Wind River Lawman

by Lindsay McKenna

  “I don’t think a team of horses could pull Gertie away from heading up this mission to marry us,” and he chuckled.

  Sarah laughed softly, scooting over to where he sat and pulling her hand from his. Framing his face, she leaned forward, her lips caressing his. Feeling his hands fall over her shoulders made her feel so loved. Their noses touched, and she slid her lips more fully against his mouth. There was a warrior inside this man who matched the warrior within her. And maybe that was what attracted them so undeniably to each other; that recognition of spirit, of bravery even if they were scared witless. This was the man she wanted as her husband, her confidant, her best friend and someone she could fully entrust her heart and soul to. “I love you, Dawson,” she whispered against his mouth.

  Her drew her ever close to him. “And I’ll love you forever, Sarah. Forever. . . .”

  Don’t miss the next book in

  Lindsay McKenna’s acclaimed series,

  Wind River Valley!

  HOME TO WIND RIVER

  is coming to your favorite bookstore and e-retailer in January 2019.

  Please turn the page for an exciting sneak peek!

  How was Jake Murdoch, her foreman, going to react to the news?

  Maud Whitcomb, owner of the Wind River Ranch, pushed her fingers through her dark hair that was threaded with silver. Sitting in her large office, she waited with anticipation because Jake was an ex-recon Marine with severe PTSD that he dealt with day in and day out. As the foreman for the last three years of their hundred-thousand-acre ranch, he’d proved himself invaluable, despite his war wounds. Worried over the issue they were going to discuss, she wasn’t sure how he’d respond. She was pretty sure he wouldn’t be happy.

  Jake’s symptoms made him a loner, boarded up like Fort Knox, and he liked living alone in the huge cedar log cabin that was a mile from the main ranch area. Dragging in a steadying breath, Maud heard heavy footsteps echoing outside her open office door. It was early June and for once, it was bright sunshine and blue skies in western Wyoming.

  She saw Jake’s shadow first and then him. He was six feet, two inches tall, a solid two hundred pounds of hard muscle. His shoulders were almost as broad as the doorway as he stood within. At thirty years old, any woman worth her salt would turn her head to appreciate his raw good looks and powerful physique. His temperament, however, was open to question. He was known as “Bear” around the ranch. Bear as in grizzly bear. He was terse, not PC, completely honest and didn’t brook idiots for more than two seconds. Swiftly glancing up at him as he entered, Maud watched him take off his dark brown Stetson, and saw that his square face was set, hiding behind what he called his “game face.”

  “Jake. Come on in,” she said, waving a hand toward a wooden chair in front of her desk. “How’s your mom doing?”

  Grunting, Jake hung up his Stetson on a nearby hat tree and turned, boots thunking across the highly polished oak floor.

  Maud girded herself. He wasn’t happy. At all. “Coffee?” It was nine a.m. and usually, by this time he was out on the range, managing their wranglers. He probably wanted to be out with his hard-working crews rather than in here, with her. But they had to talk.

  “Yeah, coffee’s good,” he said, making a beeline for the coffee service on the other side of the room. He poured two cups, black, and turned. Setting one cup in front of her, he sat down and took a quick sip of the steaming brew. “You know my mother broke her thigh bone a couple of days ago. I just finished talking to her surgeon before coming here, and they said she pulled through the operation with flying colors. She’s resting in her room right now.”

  “That’s great to hear,” Maud said, relief in her tone as she sipped the coffee. “I know they call it breaking a hip, but in reality, people break their femur or thigh.”

  Shaking his head, Jake muttered, “Yeah. Bad anatomy if you ask me.”

  “So? What’s the prognosis on your mother?” She saw him grimace, set the coffee down in front of him.

  “The surgeon says she’s going to need eight to ten weeks of care taking. She lives alone in Caspar, Wyoming. And she’s fighting having a caregiver in her home twenty-four hours a day.”

  Managing a sour smile, Maud said, “Like mother, like son. Right?” She saw worry in Jake’s forest green eyes. He had been close to both his parents, his father dying at 55 years old of a sudden and unexpected heart attack. For the last ten years, his mother had been on her own. Now, at 65, she had a broken leg and needed help. Jake’s expression turned dark and she saw him wrestling with the whole, sudden situation.

