Home on the Ranch--Colorado Rancher

by Patricia Potter

  In the short time she was with him, she’d discovered he was anything but hard as nails. There was an uncommon gentleness deep inside. It was in the way he talked about his kids, his mustangs, his staff, even his noisy new burro. She knew now why Patti adored him and wanted Julie to come here. If anyone could break through her daughter’s walls, it was Reese and his people and animals.

  The big question was how he remained single, which he apparently was, since he talked about nearly everyone on the ranch and nothing about a wife. Maybe estranged or divorced. In any event it wasn’t her business.

  He gave her a crooked smile as if he read her mind. She stood and he followed. “I should get on,” she said. “Thank you for lunch.” Her voice sounded stiff, even to her.

  “You’ll like Covenant Falls,” he said, his gaze penetrating. “The history is striking. It’s one of the oldest communities in Colorado. It has a great little museum.”

  He paused. “You might even want to go horseback riding. Try that bronc instead of a plane. Call Luke Daniels. Tell him I sent you. He and his wife teach horsemanship. They’re the best teachers around.”

  Lauren led the way out. He touched the small of her back as they went outside and she felt electricity flow from his hand through her body. The warmth turned to fire as they reached her car and she turned around.

  “We’ll take good care of your daughter,” he said.

  “I know, but still...she’s so fragile.”

  “I think she’s a lot stronger than you think,” he said as he opened the car door for her. She hesitated for a moment, then, her mind completely muddled, she stepped inside and drove off.

  Chapter 6

  The warmth of Reese’s touch stayed with Lauren as she headed toward Covenant Falls.

  Any number of feelings battered her as she headed east. She still wasn’t sure about leaving her daughter to strangers, although that was tempered today when she saw the caring organization. She’d liked Robin and thought she would be good for her daughter.

  As for herself, she couldn’t remember when she’d last had a block of empty time. It should be exhilarating. It wasn’t.

  Since she always needed a goal, or mission, she decided to look for interesting places to take Julie after the month was over. They could have some adventures together. Maybe then she could narrow the distance between them.

  Lauren thought she might even take Reese’s suggestion about horseback riding lessons while staying at the inn. It would be something she could share with her daughter. She’d mentally filed the instructor’s name Reese had given her.

  She also had to consider her future. They would need a steady income soon. She didn’t want to touch the insurance money. That was for Julie’s education. Problem was there was nothing she wanted to do but fly. Nothing else she was qualified for. Now she faced weeks of inactivity while Julie was at the ranch.

  She turned her full attention to the road ahead. The drive east was more pleasant than she’d hoped. It was winding, but well paved with little traffic, and it was beautiful country with towering pine trees lining fast-running streams. Julie would love it.

  She was two-thirds of the way when she spotted a dirt road running to the left. On the side of the road was a sign that said Flying Lessons Available. It looked old and weathered. She wondered if it was still active. She stored it in the back of her brain.

  Lauren knew she was trying to think of anything but Reese Howard. He kept intruding. It was unsettling. She had, in fact, been unsettled since the moment she’d met him three weeks ago. Gobsmacked was really the word, or nonword. She’d heard it someplace, and it seemed to fit now.

  She’d been attracted to him from the moment they met. That had never happened before. It had taken Dane and herself a year before they even liked each other. They had been fierce competitors in flight school and advanced training.

  He was from a wealthy family in the East and had all the manners of one. She was raised by a single mother who worked two jobs and still had difficulty paying for a new pair of cheap shoes. She found out later she was the lucky one. She had love and lots of it from her mother.

  He hadn’t. One night they were out with a group of pilots in San Antonio, and someone asked about his family. He said he didn’t have one. The way he said it, though, struck a chord in her. And later, after several drinks, he let down his guard and she fell in love...

  It had been a good marriage. He had a dry humor and cool professionalism as a pilot and was a friend as well as a colleague and husband. Most of all, she missed the way he’d loved her and their daughter. Because of his own background, he loved fiercely.

  She hadn’t thought she could care for anyone again. It hurt too much. Even though she and Dane shared a risky occupation, she had a hard time accepting the fact that he died at the hands of a drunk driver. There was something terribly ironic about that.

  She’d been in a zombie emotional state since his death. It was Julie’s needs that kept her going, but she knew she wasn’t really living. She’d merely been surviving. Until now. Part of her resented it.

  But there was something about Reese Howard, his mustangs, a dog named Leo and a braying burro that was reviving her. It was much too fast, though. She didn’t know anything about him or whether there was someone special in his life.

  She neared Covenant Falls and noticed a sign advertising the Camel Trail Inn two miles ahead. She followed Sally’s directions and quickly found it. The town looked like a typical small one. She passed a Methodist church with a steeple, a lake fronted by small neat cottages on one side and picnic grounds and a beach on another.

  Then she found the Camel Trail Inn. She hadn’t expected much in a small town. The seediest motels are often called inns. But she was favorably impressed when she reached a wood-shingled, single-floor sprawling building. It was nearing 6:00 p.m. and she wondered what her daughter was doing. Hopefully, she was enjoying the picnic and show.

