His Ranch or Hers

by Roz Denny Fox

  Dropping down on the bed, Myra put her phone on speaker while she rolled up her jeans and inspected her knees. Both had begun to bruise, but she’d had worse injuries getting kicked by a cow. “Eric, it seems to have shocked the family to learn I really love this ranch. I know Zeke Maxwell did a heroic thing risking his life to save yours, but he doesn’t know the first damn thing about ranching.”

  “He’ll catch on. And truly, Dad had no idea Gramps still had cows. He and Mom both thought all you were doing was taking care of his cooking and laundry.”

  “I grew the herd,” she snapped. “I assumed when Dad checked the ledgers he’d either let me buy the place or give it to me as my inheritance.”

  “Holy crap, Myra. Who knew that’s what you had in mind? I guess I made a mess for you suggesting to the folks that they give Zeke the ranch.”

  “Keep this between us, Eric... I swear if you tell the folks or Zeke I’ll hurt you. The reason I’m still here is because I’m betting your city boy will take a hike when ranch life gets tough.”

  “I don’t know, Myra. I saw Zeke in action in some bad spots. He’s got guts.”

  “Well, if you’re right, after spring calving I’ll lick my wounds and leave.” She hated that she’d already seen signs Zeke might buckle down and learn ranching. And darn it all, she had to give him extra points for liking snowy owls.

  “What about teaching? You have your degree and credentials.”

  “I never liked teaching math. Don’t tell Mom that, either. If things here fall apart, I don’t know what I’ll do, but I won’t teach. That’s Mom’s dream.”

  “Damn, sis, now I feel doubly guilty.”

  “You didn’t know. I should have told Dad at Gramps’s funeral, but it didn’t seem the time to talk about raising cows when we were all grieving.”

  “No, you’re right. And maybe Zeke’s not cut out to raise cattle. I’ll tell Dad I talked to you and let him deal with Mom. Stay in touch. And for the record, I’m sorry as hell that I screwed up your plans.”

  “Stop it, Eric.” Myra felt tears punch the back of her eyes. “I can’t fault what you did. The guy saved your life.”

  They said their goodbyes, then Myra dried her eyes, treated her knees and was in the kitchen setting the table when Zeke came in from the barn.

  He went straight to his bedroom.

  She put bread in the oven, and as soon as she heard Zeke come out of his room, she dished up their stew. It surprised her how normal she was able to act, given the turmoil in her heart after her confession to Eric.

  “Did you reach that Eddie guy?” Zeke asked. He peered into Orion’s pen and made appropriate piggy-talk before taking his seat at the table.

  Myra retrieved the piping-hot bread and shut off the oven. “I did. He and friends will be here tomorrow. With their help and Hank’s, we should have all the calves loaded and off to market by noon.”

  “Got it. Hey, this stew hits the spot. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

  “Thanks. I like meals I can throw in the Crock-Pot. More often than not, I come in too tired and dirty to feel like cooking.”

  “Speaking of dirty. I need boots I can leave in the barn. I also need work shirts and a lined jacket. Is there a store in town you can recommend?”

  “The Tractor Supply Company.”

  Zeke stopped with his spoon halfway to his mouth. “You said that with a straight face. Is this some kind of a greenhorn initiation? Or did you make it up because I didn’t know lemmings were real?”

  Myra frowned. “You’ve lost me.”

  “Come on. Clothes at a tractor supply store?”

  She ladled out more stew. “First of all, that’s the store name. They’re in a lot of Western towns. Ranchers and cowboys tend to like one-stop shopping.”

  Zeke continued to look mistrustful, but he ladled out more stew and let the conversation drop.

  It was fine with Myra. It had been a long day.

  Once Zeke finished eating, he carried his dishes to the sink and rinsed them. “What time do we start tomorrow? I’m going to go see if I can connect with my brother in whatever time zone he’s in, then hit the sack.”

  “I’ll go out early to check fences. The unexpected snow could’ve driven those wolves into the foothills. We need to be vigilant until we bring the herd down to winter pasture.”

  “A short answer would do. Is early five, six or when?”

