A Cowboy's Promise

by Megan Ryder

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  A COWBOY'S PROMISE

  First edition. December 24, 2019.

  Copyright © 2019 Megan Ryder.

  ISBN: 978-1393356882

  Written by Megan Ryder.

  To you, the fans of Redemption Ranch. Enjoy this holiday short story.

  A Cowboy's Promise

  Redemption Ranch 2.5

  Megan Ryder

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  About Megan Ryder

  Also by Megan Ryder

  Chapter 1

  “A Vegas wedding? You’re kidding, right?”

  Tara’s voice rose in pitch until Hailey was convinced the dogs down the street would start howling in protest. But all that happened was the patrons in Earl Lee Byrds Diner just turned and stared at them, then shrugged and went back to their waffles, burgers, and coffee as if saying, it was just those crazy Redemption Ranch ladies. Just another day. Hailey sighed and sipped her coffee, sweetened just the way she liked it, and let Tara rant about Hailey’s choices until she ran out of steam. If the past few months had taught her anything about working with the other woman, it was to let her run her course.

  Emma slid into the booth next to Hailey and jutted her chin at Tara. “What’s got her flipping out?”

  “Chase and I want to go to Vegas and have a quick wedding and honeymoon this winter. Not as much going on with the ranch and we can slip away easily enough then.”

  Emma stared at her as if she had grown three heads and one of them was an alien. “Aww, hell no. I’ve been waiting years to be a bridesmaid and you want to deprive me of that?”

  “Hey!” Tara protested. “You’re going to be my bridesmaid in the spring.”

  Emma went on as if Tara hadn’t even spoken. “As a bridesmaid, I’m entitled to hot, sexy groomsmen. Since men are in short supply in this town,” a couple of cowboys on the stools started to turn and Emma twirled her hand around, “…men I don’t know and haven’t grown up with and waited on since I was sixteen, I need to meet new men. My friends are obligated to find me new options. Hence, bridesmaids. It’s the code, ladies. You owe me.”

  Tara and Hailey exchanged amused glances, but Tara was the one who replied. “I’ve never heard of that code. And you know that we’re marrying guys from Granite Junction, brothers in fact. I don’t think they know anyone outside of town and neither do we. So, you’re out of luck.”

  “So, Vegas would be your best option actually. Some anonymous guy from the casino. And Tara, you left and went to San Francisco for years. You’re not inviting anyone from there?” Hailey teased while Tara flipped her off. Yeah, Tara had pretty much cut ties with her life in California, mostly because there were only a few people left to have ties with, and none of them of the male persuasion. Emma was out of luck.

  “No, I’m not inviting anyone from San Francisco, and it sure didn’t sound like you planned on inviting any of us to Vegas for your wedding,” Tara pointed out. Hailey just squirmed and looked away.

  “Still, I want the dress and the opportunity for new men. Especially since I probably won’t be meeting anyone new anytime soon,” Emma muttered.

  Hailey sighed. Leave it to Tara to make a huge case out of something that wasn’t even her business. She glared at her friend and soon-to-be sister-in-law. “You know, this is my wedding and Chase and I just want something small. I’ve had a wedding already and Chase doesn’t really care.”

  Tara narrowed her gaze and pursed her lips, studying Hailey like an opponent in a chess match. Hailey took another sip of her coffee and ate her waffles. She may as well enjoy her food while Tara sought a way around her wishes. Emma snuck a french fry from Tara’s plate and that’s when Hailey knew it was serious because Tara never even snarked at Emma. Just let her have it. Crap. Tara was serious.

  Finally, an evil grin crept across Tara’s face and she pulled out her phone and scrolled through a few things. She turned the screen to face Hailey, displaying an adorable picture of a young boy in a tuxedo, holding a ringbearer’s pillow between a bride and groom.

  “Game. Set. Match.”

  She was right. A.J. would look adorable in that tuxedo. And Hailey’s parents would never forgive her if she deprived them of that image. Now she had to have the wedding in Granite Junction.

  Damn it.

  Chase was working on the new training facility and barn with his brothers when Hailey pulled up. He paused in his hammering to watch her walk over to them with bags of food from the diner. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, he wondered how the hell he had gotten so lucky that the woman of his dreams was finally here and all his own. He had spent so many years pining over Hailey Barnes Spencer, convinced he'd never have her. Between their history and her marrying his best friend, they had seemed doomed to never be together. Hell, despite all that, he never thought he'd find anyone, much less Hailey. Who would ever want to live with a broke-down former bull-rider like him? But Hailey was a good woman, saw past all his bullshit, to the man beneath, and loved him anyway.

  She lifted the bags and yelled, "Lunch time!"

  The guys all cheered and scrambled down from their positions and gathered round the picnic table to dig into the burgers from the diner. As they ate, Chase pulled her to him, a little aside.

  "What's wrong?" She shook her head but he tilted her head and gazed in her eyes. "Hailey."

  "Fine. Tara wants us to have the wedding here, not Vegas."

  He shrugged. "Okay. Let's do it."

