Love at Rosecrown Ranch

by Ruth Pendleton

  Jo Jo nodded and stood up. She glanced at the kittens one final time before grasping the railing to walk down the stairs, her checkered apron flapping around her knees. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned to wave goodbye.

  Hank waved back at Jo Jo, and watched until she was out of the stable, the tall door closing behind her. Then he sat down on the ground and leaned against a bale of hay, ignoring the sharp stalks that poked into his back. Sighing deeply, he filled his lungs with the barn air, holding it for a few seconds before slowly blowing it out. Truth be told, Hank wasn’t okay, and he hadn’t been ever since David had stopped talking to him last year. He missed having a friend to fall back on when he needed help.

  Asking out his best friend’s sister had been a mistake. The breakup cost him his girlfriend and his best friend. If he had known that David would side with his sister, Hank would have rethought asking her out. He didn’t realize how deeply she resented the time he spent on the ranch. When she gave him an ultimatum, he chose his job. She left with tears streaming down her face, and David stopped returning his phone calls the same day.

  With a shake of his head, Hank reached over and picked up a tiny kitten, cradling it in his hands. He used one finger to gently pet the kitten’s small head, stroking the fluff ball until it began to purr. “You’ve got it so much easier than us humans. No betrayals for you.” The kitten sprawled out on Hank’s lap, its sleepy eyes blinking up at him. “You have to worry about your siblings stealing your mice. Not your best friend ignoring you for months because things ended badly between you and his sister.”

  Hank returned the sleepy kitten to the pile and picked up two more kittens. He held them gently, letting them sniff his hands so they would learn to recognize him as they grew up. “When you guys grow up, listen to each other. It will avoid a lot of troubles.” He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts of David and Amanda away. Jo Jo had meant well, but she didn’t realize how her words had ripped opened a wound he was trying hard to ignore. She was welcome to bring in another set of hands to work on the ranch as long as they didn’t belong to David Nelson. Grudges were hard to forgive, after all.

  Cali climbed up into Hank’s lap, licking her kittens. Laughing, he gently shoved her off. “Okay. I get it. You can have them back.” He put the kittens next to their siblings and stood up, brushing off his jeans. “It’s time for me to get back to work.”

  The sun had shifted in the sky, the afternoon heat wrapping Hank in an uncomfortable cocoon when he stepped out of the stable. He latched the door behind him and walked between the buildings to the ATV. A somber mood had taken over his day, and Hank needed to shake it off. He drove up a winding hill past a dozen cattle grazing in the field, the ATV bouncing along the uneven ground while he took note of the fence line. The older rails looked to be holding strong for now. All it would take was a good storm, and the cows would break through, trampling through to fields where they didn’t belong.

  Rounding a tight corner, Hank slowed to a stop, the ATV rumbling beneath him. Deep-pink rosecrown flowers, the namesake of the ranch, blanketed a field off to his left. He drove through the rosecrowns, crossing to the pasture behind the hill.

  With the irrigation checked, Hank headed back to the ranch house for dinner. Leaving the ATV in the front yard, he bounded up the stairs to the house. The moment he opened the door, his nose was filled with the aroma of cayenne pepper. Hank paused in the entryway, hanging his hat on a hook before walking through the family room to the kitchen.

  Jo Jo was talking animatedly on the phone, pacing back and forth. She stopped in front of the stove, stirring a large pot with a spoon while holding the phone against her cheek with her other hand. Hank chuckled and took the spoon from Jo Jo. He shooed her away and took over watching the chili on the stove, stirring it occasionally while her voice rose and fell from the other room.

  Cornbread batter was divided into a muffin tin, ready to be put in the oven. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of baking muffins, which mingled with the hearty smell of chili. Hank grabbed three bowls and walked into the dining room, setting them on the table. After a few minutes, Jo Jo said goodbye, hanging up and wandering back into the kitchen, tightening her apron strings. She held her hand out for the spoon.

  Hank swatted her hand away. “I’ve got this. Why don’t you go call Louis for dinner? It will be ready in five.” He watched Jo Jo’s smile grow. She looked around the kitchen, and then nodded her head. As her footsteps faded away, a door banged, followed by the clanging of the dinner bell. Hank hummed to himself as he pulled the piping-hot muffins out of the oven and dumped them into a basket.

