Home on the Ranch: Colorado Cowboy

by Patricia Potter

  Susan was not a temporary person. She was a salt of the earth type of person. She was a giver. It was a mystery why she wasn’t married now with two or three or four kids.

  He sighed. Apparently keeping away from her wasn’t an option during the next ten days, including at dinner tonight. The image of her laughing with one of the vets yesterday wouldn’t leave his mind. What would it be like to have that kind of sunshine in his life?

  But then he would risk losing it.

  * * *

  Susan worked on the payroll. It was her least favorite thing to do. It was reality, trying to balance income with expenses and provide what she thought should be a decent wage.

  She badly wanted to give Mark, Judy and Janet raises. In lieu of that, she tried to compensate with flexible hours, overtime pay, free meals and whatever else she could do for them.

  She’d given Janet the morning off. She could handle the desk and telephone as well as paying bills and doing the payroll. Her mind, though, was in a different place. It was about two miles down the road.

  It had taken all her willpower not to join the morning run at sunrise, then ride with some of the vets. But there was no question that she’d neglected the inn and she needed time away from Ross Taylor. He’d become far too important to her in a very short time.

  The phone rang. Caller ID reported it was Josh.

  “Hi,” he said. “Surprised to find you there.”

  “You’re a tough taskmaster, boss,” she replied.

  “Ha!” Josh said. “Jubal said you’ve been invaluable these past few days at the ranch.”

  “You know how I love horses and your vets.”

  “I do. And yet you’re working this morning at the inn.”

  “Your inn,” she reminded him.

  “There is that. But I think it’s time you had some fun and relaxation.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “Grilled steaks at my house.”

  She loved his steaks. She didn’t know what he did to them. It was a state secret, he contended, but there were none better. “Anyone else?” she asked suspiciously.

  “Travis and Jenny.”

  “And...”

  “Ross,” Josh replied.

  “You are not fixing me up, are you, Josh? You know how I feel about that. I can manage my own life, thank you.”

  “No. Swear it. It’s just he doesn’t know anyone here.”

  “He knows a lot of people now,” Susan countered. “He’s the Pied Piper at the ranch. He’s got all the vets and most of the staff out running at 6:00 a.m.”

  “I heard about that,” he said with amusement. “But he hasn’t seen Travis in a long time, I suspect. And you and Jenny are friends. That’s it.”

  “You swear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do I get a bonus for coming?”

  “On top of the steaks?”

  “Yes.”

  He sighed over the phone. “What about that painting you want for the inn library.”

  “Done,” she said quickly. She’d been begging for a certain Western painting for months. It would complement the many Western novels and historical literature available there.

  “You are very devious, Ms. Hall. Can you give Ross a ride over here? That bike might not startle Jubal’s horses, but I don’t think Beauty and the Beast will be as understanding.”

  “Nothing bothers those horses much,” she shot back, “and what if Ross plans to stay late at the ranch today?”

  “Jubal will take care of that.”

  “I smell a scheme here,” she said, “but you’re the boss. I’ll pick him up at the inn at ten to seven. If he’s here.”

  “Thanks,” Josh said. “I’ve been wanting Ross and Travis to meet up sooner, but Travis is in the middle of football season. He wants to catch up with Ross.”

  “You’re going to have an entire army company here by the time you get through.”

  “Makes you feel safe, doesn’t it?” Josh said.

  “I felt safe before. Not so much since you called.”

  “See you in a few hours, Susan.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Susan hung up. She wondered if Ross was going to cooperate. Probably. Josh usually got his way. She smiled. The former Ranger staff sergeant was determined to grow Covenant Falls and make it a haven for veterans. He certainly wasn’t above a little bribery, like a painting for the inn library.

  But it certainly put a crimp in her plan to avoid Ross Taylor.

  Chapter 12

  Susan discarded several blouses and shirts before choosing her least favorite. It did nothing for her.

  Good.

  She liked Ross Taylor far more than she should.

  Hadn’t she learned her lesson about quick infatuation? She’d been twenty-one when she met Richard, one of the management staff of the hotel where she’d been hired as a junior executive, a very junior executive. It was her first job after receiving her degree in hotel management...She’d promised herself after a nightmare marriage that she would never be vulnerable again and now she was falling heads over heels for a wanderer.

  She knew Josh’s intent tonight. He’d never been subtle. Once he married, he thought everyone else should also enjoy marital bliss. Especially if it was someone he wanted to keep in Covenant Falls. The supper tonight was undoubtedly part of a plan to keep Ross here. She wasn’t particularly happy about being the bait to do it.

  But she also always enjoyed an evening at his house. She’d been friends with his wife, Eve, since they were in preschool together. She was crazy about Nick, and Josh’s dog, Amos, as well as the motley group of misfit pets Nick had collected, including Dizzy, a crazy cat who loved spinning around in circles. And last but not least, she loved Josh’s steaks. She wondered, though, if Ross was aware of his friend’s manipulative impulses.

  The other lure was Hobo. She’d enjoyed being around the little dog and watching Ross’s conflict over him. He wasn’t winning that battle, and she liked him the more for it. Like Josh and Jubal, Ross was a protector, whether they all realized it or not. It was in his instant rapport with the participants in the program, in his wide smile when they’d all made it back from the first run and when he joined Dennis in doing push-ups.

  She was a sucker for protectors.

  Darn. She exchanged her least favorite shirt for her most favorite, a royal blue that went with her eyes. But she also chose an old pair of jeans. A compromise between her cautious side and her old adventuresome spirit.

  She smiled at herself in the mirror. Maybe it was time.

  * * *

  Josh’s obvious matchmaking wasn’t going to work, Ross thought as he got ready for the evening Josh had arranged.

  If there were ever two people who should never be together, it was Susan and him. There were just too many damned cupids in the town. Nonetheless, he wished he had some fine-smelling aftershave.

  He selected the blue denim shirt he’d bought at the General Store and his one remaining pair of clean jeans. They were the really worn ones. Then he glanced at the khakis he’d purchased at the General Store. He hadn’t known why he’d bothered.

  He shook his head. This was the dumbest internal argument he’d ever had with himself. Admit it. You want to look half-civilized. He resisted temptation. Instead of changing clothes, he combed his unruly hair into submission.

  Once ready, he took Hobo for a walk. Hobo immediately did his business and looked up to him for approval. The dog had already recognized him as an easy mark. Josh had obviously taken note of it.

  He looked at his watch. It was almost time to meet Susan. He was glad Hobo had been included in the invitation. A shield. Unless of course, Hobo was part of a conspiracy, which at the moment seemed altogether plausible.

  Susan was at the desk talking to Mark. She looked up and her sm
ile blew straight through the shadows of doubt.

  She wore all blue. Nothing dressy but a well-cut royal blue shirt and jeans. Her hair was in a long braid as usual but when she smiled, there was a twinkle in her eyes as if they shared a secret. Hobo made his little throaty noises in greeting. