The Rancher's Surrender

Chapter 6

"You could have told me."

This from Zoe, and as they were the first words she'd spoken since Cade's untimely announcement, Ty considered himself lucky.

"I can't believe you didn't."

He tightened his hands on the steering wheel as they bumped and rocked in the truck over the rough road on their way back to the house. "It never came up."

She gaped at him, shook her head and turned away, staring out the window. "You're something, you know that?"

"Oh, really? Well, you're not much different." Anger felt good since it erased any lingering guilt he might have been wrestling with. "Ever since you came to Triple M you've been staring at me as if I were some sort of bug. A total creep. As if you expect me to hurt you-"

"I'm not afraid of you."

"I didn't mean a physical hurt." Arguing with her was like arguing with Ben, who'd been nearly as stubborn as she. Ty had never been able to win a verbal war with him, either, and suddenly he ached so much he was exhausted with it, which made him all the more furious.

He pulled up the long gravel drive to the house and braked. In the confines of the truck, the air sizzled, and he assured himself it was all temper and nothing more. Zoe had been shooting him with mental daggers the entire drive and he'd had enough. "Look at you," he said. "You're braced for battle like I'm the bad guy."

"If the shoe fits…"

"Tell me, Zoe, what's so bad about me helping Constance?"

She stiffened and he was tired of her silent hostility. "A woman that could have been your own grandmother? Does helping her make me a criminal?"

She remained tense against the door, as far from him as she could possibly get, but then suddenly it was as if his words deflated her. Her shoulders drooped. She rubbed her temples, her hair falling forward out of her makeshift ponytail. "God, I always do that. I don't know why," she admitted quietly.

"Always are a pain, you mean?"

A smile tugged at her mouth, and she dropped her hands from her face to her lap as if she were too tired to hold them up any longer. "That, too. I meant, I'm always looking for trouble. Delia says it's my middle name."

"Gee, I don't know what she's talking about."

"I'm sorry for that."

"But not for thinking the worst of me at all times, I guess," he said wearily. She was one of the most irritating women he'd ever met. And the most fascinating. "Do you have any idea how much you tie me up in knots?"

"Me?" Now she looked up, clearly startled at his unexpected bluntness. "What do you mean?"

He threw up his hands. "I don't know what the hell I mean. You have all these thoughts running through your head that I can only imagine, but I'm pretty sure, given your expression, they're not exactly flattering."

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. A tactful silent agreement.

Because he couldn't help himself, he shifted closer, lifting a hand to the back of her seat, fighting his sudden urge to touch her glorious hair. "Yet only a little while ago," he continued in a low, unintentionally husky voice, "you were kissing me as if your life depended on it."

She let out a little puff of breath, a sound that became erotic in the close confines of the car. Of their own accord, his fingers touched her then, just lightly on her cheek, trailing to her ear and sinking into that hair he'd been dying to touch again. "How do you think that makes me feel, Zoe?"

She swallowed hard, closed her eyes at his touch. "As confused as I am, I imagine."

Tempting as it was to just drop her off and keep going, he turned off the engine. They had to work this out, although he would have rather gone back to his own place and buried himself in his own work. Hell, he would have rather gone anywhere than face this green-eyed, auburn-haired beauty he couldn't seem to stop thinking of. "I want you to understand something," he said slowly.

"About the will?"

"Yes."

"About the little fact you didn't tell us you were in line to get this land?"

"Yes, about all that. And more." He hesitated, willing her to believe. "It's true, I would have inherited this land from Constance if you hadn't been found. And yes, I would have combined this ranch with my own land."

"Why the big secret, Ty? Why didn't you just tell us right away?"

In truth, he didn't know. Other than he had never helped Constance for the possible glory. He hadn't even helped her because he wanted her land so badly. He'd helped because he knew what it was like to be frightened and desperate. He'd hated the helplessness of it all, and hated watching Constance fight it.

And why should she have had to, when he had the means in which to step in and prevent it? Bottom line, he had helped because he had wanted to, because it meant something to him to be able to do it, and because it had been the right thing to do.

But he didn't feel like spelling any of that out to Zoe, not when she was so sure he'd done it to get the land.

"Why did you help her find us?" Zoe asked him. "Why would you do that if you didn't have to? You could have had everything you wanted, and for free. Instead you bought yourself right out of an inheritance."

She thought he'd had an ulterior motive, which infuriated him. He was angry at himself for letting what she thought bother him, and angry at her for thinking so little of him in the first place. "How could you understand so little about loyalty and caring when you have two sisters?" he wondered. "I've seen how close you are."

She dropped her gaze and turned her head away, but he'd had enough of her escapes and wasn't going to let her get away with it again, not when he needed answers. With a finger beneath her chin, he lifted her face. The signs of her discomfort were there in her flaming cheeks, her flashing eyes, but he didn't let up. "Tell me."

