The Runaway Rancher
Autor:in
Leigh Riker
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25
CHAPTER ONE
THE BARREN LIBRARY was hopping, and Sophie Crane had a headache. In the far corner of the large, high-ceilinged main room, one of the after-school pages was reading a book to a group of five-year-olds at Story Time, half of whom were talking and giggling among themselves. One boy poked another, then jumped up to run around the room, his arms flapping like a bird. The kids’ parents sat at nearby tables, perusing cell phones, iPads or clicking away on laptop computers. All typical activities Sophie, as head librarian, might observe any day.
All she needed to do was get through the rest of the afternoon and then go home, take a Tylenol, and rest until supper with a cold cloth on her forehead, but that wasn’t to be.
The main doors opened and a woman in a stylish dress stepped inside. Sophie nearly groaned aloud. Claudia Monroe could only mean trouble. She spied Sophie immediately. “That is a stunning suit,” she said, her brown gaze sweeping Sophie from her throbbing head, along her charcoal gray pin-striped jacket and skirt, to the peep toes of her navy patent leather heels. “And those shoes must have cost a fortune. You are the only person in this town who dresses well.”
From experience, Sophie knew the compliment had sharp teeth. “Except you, Claudia.”
“I told Bernice the other day—”
Sophie stopped listening. Her temple pulsed with pain. Claudia and her friend Bernice Caldwell were the biggest gossips in town, and what one didn’t know about Barren, Kansas, the other did. Not long ago, in fact, Claudia had made her own daughter’s life miserable, publicly taking the side of Lizzie’s now ex-husband who’d cheated on her, shaming Lizzie in front of the whole town. She was sure Claudia’s assessment, her seeming approval of Sophie now, hid another agenda. Claudia deposited a Martha Stewart volume on home entertaining on the front desk, then patted her brown hair, which had gold highlights. “There are those in town, of course, who wouldn’t agree with me. Your predecessor, Miss Bramley, was, shall we say, not as beautifully turned out, but she looked the part of a head librarian.” Claudia sniffed. “Some say you won’t stay long in this job, that you’ll soon get a better offer again—that you’re not one of us anymore.” She paused. “Silly, I know, I’m not one of them—”
Meaning she was.
“Claudia, I’m home to stay.”
“Well, there is our upcoming sesquicentennial celebration to consider. Your involvement could go a long way to help how people see you, to reestablish your local reputation, your credibility.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Sophie’s headache worsened. This wasn’t the first time she’d heard similar comments. Never mind that she’d been born in Barren, spent most of her life here. Her absence for a few years to work at Wichita’s university library, another in Oklahoma, and finally Kansas City until she’d come home again last year, brokenhearted, had altered the locals’ opinion of her. Just because she dressed up for work, which helped her professional image, didn’t mean she wasn’t still a small-town girl at heart. Instead, many now viewed her as “big-city.” “In the meantime, I see nothing wrong,” she said, “in maintaining a few standards.”
Claudia’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Far be it from me to criticize anyone for having high standards when so few these days seem to care.”
Sophie thanked her for what seemed to be an insincere compliment before Claudia turned and headed for the doors again, having returned her books without choosing to borrow new ones. At the desk Sophie’s assistant, Rachel Whittaker, raised an eyebrow at the woman’s retreating back.
Feeling a bit deflated, Sophie surveyed her domain again. Despite people like Claudia, she loved her hometown, which this summer would indeed celebrate its one-hundred-fiftieth year of existence—talk about having roots! And already much excitement about the various events was in the air. But how could Sophie ever feel accepted once more?
She was pondering how to change people’s minds about her when Gabe Morgan swept through the doors, and her heart skipped a beat. My, the library really was Barren central today. Tall and lean, handsome as the day is long, Gabe had dark brown hair of the richest shade, like mink, and brown eyes with glints of amber.
“Hey,” he said. “Glad you’re still here.”
“I’m always here until five o’clock. Except on Saturday when we close at noon. Although I usually stay later,” she rushed on, “to tidy up and shelve books. People always leave them lying out everywhere. I don’t really mind,” she babbled. “I know better where things go—”
“I’m sure you do.” Gabe was grinning, which only added to his usual magnificence. Sophie had had a hopeless crush on him since the day her brother—she prayed Max didn’t know about her feelings for Gabe—had first brought him home. “Soph,” he said now, using his customary nickname for her. “I already know you’re Barren’s most solid citizen. A pillar of the community in Stewart County, a paragon of virtue.” He paused before adding, “And one mighty fine librarian.”
