Texas Ranch Justice
For the first time she realized her mother’s death might come as a shock to him. “She passed away,” she said softly. “Not all that long ago.”
He stared at her, disbelief and perhaps a brief flash of pain in his expression. “Was she ill? She wasn’t very old.”
Younger than he, that’s what he meant, Scarlett figured.
“She had breast cancer,” she said, her voice still going shaky when she said the awful words. She’d think she’d be used to the idea by now. She’d helped her mother fight for the last year and a half, and the word cancer had become an integral part of their vocabulary.
A shadow crossed his face. “Cancer. I hate cancer,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. He turned his face, giving her his hawklike profile while a muscle worked in his too-thin cheek.
Wondering if he also had some sort of cancer, she waited silently, not sure what to say. Her mother’s passing had drained her, made her realize she was now completely and utterly alone in the world. Without family. Until she’d found the diary, buried deep in a box of old photographs and mementos in the back of her mother’s closet. She’d realized she wasn’t actually alone. She had him. Her father. Whether he wanted to be or not. For the first time she wondered if he’d even been aware of her existence.
Finally, he swiveled his head to look at her again. “Why have you come here?” he rasped. “Surely you didn’t travel all this way to bring me news of her death.”
“No,” she admitted, glancing toward the doorway to see that the other man had remained, standing in a defensive stance just inside the doorway. As if he thought she might attempt bodily harm on the old man and he might have to jump in and perform a rescue. She wished he would leave, but lacked the nerve to ask him to go. Instead, she squared her shoulders and turned back to face the old man in the wheelchair.
“When my mother left you, she was pregnant,” she told him, holding her chin high and hoping her voice didn’t quiver with nerves. “I’m realizing you might not have been aware of that.” Another deep breath. Steady, steady. “That’s why I’m here. I wanted to meet you. I’m your daughter.”
Hal stared, his mouth working. “No,” he said faintly. “She wouldn’t have done that to me.”
Behind her, she was conscious of the other man moving into the room and toward her. A gesture from Hal’s age-spotted hand stopped him.
Scarlett refused to look away from her father, fully expecting him to deny her, demand proof, a DNA test. She wouldn’t blame him. Here she was, showing up after thirty years, a grown child he hadn’t even known he had.
“Why?” The plaintive question tore at her heart. “Why wouldn’t she have at least let me know?”
“I’m not sure. She was a proud woman,” she said softly. “She never even told me your name. All she would say was that she’d loved you once.”
Pain formed new creases in the loose skin on his face. He swore, looking away and covering his face with his shaking hands.
“You need to go.” The younger man grabbed her arm. “Don’t be bothering him with your ridiculous claims.”
Furious, she jerked away, glaring up at him. “Don’t even think you can sum up my life that way. I came here to meet this man—my father. This has nothing to do with you, whoever you are.”
Eyes hard, he started to speak.
“Wait,” Hal interceded. “She’s right, Travis. This is private, between the two of us.”
The other man shook his head. He wouldn’t go easy, she saw. “Don’t let her come in here and try to con you. I’m not sure what she wants, but she wants something. I can see right through her. She’s a gold digger, nothing more.”
“A gold digger?” She glanced around the room with its threadbare carpet and worn furniture in disbelief.
He snorted, opening his mouth again. Hal’s sharp bark of laughter forestalled him.
Her first reaction was hurt, that he found her somehow amusing. Her second, alarm as his laughter segued into a wheeze, then a round of jagged coughing that appeared to steal his breath away, making him gasp for air.
She rushed over, ignoring the other man completely. Once she reached the wheelchair, she wasn’t sure what to do. She settled for patting Hal’s hunched back as if he was a small child, making soothing sounds while praying he wouldn’t choke to death or something.
After a moment, he recovered. Swiping at his eyes with his gnarled fists, he flashed her a wan smile. “I want you to stay and visit awhile.”
The other man made a sound of protest, which both Scarlett and Hal ignored.
“You must be hungry,” Hal said. “After such a long trip. Let’s go into the kitchen and I’ll have my nurse’s aide make you something to eat.”
