Taken, Not Spurred (Lone Star Burn) (21 page)

“What the hell is wrong with you? Are you drunk?” David asked.

“Better than drunk. I’m back.” Tony noticed one of the ranch hands in the background, looking like he wanted—but was afraid—to laugh at the scene. Tony said, “Laugh, I won’t fire you. I may never fire anyone ever again.”

David turned to the ranch hand and said, “Don’t listen to him. Go clean out the side paddocks.” When the young man didn’t immediately move, David added, “Before
I
fire you.” That put some speed beneath the young man’s feet.

Alone with his boss again, David studied Tony’s eyes. “What are you on?”

Tony shook his head, still trying to label whatever had suddenly made the sun shine brighter and everything seem possible. “Nothing.”

Looking doubtful, David pushed back his hat and asked, “Are you smiling?”

I guess I am.
“I went to see your old boss the other day, Evan Staten.”

If possible, David looked even more concerned about Tony’s sanity. “And that put you in a good mood?”

I can see his point.
But the meeting itself was only part of it. “It helped me sort out some things. Sarah was right: being sorry isn’t enough. I need to do something, and I intend to. I’m going to host a charity expo for the Dolan Children’s Fund. Don’t look so surprised—you told Melanie to give me the phone.”

“Yes,” David drawled slowly. “I guess I never thought you’d agree to it.”

“Well, I did,” Tony said proudly.

Eyebrows furrowed together, David studied him. “I know, and I’m not sure what that means yet.”

Tony stepped closer to David, suddenly serious, and said, “I never thanked you for everything you’ve done for me.”

David took a step back. “Don’t hug me again.”

Tony smiled. “Invite everyone to dinner tonight at my house. I have a few things I need to say.”

“I’ll do it even though it goes against my better judgment.”

Satisfied, Tony almost walked away but then stopped and asked, “Hey, how do you get paid when you don’t have access to my bank accounts? How does anyone here get paid?” He couldn’t believe he didn’t know, but then again, he’d never cared enough to ask. David had always handled the business side, filed the taxes, cut the checks for everyone.

David took a moment before answering, then said, “I bought the first horses we trained here and started an account with the money we got from selling them. We’ve been splitting the profits since then and paying everyone from that fund.”

“So you never actually worked for me.”

David shrugged.

“No wonder I can’t remember hiring you.” The realization of how detached he’d become from his own life was frightening. “I don’t know why you stayed, but I’m glad you did.”

David looked away, then said, “Get your overly happy ass out of the barn and find Melanie. She deserves to meet this new you.”

Tony smiled, imagining the look on Mel’s face when he did.
She’ll probably think I’m on drugs, too, but it doesn’t matter.

Dean had warned him to “wake up” if he didn’t want to die alone like their father would.

I’m awake, and I’m not wasting any more time.

I am going to make things right.

Now where is my favorite angry housekeeper? If she knows where Sarah is, I may have to hug her, too.

Later that night, Tony, David, Melanie, Jace, and the ranch hands stood in the kitchen of the main house. The men had devoured the country-fried chicken and had moved along to the more serious matter of dessert. Plates in hand, they packed away pieces of Texas sheet cake.

The initial feeling of euphoria that had followed his conversation with Kimberly’s father had passed, leaving Tony with the reality of what he would have to do to piece his life back together. He cleared his throat. “I wanted everyone here tonight so I wouldn’t have to say this twice. I intend to make some changes around here.”

The room fell silent, a general apprehension growing as he took a moment to choose his words. Even David looked concerned. “David has done a damn good job running this place, but I’ll be more involved from today forward. I’ll be hosting an expo for the Dolan Children’s Fund sometime in the near future. The coverage will likely be national. Things will change when we open ourselves to the public. I’ve been there. The press runs with whatever you say, so keep your mouths shut. Learn the game, and you might be able to spin these events into a career for yourselves. I don’t mind saying that I want y’all working on this with me. David’s not going anywhere. Y’all, however, need to understand what has changed. I’m going to try real hard to keep my temper to myself, but from this day forward if I fire anyone—there is no way back.”

David looked on and nodded with approval.

“Now get out of here while I’m still in a good mood.”

The ranch hands hastily put their dishes in the sink and retreated.

Melanie shook her head at his behavior and Tony shrugged, a hint of a smile pulling at one side of his mouth. “I couldn’t let them think I’m getting soft.”

David chuckled. “There is very little risk of that, but it’s good for them to know that you’ll be watching them, too. They respect your skill with the horses, and now they’ll respect you as their boss.”

“They won’t be happy at first,” Melanie said, “but they’ll adjust. I’m sure the idea of working on something public like you said will be a real motivator for them, too.”

