For him. She was here for him, and she’d handle anything his family gave her if it helped make his last days with his dad easier or better, heal the past, and make the future bearable.

  “What was it that he wanted to say?”

  “Just that he was giving me the ranch. He’s already changed the will. He did it last week. But he wants to put my name on the deed and make it official before he dies.” Rem’s jaw flexed—talking about his dad’s death couldn’t be easy—but his voice remained steady.

  “That must be why Max is so upset.”

  “I’m sure.” His hands rested on her hips. “Do you mind if we stop thinking about this for tonight?” His lips trailed over her temple. “I don’t know about you, but that kiss you gave me earlier felt like I wanted more.” He lightly bit the edge of her jaw.

  Her body trembled, and she tried to focus. “I think you kissed me.”

  “Is that how it was?”

  Her eyes were half-closed, but she could see his cocky grin. She nodded, shivering as his lips touched the corner of hers.

  “Kiss me, Elaine. I’m not going to think about ranches, brothers, or death when your lips are on mine. I can’t even remember my name when you kiss me.”

  She’d thought she was the only one with that problem. His words made her bolder, and she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling his head down to hers. Their lips met, and the room and the rest of their problems faded away, leaving them the only two in the universe as it spun around them.

  He pressed her to him, and her feet left the floor as he straightened. Their lips clung, and she barely noticed when he laid her down on the bed. His body pushed into hers as he lay half on her.

  She wasn’t sure how many times his phone had buzzed before she noticed it at the same time he did.

  His head lifted, and he looked at her like he wasn’t quite sure how they’d gotten in the position they were in. Then he grinned, his hand stroking her hair that was splayed out over his dark comforter.

  “You look good in my bed.” His drawl was deep and thick, and his words sent heat down her spine.

  He sighed and kissed her quickly once more before he stood, holding his hand out for her and pulling her up. “I’m guessing that was my mother texting that it is time for us to show our faces at her dinner, and we haven’t even showered yet.”

  Elaine squeezed him with her arm, laying her head on his chest, before letting go and moving away. “I’ll shower quickly while you answer her.”

  TYPICAL OF HIS MOTHER, “a few friends” had turned into twenty people. Elaine held out well, though. He supposed spending two years basically alone, running a ranch by herself while taking care of four young children, had given her the grit to at least make it through his mother’s barbeque.

  He knew everyone, and unlike in North Dakota, everyone here knew what he was and what he’d accomplished as a professional bull rider. They respected that and him. He hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed just getting some credit for what he’d accomplished rather than being looked on with suspicion for being an outsider who may or may not have married Elaine for her ranch.

  But his heart wasn’t in the socializing. His dad and his declining health were forefront in his mind. It was hard to laugh and pretend everything was okay.

  He caught himself longing to be back in his room with Elaine’s arms around him and her body pressed to his. Her soft words in his ear and her quiet strength giving him balance and courage.

  He held his drink in his hand and watched her smiling and talking to a young mother who lived on the next ranch over.

  It scared him a little, to be honest. That he drew from her, almost depended on her, like she wasn’t a separate person but was a part of himself. A part he needed.

  He hadn’t wanted to need anyone. Definitely hadn’t wanted to depend on anyone.

  He thought he remembered the preacher saying “two became one” or something along those lines, and he didn’t have trouble believing it. Elaine had become necessary to him, making his old fears come true. But she wasn’t like his ex-fiancée.

  He’d not really thought of Olivia in a long time. Not until today when he’d seen his brother and the mess he was.

  That had been him minus the booze after Olivia was done with him.

  He’d thought that was the way women were, but after spending the last few months with Elaine, he thought, was pretty sure, she was different, that he could trust her not to be looking for the next best thing and chasing after it. That she was loyal and would stand beside him no matter what.

  Someone came up to him and asked him a question. He turned away from watching his wife, but not before he thought to himself that he wanted to ask her how she felt about having more children.

  Chapter 19

  Rem ended up deep in discussion about bulls and semen, bull riders and the future of bull riding as a sport and whether bull riding in general had passed its heyday. He hadn’t realized how late it was until he looked around and everyone except the people in his group were gone.

  He looked again and saw that Elaine was helping the hired help clean up. She carried a big stack of plates and cups through the back door, following a woman with black pants and a white shirt.

  Knowing Elaine had to be tired, he’d not planned to stay so long. Plus, he’d been looking forward to sharing a bed with her tonight.

  It was that thought that made him stand abruptly. “I didn’t realize it was so late. You guys didn’t have to stay on my account.”

  “It’s always great to see you, Rem.”

  The men took his cue and moved slowly to their feet. They couldn’t leave fast enough for Rem. But when he was finally seeing the last straggler to their car, his mother texted him.

  Your dad is awake and asking about you. Would you sit with him through the night?

  He looked up just as Elaine came back out the door. She wore a knee-length jean skirt with flip-flops and a plain pink top. Her only jewelry were the rings that he’d given her. He hadn’t realized until just now, but she was probably underdressed for the party. He wondered if she noticed or cared. She probably had. Which made him wonder if he’d hear about it later. Somehow he doubted it. In all the time he’d been with Elaine, she’d never bought a thing for herself. He hadn’t realized.

