Home on the Ranch: Her Cowboy Hero

by Pamela Britton

  “When you do ride, I’d feel better if I was there to share the horses’ quirks.”

  “Smart thinking.” She smiled, too, but he would bet hers wasn’t forced. “You never know with horses.”

  Funny, he’d forgotten for a moment that she came from a famous rodeo family, one that lived nearby. That meant the view outside had to be familiar to her, too, and yet she’d still paused for a moment to take it all in, and in her gaze he could have sworn he’d seen sadness.

  “How big is the upstairs?”

  She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and he found himself wondering if she’d had it professionally dyed. It was so dark that it looked almost purple with sunlight pouring onto it from one side.

  “About thirty thousand square feet.”

  She wore her surprise like a child who’d just been told she lived in a castle. “That’s a lot of room.”

  He shrugged. “Not really. We have to split it between office space, guest quarters and my apartment. I live right next door to the office here.” He motioned toward the wall behind him. “And we have a laundry, a kitchen and a community room around the corner. Some of our veterans are in no shape to cook. You’ll meet Patsy, our chef, when the vets start arriving.”

  “Sounds like the owner has spared no expense.”

  “Money is no object where Jaxton Stone is concerned. He even put in an elevator in the back corner of the arena, just so people with wheelchairs could access the second floor. That was a big problem before. Jax will do almost anything to help the veterans. Therapy. Fitness training. You name it. You should see our new PT room.”

  He led her toward the landing outside the office. A T-shaped hallway bisected the upper floor. His office sat on the right side at the top of the T, his apartment on the left. Guest quarters and the other rooms were off the center length.

  “Let me show you one of the apartments.” His keys echoed down the long hall, and his damn fingers refused to cooperate. When he finally managed to swing the door wide, she looked dazed as she walked inside.

  “My goodness.”

  The rectangular room had been designed to maximize the space. The bedroom was behind the wall on their right, closet to his left and a sitting area straight ahead. The back of the couch faced them, the front facing a row of windows. A gas stove sat in the right-side corner so it would serve both the sitting area and the bedroom.

  “Are they all like this?”

  “The footprints change, but yes.” He led her back outside, uncomfortable with just the two of them in the room together. “One of the reasons we built new guest cabins is to more easily accommodate those with severe handicaps. The elevator helps, but it was kind of a pain to have to go all the way around back to get to their rooms. I lived in fear of the thing breaking and someone getting stuck. Not anymore. Now we’ll let those with severe disabilities stay in the new cabins, and we won’t be limited with how many we can accept. We could really make a difference with some true heroes.”

  She stared at him strangely, and he tried to understand what he saw on her face. It was as if she’d spotted a curiosity, something that surprised her and intrigued her at the same time. Something inside him.

  “You really care, don’t you?”

  He wondered if he should be offended by her words, admitted it shouldn’t matter one way or the other and then settled on a shrug. He did care, though, but for reasons she would never suspect.

  “They’re heroes, each and every one of them, men and women who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice. It’s my job to get them better, both mentally and physically.”

  Her face seemed to gentle. He saw her begin to smile, found himself fascinated by how it transformed her face.

  “Amazing,” he heard her murmur.

  “What is?”

  “This place. You. That I knew nothing about what you did here. I’m blown away.”

  He shrugged again.

  Genuine.

  That was the best way to describe her. As open as the Bible that had sat next to his bed the entire time he’d been deployed. And there she went making him think about his past again and memories best left behind, which was why he found himself heading for the exit.

  “Let’s get the rest of the barn chores done.”

  Chapter 5

  People always claimed horseback riding wasn’t really exercise. Ha. A week after starting her new job, she still couldn’t walk right.

  “You ready for today?” He tossed the brush he held back into the groom box on the wall. The horse he was about to ride, Dover, danced in the cross ties, the sound of her hooves muted by the rubber mat she stood upon.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Because today was the day. Instead of learning her way around the place, cleaning stalls and helping to ride horses, she’d get to greet their new guests. Well, one of them. Everyone else, including the ranch manager, would be arriving over the next week. Colby had told her yesterday they had a guest coming in early—the man was a friend of a friend or something, some kind of special exception.

  “I’ve put the schedule up on the whiteboard.”

  Tacked to the wooden walls was a board with a grid of names along the left side. He’d written one name down. Bryan Vance. Their new guest. Beneath the column “Check-in” was her name. She’d known that would be her job. Colby had filled her in on the protocol. Once all the other guests started arriving, the veterans would work with one or both of them, aided by a slew of volunteers. Some days veterans would start out riding. Other days it would be weight training. Some days it would just be grooming the horses. She’d been warned it would be slow going at first because the veterans didn’t arrive all at once. That suited her just fine. They would ramp up slowly, Derrick returning next week, a cook coming in to care for their guests and staff. Free lunches. Another perk of the job. Thank God, too, because she hadn’t had time to pack a lunch this morning. She’d woken up late. And then Levi, who had agreed to look after his daughter for once, had been late to pick up Paisley, forcing her to race down back roads like some kind of stock-car driver. Her hands still shook from the stress of it all.

