Jake

by R. C. Ryan

  Jake sat back, sipping his coffee and wondering if the rest of his family had caught the changes yet. It had suddenly become Meg’s ranch. Meg’s herd.

  Interesting, he thought. As was the change in her tone. There was a thread of steel that hadn’t been there yesterday.

  “If you don’t mind waiting—” he nodded toward the barn “—as soon as we’re through examining Honey’s pups, I’ll go along. That is, if you’d like some company riding to the high country.”

  “Thanks, Jake. I appreciate that.” She turned to the others. “I’m so grateful for your hospitality. I don’t know what Cory and I would have done without all of you and this wonderful safety net.”

  Big Jim closed a hand over hers. “You just remember that we’re here for you. Whatever you need, don’t be afraid to ask.”

  “Thank you, Big Jim. That means the world to me.”

  As the family began to shove away from the table, each of them took a moment to wish her well before heading out to tackle their daily chores.

  Meg followed Jake and Cory to the barn.

  “Three males and three females.” Jake handed Cory the last of the puppies.

  The boy set the squirming, wriggling ball of fluff down in the pen, while Jake finished recording the weight, length, and gender of each pup on his computer.

  As always, Honey took the time to lick this last puppy as it stumbled to her side to nurse.

  Meg stood beside Jake, watching as his fingers flew over the keys. “So many details.”

  Jake looked over. “Yeah. But at least now I only have to jot it down once, and my computer does the rest. Randy will get an e-mail with all the information before he even gets home.”

  “Veterinary medicine in the twenty-first century,” Meg said with a shake of her head.

  “You bet. And if I run up against a problem I’ve never seen before, I can do my research on the Internet and probably find a dozen similar cases on which to base a diagnosis.” Jake closed the lid on his computer before turning away. “Time to head out of here. Why don’t you two pack up, while I get my truck out of the other barn?”

  As Meg started away, Cory held back.

  Seeing it, Jake paused. “Something wrong?”

  The boy shrugged. “Do I have to go?”

  Hearing him, Meg stopped with her hand on the barn door. “I thought you’d be happy to be going home.”

  He stared hard at the toe of his worn boot. “Shadow’s here. And Honey. They need me.”

  Meg bit her lip. “Yeah. I guess they do.”

  His head came up sharply. “But if you need me more than they do, I can go with you.”

  She retraced her steps and paused beside him. Touching a hand to his shoulder she said softly, “I’d love for you to be there with me, Cory. Comfortably settled into your own room, in your own bed. But I understand that Shadow and Honey are important to you. If Jake doesn’t object, maybe you could stay here a day or so until Shadow is ready to come back. And maybe, by then, Honey will be going home, too.”

  He brightened. “You don’t mind?”

  “Of course not.” She brushed the shaggy hair from his face and was pleased that he didn’t pull away. “I guess I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

  “Yeah. See you.”

  Meg walked from the barn, aware that both Cory and Jake were watching. Squaring her shoulders, she let herself into the house and climbed the stairs to her room to fetch her belongings. While she packed, she thought about Cory. She wished she knew how to reach him. Though she understood his attachment to Shadow and Honey, she sensed that part of his reluctance to go home was his shaky relationship with her.

  It saddened her that he felt more comfortable here with strangers than at home with her. But she was at a loss as to how to turn the situation around. For now she would try to be patient and hope that the situation would improve with time.

  Half an hour later Meg walked downstairs to find Phoebe and Ela waiting. She hugged each of them in turn. “I can’t thank you enough for all your hospitality.”

  Phoebe spoke for both of them. “We loved having you. We hope you’ll come back soon.”

  “I just hope I can survive one night alone,” Meg said with a laugh. “If you hear someone pounding on the door in the middle of the night, you’ll know that I lost my nerve.”

  Phoebe looked around. “Where’s Cory?”

  “He asked if he could stay, since his two BFFs at the moment, Shadow and Honey, are still here. I hope you don’t mind—I told him I’d be fine without him.”

