"I believe I will, Grandpa. Thank you for everything." Riel put the truck back into Park, unbuckled his seat belt, and reached over to hug his grandfather.
***
Jenna was happy hearing Riel's truck pull into the driveway and head toward the house. Riel was better after each veteran's meeting he attended. He was more outgoing, confident in his thoughts and Jenna liked the sparkle that had replaced the dull pain in his eyes when he first arrived at Russ's place.
She'd washed, and dried towels, cleaned the kitchen—in other words—found jobs to do in the house as she waited for Riel and Russ to return.
"We come bearing gifts!" Russ called out as the men entered the back door.
Jenna came out of the bathroom where she'd just hung fresh towels.
"For your puppy or me?" Jenna kidded him.
Riel brought home a new toy for Lucy nearly every time he went to town.
"Oh shoot!" Riel slapped a hand on his forehead. "Did they have flavored cupcakes for dogs? I forgot to ask."
"You're spoiling your puppy, Riel. Lucy has more toys than a kid." Russ teased Riel as he set the box of cupcakes on the kitchen counter and opened the lid.
"I told Riel to keep his hands off the pumpkin spice, so you'd get it."
"Oh, I love that variety. Thanks for the treat, guys. I have coffee made. Do you want a cup with your second cupcake?"
"Who says we've eaten one yet?" Russ shifted his eyes back and forth comically.
"The white frosting on Riel's cheek." Jenna was tempted to clean the frosting off with her finger.
"Oh, shoot. We've been caught, Grandpa."
"Don't care. I'm ready for another cupcake since Jenna has fresh coffee available." Russ said as he sat down at the kitchen table and studied the cupcake varieties in the box.
Jenna was anxious to share her news but waited until they were seated.
"I think I found my first registered female Australian Cattle dog today online. She's in Austin. Mind if I go tomorrow to look at her?"
"No, that'd be great. In fact, maybe Riel could go with you. There's a workshop in saddle making coming up, and he could stop by the instructor's shop to check it out and sign up."
Although Jenna loved Riel's grandfather, the thought of spending a day alone with Riel sounded wonderful. She could even dress up a little...but for what? To catch his eye? Jenna caught herself daydreaming about kissing Riel, but that's all it would ever be—a dream.
Last Sunday David Mueller had asked her out for a date, but she turned him down. She should have accepted because Riel would be moving back to Kansas eventually.
"Jenna, did you hear me?" Russ asked her.
"I’m sorry, I was daydreaming. Did you want more coffee?"
"No. I was telling you Riel decided to stay in Texas and I'm deeding him my ranch."
The news floored Jenna. Was Riel taking over the ranch? Then what about her job, her home, and her dream of raising and training dogs?
"So, I'm being kicked off the ranch?" Jenna angrily asked as she stood up from the table.
"No. No, Jenna." Riel reached out to touch her arm, and she jerked away.
"Sit down, Jenna." Russ used a polite but firm voice she rarely heard, so she slid back into her chair.
"I'm old and getting older. Tonight, Riel told me he wants to stay in Texas to learn the leather trade, instead of going back to Kansas to ranch. I'd already talked to my lawyer about passing the ranch to Riel. I wasn't going to force the place on Riel or say anything about it unless he decided to stay in Texas.
"Even with his decision, I plan to live on the ranch as long as I'm able, then move into Sweet Grove when I need to."
Riel reached for Jenna's hand on the table and hooked his fingers through hers. "I'd like you to stay, Jenna. Not only to help on the ranch as you have, and to build your dog business...but to see if there might be a future between us?"
"You realize your grandfather is sitting between us?" Jenna's embarrassed blush was better than her angry face a second ago.
"Yes, and I believe he has been pushing us together every chance he gets. So, ready for our first official date tomorrow?"
Jenna turned to Russ who was smugly smiling. "Are you playing matchmaker with us, Russ?"
