Fortune's Return

Chapter 1Ryan Putnam rolled to a stop outside the house and killed the engine. He hadn’t expected it, but the Good Fortune ranch looked different. It wasn’t the childhood home he remembered, though he had just visited the previous Christmas. He couldn’t put his finger on it. Maybe it was the children’s bikes and toys on the porch? Maybe it was the swing set in the front yard? Or maybe it was just Ryan, himself? He felt like a different man. The last time he had visited, he had been with John. They had discussed the possibility of their own family, one day. Now that seemed like a very long time ago. A lifetime. Maybe the ranch looked different because he was crawling home with his tail between his legs, and it wasn’t technically his home anymore. It was his brother Clay’s home, the one he shared with his wife Paige. It was their children’s home. He was just a guest who didn’t have anywhere else to go. When he opened the truck door, the silence struck him. It wasn’t a true silence, of course, but compared to the city, it was peaceful. In the distance, cows and horses made their presence known, while the chickens clucked much closer. The unmistakable sound of children drifted from the house, and Ryan smiled a little bit, remembering the way he and Clay and Ty had put their mother’s nerves on end when they played Cowboys and Indians. “Not in the house!” she would shout, before giving in and joining their play. A new note of pain merged with the much larger symphony in his chest. If he was being honest with himself, he was really crawling home to his mother. And she wasn’t there anymore, either. Even though Clay had insisted he come and stay with them on the ranch to regroup, Ryan felt more alone than ever. He slammed the pickup’s door and lifted his bags from the back. Ryan wasn’t sure how long he would stay. Not only did he have the summer off, but the high school he had taught at for two years hadn’t renewed his contract. Ryan didn’t know if that had led directly to the end of his life with John, but it certainly hadn’t helped their precarious relationship. So even though he had no idea how long he’d be staying, he had all of his clothes and most of his worldly possessions in the bed of the truck. Paige stepped outside to greet him, an infant on her hip and a toddler clinging to her skirt. She had always been a beautiful woman, but motherhood had been especially kind to her. He might not be interested in the fairer s*x, but even he could admit that Clay was one lucky bastard. Ryan smiled, and Paige grinned and waved. As soon as little Leni recognized him, her eyes widened and she immediately began taking unsure, but hurried, steps toward him. “Leni, get back here.” Ryan dropped his bags and bent to pick up the little girl. “I’ve got her. Hey, baby.” She hugged his neck and kissed his cheek. “Hi.” “Where’s your daddy, huh?” Leni pointed to the barn. “With Chief.” “Ahh.” Ryan looked up. “Hey there, pretty lady. Am I in time for dinner?” “You’ve got a few minutes.” Paige’s cheeks glowed with health, and her kind brown eyes watched him approach, her smile reflected in them. “Matty got into the flour again so I’ve spent more time this afternoon cleaning rather than cooking. Feel like a cup of coffee to tide you over?” “A cup of coffee sounds good.” He adjusted Leni’s weight in his arm as he ascended the porch steps. “Did you let your brother get in the flour? I thought you were supposed to watch him.” Leni beamed at him. “I helped.” “I bet you did.” Now that he was closer, he saw traces of flour on Matty’s face and in his dark hair. “He looks like Clay, doesn’t he?” Paige grinned. “Yeah, but he’s got Ty’s sense of trouble. Don’t tell Clay I said that.” Ryan had no intention of telling Clay that his only son reminded Ryan of their youngest brother. “Clay’s probably already figured it out for himself. Or maybe not.” Ryan grinned. “He does think Leni is a little angel, after all.” Paige’s laughter led him into the house. Even the interior felt different than the home that had always been a sanctuary. Toys littered the front room, with a play stable and horses filling an entire corner. Sunlight flooded every corner, and the smells drifting from the kitchen didn’t match his memory. Paige’s