  “Of course he’s welcome to stay. And you will be fine.” Ela’s dark, piercing eyes bore into hers. “You are a strong woman. As for the boy, we will see that he is kept safe.”

  “I know you will. Thank you.”

  Ela and Phoebe picked up several linen-wrapped packages from the counter. “Corn bread,” Ela explained.

  “And chicken, and green beans from the garden,” Phoebe added. “If you’re riding to the high country, you won’t have time to fix yourself something to eat.”

  “We made enough for two,” Ela said. Though she remained serious, there was a twinkle of humor in her eyes. “But since the boy is staying here, you may have to persuade Jake to eat the boy’s share.”

  The two women shared a knowing look before Phoebe held the door and said, “We’ll carry these out to your car.”

  Jake was waiting beside one of the ranch trucks, to which he’d hitched a horse trailer bearing two horses. “I’ll follow you back, Meg, and we can ride up to the hills together.”

  He took the parcels from Ela and Phoebe and loaded them on the passenger seat of Meg’s car while she settled herself behind the wheel.

  Cory walked from the barn leading Shadow.

  Jake cupped his hands to his mouth. “Be sure to walk him slowly around the corral at least three times. I want you to watch for any sign of limping.”

  “I will.” The boy waved to Meg.

  She waved back.

  As Jake started toward his truck she called to him. “That was clever of Cory.”

  He looked over. “What was?”

  “Bringing Shadow out as I was leaving. It gave him an excuse to not get close enough to be hugged.”

  Jake threw back his head and laughed. “I hadn’t thought of that, but yeah, I guess he’s thinking that he managed to dodge a bullet.” He shot her a sideways glance. “Of course, when he gets a little older, he’ll be just as sneaky about trying to get all the hugs he can from a pretty woman.”

  Meg was smiling as she started the ignition and eased the rental car along the curving driveway, feeling the breeze on her face, enjoying the view of the lovely countryside. And most of all, enjoying the view of the cowboy driving his truck behind her, his arm stretched out along the open window, his dark hair ruffled by the wind.

  He’d called her a pretty woman. Not that she’d been fishing for compliments, but it made her extraordinarily happy to know that Jake Conway thought she was pretty.

  As she followed the lane to her house, Meg took the time to really see it.

  After spending time at the Conway ranch, she realized that her ranch looked sad and neglected by comparison. The yard was nothing more than a weed patch. The garden needed plowing. The porch steps were sagging. The house and barns hadn’t seen a coat of paint in years.

  Cosmetic, she told herself. It was nothing that couldn’t be fixed with enough love and attention.

  And didn’t she wish she could say the same about herself?

  She brushed aside the gloomy thoughts that began gathering in her mind as she came to a stop and stepped out of the car. No matter how sad the ranch looked or how many things were in disrepair, she needed to cling to the decisions she’d reached during the small hours of the morning.

  She wouldn’t commit to staying here. But she would definitely take as much time as necessary to make an informed decision.

  Jake climbed down from his truck and hefted her suitcase and the food parcel
s from her car.

  Meg hurried up the steps and tested the door, pleased to find it still locked. She quickly unlocked it and held it open, allowing Jake to precede her into the kitchen, where he deposited her things.

  “Thanks, Jake.”

  He gave her a smile. “Want me to check the rooms while you wait here?”

  She shook her head. “That’s not necessary. Since the door hadn’t been forced, I’m feeling confident that our intruder hasn’t been around.”

  “Okay.” He gave her a long look. “You may want to bring along a jacket. The temperature in the high country will be a lot cooler than here.”

  “I have something up in my room.”

  “While you find it, I’ll saddle the horses.”

  “Thanks.”

  He surprised her by leaning close and brushing a quick kiss over her cheek.

  She looked up at him and found him grinning from ear to ear.

  “Just a reminder that I’m hoping for a rain check on what we started last night.”

  She couldn’t help laughing. “Before we were so rudely interrupted.”

