The door to Rhett’s house swung open and they were greeted by the scents of roasting meat, baked goods and spices. Boone sniffed the air and groaned like a hungry bear.
Macy welcomed them in. “And the lovebirds have arrived,” she announced. “The party can officially begin.”
Hailey handed Macy the pan of s’mores bars. “Am I a lovebird, too?”
Macy tweaked her nose. “Of course you are. Because everyone here loves you so much.”
Hailey trotted off to find Piper. Piper lofted her gray-and-white cat in the air. She had dressed him up in a turkey costume. “Look, Cloudstorm loves this. Getting dressed up is one of his favorite things.” Cloudstorm did not, in fact, look like he enjoyed playing dress-up but thankfully he was a very patient cat. He pawed at the turkey headpiece tied over his ears. Then when Piper was distracted with fixing his headpiece, Cloudstorm snatched a few loose feathers from the ground and took off running.
The house buzzed with conversation. Carter and Shannon were visiting with Cassidy in the kitchen. Rhett and Wade were nearby, Rhett holding Silas and Wade holding newborn baby Grace. Kodiak sat at attention beside Rhett, her eyes never leaving the bundle in his arms. They had even received special permission from the memory care facility for Mrs. Jarrett to join the family for the holiday. She sat at the table, watching over all her children with a wide, wistful smile on her face.
Violet walked over to Rhett and Wade. She touched Grace’s tiny fist. “She’s so beautiful.”
“Takes after her mom that way.” Wade winked.
Piper snorted. “She may be cute but you should know that she is very, very loud.”
Wade and Cassidy exchanged an amused look. Cassidy mouthed I love you at her husband and then went back to adding the last details to their food.
Carter joined their little circle. “Hawken looked great out there today.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “As long as we don’t push him too hard, I don’t see any reason why we can’t start putting him through the course with you on his back. We should be right on track to have you guys back on next year’s circuit.”
Boone’s arm brushed against Violet’s when he joined their group. “I agree. He looked awesome out there today.” He turned toward Violet. “Have you decided between him and Disco yet?” She had been debating which horse she should enter next year and was torn. She loved Hawken, but she didn’t want to chance causing him any more injuries. And Disco was incredibly devoted and loved to run the barrels. Then again, Hawken had started this journey with her and it didn’t feel right replacing him. They had discussed giving Hawken to Hailey—that way he would be loved and in the family, but there wouldn’t be a risk of him being injured in a competition. But Violet was still mulling it over.
She shook her head.
“No worries,” Boone said. “We’ll figure it out. Either way, both those horses are going to be well loved.” He rubbed his hands together. “And speaking of well loved, can I hold that nephew of mine?”
“That would actually be great,” Rhett said. “Then I can help the ladies get all the food on the table.” He started to hand Silas to Boone. “But fair warning, Kodiak is going to watch you like a hawk as long as you’re holding him. Don’t take it personally—she does it to me, too.”
“Rhett isn’t kidding. She’s become Silas’s ever-present protector,” Macy called from the kitchen. “I’m afraid she’s ditched Rhett for a more handsome little man.”
Rhett ran his hand over his son’s head. He pressed a kiss to Silas’s temple. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Here.” Wade passed Grace into Violet’s arms. “I better go help or my wife will insist she’s fine to heft that huge bird to the table on her own and Rhett’s too nice to defy her so it’s going to have to be me.” Cassidy had given birth five weeks ago, but during the first week she had been admitted back into the hospital with a uterine infection. Since then Wade hadn’t been willing to take any more risks when it came to the health of the woman he loved. Violet couldn’t blame him. Sometimes Cassidy could be too stubborn and self-sufficient for her own good.
Wade donned bright pink oven gloves and removed the turkey from the oven with a flair only he could pull off. “Looks good.” He sniffed. “Smells good, too.” He set the bird on the top of the oven and Cassidy brushed him aside so she could ladle the juices over the top and add finishing touches.
Wade glanced at Shannon. He thumbed toward the turkey. “Are we sure this isn’t your goose?”
Shannon smacked her twin across the chest. “Not funny.”
Carter chuckled. “I can attest to the fact that Wing Crosby is very much alive and well. He followed me around all morning.” Carter’s phone started to ring. He apologized and tugged it from his back pocket. He had let the family know he was on call at the veterinary clinic in town so if someone had an animal emergency he would have to leave. His face drained of color when he saw the name on the screen. His eyes found Shannon’s. “It’s my sister.”
“Take it. You have to take it.” Shannon shooed him out of the room.
Mrs. Jarrett coughed, making everyone in the room turn her way. “Well, I don’t know who that is.” She gestured toward Carter’s retreating form. “But I sure don’t mind having him around because he’s one very handsome man.”
Shannon crossed to her mother and took her hand. “Mom, that’s my husband, Carter. You’ve met him before.”
Mrs. Jarrett’s whole faced bunched up as if she were working a math puzzle. Then she looked at Shannon. “If that’s so, then, child, you are a very blessed woman.” Their mother grinned.