  “Anything special you need me to do before I get started mucking stalls?”

  The black gelding he groomed pricked his ears as she approached.

  “Just the usual until Bryan arrives.”

  But she’d only taken two steps toward the wheelbarrow when the familiar sound of an ATV drew her up short. She glanced at Colby. He stared past her.

  “Boss man.”

  That had her spinning around. Her uncle spoke highly of Jaxton Stone, the owner of Dark Horse Ranch. A moment later, when he came into view sitting behind the wheel of a fancy all-terrain vehicle with more chrome than a sixteen-year-old’s hot rod, his friendly wave soothed her nerves.

  “You guys are getting an early start,” he called down the aisle.

  Even though she knew her jeans were clean, she wiped them off. Her welcoming grin froze, however, when a light brown bundle of fur came around the corner. It headed straight for her.

  “Tramp, no!” her boss called.

  “Crap,” she thought she heard Colby drawl.

  Jayden knew she was the target. She held out a hand, hoping to stave off the canine battering ram. Didn’t work. He hit her with the full force of his front paws, and even though it all happened in an instant, she had time to mourn the fact that she was about to fall flat on her bum in front of her new boss.

  Only she didn’t. Somehow Colby kept her upright.

  “Sit,” he ordered the dog, pulling her up against him.

  Her backside connected with his front.

  And good Lord, it felt like he wore one of those Hollywood superhero suits, the kind made out of plastic and with sculpted abs that everyone knew no real actor actually possessed. Only Colby’s were real. Her damn cheeks r
eacted instantly. Heck, her whole dang body reacted. Did he spot the bloom of color on her face? Her dad said her cheeks were like a neon sign. One tug of embarrassment and she lit up the whole room.

  “That darn dog.” Her boss grabbed the animal by the collar. “After all these years you’d think he’d learn not to jump up on people.”

  “I think training him is a lost cause.” Colby gently released her. She couldn’t look at him. She didn’t want to see the amusement in his gaze. Or the censure. Or whatever reaction he might emote thanks to her clumsiness.

  Her gaze locked on his lips.

  She darn near jumped back. Why had she done that? Had he noticed her staring at his mouth? If she’d been the color of an Open sign before, she was now the same shade as molten lava.

  “It’s okay.” She forced a smile in the general direction of her new boss. “I’m a klutz.”

  “No. My dog is a brat.”

  He said the words with a smile. Jaxton Stone’s gaze scanned her. She had a feeling he’d taken her measure the moment he’d clapped eyes on her, and that whatever his first impression was, he would rarely get it wrong. He must have approved of what he saw, because the smile turned into one of welcome.

  “I don’t mind dogs.” She knelt down. Tramp didn’t hesitate to approach again, but he’d been suitably cowed, his head lowered, his tail wagging, ears slicked back. His fur was like silk wires, light brown in color, and it stuck out above his eyes like brows.

  “You’re a silly one, aren’t you?” She scratched his head. He looked like a Scottish terrier, only much bigger. The size of a border collie. “I bet you’re good at giving kisses.”

  As if he understood her words, he darted forward, sliding his tongue across her cheek, Jayden drawing back in surprise.

  “Thanks.” She stood again. “I think.”

  “He likes you.” Jax nodded in approval.

  “He probably likes everyone.”

  “He does,” Colby said with the enthusiasm of a man whose patience was tested on a daily basis.

  “Nice to meet you, sir.” She held out her hand.

  “Call me Jax.” He went back to studying her again. He wore a white polo shirt and jeans, and his casual attire set her instantly at ease. “You don’t look a thing like your dad.”

  The comment took her aback. No, she didn’t, and the mention of her dad made her instantly sad. She looked like her mom, and that sent another pang of sadness through her. Her mom’s death had left a huge hole in her sixteen-year-old heart. If she’d been alive she would have seen right through Levi. She would have told her to give the man a wide berth. Instead she’d fallen right into his arms after her mother’s death. In hindsight she wondered if Levi had capitalized on her grief. She wouldn’t put it past him.

  So she took a deep breath, made sure she brightened the wattage of her smile and said, “I take after my mom.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever met her before.”

  Another deep breath. “She died before you moved here.”

  Jax’s eyes filled with so much instantaneous compassion that she wanted to hug him. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jax glanced at her coworker. “Colby tells me you’ve done a great job so far.”

  She couldn’t keep the surprise off her face. “I hope so.”

  Tramp had settled down at her feet, the dog never taking his eyes off her, a look of canine adoration on his face as he stared up at her. She couldn’t help but smile down at him.

  “Listen,” Jax said. “The reason I came down early is to give you a heads-up about Bryan. We served together back in the day. He stayed in and I got out. Bryan’s a good guy, but I guess he’s really struggling.” He shook his head. “His sister called me and begged us to take him sooner rather than later. I guess she’s worried about him doing something...” He couldn’t say the words, but they all knew what he was thinking. “But that’s why we started Hooves for Heroes, right?”

  A look passed between Jax and Colby, one she didn’t entirely understand, but that seemed loaded with subtext. She wondered about it, but then Jax said, “I’m sorry about the extra work it means, what with Derrick still on vacation, but I felt we didn’t have a choice.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Colby said. “We’ll manage.”

