The Dangerous Gift (13 page)

“Hello, Ryder, thanks for calling me back. It’s late, though. You could have called tomorrow.”

Ryder didn’t respond, except for a long indrawn breath, which he expelled gradually as Jennie waited impatiently.

“Why did you call me, Jennie? Jared told me to stay away, yet you want to meet up. Why is that, I wonder?” Ryder’s voice dripped with sexual innuendo. Jennie pulled the covers up to her neck despite the hot night. He made her feel dirty, and she could almost feel his eyes staring at her in the darkness. “No sassy answers now we’re alone, honey?”

“I’m sorry you got hurt, Ryder. I still want to be friends.” Jennie crossed her fingers under the bedclothes and hoped Ryder believed her. Silence.

“Me too, Jennie, but I don’t want to be on the other end of Jared’s fist again, so what do you suggest?”

Was he playing her to see what she really wanted, or did he believe her? “Can we meet tomorrow? Jared will be working on the fencing, so I could come over your way.” Jennie held her breath to see if he would agree.

“Okay, meet me at the Pegasus Ranch gates at ten tomorrow. We can talk without interruption there.”

Ryder talked quickly but in hushed tones. He was excited. Jennie swallowed down the bile that flooded into her mouth, suddenly afraid.

“See you then. Bye, Ryder.” She ended the call before he could comment further. She tossed and turned for the remainder of the night as she planned what to say to get Ryder to open up to her about the oil company and ignored the sick feeling in her gut that said she mustn’t go.

The next morning, Jennie managed to stand on her damaged foot without her ankle collapsing. She could ride, providing someone helped her mount up. Jared had left the house long before she persuaded her battered body to leave her comfortable bed, and he would be out all day checking the boundary fencing with the rest of the men. She knew he wasn’t trying to avoid her; they were just a man down after yesterday’s accident. Having no obvious obstacles to meeting with Ryder meant she couldn’t duck out; she must see this through.

Jennie showered, dressed in jeans and a loose-fitting shirt, and hobbled downstairs. Now that she was walking around, her ankle had swollen again.

Downstairs, Joanie was tidying the ranch kitchen. Jennie had heard her talking with Jared earlier. When Joanie saw her, she smiled. “Do you want breakfast, Jennie?”

Jennie’s stomach rumbled when she saw the stack of golden pancakes piled high on the plate. “They look yummy, Joanie, but I’m not sure I can ride with a full stomach.” Especially when it was already churning with anticipation and fear, she acknowledged silently. Was she apprehensive about being alone with Ryder or worried Jared would come home and interfere in her plans? Maybe it was both.

Jennie ignored the physical symptoms of her anxiety and walked out into the sunshine. She had hoped to ride away unnoticed by anyone but Joe, who waited in the yard for her with Springtime, who pawed the ground impatiently.

“How’s the ankle, Jennie? Are you able to ride?” Joe held Springtime’s reins as Jennie walked carefully down the porch steps and took them from him.

“I can ride.” She winced as her foot turned on a pebble. “Can you give me a leg up, Joe?” Jennie grabbed a handful of mane until she balanced on the mare’s broad back and Joe eased her into the saddle.

“Thanks, Joe.” She squeezed her calves against the mare’s silky sides and set off at a gentle walk with Springtime snorting her disapproval at the slow place. When Jennie checked her watch, it was nine o’clock, and she decided to walk a little longer. She didn’t want to be at the Pegasus before ten.

Chapter
12

Jennie loved riding. Despite her dread of meeting with Ryder alone, she enjoyed the gallop along the track between the two ranches. Tall trees marked the start of the Pegasus’s property, offering welcome shade from the morning sun’s intense heat. She slowed to a trot and checked her watch. Just after ten.

Ryder leaned against the boundary fence, his gaze fixed on her. As Jennie sat astride her mare, the height advantage made her feel safer. Her fight-or-flight response was on high alert. It would only take a touch of her heels on Springtime’s sides and she would be out of there, safe. Still, Jennie kept her legs still, her grip on the reins firm. She willed her hands not to tremble.

Ryder patted the mare, who danced with impatience in the sun’s heat, then took Springtime’s reins. No escape now. “You came alone. I half expected Jared to be riding shotgun.” His jovial tone couldn’t disguise the coolness of his gaze.

“I don’t need a bodyguard, Ryder.” Jennie swung her leg over the mare’s withers. Ryder spanned her waist and lowered her painlessly to the ground. The faint aroma of expensive cologne briefly filled her nostrils, and she turned away, but Ryder kept her imprisoned in his steely embrace. “I need to sit down. Standing makes my ankle ache.”

Ryder’s arms tightened around her before he set her free. Jennie put some necessary space between them. Under the shady trees, she lowered her body carefully to the cool ground. Annoyance flickered in Ryder’s cold gaze. He smiled, and it disappeared as she contemplated what it meant.

“Would you like some water, Jennie?” She took a drink from the flask he offered her and returned it to him after wiping the top. “So what’s so urgent that you would risk Jared’s anger to see me?”

“I wanted to check you were okay after Jared punched you.” Jennie patted Ryder’s arm to reinforce her words.

