The Rancher’s Devout Bride

by Maya Stirling

  The truth was, after last night, Jake had no intention of letting Emma leave Inspiration. Having her and the girls around had changed how he felt about life. Right now, he wasn't willing to lose that. God had granted him a precious gift, and he wasn't going to squander it. Not without putting up a fight.

  Apparently satisfied, at least for the moment, Nathan headed off back to town. Back inside the house, Matilda peered at Jake. "What was the sheriff after?" she asked Jake.

  Glancing at the girls, seated on the sofa, knitting needles in their hands, broad smiles on their faces, Jake couldn't bring himself to even hint at the nature of his conversation with the sheriff. He winked once at his mother. "Just a social call," he said. His mother's eyes narrowed and then she nodded. She'd guessed there was more to it, and that now wasn't the time to discuss it. He'd talk to her later, when the girls weren't around.

  "Time I got back to work," Jake announced.

  Bethany and Clara moaned with disappointment, asking when he'd keep his promise to take them on horseback and show them the ranch hands at work with the herd. Reassuring them he'd attend to it when he got back later, Jake bid them all farewell and made his way out to the yard.

  Outside, he paused before mounting his horse. What was he going to do? Most important of all, what was God asking him to do? Even as he asked himself that question, Jake already knew the answer.

  It was crystal clear to Jake now.

  The Lord was guiding Jake to win Emma's heart, and save Bethany and Clara.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Over dinner that evening, Grace made an announcement. It was going to be Matilda's birthday this coming Friday, and a great celebration was being planned. Everyone was invited, of course. Jake's mother told them that the entire Buchanan family would be coming over to the ranch. It would be a grand affair.

  Jake was sitting across the dinner table from Emma. He smiled, clearly delighted at the prospect of a family gathering. By contrast, Emma felt instantly nervous, but she did her best to disguise her reaction to the news. Before today, the gathering might have been the last she'd have seen of the Buchanans before leaving Inspiration forever.

  But all that had changed now. She'd already returned her train tickets, realizing that there would be no departures on Saturday. Not while she was awaiting the outcome of what she'd discovered in today's telegram.

  All through the evening's dinner, Emma had done her best to disguise her worries. She'd shared the girls excitement at learning knitting with Matilda. And she'd spoken enthusiastically about her and Grace's pleasant time in town. With a birthday celebration in forty-eight hours, it was no wonder Grace had been eager to get some supplies in.

  Throughout the meal, Jake had been polite and pleasant. More so than usual, Emma reflected. Emma was convinced there was something on Jake's mind. She was getting good at reading him. As was he, when it came to to sensing her own moods.

  After the dinner, Emma helped Matilda and Grace in the kitchen, assisted by Bethany and Clara.

  While drying dishes, Clara peered up at Emma. "Jake said he's taking us on horseback to see the herd." Clara eyes brightened. "He said you're coming along with us. Is that right?"

  Emma hid her surprise and nodded. "Of course," she said smiling at Clara. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

  Both girls exchanged excited looks and quickened the pace with which they were drying the dishes. Emma asked herself why Jake would have made such an offer. Maybe he just wanted to spend some time with her and the children. This week, he hadn't missed any opportunity to do so. Or perhaps he wanted to resume his conversation with Emma from the previous evening.

  Last night, she'd thought telling him about the train tickets would have been important. But, now there was something far more serious on the horizon. She was horrified by the prospect of having to hand the children over to a representative of the Foundling Society. And, even worse, Mr Curtis might give Bethany and Clara over to that awful couple in Billings. It was unthinkable. She knew she'd have to share that news with Jake at some point in the evening.

  After everything was tidied, Emma and the children made their way out to the yard. She halted on the porch and gazed at Jake who was standing a short distance away. In each hand he held a rope. On either side of him stood a horse, each saddled and ready. Jake grinned at Bethany and Clara. The girls squealed with delight and dashed across to the horses.

  Emma saw Jake's eyes brighten as he took in the sight of the girls' joy. Seemed like they were looking forward to their early evening ride with Emma and Jake. The evening light was still bright enough for their outing. It wouldn't be dark for another hour or so.

  Soon, they were all mounted up on the horses. Just as on the day when they'd ridden to Inspiration, the girls shared a mount with one of the adults. Emma and Bethany shared, while Jake and Clara rode the other mount.

  "Ready?" Jake asked.

  The girls nodded, exchanging animated looks with each other. Emma could see just how much this meant to the girls. They each had a strong spirit of adventure, a natural desire to know as much about the world as possible. That made sense to Emma, given the hard life the girls had endured up until now. Emma recalled how her own imagination had run wild when she'd learned to ride on her uncle's farm as a young girl in Pennsylvania. That seemed like such a long time ago. It was like a dream from another world, she told herself.

