Fallen Angel (13 page)

“So I was thinking, Ice could use some exercise after all the time in the barn. Do you have time for
a ride?” He caressed her cheek softly with his thumb.

“Absolutely.”

“Great, I am going to go feed Ice. She is probably starving.” He watched her go still smiling. He had been telling the truth about not being able to sleep he had been up all night thinking about how he was going to ask her to marry him, going over every possible scenario in his mind. 

He decided to go get the horses saddled for that ride she suggested and followed her out the door. He was half way to the barn when his ears picked up the faint sound of hoof beats. He could tell they were coming from the wrong direction to be one of his men so he waited watching for a rider to come into sight.

“Matt!” His face split into a grin as he watched his brother dismount.

“Luke, you look
good.”  They walked into the house and Luke poured him a cup of coffee.

“So what brings you back this time?”

“What makes you think I didn’t come just to see my favorite little brother?” Luke arched a brow at him and he laughed. “Alright, I’m looking for a killer.”

“That sounds more like you.  Is there a big reward or is this just an interesting one.”

“Both actually. This guy is abducting women and killing them. He has a specific, type but it has all the women in Austin terrified. The city has put a huge bounty on his head.” 

“I see so we are a quick stop on your way there.”

“Oh come on Luke don’t be like that, you know I come to see you whenever I am in the area.” 

“I know.” Luke smiled, he wasn’t going to let his brother’s wandering ways get to him today not when his timing was just about perfect. With an
y luck he could be his best man. He wasn’t going to ask him yet though. It had to be some kinda bad luck to ask the best man before the bride. “It’s good to see you Matt. It’s been too long this time. What’s it been nine months? A year?”

“Yeah I know, I am sorry about that but you know how it goes. I just lose track of time.”

“Yeah I know.” Luke smiled at him again.

“Matt is that you?”

“Ella!” Matt swept Ella up in a hug that lifted her off her feet. Ella hit him on the arm when he put her back on her feet.

“What is the matter with you? You don’t write you don’t visit?” Matt laughed and Luke grinned as he listened to Matt give Ella the excuses he had just given him, they didn’t work nearly as well on her. He sat down at the table and listened to Matt talk about his latest exploits. Matt was still talking as he walked to the coffee pot to refill his
cup but suddenly he stopped looking out the front window.

“Luke, why is Angelica
Austin in your yard?”

“What?” Luke walked to the window and looked out, as he feared Angie was in the yard with Ice. “You know who that is?”

“Yeah, I just told you it’s Angelica Austin, as in Mayor Patrick Austin’s daughter. I know you live way out here in the sticks but you have to remember the dumbest political slogan in history.  ‘I know Austin because I am Austin.’” Matt changed his voice mimicking the slogan. Luke couldn’t tear his eyes off of Angie. “Luke,” Matt’s voice had softened, “This killer that I am going to look for… everyone thinks Angelica Austin is his fifth victim. She fits the type to a T, she has been gone for two months. They aren’t even looking for her anymore they are looking for a body.”  Luke swallowed hard, still watching Angie smiling and laughing with Ice.

“She has been here. I found her, looked as if she had been thrown from a horse. She has no memory no idea who she is.” Luke’s voice was quiet and strained.

“Her suspected murder is the reason for the push to catch this guy, she is the mayor’s daughter and she is engaged to some other big wig politician.” Luke felt his stomach drop, Matt continued speaking unaware.

“You’re sure it’s her.” Luke interrupted.

“I am sure, I met her once I never forget a face.”  Luke turned and slammed his fist into the wall then walked out the door jerking it open so hard that it banged against the wall and bounced back.  Matt stared after him wide eyed then turned and looked at Ella who looked equally stunned.

Angelica watched Luke walk swiftly across the yard and into the barn.
His stride was determined and he didn’t look her way. She frowned looking at the door he had disappeared through coming to a decision she followed him through the door.

“Luke, is
everything alright?” Luke froze at the sound of her voice, he was saddling Blaze he closed his eyes.  He felt her hand on his shoulder then his hand.  “Are you alright?” He opened his eyes and saw what she was looking at, his knuckles were bleeding.

“I’m alright.” He finally turned and looked
at her. Her forehead was creased with concern as she looked up at him.  “Angie I…” He wasn’t even sure what to say he grabbed her and pulled her against him and kissed her fiercely. He didn’t want to let her go, he knew he was going to have to. “I have to go, there is something I have to do.”  He turned to finish cinching the saddle but she caught him and turned him back. She put her hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes, they were much darker than usual.

“Luke, are you sure you’re alright?” Was he alright? He was most definitely not alright his mind was spinning he had to figure out his next course of action and he couldn’t do it with this beautiful guileless woman looking deep into his eyes and holding his heart in her hands.  He took a deep breath and forced a smile.

“Angie, I am fine really, I just have some things I have to do.”

“Alright.” She let her hand drop
and turned away.

“Oh yeah, my brother is here so don’t be surprised when you see someone new poking around.”  Angie nodded and continued out the door wondering why a visit from his brother had upset him so much.

Luke rode hard hoping to clear his head but it wasn’t working, he finally pulled up and let Blaze slow. Riding wasn’t working so he decided to walk, he walked for a while and found himself under an oak tree. It wasn’t their oak tree but it felt poignant anyway.  He kept running over everything he had learned in his head but he just kept coming to the same conclusion. Now that he knew who she was he had to take her back. She was engaged, he rested his head against the tree. How close had he come to proposing to someone else’s fiancée, how close had he come to seducing someone else’s fiancée?  He sighed and rubbed his eyes, this had to be the worst he had ever felt.  But what could he do? He couldn’t ask her to choose, she couldn’t even remember her previous life. It wouldn’t be fair to ask her to choose.