  “Yeah. Honey’s timing was really off.”

  “Maybe it was fate.”

  He shot her a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She shrugged. “We almost crossed a line.”

  He gave her his most endearing smile. “A line I hope we most certainly cross very soon.”

  “Oh, you.” She gave him a shove toward the door. “Go. Saddle those horses while I go find my jacket.”

  “I’d be willing to forego my work if you’d do the same.”

  She held the door open. “Not on your life, cowboy.”

  He brushed past her and paused to whisper, “That wasn’t my final offer. I’ll check again later to see if you’ve changed your mind.”

  He strolled out the door and down the steps.

  Watching him through the window, Meg took in a deep breath. There was just something about Jake Conway that turned her brain to mush and undermined all her firm resolutions. But now that she’d had time to think, she’d come to one more conclusion. Last night, with her emotions on overload, she’d wanted, more than anything, to lose herself in the passion Jake was offering. And what a passion. Even now, just thinking about the way he made her feel, she absorbed a quick rush of heat all the way to her toes.

  Today was a new day. Her mind was clear. She had rediscovered her iron will. She was a woman on a mission.

  As she raced up the stairs and found a denim jacket in the closet, she played in her mind a litany that had carried her through a painful childhood and a challenging path to her chosen career. I am strong, smart, and capable.

  She would take the time she needed to determine just what she had here before making any decisions about the future.

  She checked her cell phone and found half a dozen e-mails from the law firm, all reminding her of her duty to their clients. The last one, from the firm’s senior partner, demanded her immediate response. She took a deep breath and sent an affirmation that though she understood his concern and the needs of the firm, her own needs and those of her family had to come first.

  Promising a more detailed message later, she tucked the phone away and dashed down the stairs, picturing in her mind the flurry of staff meetings and the exchange of phone calls and e-mails as the firm pondered the extended absence of one of its lead trial lawyers.

  “Oh, Jake.” As their horses crested a hill, Meg looked around with a look of absolute wonder. “My dad and I used to ride up here when the herds were summering in the high country. One night he let me sleep up here, under the stars. I felt so grown up and special.”

  Jake chuckled. “I did the same thing. I guess I was six or seven the first time Pa let me come with him and my brothers. I stayed up half the night listening to the old wranglers talking about what it was like in Big Jim’s day, with nothing but a campfire and a horse-drawn chuck wagon.”

  He pointed to the sea of black in the distance. “There’s your herd.”

  Meg caught her breath at the size. “How many do you think I have?”

  He shrugged. “A couple thousand, I’d guess.”

  “Thousand?” She blinked. “When I left, there were a few hundred.”

  “How long have you been gone?”

  She laughed. “Too long, apparently.” She nudged her horse into a trot. “Come on. I want a closer look.”

  “How do, ma’am.” The lanky cowboy urged his horse closer and touched the brim of his hat before looking beyond Meg to Jake. “You folks looking for Yancy?”

  “Yes. Is he here?”

  “Over that hill, ma’am.”

  “Thank you.” Meg followed the wrangler’s direction and reined in her mount when she came up over a ridge to find the old foreman on foot, checking a stray.

  Keeping hold of his horse’s reins, he looked up.

  “Yancy, I’m Meg Stanford.”

  “Ma’am.” He whipped his wide-brimmed hat from his head in a courtly gesture. “Thank you for your call. As I said, I’m sorry as I can be at the loss of your daddy.”

  “Thank you, Yancy.” At his sweet, formal words, Meg absorbed a sudden, wrenching pain around her heart and had to swallow hard.

  She indicated Jake riding up beside her. “This is—”

  “Jake Conway,” the old cowboy said. “Good to see you again, Jake. I hear you’re a vet now.”

  “That’s right.” Jake climbed from his horse to shake the older man’s hand.

  “I’m not surprised. According to Big Jim, you were always hauling home some wounded critter or other, and always mending their injuries without regard for your own hide.”

  Jake laughed. “That about sums up my childhood, Yancy.”

