A Rancher's Bride

by Vivian Arend

  She kissed Luke right there in front of Caleb, squeezing his neck tightly before letting go and taking off at a run.

  Luke watched her go, happiness…and something else…stewing inside.

  It took a little while before it hit. In fact, it wasn’t until two days later that his brain finally offered up the tidbit that had been haunting him. But when it did, he didn’t hesitate.

  “I finally figured it out,” he told Caleb as he tracked him down in Ashton’s office later that night. “We need to talk about Nemo.”

  Ashton glanced up, smile growing. “He’s pulling his weight now, isn’t he? Good old boy. Glad we stuck it out.”

  “Me too, but we nearly got rid of him, didn’t we?”

  Ashton leaned back in his chair. A crease formed between his brows as he thought back. “Come to think of it, you’re right. He was pretty surly at one point. Kelli was convinced she could train him to behave and talked us into holding on for another season.”

  Caleb nodded. “I’d forgotten about that.”

  So he hadn’t been imagining things. Luke took a deep breath. What he was about to propose was a huge change and affected how much Nemo’s increased fees helped Silver Stone, but it needed to be done. “I think Kelli should be listed on his ownership papers.”

  Caleb stopped everything. He turned his perceptive gaze on Luke, examining him carefully. Ashton had gone silent as well.

  “That means she gets a cut of every payout,” Caleb pointed out. “On one hand, I don’t have any problem with that, but…?”

  “It’s the right thing to do,” Luke insisted.

  Caleb considered for a long, quiet moment.

  Luke knew his brother. He knew what was going on in Caleb’s head as he weighed the needs of the family and what was proper.

  Sooner than expected, his oldest brother shrugged. “We should have done this years ago, but I guess it’s better late than never. It’s not right for us to keep all the money when we wouldn’t have had anything if it hadn’t been for her.”

  Ashton laid a hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “Your dad would be proud.”

  Caleb made a rude noise. “He’d be shaking his head that it took this long for the truth to sink in. Mom would have laughed—she’d have liked Kelli.”

  “Both of them smart and stubborn—not bad traits in a woman, especially ones who live with us untamed cowboys.” Ashton glanced between the brothers. “You need to talk to the rest of the Stones?”

  “We should.” Caleb checked his watch. “Luke, you call Walker. I’ll email Ginny, then track down Dustin for his vote, but I don’t see any of them having a problem with it. Even with giving Kelli part of the higher fees, Silver Stone is still really close to turning the corner.”

  “Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll contact our legal guy. He can do it up proper with a contract.” Ashton folded his arms, the trace of silver at his temples and the lines on his face the only things showing he was no longer a young man. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again now, Kelli’s been an asset to Silver Stone since the day she arrived.”

  Knowing a little more about the details of that day, and how she’d walked onto the ranch uninvited, Luke let his smile broaden without sharing why.

  He and Caleb left Ashton, walking in companionable silence across the snow toward where the packed-down path split in two directions.

  They paused as if it had been planned, both of them staring upward. The air was icy cold, stars twinkling in the deep black sky.

  Caleb made a noise of approval. “Never gets old. Even when it makes me feel like I’m small as a flea, it’s so damn beautiful, I don’t really care I’m pretty insignificant in the scheme of things.”

  “Deep thoughts for a January night,” Luke teased.

  “It’s good to have them once in a while,” Caleb acknowledged. He looked Luke directly in the eyes. “I was a little slow on the uptake. You and Kelli being together isn’t bad, but it makes things…complicated. Giving her part ownership of Nemo puts a little more power in her hands. She’ll have money that doesn’t depend on you or her position here at Silver Stone.

  It was the answer to so many lingering concerns. Luke exhaled in a rush. “Thank you for understanding.”

  “Some might say we’re being foolish,” Caleb pointed out.

