Second Chances (18 page)

“I
disagree.” Carrie slowed the swing and sat quiet for a moment. “That woman
abandoned him before, she’ll do so again.”

“He
dotes on her. She makes him smile and laugh so much. I’ve never seen him
happier.” April put forth all the facts, needing Carrie to see the truth.

“Like I
said, living in the past.” Carrie swiveled around. “He’ll wake up one day and
realize he’s as dumb as a dodo bird for going with her when he had the best
thing in you right under his nose.”

“I
doubt it. At least not before I turn fifty.” April swallowed a lump in her
throat and sighed wearily. “I can’t compete, Carrie. Not with Colette, their
past, her cleavage. It’s just not meant to be.” Drained and downtrodden, April
wiped at a single tear.

“Let me
give you some advice someone once gave me. Anything worth having is worth
fighting for.”

April
turned to look at the brunette. She’d seen Carrie and Archer together. Their
love for one another shined brighter than the summer sun. The thought that
Carrie had to fight for anything except privacy in the bathroom with her
devoted husband bumfuzzled her. “But, Archer loves you.”

Carrie
chuckled. “No doubt. That doesn’t mean he was ready to rush off to the altar. I
pretty much had to hog-tie the stubborn mule to make him admit his feelings.”
Carrie patted April’s hand. “Those Delaney men are a different breed, entirely.
But, you won’t find a better man around. Trust me. Wild and free as the eagles
that soar overhead. Taming one of them is well worth the effort.”

April
nodded slowly. “I don’t think there’s enough umph left in the state to corral
that particular Delaney man.”

“Good
thing you both live in Colorado then.” Carrie gazed out over the land for a
long moment. “I imagine you’ll be headed home tomorrow.”

“Yeah,
right after feeding the horses. I need to check on my house and…”
The stable.
The words sent a shooting
lance straight through her heart. “I’ll have to come back and help load
Miracle. Get them home.”

With
refined elegance, Carrie stood, leaving April alone on the porch swing. “I’ll
send a batch of muffins with you for the trip.”

“You
don’t have to.”

Carried
bobbed her head slowly. “It’s the least I can do.” With one more sad smile,
Carrie re-entered the house.

April
rocked for the longest time, her thoughts in turmoil.

Dusty
watched Colette sip her water. He’d anticipated this night with eagerness until
earlier today. Now something felt off, contrived, or simply just wrong. He
couldn’t shake the feeling he’d just entered a potential ambush situation,
though not of the deadly sort. His body couldn’t tell the difference as the
back of his neck itched.

“How
long have you been divorced?”

She
blinked at him, forked a single piece of lettuce, and stuffed it in her mouth.

“Officially,
a couple of weeks.”

He
deflated like a full helium balloon without a knot on the end. Rebound. Hell,
he’d been there. Learned a hard lesson with Rose. While some people might make
such poor timing work, he didn’t have much faith.

“He was
always off traveling across the world. Didn’t really have time for me.” She
pouted.

Her
words came across whiney. Going with his gut, he delved into her personal life
further. “You never told me what he did for a living.”

She
played with her food, a nervous habit he now found annoying. He’d been hungry
enough during the war to appreciate food and not waste. Colette ate like a bird
and threw away most of her meals. Just another difference between them.

“He did
something with computers. Worked with big companies with offices all over the
world. They’d call and he’d rush off no matter what I wanted.”

Not to mention selfish.
He recalled his days as a SEAL.
How many times had he done the very same thing? Not knowing where he would end
up or if he would return alive. To think Colette would be at home complaining
about flexible work schedules even as she spent hard earned money on fancy
clothes, shoes, and handbags.
What a
waste.
He cut off a piece of chicken and chewed. The food tasted fine, he’d
simply lost his appetite listening to the woman across from him prattle away.
“Why did you marry him in the first place?”

She
shrugged. “Something I ask myself a dozen times per day. When we met, he worked
a normal job. Then things changed…”

“Just
like with us.” He made the phrase a statement.

“I was
so wrong for not waiting for you, Dusty.” Her brown eyes landed on him. Always
before, he fell into that beautiful gaze. Now, it didn’t move him in the least.

“All I
could think about during the separation was you.”

Those
words rubbed him the wrong way. Over the past couple of days, small things like
words, touches, or even how she looked at him felt awkward. The little voice in
his head grew louder with each one.

“Looking
for a new man to take care of you?” he asked devoid of emotion.

She
beamed. “Why, yes. Are you offering?” She blinked coyly up at him.

Realization
hit him like a fiery arrow from an expert archer. He doubted she truly wanted
him because of who he was. Instead, she seemed to latch onto the first
opportunity to sink her claws into another man, one who could support her
financially while she played for the rest of her life. Irritation and ire shot
to the fore.

