Chapter 6
Vanessa’s eyes slid open only to be attacked by bright streaks of light streaming through the living room window.
She pulled the orange fleece blanket over her head and groaned.
She’d opted to sleep on the old couch instead of heading upstairs.
Something about the creaking house along with the wind whipping against the siding had set her nerves on edge.
Not to mention the constant claps of thunder and memories of the intruder who’d greeted her the day before.
A wet nose snuck under the blanket and rubbed against her cheek, routing around like a pig.
“I know, I know. You’ve got to go outside.”
Frankie licked her chin, as if not convinced she’d actually get up and let him do his business.
Sighing, she sat and bundled the blanket around her shoulders. Her bare feet touched the cold wooden floors and a chill shot up her legs. She might not know exactly how she’d spend her day, but part of it had to include making a list of everything she needed to make this house her home.
Starting with cozy rugs, blinds, and the urgent need to choose a bedroom for herself.
Frankie leapt off the couch and faced her, his butt wiggling and tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.
Pulling the blanket tighter, she padded to the front door and aimed her index finger at Frankie. “Okay, you did good yesterday, but today’s a new day and I need you not to get into any mischief. I’m going to let you out without a leash. Please stay close.”
Frankie’s tongue disappeared back inside his mouth.
“I’ll take that as a sign of agreement.”
After disarming the alarm, she opened the door and a blast of cool wind blew inside. She couldn’t suppress a shiver and bundled deeper into the fleece as she stepped onto the porch. She didn’t trust Frankie enough not to at least keep an eye on him as he wandered around the yard.
A low moo sounded from the barn, reminding her Frankie wasn’t the only one she had to look after this morning. There was still a lot she didn’t know about tending this land—hell, she didn’t know about where her entire life was heading—but she had learned how to feed her new flock.
Once Frankie finished, she hurried him inside so she could get dressed and start on her morning chores.
A chorus of bleats and moos welcomed her into the barn. She breathed in the scent of hay and dirt and something a little smellier that wrinkled her nose. “Morning, everyone,” she called. “Please be patient and kind to me. I’m learning.”
The next twenty minutes were filled with eager goats chewing on the strings of her jacket and pant legs. Water sloshed on the ground and the hungry animals attacked the bundles of food she brought into their pens.
When everyone was fed, she leaned on the railing caging in Bessie. The little cow ambled toward her, resting her head on the fence.
Vanessa ruffled the soft fur on the cow’s forehead. “I think you might be my favorite.”
Frankie interrupted the moment with a fierce bark.
Laughing, Vanessa crouched to give her dog some love. “I meant among the farm animals. You, my friend, are family.”
The crunch of tires turned her attention outside.
Her heart did a silly pitter-patter. She only knew one person in town well enough that they’d stop by.
Instinct smoothed her palm over her jacket, leaving a smear of dirt along the green canvas.
The barn door was shoved open, allowing her a glimpse of a silver truck with an extended cab she’d never seen.
Stabs of disappointment needled her gut with each step as she made her way outside to see who’d arrived.
The truck parked and a man stepped out from the driver’s side. A brown cowboy hat perched on his head, he stood tall, his broad back to her. The passenger door slammed shut, followed by the murmur of low voices.
Curiosity moved her forward, Frankie at her side. “Hello? Can I help you?”
The man turned toward her, a scowl drawing down the corners of his mouth. Sprinkles of salt threaded through his dark beard. Something about him struck her as familiar although she’d never laid eyes on him before. “Vanessa Kemp?”
“That’s me.”
A squeal of excitement preceded two women who hurried around the front of the truck. The younger one had the man’s black hair that fell in a straight sheet down her back, but the delicate lines of her face matched the older woman next to her.
“I’m Chip Kemp.”
She barely registered the words before the women gobbled her up in a hug.
“And I’m your aunt Diane,” the older woman said. “This is your cousin, Autumn.”
