by Danni Roan
Remembering Rainy
Whispers in Wyoming
Danni Roan
Copyright © 2020 Danni Roan
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 9798672200194
Cover design by: Erin Dameron-Hill
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Epigraph
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Epilogue
Introduction
Young, irresponsible, and determined to have life his way, Nathan Draper turned his back on his life’s biggest mistake. Now, as his heart is turned from selfish desires, he doesn’t believe he is strong enough to face the consequences of that decision. Taking a job at the Broken J is only meant to hold him over until he starts a real job, but will time with his mentor and grandfather-in-Christ help him find his way? Rainy Smythe has been living with wrong choices for five long years and finally feels she is getting a foothold on a new start. A short trip with friends and family to a dude ranch is just what she needs to get her head on straight and start living again. Will the mistakes of an imperfect past lead to the perfect future? Find out in this sweet, clean, Christian contemporary, western romance.
Chapter 1
“Nate, what are you doing in there?” Red Dixon hollered over the stall door at the young man he had recently hired on as a barn hand.
“I’m muckin’ stalls,” the tall lean twenty-three-year-old barked back. “Isn’t that what you hired me to do?”
“What’s takin’ you so long?” The old man smoothed his red and white beard with a rough hand, his blue eyes sparkling. “Don’t you know one end of a shovel from the other?”
Nathan Draper grinned walking to the stall door and flipping the latch. Red had taken him under his wing at the local church near Tipton, Wyoming a few months ago when, after finishing college, Nate hadn’t yet found a full-time job, and he needed a way to pay off his college debt while looking for a new career.
“What are you griping about old man,” Nate called, as he stepped out of the stall pushing a wheelbarrow. “I’m getting it done aren’t I?”
“Young people these days,” Red groused. “You think you have all the time in the world.”
“We don’t?” Nate’s bright chuckle and shocked expression made Red shake his head.
“I guess you’re doing alright for a city kid,” the old man jibed. “If you ever get through with the work here, I thought I’d teach you how to unload a wagon full of hay, saddle a horse, and maybe even stay up on one for more than five minutes.”
“Red you know I can ride. I lived on a ranch until I was nearly fifteen.”
“That was a long time ago,” Red Dixon glared at the younger man. “I need to know you can sit a horse in a pinch if something happens to a wrangler or someone calls in sick.”
“Alright, alright,” Nate pushed the barrow to the side of the barn. “I’m finished with cleaning stalls anyway.”
Red smiled, a grizzly expression through all of the hair on his face. He liked Nate but knew there was more to the boy dragging his feet on getting a regular job than he was telling. Sure, times were hard everywhere, but there were jobs in some industries at least. No, call it intuition, or maybe divine guidance, but Red was sure that something was holding the boy back. Now if he could just figure out what it was.
It was purely by chance the old wrangler of the Broken J Dude Ranch had met the young college student. The boy had wandered into the back pew of their tiny congregation, half-drowned from a wild Wyoming storm and Red had been right behind him. Together, they had taken up residence on the last seat, listening to the preacher share the good news of redemption and renewal.
After the service, Red had invited the young man to stay for the church luncheon, and they had soon started chatting about horses, ranches, and big dreams.
By the time lunch was over, Red was offering Nate a job at the ranch to help offset any issues with wranglers being needed outside the barn. The boy was young, strong, and fit. What more could Red need? The question was what was Nate looking for?
“Come on upstairs, and I’ll teach you to use the old hay lift. Maybe you grew up on a ranch, but this place is old as the hills, and it takes some learnin’ to do things right. I don’t need to spend the next two days filling out a stack of paperwork because you fell out of the barn and broke your skinny neck.”
“Whatever you say, Red.” Nate grinned. “You’re the boss after all.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
A half an hour later, Nate was leaning on the yard arm looking down at the empty ground below, his mind running over old regrets once more.
As a relatively new Christian, he was still struggling with some aspects of his faith. In his heart, he was renewed, but old sins and past regrets still nagged at him.
“Where’d you go, son?” Red placed a hand on Nate’s shoulder pulling him back to the present.
“I’m sorry, Red.” Nate turned, ducking his head in shame as he realized he was neglecting his work. “I’m afraid my mind wandered.”
“Just so long is it don’t get lost,” Red grinned, then grew serious. “You know you can talk to me about it. I’ve been down the trail a few times and not much surprises me.”
Nate felt his heart lurch at the old man’s words. Could he truly tell him what plagued his heart? Would Red look down on him if he knew what he had done?
