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She shook her head. “No, I didn’t. I thought I did when we were first married, but he changed.” Agatha reached up and pressed her hand to the side of her son’s face. “But now I have you and that’s all I need.”
“Don’t you ever… I dunno… wish things were different?”
She laughed. “There’s nothing I could ever want more than what I have now.” Agatha grimaced. “Well, perhaps a house that wasn’t struck by lightning.”
A deep voice sounded out in the darkness. “Ah, you’ve made it. Right, then, let me show you to your quarters.”
Together, Agatha and Thomas turned toward the intrusion, finding Zeke standing with his arms crossed just a few yards away. She pulled away from her son and offered him a reassuring smile. “Shall we?”
3
Zeke
The whole ride back to the ranch, Zeke’s thoughts got away from him. This woman and her son were new to the area, and while he was certain he had crossed paths with her before, he still couldn’t place her.
Zeke knew everyone in town.
At least he used to.
He’d taken it upon himself a long time ago to meet everyone who moved in so he could size them up and make sure they weren’t a threat to his livelihood.
Had he gotten so off course with his daughters that he’d dropped the ball on this one? How many more people had moved into the small town that he wasn’t aware of? There had to be several now that Shane’s equine therapy business had drawn the attention of the wealthier people in the state. Folks were using this place as a getaway from their city life, and while they weren’t permanent residents, they were still here.
He was losing his grasp on the fortress that was Copper Creek.
His eyes darted from Ms. Birch to Tom. Neither one of them had presented a concern about any other family members in the area. That meant that this Ms. Birch might not have a husband.
Zeke shied away from that intrusive thought. He had no business wondering about her private life. She would be his guest, nothing more.
But as such, he would place her under the same protection he would any other visiting member of the community. There were dangerous animals out in the back part of his property—a wildlife he was content to let roam as long as it didn’t interfere with the safety of his cattle.
He jerked his chin toward the barn. “The bunk house is on the other side of the barn. Tom knows where it is. I’ve already given the men the heads-up that you’re coming.”
The two individuals standing before him glanced at one another. He couldn’t tell if they were actually worried about splitting up or if their hesitation was something else.
Either way, he wasn’t in the mood for waiting. He had to get a few things squared away back at the cabin. Time was already short. “Well? Get on with it, then.”
Tom lunged forward with a sharp nod. “Yes, sir. Thank you.” The young man moved past him with sure, quick steps, and Zeke turned to Ms. Birch.
“Come along, then. We have a little bit of a ride to get out to the cabin.”
“A ride?” she sputtered. “You can’t honestly be suggesting that we ride horses out in the middle of the night.”
He stopped and gave her a funny look. Wasn’t he on a horse already this evening? That was beside the point. “No, we won’t be riding horses. I have an ATV we’ll take. It’s something we can both ride together, and it might be faster, considering your fear of horses.”
She stiffened. “I’m not afraid of horses.”
“You sure seem anxious about getting into the saddle.”
Her mouth snapped shut and she crossed her arms.
Zeke bit back a chuckle. “So you weren’t just expressing your displeasure over riding a horse a few minutes ago?”
“I expressed my displeasure of riding a horse in the middle of the night when the last time I was in the saddle was on my tenth birthday.”
He lifted one brow and his eyes swept over her. She sure had the attitude of a stubborn cowgirl. But the more he took her in, he noticed little things about her that made it clear she was as much of a city girl as the rest of them. “You don’t belong out here,” he mused. His statement wasn’t meant to be offensive. In fact, it was more for his own thought process. This woman wasn’t bred for country living. So why was her son working a ranch?
Before he had a chance to clarify his sentence, she scoffed. “I have just as much of a right to be here as you do. There is no rule or regulation that prevents anyone from moving out into the country.” She let out a mirthless laugh. “You really are just as bad as they say you are. I bet you hate when outsiders move into your small little town and pollute the air with their city breath.” She tapped her foot, her face growing more flushed during her tirade. “Let me tell you something, buddy. Everyone who lives here has been a transplant at one time or another and—”
