Her Cowboy Reunion

by Ruth Logan Herne

  “You come with me, kiddo. You can hang in the main hall while I open the stalls. Okay?”

  “Okay!” He looked so excited to be there. To be with her. Hang out with her. He chattered as he worked, a distinct difference from his quieter father. By the time they were done, it was well past lunchtime.

  “Kid, we’ve skipped lunch.”

  “And I am so hungry,” he assured her. “Like maybe starving, my Lizzie.”

  My Lizzie?

  It made her smile and she couldn’t bring herself to correct him. “Let’s go rustle up some grub, cowboy.”

  “You talk funny!”

  It probably did sound odd to the little boy, her drawl at war with an imitation Western twang. She shut the door to the center barn and crouched, just a little. “Race you to the house?”

  “Yes!” He sprinted off with eggbeater legs, kicking up dust across the dirt while Lizzie pretended to be catching him.

  “I’m getting closer,” she called with a burst of speed. “I’m—”

  “I won!” He pivoted on the top step of the porch and laughed, then jumped into her arms. “I must be superfast, my Lizzie!”

  He was super in a lot of ways. Supercute, supersweet and quickly finding his way into her heart. Was that because she was transferring old emotions for new ones?

  One look into Zeke’s big brown eyes said no.

  He was cementing his own place in her heart. She’d faced Heath with the realization that she had to harden her heart to him, but when he pulled out his secret weapon, a motherless boy...

  She hugged Zeke and set him down.

  She needed to keep her distance. It was hard enough to be living here with her first love. It was nearly impossible with his beautiful son.

  She didn’t go through the barn door when she headed back to the stables after lunch. She rounded it instead and came to a quick stop.

  Last night’s creature was creeping toward a stand of trees and an old shed.

  Not a wolf. Nor a coyote. The surreptitious creature was a tattered dog with a matted coat. The medium-sized canine slipped along the edge of the trees with its head hanging low as if tired.

  She whistled softly. “Hey, boy.”

  The dog whipped its head around, then hurried to the shed and out of sight.

  She started to chase after it, but common sense prevailed. Instead, she nipped dog food from the sheep dog bin in the front barn and set a cache of food and water along the walk bordering the back of the barn. She’d tempt the little fellow in with food and kindness. And then, maybe...a bath.

  * * *

  A “notice me” type pickup truck pulled into the yard on Thursday, hauling a quad horse trailer. The coating of road dust did nothing to diminish the truck’s wide wheel base and total muscle look. The driver pulled up in front of the house, stopped the truck and climbed out.

  “He’s here.” Corrie was standing behind her in the stable barn. “Let’s go meet this fellow.”

  “Red Moon Rising?”

  Corrie winked. “I meant the cowboy. But the horse is probably good-looking, too.”

  Lizzie grinned and led the way. As she drew close, she didn’t miss the light of appreciation in the truck driver’s eyes. And she wasn’t immune to the fact that he was ridiculously handsome. He strode forward and stuck out a hand. “I’m Everett Yost,” he said as he gave her hand a firm but easy grip. “The younger one. They’ve always shortened it to ‘Ev’ to make the distinction between me and my dad. And you’ve got to be a Fitzgerald because you look like your uncle.”

  “Lizzie Fitzgerald.” She shook his hand firmly. “A good trip, I hope?”

  “Fine. We put up the one night and I don’t think Red loved being penned, but when he gets a load of this...” He raked the mare-filled pasture an easy nod of approval. “He’ll adjust. How long you been breeding horses, Lizzie?”

  “A week,” she told him.

  He laughed. And then he stopped laughing when he saw she wasn’t kidding. “You serious?”

  “I’ve run horses. I grew up on a Kentucky horse farm, but we didn’t talk breeding at our house around impressionable young ladies.”

  He laughed again, understanding.

  “Riding, racing and deportment were the topics of the day, but having said that, I’ve done my homework.”

  He looked skeptical and amused.

