Harlequin Superromance January 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: A Ranch for His Family\Cowgirl in High Heels\A Man to Believe In (18 page)

“A while back. Of course, you could go ahead and have Chance's party without me,” Martha offered in a martyred voice.

“I guess we can this year.” Robyn waited to hear her mother get out of this one.

Adam spoke up first. “No, Martha, I wouldn't have you miss your grandson's birthday party.”

“Thank you, Adam. I'm glad you understand. Well, that's settled,” Martha said in a rush.

“Adam, why don't you come to Chance's party?” Robyn suggested. “We can make it cake and ice cream instead of lunch.”

“I'm sure Dr. Cain wouldn't enjoy a child's party,” Martha interjected.

“Nonsense. I'd love to come.”

“Good,” Robyn declared, and flashed a smug smile in her mother's direction. “Now it's settled.”

* * *

T
RUE
TO
HIS
word, Neal showed up the next morning, and they spent the day rounding up and moving cattle. The work was hot, dusty and frustrating, in more ways than one. Determined to keep her feelings for Neal under control, Robyn was still unprepared for the impact he had on her as they worked side by side.

He rode with a relaxed, fluid movement that matched the rhythm of his horse exactly. The thick muscles of his thighs bulged beneath the faded denim of his jeans as he gripped his cow pony and turned the pinto with an imperceptible shift of his weight. It was hard to tell he'd been away from ranching for years.

He knew how to work cattle, never pushing them too fast or too hard as he helped her gather the scattered herd. He was quick to spot the obstinate Angus who resented being forced to stay with the herd, and he moved to block the big black steer each time it tried to make a break. In a low, mellow, singsong voice, he urged the cattle along, and Robyn rode beside him, enthralled.

Moving to close the corral gate after the last reluctant steer trotted through, she marveled at how much she had enjoyed the day. And Neal was the reason.

Leaning on his saddle horn, he waited for her to fasten the gate. “I've forgotten how much work ranching is,” he said, lifting his hat to run his fingers through his hair.

“That's the truth,” she answered.

“Will you miss it?”

Looking up, she nodded and smiled sadly. “Yes, I will.”

“Do you mind if I ask why you're selling?”

“The ranch belongs to Mom. It's her decision.”

“Still, it doesn't seem right. You love this place. You grew up here.”

“Sure I love it, but I love my work as a nurse, too. I can't do both. The ranch is a full-time job.”

They both looked toward the house as the screen door slammed. Chance and Edward headed toward them across the yard.

“What does Chance think about moving away?” Neal asked.

“He isn't happy about it, but I told him there would be other kids to play with if we lived in town, and he likes that idea.”

“He's a special kid, Robyn. You're lucky to have him.”

“Yeah, I know. Thank you for keeping quiet about being his father. I wasn't sure that you would.”

“And now you are?”

“Yes. Now I am.”

He gazed at the boy headed their way. “Maybe someday things will change, and he can know the truth.”

“Maybe so. I hope so.”

Chance raced up to them, reached his arms up to Neal and began to jump up and down. He signed quickly, and Neal grinned at Robyn. “Let me guess. That means he wants a ride.”

“You got it,” she said with a laugh.

“This sign language thing isn't so hard.” He reached down, lifted the boy into the saddle in front of him then turned the horse. The two of them trotted around the yard.

Edward walked up to Robyn and smiled. “You look beat.”

“Beat, hot and dusty enough to plant a garden on.”

“Go on up to the house. I'll put your horse up for you.”

“Are you sure?”

“I may not be much of a rider, but I can unsaddle a horse. Go on.”

She kissed his cheek and handed him the reins. “Thanks, I owe you one.”

* * *

N
EAL
DREW
HIS
horse to a stop beside Edward.

Chance turned around and signed, “Again.”

Neal shook his head and handed the boy down to Edward. “He wouldn't think it was such fun if he'd spent the past six hours up here,” Neal said, dismounting stiffly.

“I imagine you're right, but I think you would have a hard time convincing him of that.”

Chance skipped along in front of them as the two men walked side by side and led the horses toward the barn.

“You and Robyn seem to be getting along better,” Edward commented as he opened the stall door.

Chance climbed the boards to the top of the stall and looked on. Neal led his horse into the adjacent stall and glanced over at Edward. “I'm not sure I know what you mean.”

“There for a while I wasn't sure if she was going to just plain ignore you or get a gun and shoot you.”

Neal chuckled. “I wouldn't put it past her.”

“You two have quite a history together, if half of what Martha tells me is true.”

Neal hefted the saddle onto the boards between the stalls. “Martha doesn't know
half
of what we did as kids, and I hope to God she never finds out.”

“I didn't mean your childhood.”

Neal stared at him for a long minute. “Yeah, we had quite a history, but that was before she met your son.”

He turned away, picked up a brush and began to rub down his horse.

