“I wasn’t receptive when you asked for help with the furniture that day. But I rethought my actions.”

  She looked into his eyes as if trying to make sense of him. “I don’t want to make more work for you. I’m trying to contribute.”

  “You’ve helped,” he said.

  He still held her hand, and she hadn’t moved to pull it away. The slippery warmth sent a shaft of unexpected awareness through his belly. Unwelcome. Unsettling. The touch somehow seemed too intimate now, and he released her.

  She had an expressive face, and she wasn’t adept at hiding her reactions. He’d surprised her, and he found it sad that a simple compliment elicited her reaction. “Dry your hands now and use the salve. I’ll finish this chore and we can discuss the horses.”

  After drying her hands, she wiped the table before getting a tin of ointment and clean cloths and sitting there. A minute later, he joined her. “That’s not easy to do alone. Let me.”

  She didn’t argue, just exposed both tender-looking palms. He held one wrist, gently dabbed ointment on the healing blisters, and then treated her other hand in the same manner.

  He tore the fabric she’d set out into narrower strips, wound them around her hands and tied them securely. He had an inappropriate and almost irresistible urge to pull her hands to his face and touch her fingers to his cheeks. He closed his eyes briefly and imagined it. His skin tingled. His heart skipped several beats.

  What had happened to the safe resentment and anger he’d stored up as a shield of protection? It had been easy to hold her at arm’s length before he’d seen her rescue a pathetic horse, before he’d seen her look at his children with hope and longing.

  It had been easy to resent Ruby Dearing before he realized he wanted her.

  Chapter Ten

  He looked up to discover her vivid blue eyes locked on him. He’d been angry when he’d told her she wasn’t pretty. It had been a lie. Ruby took his breath away, and it had nothing to do with a resemblance to his late wife. She might share a few characteristics, but Pearl’s sweet prettiness paled in comparison to her sister’s seductive beauty and fire. It was difficult to look at Ruby without noting the feminine curves of her body, without admiring her alluring coloring and focusing on those full, mesmerizing lips.

  Nash chastised himself, released her hands and put the lid on the tin. He had no business thinking carnal thoughts about Pearl’s sister. He had a lot of regrets about his marriage, but he wasn’t going to add more guilt to his list of issues.

  “You said we’d talk,” she reminded him.

  He nodded. “You said you had papers for your Barb.”

  “The Duchess, yes. I thought you might want to breed her.”

  “The stallion is papered, too. Any colt he sires with the Barb would be valuable.”

  Ruby looked at her bandages. “I don’t understand your hesitation.”

  “I don’t need problems between us. Any dealings have to be legal and professional.”

  She flashed him a look of annoyance. “I’m not trying to cheat you out of anything.”

  “I didn’t mean that.”

  “You can keep the foal. Sell it. Do anything you need to help the ranch.”

  She’d called the Lazy S a ranch this time. Her offer puzzled him. “You wouldn’t want half?”

  “There’s nothing I need. You have children to raise. Expenses. If you sold a foal I’d feel like I’d contributed something.”

  He couldn’t have been more surprised. They’d never discussed ownership of the property. He’d been too afraid of learning what she expected, of losing what he’d worked for. Nash had considered asking the lawyer in Crosby, but hadn’t wanted to stir up gossip or give Ruby troublesome ideas if she didn’t already have them. All along he’d been wary about her intentions, but she wanted to contribute—to the ranch.

  Ruby’s mother and sister had never had a bad word to say about this woman, and he’d always believed it was simply their character and deep love that didn’t let them speak ill of her. Now that he thought about it, maybe all he knew about her were the opinions he’d formed without much to go on, except the fact that she’d left. “Ruby,” he began.

  She lifted her gaze from her bandages to his eyes. It was hard to put coherent thoughts together when she looked at him like that.

  “What exactly does wanting to contribute mean? I need to know where we stand—where I stand with you and the property.”

  Her expression showed puzzlement. “The property?”