"Yep. Ready to put the past behind you and move forward with Riel?"
Was she? She thought of Tug. She never expected him to have health problems so early in life, or to die so violently because of it.
Could she trust her heart to another man—especially Riel—knowing he already had issues to deal with?
Only one way to find out. “Yes. I’ll be ready for our date…after breakfast and chores tomorrow.”
Chapter 9
Jenna looked nice today, trying to dress up without being noticeable, but he noticed. She wore nice black jeans instead of her usual work pair. A royal blue knit top with the v-neckline, which accented her dangling chain necklace with a bunch of charms on the end. And he'd like to get up close and personal to touch those charms individually.
Riel breathed in deep to calm his nerves and thoughts, which didn't help since he could smell the light vanilla come from her side of the truck cab as they drove to Austin. Instead of having her hair in its usual braid, it hung in a freshly washed curly curtain around her shoulders. Yeah, that's where the scent was coming from—her hair—and he was itching to run his fingers through it.
Gee whiz, he was feeling like a sixteen-year-old out on his first date. Just as well confess it had been years since he'd asked a woman on a date.
"I hate to say this since we've practically lived together for weeks, but now I feel tongue-tied," Riel commented as they spent the last five minutes in silence.
"I know what you mean. It’s silly I should feel 'first-date' jitters with you, but it's been over sixteen years since I've been out on a date," Jenna smiled, and Riel relaxed with her observation.
"I'm glad you feel ready for a date, and that it's with me." Riel was glad for both thoughts.
"How about you? Any relationships or engagements in your past?" Jenna questioned him.
"I must admit I acted like a horny teenager getting off the ranch and seeing all those girls in the real world." Riel laughed, thinking of how many dates he went on in his first years in the army. Any free weekend he and his friends had off base were looking for fun and girls.
"I missed that stage of 'sowing my wild oats' since Tug was the first man I dated in college and then married."
"Looking back now, I went overboard chasing girls, but the freedom of being away from home, where everybody knew who you went out with..." Riel smiled again, thinking of his past.
"How about after you matured a bit?" Jenna asked.
"My first overseas tour knocked me for a loop. I had been seeing a woman I cared deeply about, and I thought maybe I'd ask her to be my wife, but...the danger I was in, not knowing if I'd come home after a tour..."
"Did you think about leaving the army for her?"
"Briefly, after she threatened to leave me if I didn't. Then I knew she wasn't the 'for better for worse' type of woman and I stopped seeing her."
"Any other close encounters with a bent knee?" Jenna half teased him.
"No. I started to focus on long-term goals. Saving money for my retirement plans of a new career, wife, family, and home."
"So, do you feel back on track now after being out of the army for a while?"
"Yes, finally. The group vet sessions and some counseling that I've done one on one with a therapist has made a world of difference."
"How so?"
"I'm sleeping more hours at night without as many nightmares now. And when one starts, Lucy pulls me out of pretty fast by licking my face."
"It's a wonder you didn't bring your puppy with you today," Jenna observed. "You two are inseparable."
"I thought about it, but you might be bringing home a new dog today, so it was best she stayed home. And maybe I'd get lucky and get a kiss from my date, instead of a lick from
my dog if she wasn't along."
"Still feeling tongue-tied?" Jenna teased him.
"Nope. I feel like I can talk to you about anything and you won't judge me." Riel reached across the console and wrapped his fingers around Jenna's as her hand met his halfway. "Thanks for helping me through these transition weeks. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome. I think—no, I know—it's helped me too. I'll never forget Tug, but I feel ready to move on with my life now."
"Glad we're on the same page. Okay, here's the exit for the saddle shop. Let's see if this could become my next career."
***
The tour of the saddle shop excited them both. She could see the sparkle in Riel's eyes as he asked questions and eagerly signed up for the upcoming workshop. Riel would be working on leather tonight after seeing the projects the saddle maker had in progress around his shop.
