Rough Road Home (The Circle D series)

by Harders, Audra

  Suddenly, she wanted to tell him all about it.

  “The city didn’t have the answers I was looking for.” She reached up and plucked at the stitching around the pocket of his jacket. “Since my job prospects are few, I’ll be working for Uncle Mitch again. He said I was the best mucker he’d ever had. The PRCA tour begins in January, so”–-she took a deep breath–-“I came home.”

  “Nice place.” He looked around. “Oil derricks, cattle and windmills. Yep, you’ve got it all.”

  She felt around her collar and clutched the tiny cross in her hand. “I do now. Dad and I have done a lot of talking. I was so wrong about him and his motives for leaving the family, for leaving me. He hadn’t put the rodeo first, he’d put God first. The pieces of the puzzle finally came together.” She eased her grip on her necklace and drew a deep breath.

  “Dad and Uncle Mitch used to work together as a team for the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys. I barely remember those Sunday mornings when Bud Hill walked around the arena recruiting cowboys to attend church, it must have been quite a sight. When I got old enough to go to school, Mom and I couldn’t follow the circuit with him anymore. In my childish desires to keep him to myself, I overlooked my dad’s call to feed the Lord’s sheep--even amongst the bulls. Dad had made his decision for Christ, Mom understood and supported his decision. I was stubborn and willful and I wanted my dad. I filled in the blanks with my own, faulty reasoning.”

  Nick hugged her close. “You were a little kid, Rachel. Didn’t anyone explain things to you?”

  She nodded but kept her cheek pressed against his warmth. “Sure they tried, Uncle Mitch especially. He always told me Dad had to follow his calling. In my mind, calling equated to bull riding.” She kicked the toe of her boot into the dirt. “I’ve wasted a lot of years protecting my hardened heart.”

  She stopped fidgeting and looked up into the crystal blue eyes so full of compassion. “You know what the Bible says about love? ‘When I was a child I spoke and thought as a child, and when I grew up, I put aside childish things?’ Well, I’ve grown up.”

  “Yes, you certainly have.” He tucked her close beside him. “I wanted to find you.”

  “It was time I came home.” Her heartbeat quickened at the concession.

  The light in his eyes held true as his humor faded. “Me, too.”

  Her vivid imagination accelerated her heart beat. Over the past weeks, she’d played out every scenario possible where their futures intertwined. Sadly, none of them had a happy ending. She tamped down her excitement, careful not to allow her head free rein once more. “Where’s your home, Nick?”

  “I have a great family.” As if drawing courage on a deep breath, his voice grew strong. “A great life. I’ve rediscovered the love of Christ in my life, and to Him, I’ve surrendered all. Why should I risk losing everything just to ride an ornery old bull?” He nudged her forehead with his chin until she looked up. “Which, by the way, I never lied about. I am done bull riding.”

  Heat spread across her face. “I heard you tell the doctor you wouldn’t miss the Finals for the world,” she protested.

  “If you’re going to make eavesdropping a habit, you better learn to do it right.” He cuffed her shoulder with his fist. “I’ve got tickets in my pocket for all ten days of the National Finals Rodeo. To cheer the guys on.”

  Every nerve in her being came alive. His arms wrapped around her tighter as if anticipating her response.

  “The Grand is comping me two rooms for the entire time.” He loosened his hold as his cheek rubbed her hair. “I was hoping you’d come with me.”

  “To watch? From the stands?”

  His breath warmed her cheek as he nodded. “The stands, complete with drinks and snacks.”

  She couldn’t help squeezing him tighter. “You’re asking me on a date.”

  “Yeah, only this time we don’t have to do chores.” He cleared his throat. “The Lord sent you to me, Rachel. You made me stop and think when all I wanted to do was run.”

  “We were stuck together for days,” she whispered. “You had no choice.”

  “I had a choice. I could have sulked all the way from Casper to Hawk Ridge.”

  The paddles of a windmill on the other side of the barn clacked as a gust of wind swept past. Rachel tilted her head toward the sky, a layer of cloud covered any hope of her seeing the sun. She grinned. “You did pretty much sulk the whole time.”

  He shifted around until he stood squarely before her and reached down to hold her hands in his. Rachel pressed her palm against his warm skin, her fingers curled around his hand, begging silently to hold him for an eternity. Power emanated through his firm grasp as she read the determination in his clear, blue eyes.

