Rancher at Risk Read online

  When she met his eyes again, he gave her an unblinking stare.

  “I’ve already apologized.” She spoke softly, indistinctly again, making him strain to focus on her words. “I’ll say it one more time. I’m sorry Becky ran into the road and gave you such a scare. But she wasn’t anywhere near you. You just overreacted.”

  Another truth he couldn’t deny. No matter his unease about the woman, she was right. He had gone over the top with his reaction. The child had run into the road dozens of yards away from the truck, and he’d had plenty of time to come to a stop. Yet if he’d been closer to her, if he’d been distracted, if a car had come from the other direction… Too damned many ifs.

  “You should have called her back,” he said flatly.

  “She wouldn’t have heard me. She’s deaf.”

  “Deaf?” He shifted his shoulders, trying to shake off the extra guilt her statement had added to him. He’d really messed things up today. Earlier this week. In the past few months.

  Once, he’d listened to folks instead of jumping to snap decisions. It made him a better ranch foreman. A better man. Once. And now? He took a deep breath and let it out. “Look, I’m sorry—”

  “Because she’s deaf.”

  “No—”

  “Because you realize you shouldn’t have made assumptions about me.”

  “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “You already did, didn’t you? Why else would you have asked if I was drunk?” Her words now came through to him loud and clear. Her irritation practically rang in his head.

  So much for attempting to save the situation.

  Frustration clawed at him, yet guilt weighed him down. As fast as everything had happened, as incensed as he had been, he had jumped to conclusions about her. Keeping his tone as level as he could, he said, “You’re jumping to a few conclusions about what I’m trying to say, too.”

  When he pushed away from the side of the truck, bringing them closer, she tilted her head back, keeping their gazes locked. “If you hadn’t kept making your points and cutting me off, by now I’d have told you I’m sorry this whole thing happened.”

  She blinked and stared at him for a long moment. “Well,” she said finally, “in that case, I guess we’ve both said all we needed to say.”

  He watched her turn and motion to the girl, who fell into step, her hands moving, as they walked away.

  The dog sat on his haunches, wagged his tail and looked at him.

  A good part Labrador with some shepherd in his bloodline, the pup had a dark coat but a tan-colored face. Dark fur circled one eye as though he stood staring with an eyebrow raised in question.

  In answer, Ryan shrugged.

  The dog whined, his thoughts plain enough to read. Us guys ought to stick together. Tail drooping now, the pup turned and padded after the pair of females who’d left him behind.

  Could things get any worse?

  “Ahem.”

  Startled, he turned to find the man had come down from the porch and moved to his side. Not good, letting himself get so distracted he’d given Elvis a chance to sneak up on him.

  “I reckon that wasn’t the best way to start off,” the man said with a strong Texas twang. The woman’s blue eyes had flamed in irritation. The old man’s, a lighter shade of blue, seemed to bore right into him. And judging by his expression, the guy didn’t much care for what he saw.

  Ryan faced him head-on, widened his stance and crossed his arms.

  “Around these parts,” the man added, “folks respond better to kind words than to being called crazy.” He shifted the toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. “You’d best remember that if you plan on staying here for long.”

  “What makes you think I’m staying?” he asked, genuinely curious. “Maybe I’m passing through.”

  The man shook his head. “We’re too far from the interstate for sensible folks to detour through town. And we don’t get a lot of drop-ins all the way from Montana.”

  Frowning, Ryan shot a look at the dirt-covered pickup truck behind him. Considering they stood broadsides to the vehicle, the old man couldn’t have seen the plate at the rear. “How did you figure out where I’m from?”

  “Didn’t have to figure a thing. People keep me informed. They know I like to stay on top of what goes on in my town.”

  Ryan stiffened. “Your town? Just who are you, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “Don’t mind a bit. Lloyd M. Baylor.” As they shook hands, the man’s eyes squinted with his smile. “Welcome to Flagman’s Folly, Mr. Molloy.”

