Western Wishes: a sweet cowboy romance (Cowboys of Aspen Valley Book 2) Page 3

  And his ring.

  He hadn’t heard from her since. Hadn’t seen her since. He’d tried texting her best friends. Freya only told him she was worried about Keira, but nothing more. Brooke wasn’t much help either. In fact, she raked him over, thinking it was his fault her friend had left town.

  If it wasn’t for the fact that he had Roger’s saddle to fix, their paths would probably have never crossed again.

  He had no reason to come back to Aspen Valley.

  “Hey, ladies, look who I brought,” Monty announced as they stepped into the large, exposed-beamed living room. A fire crackled in the woodstove, generating a welcome heat.

  His stepmother sat on a leather easy chair, facing him, her blond hair cut in a serviceable page boy, dark-framed glasses emphasizing her green eyes. She wore a white shirt, black chinos and sensible white shoes, all of which combined to make her look precisely like the nurse she was.

  Ellen sat with her back to him, her long brown hair, tinged with gray, pulled back in a ponytail hanging over the large brace that held her neck and upper chest immobilized. She sat upright in a chair and as she slowly got to her feet, Tanner winced at the sight of the brace.

  “I know, I know, I look like an alien,” Ellen said, her voice sounding restricted and strained. “I hope I don’t scare you too much. I’d still like a hug.”

  “Be careful,” Monty whispered, detaining Tanner a moment. “She’s still hurting.”

  Tanner nodded and slowly approached Ellen and, bending over, brushed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Sorry, Ellen, that’s all you get from me for now.”

  She smiled up at him and reached up to touch his face, then blanched in pain. “I keep thinking I can do what I used to,” she said with a tone of regret. “But it’s great to see you again. Though you look tired.”

  “Been a long drive.” He smiled at her then glanced over at his stepmother. “Hello, Alice,” he said.

  Alice set her cup aside, brushed her hands over her pants and slowly rose to greet him, as well. That Ellen, despite her disability, was quicker to greet him than his stepmother rankled.

  Alice walked over and managed a perfunctory hug then pulled back, folding her arms over her chest. “Hello, Tanner. Good to see you. How have you been?”

  “Good.” He struggled to think of what else to say. Since that horrible conversation when she’d accused him of causing her beloved son, Roger’s death, every exchange with her was stilted and strained.

  The problem was her accusations—spoken and unspoken—only underlined what he had always thought himself.

  If he hadn’t let Roger stay behind to spend time with that girl, if Tanner had followed his better judgment and insisted on bringing him back to the hotel, Roger would still be alive.

  Monty walked over to his wife and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “How are you feeling, my dear?” Concern laced his voice and Ellen gave him a faint smile.

  “Exactly the same as I did when you left two hours ago to go coffee drinking,” she said, a note of humor in her voice. “Would you like some coffee, Tanner?”

  “Sorry, but I’d like to get back to the ranch and catch up on some phone calls and paperwork.” He caught a frown from Alice. “If that’s okay?” he added.

  His stepmother shook her head with an expression of regret. “I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to. I thought while I was staying here and taking care of Ellen, I would get some renovations done on the house,” she said. “So, it isn’t livable right now. In fact, I’ve been staying here at the ranch the past couple of nights.”

  “You’re saying I should stay somewhere else?”

  “Might be a good idea.”

  To his surprise her voice held an apologetic tone that he was too tired to interpret.

  “You can stay here.” Monty slapped Tanner on the back. “Give you a chance to spend time with your mother, catch up with us. Keep tabs on your saddle’s repair.”

  His stepmother didn’t seem pleased with the idea, and he guessed that Keira would feel much the same.

  “I don’t think so,” Tanner said. “I’ll try to find a place in town instead.”

  “Don’t know if you’ll be able to.” Monty shook his head. “There’s some hockey tournament going on this next week in Aspen Valley. Fairly sure the few hotels we got are full. So, I guess you’re stuck here until something opens up.”