  “I’m afraid you’re right, Maud.”

  “So? What do you want to do about it?” She leaned back in her squeaky leather chair, holding his narrowing gaze. “How can we gather the wagons and help you out?” Maud made a point of being there for the people who worked for them. Jake had not asked for anything. He never did. She supposed it was the PTSD that made him not ask for help. Her experience with her wrangler vets, however, had taught her early on that those with PTSD, man or woman, never asked for help, never asked for support, and she knew it came from the shame that they were broken by combat. “Well?” she prodded, arching a brow.

  Jake squirmed. “Mom asked if I could come home and help her those two months.” Mouth quirking, he mumbled, “I told her I couldn’t, that we had fifty grass leases with fifty different ranchers coming here, bringing in their herds by truck in the next two weeks. I told her the Wyoming grass was thick, rich and nutritious, that the cattle would fatten up far more quickly than being put into a livestock pen. I couldn’t leave because our work triples from June through September.”

  “How did Jenna take the news?” Maud heard the pain in Jake’s low, deep tone. He was a man who hated showing any emotions, but they were plainly written all over him now. Some of it Maud attributed to their strong relationship with each other. Jake could let down around her, one of the few people in his life he did trust.

  “She was disappointed, but understood.” His black brows fell and he looked away. “She needs help. I don’t know what to do. That’s why I’m here.” He gave her a hopeful look. “You’re the go-to gal for ideas, Maud. I’m hopin’ you can come up with a fix.”

  “I think I have one, Jake, but I don’t know how you will react to it. Here’s my plan. I talked to my husband Steve last night about it and he’s in agreement with me. I hope you will be too.” She straightened, resting her elbows on the desk, hands clasped, her full attention on her foreman. “We both feel that Jenna could be brought by ambulance to the ranch. The foreman’s house is two stories, has three bedrooms, three baths, and is large enough to take care of your mom as well as an in-house caregiver for that time period.” She saw his brows raise momentarily. “I know you’d rather live alone, but honestly, your cabin is the second largest on the ranch, next to where we live. It has plenty of room for you, your mom and a hired caregiver.”

  She took a breath, watching his face go from hard and unreadable to something akin to dicomfort, coupled with relief. Jake had a set of good parents, that she knew. And he’d been very close to both of them. There was an element to Jake, as a man, who had protective instincts toward women. His mother was no exception to that rule within him. She knew he wanted desperately to support and care for her, but hadn’t thought outside the box to do it. That was her job.

  “Now,” she said firmly, “before you say no, I talked to Dr. Taylor Douglas, our PA, Physician’s Assistant, in town. She said I needed to find someone with a medical background, preferably a registered nurse, who could take care of Jenna, help her walk, be there to help her with the mandatory exercises, as well as cook and clean for you. Taylor put the word out in Wind River for such a person. I haven’t gotten any bites on this yet, but I’ll keep at it. Your mom and the caregiver could have the two bedrooms on the first floor. You have the master bedroom upstairs. If I find a caretaker for Jenna, would this work for you? It would be a minimum of two months.”

  Jake rolled
his shoulders, scowling in thought. “Maybe. But I can’t afford to hire a caregiver for Jenna.”

  “No worries,” Maud answered briskly. “Your mother is on Medicare and our umbrella insurance on the ranch will also cover a full-time caregiver until she doesn’t need one anymore. I will pay for the caregiver because you are so important to the daily work that goes on around here, Jake. I’d do it for any of our wranglers. We meant it when we said they were family, and that’s what you do for your family.” Opening her hands, she added, “We’re grateful to have made money and we aren’t taking it with us. Your mom will have the best of care and we’ll cover any expenses. How does that sound?”

  “You’ve always been more than fair with us vets,” he said, his voice low with emotion. “And I appreciate it, Maud.”

  “So? Is that a yes? Can we move ahead with this idea? Are you okay with it?”

  Rubbing his stubbled jaw, Jake studied the fifty-five-year-old woman. “I don’t like takin’ handouts, Maud.”

