The Lonesome Rancher (3 page)

“Well, looky here,” Bud said.

“Come on, sweetheart.” Jade got into the act. “Let’s show ’em what you can do.”

With another hard tug from Sloan, the foal was out. He released the legs and let both mama and baby rest. “It’s a filly.”

A cheer went up in the gallery as some of the ranch hands began to gather around. “Great job, boss.”

“Great job, Polly,” Jade added as she continued to stroke the exhausted animal.

Sloan’s gaze caught hers. “I guess this wasn’t in your job description, huh?”

She smiled. “I guess not, but I’d call it an added bonus. I’ve seen my share of babies being born, but nothing like this. Thank you.”

He seemed surprised by her words. “You’re welcome.”

Jade climbed to her feet and brushed off her slacks, not caring she’d probably ruined her best pair.

Sloan was washing off when he handed Jade a towel. “You want to do the honors?” He nodded to the filly.

They turned toward the foal as she was starting to stand. Jade began to wipe the animal down. Then Sloan pulled her back as the mare decided to stand up.

“Be careful,” he warned. “Polly is gentle but she’s also a new mama.” They moved toward the other side of the pen, and finished the job on the foal, then nudged her toward her mother’s tit to feed.

“Good job, Miss Jade,” Bud said, coming up to her. “I think Polly liked having another female around.”

“Thank you,” she acknowledged to the older man who looked as if he’d spent years in the sun.

“Hey, what about me?” Sloan said. “I had something to do with the birthing.”

“And you had my help, kid. Remember I had all the muscle behind you.” He smiled brightly, showing off the lines around his eyes.

“And I was holding on to a slippery foal.”

Jade could easily see the closeness of the two men. It was obvious how much they cared about each other. She hadn’t experienced many friendships outside her
mother, and Jim Hamilton had been gone from her life shortly after Jade’s arrival.

Renee had health issues by the time Jade reached high school. She hadn’t had the time for friends with her mother’s advancing MS.

Even when Jade began her career, she’d still spent more time with her mother than friends, except Carrie Bradley. Even Carrie had caused some jealousy with her mother.

She suddenly heard her name. “What?”

Sloan was watching her. “I said, you came through. Thank you.” He glanced over her messy attire. “If Marta can’t work her miracle, then I owe you a blouse and pants.”

“It’s okay.”

“It would be wise to wear jeans during your time here,” he told her.

“Why, will there be more deliveries?”

Sloan didn’t want to like this woman. As far as he was concerned, she was an intruder. “Maybe if you’re good at your job you’ll be able to get my mother back on a horse.”

Horseback riding! “I didn’t know that was in my job description, either.”

Sloan frowned. “You don’t ride?”

She straightened. “Maybe once or twice as a kid. I was raised in the city.”

“You were raised in Texas.”

Bud chimed in. “A few lessons and I bet you’ll be a natural.”

“I don’t have time for lessons. My time here is to be spent with Mrs. Merrick.”

The foreman pushed his hat back off his forehead, showing off his salt and pepper hair. “I’d say once you
get to know Miss Louisa you’ll realize how hard she is to keep up with. She was a very active woman. Her stroke slowed her down some, but with your help, we’re hopin’ she’ll be back to normal real soon.”

“I’ll be working on that. I’ll know more after I talk with her doctor.” Jade tried not to think about how her deception could affect Louisa. She wanted to blame everything on Clay Merrick, but she knew that she could have gone to Washington to talk to the man, but she’d chickened out.

Instead when she found this job and put in an application, she’d been totally surprised Louisa called her back. After a short talk, she asked her to come to the ranch for an interview.

“My mother’s a very determined woman,” Sloan said. “But she’s not ready to be cut loose on her own yet. So you can’t let her ride roughshod over you, either.”

“I’m not a pushover, Mr. Merrick. I know how to handle my patients.”

“Mr. Merrick,” Bud repeated and began to laugh. “There hasn’t been anyone here called Mr. Merrick since Sam, your grandfather.” Bud pushed Sloan’s hat playfully. “It’s just Senator and Sloan.”

Sloan shook his head. “We’re pretty informal around here.”

“So it’s first names and wear jeans,” Jade said.

“And boots,” Bud added. “You don’t want to walk around a barn and horses without boots on.”

This time she laughed, no matter how much she didn’t want to.

“We’ve lived here twenty-six years last May,” Louisa said as they sat at the supper table that evening. The meal was in the garden room off the kitchen, another
space with lots of windows. A large glass-top table and comfortable chairs was the central feature. Clay pots were filled with live plants that lined the open windows, inviting in the pleasant fall weather.

