The Lionhearted Cowboy Returns (5 page)

Jeff gave him his best stern look, thinking about the hard ground.

“It’s already too dark to go back now,” Colin pointed out.

The boy was too smart for his own good. “I’ll say one thing, kid, you remind me far too much of your dad. He used to get me into trouble, too.”

Colin flashed a bright grin. Jeff was suddenly taken back twenty years. He had a feeling Trevor would have loved this idea.

Early the next morning, Lacey waited at the cabin for her son’s return. She had been against letting Colin stay out there, but Jeff had assured her they were both safe. Yet one night out didn’t solve their problems, not with her son, and not for the future.

Lacey drew a breath and paced the small cabin. How was she going to handle this? Colin couldn’t get off without a punishment. She sighed. “Oh, Trevor, what do I do? I’m not sure if I can handle raising a boy on my own.”

At the sink, she glanced out of the window toward the pasture. Still no one. She looked down at her hand resting on the counter and the letters carved in the wood.

She smiled and began tracing the chiseled-out letters, remembering all those years ago. She’d been new in San Angelo when Trevor Guthrie had come up to her in seventh grade and introduced himself. There had never been anything shy about him. From that moment they’d become friends. In high school things changed and they became a couple. From the first, Trevor had been her friend, protector and so much more.

She traced the other name. Jeff. “Jeff Gentry,” she breathed.

He was as opposite from Trevor as you could get. She would label him the strong, silent type, along with dark and dangerously handsome. The two boys had been best friends from an early age. Then she’d moved in. There were times when she wondered if Jeff had resented her for that.

Sometimes she’d caught him looking at her.
Nothing that had ever spooked her, but his gaze just caused strange feelings inside her. Then, after graduation, Jeff’s plans had been to go away to college. The only thing Trevor ever wanted had been to take over his father’s horse-breeding business. She’d also spent a lot of her time at the ranch, helping him with the training while taking college courses locally.

She and Trevor had gotten even closer that year. He talked about marriage. After having lived through her own parents’ divorce, Lacey had wanted to wait a while. They’d argued about it a lot, eventually breaking up.

During that time, Jeff came home from college for the summer. He’d contacted her and asked her to meet him at the cabin. Lacey went, surprised at the change in him. He’d filled out, literally turning into a man.

When he started pitching to her about what a great guy Trevor was, she’d gotten angry, telling him that she needed some time and space. She’d told him she wanted to date other guys since she’d never had a chance to before. Feeling furious that Trevor had sent Jeff to plead his case, she’d slipped her arms around him and kissed him. To this day she couldn’t believe she’d done something so crazy. What she did remember was that it had been an unbelievable kiss. By the time Jeff had released her, she could barely stand without swaying.

“Lace, this is wrong,” he had told her, but he still had kissed her again. Soon they couldn’t get enough of one another and had ended up making love on the single bunk. Lacey had suddenly realized her strong feelings for Jeff.

But afterward Jeff could barely look at her. He’d told her he was sorry about what happened. When she’d
tried to tell him that
she
wasn’t sorry, he’d informed her he was going into the military. Then he’d left the cabin, and she’d stayed and cried her eyes out.

Over the next few weeks, Jeff had been scarcely around and she’d been miserable. She was in love with a man who wanted nothing to do with her.

Jeff had finally left town without even seeing her. Trevor came to see her, though. In her pain, she’d realized that he was the one who truly loved her—and so three months later she’d married him.

Over the years Jeff had only made it home about half a dozen times. She’d made excuses not to see him. Trevor had kept in touch by e-mail or gone to visit Jeff on base a few times, but that had only lasted those first couple of years. Then there’d been nothing from him at all.

Her marriage with Trevor had gone through some rough times. Lacey hated the fact that what had happened that summer could have caused her husband pain. Trevor was a good man. The man who’d stood by her. Lacey had tried to be a good wife to make up for what was lacking in their marriage.

But there would always be that summer. That night she and Jeff had betrayed Trevor.

“Mom?”

Lacey swung around to see Colin standing at the door. Her heart began to pound hard. He was safe. She rushed to him. “Oh, Colin.” She didn’t want to think about the possibility she could have lost him. She held him tightly as Jeff walked through the door.

“Thank you,” she managed. “Thank you for bringing my son back.”

Jeff nodded. “Colin, I believe you have something to say to your mother.”

The boy lowered his head and began to murmur.

Jeff came in. “Speak up, son, so she can hear you.”

