Kiss Me (Fool's Gold series) (24 page)

Maya’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute. He
told
you? Chase doesn’t even know what happened. Tell me.”

Phoebe wasn’t about to betray Zane’s confidence, but before she could say that, he spoke again.

“Thad will take one of the kids, and I’ll take the other. We’ll tie their horses to the back of Cookie’s wagon.”

“Why?” C.J. asked.

“Hypothermia. They’re too small to survive in the rain and cold on their own.”

C.J.’s face paled as she stared at Lucy and Tommy. “I had no idea. Are they going to be all right? I don’t want anything to happen to them.”

Phoebe was warmed by her concern. She’d come a long way in a short time.

“They’ll be fine,” Zane promised.

Thad slid off his horse and walked toward Tommy. “Hey, big guy. You and me are going to have some fun.”

The boy was shivering too hard to do much more than nod as Thad plucked him off his mount. Zane moved his horse next to Lucy’s and simply grabbed the girl around the waist. When she settled on the saddle in front of him, he unbuttoned his coat, tucked it around her, then fastened the bottom three buttons.

“I wish he could do that with me,” Maya said with a shiver. She narrowed her gaze. “But don’t for a minute think all this means I’ve forgotten. I want to know the secret.”

“Later,” Phoebe said, knowing she was putting off the inevitable confrontation with her friend.

But she didn’t want to get into it now and have an audience while she explained that while she hadn’t actually promised to keep Zane’s secret, she felt obligated to protect him and his past. Her heart ached when she thought about all that had happened to him when he’d been Chase’s age.

Thad wrapped Tommy in his coat and put a protective arm around the boy. C.J. leaned close and smoothed his hair off his face.

“You’ll be warm soon,” she promised.

Phoebe moved next to Zane. She smiled reassuringly at Lucy, then lowered her voice. “Reilly won’t have a problem taking us in?” she asked.

He shook his head. “This is Fool’s Gold. We look out for each other.” His mouth curved in a smile. “I may be forced to bunk down in the barn, but you’ll all be treated like honored guests.”

Chase rode up. “All ready?”

“Just about. Grab the kids’ horses. I’ll be back in the morning. Stay sharp.”

Chase grinned. “Cookie and I will hunker down in his wagon. Don’t sweat it. We’ll play cards.”

“Not for money,” Zane told him.

“Are you kidding? I don’t want to get more in debt.”

Cookie poked his head out from the wagon cover. “He’ll be fine. I’ll take good care of the boy. There’s plenty of grazing for the steers, and God knows, they don’t seem to notice the rain. Just get on back here tomorrow so we can head home.”

“Will do,” Zane promised and turned back to the group. “Let’s go.”

Phoebe waved goodbye to Manny, then urged Rocky forward.

Zane kept them at a walk until they’d left the herd behind, then he kicked his mount into a trot. Phoebe winced as her backside slapped against the hard saddle.

“S-sorry, buddy,” she told Rocky. “I know this can’t be pleasant for you.”

She clung on as best she could while her insides were being pummeled into the consistency of a smoothie. When they’d cleared the trees, Zane urged his horse faster still.

She felt Rocky speed up, and suddenly his gait smoothed out. There was a back and forth rocking, but it was easy to stay in place. Plus, it felt like they were going really fast.

“Are we galloping?” she yelled to Maya.

Her friend grinned. “Not even close. This is a nice slow canter.”

“I like this.”

“Yeah. It cuts down on bruising.”

They rode on through the rain, but knowing they were going to be out of it soon made Phoebe not mind about the damp cold. Whenever she started to shiver, she thought about the previous night, when she’d lost herself in Zane’s arms. It wasn’t just that he’d made her feel so good, it was that she’d felt so safe with him. Like she could say or be anything.

When the sensual memories got to be too much, she wondered if he was worried about facing Reilly again after all these years. Would the old man welcome him with open arms or torment him about the past? Phoebe found herself hoping Reilly would be kind.

