A Cowboy's Reunion (Family Ties Book 1) Read online

  She heard Kane call out and the sound of his hurrying footsteps, then, in spite of not knowing which way was north or south, up or down, she managed to lurch toward the ditch, and that was the end of her self-control.

  Chapter 2

  Kane ran to Faith's side and knelt beside her. His arm slipped around her as she clutched her abdomen, still retching into the ditch, though nothing was coming out now.

  He pulled a hanky out of his pocket and gave it to her.

  She took it, trying at the same time to push his supporting arm away. But she was as weak as a newborn colt so he didn’t budge.

  "We're taking you to the ranch. Kane looked up at his father, who nodded in agreement as they helped her to her feet.

  “You’re too ill to thumb it on the side of the road,” Zach said. “Your grandfather would never forgive me if I left you out here like this.”

  "No. I have to get to Calgary," Faith muttered, even as she stumbled, clutching her stomach again and moaning involuntarily.

  Ignoring further protests, Kane scooped his arm under her knees, his other behind her shoulders, and carried her towards the truck.

  "Please. Let me go. I'm fine," Faith insisted again.

  She’d left the truck door open, so it was easy for him to slide her into the cab and set her on the back seat. She leaned her head against the headrest and finally seemed to give up.

  "Give me a couple of minutes." Faith closed her eyes and pulled in a shuddering breath. "Or just drive me to the junction. I'll be better by then. It’s just food poisoning."

  Kane didn't reply as he pulled the seat belt free and strapped it around her slight frame, noting her grayish complexion and the rings under her eyes.

  He ignored the mental list of chores that crowded his brain, demanding attention. Or the voice reminding him how hard it would be to have Faith in his truck again. How hard it would be to have Faith anywhere near him for any length of time.

  She needed help, plain and simple. And the Tyes did not turn their backs on someone in need, even when it might hurt them. His adopted parents had taught him that when they’d filled their house with needy, scarred, difficult foster kids.

  As if on cue, his dad brought Faith’s suitcase and guitar case and set them on the seat next to her. Kane didn’t miss the way she reached out and put her hand on the case, patting it for comfort.

  He felt his heart lurch, and he fought against it, dredging up pain to remind him not to fall for her again.

  What happened, Faith? What did you need that I couldn’t give you? What did Elliot have that I didn’t? After all we had together, how could you leave me like that?

  The questions raged in his mind, and he looked away from her. The pain she created would be a like a barbed fence around his heart. A reminder of what she had done.

  Kane and his father climbed into the truck, and they drove without saying a word for the next couple of miles. Kane reached up and angled his rearview mirror so he could see Faith’s face. Her mouth was pulled into a tight line. She was still in pain and holding it in, but she definitely wasn’t okay.

  He slowed when they got to the highway junction, and she raised her head weakly, saying, "I can get out here.”

  Kane pulled to the side of the road, stopped the truck, and kneaded his neck in an attempt to erase the tension growing there. He couldn’t force her to stay in the truck against her will. If she refused to come back to the ranch until she felt better, what could he do about it?

  He glanced at his dad, who shook his head but said nothing. Great. Why was it his job to convince her to let them help her?

  "Here’s the thing,” Kane said, eyeing Faith in the rearview. “I can't, in good conscience, let you hitchhike to Calgary after what just happened.” He was surprised how reasonable that sounded considering how shaken he felt about the whole situation. "This isn't a busy highway. It could be hours before a car comes by and you get a ride."

  "I'll be okay," Faith repeated.

  "No. You won't," he returned, keeping his voice firm but calm. He could do stubborn too. "If you don’t want to go back to our ranch, how about your granddad’s place? We could take you there.”

  “Grampa doesn't want anything to do with me," she said, her voice tinged with anger.

  Kane doubted that, but there was no use arguing with her.

  "Okay, then how about someone in Calgary?” he asked. “We could have them come pick you up at Cordell Run twenty miles south of here. I can drive you down, and we can wait for them."

