by Amanda Renee
Miranda nodded. “I agree.” She wiped her hands on a napkin and braced herself for the storm about to rage. “That’s why I’ve decided to hire Aaron.”
“You what?” Jesse and Mable said in unison.
Miranda looked at them both. “What is so wrong with him?”
“Why Aaron of all people?” Jesse asked while Mable shook her head.
“Because I trust him and feel comfortable having him around,” Miranda replied. “He knows this ranch and the animals. Besides, he’s the first one you call when you need help.”
“No, he’s the one I call when all options have run out.” Jesse went to stand, but Mable’s hand on his kept him seated. “I don’t think Aaron’s the best choice.”
“Then tell me who is.” Miranda waited for a response. None came. “Exactly.”
“Have you discussed this with Aaron yet?” Jesse asked through clenched teeth.
“No, but I’m sure it won’t be a problem.” Miranda was confident her friend would take her up on her offer. “I want Double Trouble to be a working ranch again, like you do.”
“Really?” A look of surprise washed over Jesse.
“Yes, really.” Miranda walked to the screen door and looked out over the grounds. “I want you to continue to do what you do best. Training the horses.”
“How gracious of you.” Mable shot Jesse another warning glare.
“I also want to plant some crops in a section of the south pasture and eventually open up a vegetable stand of some sort here, along with a collectable shop or maybe an antiques store. I had my heart set on a clothing boutique in town but I changed my mind. I’d rather open something here on the ranch. I know it might take a few years to actually turn a profit, but I think we have a chance.”
“Miranda,” Jesse said, joining her at the door, “I appreciate your ambition, but all of your ideas take money and plenty of extra hands. Not just Aaron’s.”
“Aaron is all I can afford,” Miranda said. “And even that might be a stretch.”
“Why does it have to be Aaron?”
“Why do you still hate him after something that happened ten years ago?”
“Because he’s doing it again!” Jesse flew out the door and stomped off to the stables.
“What is his problem?”
Miranda turned to see Mable shaking her head.
“Just when I thought you two were on the right track, you messed it all up by bringing Aaron into this.”
“With all due respect, I’m doing what you suggested. That Jesse and I work together. I’m offering him a chance to stay on the ranch. What is so wrong with hiring Aaron?”
“Child, for starters, he has a reputation with the ladies.” Mable cleared the dishes from the table as she spoke. “And while Jesse respects him as a horseman, he doesn’t want to be in competition with you for your affections.”
“Aaron’s past or present personal life is none of my concern.” Miranda shrugged. “I know where I fit in. It’s as his friend and only as a friend. Why should I care if Jesse has a problem with this?”
“This isn’t the big city, Miranda. It’s a small town. Here in Ramblewood, people care about each other’s feelings and opinions. Especially when they live together.”
Live together? There’s a rumor in the making. “We don’t live together,” Miranda stressed. “He has the foreman’s house, I have mine.”
“Well, you might as well be when he lives only fifty feet from you.”
“So what?”
“All right, time to lay it on the line,” Mable said. “Have you paid him yet for the work he’s done here?”
“I gave him the check from the sale of the horses.”
“That’s paying to feed those animals. Have you paid him anything else?”
“No, I—”
“No, you haven’t. You haven’t discussed it with him. And it’s fine because he’s not complaining. He loves this place. He’d give his life for this land.”
“I understand, but—”
“It’s backbreaking work, every day,” Mable interrupted. “But he gladly does it. It’s in his blood. Now you want to bring in someone he can’t stand. You need to respect how he feels about it.”
“I understand,” Miranda interjected. “But I also understand I need to do what’s best for the ranch. And he needs to respect my intentions, as well.”
What was wrong with everyone around here? Miranda figured they would have been happy to hear her plans to get the ranch running well again. She had so many other ideas she wanted to talk over with Jesse. Although she knew their time together was limited, she wanted his opinion. She hoped he would be so enthralled and proud of her, he’d want to stay.
Miranda looked for Jesse in the stables. She found him, kneeling on the floor, a stall door laid out before him.
“Can we talk for a minute?”
“A minute. I’ve got work to do and I’m sure you have something to do in the house.”
“Jesse, what am I supposed to do here?” She lightly touched his arm so he would look at her. “You tell me if you win this bet, the ranch is yours and I’m gone. I won’t let it happen. So when I win, you’ll leave. Your decision, not mine. What choice do I have but to hire someone I feel comfortable being around? Did you expect me to hire a stranger?”
Jesse stood and kissed her softly on the mouth.
“I don’t want to lose anything.”
Miranda understood the underlying meaning of his words. Not only did he want the ranch, he wanted her. What she couldn’t figure out was why. Was it out of jealousy of Aaron or did he truly have feelings for her? After his impromptu proposal last night, she bet on jealousy and her being the easiest way to gain ownership of the ranch. If they were married, he would have everything he wanted.