At last they crested a rise, and she saw a well-tended ranch stretching out before them. She took in the tidy pastures, the secure fencing and the charm of the sprawling ranch house. A few minutes later they were sliding off their horses while Zane walked to the freshly painted red front door. It opened before he got there, and an old man stepped out.

He was thin and bent, with thick gray hair and dark eyes that seemed able to see through solid objects. He and Zane stared at each other for a long time before the old man spoke.

“Well, lookee here. Didn’t expect to see you dripping on my front porch, Zane. What can I do you for?”

The words were pleasant, as was the man’s smile. Phoebe relaxed a little even as she saw the tension in Zane’s shoulders and heard the stiffness in his voice as he spoke.

“I need your help,” he said, then explained what had gone wrong.

“Greenhorns on a cattle drive,” Reilly said with a shake of his head. “I never thought I’d live to see the day.” He looked past Zane and gestured everyone inside. “No sense in freezing off your privates. Get in here. I’ll tell Matilda we’ve got company. She’ll be pleased. She gets tired of cooking for an old man with not much appetite.”

They all trooped inside, introducing themselves as they passed their host. When it was Phoebe’s turn, Reilly gave her a warm smile.

“Welcome to my home,” he said.

“Thank you. You’re very kind to offer us shelter.”

He shrugged off her words. “Don’t worry about that, little girl. I appreciate the company.”

When Maya shook his hand, he frowned. “I’ve seen you before.”

“I used to be Zane’s stepsister.”

Reilly grinned. “And your mama was that showgirl, right? Whoee, did she have some legs on her.”

“Yeah, they were terrific,” Maya muttered.

“Haven’t seen you in town in a while,” Eddie said to Reilly.

“Got no use for them festivals,” he said. “Tourists make too much traffic.”

Phoebe suppressed a smile. If he thought Fool’s Gold traffic was bad, what would he think of LA rush hour?

When they’d all been introduced, Reilly let them into a massive great room. There was a big fireplace at one end, with several large crackling logs. Phoebe joined the group as they headed directly for the smoky warmth. C.J. crouched down with Lucy and Tommy, rubbing their backs and hands to chase away the chill.

Reilly counted heads. “Hmm, a few of you are going to have to double up. I have a big place, but not that many bedrooms.”

“We appreciate any hospitality you can offer us,” Zane said stiffly.

Instinctively, Phoebe moved next to him. She wanted to take his hand, but wasn’t sure if he would appreciate that. Instead she settled on standing close and offering silent moral support.

“I’m glad for the company, son. Now, who is married to whom? I want to get the bedroom situation right.”

As Reilly figured out the sleeping arrangements, Phoebe gazed at the soaring ceilings and large windows. Even on such a gray and stormy day, light filtered into the house. There were exposed beams, old hardwood floors that were beautiful enough to belong in a museum and dozens of stunning antiques. From the center of the great room, she could see into a dining room and a library that were just as impressive. A place like this would be at least fifteen million in Beverly Hills. She figured it would have to be well into seven figures even outside a small town in the mountains of Northern California.

“Isn’t it gorgeous?” Maya said as she moved nearer to Phoebe. “I always heard old man Reilly was loaded. Apparently his grandfather hit it rich in a gold rush or two. He’s only spent his life herding cattle because he likes it. Oh, we’re sharing a room. We’ll each have a real bed. Doesn’t that sound like heaven?”

Phoebe nodded, but what she was thinking was that however much she liked her friend, she would rather share a room with Zane. Speaking of which...

“Are you okay?” she asked him, her voice low.

“Fine.”

She couldn’t tell from looking at him, nor did she know what he was thinking. Still, this wasn’t exactly the time or place to discuss something so personal and she couldn’t figure out a way to point out that Reilly was being great about the unexpected invasion.

“Now, you folks probably want to get to your rooms and dry off,” Reilly said. “Let me show you where those are. Danny will bring in your things when he puts up the horses.”

“I can do that,” Zane said.

