At the Rancher's Request

“So tell me about your life. Who are you and what do you like besides ranching?”

“I have a simple life that centers around my son, my family and friends, my ranch, my horses. I like rodeos, flying, skiing, baseball, tennis, apple pie. Some things I’ve dropped since Scotty’s birth. I have a responsibility now, so I’m not as reckless as I was before. No more bull riding when Scotty is so young.”

“That’s good.”

“It’s a simple life. What about you, Savannah?” he asked. She sat facing him with her long legs tucked under her. Firelight gave her a rosy glow and once again desire stirred, increasing his awareness of her appeal, bringing the same surprise that she stirred such feelings, surprise now tinged with guilt for feeling that way even though Elise had been gone almost two years now. Overriding those feelings was the ever-present sorrow over his and Scotty’s loss.

“I think my life may be quieter and more simple than yours,” she said, flashing another engaging smile. “My world centers around my family and friends. I’m a neonatal nurse and I love babies and children. As I mentioned earlier, I have three siblings and I’m the youngest. I adore my four little nieces and nephews.” She thought for a moment. “The only thing we have in common that you listed is tennis. I still play occasionally.”

“Is the trip to California a vacation?” he asked, wondering why she left Arkansas.

“Not really. I have an aunt in California and she wanted me to come,” Savannah said, watching the fire while Mike watched her. She was a beautiful woman and he wondered what she was running from.

“My aunt said I won’t have difficulty getting a job and I’d love to live in California. I love a beach, swimming, warm weather—so I’m going to try it for a while and see how things work out.” She turned to face him. “I’ve never been away from home before except to college and that was still in Arkansas, so I have mixed feelings,” she said. “Since we’re a close family, this is an experiment in my life.”

Mike nodded and kept silent, thinking she shouldn’t gamble because she couldn’t bluff her way through anything unless she was playing with Scotty. Her voice was filled with reluctance, so whatever she was leaving behind, she wasn’t happy about it.

“How old are your siblings and what are their names?” he asked.

Big blue eyes gazed openly at him. “Dan is thirty-two, Phillip is thirty, Kelsey is twenty-eight and I’m twenty-six. They’re all married.”

“You can always go home if you don’t like California.”

“That’s the plan,” she said. “Now tell me about your family.”

“We’re close, too. I’m the oldest, thirty-five, and then Jake, who married Madison Milan last fall.”

“Madison Milan, the artist?”

“So you’ve heard of her in Arkansas?”

“Sure. Is she from Texas?”

“Yes, from this area. Josh is next in age and then our baby sister, Lindsay, is the youngest. Lindsay is a full-time rancher, the same as I am. I’m the only one of my siblings with a child and I told you that I’m widowed. Elise died of breast cancer when Scotty was almost a year old.”

“That’s heartbreaking. I’m so sorry,” Savannah said.

He glanced at her and nodded. “Most of my family is in this area,” he said to change the subject. “Some more than others. Lindsay and I are the ones that are here most all the time.”

The hiss of sleet grew loud and Mike glanced toward the glass doors. Outside lights were on and beyond the covered patio, he could see sleet coming down steadily, tree branches and posts beginning to glisten with a coat of sparkling ice.

“We’ll be a solid sheet of ice tomorrow. Power lines will go down in this, although some of ours are underground and we have generators. Look at that stuff come down.” He stood and walked to the glass doors, standing with his hands on his hips to watch. “It’s a good thing you don’t have to be in California by a deadline.”

“I am so glad that I’m here in your house,” she said, coming to stand beside him.

“It’s freezing solid as we speak,” he remarked. “I have a feeling no one can cross even the west bridge now,” Mike said, glancing at her. “Did you have any food or a blanket in your car?”

“Yes. Not for an emergency like this. I just had some leftover candy and some cold drinks from drive-throughs. I did have a blanket in the trunk. I can’t stop thinking about how close I came to being out there by myself in the cold and the dark with a car that wouldn’t run.”

“You’re here. Warm and safe.”

Standing close beside him, she looked up. Blue depths ensnared him and that sizzling current of awareness shook him again.

Her eyes widened and he inhaled deeply as desire swept him. Her mouth looked soft, tempting. It had been a long time since he had held a woman in his arms, kissed anyone. He leaned closer as he looked at her mouth and thought of his loss. She closed her eyes and tilted her face for only seconds and then she looked into his eyes.

“Savannah,” he whispered, frowning.

“Mike,” she whispered at the same moment, shaking her head slightly.

* * *

Startled, Savannah stepped away. Her heart raced and she was torn between desire and common sense. His dark brown eyes revealed longing. Now that his hat was gone, his black hair was a tangle of curls, locks curling on his forehead. To her surprise, desire drummed steadily, increasing tension while tugging at her senses. Shocked by her reaction to him, she decided it was the nerve-racking night, her car, the storm, relying on a total stranger. She walked away to sit on the floor in front of the fire again.

She glanced up at the mantel at a picture of Mike and a beautiful black-haired woman who must have been Elise. Her pictures were in every room Savannah had been in so far and some rooms held several pictures of her, which Savannah could understand. She would have probably done the same if she had been the one to suffer the loss of a beloved spouse and the parent of a child.

Mike picked up his cup of cocoa and followed, sitting facing her and taking a long drink. As he lowered the mug, his gaze went from the fire to her. “What are you trying to get away from, Savannah?” he asked quietly. “Can I help?”

Surprised again, Savannah focused intently on him. “How did you know?”

He shrugged. “I’ve seen a lot of people bluff their way through things. You shouldn’t even try,” he said softly, smiling at her to take the edge off his words.

“You’re wondering why I’m going to California,” she said.

“You don’t need to tell me. In a few days you’ll leave Texas and we’ll probably never see each other again. I asked simply to see if I could help in any way.”

“It’s not private, just difficult to talk about. I was engaged,” she said, aware of Mike’s dark brown eyes focused steadily on her. He saw too much and the attraction that had flared briefly between them had unnerved her. She didn’t want to be attracted to anyone right now. “I was engaged and thought I was so deeply in love. We were going to get married in April and I was busy with wedding plans when it all came crashing around me. Although I’m the one who broke off the engagement, he didn’t want to get married after all. It hurt and it upset me that I had judged so poorly. Even though I’ve known him for years, I didn’t see this coming. So many mistakes...” Her voice trailed away as she watched the fire.

“Don’t beat yourself up. Relationships are complicated. None of us see things coming sometimes that we should.”

She smiled, turning to focus on him again. “You’re very sweet, Mike. Scotty is lucky to have you for a dad.”

“I’m lucky to have him. He’s the best thing in my life.” They sat quietly for a few minutes. She watched logs burn, crackle and pop, before turning back to Mike.

“This is going to be a lot longer trip than I expected. Perhaps I should have flown and bought a car in California.”

“Ed will probably be able to fix your car to run just fine.”

“Are you always so positive?” she asked, amused by his constant optimism and confidence.

“Try to be. It doesn’t help to be negative. I want Scotty to have a good attitude about life.”

“That’s a good goal for a dad,” she said.

He smiled and took a sip of his cocoa. “So is California really about putting distance between you and your ex-fiancé?”

She nodded. “Our families are friends and we move in the same circles. I just want to get away for a while. After a time it won’t be such a big deal and I’ll go back home.”

“Sorry. It hurts to have your life blow up in your face and it hurts even more to lose someone you love.”