“Things are going to change quickly,” Tony said, then pinned Melanie and David with a look. “Which one of you is going to tell me where Sarah is?”

Melanie looked to David for confirmation that she should. He nodded. “She’s staying with my family in Telson. It’s a couple of hours from here.”

Tony checked the clock on the wall and was surprised at how late it was. “I suppose I’ll go collect her in the morning.”

Throwing her hands up for emphasis, Melanie said, “She’s been sitting there for weeks stewing about how it’s over between the two of you. Do you really think you can just go there and pack her up like she’s a horse and bring her home?”

No? Because I’m a jackass?

Yes? Because I love her?

“She loves me,” Tony said.

Melanie put a hand on one hip and said, “That’s not going to stop her from throwing something at your head if you don’t do this right.”

Remembering how beautiful his little blonde angel looked with her cheeks flushed and her breasts heaving with anger, Tony said, “I don’t mind a little temper in a woman.”

Melanie covered her eyes and groaned. “David, don’t let him ruin what could be his only chance to bring her back. I really like Sarah.”

David held up both hands and said, “What makes me the relationship expert?”

Forgotten during the postdinner meeting, Jace grabbed Tony’s hand and said, “You should listen to my mama. She knows everything.”

Melanie ruffled her son’s hair. “You tell ’em, Jace.”

David said, “My mother always said that God made kids cute when they were little so parents could cling to those memories when they turned into teenagers.”

“As long as he doesn’t turn out like the two of you, I’ll be happy,” Melanie quipped.

Tony looked down at his young adviser and said, “Jace, could you go check on the barn with David? I need a moment alone with your mother.”

Jace hesitated, not letting go of Tony’s hand until he clarified something. “You mad at her?”

Shaking his head, Tony said, “Not at all.” He smiled down at Jace. “Besides, in a scrap, I’m pretty sure she’d win.”

David said, “Come on, Jace. Let’s go see how our pregnant mare is doing. She’s looking ready to foal. Maybe tonight. You can name the new one if you’re there.” With one last look at Tony and Melanie, Jace agreed and followed David out the door.

When they were gone, Tony took out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Melanie. She opened it, gasped, and tried to hand it back to him. “I can’t accept this.”

“The property sits on the edge of mine. You can keep it or sell it, but I want you to have it. Jace deserves a place he can call his own and so do you. I spent a lot of time thinking over the past few weeks. This ranch has been my sanctuary and my curse—so well insulated from the world that I didn’t have to face what had driven me here. I think it’s been the same for you. It’s not going to be like that once we start dealing with the public again. There’ll be no place to hide. I’m hoping you see this as an opportunity, but if you don’t, you can take the money from that house and buy a place more private.”

Clasping her hands in front of her, Melanie said, “Are you firing me?”

“Damn, I’m not good at this, am I? I’m trying to tell you that you and Jace have a home, no matter what changes around here.”

Eyes glistening with emotion, Melanie hugged the paper to her stomach and said, “You’re a good man, Tony Carlton, and I was wrong. You don’t need my advice. You just go get Sarah. You’ll have no trouble talking her into forgiving you.”

“I was hoping to keep the actual talking to a minimum,” Tony said with a straight face, then winked.

Melanie laughed softly, then her expression turned serious and she said, “Just tell her how you feel, Tony, and you can’t go wrong.”

I will
.

This time I will.

Sitting at a small wooden desk in the living room of her temporary apartment on Melanie’s parents’ ranch in Telson, Sarah wrote the two most satisfying words across an entire page of her notebook:

The End
.

She’d written not only one but two short books. No, they weren’t perfect. They needed revisions, but she’d done it. She’d created a world of characters she felt others would enjoy.

They say write what you know, so I did.

Tempted (in Texas)

Torn (in Telson)

By Breshall Haas

Sure,
Texas
isn’t as specific as
Telson
, but it sounds a whole lot better than
Mussed in Mavis
. Or
Fucked at Fort
. . . See, that doesn’t even work.

Tempted
was a powerful title that described the incredible journey she’d been on. A better version of it, anyway. No midnight nervous-fart-releasing laps around a cabin.

And
Torn.
Well, any writer will tell you that the worst of what you endure can inspire the best fiction.

Book three will have to wait until I find my own hero. Or at least until I think of another title that starts with a
T
besides
Tragic.

She thought back to her first impression of Tony, and the title for the last book in her trilogy came to her:
Taken
. In the cabin and for a short time following their return from it, she’d glimpsed what it would be like to belong to Tony. In the end, he just wasn’t where she was—and knowing how painful it was to be held hostage by the past made Sarah feel more sympathetic than angry toward Tony. He would have loved her if he’d been capable of it.