  Ryan froze with his arm still outstretched. He hadn’t introduced himself. Instantly, he dropped his hand to his side, hoping the old man hadn’t noticed the hesitation. Not much chance of that. Those blue eyes hadn’t squinted from a smile after all but from a calculating stare.

  Scrutinized like horseflesh once again—and passed over.

  Just as when he’d spoken with the woman, his gut told him something wasn’t right. But this time, he wouldn’t jump to a response. Keeping his tone level, he said, “Have we met?”

  “No, but I know all about you.”

  “From Caleb Cantrell?” So much for a fresh start.

  The older man nodded as if he’d listened in on Ryan’s thoughts. “Yep, heard all about you from Caleb. And there’s no need to get up on your high horse about it. He and I go back a long way. He trusts me just like I’ll trust you. If you don’t give me cause to do otherwise.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes. And I’ll tell you something else. Flagman’s Folly is the nicest place anyone would ever want to visit, including you. Just make sure you behave accordingly and keep out of my place of business.”

  The local saloon, Ryan surmised, judging by the man’s string tie and red suspenders. He gritted his teeth and tried for a grin. And promised himself he wouldn’t raise a glass in that barroom. “You’re not living up to Caleb’s talk about the town’s friendly reputation, Mr. Baylor. If that’s how you welcome newcomers, I’m surprised you have any customers at all.”

  “Customers?” The old man gave a gravelly laugh. “Never heard folks call it that, but I reckon the word works just as well as any other.”

  He frowned. “What kind of place are you running?”

  The man jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the building behind him. “You’re looking at it, son. This is Town Hall, and I run the courtroom.” After eyeing Ryan for a long moment, he added, “You’re more than welcome to stop by my office anytime. As long as you show up with a clean conscience and without a lawyer in tow.” He nodded once to underscore his words before heading back along the trough-lined path.

  Ryan clamped his jaw shut and shook his head over that so-called invitation. What had Caleb told the judge about him, anyhow?

  Swearing under his breath, he climbed into the truck and slammed the door shut behind him.

  He’d picked a hell of a way to make a first impression on folks in Flagman’s Folly.

  Chapter Two

  A flash in the mirror above the dresser made Lianne Ward automatically turn toward the doorway of her temporary bedroom. Her sister lumbered into the room, both hands supporting her lower back.

  “Here, sit down.” Lianne swept aside the freshly washed clothes she had piled onto the bed. In the two days since her arrival, she hadn’t had a single private moment with Kayla. If her good luck held until Becky came running into the room, maybe she could continue to avoid the conversation she didn’t want to have. If not, she might as well wave a white flag and surrender.

  Never argue with a pregnant woman, someone had once said. Great advice, especially with this pregnant woman, who never liked to take no for an answer.

  Besides, Kayla could sign.

  Sure enough, the minute their gazes met, she started in, using both hands and voice. “You’ve been avoiding one-on-one time with me since you got here. What’s up?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Come on, big sis. You don�
�t expect me to believe that, do you?”

  “You’re the big one right now.” What a relief to be able to tease Kayla, to say what she wanted without having to speak slowly, without focusing on each word and every syllable. To talk without thinking about her voice at all. So different from this morning and her run-in with that impossible man who accused her of making assumptions about him. He’d done the same with her….

  But didn’t everyone, if not sooner than later?

  She loosened her grip on the T-shirt she had intended to fold. If she didn’t watch out, her own sister would start jumping to conclusions. She forced a smile. “It’s only April. Are you sure that baby’s going to wait another three months?”

  Kayla was so lucky to have Sam and Becky and another child on the way. But even the mention of the baby didn’t seem to distract her sister now.

  Kayla rested her hand on Lianne’s arm, the way she’d always done to get her full attention. “The baby will come when he’s ready. What I don’t understand is why you’re so ready to leave.”

  “Miss me already? Don’t worry, you’ll have enough company when Sam’s mom gets here.”