“Are you making fun of me?” She was never sure about Gabe’s dry humor, and Claudia’s remarks were still fresh in her mind.
“Wouldn’t think of it.”
Sophie wasn’t convinced. She’d misread people in the past and was now slow to trust. She also envied—not an appealing trait—Gabe, who was more laid-back, while she tended to take life too seriously. And yet, there was something else, something deeper, about him and even mysterious that made her want to tell him everything would be all right, when she was no longer sure about that herself.
“I didn’t expect to see you here today,” she said. “May I help you with something?”
“I’m running an errand for Kate.” His boss, a widow and single mom, owned Sweetheart Ranch where Gabe was foreman. “She says you’re holding some books for Teddie.” Kate’s little boy was literally a genius. He certainly kept Sophie on her toes.
“Oh. Yes—right over here.” She practically dove back behind the front desk. On a shelf under the counter, she’d stashed several books about mineralogy, Teddie’s latest interest. Sophie had selected this week’s pile, most of them from the adult section, with great care. She set them on the counter. “These are the best we have on the subject. If Kate wishes, I can order others from the branch in Farrier.”
“I’ll tell her. Thanks.” As easily as if the heavy books were feathers, Gabe scooped them up in his strong arms. “See you tomorrow, Soph.”
“Tomorrow?”
His gaze faltered. “Didn’t Max tell you? He invited me to dinner, but if that’s not convenient—”
“Of course it is.” No, her brother hadn’t mentioned that. As busy as he was with his veterinary practice, Max often neglected to clue her in. He could be frustratingly dense, and even as a boy his head had often been in some cloud. “You’re always welcome.”
“But I know Max takes you for granted.”
Sophie sighed. “He doesn’t mean to. He’s just preoccupied at times.”
“That’s an understatement.” Gabe was frowning. “You want me to talk to him?”
“That’s not necessary.”
“You’re sure? I mean, there’s no guarantee Max will remember asking. He’s as likely to spend the night in some barn delivering a foal—”
“Please. Come to dinner.” But there it was again, that little chink in Gabe’s armor, because that was what it was. Some tiny break in his easygoing facade, as if he didn’t expect to be welcome anywhere. Sophie certainly knew that feeling. Having felt the same way moments ago with Claudia, she wondered why Gabe did, too, which made her sad. Maybe no one else saw it, but Sophie did.
“See you, then,” he said. “And take care of that headache.”
How had he known about that? Rubbing her temples, she watched him stride across the tile floor to the main doors where he raised a tanned index finger in salute, then clambered down the steps outside.
Sophie couldn’t look away. The very sight of him always touched her foolish heart.
SOMETIMES GABE PRETENDED Sweetheart Ranch was his, although he was only Kate Lancaster’s foreman, temporarily at that. But his daydream was a pretty one, had been for the year-plus he’d worked here and, as he surveyed the pancake-flat acreage, one foot propped on the bottom rail of the paddock fence, this sweet late afternoon in May stirred his very soul. The perfect hiding place.
Kate and her son, Teddie, had become a surrogate family of sorts, yet like a reminder that Gabe didn’t really belong here, Noah Bodine, her new fiancé, came around the corner of the barn. Tall and solid, with dark blond hair, the part-time rancher, part-time CEO of a growing cybersecurity firm, looked right at home on the ranch. Besides helping Kate when he was needed, Noah owned a large stake in his family’s huge, adjoining WB Ranch.
Noah’s happiness lit his hazel eyes. That had become his normal expression since he and Kate had gotten engaged. “Big news around town,” he began.
“I heard all about the sesquicentennial earlier today.” People hadn’t talked about anything else. Well, except for Sophie Crane at the library. She’d seemed more intent on chattering about her job, which charmed Gabe and made him smile to himself. He had a soft spot in his heart for Sophie, and he’d still been distracted, thinking of her on his way back to the ranch.
His mind drifted again. He liked Sophie. He liked her clear blue eyes and the way she piled all that pale, silky hair into a loose bun on her head most days, liked her obvious competence and pride in her job, not to mention her straightforward approach to life while he tried to stay in the shadows. Yet Gabe saw much more in her. If he could stay here, if she wasn’t the sister of his best friend, he might...
Noah waved a hand in front of Gabe’s face. “Anybody home in there? I just talked to Finn Donovan.” Finn was the new mayor of Barren, having exchanged his sheriff’s cruiser for a town-issued gray sedan. “The council is over-the-top about this celebration—planning a parade, bringing in a carnival with midway games, holding the usual chili cook-off...even a closing-night banquet. With fireworks afterward.”
