“Well, we’ve still got a ways to go before we’re ready to open on time.” Logan turned right onto Sadie Lane heading toward the main barn house again. Directly behind the barn house, they passed a long row containing space marked out for a rodeo arena, three sheds, two barns with corrals, and a bunk house, all running in a neat, straight row. Logan parked the truck near the first barn and led her inside to introduce her to his wranglers: Buck, Jed, McGuire, and Bronson. She’d met all of them before except Buck. Jed, McGuire, and Bronson had been the crew Logan had sent over to help her remodel Mama’s attic.
“Pleased to meet you again, Miss Jill.” Jed stepped forward and shook her hand. He seemed to speak for the others who nodded and shook hands with her after Jed.
“I can’t thank you gentlemen enough for the fine work you did installing our new flooring,” she replied.
Buck, an older gentleman with slightly graying hair, was introduced as Logan’s cowboy manager over the wranglers. “Buck’s been around Lander since forever… but he began working with us on the beginning of this project two years ago. He knows everything about horses, steers, broncos, and ranchin’ you’ll ever need to know.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jill nodded as Buck shook her hand.
“Same to you, ma’am,” Buck said. “I’ve known Jack and Sadie a long time. Remember when the boss here was just a young ‘un.”
Logan introduced her to Buck’s dog, a golden retriever named Harley who wore a red bandana around his neck. He stuck close to Buck wherever he went.
“Aren’t you a beauty!” Jill bent down to pet Harley who lavished her with several wet kisses and a paw handshake.
“He thinks he’s a horse,” Buck said matter-of-factly. Everyone chuckled.
“Sure does!” Jed agreed as he continued carrying a bag of oats slung over his shoulder to a designated storage area with the other ranch hands.
“He’s real helpful with corralling the horses,” McGuire chimed in as he hefted a bag of oats onto his shoulder.
“Before I show Jill the horses, just wanted to ask, is everything going well ‘round here today?” Logan asked.
Buck nodded, “We’re doin’ all right, except another fence was chopped clean through last night in Corral Two. We repaired it before breakfast.”
Logan’s brow furrowed. “Thanks, Buck. Keep me posted if you notice anything else.” Turning to Jill, he put his arm around the small of her back and guided her toward the stalls of horses, sending tingling butterflies along her spine. “We’ve got a prankster around ‘ere, but mark my words, the good Lord will find ‘im out.”
“That’s a shame after all the hard work you’ve all put in,” Jill replied. They walked slowly along the two rows of stalls, pausing to pet horses standing near the gates of their stalls, their manes and necks leaning out to have a better look at their visitor.
They passed stall after stall of horses Logan had inherited from his father, Jack Haven. Each stall had the name of the horse painted on a plaque on the outside of the door. There were all kinds of horses… chestnut horses, dapple grays, appaloosas, white horses, black horses, and horses with interesting patches of colors… stallions, mares, foals, colts, fillies, ponies, and even a few geldings. Logan had a wide variety of almost every type of horse one could imagine. Jill spent lots of time stopping to pet the ones who seemed friendly. She talked to each one and many drew near to greet their soft-spoken visitor. They had interesting names like Shiloh, Tori, Star, Wyatt, Mia, Flash, Ollie, Jet, Ruby, Dash, Violet, Comet, Summer, Storm, Peaches, Murphy, Jersey, Ginger, Hattie, and Georgia. The next barn contained Virginia, Bonnie, Pete, Jehoshaphat, Jolene, Mindy, Arnold, Buddy, Victory, Prince, King, Sheba, Lorna, Annie, Queen, Cable, Burton, London, and Charlie.
“I’m going to guess which one is yours,” she offered coyly.
“All right, go ahead,” Logan grinned and stopped walking to lean on Burton’s gate, patting him on the nose.
“Is it Storm?” she asked.
“How’d you know?”
“Well, he’s the best looking stallion from both barns for one thing.” She pushed her hat on a little tighter. “Secondly, he really seemed to like you.”