  She stared at him, like he had said they should get married on the moon. "Let's do it? Just like that? Do you have any idea what goes into planning a wedding? Everything we need? A venue, food, invitations, music. There's so much to do." Her voice started rising, panic infusing every word and he pulled her close, rubbing her back, soothing her.

  "Easy, easy. We'll figure this out. If Tara wants the wedding here, put her on it."

  Hailey drew back, looking up at him, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Oooh. Payback. How come I didn't know that you had a diabolical streak in you, Mr. Summers?"

  "Because I only use it for good, not evil. Now, what do you want? That's really all that matters."

  She burrowed her head in his chest. "I'm kind of glad we're not getting married in Vegas. I want my family there."

  "Me too."

  “You do?” She cocked her head, surprised by his statement. Her father was still acting standoffish around Chase, and not exactly laying out the welcome mat for him. Chase was well aware of the other man’s animosity and did his best to accommodate him, but it was exhausting, especially Sunday dinners. Thank God her mother liked Chase.

  He shrugged. “Well, I want my brothers there and I’d like A.J. there too. Your parents will be part of our family and, if we run off to get married, it looks like we’re embarrassed. I’d prefer to do it in the open.”

  She stared at him, her jaw dropping a bit. He grinned and closed it gently with two fingers then pressed a kiss to her lips. “Be careful. Don’t want you catching any flies. Tara is a master at parties. Put her on the hunt, but make sure you get what you want. And I’m fine with whatever you want as long as we get married in the end.”

  She gave him one last hug, then headed back to the truck and to her office where she was going to work. Chase sat on the bench with his brothers who both eyed him, eyebrows raised.

  "You need to get control of your wife, West. She's causing trouble."

  West sighed. "She isn't my wi
fe yet and if you think you can control any woman, you're delusional."

  Chase laughed. "Well, Hailey and I planned on going to Vegas to get married, but your woman put the kibosh on that, guilted Hailey something fierce."

  "You can't get married in Vegas. I thought that was just your honeymoon, although why you’d go there beats the hell out of me," West muttered.

  Ty just shook his head. "Were you going to spring for a decent Elvis or a do a drive-through chapel? Christ, Chase. That's pretty lame."

  "Hey, Hailey said that's what she wanted. She'd had a wedding before and didn't want to spend the money or do all that planning again. I was being a good fiancé, listening to my woman. Isn't that we're supposed to do?"

  Both men sighed and Ty shook his head. "Yeah, but you should listen to what they're not saying too."

  Chase glared at him. "I don't see you with any women. Did you read that in this month's Cosmo or something?"

  "Laugh all you want, but you still need my advice. And here it is. What is she worried about? How can you help her?"

  The guys went back to eating and discussing what they were going to work on next, while Chase thought about what Hailey had said. Finally, an answer came to him. Now, if he could convince his brothers to help him. He looked at them. No, he wouldn't convince them. They'd do it because they were family. He'd already learned that.

  Chapter 2

  Hailey sat in the office in the main house of the guest ranch and ran through the finances. Weddings weren't cheap and she and Chase were trying to build a house, barns for the business, and now plan a wedding. Fortunately, the brothers had all pitched in on the barn and they were able to get a business loan for the materials, so that was taken care of. They had gone with a modular home approach, like many people in Montana thanks to how close to winter they were, and Hailey wanted to be out of the main house before the guest ranch went fully operational. Her parents insisted on helping with the costs, probably to assuage their guilt over not helping her sooner and to prove they approved of her relationship. Whatever the reason, she wasn't opposed. Chase, on the other hand, hated to accept money from anyone and had money from his bull-riding days that had been stored in the ranch funds. West and Ty had insisted he apply that towards the house so they didn't have to dip too far into her savings, limited as they may be.

  A wedding would decimate what remained.

  Getting married in Vegas combined a nice honeymoon, time away from both their families, and reduced their costs. They only spent money on a few days away instead of the wedding and the time away. Well, they could marry at the VFW, if it wasn't already booked, which was unlikely. The Cattleman's Club was a possibility, but she was morally opposed to a place that preferred to restrict women access because they didn't have a penis and couldn't possibly know anything about cows. The Rock was an option but Zane Calabrese, the owner, was still pissed at her and Tara for their last tussle and might not be open to letting them use his place, assuming it was even free for a wedding. Too bad it wasn't spring or summer. They could have a picnic. Maybe Chase would hold off on the wedding. There was no real reason to have it now, besides just wanting to be married, though Chase really seemed to want that ring on her finger.

  She smiled a little at the diamond on her finger, admiring the way the light glinted off of it, a little butterfly feeling in her stomach at the idea of finally being Chase Summers’s wife.

  She heard a noise from the doorway and there was the man of the hour, leaning against the door jamb, twirling a blindfold in his hand, a sly grin on his face. She rolled her eyes. "Seriously? A.J. is right upstairs. I told you last time, only when my parents have him or he's at a sleepover."

  He just laughed. "It's a little early for that, though I wouldn't be opposed. Maybe after A.J. goes to bed. But, not right now. Do you trust me?"

  His tone had turned serious and she cocked her head. "Of course I do, Chase."

