Ryelee's Cowboy (20 page)

Jimmy whistled through his teeth.
“Wow, I certainly didn't see that coming. I figured you and Clint
just had a little spat.”

Ryelee stepped away from his
penetrating gaze, turned around, and took a deep breath. She didn't
want to see his anger and disappointment when she told him what she
had done.

“My…my father came to the house one
day while I was hanging up laundry. He…he wanted information about
the cattle. I refused to help him. Well, he said he’d make sure
that the mares lost their babies and that Clint would lose
everything. I should have told him.”

She turned back and looked at Jimmy,
confusion written all over his face. “I, well, I went to the old
ranch house pretending to want to clean it.” Ryelee put her hands
over her face. She took a few more deep breaths and clasped her
hands in front of her. “I went through your computer looking for
the information. I wanted to know where the cattle were being
kept.”

Jimmy’s eyes grew wide. “You asked me
that day about night guards!”

Ryelee nodded. “I only did it after
Sybil had lost her pregnancy. I was scared. I was so stupid. I
guess that makes me a cattle rustler.” Her voice trembled, and she
clasped her hands tighter to still their shaking.

“Clint found out. Didn't
he?”

“Yes. Cletus tried to blackmail him.
I’ve ruined everything. Clint feels responsible and plans to pay
Burke back with the money he saved to buy back his ranch. He told
me that we’d have to make other arrangements.” Tears poured down
her face. “I know he doesn’t want me near his daughter. How am I
going to live without Rheenie?”

He took her arm and sat her down on
the front step. “Did you tell Clint about the threats to the
horses?”

“No we never got that far in our
conversation,” she said miserably. “He was so mad. I’ve never seen
him so angry before.”

Jimmy took her hand. “I’m taking you
home with me.” Ryelee opened her mouth to protest but Jimmy cut her
off. “No discussion, no argument. You have to take care of yourself
for the baby’s sake. You look pale and you have circles under your
eyes.”

He stood up and pulled Ryelee up
beside him. “Let’s get your stuff and get out of here.”

“I didn't bring anything. I wasn’t
thinking. I’ve ruined everything.”

Jimmy kissed the top of her head. He
whistled for Val, who came running with the pheasant in her mouth.
“Time to go home, girl.”

They walked a bit to get to Jimmy’s
pickup. He opened the passenger door, but before he could help
Ryelee inside, Val jumped in ahead of her. Ryelee laughed as she
settled herself next to Val.

Jimmy got in the driver’s seat ready
to start the truck when Val began to bark. She turned in a circle
on the car seat, even though there really wasn’t enough room. She
licked Ryelee’s hand and then settled with her head on Ryelee’s
protruding belly.

“Is she too heavy? I can make her
move.”

Ryelee smiled and petted Val’s head.
“No, she’s making me feel better.”

Jimmy drove them to the old ranch
house. He helped her down and waited until she stood steady on her
feet before letting her go. Taking her hand, he led her inside
where they were greeted by a lovely young blonde woman.

“This is Ryelee.”

Ellie made a show of looking at
Ryelee’s stomach. She arched her eyebrows and looked at Jimmy.
“Oh?”

“If my being here is a problem…”
Ryelee began.

“She’s Clint’s wife,” he explained,
giving Ellie a wide smile.

Ellie’s whole demeanor changed. She
immediately took Ryelee by the hand and led her into the kitchen.
“I bet you could use something warm to drink. Are you hungry? I
could make you a sandwich,” she offered sweetly.

Before Ryelee could answer, Jimmy
jumped in. “I could use a couple sandwiches myself.”

Ellie directed Ryelee to a seat at the
kitchen table. “I wasn’t talking to you,” Ellie said
sassily.

Jimmy frowned. “You’re going to give
Ryelee the wrong impression. You know you dream of me at
night.”

“Jimmy McKeegan, you are too full of
yourself. Go rope something.”

Jimmy smiled and winked at Ryelee.
“See? She has it bad for me.”

