Chapter 6

Ty’s stomach clenched up, and he couldn’t breathe. He turned Leah toward him, her face an exquisite portrait of misery. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up anything that would hurt you.”

She shook her head vehemently. “Not your fault. It is what it is. I—” She covered her face with both hands. “I’m over it.”

He frowned. “I don’t think so. If you can still get upset, it’s still hurting you.”

She stood rigidly, her lips pressed together, not looking at him.

“Sit down, and I’ll get you some water.” He filled a jelly glass with cold water from the refrigerator and returned to find her sitting slumped on the side of the bed. He dropped down on one knee beside her and offered her the glass.

She moistened her lips, whispering, “Thank you.” Taking a few sips of water, she set the glass on the makeshift table.

Ty reached around her to turn off the lamp. “Just relax, Leah. Whatever happened, it’s behind you now. You have a beautiful little girl, and you’ve started over with a brand-new page. Whatever you write on it is up to you.”

He climbed onto the bed and pulled her back to rest against his chest. He held her with one arm and leaned down to place a kiss against her hair. “Everything is going to be all right.”

She snorted and then made a half-hearted stab at laughter. “There you go again, being Mr. Sunshine.”

Ty exhaled, trying to banish all the dark thoughts in his head. “I’ll be whatever you need me to be.”

His words hung in the air like a neon sign. He thought about what he’d just said, then backed it up. “I’m here for you, Leah…and for Gracie.” It suddenly became clear to him how much the two of them had come to mean to him.

She turned to face him and reached for him, and he leaned into her embrace.

It felt good to be needed. Mostly, it felt good to be needed by someone he was growing to need just as much. He kissed her, and then he kissed her again. He pulled her closer, and she settled with her head on his shoulder.

“Tell me,” he urged in the darkness. “Tell me what drove you here to me.”

She sighed, gnawed her lower lip. “I—I had to leave Oklahoma. I had to take Gracie and run.”

His lips grazed her temple. “That much I could gather. I’ve never seen two people look so scared.”

“We were… We still are. I hate that Gracie is afraid. No kid should have to feel that way.”

“Just tell me. Who is after you?”

“Caine Daniels.” Her voice dropped to a raspy whisper. “He—we went to school together, but he was older. He was always looking at me, and I was flattered. I was only fourteen, and he played all the sports, so everyone idolized him.” A shiver swept her entire body, but Ty pulled her closer. “Of course, my parents would never have let me go out on an actual date, but they did let me go to school events with my friends. One Friday night, my girlfriend’s parents dropped us off at a football game, and afterward, we were going to walk a couple of blocks to the Dairy Barn with some other kids. Caine came to talk to us. Another boy drove up in a car, and Caine told us to get in. He said they would drive us to meet our friends.” She broke off, looking small and vulnerable in his arms. “I didn’t want to go, but my friend was already in the front seat beside the driver. I got in, and of course, they didn’t take us to the Dairy Barn.”

The silence hung long and heavy between them.

“I tried to fight him off, but I was…” Her voice trailed off.

Ty realized his jaw was clenched like a vise. He was barely breathing. The sound of his heart, pulsing fast and furious, throbbed in his ears.

“They dumped us close to town and drove away. A sheriff’s deputy happened to be cruising the area and brought us in. We were both battered and near hysteria, so he took us to the hospital and called the sheriff. He questioned us and arrested Caine and the other boy.”

Stroking his fingertips over her cheek, he realized she’d been crying. Tears rolled silently down onto his shoulder. “Sorry that happened to you. I hope the sheriff did the right thing.”

She nodded, her hair soft against his skin. “He did the right thing. The other boy went to a juvenile facility, but Caine was of age, so he was charged with rape as an adult.” She swallowed hard, a little mew-like sound escaping her throat. “The community was torn apart. My girlfriend and I were treated like sluts and blamed for everything from Caine being sent to prison to the losing football season. The sheriff lost his job in the next election.” She heaved a huge sigh. “And I found I was pregnant.”