Colin raised his head, his blue eyes sad. “I’m sorry I ran away, Mom, and that I worried you. I won’t do it again.”

Lacey glanced at Jeff then back at her son. “Yes, you did worry me, Colin. How can I trust you when you run away because things don’t go your way? And there were so many people out looking for you.”

“I know. It was a stupid thing to do. Jeff said I need to act my age and help you more ’cause you have a lot on your shoulders.”

She tried not to act surprised at her son’s newfound understanding. “Well, not any more than I can handle.”

“I’m going to do more,” he promised. “If you say it’s okay, I’ll help Jeff with the horses and clean out the stalls.”

“Sounds like a good idea. And it looks like that’s all you’ll be doing since you’ll be serving a two-week punishment. That means you can’t ride Buddy, or any other horse.” She started to leave but stopped. “And no video games or television, either.” Lacey walked out, hearing her son’s groans.

“I warned you,” Jeff told him. “Never make your mother worry.”

“I bet Mom’s tougher than being in the army.”

She heard a laugh from Jeff, before he said, “No way, your mom’s much better. No sergeant I ever knew gave me hugs and kisses.”

E
ARLY
one morning the following week, Jeff arrived at the Guthrie Ranch. When he got out of the truck, he spotted a horse and rider in the corral.

The air in his lungs seemed to stop as he watched the vision on horseback. It was Lacey riding Fancy. She sat atop the beautiful liver-chestnut filly, her shoulders and hands relaxed as her long jeans-clad legs easily controlled the horse’s movements.

Jeff stood on the bottom rung of the railing, unable to take his eyes off her. Her blouse hung open, revealing a tank top underneath. A honey-blond ponytail was pulled through the back of a Texas Longhorns baseball cap and swinging freely while she rode around the arena, putting the animal through its paces.

He’d had no idea she could ride like this. When Lacey had moved here, she and her divorced mother had lived in town. As kids they all rode, Lacey usually doubled up with Trevor, so Jeff had never got to see her hidden talents. He studied her closely, enjoying her grace and ability. This wasn’t something you could teach a person.

“Hey, Jeff.”

Hearing Colin call out his name got Lacey’s attention, too. The private show was over.

“Hey, kid.” Jeff got off the railing and went through the corral gate. “Morning, Lacey,” he called to her as he walked into the arena.

She climbed off Fancy and led the horse toward him. “Good morning,” she returned, looking embarrassed, as if she’d been caught doing something wrong. “I didn’t expect you so early.”

“I thought I’d get started before the day heated up,” he said, feeling the warmth already, though it had nothing to do with the sun. “Why didn’t you tell me you could ride like that?”

She shrugged, but before she could speak, Colin showed up and took over the conversation. “Mom used to show horses. Dad said she has talent.”

“Colin,” Lacey began. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the house watching your sister?”

“Ah, Mom. I want to help Jeff.”

“And you will, but your punishment isn’t over yet. You still have another week.”

Colin looked at Jeff for support. “Sorry, buddy. I can’t help you on this one. You did the crime and now you have to do the time.”

The boy nodded. “Are you still going to pay me to work with you next week?”

Jeff stole a glance at Lacey. “I have to discuss it with your mother first.”

The boy looked at his mother and began to say something, but stopped when she raised her hand.

“Not now, Colin,” she said. “I told you my decision will be made when I see how you handle yourself in the next seven days.”

The boy nodded. “Okay, I’ll watch Emily and clean my room. Then I’ll do the dishes.” With a wave, he ran off toward the house.

Jeff watched Colin leave and smiled. “Darn, the boy works all the angles, doesn’t he?”

“I guess you can say, ‘like father, like son,’” she said, finding herself smiling, too. “Together they would gang up on me and I didn’t stand a chance.”

He looked at her. “How’s he been this past week?”

“Not too bad. He has his moments.”

“If you want I’ll talk to him again,” he offered.

She shook her head. “No, thanks, I can handle my children.” She turned and tugged on Fancy’s reins as she headed toward the barn.

Jeff caught up with her. “Hey, I didn’t mean to cause a problem.”

“Look, Jeff. Emily and Colin are
my
responsibility. I’m the one who’s raising them, so I’m the one who disciplines them.”

Lacey had tried to stay away from the barn whenever Jeff came around. She didn’t want to confront her feelings since his return. It had been more than she wanted to admit. The one thing she could do was keep him out of her personal life.

She opened Fancy’s stall and put her inside, then began removing the tack. What was wrong with her? Jeff had found her runaway son, and bought two of her horses. Now, he was paying to board them here.

