A Rancher's Love

by Vivian Arend

  Getting to spend time with Luke was also on the hell, yes list of great reasons to move to the ranch. But since Tucker couldn’t say anything yet…

  He propped one foot on his knee and leaned back. “Yeah, I missed you too, sweetheart.”

  Luke snorted. “So. Hockey game today. Some of the guys from the fire hall and local ranches are also coming. Should be a good time.”

  “Looking forward to it,” Tucker admitted. “Of course, you know I will score more goals than you.”

  “Bullshit. I bet I score at least two more than you,” Luke snapped back.

  “Oooh, look who’s cocky now. You think you’ll score at least twice?”

  “You’re such an ass,” Luke said, but he laughed. “Come on. Let’s get cooking. Jack and Diane will be up soon, and Kelli will be back from the barn. We may as well get some food ready so we can spend the rest of the time finding equipment for you so I can kick your ass.”

  “Does this mean we’re going to be on different teams?” Tucker thought about Ginny. It had been ages since she’d been on the ice.

  “Of course not,” Luke said. “I’ll still score more goals than you, but have you seen the size of our fire chief? The man’s built like a yeti. I need you on my team to balance the odds.”

  The weather cooperated in a big way, bluebird bright sky with the barest hint of a wind. Just shy of ten o’clock, Tucker sat on the bench beside the cleared area on Big Sky Lake and took deep breaths of the crisp air until his lungs tingled.

  Ginny dropped onto the bench beside him and grinned. “Hey, cowboy.”

  “You found some skates.”

  She pulled off her boots and went to work sliding on a pair of battered black men’s skates. “Looks as if they got you outfitted up as well.”

  Tucker stood, checking his balance and glancing around at the crowd growing out on the ice. “They’re a little tight, but doable.”

  “You do well in tight places,” she teased.

  The places his mind went—

  “Minx.”

  Ginny glanced up from where she was looping the long strings around the top of the skate, double knotting the bow. “Hey, head over to the recreational ice for a minute. Caleb said he wants to talk to you.”

  Well, shit. He had not expected a summons this quickly. Tucker dipped his chin even as he grabbed his hockey stick. “See you in a bit.”

  He made his way across the ice, testing the blades and working out a few of the kinks. Jack flashed by, offering a thumbs-up as he passed, twirled, and carried on with some fancy crossover foot work.

  Well. Who knew? Luke had brought in a ringer.

  Tucker slowed as he skated down the narrow, singlewide tractor path between the hockey rink and the second circle-shaped one that was crowded with a lot of younger people. Diane skated beside Kelli, slow and careful. Caleb’s daughters were there, and a lot of their friends. More benches lined the snowy side, and some of the younger skaters pushed chairs over the ice to help with their balance.

  Caleb stood in the center of it all like a tall tree surrounded by dancing pixies.

  Tucker approached cautiously, making sure to not interrupt the singing girls.

  But Caleb motioned him forward. “Not the most professional setting, but I figured you’d want to know sooner than later. Ashton told me his plans. Said he’s going to train you up for when he wants to retire.”

  “I’ve got a lot of the skills already—”

  Caleb waved a hand. “I approve. You don’t need to sell me on the idea. In fact, it’s pretty much exactly what I wanted to happen. Ashton’s a good man, but he deserves to work a little less.”

  “Which means I can work more,” Tucker promised. He held out a hand and Caleb shook it firmly. “Thank you. I really appreciate the opportunity.”

  “We’ll do up the paperwork as soon as possible. And talk about finding you a more permanent place to live. You okay where you are now?”

  Tucker kept an absolutely straight face. “I’m comfortable.”

  Emma’s feet slipped from under her and she landed on the ice with a plop. Caleb reached for her, glancing over his shoulder. “Carry on with your day. I’ve got people to skate with.”

  Back on the other side of the ice, Tucker wondered if the blades of his skates were actually touching the ground. That was the simplest job interview he’d ever had in his life. Damn, did he ever appreciate a straightforward man like Caleb. Tomorrow he’d get things straightened away with his work at the stables.