  She parked in the half-filled parking lot and walked inside. The lobby was warm and welcoming with a large painting of a waterfall on one side, a huge rock fireplace on another, and a painting of the mountains on the wall in back of the front desk.

  She approached the front desk, and a young man greeted her.

  “I have a reservation,” she said. “Lauren MacInnes.”

  “Oh, yes, we’ve been expecting you. Your room is ready.” He smiled. “I’m Jimmy, assistant manager. If I can see your credit or debit card?” He made a quick copy of it and asked her to sign a card. Then he handed her three envelopes with her name on it.

  She stared at them. “For me?”

  “Seems you’re popular around here,” he said with a smile. “The one on the top is from the mayor.”

  He handed her a metal key. “Room 210, right around the corner on left. You have a great view of our mountain. There’s complimentary wine and snacks every day from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the library. It’s just beyond the lobby on your right. Complimentary coffee and pastries are in the lobby at 6:00 a.m. and earlier if you’re leaving before that hour. Just let us know.”

  “I’m impressed,” she said. “Anything else?”

  “Well, yes. We have two restaurants that deliver here. The menus and phone numbers are in your room. Maude’s offers great Western cooking and the Rusty Nail specializes in hamburgers and steaks. Both are veteran friendly. That’s it, except we hope you enjoy your stay.”

  She was more than impressed. She only hoped the room was as pleasant.

  She stopped first, though, at the library. Bottles of both white and red wine were available on a counter along with a tray of crackers, cheeses, slices of ham and raw veggies. She poured some red into the glass as she glanced through the shelves full of books. Many were Western and Colorado history but there was also a novel section. “All donated books are appreciated,” said a sign, “and fiction books can be adopted.”
>
  She liked the sign. She found a novel, tucked it under her arm and, carrying the glass of wine, found her room and went inside. Her suitcase was still in the car, but she looked out the window at the mountain overshadowing the town and sipped the wine. The luggage in the car could wait.

  She opened the envelope from the mayor. It was an invitation to dinner Tuesday night at her home. The second letter contained an invitation to “join the veterans of Covenant Falls for its weekly poker game” tomorrow at the city library and museum. The third was an invitation from Andrea Stuart, Chamber of Commerce President, to visit the city museum and library.

  Did they do this for every guest? Or had someone arranged it? Someone from Eagles’ Roost. Whatever, she did feel welcome and not just as a hotel guest. She particularly liked the poker game invitation. It had been a long time since she’d joined in a military poker game. It would feel like old times. Good times. She looked up at a horseshoe over the door. Good luck. She needed some.

  She went out for her suitcase. She always packed light, again a legacy from her air force days. Then she returned to her room. She looked at the mayor’s invitation, then the clock. It was seven-thirty. Did she really want to spend Tuesday evening at the home of someone she didn’t know, and a mayor’s home at that?

  It was an informal note signed by Eve Manning. Curiosity won. Why not?

  She called the number. A woman answered.

  “Mayor Manning?” she asked.

  “Eve,” the woman corrected. “You must be Major MacInnes?”

  “Yes, but it’s just Lauren. I’m not in the air force now.”

  “You’ve come to the right place. This town is full of veterans. The police chief is a former army chopper pilot, a former SEAL runs a Horses for Heroes program, a former battlefield nurse runs our Chamber of Commerce and operates the library/museum. I don’t think you want me to go on, but that’s just the beginning.”

  “No service rivalry?”

  “I can’t say that, but it’s good-natured. Anyway, welcome. My husband will pick you up at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday if that’s okay. I have to warn you first, though. My house is a zoo.”

  “I like zoos,” Lauren said. She paused, then asked, “On the way down here, I saw a sign advertising flying lessons. It looked old. Do you know if it’s still in business?”

  “Sure. That’s Otis Davies. He’s in his late seventies, and is as sharp as people half his age. He sometimes flies feed into Reese’s ranch if the roads are iced over, and he does some teaching. He used to be air force, too, served in Vietnam. He’d be overjoyed with a visit from a fellow pilot.”

  “I’ll do that. I’ll see you Tuesday,” she said.

  “I hope you enjoy your stay. Reese is a good friend of my husband, Josh, and myself, and he said you were staying here as long as a week. Reese said we had a lot in common, and I look forward to meeting you. You and Josh can argue the merits of air force over army.”

  In just those few seconds, she knew she would like Eve Manning. She accepted, then asked, “Will he be at the poker game tomorrow night?”

  “Pretty sure he will. I’m envious every time he leaves, but the rule is absolute. Veterans only. I understand that good-natured arguments are the norm.”

  “You talked me into it. Should I call them?”

  “No. Just show up. I really hope you’re good. My husband is getting a little too cocky. How do you like the inn?”

  “It seems too good to be true.”

  “We have a great innkeeper. She just married one of the vets you’ll meet tomorrow night. But now I’m afraid I’m confusing you. The story is we’ve been flooded by vets here, most of them in the past five years.”

  Maybe she could find out more about Reese then.