  “This isn’t a handout. Our insurance covers it. You’ve earned this, Jake.”

  He made a low, growling sound and stared hard at her. “I’ve never been in a position like this before. I like living alone, but I want to help Mom, too. I guess my uneasiness with havin’ two women underfoot for a few months isn’t gonna kill me.”

  Giving him a half grin, Maud said, “No, it won’t. And you can always ‘hide’ up on the second floor if you’re feeling overwhelmed with estrogen in your household.” She heard him chuckle and she saw his shoulders drop, indicating he was relaxed at last. Jake wasn’t the kind of person she could trap and put in a corner. He had to come to this decision entirely on his own. And he was an honorable man, if nothing else. Jake would never knowingly hurt someone. At least, as a civilian. What he did as a recon Marine was different and although he never talked about it, she knew enough to realize he’d been in harm’s way all the time. It wouldn’t surprise her that he’d killed enemy, either. She knew the burden of killing another human being through some of her other wranglers. It stayed with them the rest of their lives.

  “I’ll probably make the second floor my home.”

  “If I can find a caregiver, she’ll do the cooking for the three of you. That won’t be so bad, will it?”

  “No, that sounds kinda good, to tell you the truth. And she’ll housekeep, instead of me doing it. I like that part of it, too.”

  “I thought you might.” She allowed the humor to come through her voice and Jake gave her a slight grin. “It’s only two months.”

  “But they’re the busiest months of our year, Maud. I won’t be around that much.”

  “And that’s why a caregiver is essential. You won’t have time to drive Jenna to her rehab exercises in Wind River, or see an ortho doctor, if necessary.”

  “Well,” he said, straightening, “if you can find a caregiver, then we’re set.”

  “Yes.” Maud looked at her bright red landline phone on her desk. “I’m calling Kassie and her husband, Travis. They know everyone in town. Maybe one of them can give me some leads.”

  Rising, he said, “if there’s such a person around Wind River, Kassie will have an opinion. She’s gossip central at her café,” and he grinned a little.

  “I’ll let you know,” Maud promised. “Once we hire someone, then we can get Jenna out of the Caspar hospital and over here to heal up.”

  Walking to the hat rack, he gripped the edge of his Stetson. “That sounds like a good plan, Maud.” Settling it on his head, he turned, giving her a grateful smile. “I don’t think outside the box like you do.”

  “Oh,” she laughed, standing and walking around the desk and heading toward where he stood, “yes, you do! Every day around here I see you fixing things or thinking of ways to do something that needs to be fixed.” She slid her hand on his shoulder, patting him in a motherly fashion. “All humans are good at something. Your skill set happens to be in ranching, Jake. Mine is about seeing patterns and putting dots together,” and she chuckled with him. Jake rarely smiled. When he did? She saw the kindness and sensitivity he held protectively away from the world. Allowing her hand to fall to her side, she walked him to the door. “I’ll be in touch by cell phone once I get something.”

  He nodded. “Thanks, Maud. I honestly don’t know how I landed at your ranch, but I have to be the luckiest bastard in the world to have you as my boss.”

  “Get outta here, Murdoch. You got a shitload of eighteen-wheelers on your plate with these leases trucking in the beef right now.”

  He gave her a sour grin, opened the door and thunked down the wooden stairs.

  Maud watched him climb into the white, dusty-looking Ford pickup that had the name of their ranch in big red letters on each door. Turning, she felt lighter. Jake had never been in this kind of situation before and she wasn’t sure how he was going to react to it. His care and love for his mother was heartwarming to her. He was such a gruff person, hardly letting anyone near him or his vulnerability. Somehow, she sensed that Jake’s life was going to take a turn for the better. She didn’t know how as she walked to her desk, sat down and dialed up Kassie’s Café, but she knew it was going to happen.

  * * *

  Lily Thompson was working in the no-kill animal shelter run by Maud and Steve Whitcomb, when Suzy, her boss who manned the front desk, stuck her head around the door.

  “Lily! Maud Whitcomb is on the line for you!”

