Her Renegade Rancher EPB

by Jennifer Ryan

  “I love you,” she whispered. “If she’d . . .”

  “Ssh. No more. It’s done.”

  “Is Simon . . .” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

  “He’s out of surgery and in ICU. The next couple of hours are critical.”

  She sighed, a sense of relief coming over her. “He’ll make it.”

  “If he does, it’s because of you.”

  “He might not have gotten shot if I hadn’t gone after the gun.”

  “She might have shot you and me instead if you hadn’t. I can’t believe you stepped in front of me like that.” The anger simmering in his words covered the real reason for it. She’d scared him. The thought of losing him scared her more.

  “I’d do it again to keep you safe and by my side.” She pressed her forehead to his chin.

  He shifted and planted a warm kiss on her skin. His big hand went over her head and he held her close. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

  “I’ll do whatever I have to, to keep you safe. Including giving up this place. I don’t care what Wayne wanted. If it comes to it again, I’ll let it all go, because having you in my life is more important than a piece of property or the money.”

  “Okay, but wherever we end up, you’re painting Tanner’s room,” he teased.

  “Deal.” She hugged him close and let the smile come, because that was Colt. He didn’t care about the land or the money. He loved her the way she loved him. Totally. Completely. More than anything in this world.

  Chapter 36

  Luna stood beside Simon’s hospital bed days later in her matron of honor gown. Colt stood at the end of the bed, dashing in his tux.

  Simon glanced from Colt to her. “If I’d known this was a formal occasion, I’d have dressed up.”

  The stupid joke actually made her smile, because it meant Simon was truly on the mend. The doctors had assured her he’d recover fully, but seeing he still had his sense of humor helped alleviate Luna’s concerns.

  “Well, you know, only the best for you.”

  “Right. Because we’re so close, and it doesn’t really matter that my family tried to kill you.”

  “I don’t hold that against you.” Luna meant it. To prove it, she kept her steady gaze on Simon and squeezed his hand.

  “She blew a gasket at the sheriff’s department. I thought she might go after you at the ranch.”

  “You came to warn me.”

  “She had a head start. I came to stop her.”

  Luna believed that, too. “I’ve retained Mr. Lindy to represent your aunt and uncle at Kelly and Anne’s request. They’ll probably be locked up for a long time. If and when they do get out, I’ve promised Anne and Kelly that I will do as they wish and deem suitable for their parents at that time.”

  Simon nodded and let out a sigh. “It’s far more than they deserve.”

  “As for your brother the perv.”

  Simon snorted and looked away, unable to meet her eyes after what his brother did.

  “He’s got a lawyer of his own. He’ll probably get a slap on the wrist for all he’s done. If those pictures ever surface, I will bury him right after Colt kills him.”

  Simon met Colt’s steady gaze, then turned to her. “Uh.”

  “No need to say anything. I’ve already had my attorney advise Josh to stay away, or Colt will beat the living shit out of him.”

  Simon glanced at Colt again. Colt nodded, that same intense look he’d held all the while firmly in place. Colt could intimidate an angry bear with that look. Simon read it and looked away, not wanting to instigate anything with her badass husband.

  “Last, but not least, you, Simon. I’m keeping the ranch. If you can’t live with that, and you come after me or Colt, I will not stop at taking everything you hold dear away from you.”

  “The one thing I’ve realized from this near-death experience is that I don’t have anything I hold dear. Not like you.” Again, Simon looked from her to Colt and back again. “Not like my dad did. He loved that place and what it stood for in his life. He was right, I don’t have his cowboy heart. That place is in good hands with you and Colt. I get that now.”

  “Good. I suggest you think about what it is you love to do and find a purpose for your life.” She squeezed his hand again. “You’re not getting out of here for at least a week. Plenty of time to think. Use that time wisely. You never know what the future might hold. You make something of yourself, you might just be rewarded for your efforts more than you ever thought possible.”

