Barbara Dunlop - A Cowboy Comes Home

Something cold settled into Caleb’s stomach. Was she really going to turn this into a sell-the-ranch, don’t-sell-the-ranch thing?

“I know exactly how we could do it,” she rattled on, voice decisive.

“Mandy, don’t-”

“You need to talk to Reed, really talk to Reed.”

“How the hell did Reed get into this conversation?” Annoyance put an edge to Caleb’s voice.

She stopped. She blinked.

He tried but didn’t quite keep the edge out of his tone. “Last time I checked, it was just you and me in this bed.”

“But… He’s your brother.”

“That means something completely different to you than it does to me.”

Caleb knew his anger stemmed from disappointment. But what had he expected? He and Mandy were still the same people. They still had divergent goals. Nothing had fundamentally changed because they’d sweated naked in each other’s arms.

She shook her head in response to his statement, her rich hair flowing with the motion. “No, it doesn’t. This land, your family, Reed. They’re all part of your history and your heritage. You couldn’t erase them by running away when you were seventeen, and you can’t erase them by selling out now.”

His annoyance was growing to full-out anger. “I did not run away.”

“Semantics.” She waved a dismissive hand. “Why did you smash the picture?”

Caleb set his jaw but didn’t answer. He’d smashed the picture because he couldn’t stand to see his father’s smug face staring out at him one minute longer.

“Why did you smash the picture?” she repeated.

“Drop it, Mandy.”

Her tone turned softer. “If you didn’t care anymore, you wouldn’t have smashed the picture.” She gave a heartfelt sigh. “Staying away for ten years didn’t fix it, did it?”

“This is none of your business,” he told her firmly. It was temporary, a blip on his radar. A few days-a few weeks, max-and he’d be back to his regular life in Chicago. The ranch would cease to exist for him. And that’s the way he wanted it.

“Do you think you’ve been repressing your true feelings?”

Suddenly, Caleb simply felt tired. He didn’t want to fight with her. Mandy was the sole bright spot in all this madness.

He reached for her, urging her back down into his arms, genuinely trying to see things from her perspective.

“If it makes you happy,” he told her. “Yes, I’ve been repressing my feelings. My childhood sucked. Reed made a stupid choice from which our relationship will probably never recover. And, I’m sorry to have to be so blunt. But there’s nothing you can do to help. I know you disagree, but I’m making the right choice.”

“It’s-”

He pressed his index finger across her warm, swollen mouth. “For me, Mandy. It’s the right choice for me.”

Her green eyes turned soft and sympathetic.

He forced out a smile. “But you’ve made it better for right now.” He couldn’t resist, so he kissed her mouth one more time. “You’ve made things much better for right now.”

Desire surging, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. She was instantly kissing him back, her soft, sinuous body wrapping itself around him one more time.

He made love to her slowly, gently, savoring every second of the peace she offered.

Afterward, they lay still and silent for a long time.

It was Mandy who finally broke it.

“I need to go home,” she whispered.

His eyes came open. “Why?” He didn’t want her to leave. He didn’t want her to move an inch, at least until morning.

But she twisted her neck to look at him. “It’s coming up on eleven.”

“You have a curfew?”

“Travis looked pretty suspicious when I left.”

“So?”

Travis’s interference was definitely not welcome in this. Whatever was between Caleb and Mandy was none of her brother’s business.

“So, if I come home after midnight, he’s going to put two and two together.”

“And?”

“And, he’ll be upset.”

Caleb propped himself on one elbow. “Are you telling me this was a clandestine fling?” Even as he said the words, he asked himself to come up with an alternative. What were they going to do? Date until he left for Chicago? Own up to her brothers that they’d slept together?

“I think that’s the best way to handle it, don’t you?”

“You’re an adult,” he reasoned out loud. “Your private life is none of your brother’s business.”

Mandy laughed. “You going to tell him that?”

Caleb was willing, if that’s what Mandy wanted him to do.

“I could tell him,” she mused with a nod. “But then there’d be a fight.”

“I’m not afraid of Travis.” Caleb had no intention of lying about his relationship with Mandy.

“I meant with me, not you. And, with everything else going on, I really don’t have the energy to fight Travis.”

“I don’t like this,” said Caleb. He wanted her to stay right where she was. He wanted to hold her in his arms all night long, maybe even beyond that.

She cocked her head, defying his mood by giving him a saucy grin. “A few minutes ago, you seemed to like it just fine.”

“I don’t want to go sneaking around behind your family’s back.”

She patted his chest. “For now, let’s just keep it quiet. Who knows what happens next between us. Maybe nothing.”

Caleb was hoping for a lot more than nothing.

“If you go ahead with your plan to sell, you know you could be gone in a matter of days,” she reasoned. There was no inflection to her tone, impossible to tell if she’d miss Caleb or not.

Then she gave a wry half smile. “You want to start world war three over something this insignificant?”

Insignificant?

“Because, believe me, Caleb, Travis is as overprotective as they come.” She glanced at her watch. “I go home now, he can wonder, but he won’t know. And if he doesn’t know, he can’t go off the deep end.”

Caleb ran his fingers through her messy hair. “This is a stupid plan.”

“But it’s my plan.” This time, there was a distinct edge to her voice. “Some decisions you get to make, Caleb. This one is mine.”

He stared at the determination in her green eyes.

“Okay,” he finally agreed. He’d keep the secret. Lady’s choice. And he didn’t kiss and tell.

The lights were on, and Travis was still up when Mandy came through the front door of the Jacobses’ ranch house. He appeared in the kitchen doorway, a screwdriver in one hand, a rag in the other.

He stared at her for a long, silent minute as she tugged off her boots and tucked her loose hair behind her ears.