His gaze said he didn’t believe her, but his words played her game. “I’ll live. The bruised eye is a great hit with the ladies.”

Jennie looked around her. “It’s been years since I’ve been here. I used to ride over with my father when I was a child. Your grandparents were lovely. Did they pass away?” She hoped she wasn’t dredging up painful memories, but she wanted him relaxed when she quizzed him about the oil survey.

Ryder smiled. “No, they simply wanted to retire. They live in the city now.”

“It’s quite a lifestyle change. Don’t they miss all this?” Jennie’s gaze swept over the open ranch lands. She had missed the Unicorn’s vast open spaces when she was in England.

“I don’t think so. They haven’t been back here since they moved.”

Ryder seemed happy to talk about his family, so she decided to dig a little deeper, hoping to find an opportunity to ask him about the survey.

“Are you enjoying life as a rancher? Did you come here with your parents when you were a child too?” Jennie waited, anxious to find out how he and Darleen had ended up as the owners of such a large ranch.

Ryder’s gaze clouded at the mention of his parents. “Yes and yes. My parents never wanted the ranching way of life.” The finality in his answer made her think he was uncomfortable with her questions. Jennie wanted to know more about his parents, but she didn’t want to antagonize him. “Before you ask, my parents are dead. They were killed in an automobile accident.”

“I’m sorry, Ryder. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Liar
, her mind taunted. “I lost my parents in an accident too.” Jennie couldn’t hide the husky tone of her voice. Talking about her parents’ accident always made her sad. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

“It seems like we have something in common after all.” Ryder traced his finger down her heated cheek, following the tracks made by her tears. His gaze looked troubled, as if he wanted to confide in her but knew he couldn’t.

Jennie leaned back, still on her guard. She couldn’t trust this man, even if she sympathized with his loss. “Yes, it does. Jared too. He lost Anne and Ralf in the plane crash. What an awful coincidence, huh?” Three sets of accidental deaths were unusual and suspicious. But even as she spoke, Jennie knew she needed to back off or risk Ryder knowing she suspected his involvement.

Ryder’s gaze narrowed, but he smiled. “Maybe we should change the subject, or we’ll both be in tears?”

“Yes, let’s do that,” Jennie agreed, searching for a way to leave without making Ryder suspicious. There was so much she needed to process, and she needed to be alone to do that. “I must go, Ryder. This probably wasn’t a good idea. The ride was too much for my leg. I want to get home before the pain gets a hold.” Jennie grimaced and watched Ryder through her half-closed eyes to see if he believed her.

“You do look a little pale. Would you like to ride to the Pegasus ranch house? It’s not far from here. Darleen could make you some coffee, or is it tea now you’re an anglophile?” Ryder smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes as his cold gaze flicked across her face, avoiding eye contact.

Not sure if he believed her or not, Jennie made her excuses. “I don’t think I’m up to Darleen at the moment. Sorry, I know she’s your sister, but we don’t seem to have hit it off.”

Anger flickered in Ryan’s gaze. “That’s a shame. You could always use a friend, Jennie. I guess Jared is a sticking point for both of you. Of course I’ll take you home, if that’s what you want.”

Ryder held out his hand to her and pulled her up but let go as soon as she was on her feet. He walked over to where the horses grazed, oblivious to the tension between their riders, and Jennie followed at a more sedate pace. “Do you need help getting on your horse?”

“Yeah, it would make it easier.” Jennie faced her mare and waited until he lifted her effortlessly into the saddle, then let go when her butt hit the leather. They pushed their mounts into a gallop as soon as they hit the track and didn’t stop until the outline of the Unicorn Ranch buildings was in sight. As they slowed to a canter, Jennie couldn’t wait to be alone. The silence between her and Ryder was tense. Maybe he was annoyed about the time he’d wasted on her today? But she couldn’t worry about that now. She needed to find out about his parents’ accident from a source other than him.

“You better leave me here, Ryder. If Jared sees us together, he’ll probably shoot you this time.” Jennie scanned the horizon. The ranch was busy as usual and Jared shouldn’t be back yet, but she didn’t want any more trouble.

Ryder reined in his horse. “I didn’t know you cared. Or is it the pretty boy you’re worried about? Perhaps I can give you a tour of the Pegasus another time.” He tipped the brim of his Stetson and pushed his horse into a gallop without looking back.

As Jennie’s mare trotted into the Unicorn Ranch yard, Joe looked up at the sound. “You weren’t gone long, Jennie. Is everything all right?”

“Yes, my leg aches, that’s all, so I came back. Can you help me get down, please?” Jennie let the older man, still strong despite his years, lift her from the saddle. “Thanks, Joe, and don’t tell Jared about this. I don’t want him on my case again.”

“No worries, Jennie. I’ll see to Springtime. You go and rest.” Joe gave her a gentle push in the direction of the house before he led the mare to the water trough and unsaddled her.

Jennie reached the porch’s cool shade and collapsed into the nearest chair. She sighed as her body relaxed, then tensed again as she realized she didn’t ask Ryder about the oil survey. She’d let her emotions override her common sense, and the opportunity may not arise again.