  “What are your intentions? The house. The land.”

  “You think I’ve come to try to take the land from you? Why would I do that?”

  “To sell it.”

  “But this is my home.” It was unarguably the truth.

  They stared at each other for a few silent moments.

  Finally she nodded. “You don’t know me.”

  “You’re right about that.”

  “You don’t know if maybe I want to sell it all and run off again.”

  He couldn’t deny his misgivings. “Do you?”

  She shook her head. “I want a home. I wanted a family.” Her eyes got shiny, but she blinked hard. “I fully admit my rash decision to leave and not stay in contact. I regret not coming home sooner. But if this is our moment of honesty, I have to tell you I’m not sorry I left. I learned a lot about myself and about people. I made mistakes, but I did something I wanted to do. I tried. If I had stayed here I’d have still wanted to leave every day, because that’s all I ever dreamed of back then. I would never have been content here. I’d have spent my whole life wondering what else was out there for me. I wanted more. I wanted to know. If I’d never gone I’d still be thinking what if I’d left? What if I’d taken a chance?”

  Her reply caught Nash off guard. He felt a glimmer of admiration for her honesty and her courage. Not everyone could say they’d given something their best shot. She had. She hadn’t been defensive or made excuses, but neither had she sounded repentant. She did, however, sound determined to stay now. He wasn’t ready to admit the two of them might be similar in striving for what they wanted despite resistance from family. “You don’t intend to leave again then.”

  “No. But I understand your hesitation about trusting me. We can go to the attorney in town. Take the deed with Daddy’s name on it and see what needs to be done to make it so we both have equal share in this place.”

  Nash was doing a quick rearrangement of his opinion. This woman confused and surprised him at every turn.

  “Unless you don’t think we can make a partnership work,” she added.

  She was right about one thing. This was her home, even though he could stubbornly argue that she’d left and held no claim now. That would have been wrong, and he couldn’t do it. She’d been born here, just as his wife had. He’d married into his share. “I can make it work if you can.”

  “Everything straightforward,” she told him.

  Thinking, he drummed his fingers on the tabletop. He hadn’t dared think this through before. Hadn’t let himself imagine there was a chance to bring his family back together. “After that’s done then, the legal parts, and you feel you’re settled...” and I’m certain I can trust you “...there’s one thing I want.”

  “What is it?”

  His throat closed, so he cleared it to say, “I want my children back here with me again.”

  Ruby heard the emotion in his voice, read the pain in his eyes. She’d thought before how hard it must be for him to be separated from his children, even though they were nearby, even though they were with his parents. They weren’t under his roof.

  “My mother loves them and they adore her, but they belong here with me.”

  Ruby nodded in understanding. Emotion rose inside at the thought of having her niece and nephew close. Family. Real family. She would give anything to develop a true relationship with her sister’s children—more than a couple hours together at the Sommertons on a Sunday afternoon. “I would be honored to help you take care of Claire and Joel,” she managed to reply. “To help you raise them. I would do everything in my power to see them happy and well cared for, if...if you trust me.”

  “We’ll have to work up to that,” he said finally, and the hitch in her chest told her he still wasn’t sure about her trustworthiness. That was all right. She would show him. “We’ll go to town day after tomorrow. Take care of the legal part.”

  “And write something up about the horses, too,” she insisted, gesturing with a bandaged hand. “That we will sell any colts from the Duchess and Flint and use the earnings for the ranch.”

  An owl hooted, the sound drifting through the open window. It had grown dark, and the lamps on the walls and one on the table illuminated the room. Ruby’s fiery gold hair glowed. She wore it gathered at the nape of her neck, loose coils dangling to her shoulders.

  They were discussing their future—a future that might eventually place both of them in this house with Nash’s children. If anyone had suggested a year ago—a month ago—that there was a remote possibility he’d be having this conversation, even considering placing his children in her care, he’d have told them they’d lost their mind. “You’re not what I expected.”