Each morning the Cowboys for Christ gathered in one of the empty stalls to start their day with a devotional and prayer. A practice that had filled Nate with peace, hope, and a positive outlook for the day ahead. Since arriving at the ranch, Nate had been shocked to find grown men of God confessing to imperfections, slights, and wrongs. Even the head wrangler and part-owner of the place, Chase Haven, had confessed to getting short-tempered with his little girl’s poor sleeping habits.
Silence filled the upper storage area of the barn as Nate struggled with his inner demons. His heart cried out for the relief of confession, but his mind balked at sharing. Closing his eyes he opened his mouth and began.
“There’s something I need to put right before I can move on,” he said, his voice soft. “As a senior in high school, I turned my back on my biggest mistake.” The young man’s dark eyes lifted, meeting Red’s blue gaze, surprised to find not condemnation, but understanding. “I had a girlfriend back then, and well, you know how things go. I was determined to go to college, to get my degree and nab a fat cat job. There was no room for her and a baby in the mix. We were just kids and,” Nate swallowed hard, “and I walked away without a backward glance.”
Red rested a hand on Nathan’s shoulder, the way he might on his own grandson’s if he needed c
omfort. “You think you need to make amends.”
“I’m afraid to find out what happened,” Nate’s reply was raw honesty. “Whatever happened to Rainy and the baby rests on my shoulders. I should have stepped up and taken responsibility or at least offered an alternative to whatever she was forced to do.”
“That’s hard, son,” Red agreed. “What you’re feeling is the prompting of the Spirit to make things right or at least confess your wrong-doing in the situation.”
“I don’t think I can,” Nathan sighed. “I’m just not strong enough. I’ve only been a Christian a year, and I don’t know how to handle something like this. I don’t even know where to begin.”
“You begin in prayer,” Red’s words were soft and he bowed his head. “Ask God for the strength, wisdom, and opportunity to do His will. The rest is up to Him.”
Chapter 2
“Are you sure you have everything? You have enough clothes. Did you pack warm jackets? You know it could get cold out there.”
“Mom,” Rainy only managed to keep from rolling her eyes. “We have everything. Did you pack? You’ve been fussing so much about me that you’ve probably left half of your stuff in your room.”
“Oh, my!” The older woman threw her hands in the air racing back toward the house.
“I’ll help Mrs. Smythe,” a tall blonde woman called striding toward the house and giving a wave to her oldest friend. “Be back in a sec Rainy.”
“Thanks, Anne,” the petite dark-haired girl waved turning back to the packed SUV. “What do you say, little man?” she checked the straps on her son’s car seat. “Are you ready to go.”
“Let’s go, Mommy!” the four-year-old shouted, offering her a huge dimpled grin.
Rainy, brushed a lock of dark chestnut hair from her son’s forehead, noting the soft highlights of gold in his thick locks. He was the most precious thing she had ever known, and she loved him with all of her heart.
“We see horsies, Mommy?” the boy asked.
“We will see lots of horses. I’ll even take you for a ride if they allow it. You have to be a good boy though. No tantrums.”
“I be good.”
“You are my angel, aren’t you Lucas?” Rainy leaned over kissing the boy who grabbed her neck, hugging her tight. Until this tiny miracle, that almost wasn’t, came into her life, she had never known a love so pure and perfect. He was her world, and as he grew, she was starting to find her feet again.
A teenage pregnancy on her own had thrown Rainy for a loop, especially when the man she had believed loved her had walked away, leaving her to deal with the situation on her own. If not for her parents and her best friend, she didn’t know if she would have made it.
“I have everything now,” Mrs. Smythe hurried back out of the house, Anne loaded down with two suitcases and a duffle bag. “I think I’m ready.”
Rainy smiled at her mother. Short, plump and often flustered Mrs. Smythe was still the rock that Rainy had leaned on during the past five years. “Where’s dad?”
“Oh my goodness!” Mrs. Smythe was off again heading back to the house as a tall, severe-looking man stepped out of the house. “Are you finally ready Dana?”
“Yes, I was just coming to get you. I’m so excited.”
“We can tell,” Mr. Smythe drawled making the two younger women laugh. Although, tall and austere Owen Smythe had a dry wit that often had his whole family in stitches. He had been devastated when his only daughter had broken the news about the baby and had threatened every kind of retribution on the young man who had run off leaving her to deal with the problem on her own.
“Go, Poppa, go!” Lucas urged. “I wanna see the horsies.”
Within a half-hour, little Lucas was asleep in his car seat as the big red SUV ate up the miles. Anne sitting in the back seat chatted with Rainy, talking about handsome cowboys, and romantic evenings under the stars. “I think they even have a cattle drive and chuckwagon cookout.”