Annoyed, she slapped his hand away and made a scoffing noise. "This isn't about me. I want to know why the big secret. You let us think you were nothing but a fellow rancher, but you were much more to her than that. You were more to her than…" She broke off abruptly, swallowing hard.

"Than what?" He gentled his voice, his temper gone as he realized the truth.

"I don't want to talk about it-"

Too damn bad. "I was more to her than you?" he pressed. "Is that it? You're upset because a virtual stranger was in her life when her own granddaughter, possibly you, couldn't be?" He knew he'd hit the jackpot when she flinched as if he'd hit her. Some part of him, a part he'd been holding back from her, cracked open, allowing a rush of feelings to surge through, the first and foremost being a compassion he hadn't expected. "It's not your fault, Zoe."

She tried to look away, but he wouldn't let her. "It's not," he repeated gently. "You didn't know where she was, or even that you might have been related to her. You can't blame yourself."

But she did, he could see it in her eyes, and he realized she wasn't nearly as tough as she thought she was.

"She was destitute," Zoe whispered, showing more emotion than he'd seen. "Alone."

"And you know what that's like, don't you?"

"I had my sisters."

And he'd had Ben, thank God. "You know, maybe we're not quite as different as you think."

That brought a smile. "I'm a city girl. You're a cowboy. How much more different can we get?"

"Labels, Zoe?" he chided with a laugh. "I expected better from you."

She looked pointedly at his boots. At his hat lying on the back seat.

"The clothes don't make the man," he told her. "And I'm a horse trainer, not a cowboy. I'm more city than you think. I came from Chicago." He had no idea why he said it, he never said it.

She was just as surprised as he. "How long have you been here?"

"Forever," he said flatly.

She nodded, understanding better than most he didn't like talking about his past. "You were so good to her. I don't know why I snapped before, I'm sorry. I think…" Her voice lowered as if she were ashamed. "I think about how often I've wondered about my family. About where and who they were-" She rubbed her face again, looking weary. "Never mind. It doesn't matter." She reached for the door handle.

"Wait." He put his hand over hers, not wanting her to go, not when he was getting a prolonged glimpse of the Zoe she usually kept hidden from him. "It matters."

"I don't know why I'm telling you these things, I hate to talk about myself."

"You haven't told me much, except for what you think of me." He smiled. "You've been pretty clear on that score."

She grimaced. "Yeah." She bit her lower lip. "Look, I often shoot off at the mouth, letting out the first thing that comes to me."

"No. Really?"

She smiled at his dry tone. "I should work on that, but…" She lifted her shoulder. "Truthfully, I haven't the foggiest idea how I feel about you."

On that shocking statement, she got out, then bent slightly at the waist and looked at him.

He looked back.

"Did you know you were going to inherit when you went about helping Constance to find her granddaughter?" she asked.

"No."

The green in her eyes deepened. "Without us here, you'd be one happy camper."

"But you are here."

"Yes, we are. You never told me why this land is so important to you." She leaned on the door, and her light scent came to him on the breeze, wafting through the window. It was soft and sexy. Exciting.

But she was asking him a very personal question. He breathed through his mouth instead of his nose and concentrated. "My land is too small. I want to expand."

"Uh-huh. And…?"

"That's a pretty good reason all by itself."

"But it's not the only reason."

"Maybe not," he allowed.

"We're not going to give up."

"I realize that."

"And you're not going to… get mad?"

"Mad?" He shook his head. "You're going to make me mad just asking that ridiculous question. It's your land, Zoe. And Delia's and Maddie's. Yes, I want it. Yes, I'll buy it when and if you want to sell, but that's it. There's no trick, no ulterior motive, no nothing."

And that genuinely confused her, he could tell, which went a long way toward tempering his anger. She couldn't possibly comprehend what his attachment was. And if she knew about Ben, she'd understand even less.

"There's more you're not telling me," she insisted.

"Okay, let's make a deal," he suggested. "I'll tell you my deepest, darkest secret and you tell me yours."

"Fine." She crossed her arms tightly over her front, a defensive pose if he ever saw one. "My secret is I don't think I like you very much."

This made him laugh. "Well, we share that." He was strangely relieved that she wasn't going to push, because it was too personal, too deep, watching Ben's dream die.

And like Zoe, he trusted no one, not even this woman and her sisters, who were already worming their way into his weary heart.

He was certainly not prepared to open that heart up for inspection. Not with Zoe, a woman he'd just discovered had the unsettling ability to hurt him.

Zoe sighed, then turned on her heel and walked toward the house.

Ty watched her go, wondering why he felt so off the hook and yet discontented at the same time.

Cade shoved in the last bite on his plate and moaned with pleasure. "God. Maddie, you're a genius. It's wonderful."

