The Cowboy She Couldn't Forget. Patricia Thayer

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СКАЧАТЬ wasn’t sure why he was involved in this. He had enough to worry about taking care of the ranch. And he needed Colt’s input on so many things. For one, he didn’t know how to deal with the daughters.

      “Look, Ana. You shouldn’t have to handle this on your own. When are your sisters getting here?”

      She shook her head. “They aren’t coming back for a while.”

      “What do you mean?”

      “Just what I said—they can’t get home...right now. They want me to keep them informed.”

      Vance knew deep down that Colt had never been close with his girls. He more or less let Kathleen handle anything that had to do with the females. The housekeeper and one-time nanny had been with the family for over twenty-five years.

      “Then let’s go see Colt,” Vance said. “For the first time ever, I’m hoping he’s his usual cranky self.”

      * * *

      Colton Slater blinked and opened his eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness. He glanced around the unfamiliar room. He saw the railing on the bed, heard the monitor. A hospital? What happened? He closed his eyes and thought back to his last memory.

      It had been dawn. He’d walked out to the barn to feed the livestock. His arm had been hurt like a son of a bitch since he’d gotten out of bed; then he’d started to feel dizzy and had to sit down on a straw bale. Vance was suddenly beside him, asking him if he was okay.

      No, he wasn’t okay. Not when he woke up to find that he was in this bed with a needle in his arm, monitors taped to his chest. Worse, he couldn’t move. What the hell was going on?

      He tried to speak and the only thing that came out was a groan.

      “Mr. Slater? Mr. Slater?” He heard a woman’s voice. “You’re in the hospital, Mr. Slater. I’m your nurse, Elena Garcia. Are you in pain?”

      Again he could only groan.

      “I’ll give you something to help you.”

      Colt blinked and focused on the raven-haired beauty, and his breath caught. Seeing her heart-shaped face, those almond eyes, he sucked in a breath and opened his mouth to speak. “Luisa...” he whispered, then there was nothing.

      * * *

      Twenty minutes later, Ana walked into her father’s hospital room. She held her panic in check on seeing the monitor and the IV connected to the large man in the bed.

      She made her way closer. Colt Slater had always been bigger than life to her. The one-time rodeo star was nearly six feet tall, and muscular. The years of ranch work had kept him in shape. His brown hair was now streaked with gray, but even with the tiny lines around his eyes, he was still a handsome man. And she loved him. Maybe in his own way he loved her and her sisters, too. She felt a tear on her cheek and brushed it away.

      “Oh, Daddy.” She reached out and took his big hand, thrilled that it felt warm. She wanted another chance to get close to this man. Would he be around for that?

      A nurse walked in and smiled. “Hello. It’s good to see Mr. Slater has a visitor.”

      “How has he been?” Ana asked.

      “He was awake not long ago.”

      Ana felt hopeful. “Really? Did he say anything? I mean, was he able to speak?”

      Again the nurse smiled. “He said the name Luisa. Is that you?”

      Ana gasped at hearing her mother’s name. “No, it’s not.” She released her father’s hand and hurried out of the room. Oh, God. He still wanted her mother. Ana couldn’t stop the tears once she reached the visitors’ room and found it empty. She finally broke down and began to sob.

      Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, then heard the familiar voice. She wiped her eyes and slowly turned around to see Vance. His dark gaze locked on hers and she saw the compassion. He didn’t speak as he slowly drew her close. God help her, she went into his arms, letting his strength absorb the years of pain and hurt. She gripped his shirt and buried her face against his chest and sobbed.

      Vance fought not to react to this woman. That was like saying not to take his next breath. Not to ache for something he’d wanted for so long and knew he couldn’t have. Now, sweet Analeigh was in his arms.

      The top of her head barely reached his chin, and it seemed every curve was pressed against him, tormenting him. He moved his hands over her back, feeling her delicate frame. She might feel fragile but she was far from it. He’d watched for years how she’d corralled her siblings, broke up fights, helped with school projects and even stood up to Colt for them.

      He’d never seen her so broken as right now. “Hey, bright eyes, what’s wrong? Is Colt worse?”

      Vance reached in his back pocket, pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her. She took it, but kept her head down. “C’mon, tell me,” he coaxed. “Is it Colt?”

      She shook her head.

      “What’s breaking your heart, Ana?”

      She finally looked up at him. Her eyes welled with tears, her face was blotchy, but she looked beautiful. “He said her name.”

      Vance frowned. “Whose name?”

      “My mother’s. He said Luisa.”

      Vance wasn’t shocked. “He’s had a stroke, Ana. The man might be confused with the place and time.”

      She nodded, and as if she realized their closeness, she took a step back. “You’re probably right. Sorry. It’s just he hasn’t said anything about our mother in years. I thought he’d gotten over her.” She pointed to Vance’s wet shirt. “I’ll wash it for you.”

      Vance wondered if it was possible to wash her out of his head, his heart.

      * * *

      It had been a long day by the time Vance brought Ana back to the ranch. He drove up the circular drive and let her out of the truck. Then he took off toward the barn to check on the stock and the ranch hands.

      Ana stood there and looked up at the large ranch house. It had been months since she’d been inside, but when the housekeeper, Kathleen, insisted she stay over tonight, she didn’t have a choice.

      She walked up the steps to the wraparound porch. Colt had built this house for his new bride, Luisa Delgado. It was well known about her parents’ whirlwind romance, also about Luisa’s disappearance twenty-four years ago.

      Ana had been five years old at the time. She made herself remember the loving woman who’d hugged and kissed her little girls endless times. The woman who told those made-up bedtime stories, sat with her daughters when they were sick.

      Not the woman who’d one day up and abandoned her family. All of them had been scared, including Colt. So much so, he couldn’t even stand to be their father anymore. And today, Ana had realized he still wanted his ex-wife.

      She walked through the front door. Everything was the same, including СКАЧАТЬ