Lunch at a Mexican restaurant found out they both loved fajitas but neither cared for refried beans. She hadn't talked and laughed like this in years, and it felt right with Riel.
"We have an hour before we meet with the dog breeder. Mind if we stop at the home center?" Riel asked as he turned into the huge parking lot.
"I guess not since we have time, and we're already here," Jenna teased.
Their friendly banter, starting on the drive to Austin, continued throughout their day together.
"What do you need here?" Jenna asked as Riel found a parking spot and pulled into it.
"Well, I'm looking for ideas," Riel answered as he opened her door and gave her his hand to help her out. And Riel kept holding her hand as they walked into the store.
"Grandpa shocked me yesterday when he said I was getting his place. I called my folks last night to talk about it, and they knew about it all along."
After Jenna got over the initial shock of the announcement, she knew it was the right thing for both Russ and Riel.
"That was the reason my parents suggested I visit Grandpa for a few weeks."
"Who knew parents could be right sometimes," Jenna joked.
"Yeah, who knew, but they were right that their ranch wasn't the right place for me."
"So, do we need a cart?" They'd stopped at the cart row, and Jenna wondered if they needed one.
"No, let’s just walk down the aisles and look around."
"Why?"
"It dawned on me, during the night, that I'll own a home. Now I'll clear any changes with Grandpa, but the kitchen appliances are over twenty years old, the dingy olive-green carpet is over forty years old, and I don't like the big orange flower wallpaper in the bathroom."
"So, you want to remodel the house."
"Starting with the bright orange bathroom, and working through the whole house. The house was built in the early 1900s and has only been updated once when Grandma hung that wallpaper in the 1970s."
"Could be a big project. What would your grandpa say?"
"He's the one that recently said, 'I never liked that bathroom wallpaper. It flashes in your face the first thing in the morning'."
Jenna giggled, hearing how Russ would say that.
"Would you get rid of the matching olive green and gold sofa too?"
"Yes, and get new recliners for both of us. A flat-screen TV..."
"Could you afford this? Not being nosy or anything."
"I've saved my money over the years, and if I don't have to buy a home, I can remodel the house, the barn, and the bunkhouse."
"I like my bunkhouse as it is, thank you very much."
"But think about new appliances...we could sand the hardwood floor and get some nice area rugs... A flat-screen TV..."
Jenna laughed aloud at Riel's wide eyes and big grin, knowing he was exaggerating his expression to look like a mad scientist.
"Well, let's go up and down the aisles and dream big then. They have everything here from wallpaper to washing machines." Jenna tugged Riel's hand for him to follow her. He knew she liked clothes, but he didn't know she loved interior decorating too. Riel was in for a surprise.
*
"Did you have fun today?" Riel asked as they drove into the ranch yard.
"I did. I'm glad your grandfather suggested we spend the day together."
Besides getting to know each other in a different situation than the ranch, it was a productive day for both.
Riel, signing up for his workshop, and for Jenna, buying her first dog, who was sitting in the crate in the jump seat behind them.
"I bet Miss Muffy—if you're going to stick with that name for her—can have a date with Grandpa and Lucy."
The dog whined looking through the wire door at them. She wasn't quite sure what was going on and where she was going.
Jenna turned around to talk to the dog. "It's okay, Miss Muffy. You'll have three new dog friends to play with at the ranch."
The bred two-year-old Australian Cattle dog was trained to commands. Jenna liked the disposition and coloring of the male used to breed the female, so she bought Miss Muffy without any hesitation.
"That's her registered name, but I bet she had a nickname too. Were you called Muf?"
A bark came from the back seat as the answer.
"You guessed right, and she'll feel better if you use it.”
"Okay, we're home," Riel announced when he pulled into his usual spot by his grandfather's truck. "How about I lock the dogs up in the barn before you bring Muf out? That way she can look around without being bothered right away."
