Grace and the Rancher Read online

  “Well, I, for one, am glad. I love the quaintness of the town. I hope it never changes.”

  Kyle stared ahead as Lizzy chased some imaginary critter into the woods. “Yeah, that’s because you see the good here. I guess it’ll take me a while to get there. The Delaney Mountain I remember isn’t nearly so romantic. Then again, my memories are a little jaded.”

  She would give anything to ask what he meant by that, but she didn’t want to open the door to her own past. “Well, maybe you just need to make some new memories.”

  “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s time for me to see Delaney Mountain the way you do.”

  She sucked in a breath and her thoughts scattered in a dozen different directions. They were flirting with dangerous territory here. The expression in his eyes said he was ready for more than friendship but was she? She couldn’t answer that question and was grateful when Lizzy headed back to the house.

  “Looks like Lizzy’s had enough adventure for one day,” Kyle said.

  “Yes.” Grace glanced up at the sky. Even though it was sunny out, the temperature had continued to hover near freezing. “Lizzy’s not into a lot of excitement. I guess she takes after me.”

  Lizzy took her usual spot near where the windows caught the morning sunlight and kept the room warm during the day.

  Kyle closed the door, taking off his coat. “Can I help you with lunch?”

  “No, everything’s ready. I just have to warm up the soup and bread.” Over the last winter Grace had discovered her passion for cooking. It helped fill the long days, and she enjoyed experimenting with different recipes and testing out various seasonings. She heated the soup, cut some of the warm crusty bread, and took it all over to the table.

  “This smells wonderful,” Kyle said in appreciation.

  “Thanks,” she said and closed her eyes preparing to say a silent prayer.

  Kyle reached for her hands.

  It took a second to recover from the shock, but she managed a shaky prayer. “Thank you, Lord for all Your blessings. Thank You for watching over us and keeping us safe. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” The words were all she could manage when her fingers tingled with awareness of him.

  “Amen,” Kyle repeated and then squeezed her hands before letting them go. He tasted a spoonful of the soup and closed his eyes in enjoyment. “This is delicious. Where did you learn to cook like this? Did your mother teach you?”

  She flinched. He had no way of knowing how hard it was to answer. Grace had gone into foster care as an infant. As far as she knew, there was no record of her parents’ names. She’d been told once she’d been abandoned at a hospital on the day she was born. Over the years, she’d been shuffled between foster families and group homes. As a young child, music became her refuge. She’d learned to play the guitar before she could read. The piano came just as naturally. Once she graduated from high school Grace had left the last small Tennessee town she’d lived in for good.

  She struggled with the inevitable pain she always felt at not knowing her parents. Through the years she’d imagined all sorts of scenarios about how her life might have turned out differently if she’d grown up in a loving family like most of her childhood friends. But that was her past, and she had a new future. She shook off the negative thoughts. “Actually, I was a terrible cook until I moved here. My first winter, well, I had a lot of time to experiment with recipes and discovered I loved to cook.”

  “Well, you’re certainly a fast learner. I tried for years to master the art without success.” Kyle grinned.

  She accepted the compliment with a grin of her own. “Thank you. How are the repairs on the house going?” Too late she realized he’d probably know she’d been listening to gossip because she hadn’t talked to him about the house yet.

  But Kyle didn’t seem to notice her slipup. “Slow. There’s much more work needed than Ryan and I thought when he first began.” He shook his head. “I should have come back sooner. Maybe…” he stopped and looked away.

  Her compassion overflowed. She knew all about regrets. “You’ll get there. It just takes time to rebuild. Whether it’s a house or a life.”

  “You’re right. It does.” The warmth in his eyes made it hard to breathe normally.

  Kyle took their empty bowls to the sink and began to wash up.

  After a second, Grace grabbed a dish towel and dried.

  They worked in the same companionable silence that had happened at his home.

  “Would you like some coffee?” She truly enjoyed his company and wasn’t ready to let him go. She hadn’t realized how lonely she’d gotten living up at the top of the mountain with just Lizzy for company.