  Today was time to play.

  A loud whistle sounded from the far side of the open rink. All the hockey players meandered over, standing in a loose semicircle around the silver-haired black man who looked them over with amused satisfaction.

  “I’m Malachi Fields. I’m the man who’ll decide whether a goal is legal or not—”

  “Seriously? Pond hockey with a referee?” This from one of the volunteer firefighters.

  “You’ve obviously never played with us before,” Luke drawled. “Consider this only half a notch below the Stanley Cup.”

  “We take our hockey seriously,” Dustin said.

  “I hope you skate better than you dance,” another man shouted.

  Dustin had just taken part in a community fundraiser, and now he twirled on the ice then threw his arms out in a good-natured gesture. “Enough jabbering. Pick the teams.”

  Luke and one of the lead hands, Alex Thorne, were named captains. Tucker tried to store away the names being called out, but it went fast and furious. In the end, he was on the same team as Luke, Dustin and Dustin’s friend, Shim.

  Somehow, Ginny ended up on the opposing team.

  Action was fast from the first moment, the puck flying down the ice and only occasionally disappearing out of bounds past the snowdrifts piled up as a boundary of the cleared ice.

  Tucker got a breakaway and sprinted down the rink, ready to flick the puck at the man in the net when something the size of a Mack truck barreled into him from the side.

  Tucker slid all the way across the cleared ice and into the hardpacked snow on the edge.

  Bradley Ford, the fire chief he’d been warned about, skated over and held out a hand. “Sorry about that.”

  Tucker grinned as he grabbed the other man’s wrist and used it to get vertical. “No problem. Keep your stick on the ice.”

  Yeah. One step below the Stanley Cup? Nowhere near as technically fine, but their enthusiasm and determination were definitely up there. The puck moved so rapidly at times, it seemed there might be more than one on the ice.

  “Hey. Who threw the extra pucks on the ice?” Dustin roared, which made Tucker laugh for all the wrong reasons.

  Especially when Ginny went zipping past, stealing the puck from under her brother’s stick and heading straight for the net. Only Shim got in her way, and the two of them went down in a heap.

  She laughed as she got to her feet, but Shim definitely lingered in her area a little too long for Tucker’s liking.

  The next time the puck started moving and Dustin and Shim made a pincher move on Ginny, Tucker decided it was time to change tactics. Ignoring the net completely, he skated after his own teammates, casually elbowing Dustin toward the rough bit of ice at the very edge of the rink.

  “Hey. We’re on the same team,” Dustin complained, frantically working to keep vertical.

  Tucker turned and skated backwards, raising his hands in mock apology. “Sorry.”

  He glanced over his shoulder, planning his trajectory.

  Ginny slapped her stick against Shim’s. “Don’t make me get mean,” she warned.

  “Give me your best shot,” the kid said with far too much innuendo. “I can take it.”

  The puck headed straight toward the three of them, Luke shouting Tucker’s name.

  With a breezy air of competence, Tucker shifted his stick at the last second so that the puck slid off, straight to Ginny. In the next instant, he plowed into Shim, mass and momentum sending them both
flying until they toppled into the snow at the side of the rink.

  Tucker spoke softly as he glared into the young man’s surprised face. “Mind your manners around Ginny,” he warned.

  Then Tucker got to his feet and headed back to where Ginny had both arms raised in the air after having scored a goal against his team.

  Luke skated past, disgust on his face. “Jeez. I had no idea it had been so long since you’ve been on skates that you’ve lost all sense of coordination.”

  Tucker stared across at Ginny, who grinned, totally aware he’d given her the assist. “Yeah. Guess I need to work on that.”

  8

  Ginny was unlacing her skates when her brother Walker dropped into a squat in front of her. “Want to come home with us? We can visit for the afternoon then I’ll bring you back.”

  She was game, but she also desperately needed to get into town while the shops were open, and this was a great excuse. “Let me drive myself. I want to have a shower, and I need to stop in town for a few things. Want me to bring anything?”