An
image of April flashed through his mind. He thought of her blue eyes, the
warmth, the humor. Her smile and kindness. The sensation of someone kicking him
in the gut followed. He’d turned his back on her, literally abandoned her to
people she didn’t know, for the entire time they’d been harboring with his
family. All because his dick stood at attention at seeing curvy Colette once
more.

I should kick my own ass.

The
haze cleared as an epiphany smacked him in the face. Colette wasn’t who he
wanted or needed. April had slipped into that space and refused to budge. He
only hoped he hadn’t blown everything with her.

He
frowned at Collette. “No.” The gruff word carried truth.

Her
face fell.

“Are
you finished eating?”

She
nodded. “Yes.”

“Then
let’s go.” He tucked money in the small folder with the bill, leaving enough
for a decent tip. Together, they walked out the door and straight to his truck.

The
drive back to her house remained silent and filled with uncomfortable tension.
He knew the sensation would only worsen before the night ended, but he’d never
backed down from a necessary task and wasn’t about to now. To do so would put
Colette panting at his heels until she found someone else with enough money to
throw herself on.

After
pulling up against the curb, he cut the engine, and stared at the monstrosity
of a house where she currently lived. Alone. She’d employee maids, cooks, and
gardeners if he didn’t miss his guess. No way would she dirty her hands with
work. He used to find her aversion to housework and yard work amusing. Now, her
propensity for laziness only added to a growing pile of strikes against her.
She would never change, thus he had to be the one to step up.

“We
need to talk.”

She
looked over at him.

“I’ll
admit I was thrilled to see you. Being with you reminded me of the good old
days, less responsibilities, fewer problems. For a while I felt young again.”

She
smiled prettily. “It can always be like that.”

“No, it
can’t.” He lowered his tone, needing her to understand his reasons. “I’m a
different person. War changes people. You are too.” He drew in a breath. “Those
times are gone, and we can’t bring them back as much as we’d like to.”

“Yes,
we can…”

He
shook his head and pinned her with his gaze. “We’re in different places now,
headed in opposite directions.”

Her
face scrunched. “This is about that woman you brought to the ranch.”

“No.
April has nothing to do with this.” He relied on his immense control and
patience to keep from simply kicking her out with annoyance. “Look. I gave you
the wrong impression and that’s my fault. I’m sorry for that.” He ran his fingers
through his short black hair. “As much as I’ve enjoyed living in the past the
last couple of days, it’s not reality. We have to face the facts.”

“But—”

“I live
in my stable and keep my pistol tucked under my pillow at night. My dog shares
my bed now and always will.” He sternly stared at her, hoping to penetrate her
one-track mind.

Her
mouth fell open on a gasp. “Surely, you don’t expect me to sleep in a barn!”

“No, I
don’t. Because you’re not invited.” He tempered his voice. “You belong here, in
a mansion.” He gestured to the house. “I belong with horses and hay, mud and
manure. The two lifestyles mix like oil and water.”

“But—”

He
spoke over her, biting off each word to make everything perfectly clear. “No
buts. It’s not to be and never will. I’m moving on without you.”

She
glared at him, anger causing her brown eyes to snap. With a huff, she shoved
open the truck door, then slammed it shut hard. She shot him one more furious
look and stomped off toward her house.

Dusty
sighed, started the engine, and drove away. He didn’t suffer from remorse or
even disappointment. Instead, relief washed over him as, for the first time in
days, he saw clearly. The ranch, this whole town, was his past and he needed to
live in the present.

Sleep
barely came to her that night. By five the next morning, April had given up,
gotten dressed, and walked to the paddocks, intent upon feeding the horses
before she left for home. After a week of filling buckets with grain twice a
day, she could do the task in her sleep.

Starting
with the stud, she gathered up his bucket, filled it with his feed, and lugged
the heavy container to his pasture. Not bothering to open the gate, she simply
sat the bucket against a corner post just inside, waited for him to start
eating, then headed back to the barn.

Archer
met her there with a stern look. “What are you doing?”

She
strode right past him, aiming for the next section of buckets. “Feeding the
horses.”

He
followed right on her heels. “Dusty’s job.”

Grabbing
another sack of feed, she poured out generous amounts into several buckets. “I
was up anyway. Might as well feed the herd before I head on home.”

Archer
grumbled under his breath. “If it helps any, Dusty is an asshole.”

She
couldn’t help but grin at the identical phrase Evan used a couple of days
earlier. Picking up two handles, she started the long trek back to the pasture.
“He’s happy with Colette. Besides, it’s not like we were betrothed or
anything.”

“Bullshit.
He’s thinking with his southern brain and remembering the good days before the
war and when he was younger.” Archer picked up a couple of buckets and followed
along. “He’ll come around.”

She
managed to shrug despite the heavy load. “I’m not holding my breath.” After
setting her load down, she spun around to gather more buckets before entering
the pasture with the mares and their foals. Once she put the buckets down,
there would be a squabble over the food unless there were adequate buckets for
each animal spread all around.