Nurse’s aide. She wanted to ask out loud if he was ill, though the question seemed so superfluous since he clearly was. With what, she didn’t know, though maybe he’d tell her.
Her mother had been much younger than him, so much so that Maggie had written in her diary that the two of them had kept their affair secret. She’d wanted to marry, but Hal had refused, saying it wouldn’t be fair in the future, when he’d become an old man and she remained a young woman still.
This had only served to break Maggie’s heart. She’d believed their love could easily have survived such a test. Clearly, Hal had felt otherwise.
Scarlett followed the wheelchair into the kitchen, marveling at how easily he controlled it with his stick-thin arms. This room too had clearly seen better times. The faded linoleum had begun to crack and chip, and the wooden cabinets were scratched and dull.
She almost shook her head at the other man’s earlier comment. Why would she attempt to take anything from someone who clearly had so little? Her mother had left her wanting for nothing—their little home paid for, along with the proceeds from a nice life insurance policy. She had more than enough to open her own art gallery, a long-term goal of hers.
The nurse appeared, a stout, dusky-skinned, stern-faced woman with a mop of curly black hair. Seeing Scarlett, she smiled, which totally transformed her face. “A visitor!” she exclaimed, sounding delighted. “It’s been so long since someone came to see Mr. Hal. Have a seat, let me get you a tall glass of sweet tea.”
Smiling back, Scarlett pulled out a chair. “Thank you, I’d like that.”
“And something to eat,” Hal put in. “Please, Delilah. She’s come a long way to get here and I’ll bet she’s starving.”
“Definitely.” Delilah glanced toward the other room. “What about Travis? Will he be joining us?”
Travis. So that was the other man’s name. Who was he exactly? Did he work for her father or was Travis Hal’s son, her half-brother? She watched Hal carefully, curious to hear his answer.
“I think he went out to the barn,” Hal finally said. Catching Scarlett’s gaze, he grimaced. “Don’t mind him. He feels he has to look out for everyone, particularly me.”
“Does he work here?” she asked.
Hal smiled. “He’s my stepson and, yes, he runs the place.”
Stepson. So not related. She only nodded.
“Tell me about yourself,” Hal urged, covering her hand with his. The gnarled and age-spotted fingers made her inexplicably feel like crying. “After all, I have thirty years to catch up on.”
Delilah placed two plates in front of them. Huge sandwiches, overflowing with chicken and lettuce and tomato, as well as a generous dollop of potato salad, and a pickle. She beamed at Scarlett as she placed tall, sweating glasses of iced tea on the table. “Y’all let me know if you need anything else, okay?”
“This looks fantastic,” Scarlett said. “Thank you so much.”
Looking from one to the other, Hal nodded. “Yes, thank you, Delilah.”
“You’re welcome. Now, Scarlett, how long are you staying? Would you like me to make up one of the guest beds for her, Mr. Hal?”
“Please,” he rasped, before eyeing Scarlett. “If that’s all right with you? I’d really like you to stay as long as you like.”
“I’d love that,” she responded softly. “And Delilah, I don’t want to make extra work for you. If you’ll just leave the linens on the dresser, I can make the bed up myself.”
“As if,” the older woman sniffed. “Not in my lifetime. I’ll get everything ready for you myself.” She bustled off without a backward glance.
Hal chuckled, but his smile disappeared the instant the nurse was out of sight. Grimacing, he pushed his plate away. “She keeps trying to get me to eat, even though she’s a nurse and should know better. It’s hard for me to eat much these days.”
Scarlett squeezed his hand. “Please try, for me. You’ve got to keep your strength up so you can get better.”
Though a slight frown creased his forehead, as if her comment baffled him, he didn’t argue. Instead, he released her fingers and made a show out of lifting up his own sandwich. He took a huge bite, winking at her, and then nearly gagged as he tried to swallow.
Concerned, she jumped out of her chair and went around to pat him on the back. “Are you all right? Should I call Delilah?”
“I’m fine,” he rasped, eyes watering as he waved her away. “Just swallowed wrong. Sit down and enjoy your food.”
Heart still pounding, she sat back down. Still watching Hal closely, she picked up her sandwich, struggling to keep parts of it from falling out. Her stomach rumbled as she took a big bite. Not wanting to appear ravenous, which she was, she chewed slowly, even though she wanted to wolf the entire thing down.