Shannon’s eyes grew huge. “Mom,” she said, turning the one-syllable word into three.
“What?” Mrs. Jarrett shrugged. “I may be old but these eyes still work, you know.”
When the whole family finally gathered around the table, Violet ended up between Boone and Mrs. Jarrett.
Rhett stood at the head of the table. He took the time to meet each of their eyes. “Our family has endured our share of heartbreak these last few years. Even still, or maybe because of it, we have so much to be thankful for.” Macy grabbed his hand.
Mrs. Jarrett’s hand found Violet’s. “It’s so nice to have our whole family together, isn’t it?” She patted Violet’s arm. “It’s so nice to be home.”
Violet laid her other hand on Boone’s knee and she bent her head as Rhett prayed over their meal. At one point she peeked around the table, and the sight of so many people she loved gathered together made her heart expand.
Her family.
Next month she and Boone would make that official at their wedding, but these people were already a piece of her and always would be. They were imperfect and goofy and loving and she wouldn’t change a thing. They had managed to draw closer as a family while they had weathered incredibly difficult things. And there was no doubt they would see hard times and go through more struggles in their lives, but Violet knew this family was strong enough to get through anything because they loved one another and they loved God.
When the prayer ended, Violet pressed a kiss to Boone’s jaw.
He grinned at her. “What was that for?”
“Because your mom’s right.” Violet shrugged. “It’s nice to be home.”
* * *
Enjoy all of the books in Jessica Keller’s
Red Dog Ranch miniseries:
The Rancher’s Legacy
His Unexpected Return
The Wrangler’s Last Chance
Starting Over in Texas
Available now from Love Inspired!
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Cowboy’s Sacrifice by Danica Favorite.
Dear Reader,
I don’t know about you, but I’m a little weepy about leaving the Jarrett family. I have loved getting to know these characters. I hope you’ve enjoyed gettin
g to know them, too.
When I first started Boone’s story, I began to question if I had taken on too much. Boone just lost his wife. Surely he wouldn’t be ready to fall in love again that quickly. And Violet’s a mess (and that’s putting it nicely!). How on earth was I going to get these two to their happily-ever-after? But God is known to rebuild in the midst of ashes, and time and again in the Bible He blessed and used people who weren’t perfect, who doubted and who—by the world’s standards—weren’t ready. He uses people just like Boone and Violet. Just like you and me.
I hope you enjoyed reading Boone and Violet’s story as much as I loved writing it. If you enjoyed this visit to Red Dog Ranch, make sure you pick up the other books in the series—there’s one for each sibling.
Thanks for reading!
Jess Keller
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The Cowboy’s Sacrifice
by Danica Favorite
Chapter One
Bridge out.
The two simple words were one more wrench in Rachel Henderson’s plans. She should have known better than to trust anything would be so easy for her. The DNA website had listed Ricardo Ruiz the Fourth as a potential relative match. Her only relative match. Based on what they had in common, she assumed he was her grandfather. A quick search on the internet revealed that Ricky, as he was called, was the owner of the Double R Ranch, a guest ranch in the central mountains of Colorado that promised to teach a new generation of cowboys about the cowboy way of life.
It seemed almost too easy, taking the weekend off and driving two hours from Denver to the sleepy little town of Columbine Springs to introduce herself to Ricky and explain her very important reason for tracking him down. She hadn’t been able to find any hotels, but given that the Double R billed itself as a guest ranch, surely they would have rooms for rent.
She’d brought her four-year-old daughter, Katie, figuring that even if she struck out with her request to Ricky, they could at least have a nice weekend.
Except they’d gotten less than ten miles from their destination only to find the bridge was out, and GPS gave no alternate routes.
So here they were. In front of a café in Columbine Springs, hoping someone could help them find a way to get to the ranch.
Though the buildings in the town looked old and worn, the café was painted a bright cheerful blue and it looked inviting, a place that welcomed weary travelers and seasoned locals alike.
When they entered the café, Rachel glanced around. A couple of old cowboys sat by the window, poring over a newspaper. The place was dominated by a large coffee bar with a pastry counter. Behind it was a large blackboard displaying the menu items. As they approached the counter, an older woman wearing a name tag that said Della greeted them warmly.
“Welcome. What can I get for you today?”
Even though Della probably said those words to a hundred people a day, something about the woman made Rachel feel almost as if she’d found a new friend. Which was ridiculous, because Rachel didn’t have friends. Didn’t need them. Didn’t see the point. She’d learned the hard way that relationships didn’t last.
The door jangled, and Rachel turned to see what had to be an advertisement for a cowboy magazine walking through the door. She hated to use stereotypes, but this man completely fit the bill of the tall, dark and handsome cowboy.
Rachel shook her head. What was she doing, thinking about such nonsense? She was a single mom and had way too many other things going on in her life to be admiring a man.
“Hey, Della,” the cowboy said. “Jake. Steve.”
In this place, the locals seemed to know everyone. Rachel had always wanted to be part of something like that, but she’d always figured that such communities only existed on television.
