Jared's Texas Homecoming Read online

  Dana was happy and jealous at the same time. Her friend had a loving husband and child, with another on the way. “You mean you don’t want Chance delivering the baby in the barn this time?”

  “Bite your tongue.” Joy suddenly looked dreamy-eyed. “Of course that’s one way to get familiar—real fast. When a man sees you at your worst, you know right away if he’s willing to hang around. Maybe you should try it.”

  “Oh, once is enough. I’m plenty happy with just Evan.”

  “Are you? You don’t get lonely?” her friend asked.

  “The right man can make all the difference. It did for Katie and me.”

  Dana couldn’t deny that Joy was one of the lucky ones. She found a guy who loved and adored her. But memories of Marsh Hastings had made Dana bitter. “The wrong man can make a lot of trouble.”

  Just then the back door opened and Jared appeared. She had to bite back a gasp at his formidable presence. His shirt and jeans were covered with dust and mud as if he’d been wrestling a calf and lost. The day’s growth of beard covering his square jaw only added to his appeal, as did his indigo-colored eyes and black hair.

  Dana decided to act nonchalant, especially with her friend watching her. “Did everything go all right?”

  Jared hesitated, then his gaze moved to Joy.

  “So we meet again, Mr. Trager,” Joy said, surprising Dana.

  Jared nodded. “Mrs. Randell.”

  “I wish you could have stayed longer last night. I didn’t get a chance to offer you some pie and coffee. And you probably could have used a little hospitality along with that.”

  “I got about what I expected,” he said.

  Jared turned back to Dana. “We found some fence down along with two calves who’d gotten tangled in the barbed wire. The calves didn’t make it. Bert took care of them.”

  “Damn,” she cursed under her breath. She needed anger to keep her from breaking down and bawling her eyes out. What else could happen?

  “Sorry,” Jared said.

  She drew a calming breath. “It’s not your fault. I knew those posts were rotted out. I should have replaced them weeks ago and this wouldn’t have happened.”

  “They’re replaced now.”

  “Good. Did you get the herd moved?”

  “Yes. We took care of it. I need to get back and cool down Scout.” He walked out.

  “I’m sorry about the calves, Dana,” Joy said. “I know how much you’re depending on the sale….”

  “Yeah, it’s going to be close,” Dana admitted. She couldn’t afford to lose any—at all. “That’s ranching. Chance, Cade and Travis were wise to branch out, to help with the lean years. How is the Mustang Valley Campground doing?” she asked, wanting to take the focus off her.

  “With the lake stocked with fish, it’s booked for the entire summer.” Joy smiled, then her smile slowly faded. “As much as I love the campground, it’s a lot of work. And since I’m pregnant now, Chance is going to hire someone for the season.” Her friend’s eyes sparkled. “Dana, why don’t you take the job?”

  “I can’t do that,” Dana said. “I have the ranch to run.”

  “Oh, you have Bert to deal with the work here. If a problem comes up, you’ll be close by. We already have a couple of college kids who work for us who could handle things. You can even bring Evan along with you. I know it’s only until October, but the money is pretty good.”

  With the bank loan hanging over her head, Dana liked the idea of making extra money. “I don’t think Bert can handle things on his own.”

  Joy smiled. “As if you hadn’t noticed, you have a good-looking cowboy working for you.” She leaned forward. “Tell me more about your Jared Trager.”

  Dana looked puzzled. “He’s not my anything. Besides, I think you should be telling me. You seem to know more about him than I do.”

  “I don’t know the entire story myself. Chance and his brothers are keeping quiet on this one. I only know it has something to do with Jack Randell.” Joy looked at Dana.

  “And that can only mean one thing. Trouble.”

  That night after a long shower, Jared felt like a new man. Almost. It hadn’t changed what was going on in his head. He knew he had to tell Dana the truth, and soon. How much longer could he go on like this? Not long. Not when she was so friendly with the Randells.