  Luna left Simon with those words, took Colt’s hand, and walked out with him by her side, their future together more assured now that she knew Simon didn’t harbor any ill will toward her. He wasn’t like the rest of his family. He’d earned a second chance. She’d give it to him and see what he did with it.

  Chapter 37

  Colt escorted Luna into the hotel where Rory and Sadie’s wedding started in half an hour. He spotted his brothers and Grandpa Sammy in the seating area just outside the bar. He stopped Luna beside him, cupped her face in one hand, and leaned down and kissed her softly. She’d been quiet on the ride over from the hospital, but he felt a shift in her. Like she finally believed this whole mess was over and they could finally start their lives without a threat hanging over them.

  Rory walked up to them. “Sadie’s upstairs waiting for you. She’s in room 202.”

  “I’m headed up now. Are you ready?”

  Rory glanced at his watch. “She’s about a month late from when I wanted to get this done. I should have done what Colt did and marry her the day after she said yes.”

  “It worked for us,” Luna said, smiling at Colt.

  He loved that smile. He’d missed it these last weeks. “Go hurry her up. No one said the bride couldn’t be early for her wedding,” Colt coaxed.

  Luna didn’t rush off. Instead, she turned pensive again and reached up and touched the scar on his head. “I really have left a few marks on you.”

  He took her hand and kissed her palm, then held it against his face. “Your love is branded on my heart, honey. I am a better man, I have a better life, because of you.”

  Rory slapped him on the back. “Amen to that. Now go get my bride, Luna,” Rory ordered, his voice gruff.

  She gave Colt a soft kiss, then stepped back. “On it.”

  Colt didn’t move from his spot until Luna disappeared behind the elevator doors.

  “You’re lost, man,” Rory said from beside him.

  “I found everything I ever wanted when I fell for her. I didn’t think I wanted a wife, but God, I always wanted her.”

  “You saw Simon this morning. Everything good?”

  “Yeah. He’s got his head screwed on straight.”

  “Good. Then you and Luna can move on with your lives.”

  “That’s right. Starting today, no more looking back, just our bright future ahead of us. Like you and Sadie.”

  “Let’s drink to that.” Grandpa Sammy handed them both a shot of whiskey, then took the spare one Ford held. They stood in a circle, their glasses raised. “To Rory and Sadie. A long and happy life together.” They clinked glasses and downed the shots.

  Colt hooked his arm around his grandfather. “Two down, Granddad. One to go.”

  “I’m still waiting on baby news from you and Luna.”

  “We’re going to take some time practicing for that one,” Colt teased. “Enjoy Rory’s little one for a while and let Luna and me settle into our life on Rambling Range.”

  “Take your time. Enjoy each other for a while, but I want that great-grandbaby.”

  “Harass Ford for a while.” Colt shoved his grandfather toward Ford’s retreating back. “You can’t get away, Ford. You’re next.” Colt laughed when Ford gave him a death stare over his shoulder. As much as Colt had thought getting married was not in his near future, he couldn’t be happier being married to Luna. It’s what his grandfather wanted for them. Love. Happiness. Colt had both now. More than he ever thou
ght possible. He wanted that for his brother, too.

  Luna stood behind Sadie and stared over her shoulder at their images in the mirror. “Sadie, you are so beautiful. That gown is gorgeous.”

  Sadie smoothed her hands over the pretty lace and her slightly swollen belly. For the first time, Luna felt jealous of her friend. The thought of having Colt’s child left a warm glow in her chest. They hadn’t really talked about having a baby. She’d like to settle into their life on the ranch before they had a child. Still, the thought stuck in the back of her mind.

  “I love it.” Sadie tilted her head and studied her reflection. “Am I going to look pregnant in all the photos?”

