Page 38 of Lie for a Million

“If you don’t like me by the time I’m done, that’s a chance I’ll have to take,” he said. “It’s about a decision, the worst one I ever made.”

He took a deep breath as the memory returned—the high valley, the ragged skyline of the mountains above it. “You know my family came here from Colorado,” he said. “We had a small ranch there. Times were hard, especially with the cold winters, but we were happy enough. We survived.

“There was a town nearby, with a school. I had a sweetheart. Her name was Becky. She was a good girl, from a religious family, but I was wild, and she wanted to please me. You can guess what happened. She got pregnant. I did the honorable thing and married her.”

Lila’s body tensed slightly, but she didn’t speak.

“It wasn’t as bad as you might think. We were young and crazy in love. We were excited about the baby. But her parents had kicked her out, and we had hardly any money at all. We had to move in with my family.

“We wanted to be on our own before the baby came. For that, we needed cash, and I knew of just one way to get it. I left Becky with my folks, renewed my PRCA card, and went on the rodeo circuit.

“It was the summer season, Cowboy Christmas, with rodeos every week. I got an old truck running and hit the road. Becky wasn’t due till fall. I promised her I’d be back in plenty of time for the baby, but she was having a rough time of it. I still remember how she cried when I left.”

Lila stirred, shifting against him. When she looked up, he caught a fresh glimmer of tears in her eyes. By now she would have guessed how the story ended. Still, he felt compelled to finish it.

“I slept in the truck and ate out of cans to save all the money I could. There was no cell phone service at the ranch, so it was hard to keep in touch. I did manage a few collect calls, but the connections weren’t the best, so I focused winning money to bring home.

“I was a pretty good bronc rider, both bareback and saddle. I didn’t always win, but I usually finished in the money. As the weeks passed, I could tell that I was getting better and better.

“The time came when I’d promised Becky to be home. But there was one big rodeo left the following weekend—with a ten thousand dollar first prize for bronc riding. Winning could make all the difference for my new family. I decided to stay and drive home after the rodeo.”

“And did you win?” Lila asked.

“Not a nickel. The horse bucked me off out of the gate, and I broke my ankle when I hit the dirt. The medic taped me up so I could drive home, but on the way out of town, the clutch went out on the truck. It cost me two days and a chunk of my savings to get it replaced, but I was finally on my way again. If I didn’t lose any more time, I figured that I could still make it back in time for the baby.” He fell silent for a moment, remembering. “I came back to a grave.”

“Oh, Roper,” Lila whispered.

“Becky’s labor started early. My mother had planned to help her with a home delivery, which was how she’d had all her own children. But with Becky, there were complications, and not enough time to get her to a hospital. She died in the truck. The baby—a little girl—didn’t make it either. Maybe if I’d been there, I could have done something to save her. I still blame myself for that. At least I would have started for the hospital at the first sign of trouble.”

“What happened wasn’t your fault,” Lila protested.

“Wasn’t it? My mother said it was God’s punishment because we’d sinned. But I don’t believe God had anything to do with it. It was my decision not to come back when I’d promised to.” He shook his head. “It’s not a pretty story, but I’m telling it because if you see me as a man who’s too cocksure to make a mistake, you couldn’t be more wrong—”

“Stop beating on yourself, Roper!”

Her lips blocked his words. His heart slammed as she pressed upward, deepening the kiss. He circled her with his arms, feeling her warmth, her yielding softness and his own racing pulse. Need, like hot pain, surged in him—not just need for her body but for her tenderness, her understanding, and her love. He kept his response gentle. His kisses were slow and deep, as if his soul was reaching for hers. Her fresh tears wet his face. He ached to love her. But this wasn’t the time or the place.

Reluctantly, he eased her away. “We need to get back to the ranch, Boss,” he said. “Back to where we were—and who we were.”

“Yes.” She brushed back her hair, her lips curving in the slightest hint of a smile. “But only for now.”

Her words triggered a surge of hope. This could be the beginning of something real. But hope was a fragile thing, and there was a world out there that could shatter it like a blown glass ornament. Roper was no fool. He knew.

CHAPTERTEN

Darrin was reviewing case files when his wife walked into his office, unannounced. He gave her an annoyed look. “Simone, I told you to knock before you come in here. Can’t you remember anything?”

“Sorry.” She was flushed and slightly breathless. “I just got a call from Mariah. She saw something. Something that could be important.”

Darrin swiveled to face her. “All right. What did she say?”

Simone sank into a chair. “Lila went out at lunchtime. But she didn’t take the Porsche. She took the Jeep. When she came back, Roper came out of the stables. They got into the Jeep together, drove out of the gate, and turned left toward where his ranch is.” She paused for breath. “They were gone a little over half an hour. Then they came back and parked in the shed. He opened the door for her, touched her shoulder, and went back to work.”

“Interesting,” Darrin said. “But it all sounds pretty ordinary to me. I don’t understand why—”

“Don’t you see? He touched her shoulder.Touched her shoulder!She’s his boss. Why would he do that if it didn’t mean something? And they’d just been somewhere alone, plenty long enough to—”

“Okay, I get the picture,” Darrin said. “I’ve still got to prepare my case against Lila.”

---