The Cowboy's Return

How long will you stay? she asked him silently. Would he give her notice before he left or just take off? They’d only agreed on a few days, no more than a week. She couldn’t afford him for longer than that.

So. Get Austin to the movies with a friend and enjoy this opportunity with a man who wants you.

She shoved her hair back, pulled it into a ponytail so hard it hurt. Who was this Annie Barnard, thinking about having a onetime fling with a drifter whose last name she didn’t even know?

He comes with condoms.

She finally laughed at herself. She was a woman in the prime of her life who’d been denied intimacy for far too long, and it was manifesting itself by turning her into some kind of … tart. That made her laugh harder. She dropped onto the couch and buried her face in her hands, stifling the sounds.

“Are you okay, Mom?”

She felt the grin on her face as she looked up at her son, all sleepy-eyed and adorable. “I am A-okay.”

“It kinda looked like you were going crazy.”

“In a good way.” She pulled him into a big hug, then offered her pinky. “A day at a time,” they said in unison.

“Where’s Mitch?”

“Outside, I believe. He’s anxious to get started on the high tunnel.”

“Me, too!”

“Then I’ll get breakfast going so we can do just that.”

Breakfast was scrambled eggs plus oatmeal with blueberries from their garden. Annie was grateful that Austin filled the dead spaces in the conversation, as Mitch said little. Then they all headed to the yard and the immense project awaiting them.

Maybe one person could have erected the structure, but it would have taken days. By dinnertime, there was still work to be done, even with three of them working almost nonstop on it. But the construction went smoothly and would be finished by the next day. Then there would be end walls to construct and water lines to update from the old greenhouse remains—if they could be salvaged.

Annie was beyond pleased. She sat on the porch late in the day, sipping water and admiring what they’d accomplished so far. If Mitch had to leave now, she and Austin could finish it. Her relief was beyond measure, as the greenhouse was a huge part of her future success.

Yes, there were a lot more projects that needed attention, but none as important.

With Austin inside computer-chatting with a friend, she closed her eyes and pushed the glider with her toes until she heard Mitch’s boots as he climbed the stairs.

“Good day’s work,” he said, not sitting beside her, not sitting at all, in fact.

“Tremendous. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Teamwork.” He looked out over her land. “It’s peaceful here.”

“It took me a while to get used to,” she said. More than a while, especially after Rick left and it was just her and Austin. The isolation occasionally got to her. Although she was friendly with a few people in the area, she didn’t have a true girlfriend yet. For one, she was too busy. Then it also cost money for gas to head to town to have lunch now and then, not to mention the price of the lunch.

Her only real social time was on Monday nights at the farmer’s market.

“Someone’s coming,” she said, sitting up at the sound of a vehicle turning into her road.

“I’m not ready for anyone to know I’m back yet,” Mitch said.

“Okay.” She wasn’t sure she should be protecting him, but for the moment, she would.

He jogged over to the shed where his truck was stored, shutting the big doors to block the vehicle from view inside.

A truck with a Morgan Ranch sign painted on the door pulled up. Win Morgan got out and sauntered over to her. He was younger than Annie and looked much like his father, Shep, who’d tried to buy her land. His brown hair and eyes might be commonplace, but his face wasn’t. He was about the handsomest man Annie had laid eyes on, especially when he smiled, like now.

“Evenin’, Ms. Barnard,” he said, all slow and charming.

“Mr. Morgan.”

“Now, I told you to call me Win.” He’d eased his way to the bottom of the steps. She didn’t go down to greet him, didn’t want to give up the advantage of height. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by and see if you need anything.”

“I appreciate the offer, but everything’s under control.”

“I see that. I’d heard through the grapevine that you got yourself a high tunnel and thought I’d offer to help you set it up, but I see you’ve already done it.”

There was a question in his words but not his inflection, so she didn’t answer him.

“Still don’t trust my motives, I guess,” he said with that charming smile. “Takes a while for a city girl to figure out we do things differently here. We help each other.”

