The happy excitement Grady had experienced only moments earlier died a quick death. “It was my understanding Richard mailed you a check.”
“He told me the same thing, but it’s been more than two weeks now and nothing’s come. I don’t feel I should have to wait any longer.”
“I don’t think you should, either. I’ll speak to him myself,” Grady promised.
“I hate to drag you into this,” Max muttered, and it was clear from his shaky voice how much the subject distressed him.
“Don’t worry about it, Max. I understand.”
The older man nodded and turned away. Grady climbed into his truck and clenched the steering wheel with both hands as the anger flooded through him. Leave it to his brother to lie and cheat and steal!
What infuriated Grady was that he had no one to blame but himself. He’d allowed Richard to continue living on the Yellow Rose. Allowed him to tarnish the family name. Allowed himself to believe, to hope, that the years away had changed his brother.
All his illusions had been shattered. They were destroyed like so much else Richard had touched. He’d done his damnedest to ruin Grady, and he’d come close. But Richard had succeeded in ruining his own life—his potential to be a different person, a worth while human being.
Charming and personable, a born leader, Richard could have accomplished great things. Instead, he’d used his charisma and personality to swindle others, never understanding that the person he’d cheated most had been himself.
Six years earlier Richard had forged Grady’s signature and absconded with the cash their parents had left—cash that would have paid the inheritance taxes on the ranch and covered the burial expenses. Grady and Savannah had found themselves penniless following the tragedy that had claimed their parents’ lives. It’d taken six long, back breaking, frustration-filled years to crawl out of debt. Grady had sacrificed those years to hold on to the ranch while Richard had squandered the money. When it had run out, he’d returned home with his tail between his legs, looking for a place to stay until he received a severance check from his last job—or so he’d said.
Deep down Grady had wanted to believe in Richard. His sister had begged him to let their younger brother stay. But she didn’t need to beg very hard or very long for him to relent. Unfortunately it had become apparent that a liar and a cheat didn’t change over night—or in six years. Grady’s brother was the same now as the day he’d stolen from his family.
Despite the air conditioner, the heat inside the truck cab sucked away Grady’s energy. It should have come as no surprise to discover that Richard had lied to him again. This time would be the last, Grady vowed.
Oh, yes, this episode was the proverbial last straw.
HIS DAYS IN PROMISE were numbered, Richard Weston thought as he sat on his bed in the bunk house. It wouldn’t be long before Grady learned the truth. The whole uncomfortable truth. Actually he was surprised he’d managed to hold out this long; he credited that to his ability to lie effectively. But then, small-town folks were embarrassingly easy to dupe. They readily accepted his lies because they wanted to believe him. The years had finely honed his powers of persuasion, but he hadn’t needed to work very hard convincing the business owners in Promise to trust him. Being born and raised in this very town had certainly helped. He nearly laughed out loud at how smoothly everything had gone.
Actually Richard did feel kind of bad about leaving a huge debt behind. Max Jordan was decent enough, even if he was an old fool. Billy from Billy D’s was okay, too. One day—maybe—when he had money to spare, he’d consider paying everyone back. Grady and Savannah, too. That would shock his uptight brother.
It might all have worked if Richard could’ve persuaded Ellie Frasier to marry him. He experienced a twinge of regret. He must be losing his knack with women. Nothing could have shocked him more than Ellie’s informing him she’d chosen Glen Patterson, instead.
Damn shame. Glen was a real hick, not all that different from Grady. Why Ellie would marry Glen when she could have had him was something he’d never understand. Women were fickle creatures, but until recently he’d been able to sway them to his way of thinking.
Not Ellie. How he would’ve loved to get his hands on her inheritance. That money would have gone a long way toward solving his problems. Well, it didn’t do any good to cry over might-have-beens. He was a survivor and he’d prove it—not for the first time. Nothing kept Richard Weston down for long.
