The Rancher's Daughter

by Pamela Ladner

  Sam was no fool he knew his son couldn’t keep his hands to himself when it came to Josey. He never could. Once he started looking at her like a woman and not a kid he was never able to take his mind, his eyes, or his hands off her, until she told him to leave. It was probably for the best that he did leave. He was the first boy she ever dated and they were together for 4 years. She needed to date other men in order to be sure of him. Well she had had ten years of dating other men. She ought to know her own heart by now. He knew no woman had ever replaced her in his heart.

  “About that proposition I said I had, I think I’ve got the terms worked out.” He said. She looked at him. “I’m listening.” She said. He took her by the hand and pulled her to him. “You’ve known me your whole life; I’ve waited ten years for you to figure out what you want. You need the money to save this ranch and I have the money to do it. You might not like it, but these are my terms. I’m not making a loan. I want part ownership in this ranch that means I will have a say in running it. And I want you to be my wife.” “What!” she gasped. “You can’t be serious you’ve only been here a week, Heath. I understand you wanting part ownership in the ranch that I can do. But I won’t marry you or anybody else for business.” She meant that she would only marry for love and he took it that she meant she no longer loved him. That wouldn’t stop him, though. You will marry me or you won’t get the money. It’s time I settled down and started a family of my own. This is my home and has always been my home. Just think about it. You may not love me but we get along just fine.” He let go of her hand and grabbed the grey’s reins.

  He mounted up with ease and started back toward the house. Josey followed, still too stunned to think straight. She forgot all about checking fence and rode back to the house. Her mind, consumed with thoughts of little Heaths running around calling her mama.

  He had blown her mind, with his proposal. She still had feelings for him. She hadn’t lost those, but they didn’t really know one another, anymore. They had ten years to grow up and in all that growing up they both done a lot of changing.

  Chapter Five

  The Rodeo was turning out to be a success. They decided to hold it as a three-day event and so far on day two they had a lot, of people turn out. They were parking people in the pastures and although it didn’t do the grass a bit of good. It was bringing in money. They had nearly reached the amount they were hoping for and it was only the beginning of day two. It turned out to be a lot of fun as well. They couldn’t have had this much success if not for Heath. Everyone on the ranch was chipping in to make it a success.

  She heard her Uncle Willy announcing the next event, and she went to check it out. This event they were going to be sorting cattle the next event would be roping. She watched the sorting a bit and then left. She needed a break from it all. It was too much for her. She had never been big on crowds of people, she didn’t know. She headed for the kitchen and fixed herself a glass of sweet tea . She was standing at the sink facing out the window watching a couple of kids playing cowboys and Indians with stick horses and cap guns. She smiled at them. It brought a familiar dream to her mind. In her dream, she was watching her own children playing like this and they had the distinct look of the man she loved. It had been a couple of weeks since he gave her his proposition. Could she marry him? Could she do it knowing she loved him and he might not love her back? She didn’t want to think about it but she had to. She did love him, always had, but she didn’t think he knew it and she wasn’t sure if he loved her. He couldn’t. She couldn’t love him either after all the years apart. She kept telling herself that, but she couldn’t stop from wondering, why was he willing to marry her? She asked herself that question often the past few days.

  She let a giggle escape her lips at the two children chasing one another. They were so adorable. She never heard the footsteps of someone behind her until she heard the words. “That could be our life right there. Two little boys of our own maybe a little girl or two, if only you’d say yes to my proposal. You could have it all. The ranch, a husband, kids, you could have all of it.” Heath said. She turned and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. “Love,” she said. Heath didn’t speak. He was, taken by surprise at her omission. He hadn’t thought of that. Maybe she never was in love with him after all. It hurt to think about her loving another man. He didn’t want to think. He just wanted to hold her, to love her and to have her love him.