Ellie grabbed a broom and began
sweeping Jimmy out of the kitchen. “Out.”

Jimmy laughed. “Okay, I’m going. But
I’ll be back.” He turned and looked at Ryelee. “Get some
rest.”

“I’ll take good care of her. Now quit
dawdling and get back to work.” Ellie started toward him with the
broom again.

Jimmy flashed Ellie a smile. “You love
me.” Turning before he got hit with the broom again, he ran out the
door.

Chapter Twelve

Clint couldn’t get any work done, at
least not to his satisfaction. It had been over a week since Ryelee
had left, and he was still a wreck. He couldn’t focus—not on work,
not on Rheenie. Burke and Annie were shocked when he told them
about Ryelee’s involvement in the rustling. When Clint insisted on
paying for the stolen cattle, Burke wouldn’t hear of it.

Annie had told him Ryelee
must have been coerced into helping, and she was insistent in her
belief. That single word
coerced
continued to run through his thoughts constantly.
What if Annie was right? Did that absolve Ryelee’s guilt? He wished
he had the answers. His heart hurt as though it was being squeezed
right out of him.

Then there was poor Rheenie, who had
literally stopped talking. She just held on to her doll and wore
Ryelee’s necklace. He was at his wits end trying to comfort her. If
Ryelee had been straight up with him—or if only she had just told
him about her father’s plan—hell, he wasn’t sure what would have
happened. Ryelee didn’t tell him, and that was the whole heart of
the matter. She lied to him and she hadn’t trusted him. She hadn’t
trusted in their love. Maybe she didn’t love him as much as he
loved her.

Hell, even if she had been coerced,
she was still wrong. She had still deceived him and turned him into
the fool in front of the whole ranch. He wasn’t stupid. He saw the
long looks all the hands had been giving him. Even Dottie had come
out to try to console him. She’d been madder than a wet hen when he
just put her back in her car and told her to go home.

Between all his anger and frustration
was worry. He checked in town. He asked Noreen at the diner.
Finally, he had driven out to her father’s house but she wasn’t
there either. He couldn’t sleep at night wondering where she
went.

He’d been leaving Rheenie at Annie’s
all week, but that had to change and soon. Annie had enough to do
with her own son It was his problem, and he’d find a
solution.

Clint brushed down King’s Crown. He
still couldn’t believe Burke had been able to buy him for Annie.
Clint had tried everything. He tried to cash-in favors, pull a few
strings, but nothing. He remembered how excited Annie had been when
she brought the horse to Dawson’s Haven.

Clint looked up from his musing and
spotted Jimmy McKeegan. Sometimes he wanted to plant his fist into
the cocky cowboy. Jimmy swaggered over to him. Clint really wanted
to tell him he looked like an ass, but he held his tongue since
they had to work together occasionally.

Jimmy stopped outside the stall. He
nodded to Clint as he took his Stetson off. “How’s it
going?”

Clint eyed him with suspicion. “What’s
that suppose to mean, McKeegan?”

“Touchy, aren’t we?” Jimmy taunted. “I
happen to know where your wife is, and I thought you’d like to
know.”

“Okay, I’ll bite. Where is
she?”

“She’s living with me and the other
men.”

Clint put down the curry brush and let
himself out of the stall. He closed the door and turned toward
Jimmy. Grabbing the collar of Jimmy’s shirt, Clint pulled him
within an inch of his face. “What the hell are you talking
about?”

Jimmy shook loose of Clint’s hold. “I
found her living at the old shack. There was no electricity, water,
or food. When I found her, she’d been chopping wood for a
fire.”

Clint ran his hand over his face,
weary of worrying about her. “When did you find her? Is she all
right? The baby?”

“I found her after the first day, and
she’s fine. Her hands were blistered from chopping wood, and she
looked worn to a frazzle, but she’s fine. I swear she’s grown a
lot. Her balance is a bit off.”

“You’ve known where she’s been for
over a week and didn't tell me?” he asked heatedly.

“She said she didn't want you to know.
She’s looking for another alternative, but she doesn’t have two
dimes to rub together. She spends a lot of time with Ellie, and
they’ve become friends. I came because she has such dark circles
under her eyes. I hear her crying herself to sleep every night.
It’s hard to take. I was hoping that you’d forgive and forget.
Look, man, she needs you.”

“It’s her own fault. She can stay with
you indefinitely for all I care.”

“Damn, but you’re a hard ass. What
about Rheenie? She can’t be happy about this arrangement. What
about the baby?”

“I’ll take care of my daughter. You
can take care of her used-to-be mother!” Clint shouted.

Jimmy scratched his head. “If that’s
the way of things, then I suppose that’s that.” He sighed and put
on his Stetson.

Clint watched him walk away with mixed
feelings. Relief enveloped him. She was all right. He could breathe
again. He didn't want to admit that he missed her and that he loved
her. Every day he tried to harden his heart toward her, but it had
been a hard task, mostly because he worried about her. Maybe it
would be easier to pull away from her now that he knew she was
safe. Jimmy was right. He was a hard ass, but he couldn’t help it.
Ryelee’s betrayal cut too deep.

He sighed loudly as he realized that
it was time to pick Rheenie up and then make dinner. Shrouded in
loneliness, he felt as though he was just going through the
motions, but he didn't know what the right thing to do
was.

* * * *

Ryelee waddled around the corner just
as Ellie reached the front door. She couldn’t even imagine who it
could be—maybe a salesperson, she decided. No one ever knocked. The
men just came and went.

Ellie opened the door in one quick
movement.

It startled Ryelee that Clint stood on
the front porch with Rheenie in his arms.

“Can I come in, or have I been
banned?” he gruffly asked.

Ellie blinked at him. Suddenly she
smiled and stepped aside so they could come into the house. “You
might be just what the doctor ordered,” she said
happily.

Ryelee’s gaze met Clint’s but saw
nothing. It was as though he was empty inside. She had done it to
him.

Rheenie, however, twisted in her
daddy’s arms, and he finally let her down. She ran to Ryelee,
almost making her stumble back.

“Oh, princess, I’m so very glad to see
you,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I’ve missed you and
Sunshine so much.” Ryelee noticed how quiet she was and gave Clint
a concerned look.

“She stopped talking after you
left.”

“I thought you wanted me to
leave.”

“I don’t know what I wanted. Listen, I
can’t take care of her all day, and you are her mother.” He stood
there, staring her down.

Ryelee turned away from him. “Come on,
Rheenie, we’ll have some hot cocoa and have a fine day
together.”

“What time should we be expecting you
to pick her up?” Ellie asked.

“After work.”

“Good. You can bring Ryelee’s things.
She’s been wearing Nash’s clothes. See you then.” She closed the
door on him.

Ellie followed them into the kitchen.
“How about we make cookies?”

Ryelee smiled her thanks at the petite
woman, her friend. “Would you like to do that?” she asked Rheenie
as she rocked her and stoked her back.

Rheenie nodded.

“Is it true you stopped
talking?”

Rheenie nodded.

“For heaven’s sake, why?”

“Heaven,” Rheenie finally said. “I…
you…” she stammered, scrunching up her face in confusion. “You went
away like my other mommy.”

Ryelee kissed Rheenie’s cheek. “Oh,
honey, what you must have gone through these past two
weeks.”

Rheenie smiled at her. “See?” She
pulled the necklace from inside her shirt. “You left
this.”

Ryelee kissed her all over her face.
“I’m sorry. I am so, so very sorry. I’ve missed wearing
it.”

Rheenie pulled it over her head and
waited while Ryelee lowered her head enough so she could slide the
necklace on. “I’m glad you didn't go to heaven.”

“How about those cookies?” Ellie
asked, her light voice easing the sadness in the room.

“I’m in!” Rheenie cried as she finally
let go of Ryelee. “I’m the bestest cookie maker and I am the even
bestester tester,” she proclaimed, proudly.