Cherished by the Rancher: A Christian Cowboy Romance (Black Rock Ranch Book 1)

by Jen Peters

  Maddy had become a frozen statue. Her legs wouldn’t work. Her mouth wouldn’t work. All she could do was stare at the menacing man filling her vision.

  “Mama?” came a small voice.

  Maddy’s mind broke free. “Mia! Back in your bedroom!” She never took her eyes off Brock, but she heard the bedroom door close. Mia was safe. Sort of. Not really.

  “Lacey, get Uncle Dirt. Take Mia.” At least her mouth was working again.

  Lacey took a step forward, but Brock shoved her against the wall. He took another stride toward Maddy.

  How could Maddy have ever compared Adam with Brock? The two men couldn’t be more different—Brock hit for the sake of hurting someone. Adam had only fought in self-defense and would do anything to protect her. If she got out of this alive, she’d get down on her knees to apologize.

  She stepped back, mind whirling, heart pounding. “How’d you find me?” she asked slowly. “It’s a long way from Denver.” What could she do besides stall him? Where could she go?

  The small cabin had no place to escape to. Maddy grabbed the heavy pizzelle maker from the floor and held it in both hands. It would be awkward to swing, but at least it was something.

  Brock, on the other hand, needed nothing but his hands. Two more strides and he had a fist wrapped in her hair. “It was easy, thanks to your mother,” he growled. “And I didn’t even need to drive to all these blasted ranches. Just showed your picture in a few towns. A very nice lady in a pizza place remembered your hair.”

  Maddy stifled a scream as he jerked her hair painfully—any noise from her would only set him off more. She had to follow Brock’s pull, but she swung the pizzelle maker at his shoulder. He let go, and she managed to take a step back.

  Just far enough to trip over the cookware covering the floor.

  Brock loomed, his fist hauled back and ready. Maddy had never succeeded when she’d tried to fight back before. She knew from experience that all she could do was curl into a ball to minimize the damage. Why, oh why, did this have to be the day that the guys were all out on the range?

  There was a scurry of movement behind Brock, beside him. Maddy heard a gasp and a thud.

  And then something heavy was pinning her to the floor.

  41

  Adam reluctantly slowed Mister to a walk. It wouldn’t do any good to kill his horse and still not reach the homestead.

  He counted the time passing, his thoughts repeating, stammering, pounding. Maddy was in trouble. Maddy was in trouble. He had to save her. Maddy was in trouble. He had to save her.

  After three long minutes of walking, he nudged Mister into the slow jog that would let the horse recover a bit, but they’d be covering ground just a little faster. After another three fidgety minutes of jogging, Adam couldn’t take it anymore. He pushed Mister into a lope that wasn’t as easy as it should have been. He reached down and patted the gelding’s lathered neck, murmuring encouragement.

  When he reached the first big gate, he came through and left it open. His urgency had grown, and he wasn’t going to stop to close it even if there had been livestock in that pasture .

  His thoughts raced ahead of him. If Maddy was in trouble, it had to be Brock. There wasn’t any other trouble to get into, unless she’d gone messing around with the tractors or Mia had gotten into the bull pasture again. But Maddy had a lot more ranch sense now, and those possibilities just didn’t stick.

  It had to be Brock. It made Adam sick to think of the abusive man on his ranch, threatening his Maddy. His Maddy. Whatever problems they had, however complicated Adam’s life was, she belonged in it. He had to have her in it. If she could get over her fears.

  The good thoughts carried him for a while, keeping time with Mister’s three-beat lope. Kiss-ing-her. Hold-ing-her. Lov-ing-her.

  But the precious pictures in his mind couldn’t hold him forever. Images of Brock filled his head, too, although Adam had never seen the man. He was a lurking, shadowy form storming into the admin building, threatening Maddy.

  No, it was Saturday. She’d be at her cabin, with even fewer ways to avoid him. And farther from Caleb’s help.

  Caleb, Adam prayed frantically. Send Caleb to help her. He can be there faster.

  That should have calmed him, but the thought rushed in again: Maddy’s in trouble.