  A few minutes later, Jo Jo walked back into the kitchen, her arm wrapped around the waist of an elderly gentleman with greying hair. His back was slightly hunched from years working on farms, but his forearms were strong. Hank held the basket of muffins out to Louis. “If you put those on the table, I’ll grab the chili. Then Miss Jo Jo can fill us in on her mystery conversation.”

  As soon as everyone was seated at the table, she began talking. “Do you remember my granddaughter, Jenny?”

  Hank’s stomach churned; his mouth suddenly dry. “Is she that fancy realtor who lives in California? You connected with her a couple of days ago, right?”

  “Yep. That’s the one. She’s going to come for a visit.” As Jo Jo prattled on, Hank lowered his spoon to his bowl. There was only one reason the absentee granddaughter would be interested in coming to the ranch after staying away for so many years. He was guessing it had very little to do with Jo Jo, but a lot to do with the size of her ranch. According to Jo Jo, realtors had been eyeing the land for the past fifteen years. Was it really a surprise that the granddaughter had finally caught wind of how much the ranch was worth?

  “I’m sure she’ll love it here.” Hank shoveled a spoonful of chili into his mouth, wincing as the hot food touched his lips. This Jenny girl could come visit, but he’d be ready for her. No one was going to take advantage of sweet Jo Jo Collins. Not if he had anything to say about it.

  Chapter 3

  The decision to take a small break from Gunderson Realty was an easy one for Jenny. There was no way she could work for the snooty blonde-haired woman who liked to kiss her ex. To be fair, Anita had no clue who Jenny was, but with the gossip mill going full-force, she was bound to figure it out soon.

  “Family emergency” was the reason Jenny gave Mr. Henry when she asked for two-months off. He had set his glasses down on the table and studied Jenny’s face. It was easy for her to squeeze out a few genuine tears. The ranch wasn’t an emergency, but Jenny’s sanity was. She didn’t want to quit work, but she needed to get far away from the drama that seemed to follow her. He nodded once, and granted her permission to leave. “Two months,” he said. “Not a day longer.”

  Once the ticket to Montana was booked, doubt crept in. She hadn’t seen Jo Jo for years. What right did she have to visit her now? It wasn’t a simple weekend trip she was looking for, but a two-month vacation from the chaos in her life. Her stomach was a tangled mess, constantly churning about her decision to leave. In the end, she swapped to a one-way ticket, leaving the return date open. If the ranch didn’t work out, she could always come home early.

  When her phone pinged about a flight delay, Jenny sank into an uncomfortable metal chair and pulled out a book to read. Maybe the delay was a sign that she should stay in California. She took a deep breath trying to focus on the words in front of her. The second delay found Jenny hunting for airport food. By the time her plane finally left, four hours later than scheduled, the sun was setting behind the hills. Jenny snapped a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge out of her window and turned her music up.

  Two-and-a-half hours later, the airplane touched down in Montana with a jolt. As the plane jostled down the runway, Jenny pressed her head against the window, watching the lights twinkling through the dark. A dry heat welcomed her as she stepped out of the airport, sucking the moisture from her skin. L
otion was added to her mental list of things to buy, along with a new set of earbuds to replace the ones she had left on the plane. An Uber delivered Jenny to the ranch, where she was greeted by a sleepy Grandma Jo Jo. After a quick hug, Jenny settled into her room for the night. They could catch up in the morning.

  Jenny awoke the next day to bright sunlight streaming through her window. She pulled the pillow over her face, groaning softly. A few more hours of sleep would have been nice, but the bundle of nerves dancing in her stomach prevented her from rolling over to close her eyes. She stretched her hands above her head and then glanced at her phone. It was hard to believe that this time yesterday, she had been in California.

  White eyelet curtains covered the window across the room. Jenny pushed the curtains to the side, studying the ranch. It was a mixture of outbuildings and open fields. If memory served her right, the largest building to the left was the horse stable. She wondered if her grandma had horses anymore. Her mom had loved riding.

