Grace and the Rancher

by Mary Alford

  ****

  Grace opened the door to the church sanctuary so that she and Emily Pearson, could go inside. Her neighbor had been kind enough to give her a ride to church since her vehicle was still in the repair shop.

  They were greeted by Mr. Dugan, the eldest church usher. “Ladies, how are you two doing this fine Sunday?”

  Mr. Dugan’s cheerful demeanor always amazed Grace. He’d lost his wife to cancer six months earlier, his own health was bad, and yet one would never suspect he had a trouble in the world.

  “We’re doing well, Mr. Dugan,” Emily told the older gentlemen, then waved enthusiastically at her boyfriend. “There’s Mike. I’m going to join him. Are you sure you can find a ride home after the service?”

  Graced nodded. “I’ll be fine. You and Mike have a great trip.”

  Emily smiled with the dreamy look of someone in love. “We will. I can’t believe I’m finally meeting his parents.” Emily and Mike were talking engagement.

  Emily grinned and rushed to Mike’s side. They exchanged a hug.

  Grace turned from the personal romantic moment. She and Nick had once looked at each other like that. She had thought she’d love him forever. Before she knew the truth. Grace shoved the darkness back into the past. It had no place here in her new life. She wasn’t that woman anymore.

  “How are you doing, Grace?” Mr. Dugan asked.

  “Oh, I’m fine. How about you?” She wasn’t fine, but she didn’t want Mr. Dugan to know of her struggles. She needed God’s courage to get through the next few months without falling apart. And she needed the comfort that was always there when she came to church. With the approaching first anniversary of Nick’s death, all the ugliness that had led up to that fateful moment before the accident had resurfaced.

  Getting a call last night from Nick’s sister, Caitlin, hadn’t helped much. Cat had practically demanded Grace attend the anniversary memorial service and had made her opinion of her former sister-in-law quite clear when Grace had graciously declined the invitation.

  Of course, there had been gossip following the accident. She’d heard the whispers at the funeral. Cat had been the most vocal in accusing Grace of having not done her utmost to help Nick at the time. With those accusations, Grace couldn’t understand Cat’s insistence that she attend the service. With effort, she pushed away the memories.

  “I couldn’t be better, Grace. Couldn’t be better. God is good. How’s your Jeep? I heard about the accident. Everything OK? I have a spare truck you can use if you need it.”

  Most people at church knew about her troubles. Delaney Mountain was a small town. Everyone knew everything that went on. Having Pete tow her familiar vehicle meant some phone calls came the evening before from concerned neighbors to inquire if she was OK. This town was so unlike the glitzy city of Nashville, where no one seemed to be concerned when someone dropped off the face of the earth.

  “That’s very kind, Mr. Dugan, but the Jeep should be ready tomorrow. The damage was minimal. God was watching over me.”

  The elder man nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, He was. But I meant what I said. If you need to use the truck, you let me know.”

  “I will,” she promised and smiled her appreciation. Grace gave Mr. Dugan one final hug and headed down the busy aisle to where her friends sat.

  “Grace?” Kyle Delaney materialized beside her.

  “Kyle…hi.” She stared into those amazing blue eyes and her mind went blank.

  “Hi. How are you?”

  She finally looked away and she could concentrate again. “I’m good. I didn’t realize you attended this church.” Her tone sounded brittle, and heat prickled up her neck. There weren’t many churches in town. It made sense he would attend one of them.

  If Kyle noticed her unease, he let it slide. “Yes, well, this is my first time. I’m here with my friend, Ryan.” He pointed to Ryan Winters, who stood talking to a group of men. “He’s been attending this church since he was a kid.” Kyle gave her a genuine smile.

  His friendliness relieved her embarrassment. “I see. Well, I’m glad you’re here. Welcome.”

  “Thanks. How’s the Jeep? Was everything running OK after the accident?”

  “It’s in the shop, but it looks like the repairs are minimal.” She looked away from the concern in his eyes.

  “That’s good. How did you get here?” he asked and then chuckled. “Sorry, that’s none of my business, is it?”