Some of the tightness in her chest eased as Hal took another, much smaller bite. Maybe this was going to be all right after all.
It appeared she’d be staying. As she walked out to her car to retrieve her bags, she resisted the urge to do a happy jig. Honestly, she’d been hoping her father would invite her to spend some time getting to know him. There was nothing like the death of the person you believed to be your only parent to make one feel rudderless and alone.
Grief slammed into her. She missed her mama. Maggie had been fascinating and lively, a bright light in Scarlett’s world. She had also been mercurial, flitting from one thing to another as her interest dictated. But she’d loved Scarlett fiercely, and the two of them had been close. Maggie had supported Scarlett’s interest in the arts, even when another parent might have insisted she get her degree in something practical, like business or education.
And now Maggie was gone too soon, though she’d fought long and hard. Scarlett had been forced to bury her terror and sorrow, offering her support as she watched her vivacious flame of a mother burn down to a smoldering ember, and finally ashes.
Learning about her father had pulled Scarlett away from the depths of her grief. Even though she hadn’t realized Hal was sick. From the looks of him, whatever ailed him was serious.
Dagnab it, she wasn’t sure she had the fortitude to go through this again. Right now, she knew she’d do whatever it took to get Hal well. With or without the taciturn Travis’s support.
Chapter 2
After Hal informed him Scarlett would be staying in the main house for as long as she wanted, Travis took himself home. He didn’t say a word to Vivian or Amber about Hal’s visitor. They’d find out about her soon enough and he didn’t feel up to attempting to answer all their questions. Especially since he knew so little himself.
Scarlett Kistler. Gorgeous, sexy and totally out of her league on a working cattle ranch. Was she really Hal’s daughter? Her eyes were the same shape and color as his, but otherwise Travis saw little resemblance. Regardless, this woman, with her bright green eyes and her false air of sincerity, had come at the worst possible time, right as Hal appeared to be losing his battle with whatever mysterious illness attacked his body.
To be objective, on the plus side, as Hal neared the end of his journey, Scarlett’s appearance offered him the one thing he’d always craved and never had. Family. Despite the fact that Travis considered Hal his father, and vice versa, Travis would always only be a stepson. He wasn’t blood, wasn’t true kin. Though Hal had never said so to Travis, he’d told Vivian that the lack of a son or daughter of his own was one of his biggest regrets. Vivian, who never could keep a secret to save her life, had passed this on to Travis without a thought for how this knowledge might make him feel.
Most days, Travis tried not to think about not being Hal’s actual son. When he’d been younger, he’d often hoped the rancher would adopt him, but Hal never had. And now, it was too late. He couldn’t change anything, and things were what they were. He’d do as he always did—work hard and take care of Hal and the others as best he could. If this dark-haired newcomer brought Hal happiness, Travis wasn’t one to begrudge him that.
And if Scarlett had ulterior motives for being there, hopefully she’d look around the decaying Victorian and realize Hal didn’t have ready access to huge sums of money. Most of his savings had been depleted trying to find out what was wrong with him.
As for his assets... There was the ranch, of course. And the livestock. Oh, and the fact that oil had been found on neighboring pastures. Once she learned about that moneymaking potential, she’d probably be all over the oil company’s offers like a flea on a dog. Vivian and Amber certainly were.
Travis couldn’t worry about that. He had enough on his shoulders as it stood. No matter whether Scarlett was the real deal or not, her very presence had the potential to break Hal’s heart.
Damned if he’d let it get to that. For now, he’d keep an eye on her. But the second she gave the slightest inclination toward trying to use Hal in any way, Travis would immediately put a stop to it. He’d get rid of her, offer her money, whatever it took. And make sure she told a good, believable story so Hal would be none the wiser.
The next morning, up before sunrise as usual, he chugged down a large cup of strong black coffee and ate his usual breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast. Though he normally stopped by and had breakfast with Hal, he wasn’t up for dealing with Scarlett first thing before starting his day.
