Chirp(64)

“I’ll take you up on that offer,” Seth said.

One pony stuck his nose through the rails and nickered.

Noah patted him. “Hi, boy. My name’s Noah. What’s yours?”

“That’s Toby,” Mr. Henderson said. “He’s a nine-year-old pinto. You want to give him a try?”

“Yes, sir!”

Hanna had never seen her son so happy. Heck, she’d never been this happy.

Seth leaned in close. “I’m going home tomorrow to handle the Heather problem. Only staying one night, then I’ll be back. I wish you and Noah would come with me.”

She waved at her son as Mr. H led him around the corral. “No. It’ll be hard to tear him away from Toby.”

Seth climbed down, helped Noah off the horse, and hugged him close. “I love you, Noah.”

“I love you, too, Daddy.”

Hanna wiped at her eyes, then turned to Seth. “How’d you know he wanted a pony?”

“Blaze told me.”

“Is she okay?”

“Yeah. She’s sleeping with Rance.”

Worry lines wrinkled Hanna’s forehead. “He’s going to hurt her.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think he’s falling for her.”





29


Rance


With one brother on his way to Houston, the other sound asleep, and Chirp gone to work, Rance headed out to mend the fence for the pony’s new home.

His brother’s excitement about fatherhood proved contagious. “Uncle Rance” sounded pretty good. Could be projecting his own secret desire, because since hearing the news, fleeting thoughts of parenthood had crossed his mind more than once.

There’d been a time when he’d dreamed of having his own family, but prison had killed that hope. He’d pushed the idea to the back of his brain and concentrated on staying alive. But freedom created a whole new list of problems. In the number-one position: Chirp, and what to do about her.

He swung the truck around and opened his door. Muttly bounded out and hiked his leg on the nearest post. Rance pulled on his gloves and got to work, but couldn’t concentrate on the job. Seth’s questions had stirred up emotions he didn’t want to deal with. Why try to make more out of sleeping together than just plain sex?

The dog barked at a grasshopper while Rance grabbed the digger. Once he had the new post in place, he attached the stretcher, connected the two pieces of barbed wire, looped them together, twisted, and nailed.

Okay, so maybe his relationship with Chirp was stronger than physical, but what did everyone expect? She was the one who’d wanted it, and he was giving her what she asked for. Well, he wanted it, too, but she’d started it, and now he was paying the price. Seemed she and everyone else expected more from him, and he had no more to give. Especially not to her. A twenty-year-old rich girl mooning over the first guy who’d given her an orgasm. That was a hell of a long way from . . . from . . . from what? He didn’t know. That’s what bothered him most.

“Muttly! Don’t wander off, because when I’m ready to go, I’m not coming to find you.” The pooch looked at him as if to say he knew better. Rance moved farther down to the next problem area and spliced wire to repair it. Once done, Toby would have plenty of pasture to graze, and when winter came, Rance could buy hay from Mr. Henderson.

The small pond on the property still had plenty of water. Enough for one horse. The pup scampered to the edge and drank, then went back to the grasshopper.

Rance hoisted himself onto the tailgate, palmed a bottle of water, and took a long pull. Maybe he’d buy a few head of cattle or another horse. Noah was too young to ride alone, so that way he or Seth or even Hanna could go with him.

The idea made him smile, but as quickly as the happy image appeared, it vanished. What was he thinking? Once Seth started his new job, he’d move his family, and they’d rarely come to Bluebird.

A few months ago, Rance had dreamed of being alone in Gran’s house with simple, quiet freedom. The thought of his brothers leaving made him sad. Fast forward to December, when Chirp turned twenty-one: she’d leave, too. Suddenly easy, silent, liberty lost its appeal.

Dammit.

Muttly trotted up carrying a stick and dropped it at Rance’s feet.

“Oh, so you want to play fetch?” He picked up the small branch and gave it a toss. The dog took off, returned, and dropped it again. “Okay. One more time. That’s all.”

He threw it as hard as he could, and seconds later, Muttly was back. “This is the last time.”

Fifteen minutes later Rance issued the same warning as he hurled the stick. “I mean it, Mutt. Last time.” When the dog came back, Rance closed the tailgate and opened the door. “In, boy.”

The pooch rolled over, and Rance gave him a quick belly rub. “Playtime’s over. Get in the truck.”

When he arrived home again, Rance found Nicky sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal. “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my house?”

“Very funny.”

“Come to think of it, you look a little familiar,” Rance teased.

“I know. I’m supposed to be visiting you but haven’t been around much. Sorry about that. And, it seems a lot has happened in my absence.”