Taking Charge (Lone Star Burn #4)(63)

This time David didn’t evade the question. “He intended to burn the barn down.”

Lucy’s eyes rounded. “Because?”

“He thinks you broke up his marriage.”

“I didn’t.”

“I know.”

Lucy looked down at a spot on the porch between them. “At least, I didn’t mean to. I wanted to help Michelle. I should have known it would blow up in my face. I swear I must be cursed or something. You should run back to Fort Mavis, David, before I take you down, too.”

David opened his mouth to argue that point, but Lucy slid into her house and closed the door. He realized then he hadn’t said he was sorry about not telling her everything. It felt like a lie. He should have felt sorry, but he wasn’t, not really.

She’d forgive him for breaking a promise to her, but he’d never forgive himself if anything happened to her—especially if it was something he could have prevented. David turned and strode back to the barn. Half an hour after Lucy had kicked him out of the house, he learned with relief that Tia’s surgery had gone easily. He hoped she would now be out of pain and that it would be a fresh start for her.

Later that evening, he stood beside the cot where Ron was sleeping off his hangover. With the heel of his foot, he rolled the man over, sending him to the floor with a thud.

Ron groaned, then raised himself up by his arms and looked around. “What the hell did you do that for?”

David left his booted foot resting on the side of the cot and leaned forward to look Ron in his bloodshot eyes. “It’s by the grace of God your ass isn’t rotting in jail for arson.”

Ron struggled to his feet. He went to push past David. “Leave me the f*ck alone.”

David was on him in a flash, shoving him back against the wall and holding a hand to his neck. “Don’t mistake my even temper for a guarantee that I won’t kill you.”

Fear flashed in Ron’s eyes.

David maintained his hold on the man’s neck. “Did York send you?”

Ron looked away. “Not in so many words.”

David gave Ron a shake and repeated the question in a snarl, “Did he send you?”

Ron met his eyes. “He wants you gone. He wants Lucy gone, too. He doesn’t care how it happens.”

“Did he tell you why?”

“He says you don’t belong here.”

David let Ron go, and the man slumped against the wall. “He’s using you, and you’re letting him. What kind of man are you, Ron? What kind of daddy will you be for those children of yours?”

Ron sank to the floor and covered his face with his hands. “I don’t know anymore. Does it matter? After today, Michelle will never take me back.”

David sighed. He’d seen something in Ron’s eyes, a spark of a better man. “Do you want your wife back?”

Ron laid his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. “Of course I do.”

“What would you do to keep her?”

Ron opened his eyes. “Anything.”

David continued, “As I see it, you’ve got one chance to get your wife back, but I don’t know if you’ve got the balls to make the kind of changes you need to.”

“She said she won’t take me back. It’s too late.”

“Not if you stand the f*ck back up.”

Ron pushed himself back to his feet and shook his head. “Why do you care? And why didn’t you press charges for what I did?”

“Because I believe in second chances, and this is yours. You haven’t lost everything yet, Ron, but you need to cut certain elements out of your life. Starting with York.”

Still looking somewhat beaten, Ron said, “Michelle hates that I work for him, but there’s no real choice around here. Not if a man wants a decent wage.”

“I’m always looking for good men to help me with the horses.”

Ron was quiet for a long moment. “You’d hire me after what I done?”

“If you stay off the booze and work hard.”

Ron’s face twisted with shame. “I will. Michelle always said the bottle brings out an ugly side of me. I proved her right today. You may not believe it, but I don’t hate Lucy. I don’t want harm to come to her or her place. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I had hurt anyone this morning.”

David walked to the door. If Ron knew anything else, it would come out soon enough. David didn’t want to hear lies or a cover story. Once Ron found his place with the men at the ranch and realized they weren’t the enemy, he’d talk. For now, it was enough to throw Ron a lifeline. “But you didn’t. It’s kind of ironic. You owe your second chance to a horse who is about to get her second chance. Might be I’ve just thought of how you can help around here.”

Ron’s eyes widened. “You want me to break your mare? The one that tried to kill me?”

“No, I want you to gentle her.” He briefly explained to him about the shard of metal the vet had taken out of Tia’s neck. He also outlined his philosophy of reaching a horse rather than utilizing more forceful methods of taming it. “Her name is Tia, and she associates being handled with being hurt. It’s going to take patience and a whole lot of understanding of what she’s been through to win back her trust.”