She’d only known him for a week, but she couldn’t deny her attraction to him. He was stubborn and obstinate. So was she. He loved Double Trouble and wanted to return it to what it once was. So did she. They shared so much in common, yet she didn’t know if she could trust him.
Trust had always been an issue with her. Her mother was too irresponsible to ever trust. When Claire’s illness set in, her mother relied on her for everything. Miranda was there for her one hundred percent. There was no thank you. No I love you. No nothing. Only demands. Knowing her mother wouldn’t be around much longer, Miranda did all she could to make her comfortable. No matter how hurtful her mother’s words were.
Despite the earlier problems she faced when she arrived, Ramblewood felt like home. Miranda needed a place to call home more than anything. The town was small and intimate, the complete opposite of Washington, D.C. She was becoming who she always wanted to be. A small town girl, living in wide-open spaces. Working hard and doing something meaningful with her day. Actually making a difference.
“Forgive me,” Miranda said. “But I don’t know how to trust you. I don’t know how to trust anyone anymore.”
Jesse wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “You will, in time.”
He kissed her with more urgency. The heat from his lips crushed against hers as they parted for him. She felt wanted right now. It was a feeling she didn’t want to lose. More than once this week she found herself admitting she needed this man before her. And she needed him in more than one way.
Chapter Nine
By the end of the following week, summer was in full swing. Miranda worked by Jesse’s side every day. She’d
even convinced him hiring Aaron was a good idea. He had turned out to be a godsend in the end.
It became apparent Aaron was only interested in Miranda as a friend. Aaron sought her advice on matters of the heart and she went to him for house renovation ideas. Jesse felt like a heel for thinking the worst of him all this time. He finally broke down and apologized to both of them for his actions at Slater’s Mill the week before.
Double Trouble may have consumed Aaron’s days, but his new girlfriend, Kiley West, occupied his nights. And with Aaron occupied, Jesse had more one-on-one time with Miranda. She had no plans to lose the bet and wasn’t about to give up Double Trouble. He had to work fast if he planned to sweep Miranda off her feet in a few short weeks.
Miranda’s riding skills improved each day. Jesse felt comfortable enough to allow her to saddle her own horse. After the one time she didn’t double-check the cinch, she learned her lesson fast. He still couldn’t get the image of Miranda, the saddle slipping sideways, and her landing on the ground out of his mind. She was stunned but amused. Luckily, she didn’t get hurt. Graceful the woman was not.
Miranda continued to exceed each challenge he threw her way. She seemed to enjoy the hard work and by Thursday morning, she beat him to the stables.
At night, everyone pitched in and helped Miranda renovate the house. The living room was now a light café au lait color. Jesse and Aaron installed white bead board around the perimeter of the room to add more of the cozy charm she wanted. Miranda picked out a sofa and love seat at Mayfield’s pre-Fourth of July sale and a bedroom suite for one of the spare bedrooms at another yard sale. He had to admit, she was thrifty. She managed to furnish the entire house in less than two weeks, without breaking the bank.
When Aaron wasn’t working the ranch or out with Kiley, he was in the midst of constructing a magnificent bookcase to house Miranda’s ever-growing collection of romance novels. She snatched them up by the dozen for a steal at yard sales. She said she never allowed herself to believe in romance before now. Jesse liked to think he had a little something to do with it.
“I’m heading to Slater’s tonight if you care to join me,” Jesse asked as he filled one of the water troughs.
“I’d love to. I need to go over some picnic details with Vicki,” Miranda said.
“I have to admit, curiosity is getting the best of me. I should have stipulated you had to plan this party without help.” Jesse laughed.
“Well, you didn’t and I have a million ideas. All I’ll tell you is this year it starts in the morning and runs all day.”
True to tradition, all of Ramblewood was invited. Excitement spread from neighbor to neighbor while the townsfolk anxiously awaited the event. Jesse hoped the picnic would finally put to rest the rumors he’d started before Miranda came to town.
Miranda, with the help of Vicki’s mother and friends, planned a surprise baby shower for her new friend. It was her way of saying thank you for not judging her as so many others in town had. No thanks to Jesse, of course.
At Slater’s Mill that evening, Miranda blended in like a Ramblewood regular. A stranger would never have guessed she wasn’t born and raised here. She had more of a relaxed aura in recent days. They joined friends at a table near the dance floor.
“Your plans for the picnic all sound so wonderful, Miranda.” Vicki rubbed her belly. “I hope I can hold out long enough to make it.”
“I thought you had a few more weeks to go.”
“I do. I just feel different lately. Then again, I’ve never done this before. This could be normal for all I know. The doctor told me yesterday I still wasn’t ready.”
“You’re still coming out to the ranch tomorrow afternoon, right?” Miranda questioned.
“Of course. We only have a week left to get everything ready.”
Vicki refused to sit at home and let life pass her by. She feared she’d miss something good if she wasn’t around. Pregnant or not, she was religiously at Slater’s Mill every Friday night. With her high-spirited outlook on life, Jesse teased he wouldn’t be at all surprised if she gave birth on the dance floor and then did a cheer afterward.
