“I—” Drew couldn’t think of one valid reason to refuse. He had nothing urgent scheduled, and anyway, he did all his work on his computer. He could bring it with him and do his next stock market analysis in Montana, at least for a while.
Besides, he needed to see for himself how his adoptive parents were faring.
“This ranch is their life, Drew,” Mandy said, her tone fiercely protective. “We can’t let it fail.”
We. He liked the sound of that, though given their past, he had no business working on anything with Mandy. He’d loved her once and she’d rejected him. He wasn’t going to be so humiliated again.
“The staff here will help however they can, though you might not know most of them.”
Drew understood that she meant to remind him he hadn’t been back to the ranch since a one-day visit last Christmas, when he hadn’t seen her. Or the time before. Or the time before that. It was like she faded out of the picture whenever he arrived at the Double H.
“The townsfolk will help if we need it, too,” she reminded. “Everyone’s very loyal to the Halstons.”
“Yes, I remember how—”
“Mama?”
Drew frowned at the sound of a child’s voice.
“Just let me finish my phone call, okay, honey?” Love flowed through Mandy’s voice. “Sorry, Drew. My daughter sometimes gets a bit impatient.”
Mandy had a daughter?
In the pause that followed, he had the strangest thought that she was summoning her courage. As if Mandy had ever needed to look for that.
“Come home, Drew? Please?”
The words flew out of his mouth without any conscious decision.
“As it happens, my calendar is empty till mid-June or so.” He gulped. That wasn’t completely true, but he would make this trip, and he’d do what he could with Ben’s schedule. This was his chance to give back some of the love and care the Halstons had spent years showering on him. “I’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?” Mandy sounded like she was afraid to believe him.
“Yes. We’ll plan next steps then,” he said, vowing to keep his distance. Their past was over. Totally.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” She quickly said goodbye and hung up.
Questions swirled in his mind.
When had Mandy married, had a child? More to the point, why hadn’t Bonnie or Ben told him? Not that Drew had encouraged talk about Mandy. In fact, he usually cut off any and all comments about his former teen love.
So he had no business wondering about Mandy’s life now. But he did.
Drew remained in place, still holding the phone, staring out his glass balcony door at New York’s famous cityscape spread below. He’d bought this place because he thought it met his needs. It was going to be his home. He worked here undisturbed, analyzed to his heart’s content and consulted via the internet. This was supposed to be his haven.
But his spartan, ultra-neat apartment now seemed more like a prison.
How strange that Drew was actually looking forward to returning to the very ranch he’d so eagerly escaped.
And to seeing Mandy again.
Mandy hung up, worry and relief vying for supremacy.
Drew was coming home. That meant she’d have help keeping the Halstons’ livelihood going. That pleased her.
She’d also have to tell him the truth. The prospect of that was terrifying.
“I love you, Mama.” Her daughter snuggled against her side, face upturned in sweet trust that her mother would solve whatever issues cropped up in her life. Hadn’t she always?
“I love you, too, Ella.” Mandy hugged the little body close in an attempt to quell her growing trepidation, fighting to cling to her resolve to not let Drew’s arrival at the ranch change anything.
It didn’t matter what he said or did, if he reviled her or hated her. It didn’t even matter that he still held a grudge, or how much that hurt after they’d once shared such closeness. Yes, she’d loved him dearly, and it had cost all her hopes and dreams to end their relationship.
But she’d never had a choice.
That was the past. Now Mandy had made a new life for herself and Ella, thanks to Bonnie and Ben. She couldn’t afford to let her childish love for Drew revive and ruin what she’d built. Nor could she let guilt over the past affect her life now. She certainly couldn’t let herself become the least bit susceptible to Drew’s charms.
Ella was the most important part of her life now. Ella was her future.
Drew was Mandy’s past. And everything about the past was best forgotten.
Everything.
Chapter Two
The next morning, Mandy caught herself glancing in the bathroom mirror for the fifth time. As if Drew would care if her hair was a shaggy mess or her makeup nonexistent. He probably dated gorgeous, uber-smart ladies with IQs like his, who wore something much more spectacular than shabby jeans, a baggy T-shirt under a denim jacket with worn-through elbows and battered Western boots.
