A Rancher's Love

by Vivian Arend

  Interesting. Ginny kept her expression neutral. Was her little brother making a move on Fern? “Did he now?”

  “He and his friend helped me make the props for the Christmas fundraiser.” Fern put the last cup of coffee in front of Rose. “Shim seems nice.”

  Oh, now there was a plot twist. “He’s very nice. He’ll be staying at Silver Stone for a while longer.”

  Fern tucked the tray under her arm and blinked a few times before jerking herself upright. “Oh, that’s good.”

  She turned and walked away even as Ginny stared after her, grinning from ear to ear.

  One glance at her friends only made her amusement rise. “Come on. Tell me this isn’t the first you’ve heard about Fern having a crush on Shim?”

  Rose still looked absolutely confused. “Who is this Shim fellow?”

  “I thought she was making cow eyes at Dustin,” Tansy whispered before catching hold of Ginny’s hand. “Quick. Spill the tea about the guy so I know whether I need to poison him or not.”

  “Please. You can’t poison him. That would ruin Buns and Roses reputation.”

  Rose got an evil glint in her eyes. “I’ll use hemlock.”

  “And that won’t ruin our reputation?” Tansy demanded.

  “Of course not,” Rose sniffed. “It’s got a horticultural lean to it. Right on brand for me.”

  Laughter welled up, and between the delicious scents in front of her and the familiar banter of her friends, Ginny finally, finally, felt as if things were truly going to be okay.

  She wasn’t on the path she’d intended to follow, but that was okay. Maybe the best new adventures meant starting right here in her own backyard.

  11

  Monday was icy cold, with a wind that made the idea of being outside the last thing Ginny wanted to do. Luckily, she had plenty of other things to occupy her time.

  “You don’t have to help me do this,” she said again to Tamara as they stood in the small living room—slash—kitchen area of what was originally the Hayes cottage.

  Tamara raised a brow. “No, I really do.” She paused, listening to the childish giggles escaping from the second bedroom. “And they really do as well. Cleaning up the cottage is a good task for everybody to take a turn with. Considering just about everybody has stayed out here at one time or another.”

  Ginny tried one more time. “Dustin said he cleaned.”

  “Ha.” Tamara coughed then excused herself. “I’m sure he thinks he cleaned. I hate to say this, but I can tell your youngest brother was trained by someone who cleans barns.”

  “Our barns are clean,” Ginny said defensively.

  Tamara tilted her head. “They’re very clean for barns. I, however, used to work in a hospital.”

  Enough said. Ginny lifted the bucket in her hand. “I’d better get at it, then. Sounds as if the inspections will be fierce.”

  They worked hard, but as much laughter as elbow grease was involved, especially as the girls dug in and helped. It was a good opportunity to get to know Tamara a little better and ask some pointed questions.

  “Since you weren’t here the last time I was in charge of the gardens, you don’t know what’s changed. Let me ask you this instead.” Ginny leaned across her kitchen table toward her sister-in-law during a break from scrubbing the cottage clean. “Is there something you wished you only had to walk outside your door to find? Is there something you had back in Rocky Mountain House that you haven’t found a replacement for here in Heart Falls?”

  Tamara looked thoughtful. “The first one is actually harder to answer, because I grew up on a ranch. I was trained by my aunts that you used what you had and made do. When I go to make meals, I don’t sit there wishing for asparagus when it’s not asparagus season.” She took a sip of her tea and continued. “I have the house garden. Also, you gave the lease to the gardens to the Singh family. They let me have access to produce early when they could.”

  Ginny had wondered if the family would do that. It wasn’t required, but most Community Supported Agriculture projects tried to operate on the barter system as much as possible.

  She’d set up a meeting for the start of next week, which meant a deadline. She had to know what to tell them by Monday. No problem.

  “I’m glad things worked out well for them.” Ginny said. “Sounds as if they’ve had a couple of good growing years.”