  Jake took the lead. Emma followed him out along the southbound trail. Bethany leaned back against Emma. It felt good to have the young girl so close to her, Emma reflected. The bond between Emma and the two girls had grown stronger since they'd all arrived at the ranch. While Emma knew the girls trusted her, she also knew that even more trust had been created by the security and safety of life on the Buchanan ranch. Perhaps, for the first time in the girls' lives, they were starting to feel at home somewhere.

  Jake led them them out across the rangeland. He rode slowly, looking back at Emma from time to time. From the warm smile on his face, Jake looked like he was having the time of his life. Seeing him like this, Emma wondered what it would be like for them all to be a family. Complete. To have a man like Jake as a husband. And to look after Bethany and Clara as if they were their own.

  It was a dangerous thought, because she knew that so many things stood in the way of such a dream coming true. Because, it was just a fantasy, Emma chided herself sharply. There was no way she and Jake would ever be able to enter into such an arrangement. Hadn't he already turned down the chance for one arranged marriage? Why did she think things would be any different with her?

  Finally, they crested a ridge. Jake pulled to a halt and Emma stopped alongside him. Jake pointed. "There it is," he declared with obvious pride in his voice.

  Bethany sat forward, gasping with awe and admiration. Clara did exactly the same. Jake and Emma exchanged looks. Jake lifted a brow and smiled at Emma. She grinned right back at him, feeling truly happy.

  Emma gazed down into the valley. The herd was a few hundred strong, she estimated. It was huddled alongside a river. Ranch hands, mounted on horseback, rode slowly around the edges of the herd. The huge mass of cattle stood still. Almost all of the animals were grazing. Even from up on the crest of the ridge, Emma could sense the awesome, contained power of the herd. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if it got out of control.

  Gazing down into the valley, Emma was filled with admiration at the skill of the ranch hands. Keeping all of that raw power under control took hard work. She was sure the ranch hands were expert at keeping that power contained, she reflected.

  Jake led them down to the edge of the herd. The girls got down off the horses. Emma saw Jake remain on horseback. She decided to do the same, for the moment. The girls stood, transfixed by the sight of the herd, obviously impressed, now that they were close up to it. The reality of ranching had hit the girls with full force, and they appeared awed-struck.

  Bethany glanced at Emma. The girl's wide eyes were asking for permission. Clara tu
rned to Emma. She could see how much this meant to the girls. This wasn't the kind of thing they'd been used to while growing up on the streets. There, the girls had had to deal with very different kinds of dangers during that time, she reflected. Human ones. A dangerous environment in every possible way. By contrast, the rangeland was a much simpler place. A perfect place in which the girls could grow up.

  One of the ranch hands rode over to Jake and spoke with him a while. Jake went to Bethany and Clara. "Luke, here is going to tell you all about being a ranch hand." Jake quirked a brow. "Not sure why two girls want to know more about ranching." He twisted his mouth and gave them an inquiring look. "Unless you're both planning on becoming cowgirls."

  Bethany and Clara exchanged looks. Jake nodded. "Thought so," he said with obvious good-humor. "My suspicions have been confirmed." Emma was beginning to like it when Jake teased the girls like this. And, judging by their smiling faces, so were they.

  Both girls glanced at Emma. She nodded, finally granting them permission. The ranch hand got down off his horse and started talking with the girls.

  Jake came over to Emma. "That ought to keep them occupied for while."

  Emma nodded. "You do know they won't stop talking about this all night."

  Jake grinned. "Maybe they'll become our latest employees. We need some extra hands around the ranch this fall."

  Emma peered at him, trying to tell if he was really joking or being serious, but his features were an unreadable blank. "How do you know we're going to be around then?" she asked.

  "Doesn't do any harm to plan ahead," Jake replied. His gaze hardened. "I'm learning that. The hard way."

  Was he suggesting he was doing this so they'd all have memories of the ranch after they'd gone back east? Or that he was hoping she and the girls would stay? And if they did, what did Jake expect of Emma?

  Before she had a chance to challenge him on that, he tugged on his horse's reins. "What say you and I ride over that way?" he asked pointing a gloved hand in a westerly direction, past the farthest end of the herd.

  "As long as I can keep an eye on the girls," she said.

  "They'll be fine. Luke knows what to do. And there's plenty of men around to deal with anything. These guys know what they're doing," Jake said. "They can handle anything you throw at them." He grinned. "Even two ornery girls."

  "Hey!" she exclaimed and smiled at him. "That's no way to talk about my precious girls."

  Jake tipped the front brim of his hat upwards. "You're not the one who's been trying to teach them how to ride a horse. They already think they're experts," he added with a mischievous glance at the two girls.