  She raised one corner of her lips. “I’m not what I expected, either.”

  He rose to his feet, and she wrapped her bandaged hand around his wrist to stop him. The warmth of her fingers burned his skin. It may have been his imagination that her hair smelled faintly of rain. “I already love your children, because they are Pearl’s. But I want to be a family, and I want them to grow to love and trust me.”

  “They trust very easily,” he told her. “When someone trusts you, it’s a commitment. Honor that.”

  She didn’t miss the warning in his tone. “I will.”

  She released his arm, and he grabbed his hat and headed outdoors.

  * * *

  A week later the local lawyer questioned them about their relationship more than once. “It’s highly unusual for an unmarried couple to enter a partnership like this.”

  “We’re not a couple,” Ruby insisted. “Men have partnerships all the time.”

  “Yes, but that’s different.”

  “How? Because I’m not a man? We want joint ownership of the Lazy S and all its holdings, plain and simple.”

  Mr. Buckley appeared to realize his opinion held little value regarding their plans. He picked up his pencil and made a few notes. “It is wisest to use wording to the effect that if one of you wants to leave, he—or she—must buy the other one out, or simply sign over your share of the property.”

  “That’s perfect,” Ruby told him.

  He pursed his lips. “Come back in an hour and I’ll have the papers ready to sign.”

  They stood on the boardwalk and Nash glanced along the street. “Doesn’t look like there are any horse auctions today.”

  She attempted to gauge his expression, but his hat brim shaded his eyes. “Vivo is doing quite well. Have you seen how his coat is growing in and getting shiny?”

  “I’ve seen.”

  “And I’m letting him graze for longer and longer at a time.”

  “He’s friendly,” Nash added. “Which seems unlikely after all he’s been through. A lot of horses would be skittish and mistrusting of people.”

  “He just needed a friend.”

  Nash glanced at Ruby. She’d worn a blue dress with a small matching jacket, and the color set off her eyes and glowing skin. She’d swept up her hair and settled a jaunty hat with a feather at an angle on her head. Around the house, even dressed in her mother’s plain clothing, she was a striking woman. Wearing something so feminine and fitted, she drew the attention of everyone who looked their way.

  She didn’t seem to notice people’s reactions, however. Nash’s ccuriosity about her life and the things she’d done and people she’d known had grown. Her past was a mystery, but he was probably better off not knowing the details.

  “Let’s get a piece of pie.” He led her to the small hotel restaurant, where they each had a slice of apple pie. He was making the best of this situation. He had the ranch. She had a home. By sharing the land, they were making a commitment to each other.

  Nash had coffee while Ruby enjoyed a cup of tea, and once they’d finished they picked up a few supplies and returned to sign the documents.

  In his mind they’d made an agreement as serious as marriage. He was bound to her by the land and his love for it, but more importantly by his commitment to providing for and leaving an inheritance for his children. Some relationships had a lot less going for them.

  With a start, Nash realized the direction his thoughts had veered. This was Ruby Dearing he was dealing with, not a fresh-faced girl with love and marriage on her mind. They were sharing their horses, the land. Eventually, he hoped to trust her with the children’s care. She wasn’t a replacement for his wife, and even if she had been, he didn’t want one. He already had too much responsibility to take on another commitment.

  Nash adjusted his hat and his thinking as he climbed on the wagon seat and headed the team toward home. But every so often his gaze inadvertently trailed to the woman sitting beside him. Whether he liked it or not, they had entered into a relationship. He was going to keep it on track.

  * * *

  The next time Georgia brought the children, Ruby introduced them to Vivo. The horse had grown surprisingly trusting of Ruby since she’d brought him to the ranch two weeks previous. He didn’t shy away from Claire or Joel, so Ruby helped them to climb the corral fence and brought him close so they could reach out and touch his face and neck.

  “We can wide him?” Joel asked.

  She warmed to his wide-eyed excitement. The image of him on that sawhorse in the Sommertons’ yard came to her. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but she didn’t have the right to make parental decisions.