menus took a few more risks than his mother’s had. It took considerable effort to push those memories aside. “I aired out your old room for you,” Paige said as she settled Matty into his high chair. “But you know we put Leni next to it, don’t you? If you want us to move you, just say the word.” Ryan put Leni in her booster seat. He was happy that he had his old room at least, but it was yet another reminder that it wasn’t his home anymore. But even Ryan could admit that it wasn’t the house bothering him. He’d live in a cardboard box if he had the sort of companionship—and family—Clay did. “No, that’s fine. I know she gets up early, but Clay will probably have me out and working before the crack of dawn anyway.” “Maybe not. He’s got a new hand he’s working into the crew. He and Teo have been going out earlier than usual so he can show him everything.” “And Tony,” Leni piped up. “Tony doesn’t go on those runs,” Paige corrected. She bent and pulled a saucepan out of the cupboard. “So you might get lucky, Ryan.” Ryan had already resolved to work from sunup to sundown. It was probably the only way he’d be able to sleep. Otherwise, thoughts of John would plague him until long after midnight. “Who’s Tony?” Ryan asked, his question directed more towards Leni than Paige. “A boy. Teo’s his daddy.” Matty slapped a chubby hand against his food tray, prompting Paige to magically appear with a sippy cup. “Clay set them up in the old cottages out behind the stables. Teo was going to get a place in town, but Tony’s only seven. I felt better having him close by in case something happened when Teo’s working.” The cottages. Ryan hadn’t thought about those in years. When he was a kid, they were all inhabited. But they became more obsolete as the ranch hands settled in town with families and homes and trucks. They didn’t mind a little commute, so the cottages fell out of use. “Teo doesn’t have a wife?” Paige shook her head. “Widower. Since Tony was a baby. He stopped ranching for a few years to raise his son, but now that Tony’s a little older, he came right back to it.” She smiled as she turned back to the stove. “I think he’s going to end up giving Clay a run for his money. I’ve never seen anybody who wasn’t a Putnam work harder.” “Clay must love him.” Matty brought his sippy cup to his mouth, but his big, green eyes were locked on Ryan. Leni’s attention was split between her mother and her uncle. “Maybe that’ll at least give Clay some free time to do something besides work. Lord knows he deserves it.” “You could help with that, you know.” She busied herself with pouring out the coffee she’d promised him. Ryan began to wonder if she ever stopped. “If you go around with Teo while he learns the ropes, that’ll free Clay up a lot.” Ryan knew his brother well enough to know that he probably put in twelve-hour days, leaving him just enough time to see his kids for a few minutes before bedtime. Neither Clay nor Paige would complain, of course. But their kids might, when they realized their father always had to put work first. “I’ll be happy to get out there and get to work again. I guess it’ll be your job to make sure Clay actually uses his free time for good.” A timer went off. Paige opened the refrigerator and took out a baking pan covered in foil. “That’s my favorite part of the job anyway,” she shot over her shoulder. “Did you want to run out and let him know you’re here? Tell him dinner will be a little later, too. Don’t tell him why.” “Yes, ma’am.” Ryan stood, much to the alarm of the two children at the table. “Are you going out to see Daddy?” Leni asked. “Yes.” “Can I go with you?” “No.” He bent and brushed his lips across the top of her head. “You stay here and help your mother.” Leni looked so disappointed he almost scooped her out of her chair to bring her along. But he wasn’t sure what Clay was doing in the barn, and having a toddler underfoot usually did not help matters. He hurried out of the kitchen before Leni could break out the big guns—her lower lip would tremble just so when she wanted something—and crossed the yard to the stables. Clay stood outside the barn, his foot resting on the paddock gate, chatting with another man who could only be Teo. It was difficult to see Teo’s face under the shade