  “I know I’m not much of a prize. I’m still stubborn and opinionated, and only God knows what’s to become of me.” He squeezed her hands tighter. “But maybe, we can take those days and build from there. Maybe in time, we can find a way to fit the pieces of our lives together.”

  She searched his face and found her future staring back at her. “That’ll work for me.”

  His lips brushed hers and Rachel knew she’d finally found the road home.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  “What do you think about Mexico?” Rachel flipped the proposal for Maya Bay Resort over in her hand and searched the back for further information as she tapped her fingers on the pile of information on her desk. She waved the paper toward Zac until she caught his attention. The file beneath the proposal contained photos and references. “This venture is worth exploring.”

  Zac Davidson leaned forward in his chair. He tried to see past her hand, but she kept her palm flat on the stack. His killer grin appeared. “I like the way you think, Sis. Summer camps haven’t started yet. Jen and I would be happy to check it out for viability.”

  “You and Jen?” Rachel drew the file toward her out of Zac’s reach. “Why should you two go? I’m the one who scouted it out.”

  “Because growing season hasn’t started yet either and I have time on my hands — something you don’t.”

  Understatement of the year. Her desk overflowed with stock reports featuring cattle investment properties rather than Fortune 500 companies. Over the past six months, she’d shadowed Zac through his routine operations, taking notes and asking questions about his role as financial officer of Davidson Enterprises. They’d brainstormed investments and discussed the merits of current holdings of the company. There was so much to learn, she went to bed with visions of possibilities swimming through her mind.

  She’d never worked harder…nor enjoyed anything more.

  After returning from the National Rodeo Finals with Nick last December, Rachel knew her life belonged with him. She’d prayed for a way to use her talents to honor the Lord and fulfill a need in the community. When Zac had approached her with an opportunity to manage certain financial aspects of Davidson Enterprises in order to give him more time to operate his own ranch, Rachel knew her prayer had been answered. Growing up on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma had taught her all about cattle and even a thing or two about planting and sowing. Knowledge of investment properties she’d learned all on her own. She’d moved into a cabin reserved for ranch hands just off of the main ranch compound. Melanie had confided she’d lived there when she first came to Hawk Ridge and found the man of her dreams in Gabe. Rachel took that as a good sign.

  “He’s got a point there, you know.” Nick leaned against the threshold leading into the office, his broad shoulders and muscular arms stretching the fabric of his black t-shirt. “We’re getting married in a week, or did you forget about that?”

  Rachel’s pulse raced at the sight of her fiance. His quick wit, handsome face and strong faith all rolled into expert cattle rancher of the Circle D made her smile like a schoolgirl whenever she thought of him.

  “Not in a million years, cowboy.” She waved the paper at Nick. “I was thinking honeymoon.”

  “You don’t want to work on contrac
ts over your honeymoon, do you?” Zac tossed a pencil at her, dislodging the paper from her grip. Before she could move, he’d snatched it off her desk. “Go relax somewhere.”

  Nick crossed the office carrying the soft scent of pine into the room as he stopped beside Rachel. Her skin tingled as his hand rested on her shoulder, his fingers teasing the sensitive spot at the base of her neck. Without thinking, she reached up and traced his knuckles with her fingertips. “You’re absolutely right, Zac.”

  “You don’t want to honeymoon in Mexico?” Zac questioned as if walking into a trap.

  She shook her head. “You and Jen go.”

  Nick stopped massaging her muscles. “Are you sure?”

  Rachel stood and wrapped her arms around Nick’s neck as his arms encircled her waist. The curious gleam in his eyes made her grin with attitude. “I’ve already spent time on the road with you. I want to move into our house and make it our home.” She reached up and gave him a quick kiss. “What do you think?”

  “I think I’ll leave you two to discuss the details of your honeymoon while I go find Jen and tell her to pack.” Zac disappeared in no time flat with the portfolio of the property in his secure grip.

  “Smart man I work for.” Rachel gazed deep into Nick’s eyes, amazed anew at the love she saw there. A love that promised to only grow stronger over the years. “No micro-managing.”

  “Good thing.” Nick drew her deeper into his embrace. “Our home. I like the sound of that.”

  He kissed her and Rachel knew she never wanted to leave home again.

  The End