  “You must be tired,” Eve said. “I’ll let you go. I look forward to meeting you in person Tuesday.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Good night and don’t worry about your daughter. Reese is great at what he does. He can look tough, but he’s a gentle soul inside. Just don’t tell him I said that,” Eve added before she hung up.

  Lauren thought about the last words as she took another sip of wine and considered getting a refill if there was any left. Gentle soul was the right way to describe him, when she considered the burro, his recommendation about dog adoption and the way he discussed the plight of mustangs. It was just packaged in a gruff exterior.

  She wondered why he wasn’t married, or maybe he was and his wife was somewhere else. Patti had never mentioned his marital status, but then she’d never asked.

  It was none of her business. She would get that second glass of wine, take a hot bath in the large bathtub and read the book she’d selected from the inn’s library.

  She soon discovered it wasn’t that easy. She simply couldn’t get the tall, self-assured rancher out of her head, no matter how hard she tried. There was so much she didn’t know. And now she wondered. Why was he looking after other people’s children rather than his own? He certainly seemed to have everything going for him.

  She’d known loners in the service. And she would swear he wasn’t one. He’d been too easy with her and she’d noticed the camaraderie between him and his crew. And yet, there was a reserve about him, even as he discussed a topic important to him.

  He and Eve’s husband were apparently good friends. Maybe, just maybe, she could coax some more information about him. And then, the question was, why did she care?

  * * *

  After Lauren drove away, Reese took the teens to the stable to pick their horses for the duration of the program. He’d selected eight of the best-behaved horses for the kids to choose from. They were all ranch horses, accustomed to different riders. He’d trained most of them himself and knew their temperaments.

  He and Chet led them out into the ring, and the kids wandered among them until a connection was made. The buddies helped, telling his or her partner about each of the horses, but it was really a matter of chemistry: a horse reaching over to nuzzle a hand, a friendly whinny, a nod of the head.

  Reese was pleased to note that each of the four found their horse relatively quickly.

  Reese paid particular attention to Julie. She hung back at first but then a white horse nudged her. She tentatively gave Snowflake half of a carrot each carried out with them. The horse took it gingerly, chomped it down, then nudged Julie for another. She seemed to grin at Julie and put her head on her shoulder as if to say “You’re mine.” Julie gave her the rest of the carrot.

  “She’s the infamous Snowflake, the curse of every cowman on the ranch,” Robin said fondly. “Just because of her name. Tells you something about cowboys, doesn’t it?” She grinned. “They’re a superstitious bunch.”

  “You, too?” Julie asked.

  “No, I escaped that particular affliction.”

  “Well, I think she’s been maligned,” Julie said. “I’ll take her if that’s okay.”

  “Good for you,” Reese said, and Julie spun around. She was a pretty girl with auburn hair rather than her mother’s fiery color. “She probably has the smoothest gait of any of the others.”

  Julie looked nonplussed. “I didn’t know you were there?”

  “I was wondering who would pick Snowflake. You have a good eye.”

  “Can we mount today?” Julie asked. There was eagerness in her voice now.

  “No, there’s not time,” he said. “And the hands are all getting ready for a cookout and variety show tonight. It’s a great way to get to know them. Anytime you have a question, just ask them, although I think Robin knows as much about this ranch as anyone does. Did she tell you that she came here as one of you three years ago?”

  Julie nodded.

  “I have to get back to the house,” he said, “but stay and talk to Snowflake for a while.”

  “What do I say?”

  “Anything
you want to,” he said. “I guarantee she doesn’t gossip.”

  She gave him that “how lame can you get?” look, but then smiled. It was blinding. She was her mother’s daughter. His nephew had better look out.

  He left on that note. The kids would spend the next hour getting to know their horses. Talk to him or her. Brush them. Generally spoil them. Their buddy would be with them, telling them a little about the horse, what he liked or didn’t like. Mounting would come tomorrow. There were too many emotions today. Excitement. Fear. Uncertainty. Horses sensed emotions and reacted to them.

  In a week they would feel secure on the horse’s back; in the second week they would learn tricks together; in the third they would race the other riders and in the last week their hearts would hurt when they were separated but they would be stronger for it.

  In the meantime, there was the cookout in the large picnic area at the back of the house. The menu included grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, corn on the cob, chili, baked beans, coleslaw and a choice of desserts.

  As they ate dessert after, the variety show started. The ice was broken almost immediately as it started with cowboy humor, which included skits and corny jokes. One ranch hand had taught his horse dancing steps.

  Rope tricks came next, and the kids were invited to try it. His nephew, Nathan, ended the program by playing the guitar and singing cowboy songs, urging all to join in on the more well-known ones. By then, the kids were usually full, sleepy and happy.

  He wished Lauren MacInnes—all the parents—could see their teens. But especially Lauren. That thought worried him. He was content now, and it had taken him many years to get here. He didn’t need someone to upset the world he’d helped build. Yet, he couldn’t get her face, especially those expressive eyes, out of his head.

  Her daughter did well today. She apparently had the same grit as her mother. After a first hesitation, she chose a good horse, listened intently to the instructions and did her best to follow them.