  “I really care about Kelli.” Luke chose his words carefully. “And I’m not saying much more than that because we’re still figuring things out, but I don’t want her staying on board with Silver Stone because she has nowhere else to go. Hell, I don’t want her staying on board with me because she has no options.”

  A low chuckle escaped his brother. “I think you’re a far bigger attraction than you’re giving yourself credit for.”

  It was Luke’s turn to shrug. “Okay, call it leverage for those times when I screw up. Now she’ll have something to beat me over the head with.”

  “Trust me. You’ll do things worth being beat over the head for.”

  Luke didn’t disagree. “Let me tell her?”

  Caleb grinned. “Of course. Telling a woman good news is always best done by someone who can truly appreciate the celebration that follows.”

  Which was pretty much what Luke figured.

  “I’ll text you as soon as I hear back from Ginny and Dustin,” Caleb promised.

  Luke squeezed Caleb’s shoulder then took off, hoping confirmation came sooner than later so he didn’t have to keep this secret from Kelli for too long.

  He called Walker as he strode through the darkness to his back door, but as they’d suspected, Walker had no problems with the idea. Another layer of relief flooded in when only moments after Luke hung up his coat, Caleb texted.

  Caleb: Ginny is up for some ungodly reason and already responded. She says, and I quote, “it’s about freaking time.” I don’t know if that’s in reference to Nemo’s shares, or you and Kelli being together. I haven’t heard from Dustin, but I know he considers her family. Go ahead and tell Kelli if you want.

  * * *

  Luke: You sure?

  * * *

  Caleb: Yes. We’ve got four out of the five share-holders in agreement. If Dustin’s got any worries, I’ll talk him through them.

  His brother was right. Didn’t make Luke any less grateful to be given the go-ahead.

  Luke: Thanks. For all of it.

  * * *

  Caleb: Don’t you have something to do? I’ve had enough typing with my thumbs on this stupid phone.

  Kelli was tangled in a yoga position in front of his fireplace. The sight of her there made him happy with the memory of their time chatting during the gala.

  The position made him cringe.

  Kelli had known he was there the instant he’d stepped a boot on the back stairs. She’d forced her breathing to stay slow and smooth, and by the time he entered the room she was as close to calm as possible.

  Her heart rate was always erratic around him—sexy, dangerous man.

  “You’re going to break something,” he warned, his deep voice sweet and tempting like hot chocolate and whipped cream.

  “Only if you join me,” she teased, unraveling her legs and turning toward him. “Mr. Inflexible.”

  “I’m very flexible. I change my mind whenever I choose.” He dropped to the floor beside her, stretching out his legs as he leaned back on the couch. He’d pulled off his socks, and his feet were bare.

  That shouldn’t have seemed so damn sexy, but it did.

  She ignored the hum of heat simply looking at him ignited. “You were working late. Ashton making you redo stalls again?”

  A burst of laughter escaped him. “God, you know too many secrets. No, there were no double-done chores because I slacked off the first time. I was with Ashton, though. And Caleb.”

  She nodded knowingly. “Business meeting.”

  “Yeah, definitely. We were talking about Nemo. And you.”

  Kelli curled her legs under her, sitting at his side. “Me?”


  “How you’re good at your job. How you were the one who convinced us to keep him all those years ago.”

  And then he proceeded to blow her mind.

  By the time he was done explaining what the ranch had decided to do in terms of ownership and percentages, her mind was whirling. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

  Luke stroked a hair behind her ear, his gaze fixed on her face. “Not much you have to say. If anything, we’re sorry it took this long to figure out you deserved more credit.”

  “But Silver Stone—”

  “Will be fine,” he promised. “Nemo is still here, part of the operation. And he’s not the only one up and coming. Also, we’re waiting to hear back from Jack, and the Petries, and a bunch of other contacts from the gala. You and I both know those are diamonds in the rough just waiting to happen.”

  “But they haven’t happened yet,” she warned.