Ty remained motionless but felt like he’d been body slammed. He tried to process all the jumbled thoughts and feelings raging inside him.

Leah cleared her throat. “My parents had to move, and they thought I should give up the baby once she was born and go on with my life, but I couldn’t. They—they kicked us out.”

Her tears had stopped, but Ty felt physical pain over her parent’s actions. As much strife as he had caused his parents, they had never considered throwing him out. “What did you do?” His voice came out all husky.

“They sent us to a home for unwed mothers run by some Catholic sisters. I learned a few skills. Office stuff, mostly. The nuns helped me get a job as a receptionist, and that was okay. I was able to afford a small efficiency apartment and pay for a babysitter.” She took a deep breath and went on. “I’ve had several jobs since then. I was waitressing at a truck stop when Caine found me. He got out on parole and came looking for me.” She shivered again; this time, the tremor almost shook the bed. “He was very angry. He blames me for everything that happened to him.”

Blame the victim? Ty’s heart pounded, his chest rupturing with fury. “What happened to him? He was responsible for where he wound up.” He heaved a deep breath. “So you left Oklahoma and came here?”

She nodded. “Caine must have followed me home from work, because he showed up at our apartment. The minute he saw Gracie, he knew.” She paused, drew in a deep breath, and plunged on. “There was a fight. He was choking me, and Gracie got in the middle of it. He shoved her away, and her wrist was broken. Thankfully, someone called the police, because they got there and arrested him. They threw him in jail, since he violated his parole, and he’s awaiting charges for the assault.”

The ensuing silence crushed in on them.

“Well, you’re safe here,” he whispered against her hair. “You’re both safe.”

She splayed her fingers out on his chest, and he covered her small hand with his own. “I hope it’s over. I hope he stops looking for us.”

He lifted her chin and kissed her. “You’re here now, with me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you, Leah.”

Her arms encircled his neck, and she snuggled closer.

Ty embraced her with one arm and ran his other hand down the length of her body, from her hair, down her back, stopping to caress her rear before traveling down her thigh. He rolled her onto her back and kissed her again, caressing her with his mouth and hands. Her soft voluptuousness aroused him even more. Cupping her breast, he heard her soft intake of breath. He had the desire to crush her to him but resisted the urge.

“Leah, I want to make love to you.”

She emitted a nervous giggle. “I can tell.”

He pressed her hand against his arousal. She stiffened, started to draw back, but then he felt her relax against him, her fingers curling around the bulge in his jeans. He released her hand, stroked his palm up her arm to her shoulder. “It’s just me. Nothing to be afraid of.” He nuzzled her cheek, her neck, her shoulder. “And, Leah, honey, we can stop. If you want to stop now, don’t worry. It’s okay.”

She drew in a breath and then exhaled softly against his neck. “N-no. Don’t stop.” Her fingers fumbled at the waistband of his Wranglers. “I—I want you too.”

All the fireworks from the Fourth of July seemed to burst in his head.

She managed to open the top button of his jeans, and he did the rest, sliding out of his Wranglers and tossing them beside the bed.

All he wanted to do was please her, to soothe her wounds and heal her heart. He slid his hand under her shirt and released the clasp on her bra. Slipping her top off along with the bra, he felt her warm skin melt against his chest.

He could have been content to hold her this way all night long, except that she chose that moment to squirm against him, her movement setting fire to his passion. He kissed her lips and traced a line with his tongue down to her breast, circling her nipple and teasing it into a taut peak. She made a soft moan of pleasure, and he delivered the same treatment to its twin, gently suckling as she arched toward him.

He ran his fingertips down over her ribs to her waist, unbuttoning her pants and sliding the zipper down. Gently stroking her flat stomach, he eased the pants and panties over her hips, stripping them all the way off. Now, she lay naked with only the soft glow of moonlight to give definition to her body. “You are so beautiful,” he breathed. “You take my breath away.”

She smiled self-consciously, ducking her head. “I’ve never been beautiful, but I’m glad you think so.”