"Good idea. I'll stay here until you come back." Jenna turned to watch Riel walk around the pickup as the dogs greeted him. Riel talked to them as he walked to the barn, the three dogs happily following him.
Jenna had to admit she could almost follow Riel "anywhere" too. Was she finally healed enough to think about a committed relationship? If she and Riel were to date, could it lead to marriage, and was she ready for that? What about Riel’s Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
And the question of children still rested on her mind. Women now had babies later in life than they used to, but could she be a young mother at age forty? Mothers in her child's grade school class could be twenty years younger.
And although she knew Riel would be wonderful with kids—since he treated his dog like a baby—his tragic experience in the army would make him hesitant to be a father. He'd always be overly worried he couldn't protect his child.
Jenna jumped as Riel opened her door. "All clear so you can bring Muf out now." He reached for her hand, and she willingly grasped it.
"Thanks, Riel." She smiled and squeezed his hand, and she stepped out onto the ground. She wished she could tell him the squeeze was more than for helping her out of the car. He’d given her a reason to move forward in her stalled life.
Chapter 10
All three of them looked out the kitchen window when the dogs started barking as a vehicle slowly drove up to the house. They were in for their noon meal and had just sat down to eat.
"Who's that?" Russ stood up from the kitchen table to get a better look out the window. "I don't recognize that fancy car."
Instead of the usual pickup of a neighbor, it was a newer model of an SUV.
"That's a Mercedes-Benz," Riel announced.
"Huh," Russ answered as he peered out the window. "Didn't you have one of those fancy cars, Jenna?"
Jenna felt her face redden as Riel stared at her. Yes, she used to be a rich woman who drove an expensive car.
She cleared her throat. "I had a BMW, Russ."
"I remember that flashy red car."
The car slowly rolled to a stop in front of the house. After a moment’s hesitation the driver took a moment to watch the four barking dogs by his car, but finally opened the door and stepped out.
"He's a big man. Can't see his face well with his wrap-around sunglasses." Russ gave a running comment as the man turned away from the house to study the barn and outbuildings.
Once he turned back to the house though and started for the front door, Jenna knew who he was. Jared Milner
. NFL linebacker. Multi-millionaire. The man who stood by her side when Tug was laid to rest in the cemetery.
"Um, he was a friend of Tug's," Jenna hesitantly said as she walked out the back door, firmly closing it behind her. Besides quieting the dogs, she wanted this meeting to be private, so she walked out to greet him before Jared made it to the front door.
"Dogs, sit.” Three did and sat silently on command, except Lucy, who was too wound up to mind. She danced around Jenna, the dogs, and the visitor.
“Jared. What are you doing here?" She had her arms wrapped around her middle, but Jared caught her by surprise and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a close hug before letting her go and stepping back.
"I wanted to see how you're doing. It's been a year so I−."
"How'd you know I was here?"
"I asked Jim since you were close to Becky. Figured you'd keep in touch with her."
Becky and Jim Sharpe. Her and Tug's best friends in Dallas. The two couples did everything together until Tug's death. In fact, Jenna and Tug were the godparents to their children, six-year-old Amie and four-year-old RJ. Although Jenna hadn't been back to Dallas in almost a year, she and Becky occasionally skyped so Jenna was still in touch with their children.
"Yes, we spoke last week."
"Good. I'm glad you've kept in touch with your friends." Jared's eyes swept the ranch again before setting back on her.
"Not where I'd expect you to be, but I guess this is how you grew up."
"Yes, my parents live a few miles down the road, but I didn't feel comfortable living with them after being married for so long."
"Completely understandable. So…you...bought a ranch and raising horses now?" Jared stared at the two horses in the corral, who were curiously watching them.
Jenna straightened her shoulders, refusing to feel bad about what she now did for a living. "No. I work for the rancher and live in his bunkhouse. I’m also training cow dogs."
First Street Church: Love's Blessing (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Clear Creek Legacy Book 1) Page 5