  “To get this right,” she told him as she motioned to the trailer. “My uncle trusted me to do this and not mess it up. And he said if he could bring one of your stallions on board and begin there, he could die a happy man.”

  “Well, I’m sorry we didn’t cut the deal quicker, then,” said Ev. “No one realized he was that bad off, and when we did, it was too late. I met him a couple of times as he was traveling through Nebraska, checking stock. No matter where he was he’d always find a Quarter Horse farm and drop in. See what they had. How they were doing. This was a dream of his.” He thrust his chin toward the equine facilities. “He said he didn’t need it crazy big like some of those Texas spreads. But he wanted to grow it big enough so that the name Fitzgerald and Quarter Horse made a solid pairing.”

  “And the pressure mounts,” Lizzie muttered under her breath as Ev unlatched the door. He moved inside, murmuring to the big roan horse, and when he came out backward, with a lead in his hand, Lizzie took in a deep breath and held it.

  “You approve.” Ev smiled when he saw her face. “He’s a beauty, isn’t he?”

  “Way beyond that,” she answered. “Shall we introduce him to the ladies one by one? Or just walk him into the pasture?”

  “He’s been with a herd all his life. He’d think it strange to be separated.”

  “Then let’s go.” She took the lead and led the way to the first gate. She paused the horse, moved forward and drew the gate open.

  He didn’t rush the gate. He waited like the gentleman he was, and when she walked him inside, he seemed to take in his surroundings with slow, long looks. Then he entered the pasture with strong, full steps, tossed his mane, flicked his tail and stomped his right hoof twice.

  And the ladies all turned his way.

  “Oh, man. He’s an attention seeker.” Lizzie watched as the big horse stood fairly still while the mares came toward him. “And he got their attention, all right.”

  “You’ll want to keep a close eye these first days, make sure there’s no seniority issues. Horses have a pecking order like most creatures, and if you’ve got a couple of highfalutin mares, they might challenge him for the lead. But mostly Red just takes the lead and the ladies are content to follow.” He winked at her, then grinned, and she couldn’t help but laugh back.

  “So. This is Red Moon Rising.”

  Heath’s deep voice surprised her. She turned as he crossed the last few feet to reach them. “It is. Heath Caufield, ranch manager, this is Ev Yost. The younger one,” she added with a smile.

  Everett extended his hand.

  Heath didn’t hesitate. He took the other man’s hand in a quick handshake, but then released it quickly. Too quickly. As if dismissing him.

  “Ev, you’ve got to be hungry,” said Lizzie. “It’s past lunchtime. Come on in and we’ll grab something. I’d like to hear more about Red. His likes and dislikes, his habits. I read all the stuff you guys have online and what your father sent along, but I don’t want to make any stupid novice mistakes.”

  “Food and conversation sounds perfect, Lizzie. And fresh coffee would round things off. My to-go cup was fresh six hours ago, but I didn’t want to extend Red’s trip any longer than I had to.”

  “That stop-and-go stuff can be hard on trailered stock. Corrie, can you keep an eye on Red for a little bit? Or would you rather take Everett inside for food and I’ll watch the horses?”

  “I’ve got my phone.” Corrie patted her pocket. “If there’s a problem, I�
�ll call right off. But he seems like a gentle giant.”

  “He is,” said Everett. “My dad and I hand-raised him from birth, so giving him up was not an easy decision. But we’ve got two up-and-coming stallions with distinct genetics and we need to mix things up a little.”

  “Figuring out broad-based genetics versus the strength of family ties is a breeder’s trick.”

  “You have been studying.” He laughed down at her. “Well done.”

  If she thought Heath’s jaw couldn’t grow tighter, she was wrong. She moved toward the house, then turned. “Heath. Are you coming in?”

  “Work to do,” he said curtly.

  “All right.” She kept moving. Everett fell into step beside her.

  “You guys have a big undertaking here. I checked the online stats. The sheep numbers alone would keep a man up at night.”