He made a scornful sound. How could she not know her true beauty? Unbelievable! He would make it his job to convince her. “Baby, you’re a work of art. I’m just a simple musician, not a poet, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be writing songs about you.”

She grinned. “Really? A song?”

“Yes, about your big brown eyes and the dimples in your cheeks.” He kissed her again, then traced her lips with his finger. “And your mouth. I know there’s going to be a song about your lips.”

She made a little purr of amusement.

He kissed his way down her body, stopping at her navel to explore with his tongue. She giggled and writhed. This pleased him. He kneed her legs apart and trailed kisses lower.

She went rigid, not even appearing to breathe.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I will never intentionally hurt you.” He caressed her mound with his fingers before he continued with his tongue. A sharp intake of breath was his reward, followed by a couple of gasps in rapid succession. The oohs went on throughout his performance, ending with a low and sustained moan.

Locating a condom, he tore open the package.

“What’s that?” she asked, her voice tinged with fear.

“Protection. I didn’t know if we would get around to using them, but I grabbed some at the store yesterday.” He held it out to her. “Do you want to put it on me?”

Her hand shook when she reached for it. “How does it go?” Her voice was just above a whisper.

It struck him that she hadn’t done this before. Perhaps her only prior experience had been an act of violence. Perhaps this was the first time she had been part of a loving act between a man and woman. “I’ll take care of it,” he said, unrolling it over his erection. Once he had it in place, he took her hand, allowing her to explore. “Are you ready? We don’t have to do this, Leah.”

“I’m ready.” She leaned toward him, and he gathered her in his arms.

He leaned her back onto the bed and entered as gently as possible. Slow and easy. She wrapped her thighs around him as he began to rhythmically stroke into her. Little gasps punctuated his thrusts, and slowly, she began to rise up to meet him. Her passion thrilled him. As their bodies fused, he lost himself in the moment, forgetting everything but the beautiful woman in his arms, everything but the sweetness of their coupling.

When at last they lay spent, limbs and sheets still twisted together, he couldn’t bear to release her. He rolled onto his back and carried her with him. Kissing her damp temple, he grinned, sweeping one hand down to squeeze her bottom. “I’m gonna write a song about the dimples on your butt too.”

* * *

Fern lay awake. She knew that Leah was with Tyler. He was such a nice young man, and it was hard for a single mother to find time to be courted. She also knew that the likelihood of Leah meeting another young man with so many fine qualities, given the crop of locals available, was not that promising.

The problem was, the front door was unlocked. And her innocent great-granddaughter lay sleeping in the front bedroom. She didn’t want to go into the living room in case Leah returned and caught her waiting up. It would not do to embarrass the girl.

Maybe she could just check one more time. She slipped out from under the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling around for her house shoes. “Just give them tonight to be together. One night is all I ask.”

Resolutely, she made her way to the front door. The house was quiet. Eerily quiet.

Leah’s dog was sleeping in the room with Gracie, and the other dog, Lucky, was in the bunkhouse with Ty…and Leah.

Fern realized she was holding her breath. A tingling sensation played around her spine, spiraling up to kiss the back of her neck.

Cautiously, she twisted the doorknob and peered out through the screen. The night air was cool and crisp. It smelled like hay and earth and something else she couldn’t place.

A slight breeze caused a rustling of tree branches, the only sound her straining ears heard. She reached for her flashlight, but it was missing. Her stomach caught, but she quickly realized that Leah must have taken it. Relief washed over her. Yes, she wouldn’t want Leah to be walking around in the dark.

Fern opened the door a bit wider and stepped out onto the porch. There was enough moonlight for her to see well, but there was no movement. Silently, she scanned the entire area, staring at the two vehicles to see if anyone was hiding there.

Another gust of air and the odor again. It was nearby.

Reluctantly, Fern reached inside to turn on the porch light. It was then she saw it.

A wreath of dried flowers lay near her feet. Dead roses. A funeral wreath with a note on it.

Rest in Piece.