“I have heard that. I just don’t need any help at the moment. But thanks.”

The screen door burst open. “Mom! Ben wants to—” He stopped, seeing Win. “Hi.”

Annie prayed Austin wouldn’t mention Mitch, but at the same time she didn’t want her son to lie for him, either. “Do you remember Mr. Morgan, Austin?”

“Sure.” Austin lifted his chin in acknowledgment. “How’s it going?”

“Good,” Win said. “Nice to see you again.”

Austin looked around. “Where’s—”

“What does Ben want?” Annie asked, diverting her son.

“For me to go bowling with him. His mom would pick me up and bring me home. Can I?”

She didn’t want to discuss specific times, since Win would then know when she would be home alone. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now you need to finish cleaning your room.”

He frowned but obeyed.

“I wouldn’t harm your son,” Win said, also frowning. “Nothing wrong with being friendly.”

“Your father put a lot of pressure on me to sell, which didn’t sit well. I’m suspicious of your offer of help—for good reason. Maybe in time I’ll relax about it.”

“Good enough.” He touched the brim of his hat in farewell, then he was in his truck waving a final goodbye.

Mitch moseyed over. “Thanks.”

She crossed her arms. “Why the secrecy?”

“My dad will want me back working at the family business. I want a little vacation between jobs.”

She laughed. “This is a vacation?”

His smile was crooked. “I’ve always considered a change of scenery to be a vacation. Hard work doesn’t bother me. I wouldn’t know what to do with idle time, anyway. In that sense, this is a vacation.”

“As long as you’re not hiding from the law.”

“No, ma’am. Not me.”

She decided he’d used the word ma’am to show he was serious and accepted that at face value. “You must be pretty well-known, since you got out of sight even before you knew who was coming up the drive.”

“As I said before, born and raised here.” Mitch came up beside her on the porch, close enough to touch but not doing so.

“I can’t ask my son to lie about you. He may very well tell his friend Ben, and therefore his parents, since he may be going bowling with them. In fact, I’m sure he would say something.”

Mitch shrugged. “If it happens, it happens. It’d just be sooner than I want.”

“I’m done,” Austin said as he pushed open the screen door and joined them.

“Thanks, honey. Now tell me about the invitation.”

“Tomorrow right after lunch. Ben’s big brother will be there, too. He’s thirteen. Their mom’s gonna do errands then come back and get us.”

Mitch wondered why Annie was hesitating. Because she kept her son tethered? Was she afraid to let him go somewhere without her? Because she didn’t know this boy Ben’s family well enough?

Because with Austin gone, they would be alone?

Mitch decided that was wishful thinking on his part. Attraction didn’t mean action. They were adults. They could control themselves.

Unfortunately.

“Pleeease,” Austin begged.

“Okay.”

She’d barely gotten the word out when Austin leaped into the air, spun a hundred and eighty degrees and opened the screen door, all at the same time.

Mitch smiled at his exuberance. “He must love bowling.”

“He’s never been before,” Annie said, staring at the door. “I think he’s happy to be getting out of some work.”

“I get that. I always had to work, too. Not much downtime, even during summer breaks. I missed my friends a lot when school was out, even with five brothers and sisters.”

“Five? Wow. I have a brother somewhere. He stopped communicating about ten years after he had a big fight with our parents. I really miss him.”

“Do you see your parents?”

“Now and then. They’re still moving from town to town, job to job. At the moment they’re in Florida working as campsite hosts. Rick’s parents are AWOL, too. Austin’s never had a chance to know his grandparents. Every time you talk about your grandfather, I feel sad for Austin.”

“He was my best friend,” Mitch said, but not wanting to talk further about him. “Need help making dinner?”

“Is that code for I’m hungry?”

“Maybe.”

“I’ll get it started.”

“I don’t mean to rush you.” He grinned, belying his statement. He’d been hungry for a couple of hours.