Delia eyed his scraped clean plate with a lifted brow. "Well, thanks for coming, and now that your plate is empty…" She glanced meaningfully toward the front door. "Don't let us keep you."

Cade grinned instead of leaving and lifted his plate toward her. "Why, yes, thank you, Delia. I'd love seconds. Kind of you to notice."

Delia inhaled deeply, as if searching for her calm. Maddie laughed and got up from the table, taking Cade's plate to refill it with another steaming helping of pot roast. "Cade, Cade," she said with a smile. "You're learning the hard way."

"Most definitely," Zoe agreed. "The last man who teased Delia disappeared."

Maddie handed Cade his plate, shaking her head when he laughed. "It's true."

"And he was never seen again," Zoe added helpfully. Cade dug into his second helping with as much gusto as he had the first. Undaunted, he winked at Delia as he spoke to Zoe. "So she's a real witch, huh?"

"You should see her when there's a full moon." Zoe grinned when Delia lost all semblance of cool and sputtered.

"Zoe, I liked it better when you were all sullen and pissy over Ty," Delia decided. "Being grumpy makes you silent, my all-time personal favorite mood of yours."

Cade laughed. "Ah, the love in this room is heartwarming."

"Don't say we didn't warn you," Zoe murmured to him as Delia shoved back her plate and stood.

"There must be a reason you're still here," Delia said coolly.

"Yes," he agreed smoothly, meeting her annoyed gaze. "Because you're so sweet and kind. It warms my heart." He lifted an innocent brow.

Delia rolled her eyes, and for the first time all day, Zoe found herself starting to relax. Being with her sisters did that for her, she thought with an unusual burst of affection, even when they were happily bickering and snarling.

Family togetherness at its peak.

But more than ever she was thinking about her other family. Her mother, wishing for answers, yearning for the truth, bowing she was looking at that truth and just not wanting to face it.

She had been purposely and cruelly deserted. Not orphaned. Not stolen.

Deserted.

But lately she'd had other things that occupied her mind every bit as fully as that. Ty Jackson, for one.

She hadn't been able to put him out of her mind. The way he'd taken care of Constance. The way he'd helped them from the very beginning here at the ranch, even when their being here had destroyed his inheritance. The way he continued to remain civil when she'd continued to turn him down on his offer for a partnership.

But it was far more personal, like the way he'd looked that night in the barn, all fierce and hot as he'd stared down at her mouth in a way that told her exactly what was on his mind. And then there was the way he'd kissed her today in broad daylight out in the middle of the field, how his hands had felt on her body, snugging her close to his hard, warm one.

Heat seeped into her at just the memory, warming her from the inside out, and she didn't think the feeling was entirely uncomfortable.

In fact, she sort of liked it.

"Zoe?"

It was a bit mortifying to realize everyone was staring at her, clearly waiting for some sort of a response, and she had not a clue as to who had even spoken. "Um… what?"

"I was saying," Cade repeated with amusement, "that there is something else I wanted to go over with all of you."

"Oh. Okay."

He looked at each woman in turn, his expression kind but suddenly serious in a way that had them each leaning forward. "I have a small lead on Constance's son," he said. "Ethan Freeman."

"Yes!" Zoe whispered in triumph.

"Small lead," Cade qualified with real regret. "So don't get too excited yet. All I have is the fact he apparently stayed in a motel not far from your foster home on and off during the period in which the three of you arrived."

"So he knew where his daughter was!" Zoe interrupted, unable to help herself. This was news indeed, for not one of them bad memories of their father, not even a name. Each of them-Maddie, Delia and herself-felt they'd been in the sole custody of their mother before they'd been left at the home.

Now this, the news that one of them had had a father who did know where they'd been taken.

"Did Ethan visit the foster home?" Delia asked.

Cade sighed and sifted his fingers through his dark hair in frustration. "Still working on that. Those records aren't easily accessed."

"Surely the Fontaines would tell you." Zoe couldn't imagine them holding back. The couple that had run the group home had raised countless kids with as much love and affection as they had available. Not easy when facing both financial and legal barriers on a daily basis, not to mention kids who didn't always respond well to their environment, having been shifted around too many times to count.

They'd been lucky on that score, Zoe reminded herself, looking at her sisters. They'd been happy and well-cared for, and had gotten to stay in one home for their entire childhood.

The Fontaines had been responsible for that, for fighting for long-term care. This is why Zoe knew they'd do everything in their power to help them now. No way would they purposely hold back information. Not when one of their kids could learn about their past.

"Unfortunately, it's not so simple," Cade said. "The records aren't kept on the premises at the house. It's all in the system. It's got to go through the courts. And we all know what that's going to be like."

"Like pulling teeth." With a soft, heartfelt oath, Zoe surged to her feet, unable to remain still. Delia joined her in the pacing, holding her hand, silently uniting them.

