The Rancher's Second Chance

by Leigh Riker

  Nell’s brother sat his horse with stiff legs and white-knuckled hands as if he expected the mare to bolt any second. If he really wanted to be a rancher, he should seem a lot more comfortable in the saddle. So what was his real motive for wanting the ranch? Nell, if not Ned Sutherland, had wondered the same thing.

  After a long minute of listening and scanning the area, Cooper said, “Nothing. Maybe you’d like to take the first watch tonight out here. Ride among the herd and watch for the pack.”

  Jesse gritted his teeth. “I don’t take orders from you. I can help in other ways. Handling the ranch accounts, for example.”

  “Nell takes care of that. She has a good head for figures.” But so did Jesse, he supposed, as a businessman. Maybe he wasn’t being fair. “With your experience running all those companies you’ve sold, you might work together.”

  Jesse’s gaze slid away from his. “I don’t mind desk work, being shut in the office. Nell would rather run around being a cowgirl, I’m sure.” He paused. “Maybe you’d rather she came with you today instead of me.”

  “I only need to get the work done—whoever’s free can join me.”

  Jesse didn’t rush to reassure him that he was on board.

  Cooper glanced at him. He’d had a hunch the first day that Jesse was lying. Hiding something. Cooper dropped his reins against Domino’s neck and the horse lowered his head to graze on a clump of green grass. “What is it, Jesse? What do you want? You don’t really like to ride, you don’t like to fix fence, you don’t even like the animals you supposedly want to claim along with the NLS’s land. Is it more money?”

  Jesse shifted in his saddle. The leather creaked, and high overhead an eagle soared in lazy circles through the sky. “Why would I need money? I told you—”

  “I remember. You sold a bunch of businesses for a big profit. But maybe—just a hunch here—you’re in some kind of trouble anyway.”

  Jesse’s face turned red. “I’m not in trouble.”

  Cooper only raised one eyebrow.

  Jesse wheeled his horse around. “My reason for coming home—which is something you can’t do, is it?—is my business. No one else’s.”

  Leaving Cooper to look after him, he rode off down the slope onto level ground, headed for the barn.

  * * *

  GRIEVING OVER THE loss of the two calves last night, Nell decided to talk to Finn Donovan. On one of her rare trips into town, she soon learned at the sheriff’s department that he was off duty for the day so she headed out to his farm, hoping to catch him there.

  “Nell!” With a wide smile, Annabelle Foster met her at the front door before she had lifted a hand to knock. She ushered Nell into the house. “I recognized your grandfather’s truck. I was just making coffee and setting out some doughnuts.”

  At the last word, a small streak of human lightning shot between them, then skidded to a stop. Nell smiled at Annabelle’s little girl who, wearing jeans and a T-shirt that read I Love Horses, gazed up at her. “You like doughnuts?”

  “I do,” Nell said. “Are you willing to share?”

  Emmie, all blond hair and blue eyes, nodded. “I share at my school.”

  Over her head, Annabelle grinned. “She means day care. She’s always ready for doughnuts.” They walked into the kitchen, where Annabelle gestured at a chair, then poured two mugs of coffee. She set a plastic glass of milk in front of Emmie, who promptly reached for the plate of glazed doughnuts. Her hand already sticky, she took one, then handed Nell another.

  “Thank you.”

  Emmie didn’t sit at the table, and Nell imagined she rarely sat at all. She seemed to be always in motion, and something tugged at Nell’s heart. Once, she’d believed she would marry Cooper and have a family with him. She’d never quite worked out in her mind where they might live—on the NLS, or Cooper’s ranch or if they’d build a house of their own somewhere in between. Now, she knew that had been only a teenage daydream. She refused to dwell on her ongoing attraction to him or the new bond they’d shared at his former home. She had bigger problems.

  Emmie gulped down her milk, snatched a second or third doughnut from the plate, then ran toward the hall. “I eat with Finnie in my room,” she called over her shoulder, red lights blinking on her sneakers.

  “Oh, no,” Annabelle said. “More laundry to do.”