  “That’s months away!”

  “But if Sharleen hears I’m staying, she might start thinking she’s not needed.”

  Kayla circled her right forefinger at her temple, making a sign that needed no words. Obviously, she hadn’t fallen for Lianne’s crazy excuses.

  “You know I have to go,” she said gently. “I made a commitment.” And unlike some people, she stuck by her promises. “Besides, I’ll only be a few miles down the road, close enough to come running as soon as Sam texts to let me know you’re in labor. And I’ll be by plenty of times before then. As you said, we’ve got months before the baby comes.”

  Kayla shook her head. “What about Becky?”

  “She’ll see plenty of me, too.” She took great care in folding another shirt. This visit had been the best break from her troubles she could ever have asked for. The only downside to the past couple of days—other than this morning—had been the many times Kayla had skewered her with a sharp-eyed gaze.

  Even now, she wasn’t letting lack of eye contact deter her. She put her hand on Lianne’s arm again and pointed to the bed.

  “You don’t give up, do you?” Sighing, she sank to the edge of the mattress.

  “Not when there’s something wrong. You know how happy I am to have you here. But I want to know why you left Chicago ahead of schedule. I’m guessing it’s connected to Mark, since you haven’t mentioned him once.”

  “Don’t worry about him,” she said lightly.

  “I’m not. I’m worried about you. And I’m not taking a brush-off for an answer.”

  She shifted on the mattress. Kayla would only be upset to hear she now had no steady relationship, no permanent job and not even a home to call her own. All because of a confrontation she hadn’t walked away from the way she had fled from that stranger on Signal Street. “You’ve got enough on your mind. You don’t need to hear my problems.”

  “Listen, big sis, haven’t we always confided in each other?”

  For most things, yes. Not this. On the other hand, she recognized on her sister’s face the same stubborn look she often saw in her own mirror.

  Sighing again, she said, “The long story short is, things with Mark didn’t work out.”

  Kayla’s eyes, as blue as her own, shone with tears. “I’m sorry. I thought everything was going so well. You’ve been with him longer than anyone else I can remember.”

  “Two years, three months, eight days. But who’s counting?” The relationship had lasted longer than most. So had Mark’s apparent acceptance that she was deaf. “He turned out to be just like some of the other guys I’ve dated—the ones who are so sure I can’t manage without their help.” How many times had she heard that? “He put an extra spin on things, though.” She looked away and then made herself meet Kayla’s eyes again. “He said I’ll never survive without him.”

  “That’s ridiculous!”

  Lianne had no trouble reading the next word on Kayla’s lips. She shook her head. “Yes, he is that. But watch your mouth, little sis. Your son might be able to hear you.”

  They both laughed.

  “Anyway, you called it right about Mark. So he’s history.” Kayla’s expression told her she hadn’t done a good job of keeping her feelings from her tone. She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’ll get over it.” And she’d learn from it.

  Someday.

  She dropped the folded shirts into her canvas carryall. “Enough about him. How’s Becky?”

  “She’s fine.” Kayla shook her head. “Sam and I have talked to her over and over about being careful when she’s chasing after Pirate. Five-year-olds forget. We’ll keep talking to her.” She stopped signing briefly to squeeze Lianne’s hand. “I told you, it wasn’t your fault.”

  “She moved so quickly—”

  “She does that to me all the time. It’s scary. Believe me, I know. But you said the driver didn’t come close to her.”

  “He didn’t. That’s what I tried to tell him.”

  She’d been upset over the situation, too. He hadn’t cared about that. Maybe hadn’t even noticed, considering the way he had almost staggered from the truck, his face pale and his eyes wide.

  A twinge of guilt made her wince. He had also tried to apologize. Yet after getting the final words in, she had stalked away.

  Kayla frowned. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “No. Becky wasn’t—”

  “I’m talking about you. And that man.”

