Falling for the Rancher

by Roxanne Rustand

  She could see he wasn’t thrilled—he was simply determined to do the right thing. She barreled ahead anyway before he could change his mind. “Perfect. That’s so nice of you! Emma and I will pack a lunch and come out to help you unpack, or clean, or whatever. It’s the least we can do.”

  Emma scrambled into the truck, and he clicked the seatbelt into position. “This is sure a pretty booster,” he teased, ruffling the top of her hair. “I’ve never seen a pink one. You must be a big girl now.”

  She nodded vigorously. “I’m four.”

  “Just the right age for a puppy, then.”

  Darcy directed him to the highway leading out of town, then up a narrow lane leading through the forest toward Hannah’s house.

  All the way, Logan kept up a steady patter of silly conversation with Emma that kept her laughing.

  Darcy felt an ache settle in her chest at how hungry Emma seemed for male attention.

  But of course she was. In time she probably wouldn’t remember much about her father, but having a loving male influence in her life was something she would always miss.

  Hannah’s house stood at the very end of the lane. She was out in the yard and gave the truck a startled look when Logan pulled in and parked, but relaxed as they all climbed out.

  “You made it,” she exclaimed as she picked up Emma for a big hug. “I’m so glad. I have all sorts of little guys who are eager to meet you—and some older ones, too.”

  She sized up Logan with a sweeping glance and grinned. “I have just the thing for you, too.”

  She led the way to the backyard, probably Emma’s favorite place in the whole world.

  The perimeter was enclosed in high chain link fencing, with three separate large runs to the right. In back stood a new red metal barn with crisp white trim and a large enclosure with colorful chickens inside.

  Emma stood on her tiptoes, looking at the far end of the yard. “Is the pony here?”

  “She’s probably way out in the pasture right now.” Hannah reached over and gave Darcy’s hand a quick squeeze. “I asked Ethan to take the kids to a matinee so there’d be a bit less commotion. But I want you to be the first to hear—he and I have set a date. The Fourth of July weekend!”

  Darcy’s heart filled with joy for her closest friend in Aspen Creek. “I’m so thrilled for you both. This is the best news I’ve had in a long, long time.”

  Hannah beamed. “And next week the contractor will be breaking ground on the new animal shelter in town. It’s finally happening.”

  Darcy nodded. “Hannah and several other women in town have been managing a private, licensed animal shelter system on their own properties until enough money could be raised. They’ve done a wonderful job.”

  “And Darcy has been a great help to us, donating her free time after clinic hours and helping with the fundraising. Once we get the facility done, we’ll be able to do so much more.”

  “Where are the puppies?” Emma spun around to look in every direction. “Are they gone?”

  Hannah led them all to the barn and ushered them inside, where the space had been divided into six large pens with pet doors leading outside to individual runs, plus areas for horse feed, dog food and supplies.

  Emma rushed to the pen at the far end, where puppies were squealing and standing on their hind legs at the chain link fence, vying for attention.

  “I’m grateful every single day that insurance covered the fire,” Hannah said as she led Darcy and Logan down the aisle to join Emma. “The old barn wasn’t big enough anyway, and this one makes our work so much easier.”

  The other pens held an assortment of older dogs. Some cowered at the back corners and avoided eye contact. Others bounced to the front of their pens and frantically yelped for attention.

  “Oh, my,” Darcy whispered, halting in front of a pen. A thin, bedraggled dog stood at the back, its head hanging low and muzzle pressed into the corner, the picture of depression and hopelessness. Heavy mats of hair hung from its body, exposing taut flesh pulled painfully tight by the twisted mats.

  Logan stopped next to her and stared. “I’ll never understand why people are so cruel. What’s the story on this one?”

  “She just came yesterday,” Hannah said. “Abuse. Neglect. The neighbors who finally reported her said she was kept in a small, filthy pen and never let out—not even for a walk. From her behavior, I suspect little or no friendly human contact for ages.”

  “I sure hope the owners were arrested.”

  Hannah shook her head. “I have no idea if she even has a name, so I’ve been calling her Cedar. I called your office yesterday for an appointment. She’ll be in Tuesday.”

  Logan frowned. “Let’s fit her in on Monday so we can check her over. With a good clipping and bath, we can see what’s under that mess.”

  “I had hoped we wouldn’t ever see one as bad as Belle, who was dropped off last winter. But I guess I shouldn’t overestimate human nature.” Hannah whistled, and a gleaming chestnut-colored dog—a springer-shepherd mix—loped into the barn, its tail wagging. “This is Belle, who came to us as a surprise one night. I’m not sure who looked worse—Belle or this poor gal—but now Belle has her forever home right here.”

  An old, deep red golden retriever with a white muzzle limped in, its banner of a tail waving.

  “And this is Maisie, who will never leave, either, right?” Darcy leaned over to give her some good rubs beneath her collar.

  “Never.” Hannah laughed wryly. “I really try not to adopt everything that come along, honest. But these two just stole my heart.”

  Down at the puppy pen, Emma held her hands flat against the chain link and shrieked with delight. “They’re licking me. It tickles!”