“I feel neglected.” Jesse pulled Miranda to her feet. “Ready to take a spin with me on the dance floor, sugar?”
“Why, Mr. Langtry, I never thought you’d ask,” Miranda replied in her best Southern accent as she batted her eyelashes.
Vicki leaned toward Aaron. “So, when do you think the wedding will take place?”
Aaron laughed. “At the rate they’re goin’, I’d say no later than fall.”
* * *
“EVERYTHING IN PLACE for the baby shower tomorrow?” Jesse pulled Miranda closer.
“All set.” Miranda beamed. “As long as Brandon doesn’t catch on.”
“I have it covered. I told him I needed some advice on expanding the business. He already has some ideas. Very good ones. We should really look into it.”
“That’s if you win the bet.” Miranda swayed to the music. “I have my own plans, too. The magazine I’m reading says I need to turn the soil over soon in order to get it ready for next spring.”
“Magazine, huh?” Jesse laughed. “We’ll talk about fiction versus reality later. Brandon will love this joint baby shower idea of yours. He feels left out of the whole experience, as he puts it.”
“I’m a firm believer a baby shower should involve the father. It’s his child, too.”
Those words were music to his ears. He watched Brandon’s enthusiasm grow with each passing month. Jesse wasn’t sure who was more excited, Vicki or Brandon, but he was certain when Miranda was carrying his child, he’d be there every step of the way. He laughed at the ease with which she fit into his thoughts. The more time he spent with Miranda, the more he wanted to marry her. And not just for the ranch.
“Something funny?”
“Have I ever told you how incredible you are?”
In the dim light of Slater’s Mill, he could see a hint of red spreading to Miranda’s cheeks. “Jesse” was all she whispered as she laid her head on his chest. It was all he needed...for now.
* * *
THE RANCH BUSTLED WITH activity the following afternoon. Miranda and Vicki’s mother, Ethel, fixed the salads while Mable put the finishing touches on her chocolate chip pecan pies and peach cobblers.
Bridgett arrived with a helium tank and balloons along with an assortment of pastries from The Magpie. Kiley brought cartons of handmade shower favors, which almost fell to the ground when Aaron snuck up behind her and kissed her neck.
Jesse and Aaron offered valet parking so they could hide everyone’s car behind the main barn. The guests began to arrive around noon followed shortly by the guests of honor.
“Surprise!” everyone shouted.
Vicki began to cry with Brandon not too far behind her. Their parents escorted them to two chairs on a small platform, decorated in pink and blue.
“I can’t believe you did this!” Vicki said to Miranda. “I had no idea!”
“It was my pleasure.” Miranda hugged her friend. “You can’t have a baby without a baby shower, now can you?”
“Just think,” Jesse whispered in her ear. “It could be us someday.”
Before she could respond, he was gone. Was that an offer? They may have grown closer over the past week, but they hadn’t shared anything more than a few kisses. At this rate, she’d be happy if he agreed not to leave at the end of their bet.
The party
was a success. While Miranda and Vicki waved goodbye to the last of the guests, Jesse helped Brandon load the gifts in the truck. Mable drove her sister home and Miranda bustled about cleaning up.
“I don’t know how to thank you, Miranda.” Tears welled in Vicki’s eyes. “This was all so...so...so thoughtful.”
“Don’t you start crying,” Miranda said as she hugged her. “You’ll get me started.”
“Honey,” Brandon called to his wife. “I’ll be out back. We’re going to take a look at one of the horses.”
“Okay, dear.”
“Sit down, leave all this to me,” Miranda said as she pulled out a kitchen chair. “Let me fix you a nice cup of decaf.”
Miranda took out her notebook of ideas she had for the Fourth of July picnic. Mable and Vicki filled her in on the traditional meals and activities but she wanted to add some new ideas to put her own spin on things.
“I think I covered everything,” Miranda said as she poured more coffee.
“It sure looks—” Vicki winced and her hand flew to her belly. “Whoa.”
“Are you okay?” Miranda rushed to her friend’s side.
“Whew!” A look of relief washed over her. “I think so. It took me off guard. I think it was all of the excitement. Either that or gas.”
“Are you sure?” Miranda asked as she glanced at the clock on the wall.
“Sure.” Vicki brushed it off. “Now, where were we? You’re okay on food since everyone will bring a dish of some sort. And the boys are all fixing barbeque.”
Miranda watched beads of sweat form on Vicki’s brow. As she dampened a dish towel at the kitchen sink, she looked out the window for Jesse and Brandon.
“Okay.” Vicki squirmed to try to get into a comfortable position. “This isn’t fun anymore.”
Miranda stepped out on the porch and yelled for Brandon at the top of her lungs. Panicked when no one appeared, she told Vicki she would be right back and sprinted across the yard to the stables. Aaron grabbed Miranda as she ran by, while Kiley appeared from one of the stalls, noticeably disheveled.