Texas Ranger Takes a Bride Read online

  “I’m sure you will,” she said sternly. “But next time, will you come to me first so we can form a united front?”

  “It seems a little unfair to gang up on an unsuspecting kid.”

  She couldn’t think with Chase staring at her. “Oh, do you have a lot to learn.”

  He stepped closer and lowered his voice almost seductively. “Maybe you could teach me some of the secrets of parenting.”

  She laughed, hoping to break the mood. It didn’t work. “Foolish man, there are no secrets. You just hope you stay one step ahead of them.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “With Ryan, I doubt that’s possible.”

  “Now you’re getting it. Always expect the unexpected and never think or even mouth the words, my child would never do that.”

  That caused Chase to grin as he raised his right hand. “I promise. But I want something from you now.”

  She sobered. “What’s that?”

  “Keep telling me whenever I do something wrong.”

  She smiled. “That’s a guarantee. Just remember, you can’t give Ryan everything he asks for.”

  “It’s hard not to.”

  “I know. And the tree house is a good thing since you two will be working on it together. He needs the company of a man. I’m afraid with just Liz and me there isn’t much testosterone around here.”

  “Well, I’ll see what I can do. Now, if you’ll direct me to the nearest lumberyard.” He paused. “Wait, why don’t you go with us and I’ll treat you both to lunch?”

  She blinked in surprise. “No. I mean this is for you two.”

  “I don’t want to exclude you, Mallory. You’re his mother. We need to show Ryan we all get along.”

  Mallory already knew she could get along with this man. Too well. She recalled their shared kisses just the night before. But any more involvement could be disastrous for all of them. She carried too many scars from her failed marriage. And she doubted he’d ever completely forgive her. But for Ryan’s sake she was going to make this time together work.

  “Okay, I’d love to go, but I’m paying for half the lumber.”

  “No way,” he argued. “If you do, then you have to help us build it.”

  “Okay, you win, but I get to test it for sturdiness. If it doesn’t meet my standards, it comes down.”

  He sobered. “That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about, Mallory. I’d never put our son in harm’s way.”

  She sighed, seeing his heart-wrenching look. “I know you wouldn’t, Chase. I guess I’m a little overprotective. It’s just been Ryan and me for a long time.”

  He came to her. “I’m not trying to take him away from you, Mallory I just want to be a part of his life. I want to be his father.”

  An hour later, Chase, Mallory and Ryan were sitting in a booth at the local diner, eating hamburgers. Chase glanced out the window to see the bed of his truck loaded down with lumber.

  “You sure you got enough supplies?” Mallory asked, fighting a smile.

  So he’d gone a little overboard. “I think so. We’re not sure how big we want it, yet.”

  “Yeah, Mom,” Ryan said. “We’re not sure.”

  Mallory played with the straw in her glass. “I can understand that. Is it going to be a one or two-bedroom? And you’ll need to think about property values in the area.”

  Chase enjoyed her humor, even if it was at his expense. “Very funny. But you wanted it sturdy, I’m making sure it’s sturdy.”

  “Just don’t make it so nice he’ll move out there permanently.”

  The boy stopped eating. “But I want to sleep out there,” he said. “Chase said we could—” his voice faded, as he realized he was giving away the secret.

  Chase was surprised that Mallory just smiled. “Seems you got talked into a lot.” Her gaze met Chase’s and she lowered her voice. “Eventually, you’re going to have to say no to him.”

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her mouth. “I know, but I’m just having too much fun.”

  They both looked at Ryan as he attacked his hamburger. “That’s it, son. Eat up,” Chase said. “You’re going to need your strength when you swing that hammer.”

  “I know.” The boy chewed another bite. “Can we start on the tree house when we get back?”

  “We’ll see, but there’s rain predicted.”

  “If it doesn’t rain, can we?”

  So many questions. “We can start.” Across the diner, Chase caught an older woman watching them. She looked to be in her sixties. She had dark hair streaked with gray and a stocky build. There was a frown on her lined face as her eyes riveted on Ryan.

