Free The Taylor Ranch: Cade by Vanessa Devereaux Page B

reins, insisting that Remy stop so she could take the last piece
of information into her brain and process it correctly. “He’s our next door
neighbor?”
    Her
father stopped Toby and nodded.
    “Shit.”
    She
knew her father didn’t like her swearing but she couldn’t think of a better
word to sum up how she felt about that piece of news. Not telling her about
Cade being back in Pine Creek was bad enough, but not informing her that he’d
purchased their next-door neighbor’s ranch was a bit too much for her.
    Their
property lines were smack up against one another. On a clear day you could even
see the Taylor ranch house from the top of the hill.
    A wife and family. Cade probably
had both by now. She couldn’t imagine him taking on a ranch and running it
without the support of a spouse.
    “What’s
his wife like?”
    They
started riding again.
    “He
doesn’t have one,” said her dad.
    “Girlfriend?”
    “Gossip
in Pine Creek says he doesn’t have one of those either. However, I know he has
a ranch dog and I think it’s female, if that’s of any help to you.” He winked
at her.
    Her father’s dry wit. She’d missed it
every single day she’d been away.
    “You
ever speak to him?” asked April
    “No,
I haven’t.”
    “So
you don’t know if he still hates me?”
    “Honey,
he never hated you and that’s his problem. That’s why he left Pine Creek before
your wedding.”
    It
was getting hot, and as she hadn’t ridden for a long time her thighs and butt
were growing sore.
    “You
mind if I head back to the stables? Maybe we can do this some other day?” asked
April.
    “Sure,
let’s take a picnic with us one day, just like we used to.”
    April
nodded and pulled on Remy’s reins to turn him in the opposite direction.
    “Don’t
be late for dinner because I’m cooking your favorite.” She began to turn away.
    “April,”
her father called. She turned back to look at him.
    “I’m
sorry for what I forced you to do.”
    “You
had no other choice.”
    “I
did and that’s why I’ll always be in your debt. And why I want to make sure the
rest of your life is happy and that you’re living it on your own terms and not
mine. A life that might include Cade Mallory, so don’t think you can’t start
over again, because everyone gets second chances.”

 
     
    Chapter Two
     
    Cade
had assumed mucking out the stalls in the stables would help him.
    It
hadn’t.
    He’d
thought mending one of the broken fences would take his mind off her.
    It
hadn’t.
    His
last resort had been to saddle up his horse and head out for a long ride. That
hadn’t worked either, but at least he was far enough away from the ranch, the
workers, and the usual noise that at least he could hear himself think.
    And what exactly
did he think?
    He
pulled on the reins and stopped the horse. He looked to the west of his
property. She’d be living just a mile away. That was if she was back at the
ranch.   Maybe she and Ben had purchased a
house someplace. Maybe she and Ben were taking over running her father’s ranch.
    Cade
almost laughed. He couldn’t imagine Ben picking up shit, let alone being in the
same zip code as it. However, stranger things had happened and maybe he’d run
out of money.
    Wouldn’t
that be funny?
    Not
for April Dubois it wouldn’t. Why he was feeling sorry for her, he wasn’t quite
sure. She’d chosen a life with Ben Parker. For better or
worse.
    Problem
was, Cade still loved her like crazy, always had, and always would. Maybe
that’s why he’d chosen to come back to Pine Creek. It wasn’t as if he’d grown
up in the area or had any real ties to the community. He realized now that he’d
returned because he’d always hoped that April would come to her senses, say
goodbye to Parker, and come home where he’d be waiting for her.
    He
looked out over the pasture.
    Pine
Creek was a small town, and sooner or later they’d run into one another just
like they had today. He couldn’t take off every