A Rancher's Bride

by Vivian Arend

  Having her stuff in a drawer next to his put a smile on her face every time she realized it.

  This was real. This was not just a feverish dream where things would escalate to heat and pleasure, but it was moment by moment, day after day for a long line of days that would lead into a year.

  Years. Always the next thing, and she was pretty fine with that.

  Tough moments poked their head into her perfect happiness, but they were made easier because Luke was there, by her side.

  Like now. Timothy Carlyn stood on the doorstep, hat in hand as he waited to be invited inside.

  Kelli hesitated briefly before opening her arms and offering a hug, emotion squeezing her as tightly as his arms before her grandpa patted her on the back awkwardly and turned to shake Luke’s hand.

  She spotted the moisture in the older man’s eyes.

  They settled in at the new dining room table, the broad wooden surface shone to a high gloss. It contrasted sharply with the randomly shaped chairs she and Lisa had scrounged from the local thrift shop the day before.

  Luke sat in the chair next to her, his grin widening. “Go ahead and tell me I told you so.”

  Her grandpa lifted a brow in inquiry.

  Kelli laughed. “It’s not that entertaining. I just told Luke since we have the second house on the Silver Stone land, it’s only fair we host some of the family dinners. That required a table and chairs, and”—she gestured with a hand toward him—“we already have a reason to be thankful for a place to sit.”

  He nodded firmly. “Luke’s got himself a bit of a treasure in you, my girl.”

  Luke wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling their bodies together. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  This meeting should have felt more worrisome, having Mr. Carlyn—her grandfather—there. Knowing what a difference he could make, in so many ways, but Kelli had already decided what was most important to her.

  Luke had agreed, and no matter what happened, they were in this together.

  Kelli took a deep breath. “We’ve talked about your invitation. We’d be very happy to come visit your ranch, but this is home. We’re needed here, and this is where we’ll spend most of our time.”

  “But we want you to know that you’re always welcome,” Luke added. “And there’s nothing to say that Kelli can’t visit you on her own sometimes. Occasionally.”

  Her grandfather laughed. “Not too often, though, if I’m hearing this right.”

  Kelli’s cheeks were flaming. “There’s a lot of work to be done,” she began before caving and admitting the truth. “And we’re two people in love who don’t want to spend a lot of time apart.”

  Around her shoulders, Luke’s arm squeezed tight, as if he couldn’t stop himself. As if he was never going to let go, and Kelli was just fine with that.

  Timothy Carlyn held up a finger then reached into his pocket to pull out an envelope. “I forgot. Dean wanted me to make sure that you got this. Yes, we rushed the testing, but it’s proof that you really are my granddaughter. Not that I ever had a doubt, but any naysayers can take their complaints elsewhere.”

  Kelli nodded, not sure if she was brave enough to do the next part. But she’d spoken with Luke about, and it seemed right.

  Hard, but very right.

  She spoke quickly, before she lost her nerve. “When you want, I’ll give you all the details I know about my mom if you’d like to try and track her down. To be clear, I’m not at all interested in a reunion, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have the chance to find her.”

  Her grandpa caught her fingers in his rough hand and squeezed them tightly. “My concern right now is you. We’ve got a lot of years to catch up on. I don’t expect it to happen overnight, but I hope you’ll let me enjoy your company as much as possible.”

  Kelli’s world got fuller and more hopeful by the moment. “Of course. Like Luke said, you’re always welcome here. It’s not much, but Luke suggested we could set up a spare room here for you when you’d like to stay.”

  Grandpa Timothy, as she’d have to work on thinking of him as, looked pleased as punch at that announcement. “And I know it’s a lot to expect, but I really hope I can be involved in your wedding.”

  The dancing beans in her stomach switched to a two-step.

  “We need to set a date, but we’d be honoured to have you participate,” Luke said softly.

  That was another thing that was real. Really engaged, really planning on spending the rest of their lives together.

  Really becoming a permanent member of the Stone family.

  Luke and Grandpa Timothy got to talking about bloodlines and the upcoming trip down to Kentucky. Kelli tossed in a few comments here and there, but mostly she listened, her gaze travelling back and forth between the two men. One from her unknown past, the other definitely her future, in a way that she’d never dared dream.

  When her grandpa left, Luke tucked his arm around her, and she turned to him and kissed him as sweetly as she could.

  He pulled away, a twinkle in his eyes as he smiled. “I’m not complaining one bit, but what was that for?”

  Kelli slipped her fingers into his and held on tight. “Because all those years ago when I first caught a glimpse of you, I never dreamed this day would come. You looked so amazing up on your horse. You worked hard yet never complained. Just did what needed to be done, always with encouraging words for everyone around you. And even after all those years that I watched you and thought about how amazing you were, and how much I admired you—that feeling inside me just keeps growing as if I tapped into an artesian spring, and it’s flooding everywhere.”

  He tugged her against his body, holding her firmly in place as he grinned at her. “I’m glad. It’s good to know I’m not the only one getting in over my head.”

  “Definitely not.”

  A cold snap set in. Winter darkness lay across the deep drifts and filled their time outdoors with icy cold hands and clouds that formed around their heads every time they breathed.

