Home on the Ranch--Colorado Rancher

by Patricia Potter

  “I could see the disappointment on their faces when you told them, but you did want them to experience ranch life,” Lauren said. “They should know this is part of it.”

  He hesitated. “I hate to ask, but can you stay over tomorrow and look after them? Sally and Betty will be busy getting food to us, and you seem to have a way with the kids.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Not that I know of,” she said. “Julie was always her father’s daughter. She and I have never...communicated like she did with Dane.”

  “That’s not what I’ve seen,” he said. “She talks about you frequently. She’s very proud of you.”

  That can’t be right. “That’s good to hear, but...”

  He put a finger on her lips, then put his arms around her, his fingers kneading the back of her neck. She found herself leaning into him. She looked up into his face, unable to take her gaze away.

  “You have no idea how delectable you looked when you were concentrating on that poker game with the kids.”

  She furrowed her brow in puzzlement. “Why?”

  “You give everything in you to whatever you’re doing at the time. Even a poker game with kids. You went to the trouble of creating the money, and damn, I’m still not sure how you did it.”

  Her heart beat faster. He’d seemed the essence of strength and confidence, and yet in the past few minutes he’d seemed somehow vulnerable. He bent his head, and his lips met hers. Every nerve in her started to tingle. The kiss deepened, taking on a wild, fierce quality that made everything else fade into nothingness.

  She closed her eyes, letting herself know sensuality again for the first time in more than sixteen months. It felt right. But was it right? How could she feel so strongly about a man she barely knew? She swallowed hard and eased back.

  His dark eyes searched hers. “Too soon?” he asked as he dropped his hands from her back and pushed back a curl that had fallen on her forehead.

  She didn’t reply. His warmth felt too good, the concern in his eyes too caring. Instead, she leaned into him to feel the hard planes of his body, the strength that was there. She stayed there as his arms went around her again.

  “I don’t know,” she said bluntly. “I’m attracted to you. Obviously. But I feel like I’m jumping off a cliff without knowing how deep the chasm is.”

  “It can be very deep,” he replied slowly as he played with a ringlet of her hair. “I love this ranch and I love the mountains. I love the winters, but they can be long, cold and lonely for someone who is accustomed to living in a city.”

  It was then she saw grief engraved in his face.

  It disappeared so quickly she thought she might have imagined it. He stood and gave her a hand up. “I like you, Mrs. MacInnes. I like you very much. Too much, I’m afraid. It confuses me,” he added with a crooked smile.

  “Me, too,” she said. “When the storm clears, I should leave...”

  “Don’t make any decisions now,” he said. He reached down and kissed her forehead. Gently. Comfortingly. “I should get back. We have a long night ahead.”

  She was wordless as he moved away. She didn’t want him to go. She wanted him to stay and persuade her. Hells bells, she didn’t know what she wanted. Her feelings were all mixed up.

  So much for the cool, confident pilot she had been.

  “Thanks for what you did with the kids tonight,” he said gently. “They will be telling their friends for years that they played poker with a fighter pilot.”

  She smiled. “You’re going now?”

  “We’ll grab something to eat,” he said. “Both Chet and I will be out all night. If there’s as much thunder and lightning as I’m afraid there might be, it’s going to be rough. Cows don’t like thunder, and the flooding looks bad.”

  He touched her chin and their gazes met. She felt hypnotized by his dark eyes. “We really do need you for the next several days.”

  “I...I’ll do what I can. But you...”

  “You’ll stay?”

  “As long as I’m needed,” she said. “Stay safe.”

  She caught herself then. It was always what she and Dane told each other when scheduled for a flight.

  “I will.” He gave her a crooked smile, then walked out. The room suddenly felt cold.

  She walked over and peered out a window. She watched for several minutes before she saw him leave the house and mount a horse Chet was holding for him. He was in the long rain duster with the brim of his hat pulled down to protect his eyes from the rain that was driving down steadily.

  She kept watching while he and seven other men disappeared into the rain.

  Chapter 10

  Lauren tore herself away from the window and went into the kitchen.

  It was bustling.

  Betty was baking something that smelled wonderful and a woman she didn’t know was busy filling thermoses with coffee and soup.

  “Care packages for the drovers,” Sally explained. “The black thermoses are filled with coffee, the red ones with chicken soup. Darn almanac was wrong. It said no rain today.” She turned to the woman next to her. “Meet Ann, Chet’s wife. Ann, meet Lauren.”

  “Hi,” Ann said. “I’m glad to meet you, although not this way. Chet’s talked a lot about you.”

  “Ann!” Sally cut her off quickly. “Are you through with that bunch of sandwiches?”

  “I am,” Ann said. “And I’m going into the dining room to sit down.” She grinned at Lauren. “I’m pregnant.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Lauren said. “Congratulations.”

  When she left, Sally lowered her voice. “She’s going to stay in one of the rooms upstairs tonight. We don’t want her alone tonight during the storm.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “Real bad. The winter feeding pasture they’ll move the cattle to isn’t close, and they have to go through some rough areas, and calves have a habit of wandering off. Keeping them together is the hard part. The thunder and lightning don’t help.”