Calculating quickly, Richard figured he had only a few days before everything went all to hell. He was ready. Grady seemed to think he idled away his days, but Richard had been working hard, preparing what he’d need. He’d been planning for this day almost from the moment he’d gotten back to Promise. Grady needn’t worry; before long Richard would be out of his brother’s hair.
Sure he had regrets. He’d thought about returning to Promise lots of times over the years, but he’d never suspected it would be for the reasons that had driven him here now.
When he’d first arrived on the ranch, he’d felt a faint stirring of emotion. It’d been a little less than six years since he’d set foot on the old home stead. Those feelings, however, hadn’t lasted long and were completely dead now, especially since Grady had tossed him out of the house and forced him to sleep in the bunk house.
Richard couldn’t grasp what it was that had kept his father and now his brother tied to a herd of four-footed head aches. He hated cattle, hated the way they smelled and bawled, the way they constantly needed care. Hated everything about them. This kind of life was never meant for him. Sadly no one appreciated that he was different. Better, if he did say so himself. Not even his mother had fully recognized it. Unfortunately neither did Savannah. Now that she’d married Laredo, she was even less inclined to side with him.
Sad to say, his time on the Yellow Rose was drawing to a close.
“Richard?”
Maggie Daniels peeked into the bunk house. The kid had become something of a pest lately, but he’d always been popular with children. They weren’t all that different from women, most of them, eager for his attention.
“Howdy, cupcake,” he said, forcing enthusiasm into his voice. “Whatcha doin’?”
“Nothing. You want to play cards?”
“I can’t now. How about later?” He leaned against the wall, clasping his hands behind his head.
“You said that last time.” Her lower lip shot out.
Yup, kids were just like women; they pouted when they didn’t get their way.
“Where’s Savannah?” Richard asked, hoping to divert the kid’s attention.
“In her garden.”
“Didn’t I hear her say something about baking cookies this afternoon?” He hadn’t heard any such thing, but it’d get rid of the kid.
“She did?” Excitement tinged Maggie’s voice.
“She told me so herself. Chocolate chip, my favorite. Why don’t you ask her, and when you’re finished you can bring me a sample. How does that sound?”
Maggie’s eyes lit up and Richard laughed. He loved the fact that she preferred him over Grady. His big lug of a brother didn’t know a damn thing about kids. It was comical watching him try to make friends with Maggie. She wouldn’t have anything to do with him, and for once in his life Richard outshone his big brother.
“Come on, I’ll go with you,” he said, changing his mind. “We’ll go talk to Savannah about those cookies.”
“She’s busy in her rose garden.”
“But not too busy for us.” Richard felt certain that was true. Savannah had a soft spot in her heart for the child and could refuse Maggie nothing. If he’d asked her on his own, chances were he wouldn’t get to first base, but with Maggie holding his hand, Savannah was sure to capitulate.
For some reason Richard wanted one of those cookies. And he wanted it now.
He wasn’t sure why—maybe just to pull Savannah’s strings a bit. But Richard prided himself on getting what he wanted. Whenever he wante
d it.
“YOU’RE FULL of surprises, Grady Weston,” Caroline muttered to herself as she drove down the highway toward the Yellow Rose. The afternoon had dragged even though she’d been busy. Despite the heavy flow of traffic in and out of the post office, Caroline had frequently glanced at her watch, counting down the hours and then the minutes until closing time. And until she saw Grady again….
His invitation to lunch had caught her by surprise. She’d all but given up hope that he’d ever figure it out. In the past six months she’d done everything short of sending him a fax to let him know she was interested. When it came to romance, Grady Weston was as blind as they come. Not that she was any better; it’d taken her years to work up enough courage to give love a second chance.
She’d dated occasionally but never found that combination of mutual attraction and respect with anyone except Grady. Unfortunately she wasn’t sure he recognized his own feelings, let alone hers. Twice now she’d decided to forget about him, and both times he’d given her reasons to believe it might work for them. Like showing up this afternoon and taking her to lunch.