  Faith tucked one corner of her lower lip between her teeth, considering that option. "That might work." She nodded, digging into her purse and pulling out her phone. “Except I have no service.”

  Kane grabbed his phone from the truck's console. "Use mine. I have two bars."

  He had already handed it to her before he realized his mistake.

  The wallpaper on his phone was a picture of Faith astride a horse. The two of them had been riding up on Snakeskin Ridge, checking cows. He had proposed to her that day, and they had made plans for a long and loving future together.

  Four months later she and Elliot were gone.

  Why had he kept that photo on his phone all this time? As soon as he got back to the ranch, he was deleting it.

  Thankfully, she said nothing as she tapped the numbers on the keypad. Pulling in a shaky breath, she looked out the window as she listened, waiting for an answer. Then, she tapped the End Call button and tried another number.

  Again, it seemed no one answered.

  "I don't get it," she muttered, trying again. “Stacy promised she’d be around today." She frowned as she waited, finally leaving a message telling her friend that she was using someone else's phone and that she needed to get ahold of her. "Can I give her your number?” she asked Kane without really looking at him. “So she can call me back?"

  “Of course.” Kane nodded, and she finished the message.

  His dad turned to Faith. "I’m sure she’ll call back soon. In the meantime, why don’t you come back to the ranch with us?"

  She hesitated, seeming to consider it, but then the phone rang.

  "Hey, Stacy, this is Faith” she blurted into it, relief flooding her face. “Oh—sorry. No, this is his phone,” she faltered, handing the phone to Kane. "It's for you."

  Kane took the phone.

  "Where you at?” Frank, their neighbor, barked into his ear. “We got a problem here. Your cows busted through a fence and got into my hayfield."

  Kane closed his eyes and sucked in a long breath. If they hadn’t stopped to help Faith, they might have made it back before the cows got out. Now, it was going to be a full afternoon of catching cattle before they could even get to the fence, not to mention compensating Frank for any hay he’d lost. And of course, Joe, the hired hand, was off today, so it was just Kane and his dad to handle it all.

  Kane felt as if things were snowballing out of control.

  "Me and Sarah got them rounded up,” Frank was saying, “but I don't think your corral will hold them long."

  "Thank you, Frank. And I’m so sorry. We owe you one."

  "No, you don't. You and your dad helped me plenty of times over the years.”

  "We'll be there as soon as we can." Kane said goodbye and ended the call.

  "Cows got out again?” his dad guessed.

  “Yeah,” Kane nodded. “Frank put them in the corral. But that won’t hold them for long. We have to head back. Now.” He glanced back at Faith. “We’re taking you to the ranch,” he said. “You can wait for your friend to call, and we’ll figure it out from there.”

  "I don't know," Faith protested, but Kane could see her heart wasn't in it.

  "Well, I do," he said, checking the road before he pulled a U-turn and headed north.

  Every bump in the road, every corner and hill, made Faith more nauseous. Yet she couldn’t stay alert, couldn’t keep her eyes open.

  As her body betrayed her, she felt more and more helpless, but there was an
uneasy peace in that. She had been running and struggling and fighting for so long, she had forgotten what it felt like to just be still. Now, she had no choice, because moving brought a world of pain. And how ironic that all her misfortune had somehow brought her right back to the Tye ranch, of all places.

  Maybe God was in charge after all? But if He was, He had a sick sense of humor.

  The vibration of the truck's engine and the murmured conversation between Kane and his father eased the dull memories for now. Her thoughts grew fuzzy and vague, and slowly sleep caught her and pulled her down.

  The next thing she knew, cool air washed over her as Kane pulled the truck door open.

  "Faith, we're here," he said. She dragged her eyes open to see him hovering over her like a dream. Or maybe everything else had been a nightmare.

  He looked as handsome as he ever had with his deep blue eyes, sculpted features, and stubbly jawline. Her heart hitched at the sight of him, and she almost reached out to touch his face, to connect with him like she had so many times before. But then her stomach twisted in agony and reality came crashing back.