* * *

The next morning, after breakfast, Ty walked Leah out to her car and gave her a kiss. She looked happy and not like the terrified woman he had first met. “See you later,” he called softly.

She waved and drove away, turning toward Langston when she reached the end of the lane.

He felt buoyant, like his insides were filled with feathers. Making love to Leah had moved them to a different place in their relationship. He knew he couldn’t walk away from her. He would make the trip to Dallas and cut the demo with Will, but he would be back. He knew he wanted more of her. Just what, he couldn’t say, but at least they could admit to what they had between them, and they could take their time to explore. He watched her until she disappeared from view and then spun back around to gaze at the run-down ranch.

He emitted a snort of laughter as he surveyed the place. He’d declared he wanted no part of the ranching life, turning his back on the prosperous, sprawling Garrett spread, only to find himself here on this pitiful excuse for a homestead, trying to do everything he could to make things easier for the three females trying to exist here.

Gracie came out onto the porch. Wrapping her good arm around one of the uprights supporting the roof overhang, she raised the cast in a sort of salute. She looked sad.

“What’s the matter, Gracie?” he called, advancing toward her.

She shook her head, pressing her lips together.

“Come on, baby girl. What’s up?” He drew even with her and took a seat on the step.

Gracie sat down beside him. “Gran said school was going to start soon, and I got scared.”

He regarded her bowed head, her lashes shielding her big brown eyes. “I’ll bet you’ll have a good time this year. You’ll make some new friends and learn a lot of things. Knowledge is power.”

She nodded bleakly. “I guess.”

“I’ll bet all the boys will fall in love with you.” He tweaked her ponytail.

This elicited a tiny hint of a smile.

“What grade will you be in?” he asked.

She held up three fingers.

“Third is a great grade. What’s your favorite subject?”

“I like to read…and do art. Those are my favorites.”

He ruffled her hair. “Those are good. I liked recess best of all.”

She turned to him, wide-eyed. “Recess isn’t a subject.”

“It’s not? Well, it was my favorite.” He grinned at her. “I better get busy. Lots to do today.” He set to work, aware that Gracie watched him from the porch.

He managed to get the little tractor running and used it to drag some debris to a clearing. Maybe a good bonfire would help with the cleanup, but it had been dry. Apparently, no recent rain had fallen here. If he wanted to burn trash, he would have to make sure there was a wide cleared area around it. A little spark could be disastrous.

Gran was delighted to see the tractor in use and asked if he could till up the place near the back door where she had grown vegetables in the past.

Ty was happy to comply, thinking of the first time his dad had taken him riding on a tractor. He had thought that was the grandest of rides. Of course, Big Jim’s tractor was much larger, and the driver’s seat was closed in and air-conditioned, but still.

He made short work of plowing up the garden plot and drove the tractor under a shed to keep it out of the elements. His cell rang, and he answered it before the second ring.

“Ty? Where the hell are you, buddy? I had to switch things around, but I made time for you this week. You should come right now, and we can have more studio time to work up your songs. Ticktock. Time is a-wasting.”

“What? I thought you were booked up this week.” Ty sucked in a deep breath and blew it out forcefully. “Sorry, Will. I’ve been…delayed.”

“Ticktock! You need to fish or cut bait. I blocked out studio time for you, but the rest of this month’s calendar is filled. You’re going to be too late to audition for Texas Country Star.”

“I’ll be there. Just hold my spot.” He climbed down off the tractor and started walking toward the house.

“Sure, man. But if you’re not ready to cut the demo tomorrow morning, I’ll have to mark you off the schedule. Maybe some other time.”

“No, wait!” Ty frowned. “I’m on my way. I’ll be there this evening.”

“Great. Come to my place tonight, and we’ll catch up. You can get some rest, and tomorrow morning, we’ll make the magic happen.”

Ty rang off, feeling strangled. It was as though he had been dropped from a great height and landed badly. How could he go from being high on Leah to being jerked back down so suddenly? He swallowed hard, needing to remember his music. Needing to remember why he had left home in the first place. She will just have to understand. He glanced back at the house, where Gracie still sat on the porch watching him. They all will.