  “It’s OK,” she quickly assured him. It was hard to consolidate what she’d heard about Kyle Delaney with the man before her. But then, gossip usually seemed worse than fact. “My friend Emily gave me a ride. She and her boyfriend are headed out of town after the service.”

  “Well, if you need a ride home, I just happen to be going your way.”

  She faltered for a second. She didn’t want to lean on anyone because if she did, it would mean the inevitable questions that came with friendship. Avoiding those were hard enough with Martha and Emily. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

  “I don’t recall you asking, Grace. I kind of volunteered. I’d be happy to take you home. That’s what neighbors do for each other.”

  She hesitated but then gave in. It was just a ride, after all. “Thank you. That’s very kind.”

  Before he could answer, Ryan Winters joined them. “Hi, Grace. I’m glad to see you’re doing OK after the accident.”

  Over the last eight months, she’d spoken with Ryan numerous times. He was the local contractor and one of the church deacons. He often came into the grocery store to grab snacks for himself and his crew.

  “Kyle, if you’re ready, we should probably take our seats. The pastor’s ready to start.” With another nod Grace’s way, Ryan headed toward his usual spot up front.

  Kyle turned back to Grace. “I’ll find you after the service.”

  She nodded, and then he made his way down the aisle.

  Kyle and Ryan were stopped by several church members as they proceeded up front. It seemed everyone was curious about the prodigal in town.

  The pianist began to play the opening hymn.

  Grace slipped into the seat next to Martha and silently began to count. One. Two. Three.

  “I see that Delaney boy came with Ryan. I guess that’s good,” Martha whispered. “I saw you talking to him.”

  Thankfully, Grace didn’t have to answer because the music director took the podium and announced the title of the first song. She closed her eyes. Her emotions were raw and on the surface. But the music portion was always the hardest for her. As long as she could remember, she’d loved to sing. She had grown up singing in a church much like this in Tennessee. When she’d graduated from high school, she’d packed up her old guitar and headed for Nashville, all bright-eyed and naïve about becoming a songwriter.

  When the pastor stood to deliver the message, Grace let out a weary whisper of a sigh.

  “I want to talk to you today about the walking wounded,” he said as if he were talking to a group of old friends. He stared out at the congregation with intent eyes. “They are our neighbors. Our friends. Our co-workers. Maybe it’s even you. Each of us has something in our past that’s left us wounded. Weary from life. Maybe a friend hurt you. A parent. A spouse.”

  Grace swallowed hard, but the lump in her throat wouldn’t go away. It was as if he were talking directly to her.

  “If you’re here today and you’re wounded, I want you to know God loves you and He wants to comfort you as only He can. Turn with me to Matthew 5:4 where Jesus says, ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’ I want you to know that you are blessed in His sight. And if you let Him, He will comfort you and see you through this dark time.”

  Grace wiped away a tear before it could fall. Thank You, God. Thank You for that promise. She so needed God’s assurances today, and He had never once let her down. When the service ended, she felt more at peace than she had in a long time. With God’s help, she could get through the anniversary
of Nick’s death. That wasn’t her life anymore. That wasn’t her wound to bear.

  Grace walked out with Martha and Ed. Outside a beautiful day was in the works. Almost as if God was rewarding them with another breathtaking day of sunshine after the terrible storm. In another few weeks, even the lower mountain peaks would be covered entirely with snow.

  Grace had been in Delaney only a few weeks when she’d gone through her first winter. It had been brutal and she had been so green. She had no idea how to survive winter in the mountains. If it weren’t for Martha and Ed’s help she probably wouldn’t have made it. They’d given her a job and bought groceries for the first few weeks she’d lived in Delaney. They’d even paid her rent for a while until she was on her feet and could pay them back.

  “Do you need a ride home, honey? I saw Emily and Mike leave already.”

  “I’m taking her home.“ Kyle stopped next to them.

  Martha was speechless. When Martha had learned of Grace’s accident, and heard who’d rescued her, she’d mentioned some of Kyle’s teenaged escapades to Grace. Her disapproval was palpable as she’d related some of the incidents.