  Tanner stifled a sigh, feeling as if he was slowly getting pushed into a tight corner. Never a good place to be. “I’m not sure—”

  “Not sure about what? We got plenty of room. John is staying in the house his parents used to live in, and our last hired hand quit on us so the bunkhouse is empty. You can stay there. It’s all ready to go. Trust me, it’s no problem.”

  Tanner was about to object again but felt that doing so would make him look ungrateful and un-neighborly. He eased out a smile. “Sure. I guess I can stay. I’m only here for a couple of days.”

  “It will take longer than that to fix Roger’s saddle,” Monty said. “Besides, you can help. You know a few things about saddle repair. You and Keira used to hang out at the shop all the time.”

  “Roger’s saddle?” Alice glanced from Tanner to Monty, looking confused. “Why do you need to get it fixed?”

  “I’ve been using it all season and it needs some work,” Tanner said, looking over at his stepmother. “It got a real working over the last time I competed.”

  “You’ve been using it this year?” Alice looked surprised.

  “All year,” Tanner replied. “It’s been a busy run.”

  “When are you ever going to quit the rodeo?” Ellen asked, a note of disappointment lacing her voice. “Surely your mechanic work keeps you busy enough?”

  “It does. But I’ve got some good workers who are running the business for me. Just hired a foreman last year so I could do this one last circuit.”

  “Will this really be the last?” Monty gave him a wry smile. “I know you cowboys. You don’t quit until you’re dragged from the arena on a backboard. Surely you need to decide when the time comes…” He let the sentence fade away, but Tanner finished it for him.

  “To hang up my rigging and my spurs,” Tanner said. “Yeah. I know. Hopefully this year will be that year.”

  “Why are you using Roger’s saddle?” Alice pressed. “Don’t you have your own?”

  Tanner was silent a moment, trying to find the right way to answer her.

  “I do. But I wanted to finish what Roger started before…before he died.” It had been two years since Roger’s death, and those words could still cut like a knife. “I thought I would use his saddle and dedicate the season to him. I want to take the saddle all the way to the NFR. But it got busted up at the last rodeo. Monty said he would fix it for me so I could finish with it at Las Vegas.”

  He wished she hadn’t pushed him. He had hoped to surprise her after the season was over and give her Roger’s saddle as a memento. Tell her face-to-face why he did what he did. Hope that, by some miracle, she would grant him some measure of absolution.

  Their eyes held and for a moment, her smile softened, and he recognized it for what it was. A small movement toward forgiveness. Then she gave a curt nod and her mouth shifted into the polite smile he knew only too well.

  “I think that’s admirable,” she said, her tone impersonal. “I guess we’ll have to see how you do in the end.”

  The end.

  Tanner briefly wondered if there would be an end to his quest. To his desire for some type of reconciliation with her.

  But now, as ever, her manner was aloof, reserved, and cool.

  Time to go.

  “So, the bunkhouse?” Tanner asked Monty.

  “It’s all fixed up. Do you want me to bring you there? It’s not locked.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll come over with clean sheets for the bed,” Alice said, getting up from her chair.

  “Just tell me where they are. I can make a bed.” She was the o
ne who had taught him, after all.

  “Of course. I’ll get them for you.”

  She left and Tanner caught Ellen watching him, the neck and chest brace supporting her head giving her a vulnerable look. “We’ve missed you, Tanner. I’m glad you’re staying here.” Her voice, sounding so strained created an extra poignancy.

  “I’m glad I’m back, too,” he said quietly, though staying on the ranch with Keira so close by was not how he had envisioned his temporary stay.

  His stepmother came back with a stack of sheets and some towels. “I gave you extra. Just in case.”

  Tanner gave her a tight nod, then took a step back. “I better get myself set up.”

  “And we’ll see you for supper tonight?”

  Resistance rose again, but the expectant looks on Monty’s and Ellen’s faces quashed it. Surely, he could manage this for these dear people, who had been such a part of his life so long?

  “Sure. What time?”

  “Come at six.”