* * *

Leah was getting the hang of her routine. Nothing to it. If the phone rang, she answered it and took a detailed message for Breck if he was out, and he was usually out. She was making headway on the filing mess and beginning to understand a little of the crazy system her predecessor had fashioned. However, she found files jammed into other files with no rhyme or reason she could discern. Today, she had managed to create a simpler and more logical way of ordering the many records.

Earlier, Breck had given her instructions for preparing a new will for one of the area ranchers. Said rancher had acquired more assets and wanted to make sure those were properly distributed when he passed on to that big pasture in the sky. Breck showed her the previous document and what changes to make in the new one. There was a standard will format stored on the desktop, and she used this plus the earlier version and Breck’s hand-scrawled directions. With this bit of sketchy instruction, he departed, stating he was driving over to the county seat for a bail hearing.

Leah worked on the project until her stomach began to growl. Then, she hung the clockface sign, locked the front door with the big skeleton key, and walked down to Sara Beth’s store to eat her sandwich and enjoy the company of someone her own age.

The metal cowbell clanked against the glass in the door to Sara Beth’s shop as she entered.

“Howdy!” Sara Beth called. She held her baby on her shoulder and was rhythmically delivering a series of pats and jiggles. “Just fed her, and now she’s making me work for her burp.”

Leah grinned, remembering when Gracie had been so very small. She slid onto one of the stools in front of the counter just as Sara Beth was rewarded with a juicy belch.

“There we go!” she crowed. Arranging the baby in her carrier, she placed it on top of the counter and took the seat beside Leah. “How is it going? Are you liking your new job?”

“I’m learning,” Leah replied. “Trying to figure out the filing system, if there is one.”

“Eat your food,” Sara Beth invited. “Would you watch Cami Lynn for a minute while I get mine?”

“Sure.” Leah placed her hand on the plastic carrier and rocked it gently.

Sara Beth disappeared into the back and returned momentarily with a small bag and two sodas. “I was hoping you might come down for a visit.” She opened the bag and drew out several containers and two forks. “I made chicken salad, so I packed some for you.” She pushed one of the small dishes toward Leah.

“Wow! Thanks a lot. I love homemade chicken salad.”

“So does my boyfriend, Frank. I always make a lot, because he could eat a ton of it.”

Leah removed the plastic lid and took a bite, rolling her eyes as she tasted the contents. “Divine!” she proclaimed. “Your boyfriend is one lucky guy.”

Sara Beth grinned at her. “It’s me. I’m the lucky one. Frank has just been so good to me.” Her color rose as she tilted her head to one side. “I’m going to marry him. He wants to adopt Cami Lynn too, so we’ll be a real family.”

Leah stroked a finger over the baby’s arm. “He’s not her biological father?”

Sara Beth shook her head. Her smile faded as she pressed her lips together. Heaving a sigh, she straightened her shoulders. “Her daddy is dead. He…he wasn’t the man I thought he was. I mean, he wasn’t a bad man, but he made some bad choices.” She gave the baby a kiss on her cheek. “And just look what he gave me. I could never be sorry about marrying him.”

“She’s beautiful,” Leah said.

“I’m ready to get on with my life. I want my daughter to have a regular family. I mean, I could be a single parent, but why would I want to when the best man on the planet is in love with me?” She giggled, dimpling prettily. “I can’t imagine for the life of me what Frank loves about me, but I’m glad he does.”

Leah felt a tightness in her chest. “I’m happy for you. I’m sure there are lots of things he loves about you.”

“What about you? I saw you with that big cowboy. He’s one of the Garretts, I think. Is he your boyfriend?”

Leah wanted to believe Ty was her boyfriend, that last night had brought them closer together, that her revelations about her past hadn’t tainted his opinion of her. “I—I think so. We’ve just recently met. He’s way too good for me.” She stopped talking abruptly lest she say too much.