  “My uncle may have bitten off more than we can chew,” she answered. “But if we can ride the current wave until the shepherds are all back in the valley, I think it can work. We just don’t worry about mundane things like sleep.”

  He laughed, reached out and pulled open the screen door for her. “I hear you. Taking this drive was my way of catching a breath. I love my family, but a day or two apart now and again isn’t a bad thing.”

  “It makes the reunion that much better.”

  “Got that right.” He grinned down at her, then followed her inside, letting the door ease shut behind them.

  * * *

  “You might want to think about losing the frown now and then. Just a suggestion, of course,” Corrie noted as Heath followed Lizzie and Everett Yost’s progress to the house. “The occasional smile. Conversation instead of grunts. All the things that separate us from the monkeys, Heath.”

  “I don’t need advice. I need more ranch hands and longer days and perfect weather for the next four weeks so the first hay gets in under cover and these lambs hit the ground healthy. It’s easy to laugh when everything’s going right.” He thrust his jaw toward Ev Yost and Lizzie as they went up the steps. And when the Yost guy caught the door and Lizzie’s attention right there on his porch, Heath was pretty sure the guy needed to be punched for no other reason than that Heath wanted to wail on something. A flirting cowboy fit the bill perfectly.

  “Or when one is at peace with himself and the Lord. With his place in the world.”

  “Don’t lecture me, Corrie.”

  She aimed a look of warning his way because nobody bossed Corrie around. Ever.

  He sighed. “Sorry. I’m tired. I feel like I’m spinning in circles. And that’s not your fault.”

  “Sometimes we spin in circles because we’ve misplaced our direction. When we can’t see our way forward we tend to run in place.”

  That’s how he felt, but how could he fix it? Could it be fixed?

  His phone buzzed a message from Jace. “Gotta get back to the lambing shed.”

  “I’ll keep watch here.”

  He didn’t look at the house as he retraced his steps to the front barn. He didn’t think about Yost flirting with Lizzie. He refused to imagine her laughing with him over a slapped-together lunch. But he hoped—really hoped—that the Nebraska rancher would get on his way before supper. He was glad they’d trailered the big horse north, saving Lizzie the trip, but the jovial cowboy made Heath look too deep into his heart and soul because Heath hadn’t been able to laugh like that in a long time. Something about having Lizzie here, joining in the dance of ranch chores and campfire evenings, made him wish he could.

  And that felt plain disloyal to Anna.

  Chapter Six

  Red Moon Rising seemed quite at ease in his new surroundings, and Everett Yost climbed back into his big rig for the trip back to western Nebraska, but not before asking for Lizzie’s number.

  “You have it,” she reminded him. “On the paperwork.”

  “Not the ranch number.” He grinned down at her and tipped his hat, just so. “Your number.”

  “At the moment they’re one and the same,” she told him honestly. “Right now I’m pretty much eating, sleeping and drinking ranch stuff.”

  “Is it getting to you?” he asked nicely. “It can, you know.”

  She glanced toward the lambing shed and didn’t try to mask the concern in her voice. “No, I’m doing something I love and maybe helping this place stay special, the way my uncle wanted. Plus I’m spreading my wings in a way I never thought possible as a publishing executive. I’m pretty sure all of this happened for a reason.”

  “Well, then, I wish you the best, Lizzie.” He slanted a sweet smile her way. “At least until Caufield gets a clue.”

  She hoped she didn’t blush, but with her pale skin, it wasn’t easy to hide. “Have a safe trip home. And thank you, Ev.” She raised her hand toward the equine pasture. “You and your father.”

  “Will do.”

  He pulled away, made a wide U-turn in the barnyard and headed for the road.

  He’d nailed her interest in Heath. Was she that obvious? Still deep in thought, she relieved Corrie at the stables, pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. And when her sister Melonie answered, she did what she’d always done: she spilled her guts. The only thing missing was the plate of cookies or brownies they usually shared during conversations like this. She found a fun-size Snickers bar in her uncle’s desk, and felt like she’d just discovered gold as she relayed the past week to Mel.

