Made for the Rancher

by Rebecca Winters

  Jasmine eyed him curiously. “How do you know that?”

  “Because I’ve been battling his politics for the last half a year.”

  She heard a world of emotion in that comment. “I know he’s been battling yours,” she said.

  His jaw tightened. “He’s not going to like it if he gets wind that you’ve gone out to lunch with me.”

  “I can’t help that. He’s going in one direction. I’m going in another. That’s one of the major reasons we didn’t work out. It’s a fact of life that you put your own life in jeopardy by coming to our rescue. That kind of selflessness and courage is something I’ll never forget. Though I gave you a gift, it still wasn’t enough. I’ve wanted to see you again and tell you how grateful I am,” she admitted.

  “Jasmine—” his voice grated.

  Her heart leaped to hear him say her name, but she was afraid, too. “But if you tell me you think I’m emotionally unstable because of the crash and don’t know my own mind, then I’ll get out of the truck right now, and we won’t be seeing each other again.”

  A strange sound came out of him. He flung off his glasses, then leaned across and caught her softly rounded chin in his hand so she was forced to look him in the eyes. They’d darkened with emotion.

  “When I witnessed the way you rose to the occasion to save his life and handle yourself at the crash site, I knew you were the most emotionally stable woman I would ever meet in my life!”

  His words moved her deeply. “Thank you for saying that.” She wanted him to kiss her. Oh, how much she wanted him to take her in his arms. But she didn’t get her wish. He studied her for a long moment before letting her go. After putting his sunglasses back on, he started the engine and they left for the restaurant.

  She was no longer the same woman who’d answered the front door. The earth had turned on its axis because Wymon Clayton had happened to her, and nothing would ever be the same again.

  The day flew by while they ate and talked about their work—mostly hers because he badgered her with questions. Back at the house they walked to the barn where the family kept their horses. Jasmine made sure they all had water and hay. Wymon was such a great listener she didn’t realize until later that he’d elicited more information from her than she’d ever told anyone.

  He knew all about her love affair with horses and the loss of her mare Trixie. But she couldn’t talk about how she’d died. Otherwise she knew she’d sob all over him. It had happened around the same time she’d met Rob, and it was still too painful. Since then she’d been planning to buy a new horse, but her heart hadn’t been in it.

  She had to stifle a moan when Wymon said he needed to leave. They walked out in front of the house to his truck. “I’ve been buying horses for the stockmen from my friend Jim Whitefeather in Missoula. He’s a horse trader I trust. Maybe he has one you’d be interested in. How would you like to spend next Saturday with me? We’ll drive over to see him.”

  Jasmine struggled to remain calm. “You’re willing to take that kind of time?”

  “I’m allowed a day off once in a while,” he quipped, “and I know what it’s like to lose a favorite horse. The sooner you find a new one, the happier you’ll be.”

  “You’re so right.” She didn’t mean to keep comparing him to Rob. In truth there was no comparison, but Rob didn’t understand how deeply she’d missed the horse who’d been like an extension of her. Wymon understood how hard it had been on her without even knowing the details.

  “If you see one you want, I’ll ask Roce to give it his seal of approval.”

  She was afraid to look at him for fear he’d see what was in her eyes. “Now I can’t wait.”

  “Neither can I.” His deep voice penetrated to her insides. “I’ll give Jim a heads-up, then I’ll call you and we’ll make plans.”

  “I’ll look forward to hearing from you. Thanks again for the delicious lunch and the talk. Next time it’ll be your turn to talk nonstop to me. I want to hear about all the Clayton boys’ adventures. When your brother wins the world championship in Las Vegas in December, I’ll be able to tell my friend Annie that I have the inside scoop on him.”

  “Annie?”

  “Yeah, she kind of has a little crush on Toly. Annie works for the university, too.”

  Low laughter rumbled out of him. It was such a good sound. “You don’t want to hear about all of our adventures.”

  “Want to bet? I’m sure your brother Roce will be willing to tell me a few secrets about you if I ask him.”

  He levered himself in the cab with a smile and shut the door. “Talk to you soon.”

  After she watched him put on his cowboy hat and those sunglasses that were the reason today’s outing even happened, he drove off, just before her parents turned into the driveway. If he’d stayed another minute longer, she would have been able to introduce them.

  She followed their car up the driveway and hugged them after they got out. Her dad smiled at her. “Don’t you look lovely! Where have you been? More importantly, with whom?”

  “That was Wymon Clayton. He came to get those sunglasses I found.”

  “All the way from the Sapphire ranch, hmm?” Her mom smiled. “I wish he would come back so we could meet him and thank him in person for what he did to save your lives.”

  Her dad nodded. “I don’t know if I told you. A long time ago he was one of the best bull riders around.”

  That little bit of news didn’t surprise Jasmine one bit. “You’ll get your chance to meet him next Saturday if you’re home.” She grabbed her mother’s suitcase. They’d been gone overnight. Jasmine walked in the house with them. “He has a friend who sells horses and is going to help me pick one out.”

  Her dad brought up the rear. “So you’re thinking about getting another one?”

  “I’d always intended to, but—”

  “But Rob took up a lot of your time,” he interjected.