  He gave them another smile, glanced over at his stepmother, who stood with her arms crossed, her stolid expression making him wonder if he had imagined that momentary bond.

  A few moments later he was walking toward his truck, his breath creating clouds of fog in the chill winter air. He stopped at the truck, dug his keys out of his pocket one-handed and caught a movement from the saddle shop.

  Keira stood in the doorway and his heart pounded double-time in his chest. As he looked at her, his thoughts drifted back to times he would help her in the shop, then go out for a ride in the hills. He watched her a moment, but he noticed her eyes weren’t on him. They were on the mountains just beyond the edges of Refuge Ranch.

  Her arms were wrapped around her midsection. Then, to his surprise, he saw her hand swipe at her cheeks.

  As if she were crying.

  “Excellent meal, Alice,” Tanner said as he set his knife and fork on his plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I haven’t had a good Angus steak for ages.”

  “I’m glad you could be here to share it with us,” Monty replied, taking another bite.

  “Keira made supper,” Ellen corrected, taking a careful sip of the smoothie Alice had concocted for her.

  “That’s great,” Tanner said, glancing over at Keira. “I didn’t think you enjoyed cooking.”

  Keira managed a half smile at his attempt to engage her in conversation, then looked back down at the steamed vegetables she’d spent the past ten minutes pushing around her plate. She knew what Tanner was thinking. Ever since she was a young girl, she would try to find a way to get out of any kind of kitchen duty. Ellen and Keira’s sister, Heather, were the ones who cooked, baked, made jam, and gardened.

  Keira had always been more interested in tagging along behind her father, working with him in the shop and helping him and her brother, Lee, work the cows.

  Which worked out for the best. While Heather was a natural on a horse, she didn’t like working with the cows.

  “I’ve learned a few other skills lately,” she said, stabbing a piece of cauliflower with her fork.

  “I can see that,” Tanner said.

  She wanted to look at him but chose to keep her attention on the plate in front of her.

  Keira, her parents, Alice and Tanner were gathered around the large table that filled the dining area tucked away in one corner of the large open main floor. The lights around them were turned low, a fire crackled and popped in the stone fireplace. Curtains were drawn across the windows, creating a peaceful and cozy ambiance.

  But for Keira, the meal had been an ordeal. Tanner had ended up sitting across from her, and every time she looked up, she caught him watching her, then giving her a faintly mocking smile.

  Tanner had always been someone who used sarcasm to deflect anyone getting close and could put on a cynical facade with people he didn’t care for.

  But he’d never been that way with her. Which was why his half smile and slightly hooded eyes created not only a deep discomfort but also a pain that she felt she had no right to experience.

  “It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a meal here,” Tanner said, turning his attention back to Monty and Ellen. “Actually, it’s been a long time since I had a home-cooked meal, period.”

  “I know how you feel,” Ellen said, setting her smoothie down. “I’ll be so happy to be off this liquid diet and sink my teeth into a juicy steak or pork chop soon.”

  Monty patted her lightly on the arm. “Patience is a virtue,” he said with a smile.

  “Spoken by the man who just finished an eight-ounce sirloin,” Ellen returned with a fake glower. “But I should be thankful for small mercies. Only ten more weeks, four days, and twenty hours till this thing comes off.”

  “Not that you’re counting,” Tanner said with a grin.

  “Can you tell she’s a bit testy?” Monty asked. He glanced over at Keira. “Honey, are you feeling okay? You’ve hardly eaten anything.”

  “I’m not hundred percent,” was her vague reply. Which was the truth. Ever since Tanner had come into the shop, she felt as if her emotions had been tossed over like a bucket of nails she didn’t know how to gather up again.

  She took a bite of her now cold cauliflower, choked it down and decided to give up on eating altogether.

  “Is everyone done?” she asked, glancing around the table as she reached for the bowl of potatoes.

  “What’s the rush?” Monty asked, stopping her by placing his hand on her arm. “We can sit awhile.”

  “No rush. Just want to get this cleared off,” Keira said. “I want to get back to the shop to do some more work on Freya’s purse.”