Edward began to brush his horse, as well. “I didn't mean to pry. It's pretty obvious Martha thinks you two belong back together.”

“Martha's about as subtle as a thunderstorm,” Neal said.

“You can tell me to mind my own business if you want, but I care about Robyn, and not just because she was married to my son. I think of her as a daughter, and I want to see her happy.”

Neal stopped brushing and stared over the horse's back at Edward. “What's this leading up to?”

“She's had a rough time since my son died.”

“And?”

“And I don't want to see her get hurt again.”

“What makes you think I would hurt her?”

“The way she looks at you when she thinks you don't see.”

Neal resumed the long strokes with his brush. “You can rest easy. I don't want to see Robyn hurt any more than you do. I'm almost fit. I'll be headed back on the road soon.”

Edward laid down his brush and gave the horse a final pat on the rump as he left the stall. “That's not what I was hoping to hear.”

“What were you hoping to hear?”

“I was hoping to hear you wanted to stay, because I think you're in love with her.” He turned and left the barn.

Neal watched him walk away and sighed. What the hell was he supposed to do? Love wasn't enough. Robyn and Chance needed more than the rootless existence he lived. Adam Cain could give them all they needed—a home and stability.

Neal had seen her pining for those things during the years he'd dragged her from one town to another, from one state to another, but he'd refused to acknowledge it then. Oh, she had followed him willingly because she loved him, but in the end, he had betrayed that love and left her with nothing.

What good would it do to admit he loved her more now than ever? He still didn't have anything to offer her. He was less of a man now than he'd been a few months ago.

Chance watched him from the top rail. A piece of straw dangled from the corner of his mouth as he pushed his little tan cowboy hat back. Neal had to smile. He could remember leaning on the boards of the stall and watching his father groom the horses. He knew he must have had the same look of longing on his face that Chance wore now—wishing he could help but not wanting to be told he was too little.

He beckoned with a tilt of his head and the boy eagerly climbed into the stall. After swinging him up onto the horse's back, Neal gave him the comb, then showed him how to hold the mane and pull the comb through it carefully.

Movement caught his eye, and he saw Robyn enter the barn. A worried frown marred her face, but she relaxed when she caught sight of Chance. She hated it when she didn't know where the boy was. Pretending not to see her, Neal lifted the boy off the horse. Bending down, he showed Chance how to check the animal's hooves. Either she trusted him with the boy or she didn't. Now was as good a time as any to find out.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

W
HEN
R
OBYN
SAW
Edward leave the barn without Chance, she suspected she would find her son with Neal, but she couldn't feel easy until she knew for sure where he was. She had been right.

Quietly, she stood and watched Neal show Chance how to care for the horse. She'd never let Chance help with the grooming, he was too small, and it was too easy to see a dozen ways he could be hurt.

Obviously, Neal didn't feel that way. He handed Chance the brush, then picked the boy up and guided his hand in long strokes down the animal's side.

They looked so right together. Both of them wore their hats pushed back and a tangle of curls covered their foreheads. Neal's was dark brown; her son's was still baby blond but growing darker each year. The smile that beamed from Chance's face was identical to the one Neal wore. She watched them until she couldn't bear the pain a moment longer, and then she turned and left them alone.

* * *

N
EAL
TRIED
NOT
to let his elation go to his head as Robyn walked back to the house. It was a huge step for her and he knew it. He continued to hold the boy until they had finished brushing one side of the horse. He set Chance on his feet and moved to the other side of the animal. Chance decided to walk under the horse's belly to reach the other side.

Neal's heart gave a sickening lurch. He spoke soothingly to the horse and held his breath until the boy was in the clear. He squatted down beside him and took him by the shoulders. How did he make Chance understand that was a dangerous thing to do?

Neal scowled and pointed underneath the horse. What was the sign for bad idea? He shook him slightly and said, “Never do that.”

He wasn't sure if Chance understood, but a mutinous pout appeared on his face. He jerked away from Neal's hold and threw the brush in the dirt. It startled the horse, and he shied away. Neal grabbed Chance and carried him out of the stall. “Okay, equine-care class is over.”

He set the boy on top of a nearby stack of hay bales so that they could be face-to-face. He pointed at the stall and shook his head.

Chance realized he had done something wrong. A single tear rolled down his cheek. Neal stood in front of him, feeling like a heel. This parenting stuff was a lot harder than it looked.

He gave Chance a hug, hoping to convey to the boy that he wasn't in trouble. He wasn't sure if he got his point across or not. Neal went back into the stall, soothed the horse, picked up the brush and began to finish grooming him.

“I'm not mad at you, kid. I just want you to be careful.” He realized the boy couldn't hear his explanation. Signing wasn't yet second nature for him. He glanced over his shoulder. Chance was nowhere in sight.