  “Oh, no, not now,” Mallory whispered under her breath. “It’s time to leave.” She nudged at Chase.

  When the woman started to walk toward them, Chase pulled his wallet from his pocket, took out a twenty-dollar bill, and put it with the check. “Ryan, why don’t you go pay for lunch so we can get started back?”

  Nodding, the boy slid out of the booth, grabbed the money and took off. The woman looked curiously at Ryan, but continued to their table. “Well, so you have the gall to show your face in town.”

  Mallory sighed. “Becky, I have as much right to be here as you do.”

  The older woman’s eyes narrowed. “My son had rights, too, but you took them away.”

  Mallory’s body stiffened, but Chase saw her hands tremble as she clutched them in her lap. “Alan took a lot from me, too.” She released a tired breath. “Can’t we just let him rest in peace?”

  “There’s no peace,” she said angrily. “I lost my son, but you still have yours. You even managed to take the child away from us.”

  “I didn’t take anyone away,” Mallory said in a quiet voice.

  Becky turned her glare on Chase. He had no doubt the woman had figured out his part in all this. “I’d say you’re the boy’s real father.”

  He just remained silent…for now.

  “Too bad you didn’t show up sooner, then my son wouldn’t have suffered with this woman.” Before he could react, she turned and marched off.

  Chase wasn’t sure what to do. He shot a quick look at Mallory who was blinking away the threatening tears.

  “I guess you need to get in line. Seems I messed up a lot of lives with my choices.”

  Before Chase had a chance to react, she slid out the other side of the booth and hurried to Ryan at the cash register.

  Whether she deserved it or not, he didn’t like seeing her hurting. One thing he knew for sure, Mallory was the one who’d suffered the most from those choices.

  That afternoon, Mallory sat in her office. The room had once been the study, but the space was big enough for both Liz and herself. She especially liked the location of her desk, right in front of the big window that overlooked the ranch. She could see Liz working in the arena, and off beside the barn, she found Chase and Ryan, digging holes for the posts.

  It was hard to concentrate on her upcoming schedule since the man had stripped off his shirt, revealing a muscular chest and arms. His broad back wasn’t bad, either. Of course, she knew he had to keep in shape for his job. She just didn’t expect it to affect her so much.

  Turning her attention to her son, Mallory noticed that he’d removed his shirt, too. Normally, she’d worry about sunscreen, but they were working in the shade of the tree.

  Mallory stood and walked away from the window. “Stop it. Just let them do their thing. They don’t need you to interfere in their fun.”

  If only she didn’t feel like she was losing a part of Ryan. Was she jealous because the man she once loved and wanted to marry only wanted their son?

  If she were honest, she’d admit how much she wanted them to be a family. Okay, maybe not in the traditional sense. She didn’t know if she could ever trust herself with a man again. Even Chase.

  Especially after the near disaster in the diner. She’d always known Becky Hagan had it in for her. Although Buck and Al Hagan had been friends and business associates
, Alan’s mother had been against the marriage. No one was good enough for her precious son. Things got worse after the separation.

  The slam of the screen door alerted Mallory to Ryan’s arrival. She closed her laptop and walked out into the hall, then through the dining room with the dark stained wainscoting and woodwork. There was a huge table that seated ten easily, along with a matching sideboard that had been in Liz’s family for generations.

  She heard laughter as she stepped into the kitchen, finding Chase and Ryan making sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly. The simple sight make her chest tighten. They smiled alike, with the same brown eyes.

  Ryan looked up. “Oh, hi, Mom. Chase and me got hungry.” He placed a slice of bread on top of his creation and took a big bite.

  “Hope you don’t mind,” Chase said.

  Her pulse raced and she couldn’t slow it. “Of course not.” She went to the refrigerator and pulled out some milk. “You’ve been working for hours.” She got two glasses from the cupboard and filled them, then took their drinks to their place at the counter. “Get much done?”