Anyway, it was only half past seven in the morning. Drew probably wasn’t even awake yet. And why did she care anyway? Better to focus on making sure Ella finished her breakfast so Trina, Mandy’s au pair and home helper, could take her daughter to school.
“I sended Auntie Bonnie a text, Mama, an’ I put in lots of happy faces to make her and Uncle Ben feel more better.” Perched at the kitchen island, Ella popped the last strawberry into her mouth, crunching it between a smile that, minus two front baby teeth, was no longer perfect.
“I’m sure those happy faces will make them laugh, sweetie.” How Mandy adored this child. “Did you thank Trina for making your hair look so pretty? And for those barrettes?”
“Yep.” Ella beamed as she jerked her head up and down. “Both.”
“Good girl.” Mandy brushed a hand over brown ringlets framing Ella’s tanned round face and innocent brown eyes. “Soon you’ll be finished kindergarten,” she mused, marveling at how quickly her baby girl was growing.
“Uh-huh. An’ I’m gonna be six an’ have a party.” Ella’s dark eyes shone with excitement. Then she frowned. “Don’t you have to feed Magpie and Blackie this morning, Mama?” Her daughter always worried her beloved pony and dog would starve.
“I sure do. But I need a minute to admire those barrettes. So pretty. Bye, sweetheart. Be good at school.” Mandy kissed her girl’s downy-soft cheek, murmured “thank you” To Trina and then, with one last wave for Ella, left her house to begin another day on the ranch.
Hanging Hearts Ranch had always felt like home to Mandy, even when she’d lived next door. She’d grown up knowing Bonnie and Ben would welcome her no matter the hour. As she strolled to the stables, she mentally praised God for the couple and the job that had rescued her and Ella.
How could Drew stay away from this place? It was a beautiful spring morning. Birdsong filled the crisp air. The sun blazed, its rays already warming the land. In the distance, Ben’s newest calves tottered through the grass, bawling at their mothers to be fed. Seven colts frolicked together in another pasture, kicking up their back legs to show off.
She loved it here.
Mandy gave Blackie his usual bowl of dog food. He seemed less interested in it than usual which surprised her. She shrugged and continued on her rounds. A sense of satisfaction welled but was quickly diminished at the thought of Drew arriving today. She didn’t want to think about that meeting, so she focused on her job.
Someone else fed the stock, but each morning Mandy made it a point to check out the special mounts Bonnie used in her riding academy. The most valuable stayed overnight in the stables but had been released and were currently in the nearest paddock. Spying her, they edged near the fence, jockeying for position to obtain a carrot treat.
As she fed them, Mandy mentally noted the windows on the old log cabin that she and Ella shared desperately needed washing. The usual spring rains were late this year so everything on the Double H was covered in a thick layer of dust. Add another item to her to-do list.
Wait! She blinked at the elderly woman who stood on the far side of the riding circle, obviously waiting for someone to bring her the placid mare called Babycakes so she could begin her usual lesson.
How could I have forgotten it was her lesson day?
“Mandy, dear!” the woman called, waving a gloved hand. “Good morning. Hasn’t God given us a perfect day?”
“He sure has, Miss Partridge.” Mandy had hoped to spend the next hour ensuring everything would be perfect for her upcoming meeting with Drew, the first time she’d see him in almost seven years. Tamping down her impatience, she asked, “How are you, ma’am?”
“Finer than frog’s hair, dear.” The former librarian’s faded blue eyes twinkled. “I just know I’m going to ride well today.”
“Let me get saddled up and we’ll start your lesson,” Mandy promised.
It turned out the lady’s prediction was right. Once firmly mounted, Miss Partridge rode around Bonnie’s riding circuit with perfect form, moving fluidly from a walk to a trot, then to a canter and finally, into a modified gallop.
“You’re doing really well,” Mandy told her, dismounting her own horse to help the older woman slide free of her saddle, then handing off the reins to a waiting hand. “You’ll soon be ready to go on a trail ride.”
“A short one, perhaps.” Miss Partridge leaned forward as if there were hordes of people crowding the paddocks around them who might overhear. She whispered, “He’s back.”
“Who?” Mandy asked, intent on ensuring her not-always-stable client was on solid footing.