Neal left the stall and searched for the boy. There was no point in yelling for him. He didn't see him anywhere. How far could he have gotten?

Great.
The first time Robyn left the boy with him and he lost the kid. Where could he be?

Suddenly Neal remembered the kittens. He went back to the rear of the barn, and, sure enough, Chance was sitting on the crate, holding a kitten in his lap. Neal tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to come up to the house.

“Your mother needs to put a bell on you. That might make you easier to locate.”

Chance smiled, put the kitten down and ran out of the barn. Neal hurried to catch up with him and keep him in sight.

* * *

C
LOUDS
ROLLED
IN
the afternoon of Chance's birthday and brought the welcome relief of a rain shower to settle the dust and dispel some of the heat of late August.

Pulling a yellow-print sundress from her closet, Robyn slipped it on and then turned first one way and then the other in front of the rosewood-framed mirror in her room. The yellow-and-white daisy print looked fresh and cool, and the simple flared skirt swirled around her tan legs when she moved. Would Neal like it?

She frowned at her reflection. It didn't matter if he did or not. She had bought the dress for herself, because it made her feel young and carefree, certainly not like the mother of a four-year-old.

Her baby was four. Where had the time gone? She turned away from the mirror, added a bow to the top of Chance's present and glanced at the clock. Adam would be here any minute.

His kiss hadn't put an end to her feelings for Neal. Maybe nothing would. But Adam was a great guy and Neal was going back to the rodeo. She liked Adam. Maybe that liking would grow into something more if she gave it a chance. She slipped on her new white sandals, gave one last glance at herself in the mirror and lifted her chin. No, she certainly hadn't bought a new dress because Neal was coming. He wouldn't notice, but Adam would.

Her mother and Edward had gone all out decorating the screened-in back porch for the occasion. Balloons and streamers hung from the ceiling and waved gaily in the breeze. The banner with clowns and balloons Robyn had printed on her computer was tacked in place around the front of the table holding the cake, a tall, frosty pitcher of lemonade and the paper plates and cups Chance had insisted on having—the ones decorated with Power Rangers.

Clara sat beside the table and dozed in her wheelchair. Edward and Chance were busy taking turns at the crank of a battered ice-cream freezer and piling ice and salt into its wooden bucket.

Edward looked up as she stepped out of the house. “Wow! You look fabulous,” he said. He signed to Chance, “Your mother is beautiful.”

Chance signed, “I know. Is that for me?” he asked when he spied the package in her hand.

She nodded, setting it on the table by two others. “Unless you know someone else who has a birthday today?” she signed. “You'd better get to cranking or that ice cream won't be ready before our company arrives.”

“Too late,” Martha said from the open door. Identical nine-year-old girls dressed in matching pink-and-white-striped tank tops and pink shorts stood beside her, each holding a gift. The twins dashed up to Chance.

“Happy birthday!” they said and signed together.

“We brought you a present—” one started.

“But you can't open it yet,” the other finished.

Turning to Edward, they asked, “Can we help?”

“Crank away,” he offered as he sat back in his chair. The twins immediately moved to take over the cumbersome job.

“Too bad they aren't that quick to do work at home.”

Robyn turned as Connie Bryant stepped out onto the porch. The willowy blonde was dressed in a mint-green halter-top sundress. She looked every inch the classical ballerina she was. Her hair was drawn back from her oval face in a thick French braid that swayed as she moved with fluid grace. The only flaw in the image was the gurgling, drooling infant she held on her shoulder. Ellie Bryant followed her out the door.

Robyn laughed. “You don't understand, Connie. It's only work if their mother asks them to do it. Let me see that baby. My goodness, he's grown.”

“Where's Jake?” She glanced behind the women. And where was Neal, she wondered, but she couldn't bring herself to ask.

“Jake can't make it,” Connie said with regret. “He had to make a fast trip to Oklahoma City this morning to pick up a new stallion.”

“Neal is coming,” Ellie added. “He said he had to go pick up Chance's present. Leave it to that boy to wait until the last minute for everything,” she said with a shake of her head.

“That's a man for you,” Connie said, and all the women laughed in agreement.

“Is this where the party is?”

They all turned at the sound of a male voice as Adam walked around the corner of the house. Robyn hurried to the screen door and held it open. “This is the place.”

Adam smiled warmly as he climbed the steps. “You look great,” he murmured as he moved past her, and she felt a blush bloom in her cheeks.

Quickly, she made the introductions, and Adam took a seat on the porch swing. There was plenty of room to sit beside him, but Robyn found herself reluctant to do so. Instead, she turned to Connie. “May I hold the baby?”

“Sure.” Connie handed the infant over. “Be warned though, he drools worse than a Saint Bernard.”

Holding the bright-eyed, sweet-smelling infant filled Robyn with a sudden, sharp longing for another baby of her own. Silly thought. It took two to make a baby. She glanced at Adam and wondered at the thoughtful look on his face as he gazed back at her.