  Her father held her gaze, a faint frown wrinkling his forehead as if trying to see into her mind.

  Tanner wasn’t the only one who didn’t know all the reasons she had left Aspen Valley all those years ago. Though she had kept in touch with her parents, she had never answered all their questions about her and Tanner’s broken engagement. Her mother and father had dropped some gentle hints, but for the most part they had never probed too deeply.

  “If you want to go out to the shop, I can take care of the dishes,” Monty said. He got up but suddenly his cell phone beeped. He glanced at it, then emitted a huge sigh.

  “Everything okay?” Ellen asked.

  Monty shook his head. “Not really. Giesbrook just called John. He wants those heifers delivered tomorrow.”

  “You have to go to Sweet Creek on Sunday?” Keira asked, suddenly concerned.

  “Not until later in the day. I’d like to get some work done on the saddle, but I won’t be able to get it done.” He gave her an apologetic look. “Do you mind finishing it up for me?”

  Keira glared at her father. She did mind and he knew it. If she didn’t know better, she would have guessed he’d engineered this change in plans. But what else could she say with Tanner right there? Instead, she nodded and started stacking the plates.

  “I told you I’d do that, honey,” Monty said.

  “No, you can’t,” Ellen protested. “You promised me and Alice a game of Scrabble after dinner.” Ellen glanced over at Tanner. “Tanner, do you mind helping Keira?”

  “Never been too proud to do dishes,” Tanner said, getting to his feet, giving Keira a careful smile. But from the tightness of Tanner’s lips, she guessed he was as unwilling to be around her as she was to be around him.

  Though she could hardly blame him. She was the one who left without a word after all. While Tanner? Well, he’d done nothing wrong.

  Except change the plans they had made.

  She pushed the unfair thought aside. Though he never told her the reason for him not working the Circle C with Roger after his father died, she had thought they could find a way to make their own way.

  Then everything fell apart.

  They cleared the dishes as Ellen, Monty, and Alice retreated to a corner of the living room that held the game table. Monty held Ellen’s arm, guiding her awkward steps, but they made
it to the table without mishap.

  “Your mom seems frustrated,” Tanner said as they brought the dishes to the kitchen. “Not like her usual bubbly self.”

  “She’s fragile and can’t do much for herself, but she hasn’t complained yet.” Keira stacked the plates by the sink and started cleaning them.

  “I’m sure having Alice around helps a lot.”

  “She’s helpful. Of course, part of the reason she’s staying here is because of her house getting fixed up.”

  “I thought Alice was here to help your mother,” Tanner responded.

  “She is, but she doesn’t need to be heretwenty-four seven.” She didn’t mind Alice but having her around day and night was tiring. Now and again, she would catch Alice looking at her as if she wasn’t sure what to make of Keira.

  Truth to tell, it was kind of creepy.

  She busied herself with scraping the leftover food off the plates. Tanner left to get more dishes and she took a deep breath, chiding herself for being such a wimp around him. Goodness, it had been years since they had seen each other. Surely, she could get over this.

  Tanner returned to the kitchen, and over the clink of cutlery and the swish of water over the plates, the only other sound was the muted laughter from Monty, Ellen, and Alice playing Scrabble in the other room.

  Keira reached for a plate just as Tanner did, and when their hands brushed, Keira jumped. She dropped the plate the same time he did, and it clattered to the floor, shattering on the slate tile.

  “Sorry.”

  “My fault.”

  They both spoke at once, both knelt at once and both tried to pick up the broken pieces at the same time.

  Flustered, Keira grabbed blindly at a shard, which immediately cut into her hand. She yanked it back as blood dripped onto the floor.

  “Here, let me help you with that,” Tanner said, catching her hand to hold it still.

  She tried to pull back, which only made the blood flow more freely. “I can take care of this.” She didn’t want him touching her. Didn’t want him so close to her.

  “Hold still,” Tanner said, frowning as they both stood up. “Where’s your first-aid kit?”