But what she didn’t want was another man handling everything for her. Not again.

She looked up from her task to find him leaning against the open stall gate. He looked too good at six in the morning, with his fitted green army T-shirt and worn
jeans. That was the problem, she was noticing far too much about Jeff Gentry. Still, that wasn’t a reason to be rude.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. You went out and found Colin and you’re helping me out here.”

“I don’t want your
gratitude,
Lace. What I need is a partner.”

Jeff had always liked the Guthries’ kitchen. The maple table was placed in the center of the bright-yellow room. The cabinets were a knotty pine with fifties-style brown Formica covering the counters. The white appliances weren’t in much better shape. Nothing had changed since they were kids.

Had Trevor done poorly with the business? The outside of the house could use some paint, although the barn and corrals were in great shape.

Lacey filled two cups at the coffeemaker, then brought them to the table and sat down. He took a seat across from her.

She sighed. “I thought we already settled this. I can’t afford to continue with the breeding business. I can’t take that much time away from the kids.”

“You could if you quit your job in town.”

She shook her head. “I need the health insurance, especially for the kids. My hours are cut to the bare minimum to even qualify for it at the supermarket as it is. I can’t afford to buy it on my own.”

“You could if we got a group policy for the business. I believe we only need three employees.” He shrugged. “We can hire someone to help out, for feeding and exercising the horses. With help we can bring in more boarders. That means more monthly income.”

Jeff paused to watch her. Good. She was thinking about it.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked.

“I want you to do what you’re good at, the training. I had no idea you were so accomplished.”

“Trevor was the one with the talent.” She shrugged. “He taught me. When I got good enough, I began working with the horses on my own.”

“From what I’ve seen, lady, I’d say you were damn good.”

“I’ve had some success. Trevor was the one who built the reputation. I’m afraid that people won’t be as willing to trust me without him here.”

“They will when they see you ride.”

“We need horses for that to happen, and we only have three. Since Bonnie is Rebel’s dam that eliminates her.”

“Would you be opposed to talking with my Uncle Chance?”

She blinked in surprise. “Chance Randell?”

He nodded. “Maybe we can work a business deal with him. Granddad said he’s impressed with Rebel and Fancy. There’s also my Aunt Tess. Of course, she’s more involved with the training end of it.”

Lacey had admired Tess Meyers Randell for years. “She’s one of the top trainers in Texas. How many reining champions has she bred and trained?”

“I’m not sure. But I know Brandon used to help her when she only had one horse. In the past few years, she’s cut her business down considerably. I bet she’ll be willing to give us some pointers.”

Lacey studied Jeff. Suddenly he wanted to go into the quarter horse business. “Jeff, why are you really
doing this? I mean, why not eliminate me as competition and team up with your uncle?”

He took a long drink from his mug. “To be honest, I want to stay out of the family business for now.”

Did he have any idea how lucky he was? “They’re your family, Jeff. They love you. They just want to help you.”

His eyes narrowed. “I like to do things on my own.”

Stubborn man. “You just said you wanted me as a partner.”

“I want to prove to myself I can make it on my own. But I need your help and talent, too, Lace.” He glanced away. “I’m not sure I can handle the hours on horseback.”

She doubted that. “You’d be surprised, Jeff. You’ve always been able to do anything you put your mind to.”

He sucked in a breath. “I’m not the same man you once knew.”

Had she ever really known Jeff? “None of us are the same.”

He studied her, but didn’t say anything.

“But I know what courage it took to get up on that horse the night you went off to find Colin.”

She saw the flash of pain in his eyes as he got to his feet. “I need to get to work.” He started toward the door. “I’m going over to Chance’s place. I just need you to tell me you’ll give the partnership a try.”

She was crazy, no, insane, even to think about risking any more with this man, especially her heart. She couldn’t speak, because even with the risks, something made her want to take this chance, rationalizing that this would be for Colin and Emily. But deep down, she wanted it for herself, too.

She looked at Jeff and nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

Later that day, Jeff pulled up to the restored Victorian house at the Randell ranch. Chance was the eldest of the three Randell brothers, then came Cade and Travis. Years ago when their father, Jack, had been sent away for cattle rustling, Chance had tried to keep them all together, but the courts wouldn’t allow a minor to take responsibility for his siblings. That’s when widower Hank Barrett had stepped in and become their foster parent. They’d been family ever since, even adding Jack’s three illegitimate sons, Jarred, Wyatt and Dylan, to the clan.