  “We dug the post holes and set them in cement,” Chase said. “The cement needs to dry, then tomorrow, we can frame the base.”

  He bit into the bread and chewed. How could a man look so sexy eating peanut butter and jelly? Her gaze roamed over him. He leaned against the counter in low-riding jeans with his shirt unbuttoned, exposing just a hint of his muscular chest and rippled stomach.

  “Mallory…”

  She quickly redirected her attention to his face. “Did you say something?”

  He tossed her one of those rare smiles. “I just asked about your afternoon.”

  “Oh, I stayed busy. I’ve got a client coming by in a few days to look at one of Liz’s colts.”

  “Oh, no, not Sets Off Sparks,” Ryan gasped.

  Mallory nodded. “Mr. Paterson wants a good mount for Western Dressage.”

  Ryan hung his head. “I wanted to keep him.”

  “And I told you earlier we need to make money to keep the ranch going, or keep your stomach full.”

  She poked teasingly at her eight-year-old. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if the new owner hires Liz to help with the training. So the colt will be around for a while.”

  “Good.”

  “And I think…” She wrinkled her nose at Ryan. “That you should take a bath before supper.”

  “Aw, Mom. Do I have to?”

  She sniffed again. “Oh, yes, you have to.”

  “You know, that’s not a bad idea,” Chase began. “I’m pretty ripe myself. A shower would cool me off, too. And I may just rest for a little while.”

  Chase watched as Ryan reluctantly agreed, then finished off his milk, and headed up the stairs for the dreaded bath.

  Mallory turned to him and those green eyes locked with his. “Thanks for the help,” she said. “He’s been going nonstop since the roundup. So have you. You’ve got to be tired, too.”

  “It’s a good kind of tired,” he said, recalling how he’d been too restless last night after their shared kisses to get much sleep. Suddenly his body stirred at the memory at her tempting mouth…her body. “I wouldn’t mind some quiet time.” What he wanted was to share more time with Mallory.

  Although she didn’t seem to feel the same. She moved around the kitchen, cleaning up the mess, and avoiding him. Everything had been going fine between them until they’d gone to lunch. Until her past reared its ugly head.

  “Tomorrow afternoon Ryan goes in to the therapist.”

  Chase knew it was a good idea to talk about the kidnapping. “Has he been having any more nightmares?”

  She shook her head. “At least something is going good.”

  He knew she wasn’t talking about Ryan. He carried his plate and glass to the sink where she was staying busy. “Mallory, I’m sorry about what happened at the diner.”

  She glanced at him, then finally shrugged. “You have nothing to be sorry about. It’s my problem.”

  “Still, no one has a right to talk to you like that.” He inhaled her soft scent and he had trouble concentrating. “So…I take it Becky was your mother-in-law.”

  She nodded and continued to wash. “Although my dad and Alan’s dad were business partners at one time, Becky Hagan had never been happy about my marrying her precious son. She blames me for Alan’s car accident.”

  “Were you driving the vehicle?”

  “No. But he started drinking heavily after he learned he couldn’t father a child.”

  “Once again, you didn’t force your ex to drink, or to get into the car.”

  She set a washed glass on the counter and shut her eyes. “I should have stopped him, but he was so angry—” She paused and took a breath. “We’d already separated and Ryan and I were living here, but he kept coming by…at all hours.”

  Chase tensed. How bad had the man terrorized her? He hated to think that Hagan had his hands on her. Damn, no one deserved to go through that. “Did he hurt you?”

  She finally turned to him. “I got out, Chase. I got Ryan out.” Her gaze was intense. “You have to know, I would never let anything happen to him.”

  This was killing him. “I know, darlin’.” No matter what happened to her, she’d never let anything happen to their son. “But what about you, Mallory? Did you truly get out?”

  She shook her head and started to leave, but he reached out to touch her arm.

  “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. Just know that you aren’t to blame for what happened.”

  He couldn’t stop himself as he reached out and cupped her jaw. She was so soft. Bravely she bit down on her trembling lip.