  “Coffee sounds great.”

  Grace took the coffee filters and coffee out and began setting up her coffeemaker.

  “Where are the mugs?” Kyle asked as he got milk out of the fridge and set it next to the sugar bowl on the counter.

  Grace pointed to the cabinet, a small smile on her face. Kyle seemed to like doing things together.

  As soon as the coffee was done, they each fixed their cups to their liking.

  “Let’s go into the great room.” Grace opened the drapes so that they could see the breathtaking view before them.

  “Do you play?” Kyle asked when he noticed the piano and guitar.

  She sat on the sofa, and he took the chair across from her.

  “A little. Mostly for my own entertainment…”

  The sound of her home phone ringing interrupted. Before she could get to it, the answering machine picked up and Cat’s angry voice filled the room. Grace froze. She couldn’t stop the inevitable from happening.

  “Grace, it’s me again,” Cat practically seethed the words out. “I spoke to mom, and she’s furious. I need you to call me back as soon as you get this. I’d think that showing up for Nick’s memorial service would be the very least you could do after causing the accident. Unless you really do have something to hide.”

  4

  Grace’s face went white and her hand holding the coffee cup shook. Kyle took the cup and placed it on the table nearby. “Grace? Are you OK?”

  She didn’t answer and that scared him.

  She slumped back against the sofa, her hands still trembling.

  “What’s wrong? Who was that?”

  She stared through him. “My sister-in-law…my former sister-in-law.”

  “Your sister-in-law? Ex. You were married? And what did she mean by something to hide? Please, tell me what’s wrong,” he asked gently. He took her hands and clasped them tight. Her fingers were chilled.

  “She blames me for Nick’s death. Nick, my husband, was her brother. I was driving the night we crashed. He died in the accident.”

  “I’m so sorry. Do you want to tell me what happened?” The heartache was written clearly on her face, the same look he’d noted when he first met her.

  “It happened almost a year ago. Nick and I were coming home from a…party. We were arguing. It got…violent. I lost control and crashed into a tree.” She shook her head. “I—a passerby spotted the accident and came to help. The man tried Nick’s door but couldn’t get it open. He came round to my side and managed to get me out and to safety, but it was too late for Nick. The car, it went up in flames. There was no way to get him out.” She shuddered. “I can still hear him pleading for help. It was horrific. The car exploded. Nick died and I lived, and for that, Cat and her family have never forgiven me.”

  “But it was an accident. It wasn’t your fault. It could just as easily have been you who died.”

  “Nick’s family doesn’t think so, even though the person who saved me tried to save him…witnessed everything.”

  “I take it they weren’t very supportive.”

  She shook her head. “Even after the police cleared me of any wrongdoing and the crash was ruled an accident, they wouldn’t let it go. They told everyone who would listen that I had deliberately caused the crash.”

  The hurt in her eyes was pain
ful to see. A mental shudder went through him. He still remembered the accusations following his accident. The only difference was he’d deserved it.

  There was probably so much more to the story, but she didn’t volunteer any other information. Knowing the need to process emotional upheaval, he wouldn’t ask questions. She would tell him more when she felt she could trust him.

  “Was that why you left Nashville?” he asked instead.

  “Yes.” Her voice was little more than a whisper. “My life there was over, and I just wanted to put the accident and all the ugliness following it behind me.” She was shaking with emotion.

  “I know it’s hard−letting go of things in your past that aren’t pretty, but it is possible. I’m living proof.”

  She focused on him. The look of pity he saw in her eyes told him she knew more about his past than he wished.

  “Ah, so you’ve heard about me,” he said.

  “Only that you were a bit of a wild child growing up.”

  He glanced down at their clasped hands. “It was a lot more than that. I came by it naturally. My dad was a drunk, and a mean one at that, so I became meaner just to spite him. It almost cost someone very close to me their life.”

