Skylar's Outlaw

To what?

Dane Belle had given him a job when no one else would. High Five was his home now and the redhead wasn’t getting rid of him. Besides, he was on probation and couldn’t leave the county. He was here to stay. Once he made that decision the knot in his stomach eased.

But not for long.

The redhead was coming his way.

CHAPTER TWO

“MAY I SPEAK WITH YOU, please?” Sky was determined to be polite, using her best manners, as Gran would want her to.

“It’s a free country.” The deep drawl came from the other side of the horse, and the man made no move to look at her or to acknowledge her presence.

She gritted her teeth, but his insolence wasn’t going to cause her to lose her temper. “We have to work together so could you please look at me?”

He lowered the stirrup, raised his head and glared at her over the top of the saddle. For the first time, she noticed his eyes were a deep green, not brown as she’d thought. Green and cold as a frozen pond. She actually felt a chill and wrapped her arms around her waist.

“I’m guessing you want to talk because the meeting with Cait and Maddie didn’t go your way.” His voice was as cold as his eyes. Even so, it had a gravelly intone that would be attractive if it hadn’t been delivered with such an edge.

She bit her lip as fiery retorts zinged through her head. The cow dogs lay at his feet, but they were looking at her almost as if they were waiting for her next words.

She took a step closer, surprising herself at her calmness. “No. It didn’t go my way. I find it very hard to work with you when it’s crystal clear you don’t like me.”

His jaw tightened, as did the chiseled lines of his lean face. “Like you’re crazy about having an ex-con on the property.”

“Okay. I’ll admit I have a problem with that.” She tugged her fingers through her frizzy red curls. God, it was a humid day, and her hair was a mess. Not that the man on the other side of the horse noticed. And nor did she want him to. Focus. “But Cait, Maddie and Gran are on your side, so let’s make this work.”

The dogs rose to their feet, and she knew that was a signal the man was about to mount his horse. She grabbed the reins so the animal couldn’t move. The horse moved nervously and tried to rear its head, but she held tight. Her heart ricocheted off her ribs from the anger blazing in his eyes.

But she didn’t back down, though it was hard not to. The man stood at least six foot two, with a whipcord body and broad shoulders. Faded jeans and a pearl-snap shirt molded his muscled frame. He pulled his worn and dusty Stetson low so it hid most of his brooding expression.

She had a split second to get her words out before he exploded. “We have to run this ranch together, and you might as well accept that. If you have something against me, just say so and we’ll talk it out. But High Five comes first and we have to put our differences aside. I’d appreciate your cooperation. And Gran would like it if you’d have your meals at the house as you did before.”

His eyes seared hers like a hot iron as he jerked the reins from her hand. Without a word he swung into the saddle, spurred the paint and shot out of the barn like a rocket, the dogs following.

At his high-handedness, she freed the padlock she’d had on her emotions and kicked at the dirt. “You low-down, sorry bastard! You son of a bitch!”

“Girl, where did you learn words like that?” Rufus, Etta’s husband, came through from the corral, leading his horse.

She gulped a long breath. “Sorry, Rufus. I was letting off steam.”

Rufus was in his seventies, tall, lean and slightly bowlegged. He’d spent every day since he was a kid in the saddle, except for the years he’d been in prison.

“Cut the boy some slack.”

“I was just trying to do that, but he ignored me once again.” She frowned. “Why does he dislike me?”

Ru tipped back his hat. “Now, girl, that’s a mighty powerful question.”

The old tomcat that lived in the barn darted out and scurried across bales of hay stacked in a corner. The sweet, pungent scent of alfalfa reached her nostrils. That smell always reminded her of home, of High Five.

“Could be he took his cue from you?”

She brought her gaze back to Rufus. “What?”

“You never hid how you felt about him.”

“Oh.” What was it with the elders on this ranch? They were on a spear-Skylar campaign, making her aware of every lousy fault she had.

Ru patted his mare, Dixie. “You never felt that way about me, did you?”

Her eyes flew to his clouded ones. “Of course not. I’ve known you all my life and you’re part of our family.”

“I killed a man, though.”

“You were trying to keep him from murdering his girlfriend. You never meant to hurt him.”