  “She’s adorable,” Nell said with a lump in her throat. “Who’s Finnie?”

  “That’s her name for a stuffed lamb Finn gave her when they met—” her smile faded “—at the scene of her mom’s accident.”

  Nell remembered the tragic event last autumn. Emmie’s mother, Annabelle’s cousin, had died not long after that from her injuries and little Emmie had been left an orphan. Well, not quite...

  “It was so good of you to adopt her.”

  “How could I not?” Annabelle asked. “Her father gave up any claim to Emmie.” Nell had heard all the rumors in confidence from several members of the Girls’ Night Out group, but so far, the fact that the mayor was Emmie’s father hadn’t become general knowledge. To protect the mayor’s wife and family—and Emmie—she hoped it never would. “I’ll sign the final papers soon, then Emmie will be mine,” Annabelle said. “Finn will go through the same process after we get married.”

  Nell had learned from Olivia that his proposal was already planned, and she couldn’t be happier for them. She had the NLS—or she would!—to sustain her. Still, that long-ago daydream ran through her mind again. Even PawPaw had thought she and Cooper had made a good match then.

  Nell broke off another piece of her doughnut. “Olivia tells me you two are going with her and Sawyer to Kedar.”

  “Emmie’s going too,” she said. “Since she heard there are other kids there and Olivia’s son, Nick, is going, she hasn’t stopped talking about the trip.” Annabelle finished her coffee. “I’m not sure we’ll be so excited after such a long flight to get there, but we’ll find out. Finn promised me this adventure. Talk about my wish to travel...” she trailed off. “By the way, did you come to see him? Finn had a meeting with the mayor—yes, on a Saturday. He should be back shortly.”

  “I came to see you both.” Nell ate the last bite of the doughnut. “We’ve been having trouble lately at the NLS with coyotes. I wondered if Finn’s had any reports from other ranchers in the area.”

  “Not that I’m aware of,” Annabelle said.

  “They can cover a pretty broad range, so I thought I’d ask.” She rose from the table. “We’ve already lost a cow and a pair of calves.”

  Annabelle shuddered. “How terrible.”

  “Yes, and I don’t want to lose any more.” Nell pressed her lips tight. “If Finn has news—”

  “I’ll have him call you or drop by the ranch. By the way, how’s Cooper working out?”

  “Fine,” she said, hoping Annabelle wouldn’t pursue the subject. That wasn’t in her nature, unlike Olivia at times, or even their friend Shadow, another reason Nell seldom attended their meetings. Annabelle tended to be less bold where other people were concerned.

  “Just fine?” she asked, making Nell question her last notion.

  “You’ve been talking to Olivia. Cooper’s not a problem,” she said, mentally crossing her fingers. “My grandfather, my brother and my mom are. I’m fighting this fight now so girls like Emmie won’t have to. When they’re grown, a woman rancher will be common.” She thanked Annabelle for the doughnut and coffee, then walked to the front door of the open-plan room. From down the hall, she could hear Emmie giggling at a video that was playing.

  Nell stared at the doorknob. “But I have to say, having a close-knit family isn’t always a good thing.”

  * * *

  THAT NIGHT, COOPER crossed the yard from the foreman’s bungalow to the barn where a light was shining through a stall window.

  Nell was there, as he sensed she would be, fe
eding a bottle to the injured, and now orphaned, calf. She was the only one who worked after sundown on the NLS except during emergencies, and in the past few days, she’d avoided him.

  She glanced up, a slight flush on her cheekbones. “He’s doing really well now. He can probably join the herd soon.” Obviously, she wasn’t going to mention their ride the other day, the tour of his house or their talk about shared memories.

  “You consider my suggestion?” Cooper asked.

  “What was that,” she said, as if she really didn’t care what he thought.

  “Not to make him into a steer. Use him instead as a breeding bull.”

  She perked up a little. “His temperament’s calm, though he’s still a baby. His conformation’s good, and he’s certainly putting on weight. He’ll be big when he’s grown. Broad through the chest and shoulders...” she trailed off, her gaze skating away from Cooper.