  But inside the barns it was warm. And inside the house, in front of the fire, Kelli and Luke spent hours talking about everything under the sun. Her mom, his parents, their hopes for the future.

  Talked, and kissed, and talked some more.

  “I still want to know how you ended up at Silver Stone,” Luke said when they took a break from the kissing part.

  “Gossip,” Kelli informed him. “I might have been eavesdropping.”

  He snorted. “Really? I’m shocked.”

  She stuck out her tongue briefly before continuing. “When I ran away, I hopped on a bus to Calgary. I planned to stay in a hostel for a bit while I checked the want ads for work somewhere in Alberta. I had that I.D. that said I was eighteen, so it didn’t seem like it was going to be that difficult. I knew how to ride and how do chores—been doing them for years on the ranch where we lived.”

  “You definitely knew what you were doing, right from the first time I saw you,” Luke agreed.

  “I like animals,” she said with a shrug. “I was cheap labour, but I was good.”

  “You are great,” Luke insisted before interrupting her story with more kissing.

  Her head was spinning slightly by the time he let her up for air, and his grin said he knew exactly what he did to her. “Silver Stone? After the bus station?” he prompted.

  She nodded, falling into the memories. “There were a bunch of cowboys milling around the bus stop when I arrived on the red eye. Some of them were worse for wear after a night out at the bar. They were discussing if they should head down to Silver Stone without the guys who were still sleeping it off.”

  Luke’s eyes went wide. “Uncle Frank’s crew that didn’t show up.”

  “The same. They weren’t looking forward to explaining to anyone why they were short-handed. One of them mentioned they’d be branding, which I knew how to do, so I took a chance and got a ticket for the bus they were waiting for. Slipping into one of the trucks Silver Stone had sen
t was easy—there were other short-term workers from other ranches waiting at the Heart Falls bus stop, so I just acted like I belonged. The rest is history.”

  “Cocky teenager,” Luke said with affection.

  “Yup,” she agreed. “Aren’t you glad?”

  “Very glad,” he returned.

  It was good to finally get to share the story with him.

  There were other conversations. Food likes and dislikes, movies and music. Kelli learned more about what made Luke tick on a deeper, more intimate level…

  After all the years they’d spent around each other, it was incredible how much they had to talk about that was new and fresh, coming from their changed perspective of being in love.

  A different level of discussion on topics they had never really touched on until falling in love changed everything.

  Kelli stared up at him from her position lazing on her back. Luke teased a hand over her ribs, and pleasure rose as he caressed her skin, firelight reflecting over them.

  “What about kids?” he asked.

  “Eventually. I like them, obviously, considering how much I adore Sasha and Emma. But I don’t think Tamara and Caleb are planning on having more, so it’s not as if we need to rush.”

  “I’m good with that,” he agreed, “Although, let’s not wait too long.”

  Kelli snickered. “Yeah, I guess we shouldn’t wait too long, or you’ll be too old to—”

  He covered her mouth with his and stopped her teasing in the best possible way.

  The only item weighing her down was the same issue they’d faced back when all this began. And while Caleb didn’t walk around with a storm-cloud face anymore, it was obvious he still had things on his mind.

  Had the finances improved enough because of their work to get Silver Stone back on track?

  February was passing quickly. Plans were underway for a trip to her grandpa’s. They were juggling dates because Ivy and Walker were getting married in March, and Tamara’s due date was in April. The whole ranch buzzed with excitement.

  Including, it seemed, her phone. Kelli looked down with delight to see a message from Diane.

  Diane: I can’t wait.

  * * *

  Kelli wasn’t sure what was going on, but she went with it: okay?

  * * *

  Diane: get out. You mean he didn’t tell you yet?

  * * *

  Kelli: I assume this means Luke is in trouble

  * * *

  Diane: calling

  A moment later the phone rang, and Kelli answered instantly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, so spill the beans.”

  Diane’s familiar sweet tones slid into her ear like warm honey. “Maybe I’m not supposed to say anything. I’m going to ruin the surprise.”

  “Consider this like two presents. I get the surprise now of you telling me what’s going on, and then I get to enjoy whatever it is that you’re going to tell me about.”

  A low laugh bounced back. “You know your trip to visit your grandpa, and can I just say again how freaking exciting it is that Carlyn is your grandpa? Anyway, he gave us a shout, and Jack and I will be there, so we can get caught up while you visit. He said you didn’t want to be gone from home too long, so this way we get to catch up and spend time together and still get you home.”

  Wow. “That is incredible.”

  Out of nowhere a rush of emotion and what was suspiciously like tears flooded her eyes. Kelli fought for control while Diane babbled in the background for a minute before finally getting suspicious.

  “Kelli, what’s wrong?”

  She wasn’t sure if voicing it would make the dream vanish. “This doesn’t happen in real life. All this goodness. Finding friends like you and Jack, finding out I have a grandpa who is interested in me and cares about me. Falling in love with Luke—it seems too perfect to be true.”

  “Oh, honey. You’re right. Maybe this doesn’t happen to everybody, but it’s definitely happening to you. You deserve it. Now you need to take both hands, hold on tight and enjoyed the ride.”