Archer’s
long strides carried him to her side. “I’ll speak to him. Set him straight.”

April
stopped in her tracks. “No.”

“Why
not?” He stared down at her with furrowed brows.

“Because
I’ll not be the cause of another split in your family. Dusty is a grown man,
he’s seen more than most people will ever see, the horrors of war and the worst
humanity has to offer. Whether anyone knows it or not, he struggles with
nightmares and flashbacks now and again, courtesy of serving his country.” She
puffed out a breath. “If anyone deserves happiness, it’s him. No matter who he
chooses, it’s his life, his heart, his future. Don’t stand in his way.”
Finished with the lecture, she grabbed up more buckets and retraced her steps.

“You’d
make a great attorney.” He grinned over at her as he collected more breakfast
for the horses.

She
snorted. “That’s a scary thought. The first time I declared ‘off with their
head’ I’d probably be dismantled.”

“You
mean disbarred.”

“That
too.” She lifted another bucket. “I think I’d better stick to nursing.”

“And
stable hand.” He opened the gate, set his buckets along the far fence, then
hurried back for the rest as she carefully placed hers on the ground.

“I used
to think so.” With those words, she left him to watch over the foals to make
sure their mommas didn’t get greedy and returned to the stable. Her horses and
the nine geldings were left. The sooner they were fed, the sooner she could
leave the ranch in her rear view mirror.

Dusty
stepped out on the front porch, dressed and prepared for the morning chores.
Ben darted off the porch, sniffed around the front yard, and found a place to
do his business.

The sun
scraped past the horizon, casting light and colors across the land in a rainbow
of pinks, oranges, and blues. Beautiful and breathtaking.

Yet, he
couldn’t raise the effort to enjoy the gift of morning, too consumed by his
thoughts about Colette.

Last
night had been illuminating in more ways than one. What started out as a grand
evening with a gorgeous woman soon soured as he came to realize a few facts. He
hadn’t been near as excited to pick Colette up and take her to the restaurant
as he’d been when she walked through the stable door three days ago. Nor had
her silliness and flirty ways found their way straight to his heart. Instead,
the more time he spent sitting across from her, the more he saw through her
pretty package and straight to the woman underneath.

She’d
spoke of her husband, of how unhappy she’d been. He could understand that,
after all, people made mistakes. He’d made more than he could count. However,
as he pieced her story together, untruths and exaggerations began to slap him
in the face. Her ex sounded like a decent enough man who worked hard to keep
Colette in the manner she thought due her. Yet, she wasn’t satisfied because
she spent so much time alone.

Hell,
as fast as she darted to the ranch after hearing he’d returned should have
clued him in. She was searching for a new husband, one of wealth, who would
pamper her to no end.

Colette
set her sights on the wrong man.

Distaste
coated his tongue as he recalled how she purred at him, rubbed against him,
hinted strongly for him to take her somewhere they could be alone. A few years
ago, the blatant suggestion would have sent him panting for the closest room.
Now, he found himself turned off. She’d just left her husband, the ink hadn’t
dried on their divorce, and she was hot on his heels.

Not happening.

Hopefully,
his feelings came across clearly to her last night.

Archer
walked across the yard, coming to a stop at the bottom of the front porch
steps. “I see you’re up and at ‘em this morning.” He stared at Dusty’s face.
“Bright eyed and bushy tailed after a night with Colette?”

Dusty
saw the jab for what it was, an expression of displeasure in Dusty’s choices.
He bit back the urge to blast Archer for his uppity attitude this morning and
reminded himself he’d been in a similar situation in the past. His volatile
temper caused a lot of hurt feelings that day. He wouldn’t make the same error
twice. “Actually, no. After dinner, I took her straight home.”

Surprise
flashed across his oldest brother’s eyes. “You didn’t stay with her?”

“No.
She wants someone to step into the spot vacated by her former husband. I’ve
decided it’s not a role I want to take.”

“I
always knew you had brains.”

Dusty
grinned at the backhanded compliment. “Is April up yet?”

Archer
nodded. “Up, fed all the horses, and gone.”

“Gone?”
Dusty tilted his head.
Where would she go
before dawn?

“Home.
They lifted the evacuation order. She took care of the horses, then took off
like a hound sprayed by a skunk. Said she needed to get back, check out
everything, make sure things are sound, then figure out a way to get her horses
back.”

Dusty
frowned as guilt settled heavily on his shoulders. She was running. Because of
him. He’d done little to make her feel at home since Colette appeared. April
continued to work with the horses, picking up most of his chores, as he spent
more time with the flashier woman. Never once did she complain or confront him.
Instead, she lowered her head, plowed ahead, and now raced off toward Colorado
alone.

He felt
lower than a worm.