  Jared walked out of the bunkhouse and took a stroll along the fence to eye his handiwork. With Evan’s assistance, he’d managed to replace several boards in the corral. Maybe later on this week, he could get some paint on it. Yeah, right. He kept talking about doing things like he was staying here. He knew for a fact that any day, as soon as Dana Shayne discovered who he was, she would throw him off the property. Didn’t matter that he was bringing her money for Evan. Even if it were a million dollars, she’d still toss him just on principle alone.

  A cool breeze touched his face and Jared sighed as peace settled over him. He smiled. It probably had to do with the fact he’d been so busy working, he hadn’t had time to think. A warning went off in his head. He was getting attached to this place. Over and over in the last few days, he’d fought those feelings for the Lazy S. He couldn’t stay here.

  Besides, the Randells didn’t want him, and for sure, Dana wouldn’t when she found out the truth. She was turned off of men, and Marsh’s brother had to be the last man she’d want. He could leave and go into town and get a lawyer to do the job.

  He turned to place his foot on the bottom rung of the fence and rested his arms on the top as he peered out into the dark night. He’d spent the afternoon with Evan as they worked on repairs. Dana was a good mother, but the kid was starved for male attention. And he was the boy’s uncle. His blood. At the very least he wanted to stay around a while for Evan. Jared knew he wasn’t father material, but he cared about the child. A few more days…maybe a week. What would it hurt to stay that long?

  He started to head back to the bunkhouse when he looked toward the house and saw the flicker of the insect repellent candle on the porch. He heard the faint sound of the old swing creaking, then the outline of a small figure. Dana. As much as he told himself to keep walking, he knew he was going to stop. He was drawn to her. He had been since he’d arrived here. The kiss last night ignited so much more. Usually, whenever he found himself getting too involved, he was more than ready to take off. But here he was, ignoring all the warning signs and headed right into danger.

  Jared stopped at the bottom step. “Looks like it’s cooling down some.”

  “It will only help if we get rain.” He heard her sigh. “We could really use it.”

  There was a long silence. Finally Jared spoke. “I’m sorry about the calves.”

  “It happens. I wish I’d been able to hire a hand sooner. Then I could have kept up with the work. It might have been prevented. I hate to think of those calves suffering.”

  Jake walked up the steps, then leaned against the porch post. “I can ride out again tomorrow and check the rest of the fences.”

  She shook her head. “You’ve already got the herd moved into a secure pasture—the section you repaired the other day. They should be fine.”

  “Will you be?” he asked. “I know you’re depending on the sale from this herd. Can you make it?”

  “I always get through.” She looked at him. “I have a child— I have to. This is our home.” Her voice broke.

  “We can’t lose it.”

  Jared didn’t want to think about Dana and Evan not living on the Lazy S. “Isn’t that going to be difficult?”

  She shrugged. “Why? Do you think I should sell to your friends the Randells?”

  Jared was caught off guard by the question. “Who says they’re my friends?”

  “You drove over to their place last night.”

  How much should he tell her? “A long time ago, my mother knew Jack Randell.”

  She stared at him as if expecting him to say more.

  “My mother died years ago, but I found an old lette
r….”

  “How convenient, they’re my neighbors.” She raised those large green eyes to his and all he could think about was how she felt in his arms, the sweet taste of her mouth.

  He shook away the thought. “There are things I can’t talk about…yet, but believe me, Dana, I’m not trying to help the Randells get your ranch.”

  “That’s a little hard to swallow when you show up here and then rush off to the Circle B. Chance, Cade and Travis have wanted a piece of my land for a long time. And you seem really interested in my business.”

  “If it’s just a small piece of your land, why don’t you sell it to them? No doubt the money would help you out.”

  He saw the anger flare in her eyes. “You know nothing about it. My grandfather worked hard to obtain this land—Shayne land. And it stays in the family. All of it. And before my father died, I promised him I’d never sell. So tell your friends the Randells no deal.”

  She stood and started to go inside when Jared grabbed her arm. “I’m not hooked up with the Randells. I’m just not ready to talk about my business yet. Now, you can believe me or not. Say the word and I’ll pack up and leave right now.”

