Chapter Fifteen
Rachel sat in Diana Raft’s kitchen the next morning holding a cup of coffee in her hands while Randal and Diana looked over the paperwork for their listing. The ranch was large, and it was a prime piece of grazing land, but the house and barn needed a lot of work. By the disappointed look on Randal’s face, Rachel knew he was expecting to list the place for more money than it was worth.
“Are you sure that’s the right figure?” he asked her, squinting at the numbers.
She nodded, “Yeah. I’m sorry, Randal, but you know that home values are down. We can list it for a higher number, but I’m afraid it will just sit here for months. I know how much you guys want to get moved to be closer to your daughter.” She let her voice drift off, not wanting to point out the abbreviated amount of the time that Diana had left in this world.
“I just hate to see it get undervalued. If I’m going to sell it, then I want to get what it’s really worth,” he argued, dropping the paper to pinch the bridge of his nose.
“Randy, we’ve lived here for almost forty years. Forty great years, but the value you think it has is sentimental. It’s time to let another family build their memories on this land.” Diana was the voice of reason in this relationship, and Rachel watched in awe as the woman talked her husband down. “Besides, you and I both know this house isn’t worth anything. It’s the land that has value. There are several prosperous ranches around us that would be glad to take it off our hands. I want to go see Breanna, darling. You said yourself it’s important the next few months be spent with our family.”
Randal reached out to take Diana’s hand in his own and he brought it to his lips in a gesture that reminded Rachel of her own four men. When the older gentleman finally turned his attention back to Rachel, he had tears in his eyes. “Done. Nothing is more important than my woman. Is there anything else I need to sign?”
“No, Randal, you’ve signed it all. I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page before the listing goes up Monday morning. I’ll want to have an open house next weekend if that’s alright with you both.”
Diana and Randal both nodded. “I’ll start packing some stuff up to ship to Bre this week, and Randy can make sure the barn is cleaned up.”
“Now don’t go wearing yourself out, Diana-doll. We can hire someone in here to do the packing.” Randal flashed a smile at Rachel, “Silly woman still thinks she can do everything herself.”
“Oh I can still manage my own packing. Now that I’m not doing the treatments anymore I have a little more strength.” Diana directed the last statement to Rachel who nodded politely.
“Well, I better get back to work. Tanner Kegan is coming by later to look at the last of the herd. I think he’s going to buy the tractor too. No sense keeping it when we won’t be tilling up the land.” Randal kissed his wife and then waved goodbye to Rachel before hurrying out of the house.
After a pause the back screen door slammed shut behind him, and Diana let out her breath in a whoosh. She gave Rachel a half smile, “I’m sorry, he’s struggling with all of this. It’s been so hard on him.”
“It’s okay, Diana. I do understand. I can’t even imagine how hard it is for both of you.” Rachel tried not to let the pity she was feeling show. Diana was such a strong woman, even sitting across from her with her hair in thin patchy clumps, and her arms bruised and pocked from IV pokes. She looked proud and determined to defeat the demons invading her world. Only, Rachel knew this demon was undefeatable. Cancer was going to be the thing to bring Diana down.
“I have loved that man for more than four decades. We raised two children together, buried one of them, watched the other get married and move across the country, and now we’re at the end, just trying to hold on for one more precious minute.” Diana played with the gold band that hung loosely on the ring finger of her left hand, spinning it around and around her thin finger.
Rachel’s heart lurched in her chest at the love and pain that radiated from the woman. “I admire you so much, Diana. I hope someday I can have a love like yours and Randal’s.”
That seemed to perk Diana up, and she narrowed her eyes on Rachel. “I’ve heard the rumors, Rach. There is something between you and those Brooks boys.”
A blush of embarrassment warmed Rachel’s cheeks, but she didn’t deny it. What was the point? She was having a baby with one of them, and the whole town would know it soon enough. “I care about them.”
Diana watched her with her head tipped and her hand holding her chin thoughtfully. “You know, the day I agreed to marry Randal was the same day I broke off my engagement to another man. I actually left him standing at the church in his suit and tie waiting to say the ‘I do’s’. I had been seeing Randal behind Gary’s back, and most of the town knew it. I wasn’t brave enough to admit my feelings to either of them, until it was almost too late.”
Rachel listened in silent surprise. Diana was a pillar of the community, so it was odd to think she might have been the source of scandal at any point in her life.
“The only other time I’ve done something so stupid, was when I found out I was sick and didn’t tell Randal right away. I thought I was protecting him, but ultimately I was denying him some of the precious time he needed to deal with his own feelings and grieve for me.” Diana stared past Rachel’s head as she spoke, lost in her own world of pain. “If you care for them, Rachel, do yourself and them the courtesy of being honest about it. Don’t let time slip away from you, because one day you look around, and it’s all over. You can’t back up and start again, or change the course…you just have to live it out and let it happen.”