She turned her attention back to the menu. “I’d like a vanilla latte. I’ll also have your turkey sandwich kid’s meal with chocolate milk, and the chicken salad sandwich for myself.”
Della smiled at her warmly. “You’ve got it. What brings you to Columbine Springs? If you’re looking for activities, we’ve got some maps from the Chamber of Commerce on the other side of the counter. Most people just pass through on their way to ski resorts or the other side of the state, but you’re missing out on one of the gems of Colorado if you do that.”
The older woman’s enthusiastic sales pitch about the town gave Rachel hope. If anyone could tell her how to get to the Double R, this woman could.
“I came to visit the Double R Ranch. But I got almost there and found that the bridge was out. My GPS couldn’t give me an alternate route. I was hoping someone could give me directions.”
Della looked thoughtful. “The Double R? That’s funny. I thought they were closed for their annual cleaning week.”
“We are,” the cowboy said, coming to stand beside Rachel. “Cleaning week is the only way we can get Ricky to take time off.”
He looked her up and down, like she was an intruder. Which was crazy, considering the Double R was a guest ranch. Surely they would be excited about having guests.
“The website didn’t say anything about being closed for cleaning,” she said. “When I emailed to make reservations, the email bounced.”
“So you thought you’d just show up?” the man asked, sounding grumpy. “That’s a huge risk to take, considering there aren’t any hotels for about forty-five miles in any direction.”
It hadn’t occurred to Rachel that she wouldn’t be welcome. Granted, she wasn’t sure how she was going to broach the real reason for her visit. But she thought that somehow, being there and talking to Ricky, she’d find a way to bring it up.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that. I just wanted to take my daughter away for the weekend to enjoy the outdoors. And I work for an ad agency, so I was hoping while we were there, I could talk to the owner about doing some ads.”
Rachel knew she sounded like a bumbling idiot as she pulled her business card out of her purse and handed it to him. As it was, she still had no idea how to tell Ricky. After all, how did one ask a complete stranger to help her find a kidney donor?
But time was running out.
Ricky Ruiz was the only relative she could find, so she hoped he could connect her with other relatives who might be willing to donate a kidney to her.
She’d been on the transplant waiting list for so long, too far down to be considered a priority unless she found her own donor. Which was why she put her information into the DNA website, hoping to find someone related to her. Her mom had died when she was ten, she never knew her father and she’d spent the years after that bouncing between foster homes. Not a life story she wanted to tell anyone, least of all these strangers. She’d eventually have to tell Ricky, but she’d been hoping to break the ice first.
The cowboy looked at her suspiciously. “So it’s really a sales call,” he said.
Della had been preparing their food and drinks while she and the cowboy talked. Della slid the food across the counter toward her. “Why don’t you guys go over to your table and enjoy your lunch? Ty, I’ll get the special up for you in a jiffy.”
Ty. The perfect cowboy name. He turned his attention to Della. “How do you know I’m getting the special? Maybe I wanted a roast beef sandwich today.”
Della made a noise. “You always get the special. You might be some big-shot lawyer, but you’re still a Warner, which means you still pinch a penny so hard it cries out in pain. You wouldn’t pay an extra dollar to get the roast beef instead of the special if your life depended on it.”
Rachel couldn’t believe Della was being so forward with the man, but
he laughed her off. “Yes, but those dollars saved add up, and it feels good knowing I’ve got something put aside for a rainy day.”
Ty looked over at Rachel. “Let’s sit. I’m the attorney for the Double R. I protect Ricky’s interests. Give me your pitch, and if I like it, I’ll make sure you get out there.”
An attorney. She should have known that the cute cowboy in the café would have some fatal flaw. At least now she wouldn’t be tempted to think about him in any quasi-romantic way. Katie’s father had been an attorney, and it had nearly ruined Rachel’s life.
The stubborn look Ty gave Rachel told her that he meant business. Knowing he was an attorney made her even more certain that convincing him to let her go to the ranch wasn’t going to be an easy task.
Katie had scampered off to a corner of the café labeled the Kiddie Corral that had various games and activities for children. This must be a center of community activity. Rachel called Katie over and they all sat at a nearby table.
Once she got Katie settled with her lunch, Rachel turned her attention to Ty.
“I meant what I said about wanting to get Katie out in nature. That’s the appeal of the Double R to me,” Rachel said. “Regardless of whether or not you let me pitch my ideas to Ricky, I still want to visit. When I was searching online for ranches and places I could take Katie, I liked the idea of keeping the cowboy tradition alive. It seems like a waste for people to not know about it.”
That, and if she couldn’t convince Ty to show her how to get to the ranch, she wasn’t sure how she was going to talk to Ricky and ask him about other relatives. The email had bounced, and no one had answered the phone when she’d tried to call. She had no idea how they stayed in business with such poor customer service. But from the way Ty looked at her, that probably wouldn’t be a good thing for her to say right off the bat.
Starting Over in Texas Page 17