  He pushed Mister faster, fumbling at the last gate. He raced across the pasture to the back of her cabin, pulling Mister to a sliding stop just in time to miss the fence.

  “Maddy!” he called, climbing over the fence, almost falling on the other side. “Maddy! Are you there?”

  “Adam?” came a shaky answer from Uncle Dirt. “They’re okay.”

  Okay? They?

  Was that really possible?

  He raced through the back door, came into the main living area, and stopped cold.

  Maddy lay curled on the kitchen floor, Uncle Dirt kneeling beside her.

  Lacey leaned against a wall, shaking. Sobbing.

  And an unmoving man lay face down between them.

  “He’s dead, isn’t he?” Lacey asked through her tears. “I dragged him off her. I killed him, didn’t I?”

  Adam looked between them, saw the blood on the back of the man’s head, saw the cast-iron skillet on the floor beside him.

  “If you did, I’d say good riddance,” Adam murmured, kneeling to check the man’s pulse. “He’s alive,” he said, reaching for Maddy and pulling her into his arms. He nodded his thanks to Uncle Dirt and held Maddy close, breathed in her scent, reveled in the fact that she wasn’t hurt.

  She wasn’t, was she?

  “Are you okay?” he asked, leaning back to look into her face.

  Maddy nodded, then curled up against him again.

  Adam reached for Lacey, holding her close with his other arm.

  A door opened. “Adam?” a timid, six-year-old voice came.

  “Mia!” Maddy called.

  Mia joined them, and Uncle Dirt wrapped his arms as far around them as he could. A sustaining family hug for the five of them.

  Adam maneuvered them into the living room area, away from the distressing scene. Thank you, Lord. Just…thank you, he sent heavenward. He basked in the warmth that filled his soul. Relief. Love. Gratitude.

  “How did you get here?” Maddy finally whispered.

  “I just had this feeling.” Adam chuckled. “I think I started hearing God again. And Mister gave his all.”

  “He’s not—”

  “No, he’ll be fine. Sore and exhausted, but fine. I need to go walk him out soon, though.” Reluctantly, Adam broke the circle. “Actually, I need to take care of this first. I assume this is Brock?”

  Maddy nodded, her eyes filling with tears again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring prob—”

  “Hush,” Adam said, putting a finger over her lips. “You don’t need to be sorry about a thing.” He kissed her gently. “Now let me find something to tie him up with.”

  By the time Adam had him trussed with a belt and 9-1-1 was sending someone out, the others were talking over each other to tell him what happened.

  “He just burst in.”

  “He had Maddy down.”

  “I couldn’t get here fast enough.”

  “I was so scared.”

  “Lacey hit him with the frying pan.”

  They paused for a breath, and Uncle Dirt said, “I’ll go down and wait for the cops.”

  Adam nodded at the old man, hoping his face showed his gratitude. Then he sat on the couch, Lacey under his left arm, Maddy snuggled close under his right, and Mia on his lap, wearing his cowboy hat. “You are two incredible women. No one in their right mind would mess with you.”

  “I guess roping strengthens your arm for frying pans,” Lacey joked.

  “You said it,” Adam said. If his sister was joking already, even nervously, she’d be okay.

  But Maddy shuddered, and he tightened his arm around her. “You’re safe now, sweetheart.”

  “I didn’t
think this day would ever come,” she said. “They’ll put him away now, right?”

  “And throw away the key, if I have anything to say about it,” Adam assured her.

  Mia tipped his hat back so she could see him. “Does that mean we can go home now?”

  Adam felt Maddy stiffen. The girl’s innocent words froze him as well. “I, uh, I guess you could,” he said. “You’ll be safe from him now.”

  “Yay! We get to see Nonna!” Mia cried.

  Maddy sat up, but kept her eyes on her hands. “Adam, I...” Her voice trailed off.

  Adam lifted a hand to her face. “Maddy, sweetheart—”

  Lacey shot to her feet. “Come on, Mia, let’s go outside for a little.”

  “Actually,” Adam said, glancing to the kitchen where Brock was still unconscious, “why don’t you two go look at the horses, and Maddy and I will sit on the porch.”