  “Good.” Jax nodded. “I’m going to let you two greet him when he arrives, give him a few hours to settle in before we have a little heart-to-heart.” He smiled at them both.

  “Colby has me down as the welcoming committee.” Jayden glanced at Colby, wondering why he seemed so quiet all of a sudden. Then again, he was always a man of few words. “I have some experience with depression. When my mom died it was tough on me. I know being wounded in battle is nothing like losing a loved one, but I’d be honored to help your friend in any way I can.”

  Her boss’s blue eyes softened just before they filled with approval. “You’re right. It’s nothing like losing a loved one, but compassion will serve you well in this business.” His gaze landed on Colby for a second before shifting back to her. “I presume Colby’s showed you how to check in a guest? It’s pretty simple. Afterward, you can give Bryan a tour of the place. He can start his first therapy session tomorrow. When do the other veterans arrive, Colby?”

  “They’ll be dribbling in starting next week.”

  “Good. Less of a rush that way.” He straightened. “Okay, then. Jayden, you should come up to the house on your way home. I’ll introduce you to my wife and kids and our other four-legged child, Thor.”

  “I’d like that.”

  Her new boss waved as he left. Tramp rode shotgun, and the sight of the dog sitting there like a human passenger made her smile. For the first time since coming to work at Dark Horse Ranch, she felt completely at ease.

  “How long ago did your mom die?”

  The question surprised her. She took a deep breath before facing Colby.

  “Four years ago.”

  But it seemed like yesterday, although she felt the loss most when she was around Paisley. It didn’t seem right that her daughter had to miss out on her grandmother’s love. Thank goodness for Aunt Crystal. She didn’t know what she’d do without her.

  “My mom died, too.”

  He eyed her in the same way as Jax, in a way that made her feel exposed and vulnerable, but there was something else in his eyes, something that made her heart thump in an altogether new and different way, one that reminded her of when she’d landed in his arms.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Who was this man? she wondered. He seemed such a contradiction at times. Stern and demanding when it came to working with him, yet soft and kind when handling the horses he so clearly loved. And the look he’d exchanged with Jax... It led her to believe this wasn’t just a job to him. This was personal.

  “Let me get you the forms Bryan will have to sign when he arrives.”

  He turned away quickly, as if he wanted to escape.

  * * *

  Colby watched her from a window upstairs, the one at the end of the long hall. A small white van pulled in front of the barn. Jayden rushed outside, her black ponytail catching the light as it swung back and forth. He couldn’t see her face, but he would bet there was a smile on it. There almost always was. She spoke to the driver first through the passenger window, Colby having to squint against the glare of the sun on the white paint job. With a wave, she moved to the side of the van and the door he knew would be opened for Bryan Vance.

  He turned away before they spotted him standing there.

  He liked her. He hadn’t expected that.

  Who was he kidding?

  He’d faced the inconvenience of an unwanted attraction all damn week. He found the way her eyes lit up when she smiled completely endearing. She’d been nearly knocked down by Tramp, and the moment he’d touched h
er, he’d wanted to keep on holding her. Stupid and ridiculous. He’d kept women at arm’s length since he’d moved to Via Del Caballo. He didn’t plan on that changing anytime soon.

  Bzzz.

  That damn buzzer. The bane of his existence. Between visiting family members, deliveries and the occasional neighbor looking for a job, he’d be kept on his toes in the coming week.

  Bzz. Bzz. Bzz.

  “Keep your hat on,” he muttered, dashing back to his office. A beat-up old truck sat by the intercom. No idea who it was.

  “Yes?” he said into a speakerphone.

  “I need to see Jayden.”

  He switched cameras. A face that seemed elongated thanks to the tiny lens refracting the image stared back at him. A cowboy in black and white.

  “Will she know what this is about?”

  “Yeah. Tell her she needs to take Paisley for the day. I have someplace to be.”

  She needed to take who? He looked past the guy, spying a kid in a car seat strapped to the bucket seat.

  She has a kid?

  “I’ll tell her you’re here.” He pressed the button to open the gate. “Drive past the house and to the covered arena in the back. Just follow the road.”

  Married?

  The chair creaked from his weight. He hadn’t seen a ring on her finger. Had just assumed...

  He caught her walking alongside their new guest. She wasn’t exactly pushing the wheelchair Bryan Vance sat in, but she was near him. No fancy electric wheelchair for Sergeant Vance. The burly brown-haired, brown-eyed man pushed the wheels with his hands, the tires crunching on the gravel as the chair rolled along the road that separated the new cabins from the covered arena. She caught his gaze, her black brow lifting in curiosity, but then the sound of a vehicle must have caught her attention because she turned slightly. Any chance he had of warning her went right out the door. She jerked upright.

  “You’ve got a guest.” He stated the obvious as he approached. But then he caught sight of Bryan, shocked at how haggard he appeared, as if he hadn’t slept in weeks, maybe months. He tried to hide his reaction as he faced the man. “I’m Colby Kotch, and I’ll be your therapist.”