Read Online The Rancher And The Runaway Bride: Part 3 by Susan Mallery - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan Mallery
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Generally, he’s suffering.”
Some of the pain around her heart eased. “Good. He deserves it. I’m determined to
convince him that we belong together.”
“I don’t think he’ll need much convincing.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I generally am.”
She stepped away and glared at him. “Then, why’d you go and tell Brady that Ty and
I were involved? We weren’t.”
The ex-marine grinned. “Hell, I knew that, but I thought it might give Brady something
to think about.”
“You lied!”
“Uh-huh.”
“I should warn my mother about you.”
“I think the lady can take care of herself.”
* * *
At noon the next morning Randi pulled off the side of the highway. To her left was
the beginning of Brady’s ranch. She gazed at the familiar, desolate landscape and
wondered how Brady had ever thought she would want to live anywhere else.
While her sense of homecoming gave her courage, she wasn’t sure how to approach him.
She needed the exact words to tell him that she loved him and that they belonged together.
The sun warmed the car and she unrolled the window. A flicker of movement caught her
eye. She squinted, then laughed as she recognized a familiar canine making her morning
rounds. She stepped outside and called the dog. “Princess! Over here.”
The shepherd yipped joyfully and trotted toward Randi. She squatted down and hugged
the dog, then scratched her ears.
“How you doing, girl? You look much better.” She checked the animal’s paws and found
they’d healed. Princess licked her face, trotted a couple of steps toward the ranch,
then paused expectantly.
Randi slowly rose to her feet. Princess barked encouragingly, as if telling her to
come on. As ideas went, it wasn’t a bad one. Maybe she wouldn’t have to say anything
at all to Brady. Maybe she could just show up.
After making sure her car was out of the flow of traffic, she locked the doors and
started after the dog. They were only about a mile from the main house. While she
got her morning workout, she could think of what she wanted to say to Brady.
* * *
Brady stared at the bowl of stew in front of him. Although the food was excellent,
he wasn’t hungry. He hadn’t been hungry in days. He couldn’t survive much longer if
he didn’t start eating, but nothing tasted right. And it wasn’t because Tex had decided
to deliver Randi’s belongings. The temporary cook prepared fine meals, at least that’s
what the men told him.
He dipped his fork into the rich mixture, then grimaced. He wasn’t himself. Nothing
was going wrong, but it wasn’t right, either. The ranch, usually his refuge, had become
a prison. The joy was gone and he knew why.
But knowing why and fixing it were two different things. So he missed Randi. He hadn’t
expected any different. He loved her and she wasn’t with him; life was hardly going
to be happy. Before, with Alicia, he’d been able to bury himself in work. Now that
wasn’t an option. He couldn’t escape the memories, the wanting, the needing.
Ty slammed down his fork and glared across the table. “I quit,” he said.
The already silent room became charged. Everyone stopped eating and stared.
Brady looked at his second-in-command. “That’s your right.”
“Damn straight.” Ty stood up. “Wanna know why?”
Brady had a bad feeling he knew what was coming. “Not really.”
“That’s what I thought. You want to get off easy. You want to take the coward’s way
out.”
Brady deliberately set his napkin on the table and rose to his feet. “Maybe you and
I should take this outside.”
“Fine.”
Ty stood up and stalked to the doorway. Once there he glared over his shoulder. “You’ve
had this coming for a long time.”
Brady followed silently.
They stopped in the yard, under the shade of the trees planted by his great-grandfather
nearly eighty years ago. Ty tossed his cowboy hat aside and raised his hands to chest
Some of the pain around her heart eased. “Good. He deserves it. I’m determined to
convince him that we belong together.”
“I don’t think he’ll need much convincing.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I generally am.”
She stepped away and glared at him. “Then, why’d you go and tell Brady that Ty and
I were involved? We weren’t.”
The ex-marine grinned. “Hell, I knew that, but I thought it might give Brady something
to think about.”
“You lied!”
“Uh-huh.”
“I should warn my mother about you.”
“I think the lady can take care of herself.”
* * *
At noon the next morning Randi pulled off the side of the highway. To her left was
the beginning of Brady’s ranch. She gazed at the familiar, desolate landscape and
wondered how Brady had ever thought she would want to live anywhere else.
While her sense of homecoming gave her courage, she wasn’t sure how to approach him.
She needed the exact words to tell him that she loved him and that they belonged together.
The sun warmed the car and she unrolled the window. A flicker of movement caught her
eye. She squinted, then laughed as she recognized a familiar canine making her morning
rounds. She stepped outside and called the dog. “Princess! Over here.”
The shepherd yipped joyfully and trotted toward Randi. She squatted down and hugged
the dog, then scratched her ears.
“How you doing, girl? You look much better.” She checked the animal’s paws and found
they’d healed. Princess licked her face, trotted a couple of steps toward the ranch,
then paused expectantly.
Randi slowly rose to her feet. Princess barked encouragingly, as if telling her to
come on. As ideas went, it wasn’t a bad one. Maybe she wouldn’t have to say anything
at all to Brady. Maybe she could just show up.
After making sure her car was out of the flow of traffic, she locked the doors and
started after the dog. They were only about a mile from the main house. While she
got her morning workout, she could think of what she wanted to say to Brady.
* * *
Brady stared at the bowl of stew in front of him. Although the food was excellent,
he wasn’t hungry. He hadn’t been hungry in days. He couldn’t survive much longer if
he didn’t start eating, but nothing tasted right. And it wasn’t because Tex had decided
to deliver Randi’s belongings. The temporary cook prepared fine meals, at least that’s
what the men told him.
He dipped his fork into the rich mixture, then grimaced. He wasn’t himself. Nothing
was going wrong, but it wasn’t right, either. The ranch, usually his refuge, had become
a prison. The joy was gone and he knew why.
But knowing why and fixing it were two different things. So he missed Randi. He hadn’t
expected any different. He loved her and she wasn’t with him; life was hardly going
to be happy. Before, with Alicia, he’d been able to bury himself in work. Now that
wasn’t an option. He couldn’t escape the memories, the wanting, the needing.
Ty slammed down his fork and glared across the table. “I quit,” he said.
The already silent room became charged. Everyone stopped eating and stared.
Brady looked at his second-in-command. “That’s your right.”
“Damn straight.” Ty stood up. “Wanna know why?”
Brady had a bad feeling he knew what was coming. “Not really.”
“That’s what I thought. You want to get off easy. You want to take the coward’s way
out.”
Brady deliberately set his napkin on the table and rose to his feet. “Maybe you and
I should take this outside.”
“Fine.”
Ty stood up and stalked to the doorway. Once there he glared over his shoulder. “You’ve
had this coming for a long time.”
Brady followed silently.
They stopped in the yard, under the shade of the trees planted by his great-grandfather
nearly eighty years ago. Ty tossed his cowboy hat aside and raised his hands to chest
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