Her Cowboy's Twin Blessings

by Patricia Johns

  Mr. Vern stood in front of the stove, a bowl of whisked eggs in one hand as he flung a pat of butter into a sizzling pan.

  “Good morning,” he said without turning.

  “Good morning.” She headed for the coffeepot. There were two mugs waiting, and she filled one. “Is this for me?”

  “Sure is,” Mr. Vern said. “I’m just whipping up some eggs now, too.”

  “You’re up early,” she said.

  “I’ve already been out to check on some cattle,” he said with a low laugh. “I saw Casey down there, and he said to tell you that he’s got a ride planned toward Milk River today. He thought you might be interested.”

  “Oh!” Ember brightened. “Yes, I am.”

  “He says he’s planning on leaving about seven,” Mr. Vern said. “You’ll want to eat hearty before then. Have you ridden before?”

  “No,” she confessed.

  “Hmm.” Mr. Vern glanced back at her, a look in his eye like he was sizing her up. “It’s a good way to take a look at the land, but...”

  “I’ll be fine,” she reassured him. “I’m assuming I’m in good hands with Casey Courtright?”

  “The best.” Mr. Vern poured the egg mixture into the pan. “In fact, you’d do well to keep him on, Miss Reed. He knows this land better than I do at this point.”

  “He’s already said that he’s not interested in working for me,” she admitted.

  “Has he now?” Ember couldn’t see the older man’s face, but his tone sounded displeased. “That’s just pride. Give him time.”

  Time for what? She didn’t want to be saddled down with an employee who didn’t want to be here. But this wasn’t the time to discuss that.

  After breakfast, Mr. Vern drove her down the sloping gravel road, his radio playing a jangly gospel tune. Mr. Vern wore a dusty trucker’s hat, and he chewed on a toothpick as he drove.

  “So left, we’ve got the cattle barns—you can see them, right? The big modern silver ones. Those are used for some calving, injured animals and the like. For the most part, the cattle spend their days in the field. I’ll bring you down there later if Casey hasn’t got the time.”

  The older man followed the road right, heading away from the cattle barns and toward that picturesque red barn bathed in golden morning sunlight.

  “There’s four hundred acres in total—that includes the forest as well as the pasture. I know you’re not interested in raising cattle, but the property includes about two hundred head that we’ve raised for market. So you’d have at least one market run. Casey would be able to fill you in on the finer details there, of course.”

  “Where are we going?” Ember asked.

  “To the horse barn,” Mr. Vern said. “We’ve got twenty-two horses at present. Our ranch hands use them when they check on herds and that sort of thing. Now, there are three horses that belong to Casey personally, and another two that I’m not willing to part with. But the other seventeen are included in the sale.”

  “Are they good for trail rides?” she asked.

  “About five are gentle enough for newbies, but the others need a more experienced hand,” he admitted. “I can sell off the others first, if you want. Just to save you the trouble later.”

  “We’d have to talk about that,” she agreed with a nod.

  “Some ranches like to use quads for checking the herd, but I’ve stuck to the tried and true. We’ve got a paddock, and since you mention trail riding, we’ve got some good trails, too.” They rattled over a pothole, and Mr. Vern shot her a grin. “If you do buy this land, miss, you’re going to need a solid truck. I’m a Ford man, myself.”

  Ember could see the wisdom in those words. Her car had already shown that it would be jolted right apart on some of these roads. But as they crested a hill, her to-do list melted away at the sight.

  Green field rolled out beneath them, fence posts running like lines of neat stitches across the verdant plains. Some horses were grazing—one tiny foal trailing close to its mother. The red barn stood out in comforting contrast to the rest of the scene, and Ember felt all that tension seep out of her body. They eased down the road toward the red barn, and as the truck came to a stop out front, a door opened and Casey looked out. He was dressed in a pair of jeans, a button-down shirt and a padded vest. He pushed his cowboy hat back on his head and raised a gloved hand in a wave.

  “Have a good day,” Mr. Vern said. “If you have any questions, Casey’s the one to ask. Like I said, stubborn lout or not, that man is worth keeping around. Mark my words.”

  Ember thanked him and hopped out of the truck. Casey waited for her at the door, holding it open for her. His dark gaze followed her as she approached, and she felt heat rise in her cheeks. It was different out here—on a ranch, away from the city. Everything seemed more basic, more pared down. And when a man’s gaze followed her like that, it was harder to ignore.

  “Good morning,” he said. “Bert’s with the babies, so we’ve got some time.”

  “Is he getting paid for that?” Ember asked, stepping past Casey’s broad chest and into the warm, fragrant barn. Dust motes danced in the air in front of her, and her nose tickled. High windows let in squares of morning sunlight, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust.

  “Of course,” Casey said, slamming the door shut. “He’s getting overtime. Most expensive childcare ever. I asked if his wife might be interested, but she’s got her hands full with her elderly mother, so...”

  Casey led the way down the center of the barn. Most of the stalls were empty. He paused at one stall and held a hand out toward a horse’s velvet nose. The horse nudged his hand and nickered.