She sped up, hoping their lunch date really was a beginning. She wanted a relationship with Grady, a romance—maybe even marriage eventually. Oh, my, but she did like him. He was honest, loyal, hardworking. She admired the way he’d struggled to hold on to the ranch despite grief and crippling sacrifices. Year after year she’d watched him do whatever it took to keep the Yellow Rose, to keep what was important to him and Savannah.
Caroline and Savannah had always been close, but never more so than now. Caroline’s mother had died the year before, and it was Savannah who’d stood by her side and cried with her. Having buried her own mother, Savannah understood the grief that suffocated Caroline those first few months. It was also during that time that Maggie had grown so attached to Savannah, who’d become like a second mother to her. It pleased Caroline that her daughter loved Savannah as much as she did herself.
However, the five-year-old felt no such tenderness for Grady. Caroline sighed as her thoughts drifted to their rocky relationship. Grady’s loud voice had made the child skittish from the first, and then one afternoon when Maggie was feeling ill, she’d phoned Savannah. Grady had answered the phone with a brusque demand, and from that moment forward Maggie would have nothing to do with him.
It was a problem, and one that continued to bother Caroline. If a romantic relationship developed between her and Grady the way she wanted, the way she dreamed, then Maggie and Grady would need to make their peace. True, Grady regretted the incident and had tried to undo the damage, but the child was unrelenting in her dislike of him.
As she reached the long gravel driveway leading to the Yellow Rose, Caroline decreased her speed to make the turn. A few moments later the large two-story ranch house came into view. Rocket, Grady’s old dog, lumbered stiffly down the porch steps to greet her, tail wagging.
Laredo was working in the corral while Savannah stood at the fence watching him put their prize stallion through his paces. Maggie was with Savannah, her feet braced against the bottom rail and her arms resting on top. When she heard the car, she leaped down and dashed toward her mother.
Maggie hurled herself into her arms as soon as Caroline stepped out of the car. “Me and Savannah baked cookies!” Her young voice rang with glee. “And Richard said he never tasted better. He ate five cookies before he could stop himself.” She slapped both hands over her mouth as though she’d blurted out a secret.
“How many did you eat?” Caroline wanted to know. It would be just like Richard to let the child spoil her dinner with cookies.
“Too many,” Savannah answered for her, giving Caroline an apologetic half smile.
“We’ll have a late dinner,” Caroline said, dismissing her friend’s worries. “I had a big lunch.” She was about to tell Savannah about her lunch date when Grady burst out of the barn.
“Have you seen Richard? Has he shown up yet? He’s got to be around here some where.” Grady’s face was distorted with rage.
Maggie edged closer to Caroline and wrapped her arm around her mother’s waist.
“Grady,” Savannah said in that low calming way of hers.
If Grady noticed Caroline, he gave no indication.
“Did I hear someone call for me?” Richard said, strolling out of the house as though he hadn’t a care in the world. He was a handsome man, lean and muscular, probably the most attractive man Caroline had ever known. But in Richard’s case the good looks were superficial. She’d watched as he skillfully manipulated and used others to his own advantage. Even Grady and Savannah. She was amazed that Grady had allowed him to continue living on the ranch—yet at the same time, she understood. Like Savannah, Grady wanted to believe that Richard had changed.
Grady whirled around at the sound of Richard’s voice. “We need to talk.” His voice boomed and Maggie hid her face against Caroline’s stomach.
“Max Jordan said he hasn’t been paid,” Grady shouted.
A shocked look stole over Richard. “You’re joking! He didn’t get the check? I put it in the mail two weeks ago.”
“He never got it because you didn’t mail it.”
“What do you mean?” Richard demanded.
The two men faced off, Grady’s anger spilling over in every word and Richard looking stunned and hard done by.
“Grady, please,” Savannah said, hurrying toward her older brother and gently placing a hand on his arm. “Now isn’t the time to be discussing this. Leave it until later.”
“She’s right,” Richard said. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we have company.”
It was obvious that Grady had been so consumed by his anger, he’d barely realized they weren’t alone. “Caroline,” he murmured, and his face revealed both regret and delight. He seemed uncertain about what to say next. “Hello.”