  She and Kane were not together. The years and bad decisions loomed between them, impossible to ignore or wipe away.

  "Do you need help?" he asked, holding out a hand.

  She shook her head and sat up, climbing gingerly out of the truck past him. When he’d carried her to the truck, that had almost been too much. His touch resurrected memories she didn’t deserve to indulge in.

  "Can you take her bag and guitar to the house?” Kane asked his father. “I need to check the cows.”

  Zach nodded and pulled her things from the truck, then offered her his arm for support as Kane headed around the house to the corral.

  She took Mr. Tye’s arm, and he led her toward the sprawling ranch house. The imposing veranda covered the double front doors and was supported with stone pillars and aged timber. Large pots, crowded around the entrance, held brown remnants of last year’s plants. Shrubs of every kind spread out from there, softening the foundation and setting off the beauty of the old wood.

  The pathway to the house was curved, pebbled, and edged with dirt and dying plants.

  The house was a showpiece and impressed her as it always had, but she could clearly see it was falling into disrepair. When Kane’s mother, Grace, had been alive, the flowerpots were full of bright pansies and draping greenery. The flower bed was a manicured river of color. Everywhere you turned there was life and lushness and beauty. She would have never let it get so overgrown and unkempt.

  But they had all lost Grace two-and-a-half years ago, a mere six months before Faith had left Kane and the ranch. Yes, it had been horrible timing. But events had led her along a path that seemed so bright at the time. In retrospect, they had been horrible choices at a horrible time. And now she had to live with the consequences.

  Zach didn't go through the front entrance of the house. Instead, he led her to the garden doors, which were hanging open, their gauzy curtains fluttering in the spring breeze.

  In the distance, Faith heard the sound of cows bellowing and a horse neighing in response.

  She was definitely back in ranching country.

  "Why don’t you sit down?” Zach said, indicating a small wooden table, four wooden chairs of various styles tucked around it. Though the abundance of plants that once filled the bay window were gone and the African violet on the table was missing, the room still exuded a sense of cozy welcome. For a moment, Faith had a sense of coming home, which was followed by a surge of sorrow. How often had she sat at that table drinking tea with Grace talking about whatever came to mind?

  I missed this, she thought but then shook it off. She should have pressed Kane harder to drop her off at the junction. Coming here had been a bad idea. She wasn’t sure she could face this. Everything she’d thrown away. It was too much.

  “I have just the tea to soothe your stomach,” Zach said, limping toward the stove.

  “What happened to your leg?” Faith blurted as she sat down. She’d been so busy with her own agony, she hadn’t noticed the limp until now.

  Zach glanced down, then grinned back up at her. “Me and an unbroken colt had a disagreement last fall. I wanted to go left, he wanted to go right, and we both ended up mashed against the fence. Though I have to say he got the better end of the deal. He got away with a few scrapes. I ended up in the hospital with a broken femur.”

  “That must have been painful.”

  “Well, the worst of it was Joe wasn’t around that day, so I had to haul myself to the truck to get my phone.”

  “Where was Kane?”

  “He was gone. Working in the oil patch.”

  “Why did he leave?” she asked. “He loves this ranch as much as you do. And he always swore he’d bag groceries at the Co-op before he’d work on the rigs.” She couldn’t imagine Kane working rigs. He had such a strong connection to animals and nature and the open range.

  “Why did you leave?” Zach asked softly. There was no accusation in his voice, but he was making a point. She had left something she loved, and so had Kane.

  “It’s complicated,” was all she could muster in response. She couldn’t afford to look back. That way was madness. She had to put one foot in front of the other and move forward. The past was a bleak and dark wasteland of grief and pain. Though her future was vague and uncertain, at least it had an inkling of hope in it. Things might get better. It was possible.

  While Zach got her tea, Faith glanced around the kitchen she knew so well.