“Why, that handsome Drew Calhoun, of course.” The elderly spinster shuffled her red orthopedic boots in the dust, her voice a whisper. “Saw him going into the Eat Café in town when I passed it on my way out here for my ride.”
“Oh?” Mandy kept her face blasé. Of course that didn’t work. Pretended disinterest never stopped Miss Partridge.
“I’ve been praying for years that the two of you would meet again. It was so sad when—well, never mind. Today God has answered my prayer.” She clasped her arthritic hands together and laid them on her heart. “I just know you’ll resolve whatever went wrong. The truth will always win out.”
I hope not, Mandy thought, shrinking at the secret she’d shared with no one.
“I believe God sometimes uses adversity because it makes us stronger,” Miss Partridge continued. “Drew’s return could be the beginning of great things for you as a couple, dear.”
“We’re not a—”
“Excuse me, Miss Partridge.” Trina smiled at the elderly librarian before addressing Mandy. “May I please have a word with you when you’re free?”
“Certainly, Trina. I’ll be right there.” Relieved by the interruption but trying not to show it, Mandy escorted the senior lady to her vehicle. “Good riding today,” she congratulated before hastily adding, “I’m sorry, but duty calls. Please excuse me.”
“Oh, certainly, dear. You go ahead and get ready for your young man.” Miss Partridge chuckled as she drew her vivid orange-and-pink-flowered jacket around herself, then rearranged the fuzzy purple hat she wore on every ride. “I brought along a big mug of coffee so I can sit on that bench over there and talk to God about you and—” She winked. “Him.”
“Uh, well, thank you. Bye now.” Mandy fluttered a hand before hurrying toward the log house the Halstons had given her to live in when they’d offered her a job on the Double H eighteen months ago.
“Sorry if I interrupted, Mandy, but I know you’re waiting for an important call.” Trina waved off her boss’s thanks as she set down a steaming pail. “While Ella’s coloring a picture for the teacher, I thought I’d remind you about her concert this afternoon.” She worked as she talked, dipping her cloth in a bucket of water that gave off an odor of vinegar and swiping it across the dusty windows.
“How did you know I’d added window washing to my list?” Mandy gave thanks daily for this woman’s help. “And yes, I noted the concert on my phone. I’ll be there,” she promised. “Right after it, I have that meeting at the church.”
“The ladies’ salad social, right?” Trina dragged a scraper across the glass expertly, leaving nothing but a sparkle behind. “Ella and I also have plans after school. She’s going to have a milkshake with her friend while I pick up that skipping rope we discussed for the school contest next week. You could give it to her tonight so she can practice.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Trina.” Mandy hugged her. “And I don’t want to find out.”
“No worries on that score,” Trina muttered glumly. “Apparently I’ll be here forever. Devin Green seems to be one of those men who can’t figure out the nose on his face, let alone love.” She rolled her eyes. “Except the kind he feels for those cows on the back forty.”
“Maybe you have to draw him a picture like Ella does,” Mandy teased before answering her phone to arrange the sale of a horse. Then she moved on to check the feed being unloaded. She’d just finished speaking with the veterinarian about a lame stallion when a sound behind her made her turn.
“Hello, Mandy.” His voice hadn’t changed a bit.
“Drew. You’re here already.” So Miss Partridge had seen him? Mandy fought to keep her voice even. Her pulse thrummed inside her head at her first close-up look in almost seven years at the tall, lean man with the dangerously dark eyes.
But this Drew was not Mandy’s teenage love. This man didn’t offer that cute lopsided smirk that revealed a hint of dry hidden humor. This man looked supremely confident, assured and truthfully, a little bored. He wore casual clothes that screamed top designer and custom-made boots in a soft calfskin leather. Mandy longed for such perfectly fitting footwear, even knowing they’d be useless in her rough-and-tumble job at Hanging Hearts Ranch.
Drew should have looked out of place on the dusty spread, yet he appeared perfectly comfortable, even cowboy-ish, despite dark brown rumpled hair that had been clipped by a professional who knew exactly how to enhance his cheekbones without drawing attention to the jagged scar on his cheek.
Experience, that’s what Drew exuded.
“How are you?” she asked politely.
