The Secret Truth at Dare Ranch by Cheryl Gorman Page B

the air
crisp and the sky an intense blue that almost hurt the eyes to look at it. God,
she loved the fall.
    She
turned to Dani, put her arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to her
side. "You’re the one who wanted to come along instead of spending the
afternoon with Hattie.”
    Hattie
Anderson had worked for her father since Lexie was six. She helped Lexie out
two days a week and kept an eye on Dani whenever she asked. Lexie didn’t know
what she would do without her.
    Dani
shrugged her shoulders. "I know. But she doesn’t like to play Barbie or
dress up or anything like that."
    Lexie
laughed. "We’ll go riding when I’m finished if it isn’t too late. I
promise.” She wanted to go home, take a hot bath and fall into bed. Her body
cried for rest, but she’d been so busy the last couple of days she and Dani had
spent very little time together. The horses needed a good workout. All she’d
had time for was to turn them out for some exercise in the enclosed round
paddock.
    "Can Dad
come over?"
    Lexie
wasn’t surprised by the question. Mitch was all Dani talked about these days
and all Lexie had thought about. She smiled at Dani. "Maybe."
    She
knew that Dani needed a father, and not just any father-- her father. She’d
tried to make herself believe she could be both, but she knew in her heart she
couldn’t.
    The
memory of his warmth, the strength of his arms around her, made her yearn for
more, a deeper caress and the feel of his mouth on hers. But most of all she
ached for someone to lean on through the hard times and help her with raising
Dani.
    Time
for bed, Kitten.
    The
tender sound of his voice echoed through her mind. Every time he said it, a
little more of the protective armor she’d erected around her emotions chipped
away. Mitch could be gentle, loving, and yes, ruthless. She needed to rid
herself of this romantic haze and remember why he was here.
    Two
weeks had passed since he'd strolled back into her life. She’d tossed and
turned in her bed at night, feeling restless and needy. This was so unlike her.
She was always so exhausted at the end of each day as soon as her head hit the
pillow she slept and didn’t awaken until morning.
    "He
can ride with me on Aspen," Dani said bringing her thoughts back to the
present. "Aspen won’t mind. He likes riding double."
    She
tugged on the bill of the pink cap on Dani's head. "We’ll see."
    Dani
sighed. "When you say that what you really mean is no.” She laid her small
hand on Lexie’s shoulder and tilted her face up to hers. Sunlight illuminated
her eyes, the same as her father’s and hope filled her sweet face. "Please,
Mom, I want to see my dad."
    Her
cheeks were flushed from the chilly breeze, her hair tousled. The front of her
shirt stained with mustard from the ham sandwich she’d eaten for lunch.
    Lexie's
heart simply melted. "How can I say no to such a face?"
    Dani’s
mouth broke into a wide grin and she grabbed Lexie in a quick, tight hug. "Thanks,
Mom."
    Lexie
nodded. "You’re welcome, sweet pea.” She glanced back at the rake to make
sure the hay was being gathered into long piles called windrows. When she
finished the raking, she would bring out the baler and gather the raked hay
into bales. She needed to finish soon. If she waited much longer, the first
snow might slide in over the mountains and ruin the crop. That she couldn’t
afford.
    There
was no money to buy hay. The cows needed to be brought in and corralled so they
could be fed and fattened up for market. She had corn, sorghum silage and
soybean meal to buy. Not to mention more vitamins and minerals. She didn’t feel
like dealing with Mitch and the dormant emotions he’d begun to stir up inside
her.
    She
turned back to gaze out over the field and the mountains beyond. The land was
what she needed because she knew it would always be here like the sun dipping
lower in the sky and the breeze turning cooler.
    She
needed it for Dani and for herself. Too many memories had tied her