  “Chet and Reese seem close.” It was more a statement than a question.

  “They are. Chet was born here. Chet’s father worked for our father. The boys grew up together. They’re closer than a lot of brothers I know. Chet and Ann have a house on a creek about half a mile from here.”

  “And Chet’s father?”

  She shrugged.

  Lauren guessed that wasn’t a happy subject. “Reese asked me to look after the kids tomorrow.”

  “They’re fine for tonight, thanks to you,” Sally said. “It’s tomorrow that’s the problem. They were really looking forward to the mustangs tomorrow, but that’s out of the question now. So is any riding. Every one of our hands is doing double duty now and we can’t spare any of them to teach or be there for safety reasons.”

  “I’ll come up with something,” Lauren said. She just didn’t know what. She’d used the poker card. She didn’t think another day of poker would be much of a worthy pastime. Neither did she think the boys would enjoy a day of Scrabble or playing other card games when ranch hands were outside in driving rain trying to save cattle.

  Lauren finally got up and went upstairs. It had been a far longer day than she’d anticipated when she left Covenant Falls early this morning.

  She took a long, hot shower, then dropped into bed, but the rain pounding against the windows and the intermittent lightning kept her mind on the men slogging through the weather, particularly one in a yellow duster.

  Sleep didn’t come easily. Reese’s kiss was still engraved in her thoughts, and the faces of two men kept popping in and out. How could she have feelings for one when those for the other were still alive?

  * * *

  She woke up as gray light entered the room. She looked at the clock. It was 6:00 a.m.

  She stood up, wishing she had a robe. Instead, she wrapped a large towel she’
d taken from the bathroom last night and wrapped it around her and walked over to the window. The rain was still coming down hard. It was oddly quiet beneath the window.

  She opened the door and found a bundle of clothes. There was the promised duster, which would do in the room, a pair of jeans that looked as if they’d never been worn and a red-and-white-checkered shirt. There was also a belt for the jeans.

  It was needed. The shirt was large but fine. The jeans were held up only because of the belt.

  It was 6:30 a.m. by the time she got downstairs, and the kitchen was buzzing with activity. Sally was packing sandwiches, Betty was baking something that smelled wonderful and Ann was busy filling more thermoses with coffee.

  “Reese and Chet are still out?” Lauren asked.

  “Afraid so. They’ve been out there all night and will be gone most of the day. It takes time, but they should be back sometime tonight. We’re sending supplies via pack horse.” She looked at the ill-fitting jeans. “I was afraid of that. You can use our washer and dryer for your own clothes. It’s at the back of this room.”

  “Thanks, I’ll do that but in the meantime I appreciate the loan,” Lauren said. “What about the mustangs?” Lauren asked.

  “They’re in their stables,” Sally said. “Reese and Chet are the only ones who can handle them safely, so the horses will stay there. They’ll be fed and watered by Nathan. It’s safe enough when they’re in the stalls.”

  “Maybe the teens can pitch in by cleaning the stable, not just for their horses but for all those who are out in this weather,” Lauren suggested. “Your ranch hands probably didn’t have time to clean their stalls out before leaving. We can put feed and water in them. When they return, we can meet them and take care of their horses.”

  “That’s a terrific idea,” Sally said. “They’re going to be exhausted when they arrive. But will the kids go for it? There are twenty stalls. It’s asking a lot.”

  “We should make it an adventure,” Lauren said. “And maybe even have a prize. Like who can clean a stall the fastest? And,” she added, “Reese said he wanted them to experience ranch life. This is part of it.”

  “What would the prizes be?” Betty asked.

  “The winner could pick the meal for a day, or a dessert, or a game or an outing. They would be helping the ranch hands at the same time. I think this group is competitive. They certainly were at their poker game.”

  “Wouldn’t your daughter be at a disadvantage?” Sally asked. “She doesn’t have the same mobility as the others do.”

  “Don’t tell her that. She’s the most competitive person I know. It faded for a while but you all are bringing it back. And her mobility is getting better day by day,” Lauren added. “I don’t want her to think of what she can’t do, but what she can do.”

  “It’s worth a try,” Sally said. “They would be pitching in where there’s a need. A good lesson. I know the hands would appreciate it. They’re going to be dead tired when they come in. They get no sleep on one of these drives.”

  “What about asking the kids when they come down?” Lauren said, words tumbling out as she thought out loud. “Somehow make it their idea. Present it as a gift to the ranch hands who have helped them so much.”

  “Winner gets to pick a meal within limits,” Betty said. “No pizza three times that day. Once, maybe... But I like it. You have a devious mind, Mrs. MacInnes. I admire that. It’ll keep them busy on a rainy day.”

  “Call me Lauren,” she said. “I should return to Covenant Falls,” she said. “All my clothes and other belongings are there.”

  “The roads are going to be bad for the next day or so. Several of them will probably be flooded,” Sally said. “You can call the inn when we have service again and ask them to pack your clothes and hold them until you return. They’re very accommodating.”

  Lauren thought about it. She realized she didn’t want to leave. For the first time since the accident, she felt closer to her daughter. She liked being around horses and people who liked them. She liked Leo. She liked Sally and Betty and Chet. She wanted to watch as they trained the mustangs.