  It made him want to take her shopping. Except they needed every cent of their money to pull their ranch out of the unprofitable pit it was in and get it running in the black.

  But if they moved here, like his dad wanted him to do, they’d be stepping into an already profitable operation. There would be a lot of hard work, yes. They wouldn’t be pulling in enough money to be considered rich, but it would be enough for him to take his wife to buy a few clothes so his mother wouldn’t be looking down her nose at her.

  He texted his mom back then walked over to tell his wife where he was going.

  THEIR FLIGHT HOME LANDED in Fargo before lunch. It was a sunny day, and thirty degrees would have felt warm if they hadn’t just come from Texas.

  Rem gripped the wheel tightly, knowing he had a few things he needed to tell Elaine. Things that probably weren’t going to make her happy. Considering that his goals in life had shifted in that making Elaine happy had become the single, top goal, this wasn’t a conversation he looked forward to.

  He glanced across the seat. Elaine looked tired and preoccupied. Maybe the conversation could wait. Not indefinitely, but at least until tonight.

  “How about when we get home, we take the kids and go see what they’ve done with the cabins? It’s been a while since we’ve been to the lake.” He needed to check them out anyway.

  Elaine’s eyes brightened. “I’d love that, and I’m sure they would, too.”

  “Wasn’t that your mom that called last night? With everything that was going on with my dad, I forgot to ask if she was okay.”

  Elaine picked at her jeans and looked out the window. Her chest rose and fell deeply before she spoke softly. “She said Corrie had called her crying because James wanted to take the money that I had given him and buy his half of the ranch back. I guess they heard from someone that you were leaving me and he wanted to move back in with me.” She gave a humorous laugh. “I was surprised he still had the money.”

  Her hand twisted the material of her jeans while she looked straight out the windshield.

  Rem checked the speedometer then looked out at the flat North Dakota landscape. He didn’t even have any wind to distract him today.

  Finally he couldn’t take it any longer. “And?”

  Elaine turned her Texas-sky eyes at him and blinked. “What?”

  “What did you tell your mother?”

  “About what?”

  A muscle in his jaw ticked, and his knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “About James?”

  “I didn’t tell her anything. She wasn’t really asking me to, I don’t think.” She lifted one shoulder. “I feel bad for Corrie. If we had room, I’d offer to let her come stay.”

  He gritted his teeth. “What about James? You said he wanted to buy his half of the ranch and come back?”

  Her brows twisted together, and she tilted her head. “I don’t care about James. He can take his money and light a bonfire with it.”

  “His money could pay off the ranch.”

  “I’d rather have you and no money than James and all the money in the world. I’m married. That means something to me.” Her eyes softened. “I don’t know how James could even think for one second that anyone could go to him after being with you. James is a nonissue.”

  He’d known it. Of course, he’d known it. But maybe after the couple of days in Texas, seeing his brother again, all the memories that were associated with that painful part of his past, he’d just needed to hear it. His heart rate eased, and he gave her a grin. “Thanks.”

  “It’s just the truth.”

  “I have something I need to talk to you about.”

  “I suspect I know what it is.” She was back to wrapping her fingers up in her pant leg. He hated seeing her nervous with him. He placed his hand down, palm up, on the seat between them.

  She looked at it then him, smiling a little before she placed her hand in his.

  “What do you think it is?” he asked, more because he wasn’t sure how to start the conversation.

  “Your dad is giving you the ranch, and you want to move to Texas.”

  His jaw dropped. “It’s true that my dad wants to give me the ranch. And there will always be a part of Texas in my heart. I love the hill country, I can’t deny it. But we’re building something, you and me, in North Dakota, and I’m not just going to leave it for the latest shiny object that dangles in front of my eyes.”

  Her hand squeezed his, and she let a shaky breath out.

  “I wanted to talk to Max, but he disappeared, and I needed to spend time with Dad; I might not get another chance.” That thought caused a lump to stick in his throat, and he swallowed before he continued. “I told Dad if he didn’t divide the ranch up evenly, I was going to do it the first chance I got.” He huffed a laugh and gave her a sideways glance. “Of course, he threatened to leave the ranch to the government to make a park or something, but that was all hot air.”

  He looked back at the road, the miles of straight highway stretching out as far as he could see. The muddy islands of bare ground surrounded by a sea of melting white snow.

  “Dad’s going to buy Max a plane ticket and send him up here at some point. Hopefully Max can get himself straightened out and be able to run the ranch down there. If not, we’ll hire someone to run it until Mom dies. He’s provided money and other assets for her, by the way.”

  “You’d said before that your bull riding money paid for the ranch?”

  “Yeah. But it doesn’t matter. I’m not trying to make sure that I get every cent that’s coming to me. Max is more important.”

  “Even after what he did to you?”

  “Yes. And I think you understand.”