“Back then, Samuel and Alice Merrick were still alive and this was the area’s largest cattle ranch. And this house resembled a mausoleum. It was very formal and cold.” Louisa smiled at her son. “Then Clay brought us here to live.”

Jade forced a smile, not wanting to think about her father adopting another man’s child, when he’d abandoned his own daughter. But had he even known about Kathryn’s pregnancy?

She shook away any negative thoughts. She was here now, in this house, and so close to finding out who she was. And she had no idea what would happen next.

Her first day had been an interesting one. Once Louisa had woken from her nap, they’d gone into the exercise room that had every piece of equipment imaginable. Jade had to work hard to get Louisa focused on the routine she was supposed to do daily. The woman was in very good shape for her age of fifty-eight, even after a stroke, but exercise would help tremendously for her recovery.

And it helped Jade’s conscience that Louisa wouldn’t be helpless when she left. She did not doubt that when her true identity was discovered, she wouldn’t be welcomed any longer.

She closed her eyes. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It was Clay Merrick who should have answered the door—and been the one to interview her. She’d had a plan to confront him. To question him about her mother and why he left. Now, she wasn’t sure what to do next.

Louisa spoke up. “Since you’ve helped bring a foal into the world, you’ll probably be bored tomorrow.” She turned to her son. “Unless you have something else in mind for Jade.”

Jade felt heat rush to her face. “Louisa, I’m here for you,” she insisted. “It’s whatever you want me to help you with.”

“I’m flexible with my schedule. And I’m happy you were there for Polly,” Louisa said. “That chestnut is a favorite of mine.” With a sigh, she went on. “It seems like yesterday that she was a foal. Where does the time go?”

“Mother, Polly’s only three years old,” Sloan reminded her. “And if you hadn’t been asleep, I would have had you there, too. Next time, I’ll make sure of it.”

Louisa smiled. Jade doubted much happened around here without this woman knowing about it.

Had she known about her husband’s past? Had he ever told her about Kathryn Lowery? Did he still have affairs with younger women?

“Jade…”

She jumped, realizing someone had called her name.

“Excuse me. Did you say something?”

“Are you feeling all right?” Louisa asked and nodded toward the plate of enchiladas. “Is the food okay?”

“Oh, yes, it’s delicious.” She glanced at Marta as she came into the dining room. “I guess I’m a little tired.”

Louisa frowned. “That’s right, you came all the way from Dallas, and here we put you right to work. We could have waited a day or two.”

Jade smiled. “No, really, I’m fine. Please, don’t
worry about me. I came here for a job, so I planned on starting right away.”

Sloan watched Jade Hamilton. Even exhausted, the woman was beautiful. She looked more like a model than a nurse. It still puzzled him to why she was here. A rural ranch outside of Kerry Springs wasn’t exactly an exciting place to live.

“I hope you don’t regret being so far away from everyone and everything familiar,” he said. “A small town has a lot of disadvantages.”

“And it has a lot of advantages, too,” she told him. “Such as no five o’clock traffic, which means no crazy drivers.”

“We also have no nightlife.”

“Drinking in bars can be overrated,” she argued.

“What about fine dining?”

Jade smiled. “I heard that Rory’s Bar and Grill has great barbecue.”

Sloan nodded. “The best.”

Louisa jumped in. “Son, you’ll have to take Jade in to give her a sample.”

Great, he’d walked into that one. “Ms. Hamilton needs to focus on you.”

Those beautiful eyes widened. He suddenly wondered what else he could get her to react to. Whoa, he needed to take a step back. This was an employee, his mother’s nurse.

He stood. “I should check on the filly.”

“Why don’t you take Jade along?” his mother suggested. “I mean, she did help deliver her.”

Jade shook her head. “No. I need to stay with you.”

Louisa shrugged. “I’m going to watch television with Marta. If I need to go upstairs, there’s the elevator.” She
waved her arm. “Now, go. You’re dying to see that foal again.”

Jade relented.

Sloan shot his mother a disapproving look, but it didn’t seem to faze her. He waited for Jade to head out the door first, turned back and spoke in Spanish.
“Basta, Madre.”

She smiled up at him. “Enough what, dear?”

He ignored her innocent look as he met up with Jade. The evening was cool and he handed her a jacket from the hook near the back door.

“Here, you better put this on,” he said as he held it out for her. When she slipped her arms in, he caught a whiff of her perfume, a fresh citrus scent.

“The first thing to know about my mother is that she likes getting her way.”

She glanced at him as they headed toward the barn. “What woman doesn’t?”