  In an instant, he pulled her to him and kissed her with all the passion he could muster. He finally ripped his mouth from hers and looked her in her eyes. He kissed the tears from her eyes. “You say love is your reason for not marrying me. Well what good is love when your body reacts to mine the way it does? You want me and you can have me, if you will just say yes. I can give you everything. Just say you’ll marry me.” He ground out the words and the thought crossed his mind that he would do everything he could to make this woman love him, the way he loved her. He leaned his forehead to hers and swallowed, then, just as quickly as he pulled her to him, he pushed her away and stomped out of the kitchen.

  She heard the kitchen door slam shut and she watched him through the window as he stormed out to the barn. She didn’t know when she had made up her mind, but as soon as she saw him walk in the barn, she was out the kitchen door running. She ran straight for the barn nearly crashing into a man on a horse riding to the arena. She spooked the horse and it turned and kicked out just missing her. She eased around the man and horse as the man fought to control the horse cussing her the whole time. She turned toward the barn again and this time crashed into a statue of muscle and stone. His arms came down and caught her. Heath stood tall and strong and he looked angry. He wasn’t looking at her though. He was eyeing the cowboy who now had his horse under control and was shaking his finger at her yelling and cussing. Josey turned around. The man raised his grabbed Josey and shook her hard, pushing her into Heath.

  She felt a tremor go through Heath just before he shoved her behind him, dragged the man off his horse, and laid into him. The horse was now loose and out of control. It only took a moment for Josey to recover her senses. The horse was scared to death and there were children playing nearby. She eased over and got the horse’s reins, trying to settle it down. Heath was beating the snot out of the man who owned the horse. She saw her Uncle Reid and Uncle Justin run over and struggle at pulling Heath off the man. They were acting as security guards for the event. It took both of them to pull him away and he didn’t seem to know who they were and was beginning to fight them too. She had never seen him so mad. It was her fault. She knew it had been, but there was no time to tell him that.

  The other man lay on the ground struggling to get to his feet spitting blood from his mouth. A couple of paramedics came to help him, but he shook them off, and stomped over to her to get his horse. “I’m sorry.” She whispered and handed him his horse. He snatched the reins from her and glared down at her, then mounted up and rode away.

  Justin and Reid were finally settling Heath down. “Where’s Josey?” he asked. She walked toward him. “Right here, Heath” she said. He shook the two men off him and walked to her. He put his hands on each side of her face and stared into her eyes. She looked terrified, and worried. He turned and laid his arm across her shoulders and pulled her along with him. He had her father’s gray saddled up and asked her if she would like to take a ride with him. He never even bothered with the time for her to saddle Legend. Instead, he threw her up on the gray and climbed on behind her.

  He needed to feel her in his arms and he needed to get away from the crowd so they could talk without a thousand people around them. They rode down to the creek bank out of sight of the house and, where they were parking cars, earlier. When they got to a little shaded area, he stopped, dismounted and lifted her off the horse letting her slide down his body. They stood there a moment, her feet barely touching the ground and her body molded to his. He stared down into her eyes. He slowly lowered her down. Then turned, taking her hand in his
and pulled her toward the creek bank. He sat down by a tree and leaned against it pulling Josey down beside him.

  She recognized the spot as the old swimming hole she and Hilary used to like and she had a distant memory of laying in her father’s lap pretending to be asleep while all the time listening to the conversation between her dad and Hilary. She hoped and prayed they were falling in love with each other, that day. Now here she was under the same tree with the man she loved hoping and praying that he loved her.

  Neither of them spoke for a long time. They just sat and stared at the creek listening to the gentle current as it flowed down the creek bed. He pulled her hand from his and placed it in his lap playing with her fingers gently, then she felt it, the cold metal band he slipped on her ring finger and she looked down at it. Shock registered on her face and then surprise as she lifted her eyes to his and he asked her again. Please, Josey, be my wife?” he stared down into her eyes and she lost her breath. She glanced back at the ring on her finger and it crossed her mind that maybe, just maybe, he did love her. Even if he didn’t, she knew she would give him the answer he longed for. She would marry him and have a lifetime to make him fall back in love with her. “Yes,” she smiled up into his beautiful face. “Yes, Heath, I’ll marry you. I’ll marry you and I’ll be the best wife I can to you.”