Instinct
and desperation made him dig his keys from his pocket and march toward his
waiting truck.

“Where
are you going?” Archer called after him.

“Home.
To see if I can patch things up April.” He opened his truck door and looked
back at Archer. “I’ll be back for the horses later today. With any luck, she’ll
be by my side.”

“For
just today?”

Dusty
considered the question. He didn’t have to think long. “For as long as she’ll
have me.”

Archer
smiled wide enough to show even white teeth. “Good luck, bro. You’ve got a
touch with horses, let’s hope you have the same skills with that particular
woman.” With a wave, he entered the house.

Dusty
whistled for Ben, lifted him into the truck, then settled in himself. He shoved
the key in the ignition and started the engine. His seat belt in place, he put
the truck in gear, and headed down the long driveway.

One way
or another, he’d explain everything to April. Show her how he felt.

Help her learn to trust again.

The
words she spoke the day Miracle and Mischief arrived at his stable replayed
through his mind. She hadn’t just been talking about her filly.

Motivated
and determined, he hit the highway and headed home.

After
stopping by her house, finding the area untouched by flames, and everything
accounted for, April couldn’t repress the urge to jump in the SUV once more and
drive down the road. Besides, she still carried his office equipment and files
in her vehicle. Not wanting to wake the whole crew to unload the boxes, she
simply decided to bring them back with her, borrow Dusty’s hidden spare key,
and replace his belongings as if they’d never left.

Besides,
as much as she tried to deny the fact, she needed to see the stables, assure
herself they stood as they had before, untouched by the flames of nature’s
wrath. Her horses’ future depended upon this stable, for she didn’t think she
could find a better person to work with Miracle’s issues than Dusty.

Dusty.

A deep
pain throbbed in her heart.
That’s what
happens when you read into things that aren’t there.
Sexy men with
lucrative incomes don’t single out ordinary women for a lifetime together. Even
if she rushed out to purchase glass slippers, her lot in life wouldn’t change
one iota. Fairy tales simply didn’t happen to girls like her.

Cutting
the engine once she pulled up the driveway, she grabbed the spare key, and
headed to unlock the chain on the large doors.
It’s not breaking and entering if you use a key. Besides, I’m returning
items, not stealing them.
After tugging with all her might, she finally got
one stubborn door to budge open far enough to allow her ample room. Noting
everything seemed in order and no black charred earth stood as far as she could
see, April returned to her vehicle and began unloading the office’s contents.

Twenty
minutes later, she bent over, plugged in the laptop, and sighed. The clear container
sat on Dusty’s large wooden desk, awaiting his return. She would start
transferring files to the cabinet, but didn’t know his system. Better to wait
and let him sort things than spend twice as much time fixing them later.

Glancing
across the office, she decided she’d done all she could. She stepped from the
room and locked the door behind her. Ambling down the lane, she noted the
undamaged walls and felt another sprinkle of relief. They got lucky. She sent
up a quick prayer in thanks. If the fire had engulfed the stable, she couldn’t
imagine what Dusty would do. This place provided him with much more than a
simple business opportunity. The animals offered therapy and solace,
companionship and unconditional love. He obviously felt deeply about his family,
but this was his home now.

Or she
used to think so.

Now,
she wasn’t so sure. With the appearance of his old girlfriend, he might have
rediscovered true happiness, and decide to move back to the ranch to live
happily ever after.

The
depressing thought pressed her shoulders down further.

The
clang of a gate startled her. Looking up, she found Dusty standing just inside
the stable’s front entrance. Dressed in his jeans and snug blue T-shirt, he
made her heart speed and mouth water. She’d never seen a more handsome man and
probably never would again.

Ben
bounded over as if thrilled to see her again. She just wished his owner would
feel the same. Greeting the dog sincerely, she stroked his head as she watched
Dusty walk toward her, his face blank, leaving her no clue as to his mood.

She
steeled her resolve and decided for a quick explanation before making a hasty
exit. The longer she stayed in his proximity, the larger the hole in her heart.
With no hope for any future, she preferred to limit the pain and mourn in
private. “I put everything back in your office that I could. If you’ll let me
know when you plan on bringing back the horses, I’ll help with Miracle.”

For a
long moment, he remained mute.

Dejected,
she brushed past him only for him to gently grab onto her upper arm, stopping
her retreat, and spinning her to face him.

“I was
wrong and treated you badly. I’m sorry.”

She
blinked, surprised by his apology. However, in the long run, his words didn’t
change a thing. She remained way out of his league and he had a cover model
waiting for him. “You’re forgiven.” Her feet refused to budge even though he
released her.

“I’d
like to talk. Would you ride back with me to the ranch? I intend to load up the
horses and bring them home.”

Irritation
rushed over her. “I’m not sure what there’s left to talk about. I’ve got eyes
and a brain after all.”