To Trust A Rancher. Debbi Rawlins

pretty good idea what she looked like. “I might’ve drifted off.”

      “This won’t take long,” he murmured in a pitch so low she had to lean forward to hear him. “Have you thought about my mom’s offer?”

      Becca should’ve known why he’d come. “Yes, I have. And the answer is no, we won’t be staying at your ranch. So you don’t have to worry about it.”

      A wry half grin rested on his well-shaped mouth. “I want you to take her up on it.”

      “Why?”

      “Come on, Becca, are we really going to do this?”

      “Do what?”

      He stared silently back at her, though not as if he were considering the question. Ryder looked as he had yesterday. Just plain disgusted.

      Pretending to check on Noah, she turned her head. Between Amy’s lies and Becca’s guilt over believing the worst about him, and of course, the biggie—the secret she was keeping from the Mitchells—it was difficult for her to keep all the confusing emotions in check. No telling what her face was giving away.

      Something else occurred to her. If Amy had lied to her, she’d probably lied to her family. About what, though? Becca couldn’t ask. No way she could stir that hornet’s nest and expect to come out unscathed.

      “Because you owe her,” Ryder finally said.

       Chapter Five

      Ryder watched a flush creep across Becca’s cheeks as she briefly met his eyes. Guilt, no doubt. Which was fitting. If she hadn’t manipulated Amy into running off with her, his sister would have probably married Billy, whose folks owned the Circle K. She would’ve settled down right there in Blackfoot Falls and given their mom a couple of grandbabies by now.

      Something Ryder had failed to do.

      Damn, he couldn’t let that line of thinking sabotage him. He’d already wasted too much time steeped in regret, wondering how everything in his marriage had gone so wrong.

      Becca hadn’t said a word. And now that she’d turned back to look at her son, Ryder couldn’t read her.

      He’d never had a problem doing that when she was a kid. Back then, when she’d followed him around with big puppy dog eyes, her expression could tell a whole story. His mom had threatened to ground him for a year if he said one word to embarrass her.

      At the time he’d been twenty-one, too old to be grounded, but he hadn’t done anything to make her feel awkward. He’d liked Becca. She’d had a healthy respect for horses and ranching in general. Except for that year after her mom had moved to Alaska with her new husband. Becca had practically transformed overnight.

      When she stubbornly refused to look at him again, he asked, “Does the kid have a father?”

      “He has a name. It’s Noah,” she said, turning back to Ryder with a fire in her eyes he hadn’t seen before. “I didn’t use a sperm donor, if that’s what you’re asking.”

      He almost smiled. “Are you married?”

      At first, she just stared at him. “How is that your business?”

      “It’s not.”

      She blinked. “How about you and Leanne? You must have kids by now.”

      Ryder winced a little. “We’re divorced.”

      “Oh. I’m sorry.”

      “It happens.”

      “Any kids?”

      He shook his head.

      Becca sighed. “I’m not married. Never have been. It’s just Noah and me.”

      Ryder turned to look at the boy snuggled under the covers. “He’s a cute kid.”

      “He is.” Her lips lifted in a gentle smile, then all of a sudden her guard went up.

      Ryder hadn’t said or done anything to provoke it. Yet the barrier between them was so obvious it was almost tangible.

      “Frankly, I don’t understand why you’d want us around,” she said. “You certainly didn’t hide your feelings yesterday.”

      “All right. While we’re being frank,” he said, and she blinked at his mocking tone, “I think you know something about Amy you aren’t telling us.”

      “I don’t even know where she is. And that’s the truth.”

      “What do you mean?”

      Becca sighed. “I don’t know how to say it any plainer than that.”

      “Noah said she gave him a toy.”

      “Yes. When she came by my place last week, but I haven’t seen her since. I’ve tried calling her cell but she hasn’t answered.”

      “You guys don’t share a place?”

      “Not for a few years. She lives with her boyfriend.”

      Ryder heard a trace of scorn in her voice, saw her tense. Clearly she didn’t like the guy, he thought, then noticed the tiny quiver at the corner of her mouth. No, it was more than dislike. She was afraid. “Tell me about this boyfriend of hers.”

      Crossing her arms over her chest, she hunched her shoulders. “I don’t know him, not really. I’m not a fan so Amy doesn’t bring him around.”

      “You know enough to dislike him. What is it about him that you—?”

      “Look, ask Amy, okay? It’s her business. I won’t discuss it with you.”

      “I’d be more than happy to ask her if she’d ever bother calling. Or if she would give us her damn number. Did you know we haven’t heard from her in a year? And that she blocked her number?”

      “Keep it down. You’re going to wake Noah.”

      “Come on, Becca. Work with me here. You look worried, so naturally now I’m concerned.”

      She briefly closed her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, rubbing her right temple.

      He waited for her to continue. And got nothing. “Guess I should’ve listened to my gut. Hell, I can still drive down there. How many hours did it take you?”

      “No.” Eyes wide, she stared at him. “Don’t. Please.”

      Ryder felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. “You want to tell me why I shouldn’t?” he said. “Because I gotta say, by the look on your face, I’m thinking I should’ve left a week ago.”

      “Please, Ryder.” She reached across the table and clutched his hand. “Amy’s leaving him. She might’ve done it already.”

      “The boyfriend?”

      She nodded. “If you show up, it’ll make things worse.”

      That made no sense at all. Something sure had rattled her. She hadn’t let go of his hand. In fact, she was squeezing tighter, though he doubted she was aware of it.

      “Look, if you’d just tell me the truth,” he said, “maybe I can help.”

      Becca blinked, then looked at her fingers curling over his hand, her fingernails digging into his palm. Her eyes widened a fraction. Oh, yeah, she was rattled. She hadn’t even figured out he’d been bluffing. How could he show up when he didn’t even know where Amy lived?

      Straightening her spine, Becca slowly withdrew her hand. She clasped it with her other one. “I’ve told you the truth. I can’t help it if you choose not to believe me.”

      “Fair enough. But now I’ve got another problem. Going by what you