Like always, he had a long list of chores to take care of. Today, he planned to repair some fence line on one of the remote pastures. Most of those were best accomplished on horseback. Eager to get started, he saddled up his best gelding and headed out.
Riding always soothed away any ill temper or worries. The motion of the horse under his saddle, the connection he shared with the animal, felt better than driving any machine made by man. He checked on some fence line under repair before joining up with a couple of ranch hands bringing in a herd of cattle. By the time they’d gotten them into the new pasture, he was tired and dirty and hungry. And it wasn’t even much past noon yet.
He headed back in, figuring he’d stop by and see Hal and have lunch. Might as well check on how things were going between the old rancher and his new daughter.
When he reached the barn, he saw Scarlett perched on a bale of straw. Today, she wore another brightly colored dress and bright red high-heeled shoes. She looked both exotic and completely out of place. And much more beautiful than she had a right to be.
For all intents and purposes, she appeared to be waiting for him. Ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her, he rode past, deliberately ignoring her while he dismounted. He tied the reins to a hook outside the stall and removed his saddle, which he carried over to the saddle rack. Returning, he dipped his chin in a small nod of greeting and began brushing down his mount.
He knew the instant she got up and came around to stand silently behind him, though he pretended not to notice. He hated the way his body hummed with hyperawareness of her presence, as if he’d merely been sleepwalking and only came awake when she was near.
But then again, beautiful women had always been his weakness. A blessing and a curse. Once, when he’d cared enough to actually try to attract them, they’d flocked to him like moths to a flame.
Now he knew better. Beautiful women were nothing but trouble. Trouble and a world of hurt. These days, he managed to avoid them. He’d even stopped dating, having neither the time nor the inclination to have his heart shattered again.
Luckily, he kept an iron grip on his self-control.
Still, having Scarlett watch him without speaking managed to make him feel uncomfortable. He pretended to be entirely focused on his task, refusing to allow her to bother him.
Only once he had the horse taken care of and back in the stall did he turn and face her.
“Hi,” she said, offering a friendly smile. “You seemed so engrossed in brushing your horse that I didn’t want to disturb you. I’m guessing you love working with your hands.”
Suggestive? Whether intentional or not, when he raised one eyebrow at her comment, she blushed. Strangely enough, this actually made him like her a little better.
He decided to ignore what she’d just said. “Is there something I can help you with?” Direct and to the point. Much better than asking her what the hell she was doing in his barn.
“Yes.” She met his gaze dead on. “I came out here to talk to you. Hal said you’re his stepson as well as his foreman. I guess that kind of makes us kin.”
“Kin?” He shuddered. “Not hardly. Hal and I aren’t related at all. Now what did you need to talk to me about?”
When she didn’t immediately respond, he braced himself, figuring whatever it was would probably be a doozy.
“I just thought...” She looked down, twisting her hands as she let her words trail away. He almost felt a pang of sympathy—almost—before reminding himself that he needed to be wary around her.
“I just thought we might be friends.” When she lifted her face to his, the raw vulnerability in her green eyes had him taking a step toward her before he realized.
“Friends?” he repeated, dazed at how close he’d come to letting down his guard. “Why?”
“Why not?” She smiled, the beauty of which made his mouth go dry. “I’m getting to know my father. I didn’t even know about him for most of my life, so he and I have a lot of catching up to do. Hal asked me to stay awhile and I’ve accepted. Clearly, you care about him. And he you.” Still smiling, she shrugged. “I just think it would be easier if we all got along.”
“Delilah mentioned that you’d be staying awhile. Let me ask you something. Did Hal ask for a DNA test?”
She recoiled, almost as if he’d slapped her. “No. But if he does, I’ll be perfectly willing to have one done.”
“Good. I’ll be sure to mention it to him.” He kept his tone friendly. “After all, that’s the only definitive way to know you’re actually his daughter.”
Though she narrowed her eyes, she still didn’t look away. “Why don’t you like me? You don’t even know me.”
“Does it matter?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He shrugged. “Look, I don’t dislike you. As you pointed out, I don’t know you. I just don’t trust you.”
“Again, I have to ask why?”
He decided to be blunt. “I protect Hal. That’s what I do. I might not be able to stop his illness, or even identify it. But I can keep him away from people who want to hurt him or use him. Do you understand?”