  “No flooding, no dry spells. Plus the greenhouse, which is such a big help,” Tamara pointed out. “To answer your second question, herbal teas, which sounds like something right up your alley. One of the local ladies in Rocky was obsessed with drying herbs and putting together her own concoctions. I ordered them in for the first year I was here, but last year she decided to retire the online portion of her business. Now I get packages when my dad visits.” She made a face. “When he remembers.”

  Every time Ginny bumped into someone over the next two days, she asked similar questions. She wasn’t going to live her life by committee, but if part of what she wanted to do was make life better for her family, providing something they wanted to begin with was a good place to start.

  By suppertime on Tuesday her brain was full of ideas. She was also completely settled into the cottage, which seemed very unreal.

  Her phone rang, and she grabbed it, sticking it under her ear as she hurriedly pulled on boots and her coat. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself,” Tucker said, his deep voice stroking her skin in a caress. “I’ve only got a minute, but wanted to let you know I’ve been thinking about you.”

  “Is this a sex call?” Ginny teased. “Because that’s totally on my bucket list, but I’m heading out the door right now.”

  “Girls’ night out at Luke and Kelli’s. I heard.”

  The man had connections. “How’s your man-bonding going?”

  The sheer happiness in his voice said it all. “Luke is solid as always. Hysterically funny, and I still occasionally feel the urge to kill him. Then while I’m in the middle of debating exactly how to commit said murder, Jack spouts these gems of wisdom and I drop whatever I’m doing to take notes.”

  “I bet he’d repeat everything as often as you’d like.”

  “You’d be right. They’re good people,” Tucker told her. “And we’re sharing tight quarters, so I’m calling you quickly while they’re out of the room. Hope to be back late tomorrow.”

  She didn’t bother to tell him about the change of living arrangements. He didn’t need to worry about it right now. “And then a whole new game starts.”

  He swore softly.

  Ginny laughed. “You’ll do great. I’ve got to run. Drive safe, and I’ll see you soon.”

  She hurried across the distance to Kelli’s house, meeting another familiar friend on the doorstep.

  “Brooke.” Ginny gave her a hug then leaned away to examine her closely. “So, this is what married looks like on you.”

  The tall mechanic grinned. “It’s been a blast. But let’s get inside before I freeze my butt off.”

  “I’m supposed to be the one complaining about how cold it is after not having experienced winter in Canada for three years,” Ginny said.

  An instant later there was no need to worry about the cold. In fact, Ginny stripped off not just her jacket but the sweater she’d put on underneath. Luke and Kelli’s house was far warmer than the little cottage. Ginny would have to figure out a way to deal with the heating issue.

  The sound of voices and laughter beckoned, and as soon as they got their boots off, Brooke grabbed Ginny by the hand and led her into the house proper.

  “The star of the show has arrived,” Brooke announced.

  “Ginny.” The shout went up from everyone at the same time, the hands thrust in the air already holding filled glasses.

  Ginny took a deep breath and looked around, putting names to faces. And then for the heck of it, she said them out loud, pointing at each in turn. “Kelli, Rose, Brooke, Tansy. Although two of you have changed your last names since the
last girls’ night out I attended.” Those were her friends from way back. Now to the newcomers. “Diane and I met on Christmas Day. And you’re Yvette Wright, veterinarian.”

  Yvette waved.

  Then Ginny examined the final woman in the room who was at least a few years younger than the rest of them but confidently coming forward with her hand outstretched in greeting. Beautiful dark skin, a mass of curls that bobbed freely around her head.

  “Charity Gruzing, yes?”

  Charity looked shocked but pleased. She glanced toward the other women. “You’re right, she’s got that spooky voodoo woman vibe.” She shook Ginny’s hand. “Do I have a nametag on somewhere?”

  “I have two nieces in your ballet class,” Ginny reminded her. “They spent the afternoon singing your praises and doing pirouettes into my walls.”

  “Ah, yes, Sasha and Emma are very…enthusiastic.”

  “You have more patience than me,” Yvette said. “But you honestly seem to enjoy working with the kids, so good for you.”