“I’m fine.” His brown eyes, framed by disgustingly thick lashes, surveyed her. “You haven’t aged.”
Ha! How little he knew.
“You don’t look any older either,” she lied to cover her shaking knees while wondering what had caused that fan of tiny lines at the corners of his eyes that hadn’t been there seven years ago.
Drew stood head and shoulders above her, whipcord lean and still devastatingly handsome, but for sure this was not the boy she’d loved. Mandy couldn’t define exactly why she felt that way, but it wasn’t only that everything she saw announced successful professional.
Perhaps it was because next to him, in her shabby clothes and less-than-elegant ponytail, she felt distinctly small town.
And defensive.
But more likely it was because she’d been dreading this meeting for seven years.
God has a plan to use what you’ve gone through for good, Mandy.
Bonnie’s familiar words echoed inside her head. As usual, Mandy wondered what good could come of the awful mistakes she’d made, but she quickly choked off the negative thought and got to the point of his visit.
“About Bonnie and Ben,” she began, but Drew interrupted.
“I visited them last night. Thank you for ensuring they’re together in the same room,” he said. “They seem to be doing as well as the doctors expect. I didn’t want to tire them so I didn’t stay long, but if they need anything, I’ll gladly pay for it.” His gaze narrowed. “No expense spared for their care, Mandy. I mean it.”
“You’ll have to get in line. The whole of Sunshine is determined to ensure Bonnie and Ben have everything they could want for their peace of mind and healing. Everybody loves them,” she reminded.
“Yeah.” Drew’s lips pursed for a moment. She knew that look. He was marshaling facts in his head. “You said Ben has a group booked for tomorrow?”
“Yes, though this is one group I probably could have canceled or perhaps rebooked with no issues. It’s a boys’ group from the church, and our competitor has no connection with the church.”
Focus on business, not the intensity of those dark eyes, she ordered her wayward brain.
“A church group. That’s a bonus. I guess.” Dubious didn’t begin to describe his tone.
“It is, trust me.” As if he would trust her ever again when he found out… “They’re good about changes or substitutions on the rides. The group is scheduled for a half-day trip to Kissing Rock, a campfire supper and a talk by their youth leader before they return.”
Immediately Mandy’s cheeks bloomed with heat. Did Drew remember their first embrace at Kissing Rock? Did he think she’d brought it up to remind him?
“I haven’t been on a ride that long for a while.” A frown darkened the cinnamon glint in his eyes. Cocoa eyes, she’d once called them.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine. I’ll come along this first time so no worries.” Mandy said it without thinking and immediately wished she hadn’t offered. Drew would manage and she didn’t need more proximity than was already inherent in this situation. She needed time and space to formulate a way to tell him about—she blinked.
What was Ella doing?
Racing across the yard, her daughter jerked to a halt beside Mandy and grinned at her before surveying Drew from head to toe.
“Hi. I’m Ella. Are you gonna be my daddy?”
Gobsmacked.
The word perfectly described Drew’s current state.
“Uh—” His brain was empty, devoid of any response for this expectant child.
Thankfully, Mandy seemed completely unfazed. She smiled as she wagged a finger at the child.
“Oh, Ella, honey, you’re such a tease. This is Drew. He’s Auntie Bonnie’s son. He’s going to help with Uncle Ben’s work. You can talk to him later. Right now you better get to school with Trina. Bye. Again.” Mandy swept the child into her arms.
Drew figured Mandy’s grip must have been too tight or else she held on for a fraction too long because Ella quickly wiggled free.
“Bye, Mama.”
“I’ll see you at your concert this afternoon, okay?”
“Uh-huh.” Ella giggled. “I’m gonna be the tree, ’member.”
“Got it.” Mandy smoothed her hair, then gave her a nudge toward a woman waiting beside a gray SUV. “Off you go.”
“Love you, Mama.”
“Love you, Ella,” Mandy replied, tickling the little girl’s neck.
Ella giggled again. “Love you, Drew.”
Drew knew his mouth was hanging open, but he felt completely incapable of closing it as he watched the little girl race to the vehicle and climb inside. The driver gave Mandy a thumbs-up before the two of them left.