  The cabinets were a warm golden oak, burnished with age. A large island with a countertop stove filled the rest of the space. Two doors led off the little nook where Faith now sat, struggling to catch her breath. Only for a moment, she told herself. She would drink some tea and take her leave.

  But how? Until Stacy called back, she wasn’t even sure she had a place to go. Faith hugged herself as a wave of nausea coursed through her body, hoping Zach wouldn't notice. As the kettle boiled, he made a sandwich she knew she couldn't eat.

  A few minutes later, he set a plate and a steaming cup of tea in front of her.

  "Thank you." Faith forced herself to smile at him as she picked up the tea, cradling the warm mug between her fingers.

  The garden doors behind them swung open, and Faith didn't need to turn to know that Kane was back.

  “You build the new fence and move the cows already?” Zach teased.

  “The cows are okay for now,” Kane said. “Frank overreacted a bit so I thought I’d check in before I head out there again.”

  “I’ll pull the truck around and start unloading the fencing supplies,” Zach said. “You sit down and eat this sandwich.” He pushed the plate toward Kane, and Faith breathed a sigh of relief that she wouldn’t have to choke it down. But her relief was short-lived when she suddenly found herself alone in the Tye’s kitchen with Kane.

  He crossed to the sink to wash his hands. Then sat down beside her and picked up the sandwich.

  She sipped at her tea, trying not to look at him. But just as she sucked the warm liquid down, a wave of pain twisted her gut, and her hand began to shake, sloshing tea all over the table.

  Kane set his sandwich down, reached out his hands, and wrapped them around hers, holding the mug steady and helping her set it down. “You aren’t okay,” he said, pulling his hands away. “Do you need a doctor?”

  “No.” Faith shook her head adamantly. “It’s just food poisoning, like I said. I just need to sleep it off in a good bed.” She regretted the words as soon as she said them—wished she could swallow them back. She didn’t want Kane to think she was inviting herself to stay here. Because that was the last thing she wanted.

  “We have beds,” Kane said gruffly, his chair scraping loudly on the floor as he stood up. He picked up her suitcase and guitar and held out his arm to her just like Zach had.

  “I told you. I’ll be okay.”

  “You might, but neither Dad nor I have time
to take you anywhere right now. So you may as well stay the night. Get some sleep, and tomorrow we can talk.”

  Arguing would make her look insensitive and selfish, so she simply nodded. Besides, he was right. All she needed was a good night’s sleep.

  She got up, wobbled a little, but didn’t take his arm. She just couldn’t.

  He held her gaze a moment, shrugged, and took off down the hallway with her stuff.

  Faith followed him, struggling to keep up with his long-legged strides, keeping her balance by placing her hand on the wall. He opened a door halfway along the hall and stood aside to let her in.

  "You can stay here," he said, setting her suitcase on the floor of a large bedroom. A king-size bed with a rough-log headboard dominated the clearly masculine room. A tall wooden dresser made of rough-hewn wood held an assortment of framed photos all jostling for space. As she paused just inside the doorway, looking at the photos, she realized where she was, and it almost knocked her to her knees.

  This was Elliot's room.

  "I thought you’d prefer a familiar room,” Kane said, setting her stuff down.

  She probably deserved that. Even if it wasn’t true. She wanted to tell Kane it hadn’t been like that, but she knew there was no point in trying to defend herself again. He hadn’t been able to hear her the first time. He had even less reason to listen to her now.

  The room began to spin, and she reached out for the post of the bed.

  At the same time, Kane reached out, putting his large, warm hands on her waist to steady her.

  He was too close. Too familiar.

  For a treacherous moment, she yearned to lean against him like she used to and have him hold her close and tell her how much he cared.

  Instead, she pulled away from his touch, settling on the edge of the soft bed, which felt amazingly comfortable. Her body just wanted to melt into it and sink away. She was so exhausted. “I’m really sorry about this.” She sighed. “I know it’s inconvenient for all of us. I’m sure I’ll be better in the morning, and Stacy will call, and I can get out of your hair.”