Sara Beth adjusted the baby on her shoulder, gazing at Leah with a question in her eyes.

“I mean, he’s from a really rich family, and I’m not. I don’t have anything except a really sweet little girl.”

Sara Beth huffed out a loud sigh. “There are so many more important things in this world than money.”

Leah let out a little laugh. “Tell that to someone who doesn’t have any. The struggle to keep my child fed has been tough. I’m so glad to have this good job now.”

She returned to the law office and continued her work, finishing preparation of the will and making some headway with the files. Whenever she allowed her mind to wander, she imagined returning to Ty’s arms for another round of passionate lovemaking.

* * *

Ty boarded the horse with the local veterinarian. He met her at her small ranch and watched as she stabled him. Stroking Prince on the nose, he promised to return in a few days.

The drive back to Langston seemed too quick. He needed time to figure out what he was going to say to Leah. He knew their actions the previous evening had taken their relationship to a whole new plateau, and he didn’t want to do anything to hurt her.

Parking in front of the lawyer’s office, he sat for a moment, gripping the steering wheel with both hands. What to say? How would he tell her goodbye? He knew their new intimacy had made her even more vulnerable than she was before.

He hauled himself out of the truck and shut the door harder than necessary. When he stepped through the door, he found her totally absorbed in her work of sorting papers. “Hey, Leah.”

She looked up, startled and then pleased. A wide grin spread across her face as well as a slight flush. “Oh, Ty. I wasn’t expecting you.”

He swept the Stetson off and raked his fingers through his hair. “I just needed to talk to you, if you have a moment.”

She pushed back from her desk, arranging the papers in neat stacks. “Sure. What can I do for you? I just learned how to draw up a will.”

Emitting a halfhearted laugh, he spread his arms as she drew closer. Walking straight into his embrace, she seemed to fit just right, the top of her head barely grazing his jawline. He closed his arms around her, feeling a stab of real pain when her arms wrapped around his waist. Damn! Damn! Damn! This just feels too good. He kissed her temple, and when she raised her chin, he grazed her lips. “I’ve got something to tell you.”

She grinned up at him expectantly. “Tell me anything,” she said breathlessly.

“Oh, baby. This is going to be difficult.” He swallowed hard. “I’m leaving. I’m on my way to Dallas, but I wanted to tell you goodbye.”

Her face looked frozen. He could see the pain in her eyes, and he thought she had stopped breathing. “I’ll be back, but I don’t know when.”

She gulped, and her lips turned up in a fake smile. “Oh well. I knew you were leaving. It was nice to have you around. I…uh…” She sucked in a breath. “I hope you have a great trip.”

“Look, Leah…I…we…” He faltered, gripping her against him. “I don’t want you to think you’ve seen the last of me, because I’ll be back.”

She nodded furiously. “Yes, I’m sure you will. I’ll see you the next time you’re in town.”

A knot of anger festered in his chest. “Leah, stop it. You’re acting like I’m about to disappear forever, and that’s not the case. I—I care about you.”

Pressing her lips together, she nodded again, but this time, she was blinking fast and not looking at him. “I know. It will be all right. Go on. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” She blinked again and fixed him with a dazzling smile.

He leaned down for a kiss and then another. Her arms came around his neck, and the kiss deepened until he couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.

She drew back, tears spangling her lashes. “Be safe.” Stepping away, she turned and grabbed a sheaf of papers. “I better get back to work.”

“I’ll see you,” he said softly. Jamming the Stetson back on his head, he strode to the door and made his exit. Outside, he drew a deep breath, standing for a moment with his hands fisted on his hips. She doesn’t believe me. She thinks this is goodbye.

He climbed into the truck and started it, the diesel engine rumbling to life. For a moment, he considered rushing back inside and asking her to come with him, but only for a moment. Leah was just getting her life together. The job was probably the best she would ever find. He wanted to comfort her, but he also needed to get on the road. She’s just going to have to understand. This is something I’ve got to do. Heaving out a sigh, he put the truck in gear and headed out of town.