“I do.” She didn’t even blink. “And since I have no intention of doing either, you have nothing to fear from me.”
“Fear? Interesting choice of words.”
This made her groan, clearly frustrated. “Oh, please. Give me a break.”
To his surprise, he realized she’d managed to coax a reluctant smile from him. He immediately turned that into a frown. “I’m guessing you feel I should just take you at your word. I promise, I’ll be watching you. So help me, it won’t look good for you if you try to take advantage of a dying man.”
She froze. “Dying? What do you mean, exactly? I know he seems ill, and he has a nurse, but...”
“We don’t know what’s wrong with him. We’ve had every test run and the doctors can’t figure it out.” He decided to be brutally honest. “We’ve had him checked out at MD Anderson also. It’s definitely not cancer. But whatever it is, it’s killing him. We’ve hired a nurse to be here during the day since he’s not yet at the point of needing help 24/7, but he’s already been authorized for hospice care.”
“Hospice care?” She blanched as she said the words. “But that means...”
“Yes, his doctor has certified that he probably has less than six months to live.”
“Damn.” Closing her eyes, she swayed. “I went through this with my mother.” When she opened them again, he was surprised to see the sheen of unshed tears. “It’s horrible,” she said, her mouth working. “And hard. So damn painful.”
“Yes. It is.” At the powerful urge to hold her and comfort her, he clenched his hands into fists, resisting. “Which is why someone—a total stranger—showing up claiming to be his daughter is the last thing he needs.”
“I disagree. He’s my father,” she insisted. “And I might be a stranger right now, but once he gets to know me, things will be different. We’re family.” She lifted her chin. “You know, everyone needs family, especially in times like these.”
He guessed she had no way of knowing that sounded exactly like something Hal might have said.
“I’m not getting through to you,” he began.
Crossing her arms, she stared at him, disappointment and confusion warring in her expression. “No, you’re not. I don’t see your point. If I can bring a little happiness to Hal when he’s so ill, then what’s the harm?”
“What do you get out of it?”
To his surprise, she considered his question seriously. “Me? Well, I missed out on having a father my entire life. I really want to get to know him while I can.”
Still, he couldn’t help but notice the way she said nothing about an inheritance. People just didn’t show up out of the blue at the very end of a formerly rich man’s life without a good reason. And in most, if not all, cases this reason was money.
His only consolation was that Hal was no fool. If anyone could be convinced to see through a shakedown, Travis would convince Hal. He’d done it before. He’d do it again.
“Don’t you have your own home to go to?” Another cruel question, another deliberate attempt to get her to reveal the truth. “I know you said your mother had recently died, but surely at your age, you’d long ago moved out.”
Rather than annoying her, this made her smile. “Like you have?” she asked. “Or is my impression that you still live on the premises entirely wrong?”
“Touché.” He gave a two-finger salute to the brim of his cowboy hat. “But I’m the ranch foreman and I live in the foreman’s quarters. Which is where the foreman always lives. In addition, I support my mother and my sister and her son. They moved in with me.”
She jerked her head in a nod. “You know, for someone who claims to care about Hal, you appear to be focused on the negatives. I think having me here will be good for him.”
“Maybe,” he allowed. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Exactly. Until then, how about we call a truce?”
A truce. “I’ll think about it. How long are you planning on staying?”
The tension in her shoulders softened. “I don’t know. As long as he’ll have me.”
He nodded. “A truce it is.” He allowed himself a slight smile. “Since you’re going to be around here awhile, you’ll need to meet the rest of the family.”
“The rest of the family?”
Clearly, she hadn’t expected there to be others. He nearly laughed out loud. “Yes, there’s Hal’s ex-wife, my mother, Vivian. And my younger sister, Amber, and her son, Will. He’s five. As I mentioned, they all live with me.”
Her expression cleared. “That means I have extended family, sort of. I know you find this hard to believe, but I’m delighted.”
Delighted?
“You haven’t met them yet. Come on.” He reached a rapid decision. Maybe once she met the others, she’d realize it wouldn’t be so simple to scam the old man.