  He had her full attention. He hadn’t talked about the accident with anyone other than his dad and Ryan. Not even with Renee. But with Grace, well, keeping his secrets wasn’t nearly so important. They shared a bond now. Not a pleasant one, but one, nonetheless.

  “When I was seventeen, I got drunk and had an accident. It almost killed my kid brother, David.”

  “Oh, Kyle.” She touched his face gently. “That had to be horrible.”

  It was. So horrible that he wasn’t ready to confess the full extent of his sins. “It was,” he said quietly. “But I picked up the pieces of my life, and I was able to move forward. Make something of myself. It wasn’t easy. Especially for an alcoholic like me, but I did it. I know you can, too.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I hope you’re right, but it’s hard. Forgiving yourself. Having others forgive you. Are you and your brother close now?”

  Tension seeped into every fiber of his body. Each time he spoke about David, it was there. As well as the regret that he hadn’t tried harder to fix things between them. He cleared his throat. “No, we aren’t. In fact, I haven’t spoken to him since he left the hospital.”

  Her expression softened sympathetically. She had no way of knowing he wasn’t deserving of it.

  “Do you know where he lives? There’s still a chance.”

  Kyle prayed she was right. “I’m searching for him. I hope someday to be able to face him and tell him I’m not that person anymore. I’ll ask for his forgiveness. I hope he’ll accept it. It’s too late for my dad. He wanted to apologize for not being the father he should have been for David. But as long as I’m alive it’s not too late for me.”

  ****

  Grace got out of bed early, poured some cereal, and then sat at the kitchen table to spend a little quiet time with God—one of her favorite things to do since she found her way back to Him.

  For the first time in almost a year, she was happy. She wasn’t sure when it had happened. It was such a gradual thing. She hadn’t heard from Kyle since Sunday, but it was OK. She had shared parts of her life with someone. It felt good. Yet she couldn’t tell him about the rest of the story. The momentary fame she’d achieved when Nick discovered her singing at a hole-in-the-wall joint on the seedy side of Nashville. She’d hated the spotlight. She’d only gone there to sing at the request of a friend.

  Let it go…

  She opened her Bible and read her favorite passages on courage: Psalms 27:14:

  Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

  God had her future in His hands. She needed to learn to trust Him. She poured a second cup of coffee and gave Lizzy a hug, slipped on her jacket, grabbed her bag, and headed out the door. As she drove past Kyle’s place, she wondered how he was fairing in that big house. She and Kyle had shared pieces of their lives. They’d grown closer. Perhaps one day they might even be friends.

  The mountains were still beautiful. Faint patches of color remained on some of the low brush as she drove down the winding pass. Most of the snow from the previous week had melted away, and they had been blessed with a couple of wonderfully bright days.

  She had her Jeep back and the cost had been less than she’d planned for. God was good. Once Grace reached the grocery, she parked in front and then unlocked the door. She turned on her favorite Christian music station and went to work restocking the shelves. She was halfway through the frozen goods when Martha came in.

  “You’re early, honey.” Martha took off her jacket and turned to Grace. “I see you got your car back.”

  “Oh, yes. Pete brought it by late yesterday. It took longer than he expected so he delivered it himself. I made coffee. Would you like some?”

  “I sure would. It may not look like winter out there, but it sure feels like it. It’s cold.” She faked a shiver then made a beeline over to the coffeepot.

  Grace poured a second cup. “Since you’re here to cover the register, I’ll start organizing the stuff in the back. Let me know if it gets too busy.” She hurried away before Martha could ask questions about her ride home with Kyle.

  Grace spent the rest of the morning listening to music as she got the shelves in order. When she finished, she went back up front to relieve Martha, who was organizing the candy displays.

  Martha glanced out at the empty streets. “Looks like another slow day.”

  “I think you could be right.” Grace kept her attention squarely on the task of tidying the shelves at the front of the store. In the past, a lull in customers usually meant Martha liked to talk, and Grace wasn’t prepared to discuss Kyle just yet.