  Kyle did a poor job of hiding his amusement as he stuck out his hand to Ed. “Kyle Delaney.”

  Ed took it and introduced himself.

  Then Kyle turned to Martha. “It’s good to see you again, Martha. You’re looking quite well. How are you?”

  Martha blushed red before finally retrieving her voice. “I’m fine, Kyle Delaney, just fine…and yourself?” she asked as an afterthought.

  “Good.” He inclined his head.

  “Are you back to stay this time?” Martha didn’t try to disguise the annoyance in her tone.

  “I am. My dad’s dying wish was to make the ranch a working one again. I want to do that for him.”

  Grace chanced a look at Martha. Some of the woman’s resentment had evaporated.

  “Well, that’s nice. Ellis would be proud. Have you heard from your brother lately?” she asked.

  Kyle’s expression froze.

  Something terrible must have come between Kyle and his brother. She hoped they’d be able to mend their differences.

  “No. I haven’t spoken to David in a long time.”

  “Well, I hope he’s doing well. It’s nice to see you again, Kyle,” Martha said with a kind tone.

  “Thanks.” He turned to Grace. “Are you ready?”

  Martha drew in a very audible breath.

  “Yes, I’m ready. I’ll see you tomorrow, Martha.” She waved good-bye to her friends, and then she and Kyle walked to his SUV.

  “Sorry about that. I hope it wasn’t too awkward. In Delaney Mountain everyone knows everyone’s business.” Kyle held the door open for her.

  Grace smiled up at him. “No, it’s fine. She means well.”

  He closed her door and then went around and got in. “You’re right. Although, I don’t think Martha will ever be a fan of mine. She remembers the bad kid I used to be.” He laughed, but it didn’t really hold any humor. “People have a way of remembering who you once were rather than believe it’s possible to change.”

  A glimpse of hurt shadowed his eyes before he turned his attention to the parking lot beyond the windshield.

  Her heart went out to him. She placed her hand on his arm. “It just takes time. They’ll see you’re not the same kid anymore.”

  He kept his attention on the road ahead. “I hope you’re right. But I can’t blame them if they don’t. I was a pretty mean person before I left for college. I did some bad things…” He looked her way and smiled. “Sorry, I’m rattling.”

  She didn’t ask anything. Telling others about one’s own mistakes was very hard. She certainly didn’t like talking about hers.

  At the higher altitude on top of Delaney Mountain, the snow was still piled along the road. The temperature usually ran some ten degrees colder than it did in town.

  They reached the spot in the road where Grace had gone off the mountain.

  She shuddered when she thought about how much worse the accident could have been. A little further up, the road bent and the drop-off was sheer. If she’d wrecked there, she wouldn’t have survived the fall.

  Kyle rounded the last curve of the mountain and her little cabin appeared tucked in the trees.

  “This is my place,” she told him as he pulled into her drive. He stopped the SUV, and she turned to him. “Thank you for the ride, Kyle.”

  “It was no problem,” he said with a smile. “What are neighbors for if not to help?”

  She opened the SUV’s door but something kept her from getting out. She’d caught a glimpse of Kyle’s pain, and she had a feeling he was as broken as she was. Did she dare put aside her need to keep hidden away and reach out to him? She could almost feel God’s urging. “Kyle, would you like to have lunch with me?”

  He seemed incapable of answering for a moment. “Are you sure? I mean I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

  “You wouldn’t be intruding. I’d love the company. Come inside and meet Lizzy.” She got out and headed for the side door that led into the kitchen.

  “Who’s Lizzy?” Kyle asked as he followed her to the door.

  There was no need for her to respond because Lizzy had heard the key and was bounding toward Grace at full speed. The second the golden retriever spotted Kyle she stopped dead in her tracks and eyed him suspiciously.

  “It’s OK, Lizzy. This is my friend Kyle.”

  Lizzy wasn’t so sure. She approached Kyle with extreme caution and whiffed the hand he held out to her. The dog decided to trust him. She licked his hand and wagged her tail.

