The Lonesome Rancher (10 page)

She wove her way through the guests and hurried into the house and up the back staircase to the safety of her bedroom. She pulled out her cell phone and called her friend Carrie.

Carrie answered on the second ring. “Jade. Is something wrong?”

“Nothing. Everything. I’ll be leaving here tomorrow.”

“So you talked with the senator?”

“No. I can’t do it.” She brushed away a tear. “I realized that I can’t cause any problems for his family.”

“Jade, you’re his family, too.”

Her chest ached with longing. This was the part of
her she’d felt missing all her life. She pulled the envelope from the desk drawer. Inside was the treasured photo. “But I can’t claim them without possibly destroying everyone in the process.” She studied the couple in the picture. “Can I stay with you for a while when I get back to Dallas?”

“Of course, but, Jade, don’t leave there until you tell him. For whatever reason Kathryn never told him, you’re still his daughter. If you don’t, I think you’ll regret it.”

She couldn’t talk about this any longer. “I’ve got to go. Bye, Carrie.”

She shut the phone and studied the picture of Clay Merrick with his staff. Kathryn Lowery stood next to him. While everyone was looking at the camera, she was gazing at Clay. So much love showed in her eyes.

Jade carefully refolded the photo. This was the only picture she had of her parents. And the only other reminder she had was Kathryn’s words written in the small journal, telling her about her father.

In reading over the pages, Jade heard Kathryn speak of her love for Clay and the pain she felt at putting her child up for adoption. And Kathryn said that one day, when her daughter was older, she hoped she would want to meet her.

Was that the reason Renee Hamilton never said a word in nearly thirty years about her biological mother? Was she afraid that she would lose Jade? Were Kathryn’s words even the truth, or just how she liked to imagine things?

Yet, Jade had to leave it all alone. She refused to make trouble for the Merricks. She’d come to care too much for them. For this town. They’d taken her into their hearts, even Louisa’s quilting group had asked her
to join them. And there was Jenny’s offer… Could this be her home? She had nothing holding her in Dallas.

She glanced down at the picture again. At least she got to meet him. Yet if she stayed, there was always the chance they could discover the connection. It might be a slim chance, but she couldn’t continue to live a lie, not with the way she cared about Sloan. He’d end up hating her. She could handle anything but that.

Suddenly a knock sounded on her door and she stuffed the picture back into her purse out of sight.

She went to answer it. “Who is it?”

“Sloan.”

She closed her eyes momentarily, trying to gather strength to send him away. She opened the door.

Sloan walked into the sitting area. He held his anger, not only about his dad’s surprise announcement, but about the fact that when he needed Jade, she had disappeared.

“I looked for you.”

“I thought it was better to let you be with your family.”

“You didn’t have to disappear. Dad hadn’t told us about the retirement until right before he made the announcement.”

“You’re not happy about his decision?”

“Sure I am, and I’m happy for my mother. She’d love to have her husband around more.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about my father. Not tonight.”

Sloan drew her against him, savoring her softness. He’d wanted this first night together to be at his house, but there was something to be said for spontaneity.

He put his fingers beneath her chin and raised her face to meet his gaze. Then slowly, waiting for her to stop him if she wanted, he lowered his mouth to hers.
Their lips touched, tentatively. She trembled, and he tightened his hold and settled his mouth over hers. When he claimed her mouth the second time, gentleness was forgotten. He went after her like a starved man. He was, for her.

He broke off the kiss. “Don’t send me away, Jade.”

“I don’t want you to go, either,” she finally admitted.

Suddenly his throat went dry. He managed to escort Jade inside the dim bedroom. Closing the second door, he pressed her against it, then bent his head and captured her mouth in a kiss hungry with desire.

Slow and easy, that was what he’d planned, but his need was running in overdrive. He pulled back slightly. “Oh, I want you.”

She touched his face. “I want you, too. It’s just that…your parents are across the hall.”

He kissed her, stealing her denial. “Not tonight. They left a while ago. It’s only us, Jade. We’re all that matters. And you’re all I plan to focus on for the next few hours.” His mouth took hers in another long, deep kiss that had her swaying into him. “Tell me again you want me.”

She breathed out. “I want you again…and again.”

