An hour later, Brandee had picked up her truck, driven home, changed clothes and was on the way to the ranch buildings. A familiar vehicle was parked beside the barn where they kept the cows and calves who needed special attention. Brandee pulled up alongside and shut off her engine. It ticked, cooling as she stared toward the barn.
What was Shane doing here?
Brandee slid from the truck and entered the barn. She found Shane standing in front of the large enclosure that housed the breeched calf they’d brought into the world. He stood with his arms on the top rail of the pen, his chin resting on his hands.
“Hey,” she said softly, stepping up beside him and matching his posture. “What are you doing here?”
“Jimmy said these two are ready to head to the pasture today.”
“So you came to say goodbye?” The question didn’t come out light and unconcerned the way she’d intended. Anxiety and melancholy weighed down her voice.
“Something like that.”
Since Brandee didn’t know what to make of his mood, she held her tongue and waited him out. She had nothing new to say and reprising her apology wouldn’t win her any points. The silence stretched. She could ask him again why he’d come out to the ranch or she could demand to know why he’d entered her house without asking.
He probably figured he was entitled to come and go anytime he wanted since the land beneath the house belonged to him. Frustration built up a head of steam and she took a deep breath, preparing to unleash it. But before she could utter a word, Shane pushed away from the fence.
“I’d better go.” He looked into her eyes, tugged at the brim of his hat in a mock salute and turned away.
Deflated, Brandee watched him go. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d missed an opportunity to say or do something that would span the gap between them. Which was ridiculous. Shane hated her. She’d tricked him into giving up all claim to his family’s land and he would never forgive her.
Her throat closed around a lump and suddenly she couldn’t catch her breath. Tears collected and she wiped at the corners of her eyes before the moisture could spill down her cheeks. All at once she was twelve again and hearing the news that her dad was dead. Faced with an equally uncertain future, she’d gotten on her horse and rode off.
She’d ridden all day, tracing the familiar paths that she’d traveled beside her dad. At first she’d been scared. Where would she go? Who would take her in? Her mother’s abandonment had hit her for the first time and she’d cried out all her loneliness and loss until she could barely breathe through the hysterical, hiccupping sobs. Once those had passed, she’d been an empty vessel, scrubbed clean and ready to be filled with determination and stubbornness.
She felt a little like that now. Empty. Ready to be filled with something.
Leaving the cow and calf, Brandee headed for the horse barn and greeted her ranch hands. They looked weary, but smiled when they saw her. Apparently the cows had kept them busy, but the night had passed without serious incident. Next she headed to the ranch office to look for Jimmy. Her foreman was staring blankly at the computer, a full mug of coffee untouched beside the keyboard.
“You should head off,” she told him, sitting in the only other chair. “I can handle entering the information.”
“Thanks. I’m more beat than I thought.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” she said again, pricked by guilt.
“It’s okay. We had Shane’s help and everything worked out fine.”
“Shane was here all night?” Brandee’s heart jumped.
“He came right after answering your phone. About seven or so.”
Shane had been helping out at her ranch for over twelve hours? Why hadn’t he said anything just now? Maybe he’d been waiting for her to thank him. If she’d known, she would have. Damn. No wonder he’d left so abruptly. She’d screwed up with him again.
But this she could fix. She just needed to come up with a great way to show her appreciation.
* * *
Shane wasn’t exactly regretting that he’d promised his mother he’d help with Bullseye’s centennial party, but he was starting to dread her texts. This last one had summoned him back to the ranch on some vague request for his opinion.
He parked his truck next to her Lexus and took the porch steps in one bound. Entering the house, he spied her in the living room and began, “Mother, couldn’t this have waited...” The rest of what he’d been about to say vanished from his mind as he noticed his mother wasn’t alone.
“Oh good.” Elyse Delgado got to her feet. “You’re home.”
Shane’s gaze locked on Brandee and his heart stopped as if jabbed by an icicle. “What is she doing here?”
“Shane, that’s rude. I raised you better than that.” Elyse set her hands on her hips and glared at her son. “She came to see me about this disturbing business about her ranch belonging to our family.”
“Let me get this straight,” Shane began, lev