  “Looks like you’re in.” Grace managed to get the words out in between giggles.

  Kyle knelt next to Lizzy and patted her head. “It’s nice to meet you, Lizzy.”

  Her dog really liked Kyle. Lizzy ran to a basket of toys, dug through it, and then ran back to him. She dropped the toy at his feet.

  “She wants you to toss it. She’ll bring it back. Make yourself at home. I’ll just go change.” She headed for the door then turned back. “I made chicken noodle soup last night. I hope that’s OK.”

  The second he smiled, her breath stuck in her throat. Kyle Delaney was a handsome man. He was incredibly tall and powerfully built, his collar length blond hair swept back from his face. He had the most telling, midnight blue eyes she’d ever seen.

  Grace gave herself a mental shake. She’d once thought of Nick as handsome and look where that had gotten her. Nick had broken her heart and shattered her life. She didn’t want to think about another man like that again. She came back to the present. She was still staring at him only now his smile was gone.

  His gaze slipped over her face and then down to her neck to the scar she tried so hard to conceal.

  Grace tugged at the collar of her shirt.

  “Soup sounds wonderful.” His expression held nothing more than a smile.

  “I’ll be right back.” Grace hurried away. She needed to be alone to regain her composure. She closed the door to her bedroom and leaned against it. What was wrong with her? She’d thought after the horrible way her marriage had ended she would have learned her lesson. Some people just weren’t cut out for love. She was one of them. The sooner she got that through her head the better. She was best on her own.

  Grace changed into jeans and an emerald green turtleneck sweater that did a better job of covering the scar. She stared at herself in the mirror. When she’d first moved to Delaney Mountain there had been many folks who asked about the scar. She simply dismissed it as part of the car accident, which was the truth. No one needed to know how heartbreaking the damage to her vocal cords had been.

  An image of Nick’s angry face popped into her head. It was her voice that captured Nick’s attention. She’d been so young back then. She’d believed Nick when he said he loved her, but it had all been a lie.

  She shook off the memories with difficulty. “Just let it go. Let God have it,” she whispered. She was
happy here in Delaney Mountain. She’d found a home and had made some friends. This was her life now, and she was determined not to look back.

  Grace went back to the kitchen.

  Kyle was putting on his jacket.

  “Are you leaving?” she asked. She didn’t want him to go.

  He turned to look at her. There was pity in his eyes, and she squared her shoulders with pride. She didn’t need his pity.

  “No, it’s just that Lizzy looks as if she could use a walk. You want to come with us?” he asked.

  She did. She enjoyed spending time with him. He wasn’t anything like Nick and for that, she was grateful. “I’d like that,” she told him with a smile.

  He returned her smile.

  Her heart did a little flip and heat crept into her cheeks. She was acting like a teenager with her first romance. She grabbed her coat and buttoned up.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  Grace was pretty sure there was more to that question than a simple walk.

  Kyle opened the door and stepped outside.

  Lizzy almost tripped him in her enthusiasm to be outdoors.

  Grace kept her focus on the dog as she heard Kyle’s low rumbling laughter next to her.

  “Lizzy loves the cold. In Nashville, we never had this type of weather—” Her heart dropped in dismay. She’d given away something from her past that she hadn’t intended doing.

  “You’re from Nashville?”

  Grace nodded and held her breath, expecting the inevitable questions about her past. But he didn’t say anything more. So, Kyle wasn’t one to pry. He probably had secrets he wanted to keep hidden as well.

  “How did you ever find Delaney Mountain? We’re not exactly on the tourist track.”

  “No, thank goodness.” The relief that he’d not bothered to dig into her past almost made her limp. She could talk about the town. “I’ve always wanted to come to Colorado, but I didn’t want to live in a tourist town. So, I got out a map of the state, found the tallest mountains, and then looked for a town that was small. That’s how I found Delaney.”

  He stared at her in amazement. “You’re kidding. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone do that before. Whatever you do, don’t tell the city council members. That’ll just about crush them. They’ve been trying since I was a kid to brand Delaney Mountain as a tourist hotspot without much luck.”