  “Don’t threaten me, Trager. You show up here and get friendly with my son…and kiss me.”

  His grip tightened. “I like Evan—he’s a nice kid. As for the kiss, okay, I overstepped on that. I already said I was sorry.”

  He saw her eyes flame. “And I told you a woman doesn’t want to hear a man say he’s sorry for kissing her,” she snapped.

  His own anger rose. “Fine, so I’m not sorry. Hell, woman, do you want me to admit that I wanted to kiss you? That I want to kiss you again. Well, you got it. Hell, yes, I want to.” He jerked her against him. “But all you have to do is tell me no, and I’ll leave.”

  When Dana didn’t move, Jared cupped her face. “Lady, you’ve been warned.” His mouth covered hers. His hunger only grew when her mouth opened and his tongue swept inside. Her taste was a mixture of mint and coffee and it acted like an aphrodisiac. He felt his body tense and his need for her grew. He pulled her even closer against him and the kiss escalated, threatening his control and so much more. He didn’t want to think about how deep he was in. He didn’t want to think about things he couldn’t have. Right now, with Dana in his arms, he felt he could have it all.

  He finally broke off the kiss, then leaned down again and pressed his forehead against her. He forced a smile. “I promise you’ll never hear me say I’m sorry again.” He turned away and walked down the steps before he made her more promises he couldn’t keep.

  The next morning, Dana woke up with a smile. After her shower, she hurried downstairs to the quiet kitchen and saw the sunlight streaming through the windows. She shivered, knowing she’d be seeing Jared in a little while.

  She hurried through her routine, making a stack of pancakes and frying a whole pound of bacon, knowing the extra could be used for sandwiches at lunch. She sipped her second cup of coffee while waiting for Bert and Jared to come in. They should be finished with their chores by now. She checked her watch, then heard the door. With her heart racing, she looked up to see Bert come in. Alone.

  “Morning, Dana,” he said, and went to wash up in the sink. Then he took a cup of coffee to the table. “You might as well dig in because Jared isn’t coming up. He decided to finish some repairs in the barn. Said he’d eat some biscuits later.”

  “I didn’t make biscuits this morning.”

  Bert grinned. “I can see that.” He poured syrup over the stack of pancakes.

  Evan walked into the kitchen and took his usual seat. “Where’s Jared?” he asked.

  “What is it with all the questions about Jared?” Bert said. “Can’t a grown man decide if he wants to eat or not? Besides, he’ll be gone in a few days.”

  Evan looked panicky. “Mom, I don’t want Jared to go away.”

  She fixed her son a plate. “He’s not going anywhere right now, Evan. But next week he has to go to Las Vegas. He has a job there.”

  “But we need him here,” Evan said. “A whole bunch of stuff is broke.”

  “Evan, eat your breakfast. We’ll talk about it later.”

  “No, Mom. Don’t let Jared leave.”

  Her son had inherited too much Irish stubbornness. “Evan, you know Jared only planned to work here until his truck was fixed.”

  “But he can change his mind.”

  “Evan, we’re not going to talk about this anymore. Eat your breakfast.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “Then go to your room.”

  The sullen child got up from the table and ran out of the room.

  “What has gotten into that boy?” Bert asked, and shook his head. “Trager’s a drifter.”

  Dana felt defensive for Jared. “That may be, but he’s put in a lot of full days around here.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me,” the foreman said. “But some people just can’t put down roots. Jared Trager is one of them.”

  Dana had heard enough. She picked up an empty plate and began filling it with food, then wrapped it up with a cloth napkin.

  “So I get to eat by myself,” Bert complained.

  “If you’re eating, you don’t need company,” Dana said as she headed to the door. “When you finish, I want you to check the windmill at the water pond in the north pasture today. I’d appreciate it if you’d hang around a few minutes until I got back.” She didn’t wait for an answer and hurried out the door. She headed to the bunkhouse, hoping to catch Jared there. She was tired of the man avoiding her. He acted as if she were trying to rope a husband. That was crazy. She’d dealt with one man who didn’t want her, she didn’t need another. Of course, she could get used to the way Jared Trager kissed. The way he made her feel.