“You haven’t lost your touch with horses after all these years,” he remarked with a wink, giving her one of his winning smiles she loved so much. “Can you guess which mare is our top broodmare since Ginger retired from breeding?”
“You’ve definitely more mares and fillies than stallions and colts. Well, if I had to guess…” Jill’s voice tapered away as she strolled alongside a few of the stalls, considering his question carefully. Logan watched her from outside of Charlie’s stall until the thumping in his hip lessened. “I’d say Queen first, Ruby second, and maybe Virginia or Mia third…”
“You’ve really got an eye for horses, as always! You’re right, except Mia is our third top breeding mare and Virginia, I’d say about fourth. Queen is our top broodmare.”
“Horses are coming back to me slowly. I guess I didn’t think we’d ever return to Wyoming. I’ve missed being in the countryside with the horses and peaceful life. City life grew on me so gradually I didn’t realize how much I missed home,” she admitted. “Queen’s a beauty, that’s for sure!”
Beyond the corrals, she recognized the spring house and various riding trails. Logan was beginning to limp again, so instead of walking they jumped back in the truck to cross the covered bridge over the creek which cut through the ranch at a northwesterly angle. The creek was the very same one cutting through her father’s farm.
“I like the covered bridge,” Jill mentioned. “It’s a really nice touch.”
“Thank you,” he replied. “The bridge was Mama’s idea. Wait until you see the rest…”
Straight ahead, Bridge Haven Road led to a meadow of wildflowers. Before the wildflower meadow, a paved road turned off to the right named Chapel Trace. As they continued on the road, she spotted a helicopter landing pad, an air strip for runways and take-offs, and two airplane hangars situated at an “L-shaped” angle to each other.
“Holy macaroni!” she breathed as he pulled the truck to a stop near one of the hangars.
“C’mon, you need to see my new chariot.”
They climbed out of the truck. Giddy and giggling with excitement about the whole place, they laughed, half running and half walking toward the hangar before the truck. Gingerly, she allowed him to take her by the hand as he led her to a side door where he entered a series of security codes on a digital key pad and then swiped a key card to enter. Once inside, she could see the helicopter.
“Logan, I love your new chariot… but how do you get this baby outside?” Jill inquired as she walked all the way around it, inspecting the helicopter. The sound of their boots echoed on the cement floor.
“We tow it,” he answered, watching her facial expressions.
“Do you fly it yourself or hire a pilot?” she asked.
“It took some time… a lot of testing and more than fifty flight hours, but I have my own license,” Logan explained. “Joey takes care of everything to do with maintaining our air strip and keeping us compliant. He is certified to do work on helicopters and small planes. He isn’t here today, but you’ll eventually meet him if you decide to accept my job offer.”
“How do you get fuel to one of these babies?” Jill asked.
“A truck brings jet fuel when we need it.”
“I realize there isn’t an airport in Lander, but being a ranch, do you really need all of this?” she inquired as they admired his “chariot.”
“Well, most… not all… but most of the clients we’ve managed to attract so far are extremely wealthy individuals or represent corporations. Many of them will fly in using their own privately or corporately owned planes. My investors thought this would make it easier for our clients all the way around. I mean most of our clients will be families, groups, or individuals wanting to experience life on a Wyoming ranch, but many will be corporate groups and well-to-do fol
k. We’ve already had a few celebrities call us looking for a secluded place like this to vacation away from the prying eyes of the media.”
“I’ve got to pinch myself!” Jill laughed again. She could hardly believe she was standing in front of Logan’s private helicopter in his very own aircraft hangar, beside his own landing strip and helicopter landing pad. He was supposed to just be the neighbor boy she’d grown up with… not this amazingly successful entrepreneur. “This is so… surreal.”
Logan chuckled and nodded. “God is really good! He’s truly blessed me.”
The hair on Jill’s arms stood up. She wasn’t sure what to think about anything, but she felt like bursting with joy inside to have been offered a chance to be a small part of Logan’s adventure. “So this is the chariot that would fly us to your cousin’s ranch?”