“But I drank a lot back then. Etta didn’t like it. I went to bars, too. Etta didn’t like that, either, but I kept going. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so quick to hit the guy if I’d been sober. One swing from my fist and he was dead.” Ru flexed his right hand. “Sometimes in life those bad breaks happen. Prison woke me up, and I’ve always been grateful for the people who stood by me, like Mr. Bart, Miss Dorie, Dane and my Etta. Couldn’t have gotten through it without them.”

A lump formed in Sky’s throat. Ru was a quiet man. He rarely spoke and he never talked about that time in his life.

“Coop’s had no one,” he continued. “His mother died and his dad beat him regularly as a kid. Finally, he ran away and made it on his own. He was doing good. A lot of ranchers wanted to hire him, and then that man framed him to get the insurance money from the thoroughbred horses. In anger, Coop lashed out. I don’t blame him. I probably would have done the same thing, but it changed his life forever. No one trusts him. It’s like a brand he wears every day—‘ex-con.’”

She swallowed the lump, feeling lower than dirt. And Ru wasn’t through.

“Have you ever seen a ranch this size run by two men, one of them getting on in years? Coop’s a workhorse. We have corn, maize, coastal and alfalfa planted. It will all have to be harvested at about the same time. Coop will get very little sleep during those weeks. This is his home now. He has no family but the one he’s made here at High Five.”

Ru placed a worn boot into the stirrup and mounted his horse. The leather creaked from his weight. Dixie pranced around, ready to go. “If you love High Five, you’ll adjust your attitude. Remember, Dane Belle is watching.” After delivering that startling news, he slowly rode out of the barn.

Sky sank onto a bale of hay and let the sounds and smells of the old barn take her away. Most people would think the scents of manure, horses, dogs and hay unpleasant. Nevertheless, it brought back her childhood—days of fun and laughter and of being loved. She had very little of that in her mother’s world. They moved so much her suitcase was always packed.

Julia was good at spouting the same old line: “I’m gonna find the right man this time, sugar.” But the right man for her mother never appeared. She kept looking, though. Julia was a beautiful redhead who could attract any man’s attention, but she could never hold it.

The last one, Everett Coleman, had just about done them both in. Sky never liked him, but her mother was crazy about the arrogant, egotistical Texan. Mostly, Julia was crazy about money, and the way Everett lavished it on her. The only thing Sky liked about the man was that he lived in Texas and she could visit her father when she visited her mother.

It amazed her that Julia had stayed married to the man for five years. When he started having financial problems, her mother was out the door. That was four years ago. Sky never asked what had happened. Her mother’s marriages weren’t her favorite topic.

After that, she and her mother did grow closer. Julia had been a nurse before she’d married Dane Belle, and she was there when Sky needed her the most—to answer her many questions about Kira’s health.

Now her mother was out to capture husband number six. Sky had vowed never to be like that, so she and Todd had moved in together for a trial period. The stupidest decision she’d ever made. She was determined to avoid repeating her mother’s mistakes. In doing so, she’d fallen into the same pattern.

From the start Todd had said he never wanted kids, so they were very careful. But partying all night sometimes left “careful” at the door. When Sky told Todd she was pregnant, he’d thrown a fit, packed his things, told her she was on her own and left. She’d kept waiting for him to come back. He didn’t.

As her pregnancy started to show, rumors began to emerge. A friend told her that Todd’s parents knew she was pregnant and were just waiting for the baby to be born so a paternity test could be done. If the baby was Todd’s, they planned to file for custody.

She dismissed the first rumor, but then a friend of Todd’s told her the same thing, and she knew it was true. The Spencers were wealthy and they could take her baby with a high-priced attorney, something she couldn’t afford. Her party-girl status was well-known. She wouldn’t be portrayed as mother of the year.

The last four years she’d been on the run, making sure the Spencers never found her. It wasn’t easy, but she had to keep Kira a secret from everyone, even her family at High Five.

As her father had said, all chicks come home to roost. She’d arrived at High Five at Christmas and decided to stay. Mainly because Maddie was getting married, and Sky was needed on the ranch. Besides, she was tired of living out of a suitcase. And Gran was right—Kira needed stability. She needed a home. That’s what Sky wanted for her child.

So here she was, back at High Five, and her father’s presence was all around her, from the land he’d loved, to his collection of fine wines in the parlor, to the cigars he kept hidden in the study. Home. Family. Dad.