  Dana quickly stopped the direction of her thoughts. Jared wasn’t going to stay. So she couldn’t expect anything from him but a few heart-stopping kisses. The sooner she got used to that, the better. She was determined this time that she wasn’t going to let another man hurt her.

  When she arrived, the sleeping quarters were empty. She placed the plate of food on a table, so he’d have it when he came in. She started to leave when she saw Jared’s personal belongs on the scarred dresser. There was a popular brand of deodorant, toothpaste and a brush placed all neat and orderly, except for an envelope sticking out of the black leather shaving kit.

  Was this the letter Jared had talked about? She didn’t mean to pry, but seeing the name in the corner of the envelope froze her. Marshall Hastings. Seeing the name of the man she’d once loved, Dana couldn’t seem to catch her breath as her heart drummed away in her chest. How did Jared know Marsh? She pulled out the folded paper. The two hand-written pages started out with “Jared…” And ended with “Your brother, Marsh.”

  Dana collapsed into a chair.

  Jared Trager was Marsh Hastings’s brother.

  Jared dried off his hands and walked through the doorway. The plate of food on the table caught him by surprise, then he saw Dana. She was sitting on a chair, looking upset. His gaze went to the letter in her hand and he realized his worst nightmare had come true.

  “Let me explain,” he said, knowing nothing would help ease the pain he saw on her face.

  “The only thing I want to know is if this is true.” She held up the letter. “Is Marsh Hastings your brother?”

  “He was my brother. He died a few weeks back.” He nodded at the letter. “As you already read.”

  “I know. And I’m sorry,” she said, sounding sad. But that quickly changed. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

  “I don’t know,” he confessed. “When I had the accident, I thought I’d wait. Then I saw the trouble you were having with the ranch and I wanted to help.”

  “Why would you want to help me?” Her voice was heavy with sarcasm.

  “Because Evan is my nephew and…Marsh asked me to make sure he was doing okay. Why didn’t you ever tell Marsh about Evan?” />
  She was fighting tears. “He didn’t want to know. If he had, he would have called me….”

  Jared could understand her anger. “That doesn’t change the fact that I care about the boy.”

  “Well, you’ve seen Evan and he’s fine. Now, pack up and get the hell off my property.”

  Chapter Five

  Dana marched out of the barn with her head held high, praying she could make it into the house without breaking down. She’d almost made it when she saw the familiar Chevy Suburban coming up the road. The truck pulled into the drive and Chance Randell climbed out.

  He was a tall, broad-shouldered, good-looking man. Funny, Dana had known Chance most of her life. He’d always been the quiet brooding type, until he met and fell in love with Joy Spencer. Now she never saw him without a smile.

  “Chance. What brings you over here?”

  “Hello, Dana. Thought we could talk.”

  “Tell me you’re not here to hound me about selling the strip of valley land. Isn’t breeding the best quarter horses in West Texas enough for you?”

  He grinned. “I’ll save that argument for another day. Besides, I have a wife and kids to support.”

  “I hear congratulations are in order. Joy told me about the baby.”

  If possible, his grin grew wider. “Yeah, it’s pretty great. That’s one reason I stopped by. Joy said you might be interested in taking over managing the campground.”

  Dana sighed. Her friend hadn’t given her much time to think about the offer. “It was your wife’s idea, but I can’t. With only Bert to run the place, I’m needed here.”

  Chance frowned. “I thought you hired a hand. Trager.”

  “I did, but he’s leaving. He was only working temporarily while his truck was being repaired.”

  He looked toward the barn. “Why don’t you let me talk to him? Maybe I can convince him to stay a little longer.”

  “No,” Dana said. “Jared has made up his mind. He needs to get back to Las Vegas.”

  “Would you mind if I speak to him about something else?”