  He hunkered in front of her. “Then you agree.”

  “I have time to make that decision, but his genes are excellent.” She tugged the empty bottle from the calf’s mouth, its thick pink tongue sweeping out to lap the last droplet of milk that dripped onto her wrist. “I do want to change a few things on this ranch.” Her mouth turned down. “PawPaw called—before those calves were killed—and I’m running out of time to prove myself.”

  “He’s on his way home?”

  “No, he and Will went even farther inland. The fish up north are teeming, he said.” She patted the calf, then watched him scoot off to the far corner of the stall. “I have my work cut out for me,” she said, then told Cooper about her talk with Ned. “Before he gets back, I want to digitize the breeding register—can you believe he still keeps it in longhand?—update his accounting system, the inventory as well and, while I’m at it, shift a few attitudes around here.”

  Cooper held up both hands. “Don’t include me.”

  “I won’t,” she admitted, “unless you give me reason to. You’ve been, well, more supportive than I expected, but the last time I looked, your name wasn’t on the deed for the NLS.”

  For a second, he wished they hadn’t ridden onto Ransom land after all.

  Nell cracked a smile but her eyes remained downcast, and Cooper doubted her comment about him had made her that happy. “Mom went home to Kansas City this morning, so at least I’m not outnumbered right now. I wish I didn’t have to beat Jesse in some contest for the NLS, but apparently I do. He’s not going to win.”

  “Nell, I can understand about Jesse. We had a brief skirmish too, and I’m pretty sure he’s hiding something. Don’t know what it is yet, but why do you keep fighting me?”

  He almost didn’t hear the words. “You mean instead of showing my softer side?”

  Cooper rose. He stared down at her. “We both want the same thing, don’t we? To preserve this ranch? Have it prosper under your management?”

  “That’s part of it.” She didn’t wait for him to respond. “We both know why you’re here. I won’t let you take back Ransom land—NLS land now—because of a little sweet talk, or because you’ve been a big help with the ranch.”

  His jaw hardened. “I’m here—right now—because I’m your foreman. Nell, why are we arguing about this? We work fine together when you aren’t trying to show me who’s boss every five minutes. I understand I work for you. I believe in you and I’m trying to help you succeed.” He shook his head. “All you seem to focus on where I’m concerned—”

  “—is your plan to take away my land! Don’t try to pretend you’re just another cowpoke helping out. That aw-shucks pose is as clear as day.”

  Mad enough to chew nails, he took a step toward her. “That’s amazing. I’ve never tried to hide anything from you. You’ve known from the start what I intend to do, Nell. That doesn’t mean I can’t do my job now. Later on, we’ll deal with the rest.” Cooper turned away, then back again. “The other day, I showed you exactly where I’m coming from. You walked with me through that house and I hoped you saw what the place still means to me, what it means to my mother.”

  “I understand that, Cooper. What I don’t understand is why it’s so important to you all these years later to make a play for Ransom land when I’m just coming into my own. I’ll have a hard enough time convincing PawPaw I can manage this ranch. I don’t need you to complicate everything.”

  “You can fire me. I’ll be off this property before morning.”

  To his surprise, her voice shook. “If I fired you, Jesse would try to take your place. Prove himself the better choice.” She lightened her tone. “No, I do appreciate your help. I’ll stick with what I have. Thank you for your faith in me.”

  Cooper reached out to frame Nell’s face in his hands. Her chin tilted up and her gaze held his. They’d been dancing around their persistent attraction—at least his—ever since he set foot again on the NLS. A few days ago, he’d walked into his parents’ house, and he’d known without a doubt he was home. If only she could share that emotion with him. When she’d put her arms around him for the first time in fourteen years, he’d thought she did. “I’m not your enemy, Nell. Remember that.”

  He expected her to challenge him, to remind Cooper that because he wanted what she did too they were indeed enemies. Instead, Nell moved a little, closing the short distance still between them, and in the same instant Cooper drew her to him, relishing the sensation of Nell against him.