He’d been furious when he found out about Kira, and disappointed in Sky and her choices. That hurt. However, he’d supported her decision to keep Kira away from the Spencers, and made sure she had the money to do it.

“Spitfire, someday you’re going to have to grow up and face this.” God, she thought of his words often.

The tomcat eased around her on the bale of hay. “Hey there, Tom. Are you going to keep me company? Everyone else is on my backside, and I might just have to admit they have a reason. It’s hell when that happens.”

The cat curled into a comfy position and Sky rose to her feet. What was she going to do about Cooper Yates? All the way to the house the question plagued her.

She’d never had a problem with men before. Not that it was something she was proud of, but getting them to fall over themselves for her came relatively easy. It was a talent she’d inherited from her mother. Why hadn’t Cooper been bowled over by her?

Motherhood. Since she’d become a mother, her life and views had changed drastically. Protecting Kira, keeping her safe and happy, was Sky’s top priority. She saw Cooper as a threat to Kira’s safety, and had acted accordingly.

Or was it more? Something about the way he’d looked at her when she’d first met him got to her. It was an I-don’t-like-you stare. She didn’t understand it, and at the time, she’d felt it was his problem, not hers. Now she wasn’t so sure.

CYBIL SPENCER WAITED impatiently as her husband talked on the phone.

“Well?” she demanded when he clicked off.

“Leo Garvey, the P.I., located the apartment Skylar Belle was renting in Tennessee.”

“Was she there?”

“No. She got wind he was asking questions and disappeared again.”

“We pay him a lot of money. Surely he can do a better job than this. It’s amateurish, and I’m tired of all this waiting.” She swept back her blond bob in irritation.

Jonathan poured a shot of bourbon and raised the glass toward her. “He managed to get in the apartment before it was cleaned.”

“And?”

“He found a child’s hairbrush with red hair on it behind a sofa cushion.” He took a swallow of the bourbon. “He’s sending it to a lab for DNA testing. Now he has to get a sample of Todd’s DNA, and then we’ll know if the child is a Spencer.”

“Pour me a gin and tonic. It’s time to celebrate. After all this time, that Belle bitch is going to get what’s coming to her.”

WHEN COOPER RODE INTO THE barn, it was late. Darkness had settled in and the dim lightbulbs hanging from the rafters did little to chase it away.

The dogs trotted behind him, breathing heavily. Ru had quit for the day long ago. After checking the herd, Coop had sat in the grass near Crooked Creek. This time of the year, the grass was green and thriving. The cows were knee-deep in it. The hayfields were also flourishing. After the fire, he’d worried about that, but now High Five was back on track.

It was good to know that Albert Harland, the man who had set the fires to the land and house, and had attempted to kill Cait, was now serving twenty years for the crimes. That didn’t erase the damages, though. Coop had to keep working so the ranch could overcome its losses.

For what?

To work with that woman?

Dismounting, he undid the saddle cinch, and with one hand swung the saddle over a sawhorse. The dogs lay down to rest. After leading the paint into the corral, Coop removed the bridle and slapped the horse’s rump. The animal cantered toward the feed trough.

As Coop reentered the barn, Ru came in from the other door with a covered plate in his hand.

“You just getting in, boy? I left you two hours ago.”

“Yep. I had some things I had to check.”

“Like what?” Ru held the plate high as the dogs jumped to reach it.

“Just stuff.”

“Miss Dorie’s a might upset you’re not eating at the house.”

Coop hooked the bridle on a nail. “So I heard.”

“C’mon, boy. Give Sky a chance.”

He took the plate. “I don’t give women like her chances.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Nothing. Thanks for the food.” He strolled away before Ru could grill him. The dogs followed, yapping all the way to the bunkhouse. Coop put the food on the counter, knowing he had to feed the dogs first. After being out most of the day, they were hungry.

He flipped on the front porch light and filled their bowls with a special mix of dog food he bought in Giddings. They gobbled it up, their short tails wagging. Australian blue-heelers, Boots, Bo and Booger were about the best friends he had besides Ru. They trusted him. They didn’t judge him.