  “You’re pretty patient yourself,” Charity returned. “I saw you convince that abandoned dog to get in your truck.”

  A story which it seemed most of the women in the room had not yet heard. Which meant to Yvette’s embarrassment, Charity proceeded to recite the entire story while Brooke took Ginny to grab a drink.

  By the time they were all curled up in the comfortable living room, the faint trace of butterflies Ginny had felt earlier in the day had vanished.

  Part of it was having new women in the room—it made her feel as if she weren’t the only one who wanted to know more. She wasn’t the only one who had missed things that had happened recently.

  In fact, by the time the buzzer on the oven went off, Ginny’s nerves were a thing of the past.

  “Pizza,” Kelli shouted. “Come on. Serve yourself at the island. There’s green stuff on the table for anyone who wants to pretend to balance their meal.”

  Ginny ended up seated next to Yvette.

  “I’ve heard good things about you,” Ginny told her. “My big brother is good friends with Josiah Ryder, and Josiah said you’re doing a fantastic job. That even the old grumpy guys like you.”

  Yvette nodded slowly. “That’s good to hear. The bit about Josiah being happy. The part about the old grumpy guys is a little less hurrah, because they’re still grumpy, and I still have to deal with them.”

  “I hear you. When I used to drop off the CSA boxes, some of the customers would be cranky and grumbling even as they said thanks, and I was pretty sure they were annoyed because I was making them eat their vegetables.”

  “Kind of like Kelli?” Yvette asked.

  “I heard that,” Kelli said then went back to her conversation with Charity.

  They both laughed. “You plan to start up the garden boxes again?” Yvette asked.

  “Still deciding,” Ginny said honestly. “Tell me more about you. Have you got any veterinarians in your background? Grow up on a ranch? Win all the 4-H awards growing up?”

  The other woman shook her head. “About as far from that as you can possibly get, to be honest. Most of my family is in the home-building supply business. Plus, my mother and sister are allergic to absolutely everything, so I didn’t even have a pet.”

  Not at all what Ginny had expected. “Wow. What made you decide to take a new course?”

  Yvette shrugged. “I like animals. I like caring for them and making them feel better. It might not be something my family ever considered, but when I really sat down and thought about what would make me happy to do for a whole lot of years, being a veterinarian hit all the high points.”

  “Good for you.” Ginny meant it sincerely. Then she leaned forward and asked a variation on the same question she’d been asking nonstop for the past two days. “What’s the one thing you wish you could get here in Heart Falls?”

  “A local surprise box,” Yvette said instantly.

  Ginny had no idea what that meant. “Explain.”

  “They’re all the thing on social media. Cause boxes or book boxes or art boxes. Subscriptions, so once a month or once a quarter, you get a selection of things sent to you.” Yvette’s cheeks flushed slightly. “I like to collect knickknacks, but with how busy my job is, the opportunity to wander through collectible shops isn’t there. Plus, I like the idea of supporting local, so when I can order stuff online, I don’t want to have stuff shipped long distances. Small footprint impact, but still a lot of fun.”

  Ginny scooped her jaw off the ground. “You’re brilliant. Plus, you just articulated a big part of what I’ve been looking for, and I didn’t even ask you the right question. Thank you.”

  Impulsively she put her arms up to give Yvette a hug.

  Somehow, she jerked herself to a stop right before making contact. “Oops. Are you a hugger?”

  Yvette grinned. “Not always, but I’ll make an exception for you.”

  She scooped Ginny in for a tight squeeze.

  The party went on for a while. Ginny ate far too many pieces of pizza, followed by one of Tansy’s enormous cinnamon buns. And they talked and showed each other pictures on their phones, and in some cases exchanged phone numbers for the first time.

  At the end of the night, Ginny felt as if she’d been wrapped up in the biggest, most enormous fuzzy blanket in the entire world. Her belly was full of good food, her female friendships shored up or begun.

  That seed of an idea that had tickled in her brain before was now firmly planted and ready to be watered.

  Now to get the rest of the garden ready, figuratively speaking.