Angelica looked into Ice’s pale eyes, they looked so much like Luke’s. Luke still wasn’t back she was really worried about him. It was starting to get dark, more than that she was worried about the way he had been when he left.  He was upset, she could see that but something more was happening, there was a weird feeling over the whole ranch. She had met Luke’s brother briefly he looked a lot like Luke only with darker hair and darker eyes. He had left not long after Luke.  Even Ella seemed subdued she wanted to ask if someone had died and no one had told her but she didn’t because the person she really wanted to talk to was Luke and he wasn’t there. So she waited.

Luke left Blaze saddled and outside the barn he knew he wouldn’t be staying. 

“Hey.” He said quietly looking over the stall door.

“Hi.” She said back, he could see the concern for him in her eyes and it ate at him. He took a deep breath praying he could get through this.

“I’ve been doing some thinking and I think I owe you an apology.” He said not meeting her eyes. Angelica frowned, she wasn’t sure what he was referring to but she could see he was serious. She also noted that he stayed outside the stall not coming close to her. “I think I may have led you on. I am not looking to settle down there are too many things I still want to do with the ranch. Getting married is just not in my plan right now.” Angelica frowned becoming even more confused. She hadn’t suggested that they get married, she wasn’t sure where this was coming from.

“Luke I wasn’t suggesting…” She stopped talking when he held up his hand.

“I know you haven’t but this, whatever this is, it’s just not right. I should not have let it happen at all. It’s my fault and I am sorry, it will not happen again.” He turned and left the barn as quietly as he had entered.  Angelica felt a bit stunned and more than a little dazed.  He had said whatever was happening between them was wrong. She had fallen in love with him and he thought their relationship was a mistake. She felt tears sting her eyelids, she didn’t even have a chance to blink them back before they were overflowing down her cheeks.  This was the last thing she had expected to hear from him. Her chest ached, he had taken her heart in one quick swipe. She felt like running like getting away from everything that was Luke, starting with the barn.

“I thought I might find you here.”  Angelica jumped at the sound of James’ voice quickly brushing the tears off her cheeks.

“You were right, the view of the stars from here is amazing.” She tried to sound as normal as possible but even she could hear the tears in her voice.  He sat down beside her gazing out at the stars and she waited, sure he was going to ask her what was bothering her and she wasn’t sure what she would say.

“You were only part
ly right you know.” He said softly.

“About what?

“You said that I treated you like a person because I had so many sisters that I was used to being around women.  You were only part right. It’s because of Kelly.”

“You
r younger sister?” She asked softly, he smiled slightly he knew she would remember every word he had told her.

“Yes. You remind me so much of her.”

“Do I look like her?”

“No, it’s not that you look like her, it’s that you have the same personality.  She cared so deeply for everyone and everything she felt everything more than most people.” His voice was soft, almost soothing and Angelica felt her chest ache where her heart had just been ripped out. In that moment she wished she didn’t feel anything at all.

“When we were kids there was this cat that lived in the barn, we weren’t supposed to play in the barn, especially the girls but Kelly would sneak out there and feed the cat.  Well she had a litter of kittens so naturally she began sneaking out there to see the kittens. I don’t remember exactly how but somehow the mama cat died, so like you with Ice she took it upon herself to take care of those kittens. She did it for a couple of weeks before our father caught her. He got rid of all of them. I don’t know what he did with them but Kelly cried for days. It didn’t change her though she went right on trying to help anyone and anything in any way that she could.”  Angelica turned and looked at him. He wasn’t looking at her he was staring out at the stars but she could see by the reflection of light on his cheeks that he was silently crying. There was a point to this story, he was trying to tell her something she could tell but this was different her hurt ran deeper than what she would have for lost kittens, even what she felt for Ice.

“James, how did your sister die?” She whispered.

“She cut her wrists.” He said softly, Angelica gasped she hadn’t expected that, he had told her she died accidentally. “She fell in love, she wanted to get married, to start a family. All her older sisters were married. He was the son of one of the wealthiest families in town.  She confided in me that he had asked her to marry him that he was just waiting for the permission of his parents and ours.” His voice changed slightly. It hardened a bit. “He seduced her and then it was announced that he was to marry another girl, one from a wealthy family in the next town. Apparently they had been courting for some time.  I was the only one who knew about them.” Angelica saw another tear slide down his cheek. “I didn’t know she had taken it so hard but I should have.  I should have said something to her.  She killed herself on their wedding day.” James’ voice cracked and Angelica felt for him. She laid her head over on his shoulder.

“It wasn’t your fault.” She said softly.

“Heartache heals, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to but it does and eventually you love again. I know that now, but I can’t tell her.” Angelica lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

“You can’t tell her so you’re telling me.” She said softly, he nodded. She smiled and felt the empty hole in her chest throb. “Thank you.”

Luke wasn’t at breakfast in the morning. That suited her fine
if he was going to avoid her it saved her from having to avoid him. She had no idea what had caused his change of heart but she was fairly certain that if she spent any time alone with him she would end up pleading for an explanation and she really didn’t want to do that.  If he didn’t want her she would just have to accept that. The more of her pride she could keep intact the better. She had decided sometime during the long sleepless night to take James’ original advice, the next time they went to town for supplies she would go too she wouldn’t come back. There had to be a way to find out who she had been. Luke had told her if she didn’t have a past to find her bliss, well she found it and it didn’t want her.

The meal seemed nearly endless, no one spoke much it seemed as if everyone either knew that something had happened or they could simply feel the tension in the air. Finally it was over and she rose to head back to the barn, she had already fed Ice this morning but she felt the need to be alone and that was the best place to do it.