  Myra jerked in her chair feeling as if she’d been smacked down by his sharp tone. He needed to know wolf presence in the area could wreak havoc with any herd. “Six,” she said. “No formal breakfast. Make do.” There, if he wanted short and sweet, she’d comply. It’d suit her fine if he didn’t learn enough to run a ranch. She watched him take out his phone and leave the kitchen.

  Did that shift in his attitude mean he’d decided to flex his owner muscle? She wasn’t sure how she’d feel if he started giving her orders as if she were his employee. Perhaps it’d been nothing. Eric used to accuse her of bossiness. But she had been in charge of this ranch for three and half years. If she got on Zeke’s nerves this early in their working relationship, it was going to be a long danged time till spring.

  Clearing the dishes and setting up for morning coffee, she let her mind float back to how pleasant she’d found it riding double with Zeke. Was that the source of her hurt pride now? Had she read more into the close way he’d held her? Probably it was no more than what he’d said—he didn’t want her falling off the horse.

  To think of something other than Zeke, she rechecked her tender knees then went out on the back porch to put new litter in Orion’s box. He followed. Still too restless for bed, she picked up the pig and carried him into the living room. She hadn’t worked on a dollhouse since Zeke’s arrival, and she had one ready for shutters. That wouldn’t be a noisy task. Another house needed to be roofed, but that entailed hammering.

  With Orion yawning on her lap, Myra lost herself in applying dark blue hinged shutters to the windows of a two-story house. She’d set down her tools to admire her handiwork when her cell phone rang. Afraid it might be her mother, she scooped up Orion, switched off the light and escaped to her bedroom before she answered.

  “Myra, hi. Jewell here. I was about to hang up.”

  “Sorry it took me so long to answer. I was in the middle of cleaning up from working on a dollhouse.”

  “Ooh, can’t wait to see the new batch. Listen, I wanted to check with you. Eddie Four Bear stopped by. He said you asked him to pick up vaccine kits. I gave him a hundred. If that’s not enough I can drop more off tomorrow. I have a call to make at Ralston’s. Lou’s buckskin picked up a stone. Dave dug it out, but Lou thinks it’s infected. She talked him into paying me to take a look.”

  Myra chuckled. “We all know how tight that man is with money.”

  “Yeah. I’m so glad my father was never like that. So, about the vaccine...”

  “I only need eighty or so. But extras will keep in the fridge. I could have had a few heifers stray. Some of Hank’s and Dave’s showed up with my pairs.”

  “How’s it going with you-know-who? Ralston stopped at the café today. He told Lila’s mom he’d met Zeke Maxwell and thinks he’s a nice guy.”

  “He’s...okay.”

  “Dave referred to him as the Flying Owl’s new owner. Eddie said you made a deal with Maxwell to stay on through spring calving.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Won’t that make it twice as hard to leave? Not that we don’t all want you here as long as possible, but I know how you love running the Flying Owl. I’m thinking of you, Myra.”

  She set Orion in his cage and he burrowed into his favorite quilt. Myra closed the cage door and flopped onto the bed. “It’s because I love the ranch. In a weak moment I volunteered to stay and help out. Jewell, the man is a total tenderfoot! At least he knows his way around horses. I offered to ask the bank for a loan to buy him out. He said he wasn’t interested. I can only hope he’ll change his mind.”


  “What’s he like? Is he a frog or a prince?”

  Her friend’s question stopped Myra cold. If she said frog she’d be lying. If she said prince that’d be all over town by morning. “What are my other options? I could say he’s a rat, but it’s not his fault my folks gave him the ranch.” She blew out a breath. “Up to now he hasn’t shirked, but I know he’s had multiple surgeries to rebuild his left shoulder and elbow.”

  “All the Artsy Ladies want to know is if he’s single and hot!”

  “He’s single, though he could have a girlfriend stashed someplace. He has a twin. A gemologist. Zeke invited him to visit. If he shows up before spring I have to clean my craft stuff out of the third bedroom. But sooner or later I’ll have to do that anyway.”

  “You still haven’t said what he looks like. If we’re going to find out we’ll have to come help you clean that room,” Jewell said around a laugh. “Why don’t you drag him to the dance next Saturday? It’s the last potluck of the year at the grange hall, remember. Unless he’s totally gross, that is.”