Mandy turned, her expression a bit wistful until she noticed him watching her. Suddenly she became all business.
“So do you want to see where the fire was?”
“Uh, yeah, I’d like to take a look. But not in these clothes. I’d better change.” Still bemused, Drew bent to grasp the handle of his duffel bag.
“How did you get here?” She glanced around, obviously puzzled.
“I flew to Whitefish, then hired someone to drive me. I stopped for coffee in Sunshine, met Mac McArthur. He offered to bring me out here.” Drew shrugged. “I accepted his offer and sent the hired car back to Whitefish.”
“Oh.” She nodded. “Nice.”
“Yeah.” Drew frowned. “Mac says that once the insurance company is finished their assessments, a group of neighbors will come to clean up what’s left and get started on building a new tack barn. Is he right?”
“That’s what I’ve heard. Everyone has been amazing. It’s as if the entire town of Sunshine has been waiting for a chance to repay Bonnie and Ben for everything they’ve done for everyone else.” Mandy tilted her head to one side as if she wanted to ask him something, but Drew had his own questions.
“Why did Ella say she loves me?” he asked with a frown. “She doesn’t even know me.”
“Oh, that’s just how she is.” Mandy didn’t look at him.
“She says that to everyone?” he asked, dumbfounded.
“Mostly. And she means it.” She tugged leather work gloves from her pocket and began pulling them on. “My daughter has a very sweet heart.”
“But I’m a total stranger,” he objected.
“Ella has some learning disabilities. She hasn’t yet grasped that some folks aren’t trustworthy, and to tell you the truth…” Now Mandy looked directly at him, her green eyes intense, her tone edgy. “I’m not all that eager to disillusion her just yet.” As if that ended the discussion, she nodded toward the main house. “I’m sure you’ll find Bonnie’s kept your room the same as always. I’ll be in the petting zoo.”
“Okay.” Drew watched her stride away while the questions in his head multiplied. He couldn’t just let her go without answering at least one of them. “Hey, Mandy?” When she turned to face him, he said, “I never heard that you’d married. Congratulations.”
“You never heard because I didn’t. Excuse me.” She answered her phone, checked her watch and agreed to something. Then she conferred with a couple of cowboys who wanted to know where to unload two boarding horses that had just been trucked in.
Drew noted how easily she moved from one task to the next. Nothing seemed to faze her and the staff readily accepted her authority, including several men much older than her. Bonnie and Ben had told him as much, but he hadn’t quite believed it.
Seeing Mandy at work proved she knew exactly what she was doing. But then, hadn’t she always?
“Oh, you’re still here. Sorry,” she apologized as she tucked her phone into her pocket after sending a text. “It’s always crazy here first thing. Listen, Drew. A couple of issues have come up. Why don’t you take it easy this morning? Have some coffee or lunch. Go check your computer. I know you want to.” She grinned at his blink of surprise.
He raised his eyebrows in an unasked question.
“I may live in the sticks, but I keep up with your work in the financial world. Sort of.” She checked her chiming phone again, then said absently, “I’ll see you after lunch. We can talk then.”
“Sure.” Drew walked away bewildered by all of it, but mostly that Mandy had a daughter who apparently did not have a father, which was completely unlike Mandy who ran her life in accordance with her Biblical beliefs. Stranger yet, his foster parents—her bosses—had never said one word to him about Ella’s existence.
Who was the kid’s father? What kind of man left a woman to raise a child on her own?
None of your business.
Maybe not, but Drew tamped down his antipathy for this invisible guy while he walked toward the house where he and his brothers had lived after their parents died. He took the stairs two at a time and twisted the doorknob, which gave way immediately. Inside, a rush of memories assailed him.
That fragrance, lavender. It was Bonnie’s favorite. A new cabinet had been affixed to the wall and was filled with trophies of all sizes. He studied each. The majority were Ben’s, but there were also a number with Drew’s name on them, most for first place in calf-roping. Drew had always been good at that, though he was never quite sure why.
There were several scholastic trophies he and his brothers had won. They’d all loved math and science, but Drew had thrived on the complexities of statistics. Calculating odds and figuring out percentages for achieving goals had made up his world even back then, though he’d never discovered a formula for one hundred percent roping success.