  They were on the road bright and early Wednesday morning for the trek back to Heart Falls.

  Tucker’s boss Raymond had nearly fallen over when he got not just Tucker, but Luke and Jack’s help as well for two days. The man had bought them dinner at the end of each shift plus given Tucker a bonus along with his final check.

  A whole lot of things came to mind he could spend the money on. The first place his thoughts went was to a celebratory dinner and a getaway with Ginny, which was kind of how they had operated in the years before she’d left the country. He’d book a couple of nights somewhere modestly comfortable—the limit of his abilities. He’d never had enough money or time to spoil her the way he wanted, but considering they usually spent most of their time in the room, clean and comfy had been their highest priority.

  They’d had a whole lot of sexual energy to burn. Still did.

  “Lots on your mind?” The question came from Luke, who was once again riding shotgun.

  Since Tucker couldn’t really explain that he was bemoaning his inability to set up a sex-fest with Luke’s little sister, he scrambled for an equally valid excuse. “Mentally making lists of things I need to do. Lots of lists. Lots and lots of to-do lists.”

  A slightly evil chuckle drifted from the passenger seat. “You know, Ashton’s been around for so long, this is going to be rather amusing.”

  Tucker didn’t even think about it. His hand automatically lifted and swung, fist smacking into Luke’s raised forearm. “Jerk.”

  “Yeah, this will be highly entertaining.” Luke rubbed his arm, little more thoughtful now. “You done any fighting recently?”

  “Only when I have to.” Tucker glanced at his friend. “You?”

  Luke shrugged. “The occasional time. Usually when someone is getting out of line, but Ashton runs a tight ship. Ranch hands who can’t follow the rules don’t last long.”

  Which was pretty much what Tucker had figured. And it just pointed out again exactly how big the boots were that he hoped to eventually fill.

  Ashton had been at the ranch since nearly day one. He’d worked beside Walter Stone and Joseph Hayes, and out of everyone there, even more than Caleb, Tucker’s uncle knew what the direction and hopes had been when they’d established the ranch.

  Yet it wasn’t trepidation in Tucker’s gut about taking over, not when he really thought about it.

  “You all set
a solid course for Silver Stone,” Tucker said slowly. “You, Caleb, Walker. You’re making it your own. Not just now, with the change in finances. But every step over the past years—you’ve truly made a difference.”

  Luke looked pleased. “You think so?”

  A snort rose from the back seat. “Please,” Jack drawled. “You need your ego caressed a little more, sweetheart?”

  “Ass,” Luke said affectionately. “And yes. I want to hear all the good things we’ve accomplished praised.”

  “Of course, you do,” Jack said. He laid a hand on Tucker’s shoulder and squeezed, speaking in a mock-whisper. “That’s part of what a good foreman does. Good for you for figuring that out.”

  Tucker knew exactly what was going on, but he met Jack’s gaze in the rearview mirror and offered a wink. “It’s my job to remind my bosses what they’ve achieved?”

  “Pet them on the back and give them cookies,” Jack returned. “Children work much better when they’re rewarded on a regular basis.”

  “Hey.” Luke twisted in the seat and glared sternly at his friend. “Whose side are you on?”

  “Yours, of course,” Jack said, deadpan serious. “You want a blankie? Stuffed animal? Glass of warm milk?”

  Luke threw his empty coffee cup at the back seat.

  Amusement rumbled up from low in Tucker’s gut. “Hellions. No fighting in my truck.”

  That initial feeling of being on the outside looking in had vanished completely over the past couple of days. The sensation had been replaced by something new and wonderful. Luke was still his best friend. Having Jack in the picture hadn’t taken away from that years-solid base, but instead added to it.

  Another one of those changes from the past that was good to see and understand at a core level.

  Tucker met Jack’s gaze again. “Let’s talk about my first to-do list, if you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all.” Jack’s patient enthusiasm was a gift. “I’m all yours.”

  The drive home passed quickly, but it was still late enough when they arrived that Luke and Jack were eager to get together with their wives.