After she discarded her boots and socks, Jennie padded barefoot across the wooden deck to Jared’s office. She retrieved the laptop from the desk, took it outside, and got comfortable in her favourite rocking chair. As she switched on the laptop and waited for it to boot up, a movement at her side made her look up.

Joanie smiled. “I thought you might like a salad and some lemonade. Is there anything else I can get you, Jennie?”

“That’s lovely of you, Joanie. You mustn’t run round after me, you know. I could have fed myself.” Realizing she sounded ungrateful, Jennie snagged a salad leaf and munched on it appreciatively. “Yummy. Thank you.”

Joanie smiled and appeared relieved. “So can I get you anything else?”

Jared must have asked Joanie to look after her. “No thanks, I’ve everything I need. Thanks, Joanie.”

Jennie waited for Joanie to walk down the porch steps before she did an Internet search for Darleen and Ryder’s parents and any information pertaining to their fatal accident. The information was understandably sparse, only a few paragraphs in the local online magazine for ranchers. It mentioned Ryder’s grandparents’ loss of their son and his wife in a freak accident on the freeway. Investigators found that two tires blew out simultaneously, making the car veer off the road and crash headlong into the concrete barrier. The force of the impact killed them instantly. The sheriff at the time was quoted as saying, “The vehicle appeared to have no other mechanical defects, and the other two tires were sound. The front tires were obliterated before the impact, according to eyewitnesses, almost as if they were blown up.”

Jennie’s vision blurred and she tasted salt in her mouth before she acknowledged her tears. The accident description evoked painful memories of her parents’ car crash. Both accidents shared so many similarities.

She recalled the sheriff sitting at the kitchen table with Annie, who was crying as Ralf wrapped his arm around his weeping wife’s shoulders.

Jennie had been staying with her godparents while her parents spent a couple of nights in the city to celebrate their anniversary. At the sound of sobbing, Jennie had hurried to the kitchen and come to a sudden stop at the doorway, unsure if she was intruding on something private. Her first thought had been for Jared. Had something happened to
him? She’d grabbed the solid doorframe and steadied her trembling body.

When Jared moved into view to place a mug of steaming coffee in front of his mother, Jennie let out her pent-up breath. Her sigh of relief alerted the others to her presence, and all four individuals looked in her direction. Annie stood up and rushed to envelop her in a motherly hug. The faint smell of lavender, Annie’s favourite scent, hung in the air between them.

“Oh, Jennie, we were coming to find you. Sit down, honey.”

Jennie stiffened in her godmother’s arms, sure she didn’t want to hear what Annie was about to say. Adrenaline pumped round her body, making her heartbeat pound in her ears as an involuntary shiver racked her. Flight impossible, she allowed Annie to lead her to the table and sat down gratefully on the chair Jared pulled out for her. She sat with her back pushed into the wooden chair’s unyielding staves, ready to face whatever came her way. She looked expectantly at Ralf, his eyes crinkled at the corners from his many smiles. But no smile was in evidence today; his blue eyes were filled with an unfamiliar poignant sadness.

“There’s been a terrible accident, Jennie. Your parents have been killed.” Ralf’s words made no sense as they bounced round her confused mind. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

The suspicion of tears in the tough rancher’s eyes finally penetrated her mind’s protective haze. Her parents were dead.

“No, you’re lying. They only went to the city for their anniversary. They can’t be dead.” A low moan reminiscent of an animal in pain echoed around her. Her eyes stung. Jennie touched her face, wet with her tears that were falling uncontrollably now as Ralf continued with his horrific message. That awful sound came again, and in a still-lucid part of her agonized mind, she knew it came from her mouth.

Strong arms held her and stopped her exploding into a million pieces as her world disintegrated.

“I’ve got you, Jen,” Jared whispered.

“Jen, sweetheart, what’s wrong? Did something happen? Why are you crying?” Jared’s urgent questions forced Jennie back from the past. She blinked, and Jared’s familiar face came into focus, marred with a worried expression. “Jen, say something.”

“Jared, you’re back.” Jennie touched his cheek, which was already rough with his shadowy beard. He rubbed his face against her sensitive fingertips and kissed them. The feel of his lips made her shiver, and sparks of now-familiar arousal fired with unerring accuracy straight to her core. “I was thinking about when Ralf told me my parents were killed in a car accident. You were there. You held me and stopped me falling apart.”

“Oh, honey, what made you go back there again?” Jared stroked the back of her head with gentle fingers as he feathered kisses on her forehead.

“It was something Ryder said.” Anger flared in Jared’s gaze, but he didn’t interrupt, so she continued. “He told me about his parents. How they died in a car crash too. When I got back here, I searched for details of the crash to see if there were any suspicious circumstances or signs anyone suspected foul play at the time. There was a comment from the sheriff, saying it was a freak accident just like with my parents.” Jennie sniffed and enjoyed Jared’s closeness despite her sadness.

“Where’s the article?” Jared scanned the webpage she showed him. The small frown on his forehead deepened as he read. “Oh, that is strange. No wonder it upset you.”

Jennie leaned back so she could gauge his response to her next question. “Do you think there’s a connection? Maybe it has something to do with the oil under both our ranches.”