“My hands may be miserable, but my mouth is sure happy right now. Thanks for dinner.”
“I missed being able to cook when my heart was acting up. Just you wait until dessert. Jenny and I whipped up something special.”
“Where’s Louis?” David asked, pointing to the empty place at the table. The elderly man ran circles around David when it came to ranch work, making the young cowboy feel old.
“He’s finishing up something with the sprinklers. He’ll be in soon.”
David nodded and turned his attention back to his plate. Eating dinner at the table with Hank and Jo Jo was getting more comfortable, but he didn’t quite feel at home. It would be a while before David could forget the fight he and Hank had last summer. Family was everything to David. Even though Hank was happily dating Jenny and Amanda was engaged to the love of her life, David felt disloyal to his sister by being at the ranch.
The front door banged open and Louis came into the room, clenching his hat between his fists. “Hank. David. We’ve got to go. The cows broke out and are running across the neighbor’s alfalfa fields. I need your help to round them up before he threatens to call the police again.”
Stifling a groan, David cast a longing look at his stew. He shoveled a large bite into his mouth and pushed away from the table, already mourning for the delicious dessert that Jo Jo was hinting at. The endless “emergencies” on the ranch were really wearing down his spirits. Was it asking too much for just one day of peaceful ranch life? He could handle feeding the animals and gathering the crops just fine if things weren’t constantly popping up that needed immediate attention.
David grabbed his hat from the hook by the front door and followed Hank and Louis outside. He and Hank climbed onto ATVs and drove behind Louis’s truck as it wound down the hill to where the errant cows were trampling through the fields. Hank and David split apart, each man taking a side of the road. Then they drove behind the cows, honking their horns to get the animals moving. With the ATVs behind them and an open path in front of them, the cows raced across the field heading back towards Rosecrown Ranch.
David revved his engine, driving carefully around the swath of alfalfa windrows waiting to be baled. He followed the cattle as they ran across the fields, weaving his vehicle back and forth to mirror Hank’s movements on the other side of the cows. Slowly, they herded the animals back to their proper side of the fence where Louis was waiting, his truck bed filled with boards, nails, and barbed wire.
By the time the fence was patched properly, the sun was setting behind the mountains. David drove his ATV back up the hill to the ranch, parking in front of the farmhouse. He opened the door to the house and went inside, Hank close on his heels. Jo Jo and Jenny were sitting on the couch, their heads close together. They looked up as the men entered and a smile spread across Jenny’s face. “Welcome home. Do you guys want me to reheat your dinner?”
Louis banged the door shut behind him. “Yes please. I’m starving.”
Jenny walked into the kitchen and Hank followed close behind, his hand resting protectively on her shoulder. Louis walked over to Jo Jo and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. With laughter coming from the kitchen and the obvious affection between the older couple, David was reminded for the umpteenth time that he really was the odd one out on the ranch. The others seemed to love the hard work that came with ranching. Even Jenny, who left every morning for her job in town, came home every night happy to jump in and get tasks done. It was obvious to David that his heart just wasn’t into the ranch life. Thankfully he had a plan to get his life back on track.
I can’t wait for you to read the rest of David’s story. Kate is coming to the ranch, and she’s quite the firecracker. You are going to love the sparks that fly between these two. Preorder your copy today!
Longing for Rosecrown Ranch
About Ruth
Ruth Pendleton has been an avid writer for most of her life. Although her writing style has changed significantly over the years, her love for a happily ever after hasn’t. She spends her days at the keyboard and her nights watching shows or playing games with her family.
Also by Ruth Pendleton
Love at Rosecrown Ranch
Longing for Rosecrown Ranch
Love at Rosecrown Ranch Page 17