Chance came out of the back door followed by his petite wife, Joy. The couple had been happily married for years and it showed. Like Jeff’s own parents, they were crazy about each other.

Chance hurried down the steps. “Hey, nephew, it’s about time you came out of hiding.” He gathered Jeff in a tight hug. “It’s good to have you home.”

“I’m taking it slow,” Jeff managed, not having realized how emotional he’d feel at seeing his uncle again.

Chance stood back and looked him over. “Not too bad. I heard you got shot up pretty good.”

Jeff didn’t want to talk about it at the moment. “I survived.”

There was a flash of sadness across Chance’s face. “Sorry about the leg.” Just as quickly he brightened. “You can’t keep a Randell down for long, though.”

Jeff laughed, covering up the still-vivid memories of his months in the hospital. “No, I guess you can’t.”

Joy, a pretty blonde, then came up and offered him a hug, too. “I’m glad you’re home safe, Jeff. I know your mom is over the moon.”

“If her cooking up a storm is any indication, yes, I’d say she’s happy to have me back.”

Joy made Jeff promise to stop by for supper one night, before returning to the house.

They watched her leave, then Chance turned to him. “I talked to your dad and he said you bought two Guthrie quarter horses.”

“Yeah, Rebel Run and Doc’s Fancy Girl.”

Chance let out a long whistle. “Man, I tried to get my hands on that pair a while back.” He frowned. “I take it Lacey Guthrie is having a rough time.”

Jeff nodded. “Yeah, I’m hoping that’s going to change. I’ve asked her to be a partner.”

His uncle didn’t look surprised. “So what are your plans?”

“That depends on you. Seems I’m going to need some stud service.”

Chance laughed as he shoved his cowboy hat off his forehead. His sandy-brown hair was streaked with gray. “This sounds interesting.”

Jeff explained the situation as they headed toward the large barn. Chance Randell’s quarter horses were top grade around the area. He didn’t train them for show, only as riding mounts and some cutting horses.

“We need to build up our barn stock,” Jeff told him as they went into the cool barn. “I want Lacey to continue to do the training, but we need foals. How do you feel about making a deal? Give me stud service for Bonnie. In trade, Rebel will cover two of your mares.”

“That sounds like a possibility.” Chance rubbed the back of his neck. “Another is why not just sell Rebel’s semen?”

Jeff began to realize that ten years in the military
wasn’t going to help him in this new venture. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but that’s an idea.”

“Jeff, I’ll do whatever I can to help you out.” Chance grinned. “And it wouldn’t be a hardship at all to get a couple of foals sired by Rebel.”

“So it’s a deal?”

His uncle held out his hand. “Welcome to the horse-breeding business.”

The next afternoon at the cabin, Jeff was tired, not to mention hot and dirty from his morning at the Guthrie Ranch. He needed a shower in the worst way.

After stripping off his clothes and prosthesis, he grabbed his crutch, a towel and shaving kit, then made his way down to the creek. The intense heat was peaking, but he kept his focus on the thought of the cool, clear water. Too bad it wasn’t deep enough to swim in. With the crutch under his arm for support, he reached the large rock he’d moved a few days ago so he could sit down to wash.

With a sigh, he then scooped up creek water with an old pan he’d found in the cabin, and poured it over his head. The cold water made him gasp, then smile. Heaven. After a few more scoops, he grabbed a bar of soap and began to scrub the filth off his body. Once lathered up, he reached for his crutch, stood and made his way to the shower. Inside the canvas flap, he reached up and opened the valve and let the trickling water rinse him off.

He was starting to feel like a new man.

Lacey closed the Jeep’s door and walked up the hill to the cabin. She’d been trying to reach Jeff by cell phone,
but there wasn’t any answer. It kept going straight to voice mail. And she needed to talk to him right away, before he started making any permanent plans for the business.

There wasn’t going to be a partnership, because there wasn’t going to be a ranch. Not since today’s mail had brought a notice from the bank, stating a payment was due in two weeks. The sum was an unbelievable amount. She didn’t recall any loan that was due. Nor did she have that kind of money to pay it off. There had to be a mistake.

During a call to the bank and a long discussion with a Mr. Dixon, she had learned Trevor had taken out the loan about eighteen months ago. What hurt the most was that her husband hadn’t even discussed it with her. He’d even forged her name on the loan papers. He’d used the ranch as collateral to borrow for the business.

She didn’t have a way to come up with the money to pay off the loan. She was going to lose her home.