She laughed and went inside. He followed, intending to use the bathroom then see if he could fix the chicken coop before dinner. As he walked past the computer, he saw the boy Austin was talking to via Skype. They were exchanging energetic dialogue about video games and levels and blasts. In the background a woman walked by. Mitch stopped and stared as she came closer to the screen and waved.

Stunned, Mitch backed up as she spoke.

“Hi, Austin! See you tomorrow.”

“Okay! Thanks for inviting me.”

“You’re always welcome, sweetie.”

“Something wrong?” Annie asked from behind him.

“That’s Ben’s mom?” he whispered.

“Yes, Marissa Mazur. Do you know her?”

Mitch faced her. He wondered whether it was an omen or just fate laughing at him. “Pretty well, yes. She’s my ex-wife.”

Chapter Four

Annie tried to remember what she knew of Marissa. Had she spoken of an ex-husband? Their conversations had taken place at the boys’ school, at PTA events and bake sales and back-to-school night, or when one of the boys was being dropped off or picked up. Brief conversations about nothing in particular.

“If she has a thirteen-year-old son,” Annie said, “you must have been really young when you were married.”

“Older than you were, I think,” he said. “You’re thirty and have a ten-year-old.”

“Touché.” She smiled, not taking offense.

“She was my only girlfriend. We’d started dating when I was a junior and she was a sophomore, then got married when I was twenty-one. It lasted a year.”

“So, she’s from around here? I got the impression she’d moved here fairly recently.”

“She moved away before the divorce was final. I heard she’d remarried and was pregnant. I hadn’t heard she was back. But then, I’ve been gone.”

“Does it bother you?”

“Let’s just say our divorce was not amicable. What were the chances that Austin and her son are friends?”

“I can’t ask Austin not to go, Mitch.”

“I wasn’t suggesting that.” He shrugged. “Well, what happens, happens. It only means my father would know I’m back. Doesn’t change anything.”

Annie studied him, wondering why he didn’t want to go home. He’d said he and his family weren’t estranged, but something was keeping them apart.

“I’m gonna work on the coop until dinner,” he said, then walked out the door.

She returned to the kitchen. She’d put up a large quantity of tomatoes last year and used one of her last jars now to make spaghetti sauce. While she worked, she considered Mitch’s comment that his divorce wasn’t amicable. Hers had been, or reasonably so. She’d wanted the farm and Austin, and Rick hadn’t fought her on either, hadn’t even asked for joint custody. He called Austin every so often, sent him “guilt” gifts, but otherwise had stopped being his parent.

When Austin was younger and less jaded, he’d cried a lot because of things his father did or didn’t do. Now he was more philosophical about it, especially once she’d convinced him it had nothing to do with him, but his father’s immaturity. She always said Rick loved him—and he did—but that he just didn’t know how to show it.

If she gave Rick more credit than he deserved, that was okay. She only cared about how Austin felt.

She and Rick had parted ways with sadness but resignation. They were better apart.

So, what did “not amicable” mean? And why? Could she ask Mitch about it or wait for him tell her when—or if—he was ready?

“None of your business,” she muttered as she added herbs to her tomato sauce. Except—had it scarred him in a permanent way?

“Really none of your business,” she said aloud. She’d gathered greens from the garden earlier and now ripped them into pieces for salad, uncomfortable with how invested she already was in the stranger.

She leaned around the kitchen door to speak to her son. “Time to wrap it up, honey.”

“Hey, Annie!” Marissa shouted then came into the picture. “How’re you doing?”

Annie wiped her hands on a kitchen towel as she approached the computer and crouched over Austin’s shoulder. “Everything’s going well. How about you?”

“We found out I’m pregnant. With twins. Surprise!”

Annie felt a twinge of envy. “Congratulations.”

Marissa laughed. “Maybe. Hey, I’ll see you tomorrow around twelve-thirty.”

“Thanks for inviting him.”

The screen went blank. “Go see if you can help Mitch with the coop, please. It’ll be about a half hour until dinner.”

“Okay.”

Usually Bo was at his feet, but he’d already followed Mitch into the yard.