He swung her up into his arms and headed for the canopy bed. “I wanted to take you to my bed, at my house, tonight.” He laid her down on the mattress and followed after her. “Right this moment, this room seems to be the perfect place because you’re here,” he breathed against her mouth. “And I promise to show you how special you are to me.” He leaned over her, pressing a kiss on each eyelid, then moving down to her nose and then her lips. “How much I care about you.”

She touched the side of his jaw and he turned to kiss her palm. “I never felt like this before.”

He smiled, feeling the same way. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I hope so.”

It wasn’t long before they were lost in each other. His hands were on the move, caressing her as his kisses got more and more urgent. Then Sloan undressed Jade slowly, his lips trailing over every spot he uncovered, every single inch of her. She did the same for him until he couldn’t handle the sweet torment.

He rolled her over onto her back, taking charge once again. As soon as his mouth covered hers, the rest of the world faded away for him.

It was all Jade.

A
T DAWN,
Sloan curled into Jade’s warmth. He didn’t want to leave this bed, or her. He smiled thinking about last night. They’d made love, twice. And he wanted her again, but he knew he had to get up and go to work.

She made a purring sound as she moved toward him, draping her arm over his chest. When she snuggled to get closer he groaned.

“You’re looking for trouble, woman,” he breathed.

She raised her head, looking surprised he was there. “Oh, Sloan.”

“Who were you expecting?”

“No one but you.” She gave him a sleepy smile and glanced at the clock, then at the predawn light out the window. “Are you leaving?”

“I don’t have a choice, darlin’. The cattle truck is arriving in about an hour to pick up my steers. I need to be there.”

He leaned down to give her a quick peck, but it soon deepened into a mind-blowing kiss. He found himself stretching out beside her and their hunger growing to a dangerous level.

“Woman, you are tempting. Could we postpone this a few hours? Meet me at my house later today.”

She nodded. “I have to see. I need to do a workout with your mother. When will they be back?”

“Not sure.” He knew his parents were off somewhere private. They’d always liked time alone. “I’ll call Dad later.”

He finally climbed out of bed and pulled on his jeans, followed by his shirt. He didn’t miss Jade’s gaze on him and he enjoyed her interest. So much so, he had to turn away if he was ever going to leave this room.

“I need to get out of here before Alisa gets up. Clay and Louisa might be away, but my little sis is here, and I’m not crazy about her asking me a bunch of personal questions.”

Lying on her side, Jade rested her head on her hand. “Neither am I.”

Forgetting the buttons on his shirt, he returned to the bed and sat down. “Do you have regrets?”

She turned those incredible green eyes on him. “No. And I never will.”

He leaned down and kissed her. She moaned and her hand began to roam over his chest. He loved her touch. She made him ache.

He tore his mouth away and covered her hand with his. “You’ve got to stop, or I won’t be able to leave.”

“You’re the one who started it.”

“You’re right.” He stood and walked across the room.

Jade knew she was playing with fire. She’d already fallen for this man. A man she couldn’t have. What made it worse was Sloan wouldn’t feel the same if he discovered the reason she’d come to River’s End.

She needed to get clothes on, too. “Could you hand me my robe?”

“Good idea. You’re too distracting,” he told her as he grabbed it off the back of the chair.

The fabric caught her purse that was on the arm of the chair and it went flying, dumping the contents on the floor. Jade grabbed the robe from Sloan, slipped it on and went to retrieve the items.

“Sorry,” he said.

Jade saw the picture floating to the floor as if in slow motion. “I’ll get it.” She knelt down, but Sloan was already gathering her things.

He picked up the photo. “What’s this?”

Jade tried to snatch the picture away, but he held it out of her reach.

“Some old boyfriend you don’t want me to see?”

She shook her head, looking panicked. “No, it’s just a picture.”

Curiosity and old suspicions got the best of him, and he couldn’t resist glancing at the old grainy photograph. There were several people in the scene but the one person who stood out was a younger looking version of his father. A banner on the wall behind them read, Clay Merrick For U.S. Senate.

He turned to Jade, trying to stay calm. “Where did you get this?”

She didn’t say anything at first, and then spoke, “I found it.”

He started feeling sick. He’d been through this before. “You’re here for a story, aren’t you? No, don’t answer that.” He moved away, trying to contain his temper. Past feelings of mistrust surfaced, churning in his gut. He managed to look at her. “Are you even a nurse?”

“Of course I’m a nurse. There was a background check on me. And no, I’m not here to get a story.”

“Then tell me where you got this.”

She shook her head. “I’d need to talk to your father first.”

