he doesn’t care about much of anything, so he was more than happy to sign.”
“Thank you.” Cade took the paper, opened it to check the signature and refolded it. “You have my cell number. If he gives you any grief about this after he sobers up, let me know.”
“I doubt he will. I’ll wager that by tomorrow he’ll have rewritten history. He’ll tell everyone he gave you the deal of a lifetime because he’s such a great guy and he felt sorry for you.”
“He can make up any story he wants as long as he leaves me and this horse alone.”
“I think he will, but if I get any hint that he’s on the warpath, I’ll give you a holler.”
“Thanks, Douglas.” He shook the foreman’s hand. “Don’t forget. We’re going to have that beer someday soon.”
“I’m counting on it.”
Climbing into the truck, Cade glanced around at the place he’d called home for eighteen months. It hadn’t really been home, of course. Thunder Mountain was the only place that fit that description. Thornwood had been a lousy boss, but Douglas had made up for that. So it was with mixed feelings that Cade put the truck in gear and pulled away from the Circle T.
He’d made it to the main road by the time Ringo decided to show himself. The gray tabby crawled from the space behind the passenger seat and settled himself on the worn upholstery. Immediately he began to purr.
Cade sighed. He should probably turn around and take Ringo back to the Circle T. “Look, I’m heading over to a ranch that may have a territorial barn cat for all I know. You might not be welcome there. Then what?”
Ringo blinked at him and purred louder.
Cade’s chest tightened. He’d never had a pet of his own. Dogs and cats had been a constant presence at Thunder Mountain Ranch, but they’d been loved and cared for by all the boys. Cade remembered each one fondly, but he’d never felt the deep connection that he’d formed with Ringo. Apparently Ringo returned the sentiment, because here he was ready to follow Cade wherever the road led.
“Okay, cat. We’ll figure it out.”
As if he understood that the matter was settled, Ringo curled up on the seat and closed his eyes.
That kind of trust was rare in this world. Cade hadn’t experienced it often. He could count on one hand the people who trusted him like that—Herb, Rosie, Damon, Finn, Douglas. Not Lexi.
If Ringo was offering him that level of trust, he’d be a fool not to take it and be grateful. He’d also be very careful not to betray it. He knew what abandonment felt like, and he wouldn’t wish that on any creature.
Lexi might think he’d abandoned her, but he’d been very careful not to make promises he couldn’t keep. That’s what he told himself whenever guilty memories of her anger and her tears plagued him. She’d had expectations he couldn’t meet. According to Lexi, some things were just understood. Not in his world. He was a guy who spelled everything out, and he’d never, ever said he’d marry her.
The Bar Z was only a forty-five-minute drive from the Circle T. About halfway there, Cade’s cell phone rang. He pulled it off its holder on the dash, expecting a call from his buddy or maybe from Douglas.
Instead he stared in disbelief at the name on the screen. Lexi Simmons. Damned spooky, as if she’d tuned in to his thoughts and picked up the phone.
But he didn’t believe in mental telepathy, and he knew she wouldn’t call because she’d magically tapped into his brain waves. He had a bad feeling that he wouldn’t like what he was about to hear. Heart racing, he answered while looking for a place to pull over.
“Cade?” She sounded the same, and her musical voice hurt his heart in ways it hadn’t hurt in years. “Can you talk?”
“In a minute.” He sounded out of breath and hated that. But he was having trouble breathing. Lexi. Dear God. “I’m driving and hauling a horse behind me. Let me get off the road.”
“Okay. I’ll wait.”
He set the phone back in its holder and eased to the shoulder so he wouldn’t jostle Hematite. Then he grabbed the phone again. “I’m here. What’s up?”
“It’s Rosie. She... Herb took her to Sheridan Memorial.”
He felt dizzy. “Why? What happened?”
“We won’t know until they do some tests, so we shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but—”
“Damn it, Lexi! What’s wrong with her?”
“She might... She might have had a heart attack.”
“No. Oh, no.” Panic gripped him. “She can’t. She’s too young. She can’t have a heart attack. She—”
“Maybe it’s not that. But Herb’s scared. He asked me to come and take care of things here.”
“Did he ask you to call me?”
“No. I’m doing that on my own. I thought you should know.”
“Damn right I should know! I’m a little north of Colorado Springs right now. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
“Can you do that? Where were you going before I called?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m changing my plans.”
“But you’re hauling a horse.”
“And the ranch has a barn.”
“True.” She hesitated. “So you’re alone?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
He couldn’t help smiling. He knew that tone. She hadn’t liked his answer. “I have a cat.”
“Oh!”
“Yeah, he came along for the ride. Are there any barn cats at the ranch?”
“Not right now.”
“Dogs?”
“No, no dogs, either.”
“That’s just as well, then. Did you call Damon and Finn?”
“I don’t have their numbers.”
So she only had his. She’d kept it in her phone for five years. He shouldn’t read too much into that, but he already was. “I’ll call them. And if you hear anything more about Mom, call me. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Good. That’s good.” She hung up.
He wondered how she’d meant that and if she’d be glad to see him. The thought of seeing her made him nervous, but now that he had no choice in the matter, he discovered that he wanted to. His mental picture was five years old, so she’d probably look different.
Her