  He shook his head, rising to his feet. “We’ll feed you a late lunch. Look forward to catching up.”

  “Me too,” she said honestly.

  Tucker was nowhere in sight when she hit the trailer to change and grab her purse, not even by the time she crawled into her borrowed truck and headed into Heart Falls.

  She would’ve liked to do the condom purchase somewhere a little further afield, but not buying protection wasn’t an option. If all they had was two weeks, she needed to make sure no opportunities were missed.

  Her purchase of chocolate bars, condoms, and a package of fresh mint got the expected raised brows, but at least the unfamiliar kid running the first till was young enough to not come out and say anything.

  She was happy to avoid the other checkout where Mrs. Wilson, her retired fourth grade teacher, was chatting full blast with her current customer. Mrs. Wilson would have given her the third degree then informed everyone in town that Ginny Stone was home and planned to have sex.

  Both of which were true, but it really didn’t need to become a local meme or anything.

  Ginny stuffed her purchases into her reusable shopping bag and left them on the truck seat.

  Ivy and Walker’s house was situated beside the cemetery on the very edge of Heart Falls. They’d done some work on the cottage, fixing the porch and repainting, but it was a far cry from the newer homes popping up on acreages all around Heart Falls.

  Ginny’s gaze snagged on the cemetery. Dare’s parents and her little sister Shayla were buried there.

  Impulsively, Ginny crossed the short distance to the wrought-iron entrance. Others had visited since the last snowfall, and walking paths were trod down in a gentle loop through the quiet stillness.

  Joseph and Jacquie’s tombstones were neat and tidy. Brand-new plastic flowers stuck up from the holder at the base.

  Sadness welled in Ginny’s heart. So many opportunities had been lost because these special people weren’t in the world anymore. But they had left something good that went forward.

  “I talked to Dare this morning.” Ginny said it conversationally, the same way she would’ve after sprinting the distance between the ranch house and the Hayes cottage, so many years ago. “She’s doing great. Her babies are all adorable, with chubby cheeks and squirming jiggles. Joey is a wonderful big brother to them, and Dare’s having so much fun chasing them all. She’s still doing her blog. It’s changed over the years, and she’s not quite as long-winded as before. You’d be proud of her.”

  It was a sign of how hard she was working to not cry that she hadn’t even noticed she wasn’t alone until somebody stepped beside her and carefully put an arm around her shoulders. The motion was so familiar she knew in an instant who it was.

  She leaned against Walker’s side. “Hey, big bro.”

  “Hey, brat.” He squeezed and held on.

  They stayed there for another minute before Ginny caught his fingers and tugged him back the way they’d come. “So. How was skating on the baby rink?”

  Walker chuckled. “Not nearly as dangerous as what you were up to.”

  “I live for danger,” Ginny quipped.

  “This isn’t news.”

  She kicked snow his way, darting ahead until she could turn and look up at him. She jammed her hands into her pockets. “You good?”

  “Very good,” he said far more seriously. “Come in, and we’ll get comfy before we start catching up.”

  The inside of the house was picture perfect and yet comfortable. Ginny had zero qualms about planning to put her feet up on the couch. First though, she was enveloped in a hug, the porcelain-skinned Ivy holding on with surprising strength.

  “I’m glad you’re back,” Ivy said in her soft tones.

  “That seems the general consensus. I’m still surprised, though, every time I hear it,” Ginny teased. “I mean, I’m not an ogre, but I’m pretty sure it was a lot quieter around here without me.”

  “You can say that again.” Walker poked his head out from around the corner where delicious smells were coming from the kitchen. “Cup of tea?”

  “Yes, please. With a little honey.”

  “Got it.”

  Ivy curled up in a cushy-looking rocking chair, gesturing for Ginny to sit where she wanted. “You want to tell us about your time away, or are you looking to brainstorm about what’s going to happen now? Or both?”