  “Only because you know you are. No one else will notice.” Luna stood behind Sadie and wrapped her arms around her friend, seeing the sadness Sadie tried to hide because her mother wasn’t here to help her dress and do her hair. Her father wasn’t here to walk her down the aisle. Her brother sat in a cell day after day with no remorse for what he’d done. Luna hugged Sadie from behind and tried to give her the words Sadie’s mother might have said. “You are the most beautiful bride there ever was. I love you, my friend. You and Rory are going to have a beautiful life together. The love you share is everlasting.”

  “Like yours and Colt’s,” Sadie said, her hands over Luna’s at her waist.

  “Yes. Today you will marry the man you love. The family you lost will always be in your heart, but today you’ll have a new family.”

  Sadie pressed the side of her head to Luna’s. “And a sister.”

  Luna smiled. “We were already sisters. This will just make it more official.”

  “Then let’s go make it all official.”

  Colt felt a punch to his gut when Luna walked down the aisle in her pretty blue dress, holding a bouquet of white roses. Seeing her walk toward him brought him back to their wedding under the stars. They’d had such a perfect night.

  Luna smiled at him so brightly that he knew she was thinking about their wedding, too.

  The wedding march played and Sadie walked down the aisle on Grandpa Sammy’s arm. Colt barely paid attention, he only had eyes for his wife standing on the other side of Sadie. He wanted to go to her and hold her hand, recite the vows Sadie and Rory exchanged, and kiss her the way his brother kissed his new bride. The joy he saw in Rory and Sadie’s eyes and smiles when they turned and faced their family and friends filled him up when Luna’s gaze met his and he saw all the love and longing in his heart reflected back at him.

  Rory and Sadie walked down the aisle together toward the reception room. Colt held his arm out to Luna, who hooked her arm through his, looked up, and accepted the kiss he planted on her lips as they walked down the aisle after Sadie and Rory. Ford and Grandpa Sammy brought up the rear.

  Rory and Sadie were already on the dance floor, lost in each other’s gazes and the music. Everyone attending the wedding gathered around and watched the couple. Colt only had eyes for his wife. When Sadie and Rory pointed at them and beckoned them onto the dance floor, he was only too happy to take Luna in his arms and sway with her to the music.

  The next song started and Rory took Luna from Colt, so he stole Sadie and kissed the bride.

  “You’re glowing,” he commented.

  “I must look just like Luna did when she married you.”

  “I’m glad you brought us back together.”

  “I love both of you. I just wanted you both to be happy.”

  Rory and Luna stepped up to them. “We are happy. Now give me back my husband, and I’ll give you back yours.”

  Sadie beamed Rory a smile. “I’ll take him.” They danced away into the growing crowd on the dance floor, which included Grandpa Sammy with Dr. Bell and Ford with one of Sadie’s friends from the diner.

  Colt wondered if Ford would stop pining away for the girl he’d given up and they’d all end up with one of the diner girls. Probably not. Like Luna, some girls just marked you in a way that never went away.

  He took Luna back into his arms. “I’m keeping you,” he said.

  She held him close as they moved to the slow, sultry song, her gaze locked with his. “Good. Because I’m keeping you.” She tilted her head, her bangs sweeping over her eyes.

  He touched her forehead and swept them aside.

  “Did you ever think we’d get here?”

  He smiled, then kissed her softly. “This is just the beginning.”

  Epilogue

  Luna and Colt pulled up in front of the Travers Wholesale and Manufacturing warehouse. She stared up at the sign in wonder, knowing that a year ago this hadn’t been in Simon’s plans at all. He’d found his way this past year. He stumbled a bit after getting out of the hospital and recuperating, but eventually he came up with a plan that combined his talent for sales and his new girlfriend’s love of supporting local products.

  Simon didn’t ask Luna for a dime. He used the money he inherited from his father and built the business on his own. It was still struggling, but well on its way to being profitable. She helped out in another way, throwing some business Simon’s way in the form of using the oats, cherries, and nuts they produced on the farm to come up with a line of Rambling Range granola bars. All natural. Locally sourced ingredients. Luna came up with the recipe. Simon manufactured and distributed the product. She made a tidy little profit on the venture. Simon expanded his business.