of his black hat, but he saw Teo’s body well enough…his very nice body. It was all Ryan could do to keep from staring. Though his muscles were much harder from his work on the ranch, Clay was built like Ryan—long and lean. The new hand had a good three inches and forty pounds on him, all muscle. The navy shirt he wore stretched taut over broad shoulders, strained around powerful biceps. His faded jeans might as well have been painted on. They outlined muscular thighs that only came from years on a horse, and a tight ass that Ryan had to tear his gaze away from. It was a good thing the fence blocked off part of the view. With a body like that, Ryan would have been far too tempted to check out the man’s package, too. Clay turned at the sound of Ryan’s approach, a slow smile spreading across his face. Teo looked as well, though his was a mere tilt of his head in Ryan’s direction. It was enough to make out a wide mouth, high cheekbones, and bronzed skin burnished by the sun. Shadows still hid his eyes. “Eleanor let you come out here all on your own?” Clay said. “That’s a new one.” Ryan smiled. Nobody called Leni by her full name except her father. “I have long legs. I can move faster than she can.” He offered his hand to Clay, and as soon as he took it, Ryan pulled him into a hug, slapping his back affectionately. It was good to see his brother again. Even if his attention wasn’t one hundred percent on Clay. As soon as they stepped apart, Ryan nodded at the taller man who watched them without speaking. “You must be Teo.” Teo nodded back. Now he could see the man’s eyes. They were black and sharp, unblinking as they regarded Ryan. Beneath his hat, his dark brown hair was shorn close to his head. “Oh, right, I forgot you two haven’t met yet.” Clay gestured between them. “Ryan, this is my new hand, Teo Mendez. Teo, my brother Ryan. I’m putting him to work here this summer.” “Can always use a good man.” Teo’s voice, though deep, was surprisingly soft-spoken. He took a step away from the fence, jerking his thumb toward the stable. “I’ll go round up Antonio and get out of your way, then. Have a good night.” “No,” Ryan blurted, then smiled self-consciously. “I mean, Paige wanted Clay to go on up to the house, if he could. But I haven’t worked on the ranch in years. I was thinking maybe you could help me get reacquainted with the place.” It sounded lame to Ryan’s own ears. He knew nothing could ever come of it, but he wanted to spend a little bit more time with this soft-spoken giant. Teo looked immediately to Clay, who shrugged. “If you’re up to it,” he said. “You could do a quick tour and then come up and join us for dinner. You know Paige. There’ll be plenty of food.” Though he didn’t smile, something warm gleamed in Teo’s eyes. “She’s always trying to fatten Antonio up.” “She likes having you two around.” Teo glanced at Ryan. “Mind my boy hanging around?” “Not at all,” Ryan said quickly. “I’m a teacher. Well. I was a teacher.” Teo didn’t even blink, and Ryan wondered why he had been moved to volunteer that information. “Teaching kids isn’t unlike herding cows.” A beat passed before Clay slapped his hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “Don’t keep him out too late. We have some catching up to do.” Ryan nodded. “Right.” Clay slipped past him to head up to the house, leaving the two men alone. Without speaking, Teo turned on his boot heel to resume his path to the stable, prompting Ryan to do a quick double-step in order to reach his side. He had never considered himself a small man, but next to Teo, he might as well have been. Yet, for his size, Teo barely made a sound, a surprising grace in his heavily muscled limbs. The stable was dim after the brilliance of the afternoon sun, and Ryan had to blink a couple times to adjust to the change in lighting. Teo strode forward, then halted dead in his tracks. Ryan was about to ask what was wrong when he heard it. A scraping from the far end of the building, followed by a horse’s soft whinny. Teo’s mouth tightened. Without saying a word, he marched through the stable, aimed unerringly toward the sound. Ryan followed and almost collided with his broad back when he stopped again, this time to survey a small boy sticking his hand through Chief’s