  Again sidestepping the question, Myra said, “Did Tawana tell you the snowy owls are back? I took Zeke out to see them this evening.”

  “I haven’t talked to Tawana. And Eddie didn’t mention it. Did you see some of my banded ones?”

  “Not the one I got the best look at. We counted three. Two females and a male. There may have been more. They’re nesting in Leland Conrad’s timber.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up. The early snowfall in Canada must have driven their food source down. Since I don’t have to bring you vaccine, I’ll run out there tomorrow. I can get there using my Jeep, right?”

  “We rode and angled across BLM land. There’s probably a road through Leland’s ranch. That’d be quicker.”

  “Oh, I’m so excited. They need a protected habitat, but I haven’t heard back from my inquiry to the government’s Natural Resource Committee.”

  “That’s another reason I hate the thought of leaving, Jewell. We’ve all worked so hard to secure a preserve. I want to see it through.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t be so helpful to Maxwell. If he flounders, won’t he be more likely to chuck it all?”

  “I don’t see it as helping him so much as making sure the Flying Owl thrives.”

  “You’re in a pickle. I have a call coming in on my emergency line. We’ll touch base later. Think about coming to the dance. We ladies will put our heads together and come up with a plan to discourage him from staying.”

  “I’ll see if I can get away. My to-do list is a mile long. Bye, Jewell.”

  After hanging up, Myra rummaged in her drawer and pulled out a notepad. If she listed all of the chores that had to be done, and roughly which months Zeke would need to plan on doing them, just looking at a list could be enough to convince him to go away.

  * * *

  IN HIS ROOM, Zeke sat on his bed. He had only removed his boots. Seth hadn’t answered, so he’d left a message. He had no idea where his brother was or what time zone he was in.

  He heard Myra moving around the other part of the house. First in the kitchen, then out on the back porch and later in the living room. He’d gotten up and peeked out his door. Seeing her bent over one of her unfinished dollhouses, he debated going out. Then thought better of it. Until tonight when her horse had gotten away from her and they’d had to ride for several miles together on Ember, Zeke hadn’t thought of Myra as a woman. Not in the sense of an attractive one.

  First she’d merely been a buddy’s sister. Not really a know-it-all, but certainly impatient—with him at least. That was prior to feeling her slender back against his chest, her hips flush between his thighs. But what most messed with his equilibrium had been the apple scent of her hair as it blew into his face. All day they’d both worked like demons to separate calves from their mothers. The sun had only come out a few times to warm the air. But it’d been sweaty work.

  Somehow Myra had managed to still smell like a woman.

  His last steady girl had broken it off with him while he was in rehab. It surprised him that he hadn’t been overly sad to hear she’d found someone else. A dentist. Zeke could picture Stacy with a safe, boring guy. He’d sent her a card saying he was happy for her. And he was. At the time, in his condition, he’d only needed nurses in his life. It helped if they were pretty, but he hadn’t grown attached to any one in particular.

  Now Myra Odell had gotten under his skin. The discovery shocked him. He didn’t view it as altogether good news, either. He had a feeling if her parents had any inclination as to the thoughts running amok in his head, they’d kick his butt off the ranch in short order. And damn it all, he liked it here.

  Why, he couldn’t say. The work wasn’t fun. Cows were dirty. But Myra spoke of ranching in such glowing terms. The notion of calling himself a bona fide rancher one of these days, and having people like Dave Ralston see him as one, was appealing. And how could it hurt to have a woman like Myra at his side—in his corner.

  Bolting off his bed, Zeke stripped out of his clothes and hurried into the shower—a cold one. Letting water rain down on his face and aching muscles, his wishful-thinking side argued with his good-guy side—which said he should scrap those libidinous thoughts.

  He’d toweled off and burrowed beneath the covers when his cell phone rang. Answering quickly and hoping it hadn’t disturbed Myra, he knew it either had to be Eric or Seth. No one else called him these days. Well, his mom, but she was an early-to-bed, early-to-rise person.

  “What’s up, bro? I just checked into my hotel in Nairobi.”

  “What are you doing in Kenya?” Zeke sat up.