  “What?” She knew Maud was the owner of this large shelter, but in the two weeks since she’d been hired, she hadn’t met the woman personally. She closed the cage on a black lab with a gray muzzle, after giving him a bowl of fresh water. “Hold on . . .” and she hurried across the spotlessly clean concrete floor, wrapping the hose she’d used and hanging it on the wall. Rubbing her hands down her jeans, she asked breathlessly, “What does she want?”

  Suzy, who was in her early twenties, shrugged dramatically. “I don’t know.”

  Squeezing out the door, they walked down the hall toward the reception area. “Does she call her employees?” Lily wondered.

  “No . . . not usually,” Suzy responded, giving her a concerned look.

  “Oh, dear . . .” she muttered. “I wonder if I’ve done something wrong . . .”

  “I doubt that! All the animals love you. Some of them love you to death!”

  Wincing inwardly at the word, Lily nodded and picked up the phone. “Hello? This is Lily Thompson.” Her heart was pounding in her chest and she curled her fingers into her damp palm. Was she going to get fired? God, she hoped not.

  “Lily, this is Maud. I just got done speaking to Kassie and she mentioned that you were an RN. Is that true?”

  “Yes, ma’am, it is.” She gulped, unsure of where this was going.

  “Suzy told me you have a part-time job there, fifteen hours a week?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I do. I love it.” Inwardly, she was praying that the owner wasn’t going to tell her to leave. It would devastate her in ways most people wouldn’t understand. This was the first real job she’d been able to find since receiving an honorable medical discharge from the Army due to her extreme PTSD symptoms.

  “Are you looking for full-time work?”

  “Well . . . uh . . . that would depend. I really love animals.” Because they give me peace. They accept me as who I am now. Not who I used to be, but she didn’t divulge that.

  “Can you drive out to our ranch? I’d love to talk to you face-to-face about a job possibility. I assume you’re looking for full-time work?”

  Was she ever! Licking her lower lip, Lily said, “Yes, ma’am, I am. But I can’t work in a hospital or anything like that.” Lily had to be honest about her skills and how much they’d been crimped by her time in Afghanistan.

  “This is a job in a home as a caregiver to a sixty-five-year-old woman who has broken her femur. You would cook three meals a day, do some light housework besides helping the woman with exercise and walking to strengthen herself once mor
e. It should last around two months, full time. Are you still interested?”

  “Maybe,” she answered, tentative. “Could you tell me more?”

  “Come out to the Wind River Ranch. We’ll talk, Lily. Can you make it at one p.m.?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m done today at noon. I know where your ranch is located and can drive out there. I’ll be on time, I promise.”

  “Great. Just come to the office. That’s where I’ll be.”

  Lily hung up, her heart pounding even harder. A job. A real job. A caregiver. Well, she could do that. Suzy glowed as she told her about the call.

  “You had said you wanted another job, that this one wouldn’t pay monthly bills.”

  Lily smoothed out her jeans, some damp spots of water on them from watering all the cats and dogs in the shelter this morning. “I did.”

  “Kassie’s a good go-to person to find a job. You must have told her you were looking for another one?”

  “Yes, I’d love to find full time. I don’t want to leave the shelter,” she said, looking around the small but homey office. “I love the animals.”

  “It’s a two-month job only, Lily.”

  “It’s better than nothing. And it sounds like something I can manage. I always enjoy helping animals and people.”

  Suzy sat down. “Hey, good luck on it. Maud’s a really nice person. You’ll feel instantly at ease with her. She has a heart of gold, so don’t sweat the interview. Okay?”

  Easier said than done. Nodding, Lily picked up her jacket and pulled it on. It might be June 5th, but it was only forty-five degrees outside despite the blue sky and sunshine. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning at six a.m.,” she promised Suzy, lifting her hand in farewell as she pushed the door open.

  Outdoors, she halted and looked around. It was something she did without thinking about it. There were a lot of things she thought about since being in the Army, since that village was attacked. Resolutely, Lily compressed her lips and walked doggedly toward her dark blue pickup. Her parents had bought it for her when she returned home, wanting to help her adjustment back into civilian life. It was used, but in good condition and as she climbed in, her heart warmed thinking of their concern for her after the Army released her.