  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with such an urgent need that she could not deny him what happened next. Her body ached for his and she would finally ease that ache. She unsnapped his shirt and pulled it from within his jeans. She ran her hands over his chest and down the trail of hair that nestled around his belly button and on down to that secret place that she craved so much. She unbuckled his belt and ran her hands around his back never breaking the kiss that she was enjoying so much.

  He was so hungry for her and he broke the kiss only once to pull her shirt over her head. Then he returned his lips to hers. He unhooked her bra with ease and slowly worked it off her following it down with his mouth to the two mounds that hid beneath. He kissed and flicked his tongue over their peaks, taking the time to play with both before laying her back and trailing his lips down her middle. He unbuttoned her jeans and brought his mouth back to hers. He eased his hand inside her pants and played with the bud between the parted lips. He slipped his finger in and out and then back to the bud again. She arched her back and nearly bucked in response to his loving. He eased her jeans down and pulled them off one leg at a time, taking the time to place each leg carefully on each side of him. He brought his mouth back to hers and then he dragged his mouth down to the furry mound between her legs, taking time to place feather light kisses here and there on the way down.

  He took the bud in his mouth sucking and flicking it with his tongue. He drove her wild and she bucked beneath him. He caught her bottom in his hands and picked her up pulling her to him. He drove his tongue in and out always taking the time to suckle and flick his tongue across the bud. Josey, moaned loudly. She went limp from the pleasure and he let her rest a minute while he pulled his boots and jeans off. He placed himself between her legs and pulled her up with him and sitting in kneeling position, they rocked together. He lay back on his back and she rode him hard with all the energy she had left. Years in the saddle had taught her how to use her hips and she rode him until he came. She rested beside him. Both out of breath and sweating with the exertion, it was a little cool for a swim but they were drenched in sweat. He stood up pulling her up with him and led her into the creek. He just held her wanting to feel her close to him. When it started feeling cold, they left the creek and pulled their clothes on. She lay against the tree with him, holding her in his arms. She slept softly for a while. She felt him place a kiss on the top of her head and her heart warmed with love for him. If he didn’t love her, she would do everything in her power, to make him love her, she thought.

  She didn’t know how long they had lain there like that. He snored softly for a while. She finally noticed the sky begin to darken and she knew it would be dark soon and they would be out here with no light. They needed to go back. As much as she hated to, she woke Heath and they caught gray and headed back. The rodeo events for the day had just finished up and people were getting in their cars leaving or heading to their campers. They dismounted at the barn and groomed the gray before stalling him and feeding him. One of the ranch hands had already fed the rest of the horses. She wondered over to Legends stall and he stuck his nose out to nuzzle her hand. She rubbed his nose and placed a kiss on him before following Heath out of the barn.

  He held her hand as they walked to the house and headed for the kitchen. Hilary had cooked supper and was setting the table when they walked in, she looked up and smiled when she found them hand in hand. “About time.” She said, referring to them getting back together. Then she saw the ring on Josey’s left hand. She stopped in her tracks and squealed. She ran over to them hugging them and kissing them on the cheeks. “I’m so happy for you both, oh congratulations. I have to get J.W and Sam, oh my goodness!” She ran from the kitchen, shouting. They heard the dinner bell, clinging loudly. Heath pulled Josey in his arms, and kissed her forehead.

  Chapter Six

  “Well now, I have to say I’m not exactly surprised, after the beating you gave that fellow today.” Sam said. “Only ever saw one man get that mad before and he’s sitting in this room.” Sam was referring to J.W beating a former ranch hand that put his hands on Hilary years ago. Heath had been there, afterwards. It was amazing the man survived. J.W would have killed him with his bare hands if he hadn’t been pulled off him.