“I’ll fit in everything I can between nap times and dinner,” Rainy said. She knew that a steady routine was important for her son and even with her parents’ willingness to watch him, she wasn’t going to keep them from enjoying this trip.
“Rainy, lighten up. You’ll have a good time and Lucas will be fine. After all, he wants to see the horses too.”
“They did say that the place was kid-friendly, but he’s only four.” Rainy could feel herself getting overprotective and took a deep breath to settle her nerves. Four years of late nights, feedings, diapers, potty training, and everything else had made her fiercely protective of her son. Raising him on her own with only her parents to help, had made her heart equally full for her child and hard toward anyone who might come between them.
“Rainy, you need to lighten up. I know it’s been hard, trying to get your education and take care of Lucas. I’ve always been so proud of you for not just dumping him on your parents and doing your own thing. You’re a great mom, but you have to be a real girl sometimes too.”
Rainy grinned. Anne had been using that line on her for years. Always the tomboy, Anne would force her to ‘doll up’ and go out on the town.
“I’ll try,” Rainy agreed, “but at least here I can wear jeans and T-shirts all day long and still be fashionable”
“We’ll see about that,” Anne whispered under her breath.
“You might like a night out,” Owen Smythe called, glancing in his rearview mirror at his daughter. “You girls always doll up real nice.”
Rainy couldn’t hold back the chuckle that erupted. Her dad always used that word when he talked about taking her mother on a date.
“I’m planning on taking your mother out somewhere while we’re here. Dinner, dancing, that sort of thing. You did bring something pretty to wear didn’t you Dana?”
“Owen, you know I always pack something pretty. You just never know what might happen or where you’ll get invited to. A woman should always be prepared.”
Rainy rolled her eyes, she had always been a disappointment in the dressing up department. She was far more comfortable in faded jeans and an old T. The chance to visit a dude ranch and not have to worry about her clothing was a joy.
“Rainy, I don’t want you fussing over Lucas the whole time you’re at the ranch. You’re a young woman and you need to get out. Why if a few young people all want to go to town for some fun there’s no reason your father and I can’t watch our favorite boy.”
Rainy felt some of the tension leave her shoulders at her mother’s words. She had no desire to go whoop it up in a strange town. She would much rather take her son for a walk in the wide prairie exploring the flora and fauna of the ranch than get dressed up and go dancing or something. Still, she knew that Anne would want to go out at least once, and after all her friend had done for her, who was she to argue?
“Thanks, Mom, I might take you up on that.”
A bright squeal of delight from her partner in crime made Rainy shake her head, turning a hard glare on Anne’s exuberant grin.
“I knew you’d come around,” Anne clapped her hands with delight. “I’ll do your hair and make-up, and we’ll go dancing. Maybe break a few hearts along the way.”
Rainy found herself smiling at her friend’s enthusiasm then looked down at her son still sleeping in his seat. Even if she did go dancing and had a little fun with a cowboy, no man was going to want the package deal that she was. Love her, love her boy. That was that. No, Rainy knew her lot in life, and she could live with it. All the love she ever needed was sleeping right there next to her.
Rainy had chosen Lucas, and she would do all she could to give him the best life possible. Rainy was a mother and that came first. She had finally finished her online degree from a college with a good reputation, and she was ready to tackle a good job, but her first love, her first duty was always to her son.
***
It was almost dark by the time they rolled under a high arched sign declaring the Broken J Ranch and headed for the big house where they
had rented three rooms.
Lucas kicked his feet with excitement as Rainy told him they were here. Even after a stop for dinner and some time to play in the play area, the boy was bursting with energy.
“Can we see the horsies now?” the boy’s dark eyes shimmered in the light spilling from the windows of the house.
“Not tonight,” Rainy sighed. “But we’ll get up early tomorrow and see everything.”
“I wanna see ‘em now,” the boy’s bottom lip quivered and Rainy felt her heart turn.
“Not tonight,” she said firmly. “Tonight we have to go to our rooms and get settled in. Maybe there are some other little boys and girls you can play with.”
“Really?” The boy clapped his tiny hands together with delight. “Let’s go.”
As the car came to a complete stop, Rainy unbuckled the seat belts and helped her son climb down. No sooner had his feet hit the ground than he was racing for the stairs of the house as a big man in a cowboy hat came out to help with bags and baggage.
“You’ll have to park in the lot out by the road,” the big man drawled to her father, as Rainy rushed after her son. The man practically made two of her and she wondered if all the men on this ranch were so large.
“That’ll be fine,” Owen grinned. “I’ll just be glad to stop moving. It’s been a long drive.”
“Where you coming from?” the cowboy asked, his voice a deep rumble in his chest.