Removing his hat, he walked into the house and placed it on a hook. Stretching his tired muscles, he felt the aches and pains of cowboying. At thirty-five he should have his own ranch, but that bastard had taken everything from him. Now he had a record, and it followed him everywhere he went like his shadow. It was a part of him.

Being angry didn’t help a thing. Coop knew that better than anyone. But when he was reminded of his past in surround sound and Technicolor, it was hard to remember.

Why did she have to come home?

With a sigh he headed to the kitchen sink, washed his hands, grabbed a fork out of a drawer and carried the plate to the table. He kept his mind blank. After years of practice, he had perfected that trait.

Tender roast, potatoes, green beans and homemade rolls—the mouthwatering aroma made his taste buds come alive. He was hungry. As he dug in, he knew he couldn’t keep making extra work for Etta. He had to bite the bullet and eat at the house as he’d done before.

As much as he wanted her to, Skylar Belle wasn’t going away. Chewing a mouthful of roast, he wondered what the odds were of them ever meeting again. When she’d come home for Dane’s funeral, he couldn’t believe his eyes. However, there was no mistaking the striking redhead with the sultry blue eyes. She’d treated him just as she had the last time he’d seen her—as if he didn’t exist. She’d had no clue who he was, or if she did, she hid it well. Luckily, she hadn’t stayed long and he didn’t have to deal with her.

Finishing the food, he pushed back his chair, which scraped across the old wood floor. He carried the empty plate to the sink and washed it. Etta didn’t believe in paper plates. He was drying the dish when the redhead’s words came back to him.

High Five comes first and we have to put our differences aside. I’d appreciate your cooperation.

Like hell…

He’d promised Cait he would do everything he could to keep High Five running smoothly, though Skylar Belle made that promise difficult. But he owed Cait, and he wouldn’t go back on his word.

No matter how much personal angst it cost him.

KIRA HAD TOYS STREWN all over the parlor floor. Sky sat cross-legged, watching her child dress and undress her Barbie doll, her favorite activity. Kira loved clothes. Maybe she’d even have a career in fashion…if she had a career. There was always that fear in Sky that Kira wouldn’t have much of a life, just a lot of pain and endless days of dealing with it.

The doctor had said there were three types of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, polyarticular, pauciarticular and systemic. After much testing, and because Kira only had redness and swelling in her knees and occasionally her elbow, the doctor concluded she fell into the pauciarticular category. That was good news. With less than four joints involved, Kira could outgrow the disease or go into remission as she aged. But there was also a possibility the disease could become progressively worse. No matter what, Sky would be with her all the way.

“Time for bed, precious.”

Kira shook her head. “I don’t want to.”

This was the hard part. Discipline. Sky held up the fingers on one hand. “Five more minutes.”

Kira nodded and kept tugging a dress onto the doll.

“Cooper didn’t come to supper,” Gran said from the sofa. “Did you talk to him?”

Sky helped her daughter slip high heels on the doll, and realized she was biting her lip. “Yes, and I told him he was welcome.”

“And…”

She looked at her grandmother. “And what?”

“What did he say?”

“Nothing, Gran. Absolutely nothing. That’s his modus operandi when it comes to me.”

“And Skylar Belle can’t change that?”

A smile touched her lips. “Not with Southern manners.”

Gran laughed, a real laugh that warmed Sky’s soul. It felt good to be home with people who loved her.

“On that thought, I think it’s time for all of us to go to bed.” Gran rose to her feet.

Without a word Kira began to pick up her dolls and clothes. Sky found that remarkable. One word from Gran and Kira obeyed, much as she, Cait and Maddie did. Sky helped her tuck everything into a small suitcase reserved for her Barbies and then the trio headed for the stairs.

“Can I play with Georgie tomorrow?” Kira asked.

“We’ll see what Aunt Maddie has to say.”

Kira beamed at her. “She say yes, yes, yes.”

Sky glanced at Gran. “She knows Aunt Maddie.”

“Yes, she does.”

They hugged on the landing. “’Night, Gran.”

“’Night, my babies.”

After getting Kira into bed and taking her own shower, Sky stood looking out the window toward the bunkhouse. She could see the back of the structure and a light burning in a window on the left. That must be his bedroom.

She’d never dreamed he’d been beaten as a child. How horrific. She felt bad about how she’d treated him and how she’d thought of him like a narrow-minded simpleton.

