He heard a woman’s voice. “You’re in the hospital, Mr. Slater. I’m your nurse, Elena Garcia. Are you in pain?”
Again he could only groan.
“I’ll give you something to help you.”
Colt blinked and focused on the raven-haired beauty, and his breath caught. Seeing her heart-shaped face, those almond eyes, he sucked in a breath and opened his mouth to speak. “Luisa...” he whispered, then there was nothing.
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Ana walked into her father’s hospital room. She held her panic in check on seeing the monitor and the IV connected to the large man in the bed.
She made her way closer. Colt Slater had always been bigger than life to her. The one-time rodeo star was nearly six feet tall, and muscular. The years of ranch work had kept him in shape. His brown hair was now streaked with gray, but even with the tiny lines around his eyes, he was still a handsome man. And she loved him. Maybe in his own way he loved her and her sisters, too. She felt a tear on her cheek and brushed it away.
“Oh, Daddy.” She reached out and took his big hand, thrilled that it felt warm. She wanted another chance to get close to this man. Would he be around for that?
A nurse walked in and smiled. “Hello. It’s good to see Mr. Slater has a visitor.”
“How has he been?” Ana asked.
“He was awake not long ago.”
Ana felt hopeful. “Really? Did he say anything? I mean, was he able to speak?”
Again the nurse smiled. “He said the name Luisa. Is that you?”
Ana gasped at hearing her mother’s name. “No, it’s not.” She released her father’s hand and hurried out of the room. Oh, God. He still wanted her mother. Ana couldn’t stop the tears once she reached the visitors’ room and found it empty. She finally broke down and began to sob.
Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, then heard the familiar voice. She wiped her eyes and slowly turned around to see Vance. His dark gaze locked on hers and she saw the compassion. He didn’t speak as he slowly drew her close. God help her, she went into his arms, letting his strength absorb the years of pain and hurt. She gripped his shirt and buried her face against his chest and sobbed.
Vance fought not to react to this woman. That was like saying not to take his next breath. Not to ache for something he’d wanted for so long and knew he couldn’t have. Now, sweet Analeigh was in his arms.
The top of her head barely reached his chin, and it seemed every curve was pressed against him, tormenting him. He moved his hands over her back, feeling her delicate frame. She might feel fragile but she was far from it. He’d watched for years how she’d corralled her siblings, broke up fights, helped with school projects and even stood up to Colt for them.
He’d never seen her so broken as right now. “Hey, bright eyes, what’s wrong? Is Colt worse?”
Vance reached in his back pocket, pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her. She took it, but kept her head down. “C’mon, tell me,” he coaxed. “Is it Colt?”
She shook her head.
“What’s breaking your heart, Ana?”
She finally looked up at him. Her eyes welled with tears, her face was blotchy, but she looked beautiful. “He said her name.”
Vance frowned. “Whose name?”
“My mother’s. He said Luisa.”
Vance wasn’t shocked. “He’s had a stroke, Ana. The man might be confused with the place and time.”
She nodded, and as if she realized their closeness, she took a step back. “You’re probably right. Sorry. It’s just he hasn’t said anything about our mother in years. I thought he’d gotten over her.” She pointed to Vance’s wet shirt. “I’ll wash it for you.”
Vance wondered if it was possible to wash her out of his head, his heart.
* * *
It had been a long day by the time Vance brought Ana back to the ranch. He drove up the circular drive and let her out of the truck. Then he took off toward the barn to check on the stock and the ranch hands.
Ana stood there and looked up at the large ranch house. It had been months since she’d been inside, but when the housekeeper, Kathleen, insisted she stay over tonight, she didn’t have a choice.
She walked up the steps to the wraparound porch. Colt had built this house for his new bride, Luisa Delgado. It was well known about her parents’ whirlwind romance, also about Luisa’s disappearance twenty-four years ago.
Ana had been five years old at the time. She made herself remember the loving woman who’d hugged and kissed her little girls endless times. The woman who told those made-up bedtime stories, sat with her daughters when they were sick.
Not the woman who’d one day up and abandoned her family. All of them had been scared, including Colt. So much so, he couldn’t even stand to be their father anymore. And today, Ana had realized he still wanted his ex-wife.
She walked through the front door. Everything was the same, including the large table in the entry, adorned with fresh cut flowers from Kathleen’s garden. Ana glanced up at the open staircase with the decorative wooden banister, winding up to the second floor. She walked farther into the house, passing the living room. Two overstuffed leather sofas faced the river-rock fireplace. This was definitely a man’s room. Her dad’s office was next, then came the huge dining room with its high-back chairs and a table that could seat twenty. She moved on to her favorite room, the kitchen.
She smiled and glanced around to see the rows of white cabinets, which had been painted many times over the years to keep their high sheen. The countertops were also white, and the same with the appliances. The room was clean and generic. Long gone were any Spanish influences.
Kathleen walked in from the laundry room. The housekeeper was fifty-five and had a ready smile and kind hazel eyes. Her hair had been dark brown, but over the years had turned gray. She had never married, so Ana and her sisters were like the children she’d never had.
“Oh, Ana, I’m glad you’re here. I’m hoping you’ll be staying long enough for me to fatten you up. Child, you’re too thin.”
“I weigh the same as I always did, no more, no less.”
Ana wasn’t sure staying at the house was a good idea. There were so many memories she wanted to forget. But she’d be closer to the hospital. And since school was out for the summer, she was off work.
“Well, you still need to put on ten pounds.”
Before Ana could protest, there was a knock on the back door. Kathleen went and answered it. “Oh, hello, Mr. Dickson.”
Ana watched as the older man stepped into the kitchen. The distinguished-looking Wade Dickson was dressed in his usual business suit. He was not only Colt’s lawyer, but his longtime friend. They’d gone to school together. And Uncle Wade had given the Slater girls more affection than their own father had.
He smiled when he saw her. “Hello, Ana.”
She was still raw from today, and exhausted. “Hi, Uncle Wade.”
He came closer and hugged her. “I’m sorry about your daddy. I was out of town when I got the news. But don’t worry, old Colt is made of strong stuff.”
She was touched. “I appreciate you saying that.”
He released a long breath and guided her into the dining room, where they sat down at the table.
“I hate to do this, Ana girl, but we need to discuss what to do while your daddy is recovering.”
She hated that term. “Vance is foreman. Can’t he handle the ranch?”
There