  "Then come with me. Right now. Put the blindfold on and walk with me." He held the black cloth out in one hand, and it seemed like he was asking so much more.

  She glanced at the paperwork on the desk but really, it was no contest. Chase won hands down over work every day of the week and twice on Sunday. A.J. was the only one who could give Chase any competition for her affection. Fortunately, Chase also put A.J. first too, so they were in agreement there. But for right now, she didn't have to choose.

  She stood and took his hand, much like she did a few months before by the creek when he asked her to trust him with her heart and give him her hand. He tied the fabric behind her head and led her down the hall and onto the porch. At the top of the stairs, he stopped.

  "Might be easier if I did this." He swung her up in a fireman's hold and headed down the stairs.

  She burst out laughing, even as it hurt, with his shoulder in her stomach. "I guess the romance is dead," she wheezed through the breaths. "There was a time you'd cradle me gently."

  He set her down in the gravel driveway. "Fine. Happy now?"

  "Delighted. Now, where are we going?"

  "Not far. You can't see anything, right?"

  “Well, there’s darkness. And some light under the bottom of the blindfold.”

  “Wiseass,” he laughed.

  He continued to lead her down the driveway towards the barn. She'd walk this path often enough over the past several months since she'd come to Redemption Ranch, both with her son and with Chase, but then he veered off and she wasn't sure exactly where they were headed.

  Finally, he stopped, and she could smell some dampness, a little dust, and wood. It didn't have the fresh, clean smell of the barn that was in full use, with manure, horses, and fresh hay. Instead, it was musty and there was a faint hint of machine oil. She also heard a buzzing sound that was unfamiliar to her, rather than the sound of stamping horses and rustling of tails.

  Chase stepped behind her. "I know you've been thinking about the wedding and, since we're not doing Vegas, you've been trying to figure out where to have it. So, I thought, what about here?"

  He tugged off the blindfold and she blinked rapidly to acclimate her eyes to the sudden brightness. The barn was once a storage barn, the place Chase had used for training for the rodeo circuit, the place they stocked old equipment. But no more. It had been cleared out so that there was an open space in the center of the room. The barn itself had not been used to house horses so it was always more of an open floor plan. With everything cleared to the side or out of the barn, it seemed almost spacious. The wood pillars and the rafters had been wrapped with white lights, and he'd put some flowers on a couple of barrels at the front of the room to imitate where a bride and groom might stand.

  He stood in front of her and watched her, his expression nervous. When she didn't say anything, he took her hand and drew her further into the room.

  "I thought you could check out that pintip site that you and Tara talk about all the time and find ideas to decorate. But I took our holiday lights from the house and put them up here for now."

  She stifled a grin. "Pinterest. And yes, I'm sure they'll have ideas. But a barn? Getting married in a barn?"

  "Well, we don't plan to invite a lot of people. We have electricity so we'll have space heaters going so it will be warmer that day in here. We'll have tables set up. I thought about chairs, like a regular ceremony but I don't think we'll have room for both. But we could say our vows up here and the dance floor could be right in the center. We have plenty of room. I mean, I don't really have family and yours is small. We don't have too many other people we'll be inviting."

  She dropped his hand and walked around, feeling the rafters and testing the floor. He had to have worked all day cleaning out the space. The last time she had been in here, it had been incredibly cluttered, dirty and not a place she'd ever consider for a wedding or anything. In fact, her and Tara had despaired of what they were going to do with this place once the guest ranch had opened because clearly, something needed to be done.

  But now, every
thing was gone. The floor was clean, relatively speaking. And she could see the possibilities, everything they could use this space for with the guest ranch, her mind already fast-forwarding with possibilities.

  "Where did everything go? All the junk we’ve been wanting to get rid of?"

  He looked startled. "Um, for now, it's piled out back. But we actually went through some of it and made calls to get it removed."

  She turned and hugged him. "That's the best present you could have given me!"

  "Great. I clean up crap and you're thrilled. What about the space? For our wedding?" He sounded a little disgruntled and she couldn't help but laugh.

  She studied the room, her heart filled with love for this man who went to so much trouble just for her, just for their wedding. But she wanted to be practical, to be sure this could work. "It’s perfect, Chase. Why is this so important to you? Why now? We could always wait."

  He gently turned her to face him. "Hailey, I've already waited ten years to marry you. Not only that, you have a son. It's important that he sees that you're important enough to be married, that I value you. And I want him to know that you both are my family. I don't want to wait for that. I need to know you're mine and I need you to know I'm yours. Always."

  She laid a hand on his cheek, her heart softening. "Chase. We're both yours. Always. A wedding isn't going to change that."

  His eyes shifted away, clearly uncomfortable. Finally, he looked back at her and she saw pain in there, pain she thought had gone away long ago. "I've never had anyone for myself. I never thought I would. But with you, that became possible. This wedding is the final step in that process. The culmination of that." He stepped closer and drew her to him, forcing her to look up at him. "I'm glad we're not going to Vegas because I want everyone to see this moment. I want them to see our love, to see our commitment, to see when you become mine and I become yours. I love you, Hailey. And I love A.J. I want to celebrate that. With everyone."