  Emma saw that there were around a dozen men on horseback scattered around different parts of the herd. Maybe Jake right. The girls would be safe. "Just let's not go too far."

  She rode, at walking pace, alongside him. Every once in a while, she glanced back at the girls. Luke was pointing things out to them and, no doubt, trying to answer the thousand and one questions they were throwing at him. Everything seemed to be in control. She felt her unease fade. It was replaced by the simple pleasure of being with Jake.

  It was a beautiful evening. Evening sunlight cast soft shadows. The air was cool and the low sounds of the nearby cattle had a hypnotic quality. Riding alongside Jake was an unexpected bonus at the end of what had been a difficult day. Thinking about what had happened in town, she realized the time had come to tell him about the telegram.

  "You know I was in town, today, Jake, don't you?" she said.

  His shoulders tensed immediately. "Yup." He glanced warily at her. "Grace said you went to the telegraph office."

  Emma nodded. "I did. I got something from back east."

  "You did?"

  Emma drew in a deep breath. "It's not good news."

  She saw his brows furrow. "How come?"

  "The folks in Billings have challenged my account of events." Emma felt her voice quiver. "And the Foundling Society seem determined to take the complaint seriously. They're sending an attorney out to sort everything."

  Jake halted his mount. Emma did the same and faced him. "An attorney? What use is that going to be?"

  She shrugged. "Maybe there's some kind of legal challenge to my keeping the children with me for now," Emma suggested.

  "But, they belong with you, Emma," Jake exclaimed abruptly.

  "You think so?"

  He nodded vigorously. "Who else can make them this happy?" Jake said and turned, looking back in the direction of the girls. "This is where they should be. They won't be happy anywhere else." He gazed at her. She could see emotion in his eyes. The kind she'd seen before, whenever he talked about the children. "You know that, as well as I do, Emma." His voice shook with feeling. It seemed that, when it came to her and the girls, Jake could barely contain his feelings.

  She nodded slowly. "They've asked me to stay a while longer, here in Inspiration. Until things get worked out."

  His brows shot up in a line. "They have?" he asked abruptly. He didn't seem disappointed by that news.

  "So, I'm going to be here until the attorney sorts things out." She frowned. "I'm certain they'll agree with my assessment that the Whitney couple are not suitable foster parents. After that, there'll be nothing to stop me from doing what I have to do."

  "Which is?" Jake asked.

  Emma gazed into Jake's eyes, tilted her head and then sighed. "I don't know the answer to that, yet."

  Jake moved his horse closer to Emma's mount. When he spoke, his voice was low and contained more than a hint of longing. "You know the truth, Emma."

  "About what?"

  His gaze darkened with obvious desire. "Can't you guess?"

  She knew exactly where he was leading this conversation. But, right now, there was so much confusion in her life, so much uncertainty about the future, she wasn't sure she was ready for what he so clearly wanted to say to her.

  Jake leaned closer. "I'd like you to stay in Inspiration," he murmured. "And not just until the fall."

  She'd thought she'd prepared herself for that declaration, but she'd been wrong. Emma felt heat flush across her face. Her heart quickened. The horse shifted beneath her, as if it had sensed the sudden change in Emma. She gripped the reins tightly. "You want me to stay?" she asked softly, hardly believing she was asking him such a question.

  Jake nodded. His eyes were soft with desire. Her gaze drifted down to his lips. Temptation awakened inside her. She knew there was no way she could kiss him here. If the girls saw her doing that, there would be a million questions to answer.

  "You've come to mean a great deal to me, Emma," he announced quietly. "But, I think you know that, already."

  Emma turned her head away from Jake, suddenly lost for words. He shifted, insisting upon gazing at her. She glanced at him from beneath suddenly heavy eyelids. His gaze was penetrating. Impossible to ignore.

  Jake reached across and gently laid a hand on Emma's arm. His touch sent a wave of sensation through her body. She gasped and gazed into the deep pools of his eyes. There was no stopping him now, she told herself. She'd never seen him look so determined.

  Unease flickered through her. Sensing the beginning of her distress, Jake leaned back, removing his hand from her arm. The moment had passed as quickly as it had come to life. "Forgive me, Emma." Suddenly awkward, he leaned away from her and grasped the pommel of his saddle. He straightened. "I can see I've made you feel uncomfortable."

  Emma shook her head sharply. "No, you haven't Jake," she replied. "I'm flattered. Truly, I am."

  Hearing some laughter from the children, she turned her head, fearing they'd seen what had occurred. But, she saw that they had their backs turned to her and Jake. They were laughing at a couple of the ranch hands showing off their lassoing skills. Relief flooded through Emma.