Free The Taylor Ranch: Cade by Vanessa Devereaux Page A

it?
    He
couldn’t think of a single thing, and for that reason, he turned on the
ignition, pressed his foot down on the gas pedal and took off, leaving smoke
billowing from both back wheels.
    ****
    April
still couldn’t believe that it was Cade who she’d spotted while she’d been in
town running errands. He’d seen her too, she knew he had, but he’d taken off
like his truck was on fire before she could talk to him. Pretty damn rude of
him to cover her in dirty smoke, like he had.
    Rude. I shouldn’t be the one accusing him of that. Cade, of all people.
    If
she’d known he was back in Pine Creek…
    She
glanced outside, seeing her father head into the stables. She needed to talk
with him. She hurried outside and across the courtyard, hoping to catch him
before he got on his horse and went out for a ride as he did every day about
this time. Old habits were hard to break. Well, at least they were in the
Dubois family.
    Inside
the stables, her father was about to put the saddle on Toby, the same horse he’d
ridden since as far back as April could remember.
    “Dad.”
    “Geez,
you scared me for a minute. I didn’t hear you come in. I didn’t even know you
were back from running errands,” said her dad. He tightened the strap on the
saddle. “You want to come along with me and Toby? I can throw a saddle on Remy
real quick.”
    “Sure,
that would be great.”
    She
stroked Toby as her dad led Remy out of his stall and got another saddle down
from off the rack.
    “So,
you find everything you needed at the store?” he asked her. “I know it’s going to
take some getting used to being back in a small community.”
    “Got
most of the stuff on my list, and what I can’t find at Mulligan’s I can buy
online.”
    He
walked Remy over to her and handed her the reins. She took them, stroked the
horse, and then climbed on, rubbing Remy’s neck. This would be her first time
riding one of the horses since she’d been back at the ranch. Until now, she
hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed it.
    Her
father led the way out of the stables and she followed, close behind. Once they
got onto the path she brought Remy up beside him.
    “Beautiful
day,” he said.
    “Perfect.”
    He
reached across and squeezed her hand. “I can’t tell you how good it is having
you around this place again.”
    “I’m
very happy to be home.”
    She
needed to ask him something, so she might as well get it over and done with.
    “Why
didn’t you tell me that Cade was back in Pine Creek?”
    Her
father swallowed, making his Adam’s apple bounce several times like he had
something caught in his throat. She didn’t want to make him feel any worse than
he obviously still did, but it wasn’t any secret how she’d felt about Cade.
    “So
you know,” he finally said.
    “I
saw him earlier today. Dad, I think you should have at least warned me.”
    “I
know, honey, I know. And I’m sorry, but I thought you’d have more chance to
settle in if you didn’t know. I had no idea you’d see him so soon. You spoken with him yet?”
    She
shook her head. “I saw him parked down the street when I came out of the
drugstore. I tried to go talk to him but he took off, leaving just a puff of
smoke. Guess he’s still pissed with me, and he has every right to be.”
    He
squeezed her hand again.
    “So,
how long has he been back?” asked April.
    “Oh,
it must be about three or four months now.”
    They
guided the horses through a stream and went to the other side of the pasture.
    “And
you never thought to mention it to me when I called or e-mailed you?”
    “Would
it have made any difference if I had?”
    She
shook her head. Nothing she could have done about it. She couldn’t have left
Ben and run home. They had a contract that hadn’t reached its conclusion yet.
    “I
don’t suppose he tried to work for you again?”
    “He
didn’t need to work for me anymore, because when he came back he bought the
Taylor ranch.”
    April
pulled up the