  “Heath is running the ranch?” Melonie’s voice arched in a true Southern drawl. “That is the very definition of impossible, Liz.”

  “Clearly not.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me this last week? I could have been on the next plane.”

  “You had cable TV producers coming into town and I didn’t want you messing up what could be influential professional contacts just to come up here and hold my hand. You’ll be here soon enough. You’re already taking time away from your boyfriend and your media profile to be here. It’s not like the situation is about to change, Mel. You tie up your loose ends, then head north.”

  Mel had been working as the on-site interior decorator for Fitzgerald Publishing’s popular Hearthside Home magazine. The final issue would be complete in the next week or so, then Mel would follow Lizzie to Idaho. But Mel longed to launch her own HGTV-type show. Taking a year off to secure her part of the ranch would thicken her pocketbook with the inheritance but thin her career profile. “A year in the mountains wasn’t exactly in your plans and I didn’t want to mess up your last weeks of work.”

  “We look out for each other. The four of us,” Mel reminded her. “You. Me. Char and Corrie. That’s how it’s always been. And the boyfriend downsized me two weeks ago.”

  “What? Charlotte and I were already picking out bridesmaid gowns behind your back. Really ugly ones, too. He dumped you? What a—”

  “Dumped like a concrete block in the East River, darling, once he realized that my fortune was gone and the magazine right along with it. But don’t call him names. You’ll regret it later because I’m fine with it. Although I must admit I was not quite as calm and low-key when it first happened.”

  “I am calling him names. In my head.”

  Mel laughed. “Better to realize this sooner rather than later.”

  “Still, I’m sorry that he hurt you, Mel. Because you deserve the best.”

  “Ditto. So... Are you crushing on Heath? All over again?”

  “No. Of course not.” She knew better. They’d crashed and burned once. Once was enough. Wasn’t it?

  “Do you need me to tell you what a bad idea that is?”

  “No, because it’s not happening. Leave it, Mel. I’ve got this.”

  “Of course you do, honey,” said Mel in about as unconvinced a tone as there could be. “Why is he still single?”

  “Widowed.”

 
“Oh.” Mel’s voice changed completely. “Oh, gosh, Liz. I’m sorry to hear that. So what’s the plan? How do we handle this? What do you need from me? And I can seriously get on a plane first thing tomorrow if it will help.”

  She would, too, which was why Lizzie had held off on calling. “Nope, I’m good. Just busy and tired and trying not to mess up.”

  “As if.”

  Lizzie stayed quiet. She had messed up in the past. A lot. But she’d used her faith, brains and work ethic to move on.

  “Should I warn Charlotte?”

  “Fill her in as needed. I didn’t want to worry her while she was studying for her certification.” Charlotte had been scheduled to take her veterinary licensing exam the past week. Her goal was to pass the exam and apply to the state of Idaho for a temporary right to practice for the coming year.

  “I will. She’s decided to skip the graduation hoopla, Lizzie.”

  “Why?” Charlotte had worked for over seven years to earn her veterinary degree. “She’s got to do it, Mel. She deserves to have that moment and get handed her diploma. I’ll talk to her.”

  “I wouldn’t, Liz.” Mel paused for several seconds before she went on. “She doesn’t see the point. I told her I’d come up to Cornell for the ceremony, but she said the sooner we get to Idaho, the sooner we get out of Idaho.”

  “Idaho isn’t that bad,” she began and Mel snorted.

  “Save the sales job for next January, darling, when we’re in the throes of a mountain blizzard. Anyway, Char wants to skip it. It’s not like there’ll be proud parents cheering her on. She’s ready to get on with her professional life. You can annoy her about it if you’d like, but I’m leaving it alone.”

  While it seemed wrong to ignore the graduation ceremonies, Lizzie understood her sister’s reticence. “Mega college loans and the urge to move past this year’s craziness would have tipped me the same way. I won’t push. But we’ll celebrate here once you’ve both arrived.”