Disarming the Rancher Page 5

  He took the couple of steps before opening the door. “After you.”

  “Should we call your mom and tell her I’m coming? I don’t want to catch her off guard,” she said.

  “Are you kidding? And ruin the best surprise she’s had all year?” He seemed to reconsider the comment when he mumbled, “Well, a close second.”

  She told herself not to ask about that later but figured it might have something to do with having a granddaughter.

  “Funny, I don’t think I’ve ever been in the main house before,” she said as she walked past Brax and into an expansive kitchen. “Wow.”

  “Seems a shame the Marshall lived here alone for so many years.” He glanced around. “All this space going to waste.”

  “Can’t say that I ever knew him very well,” she admitted. “He was never rude to me if I ever ran into him in the barn or on the property. He never seemed to mind my presence. But I can’t remember a time he ever really acknowledged me either.”

  “He was a complicated man. Or so I’m realizing more and more,” Brax said.

  “You said Adam lives here now.” She didn’t want to impose.

  “Him and his family moved in,” he said. “Hold on. I’ll check and see where Mother is. Make yourself comfortable.”

  “Mind if I grab a glass of water?” she asked.

  “Glasses are in the cabinet by the sink. Or bottled water is in the fridge.” He motioned toward the farmhouse sink.

  “I miss good old tap water,” she said, thinking how amazing it would have been to have big family dinners in here and what a missed opportunity it had been for the Marshall. The man had been an enigma all right. He clearly loved his family in his own way and built multiple residences and two barns so they’d be at home here. But never had them in the main house. Not even Sunday supper, which was a big deal in these parts. “Always tasted better here on the ranch.”

  Raleigh was beginning to remember how great life had been at home. She’d blocked so much out and put blinders on for her career. Had she been in survival mode all this time? Was she really living?

  “Hold tight.” Brax couldn’t wait to see the look on his mother’s face when she saw who was standing in the kitchen. He heard voices down the hallway and found her with Prudence and Angel. All three sat on the floor in the once stiff formal living room that had been transported to a bright and colorful playroom.

  There was a princess-themed teepee in one corner and the flooring was made of soft pieces that fit together like a puzzle. This place had been transformed in a matter of days thanks to internet shopping and next day shipping according to his mother. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d see her with a smile this big on her face.

  “How’s it—” He stopped the minute his mother looked up at him. That same guilty look from earlier crossed her dark Italian features.

  “Brax,” she said quickly, like she was trying to cover the slip. She forced a smile that he figured was meant to look breezy. “What are you doing back so soon?”

  “I have something you should see in the kitchen.” He decided this wasn’t the time to air out dirty laundry. But she would come clean with her secret soon.

  “Oh?”

  This wasn’t the reaction he expected from his mother.

  “Come on,” he urged.

  “I’ll take Angel.” Prudence smiled at the baby as his mother handed her over.

  “You guys can come too,” he said, figuring Prudence might be familiar with Raleigh, since they’d all attended the same schools. He figured the two had to be somewhere close in age.

  Brax followed the trio down the hall.

  “Hold on a minute,” he said to his mother. He waved Prudence to go on but put an index finger to his lips so she wouldn’t say a word when she saw the surprise. He turned his mother around to face him. “Hands over your eyes.”

  She stared at him for a long moment. If only he could see what was going on inside her head. She forced another smile and brought her hands up, but the look on her face was…fearful?

  “Don’t worry. This is a good surprise,” he said to calm her rattled nerves.

  With a hand on each shoulder, he turned her around and then walked her into the kitchen. “I’m going to let go of you but don’t look until I tell you to, okay?”

  She nodded and he could feel her trembling. This wasn’t like her and now he was concerned. He decided to let the other subject drop for now but the two of them would have a conversation very soon.

  He steadied her with his hands, shot a look toward Raleigh, and then said, “Open your eyes.”

  Mom gasped. She squealed and clapped her hands together, bringing them to her chest. “Raleigh? Is that really you?”

  Raleigh practically beamed as she curtsied, and it was the first time she seemed truly happy since he ran into her last night. “It’s so good to see you, Mrs. Firebrand.”

  “Oh my goodness.” Mom threw her hands out and gaited toward the beautiful redhead. The two embraced and the sight warmed Brax’s heart more than he wanted to admit.

  Prudence stood next to the island with Angel cradled in her arms. She might not be the baby’s biological parent, but she was Angel’s mother in every sense of the word.

  “How? When?” Mom didn’t normally get so flustered she couldn’t finish her sentence.

  “Who wants a cup of coffee?” Prudence asked.

  Mom whirled around. “I’ll get it. Everyone sit down. This is a celebration.” She turned back to Raleigh. “Can you stay for a little while?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Raleigh said.

  “No more of that formal nonsense,” Mom said. “Call me Mom Firebrand just like you used to.”

  “Will do.” Raleigh took a seat at the table near Prudence and it looked like a weight had lifted from her shoulders as well.

  Brax helped his mother with the drinks.

  “A good surprise?” he asked, noticing she had tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “A very good one,” she admitted. And then surprised him with, “A secret is killing me. I can’t live like this.” She turned to face him. “We need to talk later when it’s just the two of us.”