  The two girls walked hand-in-hand down the driveway. Adam settled in a porch chair and pulled Maddy into his lap. “Do you think you could ever—”

  “I’m not as scared,” she interrupted, not really settling against him. “ I mean, I am, but…”

  Adam felt hope rise inside, tried to tamp it down in case she didn’t mean what he thought she might.

  Maddy took a deep breath. “I was petrified. I couldn’t move even after Lacey knocked him out. And seeing him down, I don’t know, changed me somehow.”

  Adam closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. “So that means…” He couldn’t help the hope in his voice. He opened his eyes to find Maddy’s full of longing.

  “I love you, Adam.” She gave her head a shake. “I don’t know if I ever really told you that before we broke up. Isn’t that crazy?”

  “I think we were both afraid to say it—it happened so fast.”

  “Sometimes time doesn’t matter,” she said softly. “And I know my fears aren’t gone. They’re too deeply rooted to just disappear. But you’re a protector, not a threat, Adam, and maybe I can get some help to get past what’s still inside me.”

  He kissed her lightly, rested his forehead against hers. “Help is good. Help is always good.”

  Maddy snuggled against him. She felt so precious there, so right, and Adam cherished the feeling. But he had an admission to make, too.

  “Uh, Maddy? My brothers had been doing their darnedest to help me fix what’s inside of me, too. I’ve been a fool, but I’m trying to learn to let go of controlling everything. I’ll probably stumble a lot.”

  “That’s good. I mean, the letting go, not the stumbling. But can…can I be around to help pick you up?” Maddy’s voice quavered.

  “Can you?” Adam laughed. “You’d be hard pressed to make me let you leave!” He sobered as he stroked her hair. He could feel his own eyes shine. With love, with tears—he didn’t know, just that he loved the warmth in his soul and hoped she felt it too.

  “Maddy, I love you. I love your fire, I love your peace. I’m only half-living if I don’t have you in my life. I never want you to leave—I want to watch us get better and better.”

  Actually, what Adam really wanted was to marry her, but it was way too soon to ask that.

  She reached up to caress his cheek. “I am fiery, and I imagine that could cause us a few problems. But we can soften each other, right? Bring out the best in each other?”

  “Together. We can do anything together.” He bent his head, kissed her lips softly.

  “You got that right, cowboy.”

  Epilogue

  Caleb turned into the driveway, taking the corner slowly so the mare could keep her feet in the trailer. It wouldn’t do to have her scramble and hurt herself again. In the stable yard, he unhooked her tie and led her carefully down the ramp. Once the horse was settled in the largest stall, he left the trailer hitched and headed over to check on Maddy.

  His breath caught halfway there, as flashing red lights reflected off the trees and the closest cabins.

  Caleb ran, wishing for tennis shoes instead of cowboy boots. An ambulance and two police cars sat in front of Maddy’s cabin, and paramedics were carrying a man out on a stretcher.

  A stranger. Maddy’s ex? Caleb’s heart kept pounding despite his relief. Were the girls all right?

  “Maddy?” he called, brushing past a cop and through the open front door.

  Maddy sat at the kitchen table, across from a police officer asking her questions. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she gripped a coffee cup like it was a life preserver.

  Adam stood close, watching her protectively. Every so often, she’d glance up at him and take a shuddering breath before giving her attention back to the cop.

  “Lacey? Where’s Lacey?” Caleb asked. Was she hurt and already in the ambulance?

  Adam looked up and narrowed his eyes. “She’s out back with Mia and Uncle Dirt until it’s her turn.” He turned back to Maddy and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Will you be okay if I go talk to Caleb?”

  She leaned into him as if using his strength to bear herself up and nodded.

  Adam bent to kiss the top of her hair, then jerked his head at Caleb and strode outside.

  Caleb followed, not liking what was coming, but needing answers. “They’re okay?” he asked before Adam could speak.

  “No thanks to you,” his brother snapped, crossing his arms and setting his jaw. “I trusted you to keep an eye on them, keep Maddy safe.”