  He shrugged. “We’re ranchers, Kelli. We know there are no guarantees. You deserve the credit, and that’s what this is. Plain and simple. It’s only logical.”

  Kelli was tempted to keep arguing, but the expression on his face and that final comment were enough to dissuade her. “Thank you.”

  It wasn’t enough, but it was all she could say.

  Luke grinned. “It’s too late to go out and celebrate, but I did have something tucked away for a surprise. Got any room in that bottomless pit you call a stomach?”

  Now he was talking. “Does it involve chocolate?”

  Luke had made it to his feet, holding down a hand to pull her up as well. “Do I look like the kind of man who would not provide you chocolate when it’s time for a celebration?”

  “Nope, you’re too smart to try that nonsense.” She followed him into the kitchen and waited as he pulled something from the freezer. He unwrapped a set of small circles and a small pot of dark brown sauce and popped it all in the microwave. She started to drool. “Oh my God, those are Tansy’s orgasm bites.”

  Luke blinked in surprise before he laughed loud and hard. “Jeez, when I bought them they were called doughnut holes with raspberry chocolate dip, but your name is better.”

  “That’s what I told Tansy, but she said the stuffier of her clientele would have kittens if she posted that on the menu board.”

  “Everyone else would buy the stock off her shelves the instant the doors opened.”

  Five minutes later, he put the piping hot chocolate dip and a stack of doughnut holes and Oreo cookies on a plate, and they sat side by side at the island and demolished a million calories in celebration.

  Thirty minutes later, he had her stripped naked under him in bed for the next stage of the celebration.

  The evening did not suck for so many reasons.

  Kelli stayed on a high for days. She trained Chili Pepper and worked beside Ashton and the guys. Familiar tasks, but somehow the days were shinier because she spent her evenings with Luke enjoying hours of lazy conversation and laughter that inevitably ended in bed.

  Tuesday she used her coffee break to climb into the loft after one of the barn cats. She ended up following the creature to the side where a stream of sunlight pooled on the hay bales, forming a perfect bed to lie on her back, stare into the rafters, and daydream about Luke.

  Tansy had been right. Giving their relationship time to grow was not a hardship.

  It was warm and cozy, and the scents of the barn had lulled her close to sleep before voices brought her to full attention. Caleb’s deep rumble and Dustin’s younger version echoed off the quiet walls.

  She debated calling out to let them know she was there, but the sun on her limbs weighed her down and made her slow to react.

  “You okay?” Caleb asked.

  Metallic banging rang out—the familiar sound of feed buckets clanging together. Dustin usually carried three in each hand. “Yeah. Just…I want this all to be settled. Everything with Silver Stone and her finances. I hate not knowing what’s going on. I hate that I can’t do something to fix it.”

  “You are doing something,” Caleb assured him. “Every day that you come and work with the family means you’re doing something that matters.”

  Dustin must have dropped the pails to the ground, because a clatter rang out, sharp and piercing. “It doesn’t feel like it. Doing chores, moving animals—those are all tasks that get done over and over and don’t change a damn thing. I’m not good at anything in particular. Not like you or Walker. Everyone works harder just because they want to impress the big rodeo star. You see what needs to be done and who’s the best to do it. Luke makes the horses damn near dance for him. Heck, Kelli has contributed more to the family than I have, and she’s not even officially part of it yet.”

  “Stop comparing yourself to others.”

  It was a sharp reprimand. Sharper than Kelli expected from Caleb, and sharp enough to shove her shock at being mentioned to the background.

  But then Caleb continued the way she expected he would, concern and stubborn humour in every word. “We do not need another Luke, another Walker, or another Caleb in this family. One of each is plenty, thanks. At times, one Luke is more than we need.”

  Dustin snorted softly.

  “I’m serious, though. I understand what you’re feeling. Those early years after Dad was gone, you would not believe how often I could have put my ass down on the ground and cried like a damn baby because I was screwing up so bad. I couldn’t do a thing the way he had—and our father was a damn good man, so it made me feel like a piece of crap to not live up to his standards.”