Annie plopped into the computer chair. Marissa had always seemed fun and upbeat. She was pretty, although she wore quite a bit of makeup and always had her hair fixed just so. But then, maybe Marissa thought Annie didn’t spruce herself up enough.

She tried to picture Mitch and Marissa together. She was tall and slender, when she wasn’t pregnant, anyway. They would look good as a couple.

But looking good has nothing to do with being right for each other.

“For heaven’s sake, stop obsessing,” she muttered, returning to the kitchen, prepping the garlic bread and finishing the salad before she called them in, wishing she had some hamburger to add to the sauce.

By the time dinner was over, the dishes were done, and the chickens rounded up, they all landed in front of the television, worn-out.

“Thanks for repairing the coop,” she said to Mitch.

“Won’t hold forever.”

“The story of my life.” She smiled. “I should rename this place Superglue Farm.”

Austin was channel surfing but laughed.

“Does the farm have a name?” Mitch asked. “There isn’t a sign out front.”

“The Barn Yard. I had to get rid of the old sign, there was so little left of it. Someday I’ll build a new one.”

“You’ve got plenty of wood from the old greenhouse,” Mitch said. “Rustic is a popular look, I understand.”

“You mean I’d be in style? Imagine that.”

“Austin and I could build you a sign in the morning before we finish up the high tunnel.”

“Don’t forget I won’t be here after lunch,” Austin said earnestly. “And I don’t wanna be too dirty before they come pick me up.”

Mitch smiled, appreciating the ploy for what it was. He’d tried to get out of work when he was that age, too, had gotten just as creative. “Well, maybe we should go build it now instead, before you shower.”

Austin looked toward his mother, as if she would get him out of it somehow.

But Annie only said, “I’ve got some outdoor paint in the barn.”

“Aw, Mom.”

Annie glanced at Mitch, her brows raised in question. He gave her a thumbs-up then a thumbs-down. She considered it for a few seconds then turned her thumb down.

Mitch was struck by the sense they were working as a team. Parenting. It took him a moment to come up with something to say to the boy. “I guess you’ve worked hard enough for one day. But as for tomorrow, you know you can take a shower after lunch. I’d planned on having you dig a trench for the water lines in the high tunnel.”

“Me? But … you’re the one with all the muscles!”

Mitch laughed. “Gotcha.”

Austin dived at Mitch, laughing, too. They tussled a bit. Bo joined in, too, at first protectively then barking and hopping, as if playing the game. It took Mitch back to childhood, wrestling with his brothers, challenging each other.

Austin finally sat back, panting, rubbing his hands down Bo’s fur as he panted, too. “That was fun!”

“Who wants dessert?” Annie asked, standing.

“We have dessert?” Austin’s eyes went wide. “Or just peaches?”

“Sugar cookies.”

Austin’s arm shot up. “Me, Mom!”

Mitch mimicked him. “Me, boss!”

Austin finally found a TV program he wanted to watch. Annie was in the kitchen. Mitch had time to think. He should tell Annie his last name before she found out another way. If Austin talked about him and Marissa figured out her ex-husband was hiding out at the Barnard place, she would spread the word, maybe not maliciously but the result would be same.

On the other hand, if Mitch told Annie, she would jump to the conclusion that he’d been there on behalf of his father. Why else keep his last name to himself? He doubted there was anything he could say to change her mind about that.

Hell, he wouldn’t believe him, either.

Not wanting to examine it further, he went into the kitchen. “Need help?”

He caught her crying, quietly, smiling unapologetically, dabbing at her tears. “Thank you for playing with Austin. He’s missed out on so much, especially family life.”

Mitch let her words sink in then came close, keeping his voice low. “I’m not going to be here long, Annie.”

“Oh, I know. I know. It was just fun to see him like that. I know you’re leaving.”

Maybe he should go now, before the boy got too attached. He hadn’t considered that. He’d just been enjoying him. “There are other places I can stay, you know. I could come back during the day and work, then not hang around. Then when the work’s done …”

He let the words trail off, because he didn’t know how to finish the sentence. He should be just as worried about the attachments he was forming as he was about Austin. And Annie, too, maybe. Although hers might just be physical.