Autumn, not much younger than Vanessa, squealed again and took hold of both her hands.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited to meet you.
I can’t believe you’re really here. It’s crazy!
We’re going to be the best of friends. If you need anything at all, I’m just a phone call away. I’ll give you my number, okay?”
Diane chuckled and smiled down at her. “You look just like your mama. Anyone ever tell you that?”
The compliment curved Vanessa’s lips. “All the time.”
Tears shone in her aunt’s brown eyes. “It is so lovely to meet you.”
“And you’ve got a little dog,” Autumn said in a singsongy voice. She lowered herself to Frankie’s level and scratched behind his ears. “What a little cutie.”
Chip cleared his throat, scattering the two women like a pack of chickens. They hurried to his side, their smiles still present but a little uneasy.
“Doesn’t look like much of a farm dog,” Chip said.
Vanessa bristled at his harsh tone. Dax might have said the same thing yesterday, but he’d been mostly teasing. Her uncle sounded as though he’d like to punt Frankie straight into the river. “Maybe not, but he did a good job yesterday herding goats when they escaped the pasture.”
Chip frowned. “How’d you let that happen?”
The bristling turned to raw, hard annoyance. “I didn’t let anything happen. We let the animals outside and when we came back out, some were missing. The fence had been cut, and they managed to squeeze through. Frankie was a big hero.”
“What do you mean the fence was cut?” Chip asked, skipping over the heroics of her dog. “I just checked it the other day and it was fine.”
Inhaling a large breath, she worked on her patience. “Dax said it looked like someone cut it purposefully.”
“Dax McKay?” Autumn squeaked.
Chip clicked his tongue. “You’ve been here one day and the property’s damaged and you’ve managed to find riffraff to hang out with. Perfect.”
Anger swept up quicker than a dust storm.
Dax had showed her nothing but kindness yesterday.
More than her uncle ever had, and from the sounds of it, ever would.
“Dax came to this house to help me after I arrived to find an intruder inside the home. Which means, on your watch, the property was not only damaged, but the house wasn’t properly secured. Something I fixed.”
Diane took a step back and darted worried gazes between Vanessa and her husband. “Chip,” she said, tugging at his shirt sleeve. “Give the girl a break. Sounds like she stepped into a bit of a mess, and we don’t want that for her. She’s family.”
Yanking out of his wife’s grasp, he pointed a finger in Vanessa’s direction. “What I want is for her to go back where she belongs. This isn’t her home. Never was and never will be. Now, let’s go.”
Her cousin ran forward and gave her another quick hug then squeezed a piece of paper in her hand. “Sorry about him. Here’s mine and Mama’s numbers. Call any time.”
Vanessa watched as her newfound family climbed back in the truck and drove out of sight. Determination steeled her nerves. Her uncle was wrong. This was her home, and no one would chase her away.
Not even her uncle.
* * *
Dax wiped a bead of sweat from his brow with his forearm. He wasn’t sure who was more exhausted, him or the young thoroughbred he’d just finished working.
Probably him.
The black horse pranced in the pasture, expelling any leftover energy from their session, while Dax slumped against the fence post and watched the other horses nibbling at the grass.
He’d love it if the sky split open and dumped rain on him, but the forecast for the day promised some rarely seen sunshine.
It’d be a good day to work the Kemp property with Vanessa. Then she could get a feel for what she was up against and possibly form a plan on how she wanted to use it.
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. He had to get her off the brain or he’d creep her out. There was a difference between being a friendly neighbor and a clingy nuisance. She had enough on her plate without dealing with some guy badgering her.
Madden’s truck pulled into the driveway. He parked then jumped out, strolling over the gravel lot to join Dax by the fence. Leaning against the railing, he mimicked Dax’s body language and stood quietly for a minute while he watched the animals frolicking in the paddock.
“That’s one handsome animal,” Madden said, nodding toward the young horse. “How’s he doing?”