  “Dating him helped me get my mind off her, yes. But in truth, I wasn’t ready to think about another horse until now. Trixie meant the world to me.”

  He eyed her shrewdly. “It’s really over with Rob, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. I shouldn’t have dated him as long as I did. After a few dates, I knew something wasn’t right, but at first I thought it was because I was so sad over Trixie. It was hard to sort out my feelings.” She gave her dad a hug.

  “So now they’re sorted out?”

  “Yes. How are things with the two of you?”

  Her parents exchanged a glance. They had this way of looking at each other and saying a whole lot without speaking a word. She knew what they were thinking. Our daughter has moved on. A new horse, a new man in her life. And they’d be right!

  Forty-five minutes later she was in the kitchen with her mom when her cell phone rang. She got the nagging fear that it was Rob, but to her joy she discovered it was the man who was already transforming her life. She picked up out of breath.

  “Wymon?”

  “Hi, Jasmine. If this is an inconvenient time to call, just tell me.”

  “Of course not.”

  “I just passed through Drummond and saw the signs for their Fourth of July celebration tomorrow. They’re doing a later afternoon rodeo. It won’t be pro rodeo, but it’ll be fun, and it’s followed by fireworks and a street dance. If you don’t have plans, would you like to go with me?”

  Jasmine didn’t have to think. “I’d love it, but only if we meet there. It’s too far for you to come all the way to Philipsburg.”

  “It’s only twenty minutes more. That’s nothing. I’ll pick you up at three. See you then.”

  He clicked off before she was ready to let him go. Her mother smiled. “You remind me of me when I first met your father. I walked around in a perpetual daze.”

  Her mother still di
d.

  “That’s how it feels, Mom,” Jasmine agreed, hoping against hope that this feeling would last forever.

  * * *

  WYMON COULD HEAR the announcer as he guided Jasmine through the crowd. “Welcome to the Drummond Rodeo, folks! Please, stand for the national anthem and parade.”

  He pulled Jasmine in front of him and held on to her shoulders while they sang. Then the parade began. “You smell marvelous,” he whispered into her hair and felt a little tremor run through her.

  “Thank you. So do you.”

  He squeezed her shoulders before letting her go. After the cheering subsided, the announcer spoke again. “All you cowboys and cowgirls—we’ve got events to tickle everyone’s fancy. Two hours of chills, spills and thrills, so hold on to your britches.”

  The audience cheered because the bareback event had started. He guided her to some front row seats and noticed every guy in sight was checking her out. They could be forgiven for thinking she was the Drummond rodeo queen. In her Western fringe vest and white cowboy hat, Jasmine made it hard for him to keep his eyes and hands off her.

  Normally he sat with his brothers to watch the rodeo. The thrill for him was sitting next to Jasmine who loved it and knew a lot about it. Next came the bull-riding event. When Danny Sloan, a local cowboy, got a score in the high seventies, Jasmine looked at Wymon.

  “Oh, dear. Not the best numbers. I didn’t know until my dad told me that you and your brothers were successful bull riders and tie ropers back in the day. He said you scored in the nineties a couple of times.”

  “That was ten years ago.”

  “Well I’m impressed and wish I’d seen you perform.”

  They watched an unknown win the tie-roping event. “Your brother’s going to win in Las Vegas, I just know it,” she said. “There’s no one faster than Toly.”

  Jasmine was making his night in more ways than one. After the last event, he ushered her out of the arena to his truck. They drove to the area where the street dancing had been going on to a great live band. Farther down was the park where the fireworks show was going to be held.

  They got out and wandered around eating food from the various concessions. “This pig in a blanket is so good, but I’m too full and can’t finish it, Wymon.”

  “Then throw it out and let’s dance.”

  She did as he said before he pulled her into his arms. He swung her around a few times, and they ended up at the park where the fireworks were about to start.

  He looked down at her flushed face. “Having a good time?”

  “You know I am.”

  Before he could tell her how he felt, a sandy-haired man, probably in his thirties and dressed in a Western suit, came up to Jasmine and put a hand on her arm. “Jasmine! Imagine finding you here tonight!”

  Wymon saw the light go out in her eyes. “Buzz? I was just going to say the same thing to you. I would have thought you’d be in Helena.”

  The fireworks show had started with a gigantic shower of red, white and blue stars.

  “I had business here. Where’s Rob? I assumed you’d come with him. Instead I find you with the head of the Clayton ranch, our opposition.” He said it with a smile.

  She turned to Wymon, looking nervous. “Wymon, this is Buzz Hendricks, Rob’s manager.”

  Wymon recognized him and nodded. “Enjoying the rodeo?”

  “I didn’t get to see it.”

  At this point Jasmine spoke up. “Didn’t Rob tell you that Mr. Clayton was the person who rescued us after the crash? If he hadn’t seen the plane going down and called 911, I don’t want to think what could have happened. Wymon gave Rob CPR because he’d been knocked unconscious and got his body out of the plane.”

  “I heard about it after the fact.”