stall door. “What did I tell you, Antonio?” The boy whirled at the sound of his father’s quiet query. Except for the fact that he was skinny as a rail, he had the same cheekbones as Teo, the same black eyes. Right now, they were saucer-sized with worry at being caught. “He was hungry.” “He’s not your horse.” “Mr. Putnam wouldn’t want him to starve.” “Mr. Putnam feeds him just fine.” Ryan stepped around Teo and squatted down on his haunches in front of Tony. He was still clutching a tiny handful of hay, and Ryan sympathized with the boy’s impulse to feed the horses. He had spent every single free second of his childhood in the barn, grooming, feeding, and generally treating the huge animals like they were pets. “Hi, Antonio.” He offered his hand politely. “My name is Ryan. I’m Mr. Putnam’s brother. Do you want to help me feed my horse?” “It’s Tony,” the child blurted. “Nobody calls me Antonio but Dad.” “Antonio…” “Sir. It’s Tony, sir.” He shook Ryan’s hand. “Do you have a horse here, too?” “It’s good to meet you, Tony. I do have a horse here, too. He’s the big bay in the back stall.” “Is it Charger?” Ryan smiled. “Yep. It’s Charger.” He straightened, but he didn’t let go of Tony’s smaller hand. “I haven’t seen him since Christmas. Has Mr. Putnam been taking good care of him?” “Dad takes care of all the horses now, except for Chief.” His head swiveled toward his father. “Isn’t that right?” “That’s part of my job, yes.” Teo lifted his gaze to meet Ryan’s. “Charger’s a beautiful animal, but it’ll be good to see him getting more exercise. A horse like that wasn’t built for grazing.” Ryan couldn’t help but grimace. “I know it. I always had the best intentions of coming up to visit, but John could never…Well, Charger will get plenty of exercise this summer.” “Can I give Charger some hay, sir?” “Can you call me Ryan?” Ryan looked up to Teo and asked in a softer tone, “Can he call me Ryan?” For a moment, Ryan thought he was going to say no. Then Teo nodded. Permission lit Tony up, and he tugged at Ryan’s hand, leading him toward the back stall. He babbled excitedly about the various horses they passed, finally breaking away once they reached Charger. Teo’s eyes never left Tony as the boy rushed forward with the hay. “I get up at four to ride,” he said. Ryan’s brow knitted together. Why was Teo telling him this? Was it an invitation? His face cleared, and a small smile touched his lips. “Four’s a good time to go riding.” “Will you help me with the hay, sir?” “Yes. But only if you call me Ryan.” Tony smiled shyly and looked at his dad before repeating his question. “Will you help me with the hay, Ryan?” “Yes, sir. Here.” Ryan took an inch from the top of a nearby bale. “Put your hands out flat.” Tony obediently held his hands out, palms open. Ryan placed the hay on them carefully, then opened the stall door. Charger immediately approached, and Ryan put a comforting hand on Charger’s long neck. Whinnying in greeting, the horse turned his attention to the food Tony presented. “That’s it. Don’t bend your fingers. You don’t want Charger to bite them.” He felt Teo’s gaze heavy on his back, and had to fight not to glance over his shoulder to meet it. Better to focus on the familiar, the scent of Charger’s stall, the heat from his shoulder, the young eyes looking to him for guidance. “It’s my fault he doesn’t know more.” Though he was several feet away, Teo’s soft voice carried directly to Ryan. “I kept him away from ranches for too long.” “I know plenty, Dad!” “Not enough.” “It’s okay,” Ryan said, still looking at Tony. “I don’t know enough either, because I lived in the city for so long. You can teach me what you know, and I can show you a bit of what I know. Does that sound fair?” Charger finished the hay and whinnied for more. Tony nodded. “That sounds fair.” Ryan glanced up and met Teo’s eyes. He couldn’t help but smile. “I promise I won’t get underfoot.” “With Antonio, that might be inevitable.” “You don’t get underfoot, do you, Tony?” “No.” He was all innocent brown eyes. “Can I give Charger more hay?” “No, I think Charger has probably had enough hay for now.” He ran his palm over the slope of Charger’s back, and the bottom of his feet tingled. He wanted to ride. He wanted to ride right to the very