  The old cowboy turned to Meg, his eyes squinting against the sun. “Rumor has it that you’re about to auction off the ranch and all the cattle, ma’am.”

  “That was my original plan, Yancy. Now that I’m here, I’m not so sure.”

  His brows shot up, the only indication that he’d been caught by surprise.

  “Tell me, Yancy, are the cattle healthy?”

  “Some of the healthiest herds I’ve tended. We had a warm spring, and that helped to make this calving season easier than ever.”

  “If I were to stay on here through the summer, could I count on you to see the herd through to the end of the season?”

  He nodded. “Yes’m. That was my promise to your daddy.”

  “When do you and the wranglers get paid?”

  “Your daddy paid us half up front. The rest comes after roundup.”

  Meg looked toward the bunkhouse in the distance. “Do you have enough supplies to see you through the season?”

  He gave her a gentle smile. “No need to worry about us. Your daddy saw to everything at the start of the spring. Matt Fender’s our cook, and he makes the hottest chili in Wyoming. Of course, if you ever feel like sending along a couple of cases of longnecks, we won’t refuse them, ma’am.”

  Meg laughed. “I’ll put that on my list, Yancy.” She leaned down to offer her handshake. “I want to thank you for staying, even though my father is gone now.”

  “I gave your daddy my word that I’d see the herd through the season. And that’s what I intend to do, Miss Stanford.”

  “It’s Meg. And I’m grateful, Yancy.”

  He hauled himself into the saddle of his spotted mustang. As Meg and Jake were turning their horses, he waved his hat, looking for all the world, Meg thought, like one of those cowboys on the cover of a magazine about the Old West.

  Jake pulled his mount alongside Meg’s. “Feeling better now that you’ve seen the herd?”

  She nodded. “Yancy says they’re healthy. I’m going to take him at his word.”

  Jake caught her hand. “Yancy’s one of the good guys. If he says something, you can take it to the bank. Your dad made a wise choice for ranch foreman.”

  She glanced at their joined hands and wondered at
the way her heart stirred.

  Maybe it was being back in the high country again, where she’d once felt on top of the world. Or maybe it was merely the fact that she was finally taking baby steps toward being in charge of her life again. Whatever the reason, she shot him a challenging look before firmly withdrawing her hand.

  “Let’s race.”

  He was grinning. “Where to?”

  She shrugged. “Back to the house, of course. Last one there gets to make supper.”

  Without a backward glance she gave her horse its head and they went racing across the high meadow, with Jake’s mount in hot pursuit.

  Oh, she thought as she leaned low in the saddle, it felt so good to be back in the place that had owned her heart all those years ago. A place of such incredible beauty, it clogged her throat and brought tears to her eyes.

  Maybe it wasn’t home yet. But it was as close to heaven as she’d ever been.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Their race ended long before the ranch house came into view. One minute Meg’s horse was far ahead of Jake’s, the next, her mount stumbled, sending Meg sailing through the air to land with a thud in the tall grass. By the time Jake reached her side she’d managed to get to her feet, where she stood rubbing her sore backside.

  He slid from the saddle. “You all right?”

  She managed a laugh. “I’m sure I’ll pay for this tomorrow. For now, the only thing hurt is my pride.” She walked over to catch the dangling reins of her horse, busy nibbling grass. “I guess I’m not as good a rider as I used to be.”

  “You looked damned fine to me. Until that spill, you were the clear winner.”

  She looked up at the saddle, then at the ranch house in the distance. “I’m not sure I’m ready to climb back on my horse and take any more punishment.”

  Jake grabbed his horse’s reins and moved along beside her. “It’s not that far. Let’s walk for a while.”

  She gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

  They walked in silence for a bit before Jake asked, “So what happened to Meg Stanford between yesterday and today?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I guess it goes back to that challenge you issued, about the arbitrary deadline I’d set for myself. Last night I had time for some soul-searching. I decided that I didn’t much like the person I’d become.”