Tears spilled out of Rachel’s eyes and down her cheeks. Her pregnancy emotions seemed to be more and more chaotic, and Diana was hitting a nerve. “I’m in love with them.”
Diana smiled softly, “All four of them, right?” At Rachel’s nod, Diana let out a small laugh, “I suspected as much. Those four do everything together, so it only made sense they would want to share the same woman. So what’s the problem? Why are you telling me and not them?”
“You know about my dad.” Rachel grimaced when Diana nodded. “He has another family now, a couple of a kids and a happy life, but he hasn’t spoken to me in years. My mom and him seemed so happy right up until he just all of a sudden fell out of love with her. How does that happen? How do you go from loving something enough to pledge the rest of your life to them, and then suddenly one day, you just don’t anymore?”
“It’s different for everyone, Rachel, but you were young when that all happened. It’s possible you don’t know the whole story between your parents. Have you ever asked them?”
Rachel frowned, “I know enough. And besides, it’s not just my dad. Every man I’ve ever trusted has cheated on me or betrayed my trust. Mitch was just the most recent mistake I’ve made, but he sure wasn’t the first. I can’t let myself keep getting hurt.”
Diana gave her a disapproving frown. “I probably should keep my mouth shut but, Rachel, you’re being silly. Can’t you see that it’s not all men, it’s just the men you’ve picked? Your picker is off, girl! Now, from what I hear, the Brooks boys seduced you, which means you didn’t do the picking. I would say that means there is a better chance of this being a good relationship. Do you trust them?”
“Yes,” Rachel said without any hesitation.
“Then go to them. Tell them. Don’t wait until it’s too late to realize what love is. Love is trusting the other person enough to put your heart in their hands, but it’s also coming to the understanding that you hold their heart in your hands, and can do them irreparable damage.”
Rachel sat silently mulling over Diana’s words, and staring into her cup of coffee like it was a magic eight ball and she was waiting for the right answer. Diana seemed to sense that she had said enough, because she stood and carried her own mug to the sink.
“And, Rachel,” when Rachel finally looked up the woman smiled, “coffee isn’t good for the baby. You should cut your caffeine intake.”
Rachel felt her face drain of blood as she stared into the other woman’s cloudy blue eyes. “What?”
“Oh, did you think I couldn’t tell? Sweetie, I’ve had two babies of my own, and you’re moping around like a hurt mama bear. How far along are you?”
“Eight weeks,” Rachel whispered.
Diana’s smile was wide, and she nodded. “Well, I won’t make it to see your little one, but I hope that you and its fathers will be very happy together for as many years as Randy and I have been.”
“Thank you, Diana. You’ve been…well…you’ve given me some food for thought.”
“You’re welcome, Rachel. We’ll see you next weekend.”
With that, Rachel gathered her things, and made a beeline for Brooks Pastures. She had just realized that she had a few more things to say to her men.
****
Rachel arrived at the ranch to find a strange man she hadn’t met in the barn. The excitement burning in her chest eased a little as she frowned at the stranger. He was big. Bigger than any of the four Brooks brothers—and that was saying a lot. Rachel nearly swallowed her tongue as she took in the wide shoulders that looked like they wouldn’t even fit through a doorway. Blonde curls peeked out from under a worn red bandana that was damp with sweat, and his body was hunched over as he worked silently.
“Hello?”
The man looked up from the saddle he was working on and she got a glimpse of gorgeous blue eyes and a pair of matching dimples as he grinned, “Hi! You must be Rachel. The boys were telling me about you. I’m Mack Thompson. You’ve got them all tied up in knots, little lady.”
Rachel liked him immediately, and moved closer to watch him as he tooled the leather. “They have been pretty crazy too, that’s beautiful. Did you do all of that?”
Mack nodded, “Yeah, it’s kind of a hobby.”
“So, I haven’t seen you in town, Mack, how long have you been in Stone River?”
“I met Parker at the club a couple of years back, and after my leather business went belly up last summer he offered me a job on the ranch. I’ve only been her a few months, and I’m not much for socializing. I stay around here most of the time.”
Rachel frowned, “What club?”
The blush of embarrassment that stole up Mack’s cheeks caught her off guard, and he glanced away. “Um, well, uh…that would be The Cage. It’s a BDSM club.”
“Oh….oh!” Now Rachel felt a little embarrassed herself. There was an awkward pause before she changed the subject. “Do you know where the guys are?”
“Yeah, they are out on the West line, by the pond. There was some fencing that got damaged when a tree fell over in the storm last week.”
Rachel nodded, and then frowned. “Do you think I can borrow a horse? I really need to talk to them.”
Mack’s eyes squinted just a minute as he evaluated her question before he agreed. “Done, but if they ask how you did it, leave my name out of it. The rules I got were to keep you safe when you were around, and I doubt they meant letting you ride off alone.”
Rachel rolled her eyes, “It will be our little secret, Mack. I promise!”