  “Wow. That’s a tough choice.” Ginny accepted the mug from Walker. “Thanks.”

  What a difference a day made. Yesterday an older brother had handed her a cup of tea, and she’d been all but vibrating with anxiety and anger. Today she was sweetness and light with so much to look forward to.

  Had to be the orgasm Tucker gave her last night. There was no getting around it. She caught herself smiling as she took a sip of the tea.

  “It’s not as good as yours,” Walker said as he settled in the chair next to Ivy’s. “I want you to do what makes you happy, but is it terrible if I mention I hope you decide you absolutely have to get back to making herbal concoctions? Even if it’s a hobby.”

  “I haven’t even peeked in the greenhouse,” Ginny confessed.

  “You’ve officially been home for just over twenty-four hours,” Ivy said with amusement. “Plus, it’s the holidays. I think you’re allowed to leave it for a while longer.”

  Which was true, but now everything that she had been ignoring suddenly stacked up in one massive to-do list. “I think we should talk about what our goals are for the future,” Ginny said decisively. “I like brainstorming with Walker. He was usually pretty good at it.”

  “Because I didn’t tell you which one of your ideas you should do?” Walker offered.

  “What? You weren’t bossy? How is that even possible?” Ivy teased.

  “Only bossy when I need to be,” Walker said with a smile.

  “Ooh, icky. Stop with the lovey-dovey stuff.” Happiness rushed in even as she taunted. “Nah, don’t stop. You two have always been so gosh-darn cute together.”

  “So, brainstorming,” Ivy said with a smile, obviously attempting to get control of the situation. “The greenhouse didn’t sit empty the entire time you were gone.”

  Ginny shook her head. “I leased out the contracts for my Community Supported Agriculture boxes to a local family for two years, which is how long I was supposed to be gone in the first place. When I had to stay a little longer to finish the journeyman commitment, we extended the CSA agreement for a year. Tamara had talked about doing some of it on her own, but it was easier to let someone else manage the whole thing.”

  “So you could start up again this spring?” Walker asked. “Plant seeds, get things growing. Get in touch with your contacts for the things you don’t want to grow?”

  “I could,” Ginny agreed. Only this was where Caleb’s announcement had shaken up her original idea. She’d learned a lot during her travels and was excited to put new skills into play. But she’d
also learned there were certain parts of working with others that she absolutely did not want anymore.

  She met Ivy’s soft gaze. “Here’s part of what I did the past few years—lots of grunt labour. Which was good at times, but also frustrating. There were some of the growers who didn’t honour the ‘teach your journeyman new skills’ idea very well.”

  Walker growled in disapproval. “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you reported it.”

  “I did, when appropriate,” Ginny said quietly. “Sometimes I might have been to blame for not understanding what I signed on for because of language issues. And sometimes the biggest lessons came from when I buckled down and did the job in spite of it being a bit of a stretch. But I can learn from my mistakes, and I know this—I don’t want to simply garden anymore. It’s valuable, but it’s not my forever job.”

  Ivy nodded. “Knowing what you don’t want is important. But I’m also sorry to hear you felt frustrated.”

  “Thanks.” Ginny sniffed her tea and made a mental note to check the mint garden at the ranch when she got home. “I need to make a pro and con list. Figure out what’s the most beneficial use of my time and energy.”

  Walker leaned forward. “Remember, you don’t need to make a ton of money from whatever you do. So that list should involve a lot of things that really make you happy.”

  Absolute truth. “Yeah, you’re right. And that’s going to take some thinking, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be making something herbal at some point. That’s one of the things I know for certain.” She curled her arms around her legs, glancing between the two of them. “And I’m happy to be here. It’s good to know that as the next things progress with the family, I can be a part of it.”

  “An important part,” Ivy said firmly.

  “I like you,” Ginny responded, watching as Ivy’s smile brightened. “So what about you guys? What new thing have you been dreaming about?”

  Walker and Ivy exchanged glances. Happiness bloomed between them so hard and strong it would’ve been annoying if it weren’t so amazing.