“But Louisa is relentless when she sets her mind to something. Just don’t let her get away with anything.”

“You forget it was your mother who wanted me here. She’s the one who wants to recover.”

He opened the door to the barn and paused as he found himself leaning closer to her. In less than twenty-four hours, she’d managed to draw him in, made him want and need. Damn, if she wasn’t the most tempting woman. He quickly roped in his desire and managed to speak. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He motioned for her to walk in ahead of him. Mistake. He tried not to stare at her shapely backside, but lost the fight and enjoyed the view as they made their way down the aisle toward the last pen. It was quiet and that was how he liked things. Polly spotted him and
blew out a long breath in greeting. “How are you doing, girl?”

The chestnut made her way to the gate and let Sloan rub her muzzle. “You had quite a day, Mama.” He glanced down at the filly. “Well, hello to you, too, little one.”

He lowered his hand, but it was Jade who got the attention. The filly with the white star on her forehead came toward her. “I guess you females stick together.”

Jade knelt down and coaxed the filly with her hand. “It’s my voice. It’s softer. Oh, she’s so cute.”

That wasn’t the only soft thing about Jade. He glanced away from the soft skin of her cheeks, only to catch the generous curve of her backside. He released a frustrated breath. He needed to get out more and get away from a certain pretty nurse, or he might be in some big trouble.

T
HE
next morning, Sloan was out of the house and on his way to the barn before dawn. Over the next two hours he worked alongside the other hands to feed livestock and set up the work schedule for the day before he finally came in for breakfast.

Five years ago after college, he’d moved out of the main house. He’d built his own place just up the road about a quarter of a mile. The one thing he did was come by occasionally and share breakfast with his mother. After her stroke and his father’s return to Washington, he’d stayed over, temporarily, when his sister was out of town.

Now there was Nurse Jade on the premises so he could go back to his place. In truth, Jade Hamilton was a distraction. He couldn’t even walk past her bedroom door this morning without pausing, hoping to see her again. Still, he told himself he needed to wait a little longer to see how things worked out. He’d stay here a few more nights.

A pretty woman arriving in Kerry Springs sent up several warning signals for him. Although the feelings had gone cold, the bad memories were still raw. The difference this time from the last, he planned to keep his distance.

He wasn’t the only one who’d been intrigued by the nurse. He’d seen how the ranch hands had watched her yesterday in the barn. It was not what he needed right now with the fall roundup coming soon. All ranch hands needed to focus on their jobs.

That included him. This was the future of River’s End. His chance to prove to Clay that he could make the ranch thrive. His way.

He headed up the porch steps to the back door. After scraping his boots, he walked in and hung his hat on the hook. He found Marta at the stove and greeted her, but before he could ask about his mother, he heard voices coming from the garden room. As he entered, he saw something he hadn’t seen in a while.

A happy Louisa Merrick. Then his attention went to her companion.

Jade looked fresh and pretty this morning. Her hair was pulled back from her face, exposing her creamy skin, pert nose and delicate jaw. Then she smiled and it caused his heart rate to accelerate.

“This is crazy,” he mumbled and walked in.

His mother saw him first. “Sloan, I was wondering where you were.”

“I was working. Remember, there’s a ranch to run.”

His mother frowned. “Someone is grumpy this morning. I told you, son, you need more leisure time. You can’t let this place consume you.”

He glanced at Jade. At least he could be cordial. “Mornin’, Jade.”

“Good morning, Sloan,” she answered in a soft voice.

He dished up eggs and hash browns onto his plate. “Maybe I’ll feel better once I have some breakfast.”

“You always were grouchy when you were hungry.”

He swallowed a big bite. “Well, that should be fixed soon.” He wanted to change the subject. “What are your plans today?”

Louisa looked proud of herself. “We’ve already been working. Jade talked with my therapist when she came by earlier, so she can help me with my daily exercises.” Louisa glanced at Jade. “And since I’ve been such a good patient, after breakfast we’re going into town. I have a hair appointment in an hour.”

He nearly choked on his food. Hadn’t the family been trying for weeks to get her into town? “A hair appointment?”

“Don’t you think it’s about time I do something with this mess?” She pointed to her dark hair streaked with gray pulled back into a ponytail.

He shot a look at Jade, wondering how she’d talked Louisa into this. “You always look beautiful, Mom, but I agree this will make you feel better.”

“Good. So don’t expect us home for lunch because we have more plans. And we may just stop by the Blind Stitch, too.”

He shook his head. “Whoa, I don’t think you should overdo it. It’s been a while since you’ve spent the day out.”