But he had that effect on her and she couldn’t explain why. It felt as if she needed to protect herself. From what? That she couldn’t answer. But they definitely had a negative reaction to each other.

She crawled in beside her daughter, careful not to wake her. Dealing with Cooper, Sky had forgotten about the Spencers. But that worry was always there at the back of her mind. She prayed they’d give up their quest to find their grandchild.

Tomorrow was a new day. A day to start over. A day to forget the shadow hanging over her.

And another day to tackle Mr. Ignore Me.

Oh, he had a rude awakening coming if he thought she gave up so easily.

CHAPTER THREE

IN THE MORNING SKY carried Kira downstairs for breakfast. She placed her in a booster seat and Etta brought steaming oatmeal to the table. Fixing Kira a bowl, Sky prayed she’d eat it. Her child had very little appetite, and it was a struggle to keep her strong and healthy.

Kira played with the spoon and then glanced at her with those gorgeous blue eyes. “Can I play with Georgie today, Mommy?”

“If you eat your oatmeal and drink your milk.” That was such a lame bribe, but she’d take whatever worked.

“Do Georgie eat oatmeal?”

Sky kissed her baby’s cheek. “Every day. That’s why he’s so strong.”

“I wanna be strong like Georgie.” Kira shoved oatmeal into her mouth and swallowed.

Great!

“The devil’s gonna get you,” Etta whispered as Sky poured a cup of coffee.

“Don’t tell anyone, but he already has.”

The old lady grinned and Sky gave her a hug. Etta always reminded her of Granny on the old Beverly Hillbillies sitcom, except Etta had short permed hair.

Gran entered the kitchen already dressed for the day. Sky was still in her cotton pj’s, so she kissed her and said, “Please watch Kira while I get dressed.”

Gran took a seat by her great-granddaughter and Sky dashed upstairs.

In a second she had on her jeans and was stuffing the tail of a pearl-snap shirt into the waistband. She guided her braided-leather belt through the loops and buckled it. Sitting down, she slipped on her boots. Oh, yeah. Cowgirl up. She was ready to face Cooper Yates.

Then she turned and saw herself in the mirror. Crap! Her hair looked like a huge dust mop. She hated her naturally curly hair—another trait she’d inherited from her mother.

Grabbing a flat iron, her favorite tool in the whole world, she sat at the dressing table and went to work. Within minutes she had it in a manageable style, clipped back at her nape.

She took a second glance at the sprinkling of freckles across her nose. How many times had she cursed them over the years? Too many to count. Makeup would cover them, but she wasn’t taking that route today. She left her fair skin clean and natural. Now she was ready.

Pausing at the door, she reached for her cell phone to call Cait.

Brenda Sue, Judd’s secretary, answered. Sky groaned. The woman gave annoying a new meaning. “May I speak to Caitlyn, please?” She held her breath.

“Is this Sky?”

“Yes.” She choked back a groan.

“I thought so. You sisters sound very alike on the phone, if you know what I mean. I might be psychic that way, too. I’m very good with voices, and some people have said—”

“Is Caitlyn there?”

“What? Oh. I’m in the office, and when they don’t answer, it rings here, so I guess Judd and Cait are doing, well, you know what. Isn’t it great about the baby? Judd is over the moon and Renee is not even bitchy anymore. She’s finally getting a grandchild. I told Cait I’d give her some pointers, but you know Cait. She didn’t take that very well. She was quite offensive, actually, and—”

“Goodbye, Brenda Sue. I’ll try her cell.” Sky clicked off before the woman could get in one more word, then had to take a long breath to de-stress. Finally she punched in her sister’s cell number.

Cait answered almost immediately.

“I’m really surprised you haven’t killed Brenda Sue by now.”

Cait laughed. “Had a scintillating conversation with her?”

“More like mind-numbing.”

Cait laughed again, and then said, “I hope you’ve come to your senses.”

“Yes, and I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I can handle the ranch and Cooper.”

“That’s good news.”

“I tend to revert to my old selfish ways every now and then, especially when I want something.”

“So what changed your mind?”

“Gran. You know those talks where you think she’s on your side, and it’s like, oh great, she understands, but then you start to see how narrow-minded and wrong you really are?”