  A thin yellow lab mix in the next pen stood watching, her achingly hopeful gaze pinned on Emma, her tail wagging slowly as if she didn’t quite dare to hope.

  When Emma noticed, she moved in front of her pen and stared into her soulful eyes. “This one is lonely, Mommy. She’s so sad.”

  The lab’s tail moved a little faster as she pushed the black tip of her nose through the fence.

  “I think she likes me. She doesn’t want to be here.”

  “That’s because she’s waiting for someone to love who will love her right back for the rest of her life,” Hannah said softly.

  A single tear fell down Emma’s cheek. “How come she doesn’t have a family?”

  “Some people think a puppy would be fun and cute, but have no idea how much work a puppy is...or they just lose interest. Dogs sometimes end up in a shelter if their owners get sick or pass away.”

  Darcy moved over to the pen and hunkered down next to Emma to take a better look. “What’s the story on this one?”

  “That’s Bonnie. She’s around three years old and had a good home, but her elderly owner died suddenly, and no one in the family was willing to take her. She was too depressed to eat for a week. She’s doing better as long as I hand-feed her, so at least her ribs don’t show quite as much. She came with vet records that show she’s up to date on vaccinations and worming.”

  Emma looked up at Darcy. “This is the one, Mommy.”

  “I thought you wanted a playful little puppy, sweetie. You’ve been talking about that for a long time.”

  “Not anymore.” Emma lifted her chin to a stubborn tilt.

  “What Hannah said about dogs giving us their lifetime love is true about the puppies, too,” Darcy said.

  Emma’s lower lip trembled. “I want this one.”

  Hannah smiled down at her. “Well, I’m sure your mom would want to check her over very carefully, and then you would all need to get to know each other during several visits. My first rule here is that no one can make snap decisions, because if they regret it later, the dog suffers yet another confusing, upset
ting change. That’s not fair.”

  “Can she come out now?”

  “Let’s see how she does. Just don’t move quickly or try to grab her, okay? We need to take it easy. She’s a sweet dog, but this change to a new place has been scary for her.”

  Hannah reached for a leash snapped to the front of the pen and went inside. Murmuring to Bonnie, she stroked the animal’s thin side and then gently scratched behind her ear.

  Reassured, the dog came closer and licked Hannah’s hand. “You see? She’s very sweet. I understand she was a very well-mannered pet. It’s just that the noise, strange dogs and unfamiliar people can be terribly intimidating.”

  Darcy watched as Emma edged slowly up to Hannah.

  “Can I pet her?”

  “Talk to her a bit first.”

  “You’re going to be mine,” Emma whispered. “And you’ll be happy. You can sleep on my bed with my dollies and me.”

  Darcy bit back a smile as the dog extended her nose to sniff Emma’s hand, and wagged her tail faster when Emma gently stroked her neck.

  “She likes me, Mommy!”

  “Yes, I think she does. She’s probably hoping to find a new friend, just like you are.” Darcy glanced over her shoulder and found Logan hunkered down in front of Cedar, the newest rescue. “What do you think—”

  But he wasn’t listening. He was murmuring gentle words to the ragged dog, promising all sorts of wonderful things. Toys and treats and soft beds, and the company of someone who would care for her forever. She was still at the back of her cage, but she was watching him intently. Her single, wary step in his direction was a victory.

  This was yet another glimpse of a man she found more intriguing as the days and weeks passed. She’d never expected to discover a deep sense of kindness and caring in the cold, remote cowboy she’d met on that first morning he’d arrived.

  And now, the evidence of his soft heart was confirmed, because it looked like Logan had just found himself a dog.

  * * *

  Logan slowly opened the door of the dog pen and let himself inside, then sat down in one of the front corners to appear as nonthreatening as possible.

  The emaciated dog fled to the back of the pen when the door opened, as far from him as possible, and stood hunched and shaking, her tail tucked between her legs and lowered head pressed against the chain links to avoid looking at him.

  His heart twisted painfully at her terrified reaction. She was expecting a beating. What kind of vicious animal of a human being could vent his rage and cruelty on a poor dog?

  Even though he’d seen many similar cases of abuse over the years, just the thought of them always made him feel ill and angry and even a little helpless. How many others were never rescued? He helped whenever he could, but it broke his heart to think of any animal suffering.

  And another thought always lurked in the back of his mind. If the perpetrator was this cruel and had a wife and kids, what was happening to them behind closed doors?

  He began to hum softly, his gaze fixed on a distant point away from Cedar, his posture relaxed. And then he began to croon to her again, a quiet litany of praise and encouragement.

  “Here—try this.” Hannah opened the door of the pen a few inches and tossed him a small plastic bag filled with dog treats. “I keep these on hand for just this sort of thing. The dogs love them.”

  He caught the bag. “Thanks.”

  “I spent quite a bit of time with her yesterday, and she finally came close enough for me to pet her, but she seems to be more wary with men. I can’t wait to get started on clipping her. She’ll feel so much better.”

  Logan tossed a dog treat midway across the pen and continued talking to the dog. “I’ve got more of these,” he said softly. “Things are going to be so much better for you now.”