Louisa studied her son. “I know you’re concerned, but I’ll let Jade know if it’s too much for me. Now I need to go upstairs and get ready.”

Jade immediately got up as did Sloan.

“No, both of you finish your breakfast. I can manage.” Louisa reached for her walker. “Besides, I’m sure you have questions for Jade. Don’t bully her.”

They watched her leave, then Sloan motioned for Jade to sit down.

Jade braced herself.

“Don’t you think you’re moving too fast?”

“I wouldn’t do anything without checking with your mother’s doctor,” she said confidently. “Dr. Carstairs returned my call about thirty minutes ago. He agrees it would be good for Louisa to get out of the house. In fact he’s been suggesting that to her for the past month.”

Sloan continued to stare at her. “Seems you’ve worked a miracle.”

She cocked her head. “Are you upset because you’re worried about your mother, or that I’m the one who got her to go into town?”

He seemed to relax a little. “Maybe both. She hasn’t exactly been in an agreeable mood lately.”

She nodded. “Yes, your mother is stubborn. I’ve come to realize sometimes it’s easier for a person to confide in a stranger, than ask help from family.”

“My mother can be a handful when she wants to be.”

“Perhaps she enjoys the attention?”

“That’s Mom.” He sighed. “A lot of people envy her, but she hasn’t had a perfect life. Being married to a political icon hasn’t been easy. Although, she’s never been a fan of D.C. lifestyle and all the politics. She was born and bred in Texas. It’s her home. She’s always been more comfortable on the ranch with her family around her.” He studied Jade. “All in all, she’s a private person. Alisa and I are, too.”

Jade couldn’t help but hear a little animosity in his voice, she was also distracted about the possibility of having a half sister. So far she’d only seen a few pictures of Alisa Merrick up in Louisa’s bedroom. She wanted answers to so many things, but Sloan wasn’t the one to ask.

All she needed to do now was her job. Already, she’d gotten more involved with this family than she should, or had any right to. But she found a glimpse had made her want more.

That didn’t seem to keep her from asking, “Doesn’t the senator usually come home on the weekends?”

He nodded, but there was the suspicious look. “He’s staying in D.C. now because of an important vote coming up. He’ll be home in another week. I handle ranch business and any family business. Why? Is there a reason he should come sooner?”

Jade shook her head. “No. Only that it might lift your mother’s spirits.”

“Being apart from her husband is something my mother has had to deal with during their entire marriage.” He took a drink of coffee. “Merricks have been in public service for years. We should have all moved to D.C. years ago.

“Why didn’t you?”

He glared, then finally answered, “Because our mother didn’t want to take me and my sister from a normal life with our friends and school.”

She studied him for a moment. If anyone belonged here on the ranch, it was Sloan. “I can’t see you living in Washington, either. You seem to love this place too much.”

He smiled and she felt a warm rush. It quickly died. “Not everyone feels that way.”

Jade put down her fork. She wasn’t hungry any longer. She was itching to dig for more information. To get insight into her father. Instead she decided to only let Sloan talk if he wanted. “Isn’t your father happy that you’re running the ranch?”

He shook his head. “What made you think it’s my father?”

She opened her mouth to deny it, but couldn’t come out with the words.

“You’re somewhat right. Dad hasn’t taken much interest in ranching in a long time. Since I inherited my section of land on the ranch, I’m raising my own free-range cattle. I’m also experimenting with a drought-tolerant grass, which can stand up to our brutal Texas summers.”

She raised an eyebrow. So he wasn’t just a good-looking cowboy. “I’m impressed.”

He shrugged, then seemed to realize that he’d opened up to her. “Just testing right now.”

“Would I get fired if I said I don’t eat beef?”

His eyes narrowed. “It’s a free world.”

“I thought that would be a capital offense around here.” She tried to joke, but he didn’t seem to think it was humorous.

She stood and carried her plate into the kitchen, came back with the coffeepot and filled his mug and hers. “Sloan, you can be assured of one thing, I will always put your mother’s needs first.”

Jade sat back down. “Her stroke has been a big hit to her pride. She’s lucky. She should recover fully and lead a normal life.”

He shook his head. “Oh, Jade, why would she start now? Louisa Cruz Sloan Merrick never has before.”

Two hours later while Louisa was having her hair done at Sissy’s Scissor Salon in town, Jade took off to the drugstore to buy some personal items. Then to the general store where she purchased two pairs of jeans, some cotton blouses and T-shirts.

Since she’d been hired on the spot yesterday, she hadn’t had time to prepare for anything. Not for moving into the Merrick home, or having Louisa take her in as if they were long lost friends. At this point, she wasn’t sure how things would turn out. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Honestly, she was a little afraid to know the outcome.