  He nodded, wondering what that was all about.

  To further his confusion, she stared straight into his eyes and whispered, “My beautiful boy.”

  With that, she sniffled twice and then started pouring coffee. He double-fisted a pair of mugs and his mom carried two more. She set one down in front of Raleigh as he tried to figure out what on earth his mom meant. If he’d been to the doctor lately, he’d be worried about bad test results after the way she looked at him.

  “I can’t believe you’re here in the flesh,” Mom said to Raleigh with a huge smile plastered on her face, and then her expression turned serious. “I’m so relieved you’re okay.”

  “It’s been a scary few days. That’s for sure,” Raleigh said on a sharp sigh. She picked up the mug and took a sip. “The coffee always was better here on the ranch. Why is that?”

  “The well water,” Mom quipped.

  Brax noticed how deftly Raleigh had changed the subject. Did she want to avoid talking about the bomb incident? Speaking of which, he needed to talk to her about filing a report with Sheriff Lawler about the ATV incident. The guy shouldn’t be allowed to get away with chasing her like that. He might have been an obsessed fan or reporter. The likelihood he was the bomber had to be slim. How would he know where she was? Brax’s hands fisted at thinking about what might have happened if he hadn’t been right there or gone to check out the minibike sound and her cry for help.

  “I’ve noticed it too,” Prudence agreed. “And it’s good to see you again, Raleigh.”

  “Likewise.” Raleigh lifted her coffee mug and the ceramic clinked together.

  “You two know each other?” Brax asked.

  “We were in the same grade in school,” Raleigh supplied.

  “I didn’t realize,” he said.

  “Because you were like four grades ahead of us.” Raleigh laughed and the tension lines around her eyes relaxed. “You used to seem so much older to me back then.”

  He decided not to point out the fact that four years wasn’t much of a gap at all while in their thirties.

  “I remember seeing you with a notebook in your hand at all times,” Prudence said to Raleigh. “I thought maybe you were going to be a writer someday. Turns out I was close.”

  Raleigh’s cheeks flushed like they did when she was embarrassed. “You always had a book in your hand and I still can’t believe we weren’t friends.”

  “Leave it to two shy girls to spend years together in school without ever speaking,” Prudence pointed out with a smile.

  “True,” Raleigh agreed.

  “Tell me about your career,” Mom said. “What’s it like on the road?”

  “The shows are great. The fans…amazing,” she said. “Sleeping on a tour bus with seven messy guys isn’t so much fun.”

  Mom laughed and nodded. She would know what it was like to have a mess of boys running around.

  “Your daughter is beautiful.” Raleigh motioned toward Angel. She changed the subject and he noted how little she liked to talk about herself. He figured someone with her fame would be all about themselves. She seemed like she’d rather talk about paint drying. Raleigh was turning out to be quite the contrast from what he anticipated. But then, what exactly had he expected? Definitely not the pull of attraction from someone who used to call him, ‘Brat’ instead of his name.

  Speaking of mothers and their children, Mom’s words were starting to haunt him. What kind of secret could have her this torn up inside? And why did she want to speak to him about it?

  6

  Raleigh needed to make and excuse and leave.

>   Being here at the main house with Mom Firebrand, Prudence and her baby, and Brax felt a little too good. Once the threat was over, she’d be back on the road, on the tour, and what? Heartsick for home?

  No thanks. She needed to nip this situation in the bud before it had time to blossom. She looked at Mom Firebrand. So many happy memories flooded Raleigh. Before she left, she needed to say one thing.

  “I wrote a tribute song for you,” she said, fiddling with her coffee cup. For one, she felt bad about never circling back before and telling Mom Firebrand. Secondly, what if she didn’t like it?

  “Me?” So much warmth exuded from the older woman’s eyes. They might be the window to the soul but they were also good at radiating someone’s mood. “I’m honored.”

  “If Only,” Raleigh said. She hummed a few bars and then started in on the lyrics. She stopped after the first refrain. “Do you know that one?”

  Mom Firebrand’s eyes welled up. “Know it? It’s one of my all-time favorites, even if I had no idea it was about me.”

  “Good damn song,” Brax said low and under his breath.

  “You listen to my music?” Raleigh didn’t bother to hide her shock.

  “Adam dragged me to a concert or two in Austin over the years.” He took a sip of coffee, blocking his face. She couldn’t read his expression and a piece of her really needed to see if he liked her music or not. It shouldn’t mean so much to her, except this was home. Random people could hate her but the people she cared most about mattered. Their opinions mattered.

  When he put the mug down, his expression was unreadable.

  “It was good,” he said, like he was sitting in front of a firing squad.

  Of course, there were three sets of eyes staring at him expectantly.

  “Pay no attention, sweetie,” Mom said. “He loves your music.”

  He grinned and she wanted to reach over and give him a friendly tap on the arm like they’d done as kids when he’d been a pest.

  She didn’t figure reaching across his mother to slap his forearm would be appreciated, so she contained the urge. Her cell buzzed in her pocket, so she fished it out and checked the screen. “Excuse me.”

