by Renee Ryan
“Vi, I could’ve gotten that,” Mitch said.
“Yes. But then I wouldn’t get to say hello to my favorite Rainbolt.” She reached over to give Kate a gentle embrace. “Good to see you, sweetie. If you need anything, let me know.”
“I will.”
“I thought I was her favorite,” Mitch said when she’d left the room. He grabbed three shiny black mugs with the Rebel Ranch logo and poured coffee.
“You’re her favorite old man,” Reece said.
Mitch only glared back at the words and slid a mug across the table to Kate.
Kate laughed. She’d missed the teasing repartee. She took a napkin and placed a golden fritter onto a plate, wasting no time before taking a bite. “This is wonderful. Thank you.”
“How long have you been on the road?” Reece asked.
“Since yesterday. I drove straight through.”
“With a broken arm?” Reece blinked. “Is that even legal?”
“I checked. It’s not illegal.”
Reece scoffed loudly. “Come on, Kate, we would have come up and driven you home.”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t call. I can take care of myself.”
“Someday, I’m going to have that stitched on a hat for you. You’ve been saying it since you were a kid.”
“Only because I grew up with four brothers. I had to fight for my independence.”
Mitch glanced between Kate and Reece, then cleared his throat in an attempt to diffuse the situation. “How long are you staying?”
Kate sucked in a breath. “A while. If you’ll have me.”
Reece’s brows shot up. “Whoa! Did she say what I think she said?” He looked to Mitch for confirmation.
Kate took a deep breath. “I need some time to think about the future.”
“Sure. I get that,” Reece said. “What are your plans?”
“You know me. No long-term plans. But you did say you needed help with the cattle expansion, so I thought…”
Panic crossed her brother’s face.
“I ran into Jess McNally in town this morning,” she added.
Reece cringed.
“I thought you were going to consider me for the position.”
“Yeah, we were. Three months ago,” Reece returned. “I practically nagged you about the job, and you never let me know if you wanted it.”
Kate nodded, acknowledging that he was right. She’d waffled over the decision to move back to Rebel until the choice had been made for her, thanks to an ornery bull.
“And Jess? What happened there? You lured him down from Montana?” she asked.
“What happened? It’s already April,” Reece said. “You’ve hardly checked in the last few months, except for a quick phone message here and there.” He looked at her. “Were you dodging us?”
She eyed her brother and frowned. In true Reece fashion, he’d turned the question around on her.
“I spend half my time on the road and the other half practicing. You know that,” Kate returned. The words were all truth. She hadn’t lied. Nor had she admitted that she had been lying low and avoiding her family while she recuperated.
“Kate,” Reece continued. “We’re growing faster than we can handle. I’m managing the orchards next door, and Claire is handling the Ballard Farm B&B while wrangling a three-month-old. Mitch is pretty much doing everything else on the ranch. We needed help ASAP. Believe me, it was fortunate that I ran into Jess.”
“If Jess is your new foreman, where would I fit in? I mean, if I decided to make Rebel a long-term commitment.”
“What do you think about equine management?” Reece asked. “I know it’s not the foreman job, but you have a lot of talent that we can use.” He raised a brow.
Disappointment and gratitude were her immediate thoughts. Her life was out of control, but this was something she could latch on to and ground herself with until she figured things out.
“Thank you, Reece,” she murmured.
“You’d report to Jess.” Reece shot her a concerned look. “Is that a problem? I know you dated a time or two, but that was a long time ago.”
Kate looked away. She’d never let on to her brothers that she and Jess had dated exclusively in college. She had three big brothers who’d regularly terrified her few suitors in high school. Keeping them out of her private life was a skill she’d fine-tuned when she was a teenager.
“It’s not a problem for me if it isn’t for him.”
“Jess assured me that you and he were long-gone history.”
Good to know she wasn’t even memorable after he’d asked her to marry him.
Reece peered closer. “Is that right?”
“Absolutely,” she said firmly. “History. And I bet he’s got a wife and a houseful of kids already.”
“Not that I know of,” Reece said. Again, he looked to Mitch, who offered a shake of his head.
Kate put on a smile while digesting that information with mixed emotions. “I can start in the stables tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Mitch released a breath. “I’m guessing there isn’t much you can do with a broken arm. It’s not like you’ll be riding.”
“What about using a mounting block?”
“Nope,” Reece said. “You’ll need a doctor’s release form before you start working anywhere on the ranch besides desk duty.”
“You must be kidding. I can remember you coming home from the Scottsdale Parada Del Sol Rodeo with a broken shoulder, and it didn’t stop you from riding.”
He opened his mouth, and Kate cut him off with a palm in the air before he could speak.
“Don’t even think about saying it’s because I’m a girl.”
“Maybe it’s because you’re hardheaded and stubborn.” He raised his brows in challenge.
“So says the king of stubborn.” Kate burst out laughing and grimaced as her ribs protested the action.