“The hell you do.” His jaw clenched. “You’re not getting within ten feet of him, or my mother again. You need to leave. Do you hear me?”

With her nod, he tossed the picture back at her. “One hour, Jade. And you better be gone, or I’ll escort you off Merrick land myself.”

There was just the echo of the slamming bedroom door as Jade sank down onto the bed. Tears threatened, but she didn’t have the luxury or the time to give in to them. She couldn’t worry about whether Sloan hated her or not. Nothing she said right now would change that.

She had no choice left but to leave. But with Sloan finding the photo, how could she not tell Clay about their connection. Would he believe her story?

She went to the desk, took out a piece of paper and began to write, telling Clay Merrick her mother was Kathryn Lowery. There could be a chance he didn’t even remember her.

This wasn’t about her and Sloan anymore. This was about the senator learning the truth about what happened all those years ago. It would be up to Clay if he wanted to know more. He could get in touch with her. She signed her name and found an envelope, stuffed the letter inside and sealed it.

Jade opened her suitcase on the unmade bed trying not to think about when Sloan made love to her, just hours ago. How special he’d made her feel.

She knew he cared about her, too, but because of who she was, she killed those feelings quickly. Al
though she never lied to him, she hadn’t been truthful, either. He would never forgive her for that. She could never forgive herself, either.

Two hours later, Sloan raced back to the corral on Amigo, both sweaty and exhausted from the long, hard ride. He was still angry, and even the miles traveled over Merrick land hadn’t erased the memories of Jade’s betrayal.

He doubted anything would.

Once inside the corral, he walked his horse to the water trough and climbed off. That was when Bud came out of the barn.

The foreman glanced over Amigo, then Sloan.

“What the hell?” He jammed his fists against his hips. “Since when do you treat an animal like this?”

“I’ll take care of him.” After Amigo had enough water, Sloan took the reins and started walking his horse.

Bud caught up with them. “Well, you haven’t done a very good job so far.”

Sloan wasn’t in the mood to talk. “I said, I’ll make sure he’s taken care of.” He stopped in the shaded area and tied Amigo to the railing, then began removing the tack.

Bud stood back and watched him. “Does this have anything to do with your daddy’s announcement last night?”

“No! I’m actually happy he’s dropping out.” He pulled off the saddle and swung it up onto the railing, then grabbed a towel and began wiping down the horse. And maybe once and for all, the public wouldn’t be interested in them. “That’s nice for Mom.”

“Are you worried he’ll interfere with your plans for the ranch?” Bud asked.

“Dad’s more than welcome to try to ride shotgun over us.”

The foreman laughed. “That’ll be the day.”

Sloan knew Bud had been around a long time, and had never been afraid to speak his mind.

“So what’s got you so fired up?”

He didn’t want to talk about it. “Nothing, I just wanted some time alone.”

The foreman eyed Sloan closely, then called for another ranch hand to cool down Amigo.

“I can do it,” Sloan argued.

Bud nudged him toward the barn. “From what I’ve seen so far you can’t even take care of yourself, let alone an animal.”

They walked inside the barn, then down the aisle toward the foreman’s office. Sloan followed the older man inside the small space, knowing he wasn’t getting away without explaining himself. Bud sat down at his desk, concern etched on his weathered face.

“Now, tell me what’s really going on. Last night you were happy as a speckled pup. You were dancing around the floor with Jade in your arms.”

He didn’t want to think about last night. “Jade left this morning. I fired her.”

“I see. Does Louisa know this? After all, Jade is her nurse.”

“I did it to protect Mom. Jade wasn’t here for the reasons we thought.” He proceeded to tell the foreman what he’d discovered about Jade.

The foreman took off his hat and scratched his head. “Seems to me, maybe you should have given her a chance to explain.”

Sloan didn’t want to think about her. “If she wasn’t guilty why did she refuse to tell me anything?”

“Yeah, son, you got me there. It’s not like you to bully a person. Make it so she didn’t have a choice but to leave.” He shook his head. “No, you’d never let the sins of a past relationship cloud your judgment.”

Sloan pushed aside any thoughts that Jade could be innocent. “I’m aware of what people will do to invade our privacy. I need to protect my family.”

“Maybe you just needed to protect your own heart.”

