Safe In The Rancher's Arms: Stranded with the Rancher / Sheltered by the Millionaire / Pregnant by the Texan

Angie, Audie’s bride of four years, was a cheerful woman-child with less street smarts than most kindergarteners. What she saw in Audie was anyone’s guess. The baby was small and sad-eyed, but as far as Beth could tell, little Anton was healthy. Angie had picked out the decidedly non-Texan name. She liked having three As in the family.

Angie and Anton remained in the car, so that meant this visit was business and not pleasure. Beth’s stomach knotted. She had called her brother to check on him only this morning and gotten his answering machine.

When she made no effort to approach the parked car, Audie ambled in her direction. “Hey, sis.” When he smiled, the usual sly calculation in his gaze was missing. He appeared clear-eyed and sober. “Looks like the house is okay.”

She raised her eyebrows, incredulous. “An entire section is gone.”

He shrugged. “Still standing. Our apartment is toast. Thought we might stay with you for a while.”

“Audie....” She struggled for words. Bringing in a homeless stranger would be an easier task than dealing with her sibling’s personality.

“C’mon,” he said, slinging an arm around her shoulder. “We’re family. You wouldn’t let a baby sleep on the streets, would you?”

Feeling boxed in and frustrated, Beth evaded his grasp. “There are shelters set up in town.”

“Those are for people who don’t have relatives to help out. I got you, babe.” His snickered reference to an old song didn’t amuse Beth in the least.

“I’ll have to get repairs done. Construction debris is no place for a child.”

“We can stay out in the shed. It has electricity and a sink. And a utility shower.”

It was clear that Audie had made up his mind. Beth knew from experience he would continue to harangue her until she gave in. Perhaps she shouldn’t stay in Royal at all. Sometimes the temptation to move far away and make a new start was compelling. This setback in her fledgling farm endeavor might be a sign.

But in the same instant, she thought of Drew. And of her friends and neighbors in Royal who faced a long road ahead. This corner of Texas was all Beth had ever known. Though her memories of growing up weren’t entirely positive, Royal was home. Audie would always be her brother, no matter how hard she tried to tell herself they were nothing alike. They shared DNA and a difficult past.

Audie had made different choices in life than Beth had. Poor choices in many instances. She felt no real compunction about letting him bear the consequences of his actions. But she couldn’t turn her back on an innocent child and a waiflike woman with no common sense at all.

“Fine,” she said. “Have it your way. You can stay. But you’ll have to bring in some kind of camp stove and a mini fridge.”

“Why didn’t you take care of that?” he asked.

“I’m not staying here,” she said evenly. “Drew Farrell has invited me to Willowbrook Farms for as long as it takes me to get the repairs done.”

Audie frowned. Apparently he had assumed Beth would be responsible for everything. “Well, that’s convenient. Seems like you always have men hanging around to look after you.”

The implication in his voice and in his words made her furious, but she wouldn’t let him see that he could get to her. Keeping her expression bland, she lifted an eyebrow. “Audie...”

“Yeah?”

“For once in your life, try to think of someone other than yourself. If this turns out to be too uncomfortable for Angie and Anton, please be a man and find a solution.”

“Easy for you to say.”

She refused to let him make her feel guilty. “I’m leaving now.” She headed toward the green Pinto to greet her nephew and sister-in-law. But before she got there, a familiar dark truck turned off the highway and approached the house. Well, this day just keeps getting better and better. Grim-faced, she watched Drew Farrell park and get out of his vehicle.

He lifted a hand as he approached. “Has Allen already come and gone?”

She nodded. “I’m surprised you didn’t pass him. It hasn’t been that long.”

Drew stopped short, seeing Audie and the car. He held out a hand. “I’m Drew Farrell. Don’t believe I know you.”

Audie wiped his palm on his jeans before returning the gesture and shaking Drew’s hand. “I’m Audie Andrews, Beth’s brother.”

Beth knew Drew well enough by now to see that he was surprised. But he hid it well. “I suppose you’re checking up on your sister.”

Audie seemed nonplussed, possibly because the notion of worrying about anyone other than himself was foreign to him. “Um...yeah.”

“Did she tell you what happened?”

“You mean the tornado?”

Drew smothered a smile, exchanging a quick look with Beth. “Not just that. Obviously the farm took a direct hit. But we were trapped in the storm cellar overnight. The car pinned us inside.” The vehicle in question still sat in a forlorn heap. Beth wondered if it was worth anything as scrap metal.

Audie’s eyes shifted from Drew to Beth. “You two must be kinda close.”

“We’re neighbors.” Drew’s wry smile dared Beth to disagree. “I had come over to discuss a few things with Beth when the sirens went off.”

“And now she’s staying at your house.”

It was hard to miss the insinuation. Beth’s cheeks burned with humiliation. There were about a thousand places she would rather be right now than in the midst of this awkward confrontation.

Drew ignored the provocative statement and returned his attention to Beth. “What did Allen have to say?”

“He hopes to have his report to me by tomorrow morning. The foundation is sound. He says the other stuff won’t be as bad as it looks to repair.”

“That’s great.”

“It is.”

Surely Drew was confused about her lack of enthusiasm, but she was barely holding it together. Her nerves were shot. Dealing with Audie always had that effect on her. She grimaced as she faced her brother. “I have to go now. Make yourself at home.”

Drew gaped. “They’re staying here?”

Audie cocked his head toward the car. “I’m between jobs at the moment. Our place in town was trashed by the storm. But we were only rentin’ anyway, and it’s the end of the month. Beth is going to let us bunk down out in the shed. It’s in pretty good shape. We’ll be fine.”

Beth noticed he didn’t bother to mention that he’d been fired from his last two places of employment for showing up drunk.

Drew seemed baffled. This unfortunate intersection of the haves and the have-nots illustrated more than anything else the gulf between Beth’s world and the Farrell empire.

She interceded, hoping to end the regrettable interlude. “I have to go, Audie. Drew and I are volunteering in town this afternoon.”

Excusing herself, she went to say hello to Angie and Anton and then returned quickly to Drew’s side. “Shall I follow you?” she asked.

Drew’s gaze went from Beth to Audie and back again. “We can change our plan,” he said, his expression troubled.

“It’s not necessary. I want to go into town and do something useful.”

A long silence stretched to thirty seconds. Maybe more. For once, Audie kept his mouth shut. Finally, Drew’s shoulders lifted and fell. “Okay, then. We’ll stop by the ranch to grab a bite to eat and drop off the clunker. Then we’ll go.”