  “Having second thoughts?” Colt asked, because she hadn’t gotten out of the truck.

  “No. You?”

  “We discussed it. I’m all for this. Wayne wanted him to find his way. He did. The last time we saw him, he looked happy. Settled.”

  “I think so, too.”

  Josh, on the other hand, hadn’t changed a bit. He’d gone back to his old job, changed to another, and yet another. He’d even hit Simon up for a job, but Simon held him off, not wanting to let Josh use him for a paycheck Josh had no intention of actually earning. That one decision earned Luna’s respect and helped solidify her decision to do what she was about to do now.

  Simon walked out of the building and waved to them.

  Colt opened his door and slid out, looking back at her. “Come on, honey, time to fulfill Wayne’s wishes in your way.”

  Yes, they didn’t have a lot of time. She had two therapy sessions later this afternoon. She had twelve kids in the program and more on a wait list. She needed to hire more help. She loved spending time with the kids. Tanner thrived having people around who were in some ways like him.

  Luna took Colt’s hand and slid out of the truck on his side. They walked to meet Simon.

  “Hey you guys, why didn’t you come in?” Simon gave her a quick hug, then shook Colt’s hand. They weren’t exactly friends, but they’d grown closer over the last several months.

  “How is everything?” Colt asked.

  “Business is good. Great. We just signed a deal with a local candy maker to do the direct shipping of their online sales orders.”

  “That’s fantastic.” Luna meant it. Online sales mailing opened up a whole new avenue of business for him.

  “Thanks. Rambling Range sales are up, too. Is that why you’re here? Quality check the manufacturing?”

  She laughed. He always thought she was looking over his shoulder, keeping an eye on her small piece of his business so he didn’t steal from or sabotage her. In fact, she was looking at him. He knew it. Accepted it. Never developed a chip on his shoulder because she didn’t quite trust him. Yes, a test, she admitted to herself, because she’d never forgotten that he slipped some spyware on her computer and at any moment could have wiped out her accounts.

  He never did. Not in a whole year, especially when he needed the money for the business. He didn’t take a single penny from her.

  “No, we came because today is . . . a special day,” Luna finished awkwardly, remembering Wayne and her last conversation with him at the diner. He’d told her to fix things with Colt. A year later, they were so happily married that they couldn’t ke
ep their hands off each other, and they laughed every day. What more could she want?

  Simon’s eyes filled with sorrow and regret. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I miss him. I wish he were here to see that I took his advice and found something that I love to do. He was right. It doesn’t feel like work.” Simon glanced back at the warehouse with his name on the sign.

  “He’d be so proud of you, Simon.”

  “I think so, too. Plus, he’d be excited to know I found someone to spend the rest of my life with who makes me really happy. The way you did for him.” He held up a hand. “Not the way you have with Colt, but in a way that made his days less lonely, someone he counted on and trusted as his friend.”

  “He was a very good friend to me,” Luna said, choked up, trying to hold it together and not cry before she got everything out. “I’m so happy for you and Alicia. When is the big day?”

  “Money is kind of tight right now. We’re going to wait and maybe do it next year.”

  Colt squeezed her hand. “Luna can help you out with that.”

  Simon held up a hand and shook his head. “No. We want to do it ourselves. Besides, if we wait, we’ll have more time to plan. I want her to have everything she wants.”

  “The help I’m giving you isn’t because you’re getting married, it’s because it’s what your father would have wanted.” Luna took a breath to stave off her sadness. She pulled a thick envelope from her purse. “This is for you.” She handed the papers to him.

  He took the envelope but didn’t open it. “What is this?”

  “The inheritance you earned.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand. You canceled the terms of the will. I can’t earn my half of the ranch.”

  “No. Because you don’t really want it. Your father knew that about you. He wanted you to find your own path and gave me the authority to give you what you deserved when the time came.”

  “You mean if the time came. I take it Josh isn’t getting anything today.”