Reilly slapped him on the back. “You’re a guest, son. I’ll take care it.”

Zane offered a gruff, “Thank you.”

Reilly led the way upstairs. The kids’ room was first, with C.J. and Thad across the hall. Next up were Eddie and Gladys, then Phoebe and Maya.

“This is my grandson’s old room,” Reilly told them. “Ryder’s in Kenya now, taking pictures for
National Geographic
. He’s single, you know. I keep tellin’ him he needs to find a woman and settle down.” He winked as he spoke. “Now, you let me know if you need anything.”

“He’s charming,” Maya said when they were alone. “I can’t believe he and Zane are fighting.” She plopped down on one of the beds and stared meaningfully at Phoebe. “So? Start talking.”

Phoebe felt her stomach clench. “I can’t. Zane told me in confidence.”

Maya raised her eyebrows. “Am I or am I not your best friend?”

She winced. “We both know you can probably guilt it out of me, but I wish you wouldn’t. I don’t want to betray Zane.”

Maya studied her. “So things have progressed even further than I thought.”

“I... We...” Phoebe sank onto the other bed and covered her face with her hands. “Help.”

Maya surprised her by laughing. “Okay, kid. I’m giving you a break because we are best friends, and I don’t want to snap your moral backbone. But you owe me.”

“Forever,” Phoebe promised, grateful to be off the hook.

While Maya dried her hair, Phoebe took a couple of minutes to explore the room. Framed nature photographs covered almost every inch of wall space. The frames looked homemade, and she could imagine Reilly building one every time his grandson sent a new picture.

There was a close-up of a polar bear, every ice-white hair on its massive body in sharp focus. Next to it, a baby monkey clung to its mother as she leaped between trees. Over the dresser was an oversize print of a daredevil in a skintight platinum-colored bodysuit, riding a surfboard in the sky. The color and the daring combined to make Phoebe catch her breath. And on the nightstand, there was a portrait of Reilly with the man she assumed was his grandson, Ryder. He looked to be about twenty in the picture, though she assumed with all of his world traveling that he was older now.

A bathroom was attached to the bedroom. After sighing over the thrill of indoor plumbing and coming up with a schedule for the shower and Jacuzzi tub, they headed down to lunch.

Matilda might have only had forty-five minutes’ notice, but she’d still managed to put together a lunch that rivaled Cookie’s best meal.

There was stew, and spaghetti and garlic bread, a salad, cut-up fruit and chocolate cake for dessert. Phoebe slid into a high wood chair across from Zane and offered him a smile.

“This is really nice,” she said.

He grunted.

She studied his tight expression and the wariness in his eyes. Obviously his claim to be “fine” was overstated.

But before she could say anything, the rest of their group entered the room and took seats. Then Reilly joined them.

There was plenty of food to go around, and lots of conversation. Reilly entertained them with stories about Ryder’s photo adventures around the world. He found out a little about each guest, then turned his attention to Zane.

“I didn’t know you’d started offering cattle drives,” he said.

Zane grunted. Phoebe wasn’t surprised he didn’t respond any other way. He didn’t want everyone to know why they were on the cattle drive.

Reilly looked as if he might probe a little, so Phoebe tried to change the topic.

“Your house is beautiful,” she said. “The craftsmanship is amazing, and there are so many unique architectural elements.”

“Well, thank you, Phoebe. A lot of that is my mother’s doing. She had big plans and a real eye for detail. To me this was always the place where I grew up. Now, with my kids and grandson gone, it’s a big, empty house. Ryder insists he’s never going to want to settle down. That boy was born with itchy feet. I’m thinking about selling.” He shrugged. “If the right offer came along, I’d take it.”

Across from her, Zane stiffened, but Phoebe barely noticed. A picture had flashed in her brain. A picture of a man describing his dream house, including the isolated location, with plenty of land. But something unique.

She looked around at the carved molding in the dining room and the inlaid flooring. Was this the place Jonny Blaze had been talking about?