Neal still hadn't arrived by the time the ice cream was ready. Chance shifted from one foot to the other in front of his presents, and Robyn took pity on his growing impatience. Signaling her mother to light the candles on the cake, she handed Gabe back to Connie and stood, then led the group in singing and signing “Happy Birthday” to her grinning son.

Chance blew out his candles on the first try and everyone applauded.

The cake and ice cream was devoured in short order, and Chance quickly tore the wrappings off his presents. The present he liked best was the black-and-white soccer ball from Edward. Chance and the twins raced out the screen door and into the backyard and began an impromptu game.

Robyn looked at the torn wrapping paper and colorful paper plates scattered across the gray-painted porch floor and smiled at Adam. “I believe it took me longer to wrap one present than it took him to unwrap them all.”

She bent to pick up the largest pieces of paper and the CD case of a computer game Adam had given Chance. Adam moved to help her. She said, “Thank you for the game. I know he'll enjoy playing it.”

“Have I missed the party?”

Robyn straightened and spun around at the sound of Neal's voice coming from the door into the house. She couldn't stop the glad leap her heart took, even as she struggled to keep her face blank. She was saved from framing an answer by the shouts of the twins.

“Uncle Neal!” They dashed up the porch steps, followed closely by Chance. Each girl grabbed his hand and began to pull him toward the yard. “Come play with us.”

Chance bounced up and down in front of him and signed.

Neal shook his head and glanced at Robyn to interpret, but the twins supplied the answer to his unspoken question.

“He wants to know—”

“What you brought him.”

“And what makes him think I brought him anything?” Neal asked.

“'Cause it's his—”

“Birthday, silly.” They giggled.

Neal freed a hand and rubbed it slowly across his jaw. “Then that's why I have a present on the front seat of my truck. I was wondering who it belonged to.”

Robyn signed to Chance, and, with a delighted grin, he shot out the screen door and raced around the house.

The twins started to follow him, but Neal stopped them. “Hold it, girls. Chance needs to discover this present by himself.” He glanced at Robyn and hoped he hadn't made a mistake.

“But what—”

“Is it?” the girls insisted.

“Wait a minute and you'll see,” he told them, but he didn't take his eyes off Robyn's puzzled face.

Just then, the faint sound of jingling bells could be heard coming from the side of the house. Chance burst into view, followed by a fluffy black-and-white puppy dancing at his heels. The jingling came from the brass sleigh bells sewn onto the pup's red-leather collar.

Chance darted up to the screen door and glanced back at the pup, who tried but couldn't quite make it up the first step. The boy hurried back down and scooped the pup into his arms. It promptly began to lick his face in gratitude.

Neal held open the screen door as Chance struggled up the steps with his burden and hurried to his mother. He tried to sign, but finally had to put the wiggling pup down. The twins dropped to their knees in delight as the curious puppy scampered to them.

Beaming with excitement, Chance signed, “Is she really mine? Can I keep her?”

Robyn nodded. “Yes, you can keep her. She's your present.”

The bells on the pup's collar jingled as she raced back to the boy. Chance turned and flung himself into Neal's arms for a quick hug. Tenderness filled Neal's heart as he returned the embrace, and then Chance bounded out of his arms, scooped up the puppy and began to show her to each of the adults seated around the porch.

Edward patted the silky black head and looked at Neal. “What kind of dog is it?”

“A border collie.”

“A sheepdog?” Adam asked.

“Sheep and cattle.” Neal nodded. “I've seen them work huge herds of cattle and sheep guided only by hand signals from their owners.”

“A dog that knows sign language. Well, I'll be,” Edward muttered.

“She won't find many cattle or sheep to herd in town,” Adam said.

Ellie flashed a bright grin at her son as she spoke, “Border collies make very good pets for children. They have that protective instinct. Neal had a dog like this when he was young. Every place he went, Scamp went, too.”

Chance moved to show his puppy to Clara. She patted it and asked, “What's its name?”

He shrugged and looked at Neal. He signed the phrase he'd been practicing. “She's your dog. You name her.”

“Bell,” Chance signed. “I'm going to call her Bell.”

Neal ducked his head to hide a smile. “Now, why didn't I think of that?”

Standing, he motioned to the twins. “Come on, girls, I've got some accessories to go with Bell in my truck. Help me bring them in.”

Robyn listened to the jingle of the puppy's collar as she followed the group around the house, and she smiled softly.

Adam moved to stand beside her. “I don't know why he thinks the dog needs those bells. The sound is going to get annoying, and it's not like the boy can hear them.”

The smile stayed on her lips as she closed her eyes to listen. “The bells aren't for Chance,” she said softly. “They're for me. So I can hear where he is because that pup will always be near him.”