  They exchanged a look about their shared trial.

  “So...if that’s not what you wanted to talk about, what was it?”

  He didn’t know any other way than to jump in. “Sometime while we were on the plane, I got a call from the oil well company. You can listen to the message, but basically, he wants me to start as soon as I can. Tomorrow, if possible.”

  Elaine’s eyes had gotten as big as saucers, then her head turned, but not before he thought he saw tears fill them.

  Yeah. That’s what he’d been afraid of. He didn’t want to leave. Didn’t even want to think about it. And while there was something nice about the fact that Elaine didn’t want him to go, he knew one of her biggest hurts was that James hadn’t loved her enough to stay. He didn’t want this to become a shadow of that for her. But he didn’t know what to do to stop it, because he had no choice—if they were going to save the ranch, he had to work the oil wells this summer.

  BY THE TIME THEY’D gotten home, Elaine had pretty much resigned herself to the idea that Rem was leaving in the morning, probably early.

  She’d handled four kids and a ranch before, she could do it again. And it wasn’t like he was staying gone all summer; he’d have time off when he’d be home. Part of her whispered, if he came back.

  But it was Rem. He was coming back.

  She didn’t know how long he’d stay, and if they were so desperate for guys that they’d call asking him to come the next day, he might not get the time off that he’d been promised. So she put on her happy face and determined that his last memories of her would not be ones where she was sad or pouting that he was leaving.

  The kids came running out on the porch when they pulled up. They’d had a warm spell, plus the sun was getting stronger, and a lot of the snow was melting. Which meant that it was mud season. Elaine didn’t care. She was just happy to see her children, and maybe she was a little emotional, too, since Rem was leaving.

  They thanked Nell who left shortly after, driving away in her pickup.

  Rem held Carson in one arm, and Elijah had a hold of his other hand. “How would you guys like to go on a picnic?” he asked, looking over their heads at Elaine.

  “Yay!” they shouted. Even Gabe couldn’t stop from jumping up and down in excitement. Banjo wagged his tail so hard his whole butt shook from side to side. The porch listed more than usual, and Elaine just hoped it could hold up to all the action.

  “Let your mother and me get in and catch our breath. I’ll run out and check everything in the barn, then we’ll get packed and go to the lake.”

  Elaine gave Heaven a hug, then Heaven helped her carry the few bags of picnic supplies they’d brought.

  Gabe and Elijah went out to help Rem, while Elaine packed the food with Heaven and Carson. They chatted about what had happened while she’d been gone, and she told them how big and beautiful Texas was. She didn’t mention how nice and warm it was there, since there was no point in wanting what one couldn’t have.

  The rumble of a motor brought them all to the doorway. Make that two motors.

  Rem came around the barn on a four-wheeler. Gabe followed him on a second one.

  Elaine walked out onto the porch and stood with her hand on her heart. She knew Rem had been working all winter on fixing various pieces of equipment, but she hadn’t realized those old ATVs could even be salvaged. That would make checking on the cows so much easier once they were let out to their spring pastures.

  Rem parked in front of the porch with Gabe pulling up behind him. His eyes were hidden behind his dark shades, but his old cocky grin was back. Elaine had to smile back, despite the heaviness in her heart.

  He shut it off and swung a leg over.

  “You’re not riding with us?” Elaine asked. She figured if they both hauled two kids, they could all fit on the four-wheelers.

  “Nope. It’s about time those hayburners in our barn get out and earn some of their keep.”

  “He’s going to get the horses out!” Heaven squealed and jumped off the porch, taking two steps across the walk before launching herself into Rem’s arms. “You are, aren’t you?” she yelled, grabbing his face between her little girl hands and peering into his eyes.

  “I’m not getting ’em out.”

  Her head tilted, and her smile slipped.

  “Figuring you can do it.”

  Elaine might never be a horsewoman, but her kids had loved riding.

  Carson ran in circles around the porch, stopping occasionally to grab Banjo and jump up and down. He might not understand exactly what they were doing, but he was excited about it, nonetheless.

  Rem waited until some of the commotion had died down. “I assumed that you and I would ride these with Elijah and Carson. I’m only getting two horses out.”

  “That’s perfect.” Elaine’s heart swelled with love and happiness as she watched Rem bantering with her children and the kids buzzing with excitement. How was it possible that ten dollars’ worth of food, two twenty-year-old machines, and a couple of worn-out horses could make her whole family so happy?

  It wasn’t hard, but it took more energy than she had before Rem came. He’d made children and family something that was fun for her again rather than a bunch of chores she had to get through.

  And tomorrow, he’d be gone.

  She tried not to think about it. She didn’t want to spoil today by borrowing tomorrow’s worries. But what was she going to do? How was she going to survive without Rem who had become an integral part not just of her life but of herself?

  She watched him saunter off, Heaven’s hand in his, Gabe imitating everything about him from trying to match his long strides to the swinging arms and arrogant set of his shoulders and head. They were full of themselves and unafraid, but tender and compassionate, too.

 

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