  Yet what she wished was not to be. “It sure was a surprise to see Kyle back in Delaney. I still remember when he lived her before.”

  Grace swallowed hard. She had a feeling she didn’t want to hear what Martha had to say. “What do you mean?” she found herself asking.

  “Kyle and that brother of his never did get along. David was cut from a different cloth than the others. The second David got the chance he left Delaney behind. Not that I could blame the boy after what happened. The Delaney clan has always been one troubled family.”

  “In what way?” Grace couldn’t stop from asking even though her conscience berated her for listening to gossip about Kyle.

  “Ellis Delaney was an only child and inherited his family’s fortune, but God love him, the man was an alcoholic for as long as I knew him and a nasty one, at that. His youngest boy, David, well, he was different. Oh, he drank, don’t get me wrong. With a family like that who could blame him, but he wasn’t a drunk. It was almost as if he didn’t belong in that family. He was a kind and gentle soul. And he adored his older brother.”

  The serious look on Martha’s face told Grace there was a lot more to the story. Grace wasn’t so sure she wanted to hear it.

  “Now Kyle, well, he was cut from the same cloth as his daddy. I think that boy started drinking before he could drive. His momma finally had enough of Ellis and left when Kyle was still little. Who knows how things might have turned out if she had taken Kyle with her? Anyway, it wasn’t long before old Ellis up and married a woman from another town. Nine months later, David came along, and for a while, Ellis changed.

  “Then Sara got sick. Cancer. After she passed, well, it got bad. Ellis just checked out. He started drinking again. He didn’t pay any attention to those boys. I think that’s why Kyle started drinking and causing trouble. He was trying to get his father’s attention. It didn’t work, of course. The boys were pretty much raising themselves. Then the accident happened.

  “When Kyle graduated from high school he and his brother went out celebrating one night. Kyle was drinking, and he ran the car off the road and into Delaney Creek. David nearly died. He was airlifted to
Denver and spent nigh on a month in the hospital fighting for his life. Kyle got out with nothing but a few scratches. After David was released from the hospital, he never came back to Delaney Mountain. He just took off, and we never saw hide nor hair of him again.”

  No wonder Kyle seemed so guilt ridden. He’d been responsible for injuring his brother. No, he’d been responsible for nearly killing him.

  “I shouldn’t be repeating gossip, especially with Kyle back to town after his father’s passing.” Martha gave a tentative smile. “But I will say this. Ellis changed before he died. He found the Lord and became a different man. From what I’ve heard, Kyle has too. And that’s really all that really matters.”

  ****

  Kyle spotted Grace’s Jeep parked in front of McDougal’s. On an impulse, he whipped into an available parking space close to it. He did need to pick up a few things. Tell the truth. You haven’t spoken to her in almost a week, and you’re wondered how she’s doing. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Her smile, her tragic expression. She was beautiful, and it went way beyond the physical look. Grace had a beautiful heart.

  Kyle hopped out of his vehicle and headed for the door.

  The object of his…infatuation stepped outside and stopped when she spotted him.

  “Kyle…hi. What are you doing here?” The smile on Grace’s face was infectious. It lit up her emerald eyes and made them sparkle.

  He couldn’t help but return it. “Oh, I just needed a few things.” He pointed to the SUV. “I had to pick up some stuff for Ryan and his crew and remembered I needed milk.”

  She scraped back a strand of golden brown hair and glanced inside the store. Martha stood by the cash register watching them. “Well, I’m sure Martha can help you. I’m on my way to lunch.”

  “Oh.” A lot of his happiness evaporated, and he struggled to recover his composure. What did it matter if she wasn’t there? He’d seen her. She looked fine. Actually she looked better than fine. She looked lovely with the afternoon sun bringing out the golden highlights in her silky brown hair. Embarrassed, he broke eye contact and focused on his watch. It was going on two. “It’s late for lunch. You must be starving.”