edge of the ranch. He wanted to ride until he lost himself. “But you can help me saddle him up.” Teo frowned. “You’re going to ride now?” “Yeah.” Charger tossed his mane. “I think both of us are feeling a bit anxious, and there’s about an hour left before the sun sets.” Tony looked to his father. “Can I help?” Though Teo still seemed unsure, he nodded anyway. “But then we have to go wash up. Mr. Putnam invited us up to the house for supper.” The smile Tony shot Ryan lit up his whole face. “Are you going to eat with us, too?” “I think Mrs. Putnam will have my head if I don’t.” Ryan attached a leading rope to Charger’s bridle. “Here, take my hand.” He positioned Tony in front of him, then let him hold the end of the rope. Tony looked up and beamed at him, then began carefully walking down the long aisle to the tack room and hitching post. His heart twisted a little bit. This was how his own father had taught him how to lead horses. Teo followed them outside, hanging back as Ryan hitched Charger to the post. His steady eyes tracked every movement. The man missed nothing, Ryan realized. Yet, he never said a word, giving Ryan the opportunity to instruct Tony as he’d promised the boy without interruption. Once Charger was saddled, Tony slipped around to the opposite side, his small hand stroking the bay’s coat. “I get to have my own horse someday. Dad says so.” “That sounds about right. I didn’t have my own horse until I was a little older than you are now. I had to share with Mr. Putnam.” He followed Tony and watched him pet Charger. Charger stood still. For the first time, Ryan noticed the flecks of white in Charger’s dark brown coat. He was getting old. “Well, Tony, thank you. Here.” He pulled a dollar from his pocket. “That’s for your help.” “Antonio.” The boy’s hand froze in midair, then withdrew at the small shake of Teo’s head. “No, thanks,” he said, backing away. “Have fun riding.” “Go wash up,” Teo instructed. “I’ll be right there.” “Okay.” He gave a little wave as he broke into a run. “See you at dinner, Ryan!” Teo’s eyes followed him until he was out of earshot. “He’s learning. He doesn’t need to think money is a reward for an education.” Ryan didn’t think it was a big deal, but this wasn’t his classroom, and Tony wasn’t his student. “Sorry, it’s the teacher in me. I’m accustomed to passing out rewards left and right. I didn’t mean to overstep.” “Not a problem.” He paused. “You’re a good teacher.” Ryan knew he was a good teacher, but the soft comment made him warm with satisfaction. “Thanks. I think the younger kids are a lot of fun. Especially when they’re as polite and smart as Tony. He’s a bright boy.” With a nod, Teo turned as if to follow his son, only to hesitate and glance back at Ryan. “You’re welcome to join me in the morning if you want.” The fact that Teo had repeated his invitation just cemented Ryan’s decision to join him. Maybe spending time with a widower who had a kid would be the best thing for him. Teo had a soothing presence, and more importantly, there wouldn’t be any chance at a rebound relationship. He could admire the other man’s perfect physique and enjoy his company with no strings attached. “I’ll meet you here. If I’m not up at the house in time for dinner, tell them to go ahead and start without me.” Teo c****d a brow. “You’re all Clay and Mrs. Putnam have been talking about. You want me to be the one to tell them you won’t be there for supper?” Ryan glanced across the yard to the house and grinned. “Well…I guess that wouldn’t be very fair to you, would it? I’ll be there in time.” He hoisted himself into the saddle, and Charger pranced and shifted his weight beneath him. “We’ll just run out some of this energy.” “Save some of it for tomorrow.” For the first time, Teo smiled at him, quick, blinding. “My rides are never easy.” Then he was gone. With a wave that looked just like his son’s. Ryan could only stare at his broad back, his mind stuck on Teo’s last comment. He felt tight all over, and Charger pranced more nervously, easily picking up on Ryan’s tension. Okay, so, it might be a bit more difficult to keep his thoughts and motives pure around Teo. Especially when he smiled like that. Ryan thought he would do anything he could to see that smile one more time.