  Caleb crossed his own arms. He had to get in his side before Adam got rolling. “I did. I didn’t have a choice about the vet, but the girls were fine in the cabin, having a great time cooking. I pulled Jesse in from the field and Uncle Dirt was in the house.”

  Adam stared at him, working his jaw. He finally sighed. “You’re right. I guess it happened too fast for you to have gotten here, anyway.”

  Caleb jerked his head. That was as close to an apology as Adam ever came. Maybe his brother really was trying to change. “So you burst in and cold-cocked Maddy’s ex? How did you get here, anyway?”

  Adam gave a wry grin. “The good Lord decided to give me a nudge. In actual words. As fast as we came down, it’s going to take Mister a week to recover.”

  Caleb looked at the paramedics closing up the ambulance doors, then back to Adam. “And you took him out.”

  Adam chuckled. “Uh, no. Our sweet little sister swung a cast-iron skillet at the back of his head. I guess he went down so suddenly, she thought she’d killed him.”

  “Lacey? Our Lacey?” Caleb tried to wrap his head around the thought.

  “Don’t mess with our ladies, is all I can say,” Adam answered. “I need to go back in for Maddy, but Mister’s still behind the cabin. I gave him a little water and walked him in a few circles when the police first got here, but do you think you could take care of him for me?”

  Adam went back inside to his Maddy, and Caleb shoved his hands in his pockets and walked around the cabin.

  “Caleb!” Lacey cried as he came around the corner. She rushed to him, and he enveloped her in his arms. “It was so awful!”

  “Shh, baby sis. It’s over now. And I hear you weren’t just brave, you were awesomely strong! Knocked the guy right out, huh?”

  Lacey chattered her stress away, and Mia tugged on his jeans. “My daddy won’t bother us anymore,” the little girl said.

  Caleb let go of Lacey to lift Mia in one arm. “No, he won’t.” He looked over them at Mister, standing listlessly, his head down, all four feet square on the ground. “Hey, you want to walk to the stable with me? I need to get Mister moving.”

  Lacey shook her head. “I can’t. The police want to talk to me when they’re done with Maddy.”

  “Gotcha. But I’ve still got to walk Mister.” He gave Lacey another hug, ruffled Mia’s hair, and climbed the fence to reach the horse.

  Mister’s muscles didn’t start to move easily until they were halfway to the house. Caleb got him back to the stables and alternated walking with half-buckets of a water/electrolyte mix. “Sorry, bud, too much wat
er at once could make you worse. But you sure did a great job for Adam.” He patted the gelding, kept walking, and let his thoughts wander.

  The way Adam and Maddy leaned on each other…if Caleb were honest, he’d have to admit he was jealous. Despite the trauma of today, or maybe because of it, they were closer than he’d ever seen them. The looks between them, the touches, the connection…

  He wanted it.

  He wanted more than just kissing Caitlyn or Susie. More than the fun times dancing and hanging out on Friday nights.

  He thought of his new dating app and the girls he’d swiped left or right. He’d messaged a few, talked to one or two on the phone, but nobody clicked enough to want to meet.

  So was he destined to spend his life with just the horses? Sure, they were accepting and friendly, and they satisfied a little of his need for giving love, but he sure wasn’t going to marry one.

  Mister gave him a sideways push with his nose.

  “Yeah, I’m not paying much attention, am I?” Caleb responded, rubbing the gelding’s face. “You feeling better?” He pinched the skin on Mister’s neck and checked his gums—the dehydration was better.

  He spent another twenty minutes walking Adam’s horse, then turned him out in the arena with a full water trough. “No food for a while, old boy. Don’t want a bout of colic on top of this.”

  Caleb leaned on the fence while Mister rolled in the dirt. Satisfied the horse would recover, he turned back to the waiting barn chores. He paused as he fixed the grain buckets, though, and pulled out his phone. He stared at it for a minute, then opened the dating app.

  There had to be someone out there for him.

  The End

  Thank you so much for reading

  Cherished by the Rancher.

  If you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it, tap here for a bonus scene!

  While You Wait…

  Until Caleb finds his special someone, why don’t you head out to Huckleberry Falls to see what happens when ranch hand Wes heads back to his hometown.