Joanna Wayne - Unrepentant Cowboy

“What about Uncle Travis?”

“He’s perfectly happy as a Dallas homicide detective. Believe me, he wants no part of R.J. or the Dry Gulch, either.”

Effie exhaled sharply. “Well, I do. You could inherit it and give it to me.”

He should have known not to get into this with Effie. Horses were her current phase. Naturally, she’d think living on a ranch was a super idea.

Effie went back to staring out the window. “Did you move to Dallas to be closer to Uncle Travis?”

“No. He moved here after I did. He was a detective in Louisiana before taking a job in Dallas.”

“So he moved to be closer to you?”

“No. He moved because he wanted a fresh start.”

“Did he get divorced, too?”

“No. He was instrumental in getting a crooked police chief sent to jail. Why all the questions?”

“No reason.” She went back to observing the passing scenery. The wooded area had given way to acres of pasture. A few head of cattle were off to the right, some grazing, most resting.

“Is this all part of the Dry Gulch?” Effie asked.

“So I was told.”

“Where’s Grandpa’s house?”

“We’re almost there. Keep watching and you’ll make out the roof and chimneys when we round the next curve.”

She stretched her neck for a better look and then started wiggling in her seat when the house came into view. The century-old structure in desperate need of a face-lift apparently excited her a lot more than his plush penthouse condo had.

A few minutes later, Leif pulled into the driveway that led to the separate three-car garage and stopped next to a beat-up pickup truck with a lifted hood. R.J. stood next to the right fender.

“Is that my grandfather?” Effie asked.

“That’s R. J. Dalton.”

She opened the door a crack and then hesitated, as if unsure of herself or of him. But when R.J. saw her and waved, she jumped from the car and ran to meet him much in the way she’d run to meet Leif when she was a little girl.

R.J. opened his arms, and Effie eagerly stepped into a giant bear hug. A pain so intense he nearly doubled over from it punched Leif in the chest. It had been years since Effie had hurled herself into his arms.

Reluctantly, Leif climbed from beneath the wheel and planted his feet on the concrete drive while R.J. and Effie exchanged greetings. He didn’t see the woman until he’d walked to the other side of the stalled truck.

She was leaning over the engine with an expression on her face that suggested she’d like to plant a stick of dynamite under the hood and put the truck out of its misery.

“What’s the problem?” Leif asked, thankful for any excuse to avoid dealing with R.J., even if only for a few seconds.

“Her battery conked out on her,” R.J. answered for her.

“With misfortune’s usual bad timing,” she muttered.

“It could have been worse,” R.J. said. “You could have been stranded on one of these back roads.”

“Like I was yesterday,” she said. “Fortunately, Tague Lambert happened by and gave me a start. He took a look at the battery and said I should get it replaced.”

“So why didn’t you?” Leif asked.

“I was planning to take it into Abe’s Garage in Oak Grove tomorrow. Wednesday’s my day off. Do you have a pair of jumper cables I can borrow, Mr. Dalton?”

“Sure as shootin’.”

Leif stepped in closer for a better look at the dead battery before turning to the woman. She wasn’t flagrantly sexy like Serena, but she had a natural girl-next-door kind of freshness about her. Impulsively, he checked her ring finger.

No golden band, but unless looks were deceiving she was much too young to engage in a tryst with a jaded, approaching-forty attorney like himself.

Not that he was interested in a new relationship. He hadn’t cleared the breakup hurdle of the one he was in yet.

“Even if you get the truck started, the battery is likely to give out on you again,” Leif said. “I don’t think you should try to drive it.”

“I don’t have a lot of choice. Sam Loden and his ailing mare are expecting me in about twenty minutes.”

“Don’t you go worrying,” R.J. said. “I’ll get you to Sam’s, but first we need some introductions.” He rested a thin, wrinkled hand on Effie’s shoulder. “This is my granddaughter Effie Dalton, the one I told you about.”

The woman wiped her hands on her jeans. “You must be the California granddaughter who loves horses?”

Effie smiled. “That’s me.”

“Then we have something in common. I love horses, too. And your grandfather has some of the most beautiful and spirited ones in the county.”

“I can’t wait to see them,” Effie said.

“You won’t have to wait long,” R.J. assured her. He turned back to the woman. “This is Joni Griffin, the best vet in six counties—the prettiest, too.”

A blush reddened Joni’s cheeks. “There you go again. Flattery will not lower your bill.”

“It’s not flattery when it’s true,” R.J. said.

Leif extended a hand to the woman. “I’m Leif Dalton, Effie’s father.”

“And R.J.’s son,” she acknowledged. “R.J.’s told me all about you.”

He wouldn’t begin to guess what that might include, since he figured R.J. knew very little about him except his name. And that he had a daughter who R.J. figured he could manipulate.

R.J. put out a hand to him. Leif had no choice but to take it or be seen as a total ass.

R.J.’s grip was much stronger than expected.

“Glad you and Effie are here?” R.J. said.

Leif only nodded. It was better than an outright lie. He turned back to the woman. “Can I give you a ride somewhere or take you to get a new battery?”

“You just got here,” she said. “You’ve hardly had a chance to say hello to your dad.”

An added benefit. “I’m sure he and Effie can find plenty to talk about until I get back.”

“Actually, that’s a dang good idea,” R.J. said. “You drive the doc to Sam’s place and I’ll have my wrangler Corky take her truck into Oak Grove so that Abe can install a new battery.”

Leif turned back to Joni. “I’m game if you are.”

“Sam’s ranch is off a dirt road. You’ll get your sports car layered in mud from last night’s rain.”

“Mud I can handle. Not too keen on driving through whatever made all those scratches on your truck, though.”

“You won’t. Those are from a few of my more adventuresome trips.”

“Through an Amazon jungle?”

“Close. Through Texas brush.”

“So that’s settled,” R.J. said. “You two go heal animals and get to know each other. Corky will get a replacement battery, and Effie and me will check out the horses and try out the cookies Mattie Mae baked this morning.”

Leif turned to his daughter. “Is that arrangement okay with you, Effie?”

“It’s better than okay. I can’t wait to see the horses.”

“Call me if you need me for any reason,” he said.

“Dad. I’m fifteen, not two.”

“She’ll be fine,” R.J. assured him, as if he knew the first thing about parenting.

Leif was relieved for the chance to escape R.J.’s company, but as soon as they started walking toward his car, he had second thoughts about driving off and leaving his daughter alone with his so-called father.

“Be sure Effie meets the twins,” Joni called back to R.J. as she stopped at the door to Leif’s car.

“Absolutely,” R.J. agreed. “I’ll give Hadley a call now.”

“The twins?” Leif questioned as he climbed behind the steering wheel.

“Lila and Lacy, your half brother Adam’s daughters,” Joni answered. “They’re three and too adorable for words.”

So Joni wasn’t the only grandchild to be welcomed into the fold. Leif had received word from R.J.’s lawyer that Adam Dalton had been the first offspring to move onto the ranch. He hadn’t realized Adam was married or had children, but then he hadn’t really given it much thought.