By the time Jade got into town her tears had dried, but she wasn’t sure what to do next. She’d left the note for the senator with Marta. She was told that Clay and Louisa would return home by the afternoon. The housekeeper promised to put the envelope on his desk. It was finally set into motion. Now it was up to Clay Merrick to decide if he wanted to see her. If not, she would be gone and never bother him again. Still she had to wait out the next twenty-four hours.

Jade parked in front of the Blind Stitch. She sat in the car a few minutes, trying to get up enough nerve to go inside. She wanted to touch base with Jenny Rafferty one last time, just in case she had to leave town. She’d been the one person, besides Louisa and Alisa, who she’d begun to strike up a friendship with. She didn’t want to go without saying goodbye.

Climbing out of her car, Jade walked into the shop. For a change the place was nearly empty. She spotted Millie with a lone customer.

Jenny came out of the back room. “Jade. What brings you into town today?” the blonde greeted her, then glanced around. “Is Louisa with you?”

“No, it’s just me. I wanted to stop by to see you…because I don’t know how much longer I’ll be in town.”

The blonde blinked. “Why? What happened?”

She felt her emotions begin to surface again. “I’m no longer working for the Merricks.”

Jenny looked surprised. “Is Louisa well enough to handle her recovery on her own?”

“She’ll be fine as long as she continues her exercises.”

The blonde regarded Jade for a moment. “I have a feeling this sudden change has more to do with her good-looking son, than with Louisa.”

“I was wrong to get involved with Sloan. It was unprofessional.”

The bell over the door rang and several customers walked in. Jenny took Jade by the arm. “Come with me.”

They walked to the back of the store. She spoke to Millie then led Jade up a back staircase. At the top of the stairs, she found herself in an attic apartment. There was a rather large room that made up a living area and a kitchen.

“This is the apartment I was talking about,” Jenny said. “I lived here before I married Evan. Great memories.” She sighed. “Enough about me. It’s you I’m worried about.”

Jade shook her head. “There’s no need to worry, Jenny. I’ll find another job as soon as I get back to Dallas.”

“Dallas? You don’t want to go back there, do you?”

Jade looked away. “It’s been my home for most of my life.” Until she came here, she added silently.

“I know it’s none of my business,” Jenny began, “but this has man troubles written all over it.”

She nodded. “It’s more than that.”

“Like what? Have you broken any laws?”

“Of course not.”

Jenny smiled. “Then stay here and find other employment. And forget about Sloan. He’s not the only man in town.”

Jade didn’t want any other man. “I’m not looking for a man. And believe me, it would be best if I leave town. And I’ll be gone by tomorrow.” Unless the senator called her. Was that wishful thinking?

“At least you’re giving Sloan time to come to his senses.”

“He has every right to be upset with me. I wasn’t exactly truthful with him.”

“You have no idea how much I want to know what this is all about, but I’m not asking. What I am doing is offering you a place to stay. Right here.” She waved an arm around the room. “It might be a tad dusty, but there are clean sheets in the cupboard along with plenty of towels.”

“Oh, no, Jenny, I can’t. What would the owner say about it?”

“Allison Casali.” Jenny smiled. “That’s right, you haven’t met her yet. Well, that will have to wait a few more days. She’s in Italy right now with her husband, Alex. They have a ranch outside of town. She’ll be back next week. Allison helped me out when I first arrived in town. She gave me a job and this place to live. I’m just returning the favor.”

“But you don’t know me.”

“Yes, I do. I’ve seen you with Louisa. She’s a special lady, and you took the time to help her get back to the living. In my book that makes you a good person.”

Jade cared a lot about Louisa. “I don’t want her to be
hurt by this, or her family.” Tears threatened again. “It was a mistake coming to Kerry Springs.”

“Oh, Jade. I wish I could help you, but just so you know, if you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

Jade shook her head, wishing she could, but lately trust didn’t come easy. “Thank you. But I’ve made this mess, I need to figure out how to fix it.”

“Okay. You rest now. I’ll get you something to eat. Maybe that will help you feel better.”

Jade nodded, but she doubted anything would help when she knew she’d hurt the family. A family she truly cared about.

Clay and Louisa arrived home by late afternoon. Sloan watched as the obviously happy couple got out of the car. Whatever problems they had seemed to have been resolved during their time together. He envied what his parents had. And it made what he had to tell them even worse. He went into the kitchen and opened the door as his father helped his wife up the last step.

“Hey, son,” Clay called out.

He went to them and kissed his mother. “I’m surprised you’re back so soon.”