend here is.” He indicated Leah.

“I just took an ad from Mr. Ryan. He’s the lawyer here. His secretary just ran off to get married.”

Ty saw Leah perk up. “I know Mr. Ryan. He’s my dad’s attorney. Maybe we can drop by his office this afternoon.”

Leah looked horrified. “Oh no. I’m not properly dressed to go on a job interview. Look at my hair.”

He grinned and reached out a hand to touch her mop of curls. “Your hair looks fine.”

“It’s horrible. I don’t have any makeup on. I’m a mess.”

“How about if we just go by and pick up an application?”

She looked stricken but then nodded. “That would be okay.”

Ty folded the paper and handed it to her. “You can check out the other jobs later and call about them.”

When he pulled up in front of the office of Breckenridge T. Ryan, Esquire, Leah appeared to have turned into a statue. She stared out the window at the storefront office with something akin to horror etched on her fine features.

“I can go in for you, if you want,” Ty said.

She shook herself out of her stupor. “No, I can do this.” She reached for the door handle and was out of the truck before he could stop her.

“Wait for me,” he said. “I can introduce you.” He thought she looked relieved. Opening the door for her, he found Breckenridge Ryan, known as “Breck,” rummaging around in a desk in the front office.

He looked up, frowning. “What can I do for you?”

“I don’t know if you remember me, Mr. Ryan. I’m Tyler Garrett. You know my dad.”

Breck pointed a finger at him, his frown abating. “Yes, one of Big Jim’s sons. You’re the middle boy, right?”

Ty nodded. “Yes, sir. And this is Leah Benson. I understand you need some office help, and my friend here is experienced.”

Breck narrowed his gaze, giving Leah a once-over. “You type?”

“Um, yes, I can type real well.”

“You don’t need to be fast, just accurate.” He spread his hands, indicating the mess on the desk. “How about filing? I can’t find a damned thing.”

Leah grinned, overcoming her shyness. “I can organize your filing for you.”

“You’re hired,” Breck said, extending a hand.

Leah flashed a big grin as her hand was pumped in a hearty shake.

Breck told her it would be strictly five days a week and offered her a sum that made her grin again. “Come in tomorrow morning at nine. I’ll get you started and give you a set of keys.”

Leah fairly floated out to the truck. “That was so awesome. I can’t believe you got me a job just like that.”

Ty shook his head. “I didn’t do anything but introduce you.” He opened the passenger door and gave her a boost inside.

“No, I know how these things work.” She gazed down at him. “Because he knows your family, he assumes I’m okay. If I had gone in there alone, he would have wanted references. You made all the difference.”

He closed the door on her and rounded to climb in on his side. He pondered her words. Perhaps he had lent her come credence. He was glad he had been able to support her. The lovely Leah certainly needed some validation.