Made for the Rancher

by Rebecca Winters

  “When I happened to meet Rob in my father’s office, I was in a bad place because I’d just lost Trixie. As you know, he came along at a low point for me. At first when he pursued me, I was flattered by the attention. It took my mind off Trixie.

  “But after a few weeks of dating, I began questioning what I was doing. He was on a political path that drove him. Rob really does want to go all the way. I knew we were both absolutely wrong for each other. He needed a woman who would want to be at his side in all ways.”

  “You’re at my side this morning.”

  “That’s different. You’ve helped me to believe in what you’re doing, and I love being with you no matter what we do. Now you know everything about my life.” She flashed him a glance. “I’m where I want to be right now.”

  Right now maybe, but what about the future? That was the operative question for Wymon.

  Let’s see how she feels by the end of the week, Clayton.

  He reached around for a bundle of brochures from the box on the floor and split it, giving her half. “Before we get started, why don’t you read one of these first?”

  She looked adorable as she started to concentrate on the information in front of her.

  He got out and pulled two clipboards and pens from the back, each with some petition sheets for those residents who were willing to sign. He’d already downloaded a map of the streets they would cover on his phone. When he got back inside, she turned to him.

  “If everyone would study this literature, especially the quotes by John Muir, they would all be converted.”

  Now was not the time to crush her in his arms. “Knowing that you’ve become a believer has made my day.”

  “I think I already was one when I saw that mother grizzly and her cubs years ago. I realize I was little and hadn’t learned to fear in an adult way, but that experience has always stayed with me. Since the beginning of time, many wrongs have been committed in this world. We can’t fix most of them, but how fantastic would it be to bring the grizzlies back to the home that was once theirs?”

  Unable to stop himself, he leaned across to kiss her mouth. “If you’ll give that little speech to everyone who’s willing to listen, you’ll get the signatures we’re looking for. While you cover this side of the street, I’ll walk across to the other side and meet you at the end of the block. Then we’ll cover another section and another and work our way back to the truck.”

  “Perfect. Whoever gets the least amount of signatures by one o’clock has to buy the other lunch.”

  “You’re on,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

  * * *

  JASMINE GOT OUT of the truck and headed for the first door on her route. She ended up leaving brochures on three front doorknobs because no one was home. At her fourth and fifth house, older people answered and said they didn’t have time to talk. But they accepted the brochure with Wymon’s name and phone number if they wanted to sign the petition later.

  At the sixth door, a teenager, probably sixteen or seventeen, answered in his soccer uniform.

  “Hi! I’m Jasmine.”

  “I’m Mike,” he said with a half smile.

  “I’m working on behalf of the coalition to reintroduce the grizzly bear back into Montana’s Sapphire Mountains.”

  He sized her up and invited her in the house. She declined and said she hoped he’d show the brochure to his parents. He laughed. “My dad hunts and would probably kill a grizzly if he saw one.”

  “Why do you think he would do that when it’s against the law and they’re on the endangered species list?”

  “I don’t know. So he wouldn’t get mauled first?”

  This was the very attitude Wymon was up against. “Do you hunt, too?”

  “Yup.”

  “Maybe if you read what the legendary naturalist John Muir said about grizzlies, you’d change your mind.”

  The teen rested against the doorjamb. “What did he say?”

  “It’s right there.”

  “Why don’t you tell me instead?”

  He was being deliberately provocative, but she accepted the challenge. Without consulting the brochure, she paraphrased what she’d read. “Appalled that the grizzlies had all but been wiped out, Muir said, ‘The grizzly isn’t our enemy. He’s simply an equal.’”

  “An equal? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “If you’ll read what’s there, you might develop an appreciation for grizzlies. Thank you for your time.”

  As she walked away, he called her back. “I’ll take one of those.”

  Shocked, she handed him one. “I appreciate you listening to me.”

  She headed for the next house. She had three more houses to go before reaching the corner. The people weren’t home, so she left brochures. At the last house she saw a mother come out and put her baby in a stroller. Jasmine introduced herself and asked if she’d be willing to sign the petition.

  “Sure. I saw some ads on TV and thought it was an intriguing idea to bring the grizzlies back.”

  Jasmine thanked the woman for adding her name to the list and hurried to the corner to show Wymon, who was waiting for her. “I got my first signature! Your television ads worked for her.”

  “That’s good to hear.” He put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. “You had better luck than I did. Maybe mine will change. Let’s go down this next street and find out.”

  Between them they covered an average of twenty houses every half hour. By one o’clock they returned to the truck, having canvassed 160 houses and obtained forty-five signatures, the bulk of them Wymon’s. She wished she could have gotten more, but she wasn’t complaining because she knew every signature was vital to him.

  “Congratulations. I owe you lunch.”

  Wymon drove them to a drive-thru for burritos and mango freezes. While they ate, she felt his gaze fixed on her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he answered in that deep voice she loved.

  “Forty-five out of 160 isn’t a bad percentage.”

  “I agree.”