  Conversation was a low hum as she stood up and walked to the opposite side of the granite island anchoring the room.

  “Hey, Hardy. What’s up?” she immediately asked.

  “The house is clear. I’m working with local authorities on getting a deputy parked out front while we’re in town. Should I come pick you up now?” Hardy’s questions shouldn’t cause a lead fireball to land in the pit of her stomach.

  “No. Not yet,” she said quickly. Five more minutes. “I’m still visiting. Okay if I text you with a plan?”

  “Okay,” he said but he sounded anything but.

  Her security detail deserved an explanation.

  “I need to have a conversation with Wade and I’d rather be away from the guys when I make the call. Nothing too big,” she added. “Just personal stuff he’s supposed to be handling for me that seems to be slipping through the cracks lately. Nothing to do with the band.”

  “We’re here whenever you’re ready to come back,” Hardy said. “Or I can come stay with you wherever you are.”

  “No, thanks. That’s not necessary here.” The truth was that she wanted to step away from her life for a little while longer. Hardy was a reminder that she needed protection because someone was targeting her. The same icy chill from earlier raced down her spine thinking about it. “I gotta go. I’ll text. I promise.”

  He barely got the word, Okay, out before she ended the call. The room suddenly felt stuffy and she needed air, recognizing the panic attack as it reared its ugly head. They were easier to conquer when she recognized them right away.

  Back in the early days when she first started playing to crowds, she developed a bad case of stage fright. It had gotten bad enough for Sharon to bring a therapist on tour who’d taught Raleigh a few tricks.

  This blip was nothing compared to the doozies she’d gone through. All this one took was a couple of slow breaths and a reminder she was fine. Everything was fine. She grounded herself by planting her palms on the cool granite either side of the farmhouse sink. She stared out the window onto the amazing land. The twin barns in the distance reminded her that everyone had two sides to them.

  Before she could calm her racing heart, Brax stepped up behind her.

  “Everything okay?” His voice traveled over her like fine silk. She could feel his strong male presence behind her without turning around. He was a foot behind her and she could hear his steady breathing.

  “Give me a minute,” she managed to say without her voice shaking. She didn’t want him to know the effect he was having on her. “Hey, Brat.”

  Her attempt to bring levity to the moment failed miserably the minute her arms goosebumped. Electricity jolted through her when he touched her shoulder.

  “Let me know if you need me,” he said low and under his breath.

  Boy, did that sentence cover so much more than he probably bargained for.

  “Will do,” was all she could manage to say through the haze that was Brax. A haze that had her wanting to turn around and press her lips to his. A haze that had her wishing she could reach out to him, lean into him. A haze that had her needing to feel his mouth moving against hers.

  He stepped away and the room got cold. No one had had that kind of effect on her since…ever when she really thought about it.

  No. No. No.

  She couldn’t afford to get attached to anyone or anything when she would just head out on the road again the minute this whole situation blew over. Between touring and making new music there was no time for anything or anyone else.

  Crazy how the plan to work like mad to build her career to a national level so she didn’t have to be on the road most of the year hadn’t worked out so well. If someone told her at thirty-two she’d still be grinding the tour or in the studio, she would have laughed at them. She was supposed to be able to slow down by this point.

  Being on the road might be losing some of its shine but being with her fans never would. Her shows were everything. Or had they become everything?

  It was probably the back-to-back concerts that were starting to wear thin because she couldn’t allow herself to consider the fact her priorities might be changing. She’d wanted national stardom far too long to let go of the dream now. No one got to take that away from her, especially not some coward who’d rigged a bomb because he was too chicken to face her.

  Where did all that come from?

  She gripped the bullnose edge of the counter and took in a few deep breaths. This jerk didn’t get to win.

  With new resolve, she strode back to the table and reclaimed her seat. She looked at Prudence and then Mom Firebrand. “What did I miss?”

  “Not much. We were just talking about inviting you to stay for lunch.” Mom Firebrand broke out into a wide smile.

  How could Raleigh let the woman who’d been a second mom to her down?

  She glanced at Brax. “Are you sticking around?”

  “A guy has to eat,” he said with a smirk.

  It was infuriating how much that look caused her heart to pound her ribcage from the inside out.

  “Does that mean you’re considering staying?” Mom Firebrand asked.

  She knew better than to accept the invitation. It would be a mistake to get comfortable here. Leaving would be that much more difficult. She should cut bait now and save herself the heartache later.

  “I’d hate to be the one to break up the band before a good meal,” she said. “Please tell me you’re making your famous meatballs.”

  So much for sticking to a plan.

  Brax needed to bring in the sheriff. He’d meant to call before now. He also needed to talk to Raleigh about mentioning the incident to his family and ranch hands. Bronc Harris, ranch foremen, needed to be informed as well. The ATV jerk seemed willing to trespass on anyone’s land and he could come back armed or with friends.

  “Can I steal you for a sec?” he asked Raleigh.

  “Yeah, sure.” She glanced at Prudence and then his mother. “I’ll be right back.”

  He led her into the former living room now playroom to get out of earshot.