Gabe had started to move toward her, and with visible apprehension she'd backed away from him, her green eyes wide and frightened. Whatever he'd meant to say never got said. He'd glared at the girls and demanded to know what they were staring at. Then he'd ordered them back to the car and stalked off, lighting a cigarette as calmly as if nothing had happened. The girls had said later that he'd explained the man had gotten in trouble for mistreating an animal. But Maggie had always wondered if it hadn't been because he'd insulted her. It was one of those unfinished episodes that haunted her.
Maybe it had all happened a long time ago, she conceded. Still…Memories were one thing, but living under his roof was quite another. And she definitely preferred to keep Gabe at a safe distance. Like the distance from San Antonio to the Coleman ranch.
But saying no to Janet Coleman was like talking to a wall. Within minutes, Maggie found herself agreeing to the visit.
Chapter Two
If Maggie had thought Janet would just go back home and leave Maggie to follow, she was dead wrong. Janet helped her pack and even drove them to the exclusive boarding school to drop Becky off and tell the office where Maggie could be reached if she was needed.
Mrs. Haynes, who ran the school, was a good friend of the family. It was comforting to Maggie to know that the woman was aware of the situation with Dennis and knew not to let him take the child. She still felt uneasy about leaving Becky, but she needed time to think and plan. If she was to keep her daughter, she had to act quickly.
“I hate leaving you here,” Maggie told the child as she hugged her goodbye. “Becky, I promise you, as soon as school is out, we'll make some better arrangements, so that you can stay with me all the time.”
“You mustn't worry, Mama,” Becky said seriously, sounding for all the world like an adult. “I'll be just fine. And as soon as school is out, you come right back here and get me, all right?”
“All right, darling,” Maggie promised, smothering an amused smile. “I will. Be a good girl.”
Minutes later, Maggie and Janet were on their way to the massive ranch the Colemans owned, which was far to the north of San Antonio, up near Abilene. The nearest town was Junction, a modern little place with just enough stores to qualify for a post office. It even had an airport of sorts.
“I'm sorry I couldn't get Gabriel to fly me here,” Janet apologized as they sped up the long highway in the sleek silver Lincoln Mark IV that was the older woman's pride and joy. “But he was busy with roundup and couldn't be bothered,” she muttered darkly. “After all, I'm just his mother. Why should I come before the cattle? He couldn't even get a good price for me since I'm too old and tough!”
It was all Maggie could do to keep from laughing. Janet had a dry sense of humor and she was delightful as a companion. Yes, maybe this would turn out for the best after all. It was going to be a nice visit, and she'd be able to put Dennis and the horror of the past into perspective and plan her strategy to keep Becky out of her ex-husband's clutches. If only it weren't for Gabriel…
It was spring and already hot in this part of the world, and the ride was tiring despite the air conditioning and the car's luxurious interior. Janet had to stop frequently for gas and soft drinks and rest rooms. But eventually they passed through the edges of the beautiful hill country, nearing Abilene, and brush turned to lush, cultivated flatland.
“We have two airplanes, after all,” Janet continued her chatter as they drove the final few miles. “Not to mention a helicopter.” She glanced at Maggie. “You're worn out, aren't you, dear?” She sighed.
“No, not at all,” Maggie said gently, and even managed to laugh. It had been a long time since she'd felt like laughing, but there was something very relaxing about Janet's company. “We've seen some beautiful country, and I'm really kind of glad we did it this way. You're tired though, aren't you?” she probed gently.
“Me?” the older woman scoffed. “My dear, in my youth, I could break wild horses. I'm a Texan.”
So was Maggie, and the girl she'd been would have gloried in the challenge of a wild horse. But so much of the spirit had been drained out of her in the past few years. If it hadn't been for Becky, she wasn't sure how long she could have kept her sanity under that kind of pressure.
“I hope you're going to enjoy the ranch,” Janet was murmuring as she pulled off onto a graveled road with a huge sign near it that read, “Coleman Ranch, Purebred Santa Gertrudis Cattle.”
“I know I will,” Maggie promised. She smiled at the sight of the big red-coated cattle grazing behind rugged, rustic fences. “Santa Gertrudis is the only native American breed, isn't it?” she murmured knowledgeably. “Founded on the King Ranch and now famous all over the world. They're so beautiful…. Oh, what I wouldn't give for some of my own.”
Janet drew in a deep breath, her gaze wistful. “Oh, my dear, if only I'd brought you here sooner…” She shook her head as she turned back to the road and eased the car forward. “It's so ironic. Gabriel is obsessed with cattle. You'd have made the perfect daughter-in-law.”
“No matchmaking,” Maggie cautioned, feeling herself go taut with apprehension. “With all due respect to your son, the last thing in the world I want is a domineering man in my life again. Okay?”
Janet smiled gently. “Okay. And I wouldn't do that to you, truly. But you are so special, my dear.”
She smiled back. “You're pretty special yourself.” She glanced toward the big white clapboard house with its graceful long porches and green shutters. It had a faintly colonial look about it, but without the huge columns. There were wicker chairs all over, a big porch swing, and flowers blooming in wild profusion everywhere. It was spectacular.
“It's about the same size as your own, isn't it?” Janet laughed. “My father built it with no particular style in mind. It often draws comment for that.”
“It's lovely,” Maggie sighed. She glanced toward the long wire fences, frowning. “I expected white fences,” she murmured.
Her companion laughed. “Gabriel is tight with a dollar,” she teased. “There are hundreds of acres of land here, and fencing is expensive. Especially electric fences, which are all he uses these days. He cuts costs wherever he can. Actually,” she added, “it's a full-time job just keeping track of cattle and keeping rustlers out. We only keep purebreds here, and when a bull can bring as much as half a million dollars, you can understand why Gabriel is so careful about security. He has a man full-time to do nothing but maintain security here.”
“Good heavens,” Maggie exclaimed. “People still rustle cattle?”
“Yes, they do. They come in big trucks. It's been modernized along with cattle ranching, but rustling is still a problem.”
“I wouldn't have guessed,” Maggie said as Janet pulled up to the steps and stopped. She barely noticed Janet's sudden stiffening or the disturbed look in her eyes; she was too busy watching the man who was approaching the stopped car.
He was tall. Lithe and lean, he walked with an arrogance that immediately put Maggie's back up. He was dressed like a working cowboy, but he moved like no other man she'd ever seen. He was graceful, from the top of his wide-brimmed tan hat to the toes of his worn, warped boots. His dusty leather batwing chaps were flying with the sharp movements of long, powerfully muscled legs, and what she could see of his darkly tanned face under his hat wasn't at all welcoming.
He paused beside the car, and Janet rushed out with an exclamation of pleasure to hug him with the enthusiasm and warmth that seemed so much a part of her. But he drew back sharply.
“For God's sake, stop that!” he bit off, grimacing. He held his side and caught his breath with a hot curse. “I've been bitten by a rattlesnake. The arm's still swollen, and it'll be