This is not the end of my story. I will have a happy ending because I’m determined to.

Thank you, Tony.

I may never have found my voice if I hadn’t found you first.
She smiled as she remembered how they’d met.
Or you found me. Whatever.

You didn’t give me your heart, but you gave me confidence and courage. In some weird, twisted way, you even gave me back my family.

Hmm.
Twisted
. Also a possible title.

Sarah flipped her notebook open and jotted it down. The words on the page blurred, and she saw Tony with painful clarity in her mind.
I wish I knew you were better off because of our time together. What did I give you?
She blushed as vivid memories of their nights together returned in force.
Well, besides that.

I chased you, cornered you, and then pushed you to be someone you’re not.

No wonder it didn’t work out.

You kept telling me you weren’t ready, but I heard only what I wanted to hear.

Sarah thought back to their time together at the cabin and what he’d shared when he’d opened up to her. He hadn’t always been incapable of love. He’d loved Missy, the mare he’d trained that his father had sold.
How old did he say he’d been? Twelve? That would have been eighteen years ago. Can she still be alive? Depending on how old she was when he’d trained her, maybe. Some horses live into their thirties and beyond.

But how would I even begin to look for her?

Dean.

Sarah contacted him through the Fort Mavis Sheriff’s Department. After all, this was sort of a community service request. It was for a member of his community.

Dean didn’t require much convincing. It was a long shot and he told her so, but he promised to look into it. Unbelievably, he called back the next morning and, after checking with Steve and Cindy to let them know she’d be gone for part of the day, Sarah hitched the empty trailer to her SUV. Missy was with a family a couple of hours away, and now that the children had all grown and gone, the aging parents kept her as a pasture pet. They weren’t looking to sell her, but that didn’t stop Sarah.

I’m not leaving without her.

I don’t care what she costs.

I’ll bring her home, clean her up, and call David. He’ll know the best way to deliver her to Tony.

Chapter Twenty-Three

I
t was late morning when Tony pulled into the driveway of Melanie’s parents’ house. Melanie had told him to park near the barn because Sarah was staying in the attached apartment at the back of the house.

Sarah’s car wasn’t parked where Melanie had said it would probably be, and she didn’t answer his knock on her door.
So much for surprising her.

Tony walked to the main house and bypassed the doorbell for a more satisfying thundering knock on the door. A young brown-haired woman, who appeared to be in her early twenties, opened the door. Her eyes rounded at the sight of him. “Oh,” she said, “you’re not supposed to be here.”

“Where is Sarah?” Tony demanded. When he’d rehearsed his speech on the way over, it hadn’t occurred to him that she might not be there.

“She’s not here,” the young woman said.

“That much is obvious,” Tony replied, quickly losing his patience.

An older woman’s voiced called out from inside the house, “Who is it, Bunny?”

“It’s Tony Carlton,” the young woman called back.

“What’s he doing here?” the woman asked, not waiting for the answer before rushing to her daughter’s side to find out for herself. The elegantly dressed woman held out a hand in greeting. “Mr. Carlton, what a surprise.”

With a nod, Tony reluctantly shook her hand. “Ma’am, I came to see Sarah. Melanie told me she’s staying with you.”

“She is, but she went out to run an errand this morning. I’ll tell her you dropped by.”

“I’ll wait,” Tony stated with determination.

“Mom, he can’t. It’ll ruin everything.”

“Bunny, stop. Does it really matter how he finds out?”

Tony’s temper began to rise.
What don’t they want me to know? Did I leave Sarah alone for too long? Did she find someone else? If so, I hope she’s not overly attached to a man I’m going to kill when I meet him.
Between gritted teeth, Tony asked, “Find out
what
?”

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway caught Tony’s attention. He didn’t wait for an answer to his question; he strode down the steps and headed toward Sarah’s apartment. It was Sarah driving her SUV with the horse trailer in tow. She parked next to the barn and jumped out, rushing to the side of his truck and looking around.

Fortunately, she was alone.

“Sarah,” he said. He knew his tone had been harsh and was wishing he’d softened it when she spun toward him. He saw the joy she felt at seeing him, just before she reined her emotions in.

I’m an ass.

There isn’t anyone else.

He closed the distance between them, rehearsing exactly what he’d say to convince her to give him a second chance. He’d start with an apology. He’d tell her how much he’d missed her, how much he needed her. And then, he’d tell her what had taken him weeks to admit to himself.

I love you.

She took a step toward him, and he swung her up and held her slightly above him, kissing her with all the passion that had been building within him since he’d last seen her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and settled into his arms as he lowered her slowly against his chest. Her tears mixed with their kiss. He buried his face in her hair and held her to himself.

