Gentling the Cowboy(52)

And only one reason not to.

Because I’m not ready to give up on you yet, Tony.

“Fine, ask Melanie. I’m sure she’d love to have me.”





“You want Sarah to stay here with me and my son? Are you serious?” Melanie asked from the doorway of her house.

He looked her in the eye without answering her question. He didn’t need to. She knew he wasn’t the type to joke.

Melanie held the door handle with one tense hand. “Did you not see how she was with me the day you two left? We don’t get along.”

Tony wasn’t asking. He wasn’t budging until she agreed. “Sarah needs a place to stay while she sorts out how to get home.”

Melanie hedged, “How about a place in town?”

Tony shook his head, unwilling to even consider the option.

Pursing her lips in irritation, Melanie said, “I don’t see why she can’t stay with you. It’s not like the whole town doesn’t know how close you’ve gotten.”

He was about to tell her that the house she lived in was his, not hers. Anger swept through him and he’d barely opened his mouth when Melanie spoke before him in a rush. “I shouldn’t have said that. Whatever happened between the two of you is none of my business.” When he didn’t say anything, she said, “I need this job, Tony. Sarah can stay here.”

A wave of shame swept over him, rocking him back on his heels. When did I become the man that single mothers believe would throw them out in the streets with their children? He rubbed his forehead angrily. Her house was the only home her son had ever known. He removed his hat and said, “You’re not fired, Melanie.”

Melanie nodded, visibly relaxing in response to his quiet tone. He hated the tears that came to her eyes as she said, “Thank you. I don’t know where I’d go if I was.”

Tony shook his head, his remorse deepening, and although he strove to distance himself from it, he couldn’t muster anger or indifference. All he felt was a deep regret that she had lived so long in a state of desperation that he’d never even noticed. Why didn’t she have savings? She didn’t pay rent. Where was her money going? He felt worse when he realized how very little he knew about a woman who had worked for him for the last four years.

He turned to walk away. The screen door slammed behind him and he figured Melanie had gone back inside until he heard her call his name. “Tony.”

He looked back over his shoulder.

“Send Sarah over. I have an extra room just sitting here and it might be nice to have another woman to talk to.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he said gruffly.

She squared her shoulders and put on a bright smile. “I know I don’t, but I want to do this for you. Send her. It’ll be fine.”

He settled his hat deep on his head and nodded without returning her smile. “I appreciate it,” he said and realized that he sincerely did. Those two women were like oil and water, and Melanie’s instincts were probably right that mixing the two wasn’t wise, but he wasn’t ready for the alternative.

He wasn’t ready for Sarah to leave.





Chapter Fourteen




In her wildest imagination of how her first day back on Tony’s ranch would go, Sarah had never dreamed it would include an invitation from Melanie to stay at her house for a couple of days. Sarah searched her face for a sign of sarcasm but found none. What did Tony threaten her with that made her willing to stand there and pretend she doesn’t hate me?

Instead of feeling triumphant in the face of her rival’s humility, Sarah felt profoundly sorry for Melanie, and before addressing her housing offer she knew there was something that needed to be said. “I am so sorry for what I said to you last week. I was wrong and I was rude. I felt awful about asking for my notebook back from your son. If it wasn’t full of personal information, I would have let him keep it.”

Melanie’s eyes locked with hers in surprise. “He knows better than to take what’s not his.”

“Could I buy him a few coloring books before I go?”

Melanie stiffened with pride. “We don’t need anything.”

Sarah suppressed a grimace. No matter how hard she tried, she and Melanie just didn’t work. “I know, but it would make me feel better about how I behaved.”

Lips tight, Melanie said, “I’m not going to poison you. You don’t have to be nice to me.”

Sarah smiled nervously. “That’s a relief.” Crap, I can’t believe I forgot about that. “Listen, your offer is nice, but we both know it’s not a good idea. The sooner I leave the better.”