“How’s my cupcake?” Richard asked, smiling at Maggie.
The little girl loosened her grip on Caroline’s waist, turning to Richard as he spoke. He threw his arms open and she raced eagerly toward him.
“That’s my girl,” Richard said, catching Maggie and sweeping her high into the air. He whirled her around, the pair of them laughing as if it’d been days since they’d seen each other.
Savannah sidled closer to Caroline. “Grady’s been looking for Richard all afternoon,” she said in a quiet voice, “and he’s been conveniently missing until now.”
Caroline understood what her friend was saying. Richard had played his cards perfectly, appearing at the precise moment it’d be impossible for Grady to get a straight answer from him. Then he’d used Maggie’s childish adoration to make Grady look even more foolish.
“Maggie,” Caroline called.
Richard set the child back on her feet. Together the two of them joined Caroline and Savannah.
“I do believe Maggie has stolen my heart,” he said, his eyes bright with laughter.
“Does that mean you’ll marry me?” Maggie asked, grinning up at him.
“Sure thing.”
“Really?”
“He won’t marry you,” Caroline said, reaching for her daughter’s hand.
“Don’t be so certain,” Richard countered. He crouched down beside Maggie, but he was looking at Caroline.
“Hi, Maggie,” Grady said, choosing that moment to try again. The anger had faded from his face, but he still held himself rigid.
Caroline gave him credit for making the effort to win Maggie over.
Her daughter wasn’t easily swayed, however. She buried her face in Richard’s shoulder.
“There’s no need to be afraid of Grady,” Richard whispered to Maggie—a stage whisper that carried easily. Then he smiled in a way that suggested Grady was wasting his time. In other words, Grady didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of convincing Maggie he wasn’t an ogre. Richard’s meaning couldn’t have been clearer.
“I don’t like Grady,” Maggie announced, pursing her lips.
?
??Maggie!” Caroline admonished her.
“She’s right, you know,” Richard said, teeth flashing in a wide grin. “Grady just doesn’t get along with kids, not like I do.”
Caroline clamped her mouth shut rather than reveal her thoughts. She didn’t trust Richard, couldn’t trust him, not after the way he’d used his family. Used anyone who’d let him.
“I’m thinking Maggie needs someone like me in her life,” Richard said. “Which means there’s only one solution.”
“What’s that?” Caroline knew she was a fool to ask.
“You could always marry me,” he said and leaned over far enough to touch his lips to Caroline’s cheek. “Put me out of my misery, Caroline Daniels, and marry me.”
“Oh, Mommy, let’s do it!” Maggie shouted, clapping her hands. “Let’s marry Richard.”
CHAPTER 2
GRADY WAS PLEASED THAT HIS SISTER had convinced Caroline and Maggie to stay for dinner. Now all he had to do was behave. It never seemed to fail—whenever he had a chance to make some headway with Maggie, he’d do something stupid. He wanted to blame Richard, but as usual he’d done it to himself.
His brother brought out the very worst in him. As Grady washed up for dinner, he hoped this evening would give him an opportunity to redeem himself in both Caroline and Maggie’s eyes.
The table was already set and the food dished up in heaping portions. A platter of sliced roast beef rested in the middle, along with a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, a pitcher of gravy, fresh corn on the cob and a crisp green salad. There was also a basket filled with Savannah’s mouthwatering buttermilk biscuits. His sister was one fine cook. He’d miss her when she moved into her own house with Laredo. But it was time, well past time, that she had a home and a life of her own. He knew from his talks with Laredo that they’d already started to think about adding to the family.
“Dinner looks wonderful,” he said. Grady made an effort these days to let Savannah know how much he appreciated her. Over the years he’d taken her contributions for granted, discounting her efforts with her roses and her fledgling mail-order business—a business that now brought a significant income. He’d even made fun of her goats, which he considered pets rather than live stock. Now that she was married and about to establish her own home, Grady recognized just how much he was going to miss her.