  Kelli wiped away tears, working hard to pull herself together.

  It was too late to hide her emotional outburst from Luke, though. He was already pulling away from where he was talking to some of the hands, concern on his face as he made his way toward her.

  She hurriedly finished her call. “I don’t know if I deserve it, but I’m definitely sticking in the saddle for as long as I can. Thanks. Thanks for coming into my life and being a good friend.”

  “It’s only going to get better,” Diane promised. “I’ve gotta run, but I can’t wait to see you, darlin’. Chat soon.”

  She hung up after blowing a kiss, and Kelli put away her phone in time to lift her face to Luke’s to accept his kiss.

  Luke’s fingers under her chin held her steady as he examined her carefully.

  It was there in his eyes. It was there in his touch.

  The way he felt about her—they’d been saying it on a steady basis, the I love you business, but as much as she needed and wanted to hear the words, the truth was there each and every moment.

  In every touch.

  “Everything okay?” he asked

  “I’ve got you,” Kelli said honestly. “Everything’s perfect.”

  In early March, they gathered in the ranch house kitchen.

  The signs of preparation for Ivy and Walker’s big event the next day filled the room. But in spite of the busy timing, Luke was grateful when Caleb had brought the four brothers together before the wedding to share the good news.

  Luke stared down at the figures in front of him, relief and joy rushing his system. “Please tell me I’m reading this right.”

  Walker spoke first. “That was my response too, but it’s real. Damn if you and Kelli didn’t come through for us.”

  “The contacts you made at the gala helped. A lot,” Caleb agreed. “But, Walker, we wouldn’t have lasted this long without what you did for us back in the fall. That was enough to get us through the breaking point.”

  “And Nemo. And Kelli—” Luke had been floored to find out that she’d gone back to the lawyer and made a few changes regarding her shares of Nemo’s earnings. “She didn’t have to split her shares with the other women.”

  “You think you could stop her?” Walker asked with a laugh. “The three of them are calling it the Silver Heart fund.”

  Every time Nemo earned a stud fee, a portion now went into a joint bank account to be used for whatever the three women of Silver Stone deemed was needed. And all of them, Tamara, Ivy and Kelli, had voted to keep the percentage going straight back into ranch operations for the time being.

  Kelli had arranged that with the others before he’d even proposed. She’d already decided to help save Silver Stone. To keep it going for the family she’d chosen.

  Luke collected himself before he broke down.

  Dustin had his hands on the tabletop, and he stared at them. “Caleb said I was a part of it too, and I’ll agree, but it would be a mistake to not recognize how much you all stepped up.” He lifted his eyes and looked at them each in turn. “I don’t know how, but I promise that someday I’ll find a way to make a real difference, too.”

  Caleb laid a hand on his shoulder. “This was the whole family, including you, Dustin, and I’m not just saying that. We worked together and this time, we came out on top. It’s Ashton, and the hands. It’s Tamara and the girls doing what they could when they could.”

  Outside the window, a long-muzzled grey face poked up and peered in at them as if wanting to be let in on the meeting. The goat’s debonair bowtie tilted saucily to one side. It appeared Sasha was determined to keep replacing the things as fast as the creatures could lose them, and this one was festive red in honour of the wedding.

  Dustin snickered. “Fine. We all contributed, but if you try to tell me that the goats had anything to do with this, I’m going to worry about you.”

  “Dustin, I’m shocked. Don’t you feel th
ey’re an important part of our family?” Luke teased as he rose to his feet and peeked out the window. Dammit. He gestured for his brothers to join him. “It’s not only Meany. All three of them are out, and if we don’t get them now, they’ll probably show up in the middle of your wedding, Walker.”

  “That would go over well,” Walker muttered, pulling on his coat and reaching for his hat.

  “The girls would love it.”

  “Don’t go putting ideas into their head or they’ll want the goats to be ring bearers,” Dustin warned. “Right now Sasha is plotting to tie a pillow on Demon’s back.”

  “No goats, and no dogs. And it appears our family meeting is over, called on account of goats,” Caleb drawled. “But the good news is Silver Stone’s got plenty of family meetings in her future.”

  They headed outside, the crisp cold air and beautiful blue sky making it clear that, even while they chased the goats, they were home.

  When a rope dropped around his torso, snapping tight and trapping him in place, Luke glanced over his shoulder unsurprised to find he’d been hogtied by his favourite cowgirl in the world.

  “I heard there were wild animals running loose, so I figured I should help round them up.” Kelli tugged the rope, guiding him closer to her horse.

  “Round them up and brand them?” Luke teased.

  Her eyes slipped over him in appreciation. “Well, it seems only right since branding is what got me started here at Silver Stone. I only want to put my mark on one particular wild beast, though.”

  Luke stood next to her now, staring up as she loosened the rope, coiled it, and hung it from her saddle. “Trust me, Kelli. You’ve already put your mark on me. Heart and soul. Now and forever.”

  She tipped back her cowboy hat, sliding her foot from the stirrup and gesturing for him to join her. “Come on, cowboy. This kind of branding requires privacy.”