  “How much riding experience do you have?” Casey asked, glancing back at her. Again, that dark look trained on her face in that way that made her feel slightly self-conscious.

  “None,” she admitted.

  “Okay, so not Captain, then,” he said, moving on. “Captain is fast and strong, but he needs an experienced rider.”

  “That’s not me,” she agreed. “Can’t we drive?”

  “Drive?” Casey turned toward her again, his eyebrows raised. “Not where I’m headed. Why—you scared of horses or something?”

  “No, I just thought—” She didn’t know what she was thinking. She’d rather feel more in control.

  “You don’t have to come along, you know,” Casey said. “I’m going to check a gate latch out toward Milk River. You said you were interested in that area—”

  “No, I want to come along,” she interrupted. “I’m fine. Let’s do this.”

  “I’ll let you ride Patience here. She’s gentle.”

  That sounded a little better, and Ember watched as Casey led a brown mare from her stall and stroked her glossy neck.

  “Good morning, girl,” Casey murmured. “You up for a ride today?”

  Ember leaned against a rail as she watched Casey saddle the horse. He worked quickly, all the while talking softly to the animal.

  “Mr. Vern mentioned that five of the horses would be suited for trail rides with clients,” Ember said.

  “Patience isn’t included in the sale. She’s mine,” Casey said when he’d finished. “I bought her myself about ten years ago.”

  “Oh.” Ember nodded quickly. “Of course. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be presumptuous.”

  “Never mind. Come around front. You can pet her and introduce yourself.”

  Ember circled around to the front of the horse and looked up into those gentle, liquid eyes.

  “Hello,” Ember said softly.

  “Now, let me help you mount,” Casey said. “Here. Foot in this stirrup. Can you reach? Hold on.” He grabbed a wooden box and put it down next to the horse. “Stand on this. Now, foot in the stirrup.”

  Ember did as he instructed.

  “Hand on the pommel— There,” Casey coached.
“Now, up and swing that leg over.”

  It wasn’t exactly graceful, but a moment later, Ember was settled in the saddle, and Casey gave her a quick look over.

  “Good. We’re ready,” he said, walking over to the far, rolling door. He pushed it open and whistled sharply. A tall, proud horse trotted up, already saddled, and Casey caught the reins. He took a rifle from a corner and slung the strap for it over his back, then put his boot in the stirrup.

  Ember gave her horse a little kick in the sides, and nothing happened, save a slightly annoyed shuffle from the horse. Was she supposed to kick harder?

  Casey swung up into his saddle effortlessly, and he turned to shoot her a smile. “You ready?”

  “How do I get the horse to start moving?” she asked, heat rising in her cheeks. At least she’d warned him that she had no experience.

  “Oh, you don’t,” Casey said with a low laugh. “Patience is my horse, and she’ll do what I tell her. You just hold on.”

  So Ember was literally just along for the ride here... Great.

  Casey made a clucking sound with his mouth, and Patience plodded forward toward him. The sensation was a strange one—feeling the movement of the muscles of this empathetic animal, and Ember sucked in a breath.

  “I told you that I’d be giving you an honest tour of this ranch,” Casey said over his shoulder. “And I’m making good on that.”

  * * *

  She’s most definitely a city slicker, Casey thought as he stole one last look over his shoulder. A dose of reality might go a long way into showing her exactly what she was getting into here. This was a functioning ranch—a thing of beauty, in Casey’s humble opinion. But also rugged, wild and not so easily tamed for her purposes. Shutting down the cattle operation wouldn’t change that.

  Wolves and coyotes didn’t respect lines on a map. Those boundaries had to be patrolled by men who know how to shoot. There were a hundred things she hadn’t even thought of yet, he was sure.

  And yet, while she might be clueless, that woman was beautiful, too. He could tell that he was softening toward her. There was something about the way her emotions played out in her sparkling blue eyes... He tried to push the thought back. If he met her in any other situation, he’d want to talk to her, get to know her better...figure out if there was a boyfriend in the mix.

  Casey leaned down and pulled on the latch to the gate, swinging it open. Ember rode through first—or maybe he should say Patience did, carrying Ember with her—and then Casey rode out, slamming the gate shut behind him. The latch dropped back into place with a satisfying rattle.

  “I’m going to take you through the trails,” Casey said. “On the other side is pasture, and that’s the fence I need to take a look at.”

  “Where’s the river?” she asked.

  “You’ll see it from the fence.” Far down below—but it would give her an idea, at least. “This way.” He clucked his tongue, and Patience picked up her pace, catching up with him.

  They rode along the gravel road for several minutes, a chilled breeze slipping comfortably past. Casey had always enjoyed this ride—he came out and fixed damaged parts of the fence each spring. But this year was different than the others. Wyatt and Will had brought a certain grounding to his life that he hadn’t had before. Everything seemed to matter more in the light of his responsibility toward them.

  “You’re doing okay,” Casey said, glancing over at Ember next to him. She was still sitting rather tensely in the saddle, and she looked over at him.

  “Relax,” he said. “Let your joints move. You’re not going to fall off. You’re fine.”