  A loud banging of cupboard doors downstairs distracted Jenny from her thoughts. Rummaging through her suitcase, she found a satin robe that she threw over her ratty t-shirt and pajama shorts. As she pulled her hair into a ponytail, the smell of bacon drifted up to her room, making her stomach growl loudly. The overpriced slice of airport pizza hadn’t tided her over as well as she thought it would.

  Jenny bounded down the stairs, eager to see her grandma again. The late-night arrival had made catching up nearly impossible. Her socks slipped on the bottom step, and she grabbed the railing with a little yelp. She couldn’t count how many times she had slipped on the same step when she was a little girl.

  Entering the family room, Jenny could hear eggs being cracked open. She loved that Jo Jo was already up and cooking for her. Typical grandma behavior. “Good morning, Grandma! What time is it?” she called.

  She was rounding the corner to the dining room when the clattering of the dishes stopped. “You’re up early,” a deep male voice answered. Jenny paused mid-step before coming around the corner to the kitchen. She wasn’t expecting to meet her grandma’s new hunk until later in the day. “Jo Jo’s in the garden.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Jenny stood by the dining room table, debating if she should go grab her grandma to make introductions, or if it was okay to meet Louis without an escort. A loud rumble from her stomach convinced her that she could take just a little peek. She crept toward the doorway to the kitchen, holding her breath. When the clattering of dishes in the sink began again, Jenny peered around the corner.

  Standing at the sink, with his back to her, was a man in well-fitted jeans and a plaid, long-sleeved shirt that was rolled up around his forearms. He was definitely in shape, with muscles that filled out the back of his shirt, pulling at the seams along his shoulders whenever he stretched forward. Jenny smiled. She wanted someone strong to take care of her grandma. As a bonus, he was the kind of guy who did dishes. He was already making a good first impression.

  The man turned around to set a bowl on the kitchen island, and Jenny gasped. The face that studied hers was unexpected, with piercing blue eyes, a chiseled chin that was covered in a thin layer of dark stubble, and a slight smirk. He was handsome, strong, and about forty years younger than Jenny expected. Jenny’s pulse sped up as she stared at Louis, while heat crept up her cheeks. Maybe she should have waited for Jo Jo to introduce them after all.

  “Good morning. You must be Jenny.” He walked toward her, his hand outstretched, and her stomach flipped.

  Suddenly self-conscious, she covered her mouth and pretended to cough, checking her morning breath. Thank goodness she had brushed her teeth. She grabbed the edges of her robe, pulling the robe across her body before reaching one hand forward to awkwardly clasp Louis’s outstretched hand. She forced herself to look into his eyes and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said.

  A pop from the stove drew his attention away from Jenny. He stirred a frying pan filled with golden scrambled eggs, and reached for a spatula. “Your grandma told me you got here last night. She’s been talking about you pretty much non-stop.”

  “What exactly does she say?” Jenny shoved her hands into her robe pockets and leaned back against the counter.

  Instead of answering, Louis pulled some plates out of the cupboard. “She’s missed you,” he finally said. Jenny caught a sense of disappointment in his voice.

  “I honestly didn’t know how much I missed her until I got to the ranch.” Jenny followed Louis’s movements around the kitchen. He had a rhythm that flowed like he had been cooking in Jo Jo’s house for years. He stirred the eggs, flipped bacon with a pair of tongs, and then pulled out some glasses. Then it was back to the eggs, sprinkling a generous handful of cheddar cheese over the top of them. He pulled biscuits out of the oven, pushing the door closed with a booted foot.

  He looked entirely too young for Jo Jo, but who was Jenny to judge? Maybe he just aged really well. “So, how long, exactly, have you been dating?”

  The dance through the kitchen stopped. Louis turned his head to look at Jenny over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised. “Why do you want to know about my dating life?”

  Jenny opened and closed her mouth, trying to settle on the right words to say. “Sorry? I didn’t think it was a secret.”

  “It just seems a little forward when you have known me all of three minutes.” He turned his back to Jenny and took the final pieces of bacon out of the frying pan, setting them on a paper towel to drain.