  “A dealer who wants my stash of lapis is here. If I can unload it for a good price, there’s also a western bank in town and I can deposit to my Boston account before I hook up with my guide to travel into the hills of Tanzania.”

  “Now I’ll worry this dealer will knock you in the head and steal your stones.”

  “Nah. I’ve done business with him before. It’s after midnight here. You so rarely call, I figured I should ring you back.”

  “I just wanted to talk. But we can catch up later. Will you let me know you’re still alive when you get to Tanzania?”

  His brother laughed. “Has becoming a landowner turned you into a mother hen?”

  “Maybe. I met a neighbor who is the fourth generation in his family to run his ranch. And Myra—she’s currently running this one—her dad was born in this house. Oh, today she took me out to see snowy owls. They apparently return to nest in the hills year after year.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. Our roots are shallow, Seth. Jeez, I’ll let you go. I’m not making sense.”

  “Stay a minute. You glossed over something I find interesting. Why is this Myra person running the ranch? I thought you said she was going back to teaching.”

  Zeke weighed how much he should share with his twin, who often seemed to read his mind. “She handled the ranch for her grandfather when he was ill. She didn’t really have a teaching job waiting, and schools are starting soon. I’m not sure how much you know about raising cows. I don’t know diddly-squat. I asked her to stay on until I understand more. She agreed to show me the ropes until spring. That’s when the next crop of calves are born.”

  “You two are sharing a house?”

  Zeke took a deep breath. Leave it to Seth to hone in on the one thing people might see as an issue. “Yeah. So what? It has three bedrooms. In fact, the house is old and needs updating. Especially the kitchen. I don’t have a lot of free time, but I need to put in a new sink and a coat of paint at least. Any chance you can come help soon?”

  “Good try at distracting me. Is she pretty?”

  “I guess you don’t mean the kitchen,” Zeke said drily. “Uh, yeah, she’s pretty. Not in a glitzy movie-star way, but wholesome.”

  “Dude, you need lessons in common sense and tact. I’ve never met a woman who’d be pleased to be described as wholesome. It�
��s like saying she’s healthy and sound as a horse.”

  “Goodbye, Seth. You need sleep. Your thinking is skewed. But remember to let me know you’re safe at your next port of call.” Zeke quickly disconnected. Setting his phone on the nightstand, he turned out the lamp and slid down in his bed. Mulling over what his brother had said—well, Myra had thick, dark blond hair, golden skin and really expressive amber eyes. Yeah, maybe wholesome didn’t do her justice. But if he had admitted to Seth how attractive he found her, he’d be letting himself in for constant ribbing. And that he could do without.

  * * *

  THE HOUSE WAS dark and silent in the morning when Myra made her way to the kitchen. She set Orion in his pen and tended to his food before she washed her hands and started the coffee.

  It didn’t surprise her that she was up before Zeke. He’d taken a late-night call—the ringing of his phone had awakened Orion. She hadn’t a clue who might call him so late at night. She hadn’t let herself wonder about his friends. Women or men.

  Myra mixed a handful of blueberries in a cup of yogurt and ate it while the coffee perked. She tossed the cup in the trash and listened for any noise from Zeke’s quarters. Hearing none, she poured a thermal mug full of coffee then set down a matching mug for him before heading out.

  She had Cayenne saddled when the barn door slid open and in rushed a rumpled Zeke. He was trying to put on his jacket while holding his travel mug between his teeth. “My alarm didn’t go off,” he said, sounding garbled.

  “I thought maybe you decided you didn’t want to ride fence.”

  He shook his head. “Haven’t I made clear I want to see all that goes on around here?”

  “I guess so. Here, I’ll take your cup while you saddle Ember.”

  Zeke passed her his mug. It didn’t take him long to have his horse ready to go. “What’s in your saddlebags? Granola bars, I hope,” he joked.

  “Didn’t you eat anything?”

  “Nope. So, no breakfast bars?”

  “I have wire ties, a staple gun with heavy staples and a hammer. We’ll be checking a wire fence stapled to wood posts. Most repairs are simple. Like a staple pulled loose or a broken strand of wire. It’s rarely a whole section down.”