  “Easier said than done,” she observed with a breathy laugh, but he could see her attempt at relaxing her position. “Oh, that is better.”

  “You’ve got to trust the horse,” he said. “She’s not going to listen to you anyway.”

  Ember smiled ruefully. “You should know that I don’t go with the flow very well.”

  “Yeah, I guessed that,” he replied.

  “I like things planned. I like to know what’s coming.”

  “Then a ranch isn’t good for you,” he cautioned.

  “Trying to talk me out of this again?” she retorted.

  “Maybe,” he agreed. “But mostly, I’m just pointing out the obvious. You say you want to take advantage of the great outdoors, but you can’t plan so much when it comes to land and weather. Storms come, seasons change. You can’t sweat it. You just...wait.”

  “But you’re still prepared,” she countered.

  “I’ll give you that,” he agreed, then nodded ahead. “Up there—that’s where we enter the trails.”

  It was nothing more than an opening in a tree line, and Casey pulled the reins, guiding his mount toward it.

  “That’s it?” Ember sounded less sure of herself now, and when Casey looked over at her, he caught the uncertainty in those blue eyes, too. “How wide are these trails?”

  “Wide?” Casey laughed. “Wide enough for a horse, but watch the branches. They can slap you in the face if you don’t pay attention.”

  This would be a lot easier if Miss Ember Reed was a little less attractive. There was something about her that made him want to act the protector. The male side of him wanted to guide her through all of this and make it easy for her. Except she wasn’t just a woman out of her depth, and she certainly wasn’t a romantic option—she was his direct competition. So he’d better tamp down those chivalrous instincts if he knew what was good for him.

  Casey plunged into the foliage first, and he glanced back to see Patience and Ember coming up behind. He ducked his head under a twig and dug his heels into his horse’s sides. The woods were cooler than out in the direct sunlight, and the twitter of birds silenced for a moment, and then started up again in a hesitant chatter.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he said.

  “Yeah...”

  He looked back again and saw her gaze moving around them. “How safe is it in here?”

  “Safe?” Casey chuckled. “Why do you think I brought a gun?”

  “Har har.” She shot him a mildly amused look. “You said you’d deal straight with me, and I’m asking as a potential buyer here. How safe are these woods?”

  “I wasn’t joking,” he replied. “This is a hungry time of year for everything—including wolves. Nothing is risk-free out here. But I’m sure you’d have your clients sign a form that saves you from lawsuits.”

  Ember fell silent, and Casey allowed his horse to pick his path over roots as they made their way through the familiar maze of trails. They weren’t all visible anymore—some hadn’t been used in years. But a trained eye like Casey’s could spot them still. He felt a twinge of guilt. He’d decided to give her an honest tour of this ranch, but it wasn’t fair to scare her unduly, either. He wasn’t that kind of man.

  “You’re safe with me, though,” he added grudgingly. “I’m a good shot.”

  “That’s why I want to hire you if I do buy this land,” she said.

  Hire him... Yeah, that wouldn’t work well. Not if she’d bought this land out from under his boots and turned it into some city folk feelings center. Not a chance.

  He didn’t answer her—he’d turned her down once already, and he wasn’t about to turn the next week or two into some lengthy argument about his reasoning, either. He’d made his choice, and that was that. But there was something about that woman behind him—city slicker though she was—that made him want to open up more, talk, just to hear her say something in reply. He wouldn’t give in to it, though.

  They rode in silence for a few more minutes, and then the dense green of trees began to brighten, and in the distance, Casey could make out the glitter of sunlight.

  “We’re almost out,” Casey said, mostly just as an excuse to say something to her.

  “Good,” she said. “It’s a
bit eerie in here.”

  Casey’s horse picked up his pace as they got nearer to the tree line, and a moment later, they erupted into sunlight. He reined in his horse, and Ember came out next to him. She looked ready to say something, but then she saw what he’d been waiting to show her.

  Grassy hills rolled out beneath them, some rocky piles jutting up from the grass here and there. This used to be plowed land back when people first settled, and those groups of rocks had been made by picking them out of the soil and tossing them, one by one, into those piles. A creek cut between two hills, and to the east there was a marshland with reeds and birds rising up in mesmerizing clouds. The morning sunlight splashed over the scene, and Ember’s eyes glistened.

  “Oh, my...” she breathed.

  “You see that rise over there?” Casey pointed ahead, and Ember followed his finger. “That’s where the fence is.”

  “This is beautiful land,” she murmured.

  “It’s beautiful, but it’s rugged,” he said. “When we bring the cattle this way to graze, we need cowboys on duty with guns.”

  Casey clicked his tongue, and they started down the incline at an easy pace.

  “Mr. Vern told me last night why he needs to sell this land,” Ember said. “He told me about it, but do you know?”

  “Of course I do. His wife is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and he’s used up his insurance. He wants to keep her in a quality care center.”

  “So even if I don’t end up buying this land, someone will,” Ember said. “Mr. Vern needs to sell. I’m not the bad guy here, Casey.”

  Casey eyed her for a moment, wondering how much to say. “I didn’t call you bad,” he said. “I just said I don’t agree with what you stand for.”