  “I haven’t known you for long, but I’ve known my grandma my entire life. Of course, I want to know about the guy she’s dating.”

  Louis’s shoulders began to shake with laughter. “And you assumed it was me?” He looked at Jenny, one eyebrow raised.

  “Well . . . yeah. Why else would you be in her house? You are Louis, right?”

  Shaking his head back and forth, the man walked forward until he was standing right in front of Jenny. He stretched his hand out toward her. “Let’s try this again. My name is Hank.”

  A flood of emotions filled Jenny’s body when she shook his hand for the second time. Relief that her grandma wasn’t robbing the cradle. Confusion about who this Hank guy really was. And a hint of heat rising on her cheeks because he was ridiculously handsome and most definitely not dating her grandma. She forced a small laugh. “Well, I’m still Jenny. So, why are you here?”

  The words came out much more abruptly than she expected. Hank walked over to the counter and grabbed a stack of plates. He nodded toward the glasses. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and help me set the table?”

  Jenny followed Hank to the dining room, setting glasses down each plate. Four settings. That would mean Jo Jo, Louis, Jenny . . . and Hank. This guy clearly thought he belonged at the ranch, but Jenny had no clue where he came from or how long he planned to stay.

  “Are you visiting Louis?” Jenny watched Hank, searching for any reaction.

  He grunted, and pointed to the biscuits. Jenny grabbed the tray and followed him once more to the table, setting the food down while her mind raced. Hank placed a pan of hash browns on the table and gestured to the chair across the table from his. “We may as well get started. Jo Jo said she’d be a bit.”

  Jenny watched Hank scoop a giant pile of eggs onto his plate. She followed suit, piling her own plate high. Hank raised his eyebrows slightly, but quickly lowered them. “So, you assume I’m a visitor on the ranch, like you.”

  “Honestly, I’m totally confused about why you’re here,” Jenny replied.

  “Have you ever been to a ranch before?” Hank asked. He placed his elbows on the table and stared at Jenny, the weight of his gaze making her wish she had waited for backup before sitting down.

  She shuffled back and forth in her seat. “I practically grew up here. I lived here while I was young—”

  “And according to Jo Jo, you haven’t been back since.” Hank watched her; his eyes turning cold. Jenny shivered, and pulled her robe tighter across her waist.
Tightening her grasp on the fork, she tried to concentrate on the food in front of her.

  “I had my reasons. It was complicated.” Jenny glanced at Hank. The man was a statue. He hadn’t moved his steely gaze from her face. The discomfort made it difficult for her to eat.

  “The way I see it, there isn’t anything complicated about a family member needing help. Too bad your job in the city is more important than your grandma.”

  Hank’s words snapped something inside, bringing Jenny back to the situation at hand. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up as she leaned forward, meeting his eyes with a determined look of her own. “You know nothing about me or my situation.”

  “I know enough,” he continued. “I know that you weren’t here when she fell and broke her foot. You weren’t here when the drought threatened to wipe out all of her crops, jeopardizing her livelihood. And you certainly weren’t here when she collapsed last month for no apparent reason. You want to know what I’m doing here? I’m taking care of her because she doesn’t have any family to watch over her.”

  Silence hung in the air as Jenny tried to process Hank’s words. Everything he said was true, except for the part about her not caring. She hadn’t been around, but not because she didn’t want to be. Her dad had made communication between her and Jo Jo impossible. Hank’s accusations twisted knots in her stomach. “You have no right to speak to me that way,” she said.

  “I have every right. I’m the one who is running this ranch. I’m the one keeping food on your grandma’s table and trying to make things profitable for her. What are you doing to help?”

  Jenny clenched her hands. “I didn’t realize that you were a god. Apparently, you’ve got everything under control. What could I possibly want to do with my grandmother?” She slammed her fork down on the table, her eyes shooting daggers at the infuriating man across from her.

  “The way I see it, you coming here means only one thing. More work for all of us. Now, we have to take care of a city girl who doesn’t know how to get her hands dirty.” Hank shoved his chair back from the table and stood, picking up his plate of food. “You might think you’re going to do some good here, but you aren’t. You are just one more thing that Jo Jo has to worry about now. I hope it’s worth it.”