  He was losing it. The last thing he needed right now was to start up anything with her that didn’t pertain to their child. What she needed in a man, he couldn’t give her, but that didn’t stop his desire for her. Some things hadn’t changed.

  With the last of his common sense, he dropped his hand. “I should go.” But before he could get his feet moving, his cell phone rang. He pulled it off his belt, and saw that it was from the office.

  “I need to take this.” He walked to the back door.

  “Landon,” he said.

  “Chase, it’s Jesse.”

  “What’s up?” He knew it had to be important for his partner to call him on vacation.

  “Just a heads-up. I’m going to Sweetwater Friday to see Reyes.” There was a long pause. “He’d rather talk with you.”

  Chase wasn’t going to get excited. “Then he better come up with something worth hearing. I’ll only give him what he wants, if he gives me something. At least a name, some kind of proof that he knows who shot Wade.”

  “I’ll let you know if that happens. Later.” Jesse ended the call.

  Chase slipped his phone back in its holder and looked over his shoulder at Mallory. “Sorry.”

  “Why be sorry? You have a job, too.”

  Surprisingly, it was a job he hadn’t been thinking about much. Not since he came here. He thought about the fun he had spending the day with Ryan. “Yeah. For a long time it was all I had.”

  “Is there a problem? Is that why they called you?”

  He shrugged. “One of the prisoners who took Ryan says he knew my uncle. He wants to talk to me.”

  Her cat-green eyes widened. “Will you have to go back?”

  “Trying to get rid of me?”

  For a long time she just stared at him. “No. It’s nice having you here…for Ryan.”

  He walked back to her. “Just for Ryan, Mallory?” He was crazy for doing this, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. “What do you feel about me being here?”

  “I told you, Chase, you’re welcome here any time,” she hedged. “But that’s all I can give you.”

  Two days later, Mallory was up with the sun. So was the father-and-son construction team. They were busy at work beside the barn. It was hard, but she tried not to be too nosey about the project. The platform had gone up yesterd
ay. This morning they’d been working on the stairs.

  She also tried to stay away for another reason. To protect herself. She wasn’t ready to share any more of her past with Chase. She knew a lot of the problems in her marriage hadn’t been her fault, but the emotional scars would take a long time to heal…if ever.

  “Is this the best price?”

  She shook away her thoughts, and turned back to Jerry Patterson, the buyer for Sets Off Sparks. “Not only is the price set, it’s a great price for a horse with his bloodline.” Jerry always had to feel he was getting a deal, especially if he was doing business with a woman. But eventually Mallory could bring him around to her way of thinking. And he could afford the colt at any price. “And…Liz is giving you a deal on the training. I’d say take it, because if you don’t, she’s had two other offers.”

  The forty-something, local rancher grinned. “You’re good, Mallory. I hope Liz knows what a great salesperson you are.”

  “What Liz knows is top quality stock. I just sell them.”

  “Well, you can stamp sold on this animal.” He pointed over his shoulder. “Hopefully he’ll turn into an AQHA reigning champion.”

  “I don’t doubt it.” She started walking Jerry back to his truck. He usually wanted to hang around and chat. She didn’t have the time, especially since he’d been trying to get her to go out on a date for the past six months. About the time his second divorce became final.

  Jerry glanced toward the barn. “Looks like your boy is getting a mighty fine tree house. Is one of the hands helping him?”

  The fact he thought Chase was a hand bothered her. “Ryan’s helper isn’t a ranch hand. Chase Landon is a Texas Ranger.” That was all she was going to say.

  The tall rancher stared down at her, then finally said, “I guess that about says it all. The ranger is a lucky man.”

  It wasn’t a big deal Jerry thought she was dating Chase, she told herself. “It’s still a new relationship.”

  “Well, he must be special if he got your attention. I wish the best for both of you.”

  She nodded. “Thanks, Jerry.” Behind him she saw Ryan and Chase coming toward them. Oh, no.