  She swallowed her last bite. “Something’s bothering you.”

  “You’ve given up your vacation time to help me. I’ve been greedy wanting you all to myself. It isn’t right.”

  “It’s my decision.”

  “Your willingness to help me means more than you know, but I’ve made one too.”

  “That sounds significant.”

  He chuckled. “In a half day, we’ve accomplished a full day’s work, as much as if I’d been alone. So we’re going to go back to the ranch. After we freshen up we’ll enjoy the rest of the day. I thought we’d ride up into the foothills.”

  Jasmine almost jumped out of her skin with excitement. “Much as I’d love that, you need all the help you can get. I’m staggered by the thousands of people out there who haven’t heard your message yet.”

  “It’ll get out there slowly but surely.” He started the truck, and they headed back to the ranch.

  “I don’t think you have any idea how much I admire what you and your coalition are trying to do.”

  “Most people consider it an unnecessary waste of time and money.”

  “I heard that same argument when my parents took me to Alaska on a cruise after high school. We went out whale watching.”

  “That’s one experience I haven’t enjoyed yet.”

  “It was wonderful. One of the tour directors gave a talk. He said some of us want to conserve whales, but the opposition says ‘What’s the point’?”

  “Our coalition gets that question all the time.”

  “I learned that today. This guy on the cruise explained that whales play an important role in ocean ecosystems. He said that we should all feel a moral obligation to bring their nu
mbers back because we are the ones responsible for their decline. They have just as much of a right to be here as we do. Your argument for the grizzly repopulation sounds very similar.”

  “I’m impressed you got that much out of your cruise.”

  “It was so cool to watch the whales breaching the water. The idea that they could be extinct one day was devastating to me. I feel the same way about grizzly bears and want you to consider me a part of your coalition.”

  She heard his sharp intake of breath. “I can’t let you do it officially. It will have to be our secret. Otherwise the news would add fuel to the fire if Rob was to find out you were campaigning with me.

  “Any association with me and you’re going to meet with all kinds of opposition. Our coalition isn’t popular with a lot of different groups. The majority of fish and game people consider us a royal pain.”

  “You’re right.” There was no one in the world like Wymon. “But you are making headway with regular people, Wymon, and you’ve converted me. Please, use me until my vacation is over.”

  “I intend to, but I think we should only do half days for the rest of the week. My horse needs the exercise, and Moondrop will love spending time with you. How’s the bareback riding going?”

  “She’s a dream. It’s the best way to feel her movements. We’re so in sync with each other. I’m going to wait a while to put a blanket and saddle on her.”

  “It’s the only way Jim rides his horses. Has she fought the bridle?”

  “No. I played with her gums and massaged them until she opened her mouth and took the bit. She’s already used to it.”

  “You have an amazing way with horses, not to mention all the other ways you continue to surprise me.”

  While she was basking in the compliment, his cell phone rang. She saw him check the caller ID before he clicked on.

  “Wymon Clayton.” The conversation didn’t last very long. “I’ll pass on the message and she’ll come by for it tomorrow. Thank you for calling.”

  Wymon didn’t tell her who had been on the phone and she didn’t ask, and soon they were at the main ranch house. He surprised her by driving past it and on up the road where he stopped in front of a small two-story log cabin house.

  His house. It had to be. She started to tremble.

  He turned off the engine before turning to her with a gleam in his eyes. “I believe you’ve made a conquest. After reading the brochure, some guy named Mike just called and wants to sign the petition, but only if the beautiful curvy blonde named Jasmine returns in the morning before ten.”

  Heat filled her cheeks. She knew exactly who Wymon was talking about. “He was one of the first people I talked to.”

  “How old is he?”

  “Mid-teens, maybe a little older. If he’s serious and has been convinced by the arguments in the brochure, maybe he could be put to work doing a little canvassing for you.”

  “Don’t get any ideas about gathering more signatures with him.” Beneath his teasing comment she heard a possessive note that gave her a delicious shiver.

  “As if I would.”

  He got out of the truck and came around to her side. When she would have jumped down, he pulled her into his arms.

  “I can’t wait any longer to do this.” Suddenly they were kissing with a hunger that wouldn’t be appeased. He crushed her against him. No one was around in this secluded spot. The freedom to love him made her euphoric. As her body slid down his hard muscled physique, she felt such a rush of desire, she let out a moan.

  “Wymon—”

  His ravenous mouth covered hers again, sweeping them away until they were both one throbbing entity. “I want you so badly, Jasmine. You’re in my blood. I swore I wouldn’t bring you to my house, but I have no control over the way I feel. Help me,” he begged.

  “I don’t want to help you. I want what you want.” I want to love you to the end of time.

  Wymon’s body shook. “You say that now.”

  She lifted her head in surprise. The pain she saw in his eyes shocked her. After all these years he hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to be rejected. It caught her off guard because she realized Sheila had been the great love of his life. There was a lot more to his story about her than he’d let on.