  “Forget him.” She planned to. One look into his stormy-green eyes and she had instinctively known he would bring her nothing but trouble. She didn’t need any more trouble.

  To her relief, Becky burst into the room and, already chattering away, ran up to Kayla.

  Like any child her age, her niece walked around with a head full of never-ending questions. And like any inquisitive, active child, she forever wanted someone to talk to and play with. Happily, thanks to her mommy, Becky knew plenty of kids who signed.

  A five-year-old without friends who could communicate with her found life lonely and isolating at times.

  Adults didn’t have it any easier.

  Why hadn’t she seen through Mark sooner?

  You’ll never survive without me.

  Ridiculous, as Kayla had said.

  She couldn’t bring herself to tell Kayla the words he had flung as his parting shot.

  With his mouth so contorted in anger, his face so filled with scorn, she’d had trouble reading his lips. Seeing her struggle, he had gone out of his way to speak slowly and deliberately. To make sure she got the message:

  You’ll never make it anywhere, Lianne.

  She understood that, all right. And those words had made her cut her losses and leave him.

  No matter what he thought, she could live in both the hearing and the deaf worlds. And she would fight any man who wouldn’t treat her as his equal in either one of them.

  * * *

  BY LATE THAT AFTERNOON, Ryan and Caleb had inspected a good portion of the eastern boundary of the new ranch. The horses had no trouble getting them back home, which reminded him of the question Caleb had asked that morning. Did he have any trouble finding the ranch? He had given Caleb a firm negative. He’d had no problem at all making his way there.

  If only that had been true about his trip through town. All day, he’d had a hard time keeping the incident out of his mind. But no way would he bring it up with the boss.

  “We’ll take care of some of that fencing during the week ahead,” Caleb said, looking at his watch. “Let’s call it a day.”

  “Sounds good to me.” It had been a long afternoon after a longer trip, and with all he’d had to get done before leaving Montana, he hadn’t closed his eyes for almost two days now. But lost sleep trailed at the end of his long list of troubles.

  Tony, the gray-haired stab
le hand he’d met earlier, ambled out of the barn, his gait unsteady due to a bum leg and a built-up boot heel.

  As they dismounted, Tony gestured to the horses. “I’ve got these.”

  Ryan held on to the reins, standard procedure on the Montana ranch. Except in an emergency, a rider took care of his own mount. To his surprise, Caleb handed over his reins and then nodded at him. Frowning, Ryan followed the unspoken order.

  After the cowhand had led both horses into the depths of the barn, Caleb said, “Tony’s an old buddy of mine. When I got back home again, I went to Amarillo to look him up. He’d run across a mean bull in rodeo years ago. Not everybody’s as lucky as I was.”

  Lucky, hell. He knew why the boss had just leaned back against the barn door to give his leg muscles a rest. The former bull-riding champ had met a badass of his own and still stiffened up after a while in the saddle.

  “Once Tony heard I was buying the ranch, he said he’d been spending too much time on his butt and wanted something to do.”

  That explained the new procedure with the horses.

  Just like his boss, always willing to help an old friend.

  “As you saw,” Caleb went on, “there’s still plenty of work to do and men and horses and cattle to bring in before this turns into anything like the working ranch in Montana.” He looked at him. “We’ll need to go over some specifics.”

  Ryan nodded. The tour had gone fine. Too fine, maybe. As he’d learned the hard way all through life, good things might come in threes, but so did bad ones. After his run-ins that morning with the unnamed woman and the judge, he wondered what to expect from his talk with the boss.

  Not once since his arrival had Caleb indicated either by word or by action any lack of trust in him. But if he didn’t watch his step, he’d be pulling stable duty with Tony.

  Judge Baylor’s name hadn’t come up, either. Not for the first time, he wondered why the boss had talked to the man about him.

  “I’ll have the laptop with me tomorrow,” Caleb continued, “and we can run over the list of wranglers we’ve got on board as of now.”