“Marissa is pregnant with twins,” Annie said into his swirling thoughts.

The Marissa he knew had never wanted kids—although he didn’t learn that until after the wedding. “She’ll have four, then?”

“Five. She has a daughter younger than Ben.”

He realized Annie was watching him for a reaction. “Well, good for her.”

She’d stacked cookies on a plate and poured milk for all of them. He picked up two glasses and headed to the living room. From that point, the evening was more subdued. Austin showered and went to bed when told. Annie went next.

Mitch couldn’t deal with being within hearing range of her showering, so he went outside and sat on the glider. Bo came along, abandoning Austin’s bed when he heard the front door open.

The quiet night washed over Mitch in soothing waves. It wasn’t quite dark yet. The sun had set but the sky held a tinge of orange and purple. It would fade soon, too soon. He’d always loved summer evenings, the welcome cooling after a long day of being out in the sun.

She’d created a home. He understood why she was fighting so hard to keep it. He had a house he’d hadn’t seen in three years, one he’d helped build and he’d missed it like crazy, but he’d figured he would appreciate it even more when he came back. Now he had a hankering to see it again, to sleep in his own bed.

He must have made a noise because Bo whined then set his head in Mitch’s lap as if sympathetic. He hadn’t felt homesick while he was in Argentina, just sick with grief, which had lessened in time, and guilt, which hadn’t.

He’d been able to set aside his anger and disappointment when his marriage ended after a much shorter period of time, and had barely thought about Marissa for years. Now here she was, back in Red Valley, mother of three and pregnant with twins. He’d never known someone could change to the degree she had. Not even close.

Bo hopped up a moment before the door opened and Annie came out. Mitch stood, offering the glider to her.

She waved him off. “I just wanted to say good night.”

“Night.” He couldn’t get rid of the image of her crying because he’d played with her son. She might be strong, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel the same things every mother felt.

She didn’t move.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

“I’ve been considering asking Austin to keep your secret.”

Mitch moved toward her. “I appreciate that, but I don’t want to ask him to lie.”

“He wouldn’t be lying, just not talking about you. There’s a difference.”

“Why would you do that, Annie?”

“Because I trust you. I think you must have good reasons for keeping your identity a secret.”

“For the moment. Not forever.”

“I understand that. I think we can enlist Austin for a short time.”

Mitch considered it, but not for long. “I’m willing to let fate have her way.”

“Fate’s a she?”

“Isn’t she? The three goddesses of mythology, if I recall ninth-grade English correctly. Anyway, we all know women control human destiny.”

“We do?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Are you thinking about Marissa?”

“Not at all. Just life in general. From my experience, anyway. In relationships, women lead the way, therefore have control.”

She leaned against the doorjamb and crossed her arms. “I’m going to take a stab at this—you have trust issues.”

“I—” Did he? He’d known Marissa for years before they got married, and she’d been hiding her dreams and desires all that time, not cluing him in on the important issues a couple should settle before they marry. “Maybe I do. How about you?”

“No, although I’m careful. I’m too tired to have issues of any kind.” She smiled in a way that touched his heart, then she patted his chest lightly and went indoors.

He put a hand where hers had been.

He wanted to believe her, that she didn’t have issues, but it couldn’t possibly be true. He hadn’t met a woman who didn’t harbor secrets about herself. They always revealed themselves in time. Which hadn’t stopped him from enjoying their company, but had stopped him from letting himself become involved in what might be considered a real relationship.

He wasn’t giving up half of what he’d built ever again. Once burned, twice shy, that was his touchstone.

Mitch snapped his fingers at Bo to go inside with him. A shower would feel good. A back rub would feel better.

Spending some quality time with Annie in bed would be perfect.

And tomorrow they would be alone for a few hours.

Also tomorrow the truth about him might be revealed.

Maybe it was just all meant to be.

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