  “Well I think congratulations are in order.” J.W. said, “Hilary break out the whiskey, this calls for a drink. Pour us all a shot of that Southern Comfort would you, Babe?” Hilary laughed at her husband and got up to get the shot glasses and whiskey. She poured everyone a glass and passed it out. J.W and Sam each had something they wanted to say before anyone could drink. When they finished, Hilary said, “Drink up!” They all tossed the whiskey down their throats and a round of coughs went around the table followed by laughter, and whacks on the back.

  After all the hands left, Sam, J.W, Hilary, Heath and Josey and her three overprotective uncles, all gathered in the living room. They discussed the activities of the day and they attempted to get a figure on how much they made on the rodeo so far. Tomorrow would be the last day of the event and everything was looking good. After everyone was through discussing business, Hilary turned the TV on and J.W, Sam, Willy, Reid, and Justin joined in a round of poker. Josey and Heath excused themselves and stepped out on the porch to swing in the moonlight. They just sat there in the old porch swing in each other’s arms relaxing and looking at the stars. Neither of them said anything. There was no need to.

  Hilary joined them after a bit. “Hope I’m not bothering y’all, but I couldn’t take the racket of that game anymore. I have a headache from all the bickering.” She laughed. Josey knew what she meant. When those men got to playing cards, it was constant friendly arguing about who was cheating who. She laughed with her, once the picture settled into her head. “Nice night, isn’t it?” Hilary said making conversation. “Yep,” Heath responded nodding his head. “There ain’t nothing like sitting in a porch swing holding your woman and enjoying good company on a cool night like this. He smiled down at Josey.

  The coyotes yipped and howled. The cattle bellowed and the horses stomped and snorted. Hilary’s blue heeler came out of hiding. His old bones barely moved these days. He tried to jump up in her lap but his old bones wouldn’t let him spring the way he once had so she lifted him up and let him lay his head in her lap. “I wonder where Sadie has gotten off to.” Hilary said, of the female heeler she had bought a few years ago when she realized her old dog was about to see his last days.

  She heard a whimper and looked around for the sound. Another whine came from behind a table in the corner. They all turned and saw Sadie lying in the corner. To their surprise, there was a brand new litter of pups, lying with her. “W
ell now, you old rascal, you’ve been busy haven’t you?” Heath said to the old dog on Hilary’s lap. Josey got up and wandered over to the dog Hilary had gifted her a few years back. She moved the table out of the way and eased down by the dog. She patted her head and got a good look at each of the pups. “Six,” she counted. She picked up a little male and cradled it in her arms. She rubbed her fingers down its back. “He looks just like you, old boy.” She said. She knew without a doubt, Hilary would keep this one.

  She lay the puppy back down, got up and pulled Heath up off the swing. “You want to go for a walk?” she asked them both. Hilary shook her head no and smiled. She knew the two of them really just wanted some time alone. She sat with her very best friend in the world, cradling his head in her lap. “Well old Buddy, we finally got him to come home. I sure hope everything works out for them.” She whispered her words to the dog. She talked to him often when she felt she needed someone to talk to and J.W was nowhere to, be found. Otherwise, she would talk to him. The old dog had just turned fourteen in dog years that was nearly 100. He was a good old dog. He saved J.Ws life once and hers, more times, than she could count. That dog had been through hell and back. She would grieve when he passed. Never had she before grieved for any other animal. He was surely her best friend.

  The sound of the men arguing, broke the silence on the porch. She turned to the sound of the screen door banging shut. J.W stood staring down at her. He lit a cigarette and took a seat in the swing. His eyes wandered around until he found what he was looking for. He watched as Heath and Josey, walked side by side, talking. There words he could not hear, from the distance.

  Hilary, moved the old dog off her lap and sat down in the swing beside him. He moved his arm to rest behind her and kissed the top of her head when she leaned toward him. It came natural to them. They knew the way the other would move before they moved. It had always been that way between them. She matched him, move for move. Every day he loved her more. He prayed, that Josey and Heath would find that kind of love in each other. He loved Heath like a son, always had. He always hoped the two of them would be together someday. Well, he had, after he got used to the fact that his little girl was all grown up.