The Secret Truth at Dare Ranch Read Online Free PDF

through the misting rain
and illuminated the front door. “Maybe sooner than you think."
    Mitch’s
car halted in front of the house.
    Lexie's
brief moment of composure shattered. Why couldn't he leave her alone for one
night? She just needed a little time to shore up her center of strength before
she had to face him again.
    Mitch
slid from a bright red sports car that looked as though it were moving while
standing still. He sauntered through the light rain and up onto the porch.
    Vivian
breezed around Lexie. "Hi, cowboy.” She stopped long enough to kiss him on
the cheek. "Drop by the house sometime. I’ll buy you a drink.” She trotted
down the front steps at a fast clip. "Lexie, call me," she yelled and
ran to her car.
    Lexie
tried to muster some dignity. She’d had a bath then pulled her hair up into a
pony tail before donning her favorite nightshirt and ratty old chenille robe. He’d
changed into a faded pair of jeans that hugged his hips and thighs and topped them
off with a gray sweatshirt and leather jacket.
    Raindrops
sparkled in the brown strands of his hair under the porch light. She inhaled a
whiff of his aftershave and had a sudden urge to sidle up to him. "Mitch,
I’m tired. Haven’t you had enough for one day?"
    "Is
Dani still awake?"
    "No,
she’s already gone to bed."
    Mitch
paused for a moment. "Okay, but plan on me being here for dinner tomorrow
evening. I want to tell Dani I’m her father."
    # # #
    The
next evening, Lexie picked at her food and eyed Mitch across the table. She'd
worried all day about Dani's reaction to finding out Mitch was her father. Last
night her mind had whirled with every possible outcome of this new unexpected
revelation in Dani's life and robbed her of valuable sleep. In an effort to
look her best, she had even changed clothes several times as if what she wore
would make one iota of difference in how Dani might react to the news.
    The
moment Dani found Mitch in the house she'd started a stream of chatter as if
she'd been given a wonderful gift.
    Was
she doing the right thing by allowing Mitch to tell Dani the truth? She had to
because for the first six years of Dani's life Mitch didn't know about her
existence. She owed him at least that. Didn't she?
    "Mr.
Quinn, I’ve been learning how to take Morning Star over the jumps," she
said around a mouthful of rice.
    "Don’t
talk with your mouth full," Lexie admonished and patted her mouth with a
napkin.
    "Great.
You’ll have to show me sometime." Mitch smoothed a hand over Dani’s head.
    "How
about tomorrow?" Dani asked. She picked up her glass of milk, took a sip
then set the glass down. A white mustache was left behind over her upper lip. Her
eyes, so like her father’s, gazed at him full of hope and expectation. Mitch’s
gaze shifted to Lexie. He studied her face as if asking her permission. He
lifted his brows in silence. Dread settled in her chest. The moment of truth
had come at last. Words caught in her throat. All she could do was nod.
    "Dani."
Mitch covered her small hand with his. "Your mother and I have something
to tell you."
    Lexie
studied Dani’s face. Her eyes widened and fixed on Mitch. She was so innocent. In
a few moments, her world would be shattered. Lexie's heart squeezed in her
chest.
    "I
knew your mother a long time ago," Mitch continued. "Before you were
born."
    Swallowing
hard, Lexie found her voice. "That’s right." "Sometimes people
can’t be together no matter how much they want to.” Her words were strained and
unnatural even to her own ears.
    "Yeah,"
Mitch agreed. "Things happen sometimes."
    Dani
shrugged. "I know. She said my daddy had to go away before he knew about
me."
    Lexie’s
heart pounded harder and her palms grew sweaty. She twisted the napkin in her
lap.
    "That’s
right," Mitch answered in a soft voice. "But I know about you now.” He
paused and smiled at her. "I’m your daddy."
    Dani’s
mouth popped open. Her eyes blinked like a baby owl. Lexie’s chair was a board
full of