  She tried to ignore the fact that she would also see more of Reese.

  * * *

  Reese was cold, tired and frustrated.

  The cattle did not go willingly. There was good grass and water where they were. They did not understand that the water was rising as overfed streams started spilling over their banks. And then there was always that pesky calf that wandered off. Leo was a good cattle dog and could usually bring them back, but it slowed the drive.

  A horse-drawn wagon following the drovers carried portable fencing to keep the cattle from wandering once they reached their new temporary home. Reese didn’t like using that pasture. It was too far from the ranch house and several of his hands had to stay with them. None of them liked it. It was a lonely business. The destination was land leased from the federal government. Not really theirs.

  He had time to think on the ride up, particularly about Lauren. Too much time. He’d wanted to kiss her earlier. He would swear she felt the same way. There had been a strong attraction between them since they’d met. After the first ten minutes of their initial meeting, he’d liked her, and that like had grown exponentially. There was a subtle humor hidden in a very self-contained exterior. And strength.

  He liked the way she handled the kids as adults. He liked the way she cared about her daughter enough to give up a profession she loved. He’d been fascinated to find her teaching poker and how much the teens had enjoyed being treated like grown-ups.

  He’d not been seriously interested in a woman since Cara and the pain and disaster that resulted from their marriage. He’d been smitten from the moment he met Cara Taylor. She, too, was smart and attractive. They fell in love quickly. Too quickly, as it turned out. Both of them paid a high price for the speed.

  He vowed then never to make the same mistake. And sure, he’d been tempted. He wanted children, but he wanted a good, solid home for them with friends and opportunities. He had to admit there wasn’t much of either at Eagles’ Roost...

  Reese, his crew and Leo returned to the house and stables at around nine Monday night. It had stopped raining but the trees were still dripping. The ranch hands were sopping wet, cold, hungry and tired. Reese was the first to approach the stable when Tony Fields met him. “I’ll take care of your horse, sir,” he said. “There’s food and water in his stall.”

  Startled, Reese dismounted and watched with amazement as quiet Jenny took the next horse from a rider who gratefully surrendered the reins and started toward the bunkhouse. Heath took the third horse.

  Julie stepped up then. “Mom and I will hold the other horses until the first ones are bedded down. All the stalls have been cleaned, and water and feed replenished. We’ll finish unsaddling and warming your horses.”

  Reese wanted to protest but then he saw Lauren. She shook her head.

  He nodded gratefully and signaled to the riders to dismount and go to the kitchen. “There’s drinks and coffee, and food. Beer, too, for those who want it.”

  Nathan, who had been with them all day, hesitated. “I’ll stay,” he said. “They might need help.”

  “You’re as wet as the rest of us,” Reese pointed out.

  “Yeah, but I’m younger,” Nathan replied with a grin.

  Reese hesitated, then with a slight smile said, “So you are. You don’t have to rub it in. Go help them.” He turned toward the kitchen. When he walked inside, he dropped his boots in the mudroom and soaked up the warmth. Once in the kitchen, he stripped off his gloves and took the coffee offered to him. The available beer was attractive but he needed the warmth of the coffee. A pot of stew was on the stove and a mound of several different types of sandwiches sat on a huge platter.

  “What just happened?” he asked Sally. “Why are the kids in the stable?”

&n
bsp; “They came to me this afternoon. I explained what was involved in moving cattle,” Sally replied, “that it was a cold, wet, punishing drive. They wanted to do something to help and came up with the idea all by themselves. They’ve been out there cleaning stalls, refreshing water buckets and preparing the feed for each horse, according to the whiteboard. They cleaned the stalls and put down shavings. Even Heath’s uncle pitched in for a few hours.”

  “How long have they been at it?”

  “About five hours.”

  “They did all of that?” Chet asked suspiciously. “Who came up with the idea?”

  “They didn’t want to say. Apparently, it was group thought.”

  “Was Lauren, by any chance, with them?” Reese asked.

  Sally looked up at the ceiling.

  “Sally?”

  “I think she might have been, but it was the kids who pushed the idea.”

  “I bet,” Reese grumbled under his breath.

  “Well, she might have mentioned they could help a little, but the kids enthusiastically came up with the idea of cleaning the stalls,” she said, stumbling through her explanation. “You all taught them well,” she added.

  “Sally, you’ve been corrupted.”

  Chet interceded. “Well, they sure hit the target. I can’t imagine anything more appreciated. We’re dog-tired, wet and cold.”

  “That’s what they figured,” Sally said. “Get all the cattle out?”

  “Pretty much,” Reese said thoughtfully. “There’s a few cows wandering about lost, but we’ll take a couple of the guys tomorrow and gather the strays.”

  After nearly twenty hours in the saddle, the ranch hands usually dispersed quickly, but tonight they loitered while eating stew and munching sandwiches.

  * * *

  Lauren had stayed back when the riders reached the stable. She wanted to be there to help but she wanted the kids to take the lead. It had been Tony who came up with the plan after Sally explained what was happening. The others quickly agreed.