  He’d pursued his lifelong dream of working with horses, but on the rare free hours away from classes and labs and studying during vet school, he’d volunteered at a shelter.

  This was what he’d imagined when he’d first started dreaming of vet school as a child. He’d wanted to rescue damaged animals and make them whole, and then bring them all home. It just wasn’t possible to adopt them all, of course. In those childish dreams, he hadn’t considered the sheer magnitude and impossibility of such a plan.

  But when the dog in front of him finally dared to look his way and gave a single, tentative wave of her tail, he knew that this one had just found her forever home.

  With him.

  Chapter Eleven

  It was yet another perfect spring day, with the sweet scent of lilacs in the air. A profusion of bright flowers along the foundation of the old church nodded in the light breeze.

  Feeling as if he had his father’s hand on his collar to shove him forward, Logan self-consciously followed Darcy and Emma up the steps of the white clapboard Aspen Creek Community Church.

  The steeple soared toward the clouds above wide double doors that welcomed the crowd of parishioners arriving for worship.

  A big crowd, he realized. Kids chasing each other on the grass, burning off energy, adults of all ages greeting each other warmly with hugs and handshakes. A number of them approached Darcy with cheerful smiles, and some even welcomed him with a masculine thump on the back, though he recognized only a few.

  “Let’s sit in the back,” Darcy whispered as they entered the cool darkness of the church, redolent with the scents of flowers, candle wax and lemon furniture polish.

  They slipped into a pew and Emma settled between them with a small felt bag of books, crayons and coloring books she’d taken from a rack as they came in.

  She looked up at Logan, her troubled eyes searching his face as if she were trying to remember something important. She leaned closer. “My daddy used to come with us. But he died.”

  Darcy heard her, too, and reached over to take Emma’s hand for a gentle squeeze.

  “We gotta be quiet now,” Emma whispered.

  Died? The word hit him like a sucker punch to the chest, robbing him of breath.

  He’d certainly known there must have been someone in Darcy’s life at some point—a boyfriend, a significant other, maybe a husband. But he hadn’t brought it up. He hadn’t felt it was his business to pry.

  Now, after coming to know this little family, he imagined the wrenching loss of someone they had loved. How it must have devastated both of them.

  He felt a stab of guilt, remembering all of the doubts he’d had over Darcy’s apparent financial troubles, and his worry that it might make her a liability in the office—just like his ex-fiancée.

  He’d imagined careless spending. An addiction to online shopping—which had brought his spendthrift sister to the brink of bankruptcy more than once. Or maybe lavish vacations. Gambling. Jewelry, maybe—though there’d certainly been no evidence of that.

  But instead of enjoying luxuries, she’d had to deal with the financial burdens of burying a young husband and perhaps years of illness before that. Starting over in Aspen Creek. Making a home for her little girl. Juggling the heavy responsibilities. Motherhood. A career.

  And then there was the new owner of the clinic, who had quickly implied that she soon wouldn’t even have a job.

  He closed his eyes, feeling like a complete jerk, as the congregation began to sing the lyrics of a contemporary praise hymn on a large screen behind the altar.

  And then a small hand slipped into his. He looked down at the concern on Emma’s sweet face and felt a renewed stab of guilt.

  “If you’re sad about my daddy, it’s okay,” she whispered. “Mommy says he’s dancing in heaven with the angels and my grandma. And someday we’ll be there, too. We just gotta pray, and believe in God with all our hearts.”

  Her childlike trust nipped at his thoughts as he stared blindly at the words on
the screen. Had he ever accepted his own faith with such absolute conviction? He’d been rebellious as a kid. Then he’d grown closer to his faith as an adult. Until...

  The singing had stopped. The congregation was standing for prayer. He belatedly rose to his feet as the prayer ended and the pastor began to speak.

  “Our first lesson for today is from Ephesians chapter 4. ‘All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slander must be removed from you, along with all wickedness. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.’

  “Our second lesson is from Philippians chapter 4. ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Jesus Christ.’ Please be seated.”

  Pastor Mark’s rich baritone voice felt like a soothing balm as he moved on into his sermon, weaving those Bible verses into life’s choices, mistakes and forgiveness. If he’d had a window into Logan’s heart, he couldn’t have chosen a message that hit home so perfectly.

  Ah, forgiveness. It was easy to say, but so hard to do.

  How did you forgive a surgeon who’d failed at a simple procedure to save his mom? The doctors who misdiagnosed his dad until it was too late? Cathy, with her calculated lies?

  Or the God who had never listened to his prayers?

  Each had caused immeasurable pain, a loss that could never be returned. Surely none of them had even given their responsibility for pain or suffering a second thought.

  He felt his heart harden all over again. But this time, he took a slow, steadying breath and tried to let his anger go.

  * * *

  After church, Darcy asked Logan to stop by her house so she and Emma could change clothes and pick up her picnic basket.

  On the drive out to his place, Emma chattered nonstop in the backseat of the pickup about puppies and horses, but Logan seemed unusually distant, and Darcy wondered if roping him into going to church had been a mistake. Had he felt out of place, still too new to the community to feel at ease in the company of so many close-knit strangers? Or had she said something wrong?