He took two steps forward. “Tell me you didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?” She steeled herself for a moment then met his gaze full-on.

“Mandy.” He smacked the screwdriver and rag on top of the dining-room table. “He’ll break your heart.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She had her suspicions, but she didn’t know for sure, so it wasn’t a lie.

“What do I always tell you?” He came forward at an angle, giving her the impression he was circling in.

“You’re going to have to be a little more specific.”

“We’re not like you, Mandy. We’re guys. We’ll say anything, do anything-”

“Caleb’s not like that.”

Travis scoffed out a cold laugh. “What did he tell you?”

“He didn’t tell me anything. And I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She stomped to the sofa and flopped down, picking up this month’s Equestrian magazine and opening it in front of her. “And I really don’t want to have this conversation with you.”

Travis moved to the armchair across from her. “He’s from Chicago, Mandy. He’s not staying.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Mandy didn’t expect Caleb to stay. Her wildest wish was that he’d hang around long enough to meet up with Reed. Beyond that, she had absolutely no illusions.

“The women he goes out with,” Travis continued. “They know the score. They expect the lies. They know they’re lies.”

“Caleb has not lied to me.”

“Then how’d he get you into bed.”

Mandy determinedly flipped her way through the pages of the magazine. “None of this is any of your damn business.”

“I love you, Mandy.”

“Shut up.”

“He doesn’t.”

She glanced over the top of the magazine. “What a ridiculous thing to say. Of course he doesn’t love me. Why would he love me?”

“Then why won’t you believe I have your best interest at heart?”

“I’m not a child, Travis. I like Caleb. Caleb likes me. Despite your cynicism, that’s all there is to it. I’m not about to get hurt. And that’s all you need to know.”

“Then, why were you up there tonight?”

“He needs help,” Mandy answered honestly.

“And you’re going to be his Florence Nightingale?”

“He needs to see Reed. The two of them need to talk, really talk. You don’t know what they went through as children.” She breathed deeply, absolutely sincere in her argument.

Travis sat back, his posture relaxing. “I have a pretty good idea what they went through. I knew them both quite well.”

Mandy dropped the magazine and sat forward. “Then help me find Reed. Caleb is determined to sell the ranch out from under him. He almost did it while we were in Lyndon. If I hadn’t spoken up about the water rights, we might already have new neighbors. Reed needs the ranch, and Caleb needs Reed.”

“You spoke up about the water rights review?”

“Yes.”

“To Caleb’s potential buyer?”

She paused. “It came up in conversation.”

“And you think Caleb still likes you?” Reed asked on a note of astonishment.

“He understood.”

“Mandy, the world isn’t the happy fun place you seem to picture. People aren’t sweet and kind and friendly, looking to do each other favors 24/7.”

“Will you stop?”

“Reed and Caleb are grown men,” Travis warned her darkly. “Neither of them is going to thank you for interfering.”

Well, at least Danielle was on her side. She’d definitely thank Mandy for interfering.

“What if it was you?” Mandy asked. “What if you and Seth were estranged? Would you not want someone to facilitate your reunion? If you were about to lose the ranch, would you not want someone to help you out?”

Travis moved from the armchair and angled himself next to Mandy on the sofa. “Those two men have a very dark past. They’re not going to recognize what you’re doing as helpful. They’re going to hate you for interfering.”

“Reed would never hate me.” And she had to believe Caleb wouldn’t, either. Oh, she was under no illusion that he was falling for her in a romantic sense. But he had been a gentleman, more than a gentleman.

“Reed’s been hurt pretty bad.”

“Yes, he has,” Mandy agreed. She paused, looking directly at the brother she’d loved all her life. “And he’s our friend. Do you really want me to turn my back on him?”

Travis mouthed a swearword, rocking back on the sofa. “You shouldn’t be sleeping with Caleb, Mandy.”

“I am not going to-”

“Stop talking right now,” Travis barked. “Before you have to lie to me. If you fall for him, it’s going to be a disaster.” He paused, his mouth turning into a thin line. “Then again, if you’re sleeping with him, it’s already too late.”

Mandy felt her throat close up with emotion. She couldn’t think about her feelings for Caleb, not right now, not when so much was at stake. “I have to find Reed.”

Travis hesitated, then he reached out and rubbed her shoulder. “Okay, little sister. Okay. I’ll help you find Reed.”

“You will?” she managed.

“I will.”

“Good.” She nodded, feeling stronger already. “Great. Danielle gave me a name-”

Travis recoiled. “Danielle?”

“Yes. She wants Reed to come back, so that Caleb will go back to Chicago. There’s some Brazilian deal with a ticking clock.” Mandy waved a dismissive hand. “Anyway. She put me in touch with a private investigator. And he’s going to find Reed for us. All we have to do is keep Caleb from selling the ranch until then.”

Caleb gazed up and down the wide hallway of the main Terrell barn, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the job in front of him. He’d had his secretary calling moving and storage companies this morning, but they all said they needed an estimate of the volume to be moved and stored. So Caleb had to figure out what to keep and store, and what to sell with the ranch.

He couldn’t see the point of keeping the saddles and tack. Those things they’d sell as is. They’d also sell the horses and livestock. Same with the equipment and the vehicles. Whoever bought the ranch would likely have a use for much of the equipment, and Caleb was inclined to give them a good deal if it meant streamlining the sale.

The office-now, that was a different story. His boots thumped against the wooden floor as he crossed the aisle to stare in the open door of the office. It held two desks, five file cabinets and a credenza that stretched under the window. Some of the paperwork would stay, but a lot of it would be personal and business records that would have to be kept for the family. Well, for Reed. And that meant sorting through everything.