Reece shook his head. “Flattery will get you nowhere. Get checked by the clinic in Rebel, and then we’ll discuss how soon we can get you on the official payroll.”
“You’ve offered me a position that I can’t actually have until a doctor clears me?”
“Correct,” he said with a nod.
“That’s not fair,” Kate muttered. She’d had enough doctor visits to last a lifetime and had a stack of bills to prove it.
“It’s the best answer you’ll get for now,” Reece said.
“You know,” Mitch began, “we should have a little get-together to welcome you home.”
Kate shook her head firmly. What was there to celebrate? “I don’t think—”
“Yeah, that’s a great idea,” Reece said to Mitch as though she wasn’t there. “Kate Rainbolt is home. I’d say a little party is in order.”
“Guys, really. I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
“Not an inconvenience. We’ll have a housewarming party at your place,” Mitch said.
“I don’t have a place.”
“Sure you do.” Reece smiled. “Tucker’s house is still empty. Does that work for you?”
“What would Tucker say?” she asked, almost afraid to get her hopes up. A house? She’d been living in a trailer or her truck since she left home. A house seemed too good to even dare to imagine.
“Tucker sold the place to Rebel Ranch when he and Jena got married,” Mitch said.
“Oh. I didn’t know that. Well, then, thank you. I’ll write a check for the first month’s rent as soon as I unpack my checkbook.”
“Cut it out,” Reece interjected. “You don’t pay rent on your own land. It’s one of the few perks of being part owner of the property.”
“There are perks?”
“Sure,” Reece said. “If all goes as planned with the launch next door, we all are finally going to see a handsome distributi
on check next January. That means the Rainbolts will finally see profit in their back pocket.”
“I don’t feel like I should get a revenue check. I don’t work here.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re part owner of Rebel Ranch, which makes you part owner of Ballard Farm along with the vet clinic in town. Our holdings have grown.” When Reece looked at her, a wide grin lit up his face. “You know, there’s one more perk I’d nearly forgotten.”
“What’s that?”
“Luna Diaz is the ranch chef. She’ll be thrilled to cater your welcome-home party.”
Kate quickly shook her head. “No. No. I don’t think a party is a good idea.”
“He didn’t mean party,” Mitch said. “A little get-together with family and friends. Let us do this, Kate. We want to welcome you home, proper-like.” Her eldest brother smiled, making it impossible to say no.
“Okay, all right. A few people. Um, when?”
“Next Saturday night work for you?”
“Fine.” She finished off her fritter and eyed a second one. “Mind if I take a few of these with me?”
Reece laughed. “I’ll have someone run them over to your new home.”
Her new home. There was something exciting and terrifying about unpacking for the long haul. It was discomfiting to return to Oklahoma with nothing but her few possessions and her horse. She’d been so idealistic when she’d left ten years ago. Now it seemed the prodigal cowgirl had returned a failure.
“Thanks,” Kate murmured, humbled by the offer. “I really appreciate this.”
“Stop acting like you’re a houseguest,” Reece said. His voice held a raw edge. “You’re family, Kate. We lost Levi, but we still have each other.”
She nodded as emotion washed over her at the mention of her little brother, Levi. The auto accident that took his life was six years ago, but the pain remained a constant ache.
“I’ll send someone over to help you unload,” Reece said.
“I don’t need—”
Reece narrowed his gaze, shutting down the rest of her response.
Kate raised her palms. “All I have is a half-dozen boxes.”
Mitch looked at his brother. “She’ll need furniture and a bed.”
“Got it covered,” Reece said with a snap of his fingers. “We’ve got furniture in storage in the attic here. And I can take a bed from a guest suite upstairs.”
“Thank you so much, guys.”
“We’re just happy that you’re home,” Reece said.
“Me too,” she said. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”
“Not a thing for you. We’ll talk tomorrow,” Mitch said. “In the meantime, I’ll have someone drop off groceries later today.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“You have to eat.” Mitch offered a tender smile. “Now quit protesting. We’re your big brothers. Deal with it.”
She leaned back in the chair, grateful and suddenly very weary. Her arm and rib cage throbbed. Elevating the extremity and applying an ice pack would help, along with some over-the-counter analgesic tablets.
Maybe taking it easy today was a good idea. She looked forward to a hot shower and a nap. Then she’d sit down and figure out a plan to stall her creditors until she got a doctor’s clearance and her brothers were willing to put her on the payroll.
The accident had lassoed her into a hefty medical-bill payment plan, and the next installment was due soon. Though that bit of information was something she’d keep to herself. There was no way she’d allow her brothers to bail her out when it was her poor decisions that had put her square in the middle of a life turned upside down.
“Are we good?” Reece asked.
Kate glanced at both of her brothers. “Yes. We’re good.”
Good until she could think straight and figure out what the future held for a broken-down cowgirl who’d gone from riding a horse to riding a desk.
Copyright © 2021 by Tina M. Radcliffe
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