  “I couldn’t let you do that without your father’s permission,” she told him. “If we see him before you leave, we will ask.” She turned to Vivo. “I haven’t had a saddle on him, but he does well with the harness. I will make sure it’s safe first. Stand still, boy. Stand still, Vivo.” Ruby climbed the fence and slid onto his back to see how he handled her weight. The animal stood placidly.

  She took the reins and gently nudged him into a walk. The horse obediently moved forward, turned at her bidding and then came back to where the children waited. Georgia left the shade and joined them.

  Later, they were drinking iced tea when Nash drove a wagon toward the barn, Silas on the seat beside him. Joel jumped down the porch stairs and darted toward his father.

  Nash handed Silas the reins and climbed down to greet the little boy, swinging him up to his shoulder and sauntering toward the house.

  “Can we ride Vivo, Papa?” Claire asked. Ruby had never seen the child’s face so animated.

  “Hello, Mother,” Nash said, with a nod and a handsome smile. “It’s nice to see you this morning.” He turned his attention back to Claire. “Of all the horses in the pasture and stables, that’s the one you want to ride?”

  She nodded, sending her fair curls bobbing.

  Nash riveted his gaze on Ruby. “You rode him?”

  “A little while ago. To make sure he was calm with a rider. He’s docile and obedient.”

  “I guessed that about him. He’s easy to walk. Doesn’t spook easily. He’s also grown to like attention.”

  “And Miss Dearing’s singing,” Silas said from behind him.

  Ruby laughed. “Help yourself to a cold drink, Silas.”

  “Come on then,” Nash said. With Joel still on his shoulders, he reached for his daughter’s hand.

  “We can ride him!” Claire turned and motioned for Ruby to join them. As they reached the corral, she looked up at her father. “Joel can go first, Papa.”

  She possessed many of her mother’s qualities, such as thoughtfulness and restraint. But her enthusiasm toward the horse showed Ruby a new side.

  The two females climbed the fence and watched while Nash settled Joel on Vivo’s back and walked the horse around the corral. The little guy’s smile split his face. “I widing!” he called.

  When it was Claire’s turn, Nash lifted her to the animal’s back and then gestured for Ruby to guide the horse. It was a small thing, and he stood close by, but she felt as though he had entrusted her with an important task.

  Claire’s smile touched her. Ruby turned her gaze from her niece to the man and boy at the rail, and an ache widened in her chest. She hoped Pearl somehow knew her children were well cared for and loved. This was all new to Ruby, but she intended to see they lacked for nothing.

  She would do whatever it took to earn their trust—and their father’s.

  * * *

  Early Saturday morning, Ruby took all the items from the pantry shelves so she could scrub the shelves clean and give them a coat of paint. Keeping busy took her mind off the quiet house for short stretches of time. The sun was high overhead when she washed the bucket and paintbrush at the pump. She set them out to dry and folded down the sleeves of her faded shirt.

  A horse whinnied in the pasture, and she glanced up. A trail of dust indicated a rider coming fast. Apparently Nash had seen it, too, wherever he’d been, for he rode Boone right up into the dooryard and dismounted.

  Ruby shaded her eyes with her hand. “Can you see who it is?”

  It took Nash a minute to respond. “Looks like Tucker’s horse.”

  Sure enough, Tucker Gilchrist galloped toward them.He slowed the horse and slid to the ground.

  Nash exchanged a look with Ruby before walking toward his brother-in-law. “What is it?”

  “You need to come to your folks’ right away.”

  “What’s happened?” Nash asked. “Is someone hurt?”

  “Nothing like that,” Tucker said, out of breath. “We all need to talk. The family is waiting.” He turned to Ruby. “If you wouldn’t mind, can you come look after the children?”

  “I don’t mind, but I have to change into clean clothing. It will only take a minute.”

  “I’ll saddle the Duchess,” Nash called to her retreating back.

 

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