  He was one of those one-woman men. They were rare in this world. What she would give to be the woman who had such a hold on Wymon’s heart that other women who had tried with him failed, and he was still single. That pretty much said it all.

  She’d like to tell him all the things she was feeling, but she could see he wasn’t ready to hear them. Maybe he never would be. Not with her. Not even if he desired her at the moment. A man could give in to physical desire because it was a fleeting emotion and separate from what the soul truly desired. She knew that and wouldn’t get herself into this position again unless he was ready.

  “Let’s go to the ranch house as planned, then take that ride in the foothills.” Jasmine eased herself away enough to get back in the truck and close the door. She was devastated, but she turned a smiling face to him. He’d wanted help. Now he was going to get it. “Come on. We need to make the most of this beautiful summer day. Our horses are waiting for us.”

  Chapter Ten

  At five to seven that evening, Wymon rode into the barn on Titus. Once in the stall, he removed his trappings and carried them to the tack room. When he returned, he saw Jasmine enter the barn and slide off her horse.

  Because of the strength in her legs, she rode like a pro and had the kind of balance that made a saddle unnecessary. Yep, she was an impressive rider. When she turned her body, her horse sensed every motion and followed it.

  Up riding among the trees, they moved as one, a picture of trust and coordination in motion. And beauty. Her blond hair combined with the filly’s coloring filled his vision until he couldn’t look anywhere else. But she didn’t look back at him, which didn’t come as any surprise.

  Before he’d gotten in the truck in front of his house earlier, he’d said something to offend her. It was the last thing he’d meant to do. Damn if he hadn’t spoken his mind without thinking, and that offhanded remark had chased the magic away.

  They’d chatted over the course of their three-hour ride in the foothills, but she was no longer the same woman who would have gone into his house with him earlier.

  “Did you like that ride, Moondrop?” she asked her horse as she removed her bridle and led her into the stall. After replenishing her water, she brushed her down.

  Wymon joined her. “I think she and Titus enjoyed it as much as we did.”

  “I do, too,” Jasmine murmured. “Thank you for taking us up there.”

  “It was my pleasure. You must be tired, though. We’ve put in a big day. Let’s go back to the house. Solana’s made dinner.”

  “Did you hear that, Moondrop? Now it’s our time to eat. Be a good girl.”

  After Jasmine gave her horse a hug, Wymon followed her out to the truck, and he drove them down to the ranch house. “That’s Eli’s truck out in front. It looks like they’ve come for dinner.”

  “Oh, good. It will give me a chance to thank him for running interference the other night.”

  “He was glad to do it.”

  “But it was a long drive, and I appreciate it.”

  Wymon walked her inside the house. “Go ahead and freshen up. We should be eating in about ten minutes.”

  “Perfect.”

  He watched her hurry up the staircase. Wymon hated the tension between them. It was his fault—all of it—but he couldn’t do anything about it until later tonight when they were alone.

  After a quick visit to the guest bathroom, he headed to the kitchen where he found Solana and his mother fixing dinner. He kissed his mom’s cheek. “Something smells good.”

  “We�
��ve cooked a Texas rump roast.”

  “Fantastic. Where’s Eli?”

  “Out on the back porch with Brianna. They’ve been waiting for you.”

  “Is Libby with them?”

  “No. She’s with her mother until Thursday. Why don’t you get Jasmine while I tell Eli to come inside.”

  Wymon walked to the bottom of the stairs and phoned her. But she didn’t answer because she was already on her way down. She’d taken off her T-shirt and exchanged it for a printed blouse and a skirt. The need to carry her off to a secluded place was all he could think about.

  “Dinner’s ready.”

  “I can smell something wonderful,” she said, but she didn’t fly into his arms.

  He led her to the dining room where he made the introductions. Once they sat down to eat, Brianna wanted to hear all about the plane crash. Eli had filled her in on the situation with Rob, so she didn’t delve into anything sensitive.

  The conversation soon rolled around to the subject of Libby.

  “I would love to have met your daughter,” Jasmine said.

  Eli smiled at Jasmine. “She’s our little cutie. She’ll be with us on Thursday and Friday.”

  For some reason Wymon felt his brother and his wife were excited about something. He looked at his mother who gave him that subtle smile, letting him know something was definitely going on between them.

  Wymon ate a fourth yeast roll. “Okay, you two. Out with it—or do we have to live in suspense for the rest of the meal?”

  Eli grinned and looked at Brianna, who said something under her breath. “Well, we’d hoped the whole family could be here tonight, but since they aren’t, this can’t wait. We’re going to have a baby!”

  Brianna’s eyes were shining. “I found out this afternoon. I’m just six weeks. The baby’s due in February.”

  “That’s fantastic news!” Wymon got up and went around to hug both of them. He knew that having their own baby would cement their love even more. He eyed Jasmine. “Brianna’s brother and his wife are expecting, too. It’s an exciting time for the Frost family.”

  Jasmine glanced at Wymon. “Frost? As in Frost’s Western Saddlery?”