“Does that mean you’re going to accept my job offer?” Logan was standing directly in front of her then. His blue eyes peered down into hers and waited.
“Only under certain conditions…” she said coyly.
“What might those be?” Logan’s deep voice took on a serious tone as he stepped closer and brushed a stray curl out of her eyes.
“Well, first of all, I know there are sparks between us Logan Haven,” Jill admitted, “but I’m not over losing Alex yet. I don’t want you to romance me… this… this…”
Jill’s voice waned as he leaned closer, enveloping her with his strong arms, his lips slowly brushing hers with a gentle kiss. When he stopped a few seconds later, she realized she was melting in his embrace. She hadn’t felt this safe in years. Her eyes were closed and she felt slightly faint.
“Now, what were you saying?” he asked softly as he traced her nose with a fingertip.
“Uh… this… this…soon… this uh, this has to be… strictly business?” she answered, more question than statement as she lost herself in his arms for the moment, forgetting about everything else.
“Hmm, that does seem to be a problem,” he said, tucking another of her curls into place as he held her securely.
“Oh, Logan… I don’t know what I want!” she said, her hands fidgeting with the buttons on his plaid shirt at her eye level.
“I know,” he replied. “Jill, it’s all right not to know what you want. You’ve been through a lot. Let’s just take our time and see where this goes, all right? One day at a time… we’ll both pray about it as we go and take it slow.”
“If you really mean that, and you won’t rush me, I’d like to take the job and give it a try. I still love Alex so much…”
“Of course you do! You were married for fifteen years and have three, beautiful children together. Listen,” he said, gently tilting her chin toward his face with a fingertip, “I’m prepared for one thing that might surprise you. You’re always going to love Alex. I don’t ever expect you to stop loving him. He was taken from all of you far too early as far as I’m concerned. But Jill, seeing you again… it’s brought back so many wonderful memories we share together. I love who you were then, and I love who you are now. I promise we’ll take it slow. I don’t think Alex would want you to grieve forever. He would want you to move forward in life. I just think you need to know that I think we’d be great together… and I’m determined to show you that, for as long as it takes.”
“All right, then, I accept the job and we’ll take it slow. I still have to consider the terms though… and one more thing…” Jill stepped away from his arms.
“Yes?” he asked.
“You have a lot to prove to me, Logan Haven. You didn’t exactly seem to remember who I was when you were in high school,” she reminded him.
Logan was quiet. “That works both ways, Jill.”
“Maybe,” she said, disagreeing with him deep down inside. “I’m fairly certain you were the one busy getting to know quite a few other girls long before I even considered spreading my wings.”
“Point taken,” Logan responded. “It was probably good for both of us though. We were just kids. I don’t think either of us knew what we wanted.”
“Maybe,” she shrugged, looking down at her boots. What was the use of sharing her feelings with him about the devastation she’d experienced when they’d grown apart? She didn’t trust him with that part of her heart yet. Besides, Logan was right. She had three beautiful children because of Alex.
Logan studied her face, or what he could see of it beneath her hat and curls, trying to salvage her joy and trust; trying to read what she was feeling. She looked irresistible, just as she always had since he could remember knowing her. He wanted to reach out and hold her... wipe all of her tears and hurts away. For some reason, he felt protective of Jill. He had obviously hurt her in the past, but she wasn’t ready to talk about it any further. He looked at his watch. “Look, there’s one more thing I have to show you, but we only have about an hour before the kids get out of school, so let’s hurry.”
“All right,” she agreed, allowing him to hold her hand as she followed him to the truck.
He drove her back down Chapel Trace toward the bridge. Instead of turning left to return toward the main barn house, he yielded to the right onto Chapel Hill Lane. He continued alongside a meadow with gorgeous mountain peaks in the distance until she spotted a white church with a small steeple rise up in the distance.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Psalm 40:3
Chapter 8.