“I was a fool,” he said urgently, hugging her closer.

She pulled back so she could look into his eyes and said, “No, I was. I pushed you when I should have given you time.”

He cupped her face in his hands and said, “I didn’t need more time, I needed a swift kick in the pants, and you leaving me did that. I was trapped in the past. You set me free.”

Still crying even though she was smiling, Sarah said, “Are you really here?”

He kissed her lips lightly, tenderly. “Yes, and I hope you can pack fast, because you’re coming home with me.”

She cocked her head to one side. “Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“I know what I want and that’s you, Sarah.”

Her beautiful brown eyes searched his face. “For how long?”

He ran a light thumb over her bottom lip. “Forever.”

She launched herself onto her tiptoes and kissed him, and the world around them receded. All that existed, all that mattered, was the two of them and their hunger for each other. They kissed until the desire to rip each other’s clothing off, right there in the driveway, almost won out.

Tony broke off the kiss and rested his forehead on hers, their mutual labored breathing blocking out all other sounds. “Do you have anything inside that you can’t get later? You already have Scooter loaded. Let’s go home. We’ll come back for my truck and your things tomorro
w . . .
or the next day. I want you in my bed, and once I have you there, I can’t imagine we’ll be leaving it anytime soon.”

Flushed and looking a bit bemused, Sarah said, “That’s not Scooter in the trailer.”

“You bought yourself another horse?”

Sarah touched his cheek softly. “No, I bought you one.”

He looked at the trailer but couldn’t see more than a shadow of what was inside. “You bought me a horse? Does that mean you’d decided to come back?”

“No,” she said, her eyes brimming with emotion. “I was going to have David deliver her to you.”

“I don’t understand,” Tony said.

“Go look at her,” Sarah suggested.

The last thing Tony cared about right then was a horse, but Sarah seemed to care an awful lot about her gift, so he went to the back of the trailer and opened it. To his surprise, it wasn’t a quarter horse or even a young horse.

Sarah opened the side door and unclipped the horse’s harness. An aged white mare backed off the trailer. Tony’s gut clenched painfully as he recognized her profile.

It can’t be.

He put out his hand for the mare to smell. She whinnied into his palm, then rubbed her head roughly against him. His voice came out in a whisper. “Missy?”

Emotion flooded him as he tried to make sense of what he’d never dared to think possible. Sarah had found the horse his father had sold when he was twelve. The only horse he’d ever let himself love.

Did she remember him? Before Sarah, Tony would have said she couldn’t. He would have dismissed her greeting and the way she was nuzzling against him as learned behavior—something she associated with any human contact. But as he looked into those wise equine eyes, he saw recognition and love.

“Where did you find her?” He put his hand out to Sarah, and his heart swelled when she took it between both of hers.

“Dean found her. The people that owned her bought her at an auction in your town from your father. They remembered him. She’s been at their farm ever since. All their children learned to ride on her, but they retired her when their kids moved out. If I hadn’t told them your story, they would have let her graze in their back field for the rest of her life. They loved her, Tony, just like you did. And they would like to come visit her at your ranch if you’ll let them.”

Whatever wall had been left around Tony’s heart crumbled, and he pulled Sarah into a bone-crushing embrace. He didn’t even try to hide the happy tears that ran down his cheeks. He wasn’t sure he’d ever done a single thing to deserve a woman as kindhearted and loving as Sarah, but he knew he’d spend the rest of his life trying to. “I love you, Sarah Dery,” he said.

Sarah wrapped her arms around Tony’s waist.
He loves me!
“It took you long enough to realize it.”

He pulled her to his side, kissed her upturned lips softly, and said, “From the moment I found you in my shower, I knew my life would never be the same.”

“In a good way?”

He kissed her cheek. “In the
best
way. When do you want to get married?”

Sarah laughed. “You’re not going to ask me first?”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m not giving you the option of saying no. But you can pick the date as long as it’s soon.”

“You are one pushy cowboy,” she teased.

For a long moment, he looked down into her eyes, and she glimpsed the sadness that had originally drawn her to him. “I love you, Sarah, and I am a better man because you came into my life.”

Sarah hugged him possessively. “Well, don’t change too much. I have a few things left on my list, and I don’t think they are nice-guy approved.”

A huge smile spread across Tony’s face. “List?”

Looking down at his chest, Sarah said, “It’s a bucket list.”
Or more accurately: My Fuck-It List.
Sarah chuckled at the thought that she wasn’t quite brave enough to share out loud.
I should write that down.

Tony held her just a little away from himself and waited until she looked up at him. “Tell me.”

My notebook can wait.

“Let’s go home,” Sarah said playfully, then whispered seductively against his lips, “I’d rather
show
you.”