  “I remember lots of things,” she whispered. “I don’t know if they’re good for me.” But she didn’t move.

  With a half smile, Cooper lowered his head and kissed her, soft and light and warm, cautioning himself that this wasn’t good for him either, or his plans. But it was exactly what he wanted.

  As he went back for another deeper kiss, and Nell responded, her arms around him too, he wondered how much of his job here related to his feelings for her, and not for his former home.

  CHAPTER TEN

  NELL WORKED EVEN harder than she normally did the next day. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t get Cooper’s kisses out of her head. She was clearly still attracted to him and, she had to admit, he was more than a temptation—too much for Nell’s comfort. But what had she been thinking? Or rather, not thinking?

  The remembered feel of his lips on hers seemed to follow her wherever she went, from morning feeding at the barn to a quick check of the herd for further coyote damage and, finally, to the home office, where she discovered Jesse at the wall safe, spinning the combination. Nell stopped dead.

  “What are you doing?”

  His hand froze. The safe door remained shut. She glanced over at the desk, where the latest month’s statement of expenses and profit filled the computer screen. “Why were you trying to open the safe?”

  He spun around to face her. “As a matter of fact, I was headed into town—I hear Jack Hancock’s a wizard at the new diner and I could use a nice French meal for a change—but I’m a little short. I decided to withdraw a few bucks.” He glanced behind him. “PawPaw still keep operating funds in this safe?”

  Cooper had mentioned his suspicions of Jesse and Nell agreed. “You haven’t earned a free lunch. You’re already getting room and board here. The NLS runs on a tight margin. If you were doing any real work, I’d say fine, but you’re not. If you want to eat, make yourself a sandwich.”

  “Don’t be such a hard nose, Nell.”

  She didn’t think she was. Even with the few chores he’d agreed to take on, Jesse was often missing in action, and whenever something critical came up, say another coyote attack, he was nowhere to be found or quit before he could be of any real use. She couldn’t imagine why PawPaw believed he could take over the ranch.

  “If you need money, Jesse, you should tap into whatever you made from all those acquisitions.” To hear him tell it, he was a multimillionaire, which made her wonder again, as Cooper did, why he wanted the NLS. She still hadn’t not
iced any sign of his affection for the place.

  “I’d only take a couple hundred,” he finally said.

  A few bucks. “For lunch?”

  “No, for a...while. I’m waiting on the payout from my last company, if you must know, and most of my assets are illiquid at the moment. I don’t expect you to understand high finance.”

  “Jesse, this makes no sense. If you’re that successful, you must have accounts you can draw from.”

  “Tied up in investments,” he said, avoiding her gaze. “You wouldn’t believe the complications I deal with every day. I’m usually on the phone, in meetings, making deals, working more hours than you ever could trying to prove yourself to PawPaw.”

  She hesitated. “What aren’t you telling me? We may not be close, but we are brother and sister. Family. If something’s wrong—”

  He flinched as if she’d hit him with a cattle prod. “Nothing. Is. Wrong. Get that? My life is not as simple as yours, that’s all. If you don’t want to open this safe and lend me a bit—”

  “That isn’t the issue.”

  “Then what is?” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m tired of this, Nell. I wish Mom was still here. She’d understand.” He sounded like the often-whiny boy he’d once been. Nothing was ever enough for Jesse.

  “And I’m sure she’d lend you whatever you asked for.”

  “So would PawPaw.”

  “If he was here,” she said. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t give you the money. I just wonder why you seem so desperate.”

  “That’s ridiculous. You’re the one who keeps grasping at things—the NLS, for sure—when it’s obvious you’ll never inherit this ranch.”

  Nell stifled a retort. She stalked over to the wall safe, which was normally hidden behind a portrait of Ferdinand, PawPaw’s prize bull. The stud was getting on in years, and soon the ornery animal would have to be retired. Nell meant to replace him—maybe with the rescued calf when he was grown. Her back to Jesse, she twirled the combination lock and the door opened. Nell reached in, counted out several hundred-dollar bills, then turned.