  The way he’d said it, Wymon knew he’d been left in the dark. Interesting that Farnsworth hadn’t told his manager any details. For obvious reasons, he hadn’t wanted people to know Wymon had been involved. But for him not to tell his manager before the news broke did surprise him.

  “It’s nice to see you, Buzz. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to sit on the bleachers to watch the fireworks.”

  Wymon knew the other man had a dozen questions, but he kept quiet. “See you again soon.” He gave Wymon a penetrating stare before disappearing into the crowd.

  Fireworks lit up the sky. Jasmine clung to his arm as he walked them over to one of the sets of bleachers. “I’m sorry that happened, Wymon.”

  “Since Rob chose not to tell his manager about me, it was only natural he was surprised to see you with anyone else.”

  “Buzz is going to have to get used to it.”

  “Are he and Rob close friends?”

  “Yes. They went to high school together.”

  “Come on over here.” He found a place on the end and pulled her up next to him. “I say let’s enjoy the rest of the show.”

  They didn’t talk about it the rest of the night. Once the finale had thrilled the crowd, they left for Philipsburg, and he saw her to the front door. “Thanks for going with me, Jasmine. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.”

  “Neither have I. I’m just sorry you have to drive all the way home now when it’s so late.”

  “I like driving. It’s the best time to talk to my friends on the committee and formulate new ideas. Get a good sleep. I’ll see you in Missoula on Saturday, but expect a call from me before that.”

  She nodded and lifted pleading eyes to him. “Be safe on the road.”

  “Always,” he replied before turning around and heading back to his truck, leaving her standing alone. The last thing he’d wanted to do was walk away. But as much as Wymon needed to kiss Jasmine good-night, he held off and turned away, striding back to his truck. Once on the road he phoned Roce. He needed to unload. There was no better listener than his brother.

  After Roce answered, he told him that he’d bumped into Rob Farnsworth’s campaign manager and old school friend at the fireworks show in Drummond with Jasmine.

  When he explained that Rob hadn’t told his manager anything about the rescue, Roce let out a whistle. “Get ready for more fireworks, bro.”

  “Maybe.”

  “They were a couple until the crash. Now she’s out with you? There’s no maybe about it. Just be careful. Farnsworth has been after your hide, and this just adds fuel to that fire.”

  “You’re right.”

  On the way home Wymon thought about what his brother had said, but there was nothing he could do about it. Already he was thinking about being with Jasmine again.

  Chapter Five

  On Saturday morning after a shower and shave, he let himself into the main ranch house and found his mother in the kitchen enjoying breakfast with Luis and Solana. He walked over and gave her a kiss. “How are you feeling?”

  “My cold is better. What brings you to the house this early when you were gone until late last night?”

  “I have big plans today.”

  “Well, sit down and tell us about them while you eat.”

  “I can’t. I don’t have time.”

  She scrutinized him in a way only a mother could do. “That’s obvious. You look excited about something.”

  “I’m meeting Jim in Missoula.”

  She cocked her head. “Still working on that bill before the next committee meeting with the governor?”

  “Exactly. We’ve got some ideas and are anxious to find more backers to add weight to the campaign. But that’s not my reason for going to see him today.”

  “Are you thinking of buying another horse?”

  Luis’s head lifted in surprise.

  “No, Mom. I’m actually going to help someone else buy one.”

  “Ah. Anyone I know?”

&nb
sp; “No.”

  “Does that mean you’re not going to tell me?”

  “It’s not important. I only came by to make sure you were all right.”

  “This is the second Saturday you’ve taken off.”

  “Doesn’t a man have the right?” he teased.

  “Of course he has the right, but I haven’t known you to exercise yours in a long, long time.”

  It was time to go. “Luis? I figure you and Eli are squared away for today. I’ll see about the fencing in the north pasture tomorrow.”

  Luis nodded.

  “In that case I can leave.” He squeezed his mother’s shoulder, then turned to Solana. “You’re looking good.”

  As he wheeled away and headed for the front door he heard the housekeeper say, “He’s never said that to me before. Something big is going on.”

  Wymon realized he’d made a mistake by dropping in to see his mother first. Now Solana suspected something unusual was going on, too. He’d always kept his private life private. Damn.

  He jumped in his truck and headed for Missoula where he planned to meet Jasmine at the entrance to the Whitehorse Nez Perce horse ranch on the outskirts. Before yesterday they’d talked twice during the week about a possible purchase. In truth, he loved any reason to hear her voice. All week he’d been antsy waiting for today to roll around.

  En route to the ranch, he phoned her. “Hi, Jasmine. Are you on your way?”

  “I’m so glad you called, Wymon. I was just going to phone you.”

  He frowned. “Is anything wrong?”

  “Not at all. I’m in the car driving too fast because I’m so excited to look at the horses.”

  Wymon’s body relaxed. “I am, too,” he said. But the horses weren’t the only things he was excited about. “I talked to Jim earlier. He has seven horses for sale at the moment.”

  “What kinds?”

  “To my recollection, a trail horse, two geldings, two mares, a filly and a colt.”

  “Ooh, I’d love a filly I can train, or the right mare.”

  “I’m positive you’ll find one you like. I’ve been buying Nez Perce horses for several years.”