Gabe didn’t particularly like large social events or the attention they included. He wasn’t one for chitchat or, especially, probing questions. At such times he walked a tightrope of sorts between wanting to be part of things while he was here and keeping a low profile so as to not have the truth exposed.
Noah said, “If you don’t want to get involved, keep your head down. Kate and her friends are collaring people to help.”
Gabe gave Noah a vague answer. “I’ll help wherever I can.”
Noah clapped him on the shoulder. “Then you’re on my list, too, buddy.”
Noah had started for the house and was halfway across the yard when Kate, her dark hair swinging, came out of the barn. “Thanks for getting Teddie’s books, Gabe. He’s already read two of them.”
“It was no trouble. You’re welcome.”
Gabe liked Teddie, too. Behind his black-framed glasses, her little boy’s brain chewed up information as if it were popcorn. At four, he’d recently been enrolled in a gifted school program to better challenge his uber-bright mind, and he knew Sophie was having a hard time supplying the kid with books on every subject under the sun.
But Gabe sensed it wasn’t her son Kate wanted to talk about, which put him on alert.
“I’ve just looked at Critter,” she began.
“Yeah, I think we’ll need to call the vet.” Gabe’s roan gelding had gone lame, and he’d doctored him long enough to know he couldn’t handle the problem himself. “Might ask Max about the colt, too.”
Kate’s smile switched off like a light bulb. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Not a thing,” he quickly assured her, taking his foot off the fence rail. The premature foal had given them all some bad moments last winter, but the infection that could have killed him was gone now and he was thriving. “He’s growing like a bean stalk, but he’s developed a nasty tendency to kick.”
“I noticed that, too.” She frowned. “Do you think this is a bad sign about his nature?”
“Just feeling his oats, probably.” Gabe dug the toe of his boot into the dirt. “Can’t hurt to get Max’s opinion.”
Kate, small and fine-boned, studied him for a moment. “Oh, while you were in town, you had a phone call here at the barn,” she said. So, was that what she really wanted to talk about?
He swallowed. It shouldn’t surprise him that his dad had resorted to calling the barn’s landline. His father had left several messages on Gabe’s cell that he had yet to return, mostly because he was stalling. “I’ll take care of it.” Just not right now.
“You know,” Kate said idly, her gray gaze sharp, “when my aunt was living here—well, she’s actually my cousin, though I’ve always called her aunt since we were kids—she conned me into answering whenever her ex-husband phoned. Why do I get the impression you’re avoiding someone, too?”
“Not avoiding. I was in Barren when my dad called, getting those books for Teddie, picking up supplies at the ag store and Earl’s Hardware. Before that, I ate lunch at the café.”
“Not a man,” Kate said. “It was a woman.”
Gabe groaned inwardly. He should have guessed the real caller instead. Now Kate looked more suspicious.
“I didn’t ask for an alibi—” she half smiled “—or a complete rundown, but I have to wonder. You never talk about yourself, Gabe. We all know you’re from Texas—”
“Odessa,” he supplied as if that lie, close enough to the truth, would settle the matter.
“But that’s all we know. And that your father is in the oil business?”
“Yeah, kind of.” Gabe didn’t like to lie any more than he already had, so he merely shrugged.
Kate tilted her head. “If there’s something bothering you, I’m happy to listen.”
“Nah,” he said, “thanks but I’m good.” Gabe forced a grin. “Except, of course, that I’m still smarting over that same cousin’s rejection, not that she ever gave me any encouragement.”
Gabe didn’t do unrequited love well—or, in that case, brief attraction—but he’d bounced back from rejection almost as soon as Meg, Kate’s said aunt/cousin, who wasn’t much older than Kate, had disappeared down the drive with her ex. Gabe didn’t know any other woman who’d married the same man twice. He silently apologized for using her to change the subject.
Kate was frowning a bit. “You sure you’re okay?”
“More than,” he said. “Just real busy. This has been the spring to top all springs, you ask me.” As if he’d always been here, always would be. “I’d better get back to work.”
But he didn’t belong, Gabe reminded himself. If he sometimes wished that Sweetheart Ranch was his, or one like it, he also yearned for the kind of family he’d never known, a woman of his own to love as Noah did Kate.
After she left to have lunch at the house with Noah and Teddie, Gabe drifted back into the barn. For now, he’d made a new life for himself.
He would stay on Sweetheart Ranch as long as he could. If someone learned his secret, it would no longer be his home.