Chapel Hill Lane
Logan turned the ignition off. He walked around the truck, his limp increasingly noticeable. Then he opened her door and helped her jump down onto the dusty lot beside the chapel. She eyed the building warily, a flood of emotion welling up within her. When would God set things right again in her world? Was that what he was doing by giving her Logan and a chance to love again?
“Sorry, the lot isn’t finished yet. Construction finished on the building about two weeks ago. I’m not sure if we’re going to gravel or pave this area yet,” he explained. “C’mon inside. We’ve just installed the pews.”
He took her by the hand and led her inside where she could see the wooden pews, the shiny mahogany pulpit, and the altar. She leafed through a hymnal, looked outside each of the windows at the mountain and meadow views, and even wandered onto the platform. She stepped down to the altar area and stood looking up at the cross on the wall behind the pulpit above the baptismal tank surrounded by silk plants and flowers. She remained very quiet.
Logan joined her there and they both stood looking up at the cross. After a few moments, he picked up her hand again and began to pray out loud, solemnly and slowly: “Dear Heavenly Father, Jill is hurting. Please heal her wounded heart. Reach down from heaven and stoop low for both of us. You alone know what we need and what the future holds for us. We trust and thank you, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Jill allowed him to pray for her, but at the present moment, she felt no connection to the Father, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. Instead, she felt numb inside; traumatized; confused; and abandoned. When Logan was done praying, she did feel a little more at peace. After a few moments more of staring up at the cross on the wall, she asked softly, “Do you have a preacher?”
“Sure do!” Logan beamed at her like a kid with a huge secret. “You’re lookin’ at ‘im!”
“You’re going to be the preacher?” she asked, one eyebrow shooting up.
“Well, you know I was with the Cowboys of the Cross for years when I rode the circuit with my cousin, Chase. When I fell off that horse and was nearly trampled to death, I didn’t know what to think. I laid in bed for months while my hip recovered, wondering if I’d ever be able to walk normally again, let alone ride. I knew my life was basically over without a miracle. The doctors said if I ever fell off a horse again and got stomped in the same place… well, you get the idea. The prospect isn’t good.”
Jill nodded, eager to hear the rest of his story.
“While I laid there, I continu
ed to study my Bible, pray, and worship the Lord… in spite of what had ruined my life. I knew my career was over and didn’t know what I would do next. That was when God spoke to my heart and called me to preach, right here on this very ranch! He gave me the vision for everything you see here today.”
“Wow!” Jill breathed. “That’s amazing… I mean, I would have been completely distraught.”
“Well, the Lord really took care of me and ministered to me during a broken time in my life. I was broken physically and emotionally. He showed me verses in the Bible about what He wanted me to do. I didn’t have much time to be sad or downtrodden because I became so excited about the future He had in store for me. I knew God had allowed the accident and the limp to lead me in a different direction.”
“That’s really beautiful… I’m really impressed with The Sweetwater! So, will you preach once a week or more often?” she asked, amazed at all he shared with her. Maybe there was something to this Christianity business after all. She didn’t see it working in her own life yet, but Logan’s story was inspiring… and he had offered a job to her, to make her a part of it. Was the God she had once known as a young girl really looking after her?
“Probably only on Sunday mornings at a ten o’clock service… followed by brunch in the main house.”
“Logan, this is just so much to take in… and so admirable! I really admire what you’ve been able to do and how you’ve pursued a whole new path in life. I don’t know if I would have been as brave and courageous as you have been after such a devastating accident,” she remarked.
“I just want to follow the dream He put in my heart and ensure everything we do on this ranch brings glory and honor to the Lord,” he replied. “With our clients and all kinds of folks with many different paths in life coming here, we may have the opportunity to reach folks who ordinarily might not set foot in a church. It may be the very first time some of them have heard about what Jesus did for us at Calvary on that cross. It’s hard for rich men to come to know Christ. They already have everything. They don’t realize how poor they are in their need for Him.”
Dreams of Sweetwater River (Whispers In Wyoming Book 3) Page 6