Maddie remained frozen in her chair, quiet, and Zoe realized it had been some time since her sister had spoken. Concerned, Zoe stopped behind her, put a hand to her tense shoulder. "Maddie? You okay?"

She nearly leaped out of her skin. "Fine." But she spoke quickly, and out of breath. Her skin had lost all color.

Delia frowned at Zoe, lifting a questioning shoulder. "Are you sure, baby?" she asked Maddie, smoothing a strand of Maddie's hair off her forehead.

She nodded, but remained quiet.

It had always been this way, for as long as Zoe could remember. She and Delia curious for any dollop of information about their past that they could soak up.

And Maddie, always stubbornly mute and miserable in the face of the memories; unable, or unwilling, to talk about them.

Zoe had long ago figured out that Maddie didn't want her past dredged up. Zoe herself didn't remember much from her first years with the Fontaines, remembered even less of her life before them. But she did remember Delia and Maddie from the beginning.

Remembered also that Maddie hadn't spoken, much less laughed or smiled, until she'd turned five, though to this day Delia and Zoe didn't know why or what Maddie had suffered to cause such a trauma.

Growing up in a group home with lots of people had been rough for Maddie, but with Delia and Zoe sticking by her, eventually she had come out of her shell. If Maddie was Constance's granddaughter, that also meant Constance's son could have caused Maddie's early emotional problems.

Zoe drew a deep breath and straightened. No reason to feel this murderous toward a man who might be innocent. A man who might be her father, not Maddie's at all.

Cade sighed. "I'm sorry I can't tell you any more, that's all I have. But I'm going to get those records and I'll do what I can to figure out if and when Constance's son visited the home. And which of you he visited. At the moment, it's our only lead."

"Why are you doing this?" Delia still held on to both of her sisters in an unconscious gesture of unity.

Zoe felt that unity and was thankful for it, but knew Delia needed this togetherness even more than she did. She thrived on bossing them all around. And on loving them.

"I would think the why of it is obvious," Cade said quietly. "I'm trying to solve the mystery of the inheritance."

That silenced Delia for a moment, but not Zoe.

"You said Constance was happy with knowing it was one of us." What if there was a catch? What if all this could all be taken away from them?

"She was," Cade said firmly. "I told you. When she learned about the three of you, about your past and how close you were, how you considered yourselves true family, it didn't matter to her which of you it was. She wanted this land to go to the three of you."

"Then why does it matter to you which of us it is?" Delia asked, eyes narrowed, voice cool as a cucumber.

"Because it should matter to you," he replied calmly.

"It doesn't." Maddie's voice was surprisingly strong as she lifted her head and spoke for the first time. "I think maybe it's best if you just leave it alone, Cade."

Leave it alone. The words echoed in Zoe's head. She couldn't, God, she couldn't. She had to know where she came from.

Cade looked at Zoe, as if he instinctively knew the inner battle she waged.

Was she willing to let it go to ease her sisters' minds? he asked silently.

No. No, with every fiber of her being, she had to know. Not because she wanted to be owner instead of her sisters, but because for the first time in her life she wanted to truly belong. She wanted a past.

She felt the weight of her sisters' thoughts, felt, too, the weight of the guilt of her own selfishness.

Could she let it go? For them?

Truth was, she could and would do anything for her sisters, though her heart ached at the prospect of dropping it. Of never knowing the truth. A truth she'd been wondering at her entire life.

What had happened to her mother? If she let it go, she would never know.

And then there was another matter entirely, one that couldn't be ignored. "We can't pay you," Zoe said finally, with immeasurable sadness. "It's kind of you to want to solve the mystery, but we don't have the means to pay you. We're hardly above water here as it is."

"I know." Cade looked at her with understanding. "But the fee is taken care of, Zoe. That's one thing you don't have to worry about."

Ty.

He showed up everywhere, even here, in the most private part of her life.

She drew a deep breath and faced yet another problem. The fact that she was far more indebted to that man than she ever wanted to be. She owed him, a perfect stranger, and she hated that.

"My job is to find out the truth," Cade said quietly, watching her.

Delia and Maddie could turn their backs on this and be happy, and she wanted their happiness more than anything, but she just couldn't let it go.

Zoe was tempted to keep her eyes on Cade's so she wouldn't have to see her sisters' response, but that was the chicken way out. She turned to them. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "God, I'm sorry. But I have to know."

Maddie's eyes filled with love. "Oh, sweetie, of course you do. Don't be sorry for that."

"No, don't be," Delia agreed, reaching over and wrapping her arms around Zoe, too. "It's okay with me if it's okay with Maddie."

"It is," Maddie insisted. "I promise."

Zoe's throat was thick with emotion when she looked over Delia's head at Cade. "Do it," she said softly, hope and fear and a thousand other emotions drilling her. "Find out the truth and tell us. We'll be here."