  “You’ve been great,” Dustin insisted.

  “Silver Stone is in trouble, and I’m in charge. I screwed up somewhere for that to happen,” Caleb drawled.

  “It’s not your fault. You’ve done everything right. You didn’t cause the flooding, or the outbreak from the neighbours that meant we had to cull.” Dustin’s indignation as he defended his idol was clear. “You’ve always done your best. You did what you neede—”

  He stopped mid word.

  A low chuckle rose from Caleb. “There you go. Now you understand what I’m talking about. Our best is all we can do, Dustin. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The only thing we’re in charge of is what we do, day by day. Maybe you’re right. Maybe you don’t have anything special you’re extra good at yet to offer Silver Stone. Yet. When I was twenty, I didn’t either. Find out what you love and work at it. But in the meantime, do the best job you can at those boring, repetitive tasks that are vital to Silver Stone. Trust me, you’re making a difference.”

  Kelli stared upward, keeping silent as a cat walked across her and settled on her chest.

  “I hear you. I really do, but what if—?” He stopped. Lowered his voice. “What if it doesn’t work. What if sales drop, or Luke’s hopes for the new connections fail? What if Kelli and Luke fight, and she breaks up with him and wants to leave, so she pulls her rights to Nemo and we have to pay her out? What then?”

  “Then we deal with it,” Caleb said calmly. “But I doubt that will happen. You have a morbid mindset, bro. You should take up writing murders or something.”

  “She could shut it all down,” Dustin warned.

  “If she were the type of person who would do that, I’d worry, but she’s not. If it were Penny…”

  Kelli slammed a hand over her mouth to stifle her gagging noises.

  Dustin gagged loud enough for both of them. “Thank God Luke came to his senses. You’re right, Kelli is awesome. So far.”

  Caleb chuckled. “Feel better, now?”

  “Yeah.” Dustin cleared his throat. “Caleb? Thanks. You really have been the best. I mean that.”

  Kelli could imagine the scene below her by the sounds that followed. A man hug, with accompanying back pounding. Caleb strode off and Dustin picked up his pails, the clatter of them banging together fading as he marched toward distant pens.

  The calico cat using her as a cushion rose and stretched, arching her back before stalking off, tail held hi
gh. Kelli watched her go as she considered what she’d learned.

  Luke had always taunted that someday she was going to regret eavesdropping, but this conversation had been particularly informative. She hadn’t realized the full repercussions of Silver Stone sharing Nemo’s rights with her.

  A plot and plan rose to mind. Something that would not throw away the good thing she’d been granted, but that would help Silver Stone at the same time. A move that would offer everyone positive proof that Luke wasn’t only interested in her because it made sense for them to stay together.

  Proof that her love for Silver Stone and her love for Luke were two separate things.

  It meant contacting the same lawyer who had drawn up the papers for the ownership split in the first place. She had to do it on the sly, but meanwhile, she was really enjoying the training that had been added to her job list. Luke had asked her to take on another of the new horses, which was amazing.

  But Chili Pepper was still her first priority.

  Luke had joined her on Wednesday afternoon. Training had gone well, and they were guiding the horse back to her stall when his phone buzzed with a message, and Pepper wiggled anxiously.

  Luke gave Kelli a quick kiss then let her climb down. He walked at her side into the barn, checking his phone as they went.

  His feet faltered, and Kelli left him standing there as she guided Pepper into her stall.

  “Hell, yeah.” Luke kept his comment quiet to avoid spooking the horses, but he was excited.

  Kelli patted Pepper on the back, closing the stall gate behind her as Luke faced her.

  “What’s up?” she asked, because from the look on his face, it was something big.

  Luke read the message out loud.

  Hope this finds you well.

  * * *

  I’d like to come out to Silver Stone sometime next week to discuss an important issue.