“He’s a stubborn one. And a little unsure of his purpose, as am I.” Dax admired the sinewy muscles rippling along the horse’s back and long brown legs. “He’s not built for ranch work, and you’ve got to be one hell of a rider to handle him no matter how well he’s trained.”
Madden chuckled. “Reminds me of someone else I know.”
“I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult.” Dax muttered the words under his breath. It wasn’t that long ago that anything his brother said would have gotten under his skin. But in the last year, they’d worked through most of their issues.
Even if Madden could drive him nuttier than anyone else on this earth.
“Thanks for all the time you took with Vanessa Kemp yesterday,” Madden said. “I wasn’t planning on being out of the office for so long and you stepped in. Stepped up. I appreciate it.”
Dax shrugged, hating the way his chest tightened at the praise. “Just doing my job.”
“You did more than that, and we both know it.” Silence stretched between them as they continued watching the horses, the mountains a beautiful backdrop in the distance. “You’ve been stepping up a lot lately.”
Discomfort shuffled his cowboy boots against the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. “I’m just out here living my life. Doing what I can when I can.”
A heavy hand squeezed his shoulder. “It’s more than that, and we both know it. Lily and I do as much as we’re able but we’re not around enough to help with the day-to-day for Pops. Most of the help he needs falls to you. It’s not fair to put that on you.”
“No one put anything on me,” he shot back. “Pops doesn’t need much. He’s too stubborn to accept a hand most of the time.”
“All McKays are pretty damn stubborn, and that’s part of the problem.”
Dax shrugged off his brother’s hand. “So, now I’m a problem? What the hell are you trying to say?”
Madden scrubbed a palm over the dark whiskers on his jaw. “It’s time to hire someone to come out to the house to take care of Dad. His Parkinson’s is getting worse.”
Anger fired in his blood. “I don’t need anyone else here in this house, bustling around and getting in our way. Pops and I have been by ourselves for a long time. We do just fine, and we’ll keep doing just fine. Why don’t you keep lookin’ after your business and stay the hell out of ours?”
Madden worked his jaw back and forth. “Listen, I’m not trying to get in the way or make things worse. Hiring an aide to come out here once in a while is for everyone’s benefit.”
“You might be my boss and my big brother, but that doesn’t mean I have to listen to you when we’re at my home.
At my ranch. Where I’m here day in and day out making sure everything runs smoothly.
” He jabbed a finger in the direction of the old farmhouse.
“Making sure our dad has everything he needs while he still has breath in his body.”
“And you don’t think I’m doing my part?” Madden shouted. “You think I’m just skipping around town, not scared to death about what’s happening to Dad? I’m here, too, Dax. Maybe not as much as you, but I’m trying. This is a way that I can help.”
Dax snorted his disgust. “By paying someone else to do what you should do yourself? Does that make you feel like a big man?”
Fire shot from Madden’s eyes. “Screw you, man. I can’t be here all the time because I’m running a business that’s putting food on his table. That’s paying his bills. I’m busting my ass every damn day.”
Anger vibrated Dax’s skin. He took a step closer to his brother until the tips of his cowboy boots met Madden’s.
“There you go again. Strutting around acting like you’re everyone’s saving grace when you helped create the problem by making decisions without letting me in—dictating my future without asking for my input.
I don’t need your business or your pity or your charity.
And the work I do with these horses is in my blood—gives me back something that you helped take away.
So, if you want to act all high and mighty, go for it.
But don’t expect me to fall at your feet.
Don’t expect me to step aside and watch you make decisions that affect everyone’s lives. I did that once and lost everything.”
Just staring at his brother turned his stomach. He wasn’t a teenager with no voice anymore, not like the last time Madden had swooped in to save the day. He was a man, and he didn’t have the heart to bring in a stranger to care for the man he loved more than anything on this earth.
Turning away, he stormed to the house. This conversation was over. His dad was fine for now, and nothing Madden said would convince him otherwise. He had everything under control, and he’d fight with his last breath to keep it that way.