Thirty minutes later, she’d taken the shopping bag back to the black town car that Sloan insisted they take for their outing. The driver was Marta’s husband, Miguel, who was sitting on a bench in the shade.

With a smile, the middle-aged man took her purchases and placed them in the trunk. It amazed her how the Merrick family lived. It was so different from how she grew up in the small rental house in Dallas.

She couldn’t help but wonder if things would have been altered if Clay knew about her? Whoa, was she even his daughter? Yet, even though she didn’t have any proof, everything led her to believe she was a Merrick.

So would the state’s favorite son be forgiven for his past indiscretions? As far as she could tell, no one had a bad word to say about Clay or the family. Over the years, he’d helped pass legislation that had been beneficial for the state, especially the ranchers.

Was the man still a womanizer? Her own research hadn’t brought up a single story of him being unfaithful, or doing anything unethical. Of course, she knew otherwise.

Jade walked back to the salon and found Louisa sporting a new short haircut, her face glowing with a subtle amount of makeup.

“You look amazing,” Jade said.

The thirty-something hairdresser and owner, Sissy
Henderson added, “I’ve been trying to talk Miss Louisa into this cut forever. Doesn’t she look years younger?”

Louisa made a groaning sound. “The cane kind of gives away my age.”

“That’ll be gone soon,” Jade told her.

She’d talked Louisa into leaving the walker at home and using the cane today. She’d handled it right off. “With the way you’re attacking your exercises, I’ll give it a few weeks.”

That brought a smile. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

They started for the door. “I bet the senator is going to flip over your new look. If so, you owe me a big tip.” Sissy winked and gave a wave as they walked out.

Sadness showed on Louisa’s face as they headed for the sidewalk. “It would be a first in a long time,” she murmured.

Jade caught the words and didn’t react to them. “Where to next? The Blind Stitch.”

Louisa hesitated. “Maybe that isn’t a good idea today.”

Jade was concerned about her change of heart. “Are you feeling okay?”

“A little tired.”

“They’re your friends, Louisa. They love you and miss you. And I think you miss them, too.”

“I do.” They made their way down the street and ended up at the quilt shop’s storefront. “It’s just that things have changed. I’ve changed.”

“Not inside. You’re still the same in your heart. That’s what they love about you.”

Suddenly the shop door opened and Jenny appeared. “Louisa Merrick, don’t you dare walk by without stopping in.”

Louisa’s face lit up. “Well, Jenny Rafferty, I guess you weren’t going to let me even if I tried.”

“You got that right.” The young woman hugged Louisa. “You look wonderful. Oh, my, I love the new do.” She nodded toward her hair. “So youthful.”

Louisa laughed. “I must have looked like an old hag.”

“Oh, you couldn’t if you tried.” She turned to Jade. “Hi, Jade. Thank you for bringing her by.”

“You’re welcome.”

Louisa waved a hand. “Wait a minute. Have I been set up?”

Jenny opened the door wider. “As if we could get anything past you. Come on in, the girls are anxious to see you.”

Louisa relented and made her way inside. Jenny led them through the store and into the connecting room where at a round table in the corner there were four women. “Ladies, look who’s here.”

With a squeal, the group of women got out of their chairs and hurried toward them. After several hugs and a few tears, Louisa composed herself, then introduced the group. “Jade, this is Beth, Liz, Lisa and Caitlin. The girls from the Quilters’ Corner. Jade is my nurse.”

They exchanged greetings with her, then someone asked, “Do you quilt, Jade?”

She shook her head. “I mostly watched my mother, and that was years ago.”

Another woman walked over. “Then we’ll have to get you involved with us.” She smiled at Jade. “Hi, I’m Millie, and I work here. I could get you started on something simple. Louisa can bring you in.”

Jade shook her head. “I think I’m staying pretty busy right now.”

“Yeah, Louisa is a handful, all right.”

Everyone laughed, including Louisa who said, “I can see how much you girls missed me.”

Beth stepped up. “You can’t believe how much. Dang, woman, I’m so glad you’re back.”

“I’m not back exactly. I still have a bum hand. I can’t make a stitch worth a darn.”

Jade could see how hard that was for her to admit.

“Come anyway, and sort fabrics, stamp blocks, use the cutter,” Millie said. “We just want your company.”

Jade could see that Louisa was touched. “You do need someone to keep you all working. How are the hospital baby quilts coming?”

“We’re a little behind. And there’s two babies due at the end of November.”

Louisa turned to Jade. “We make quilts for all the newborns born in the area.”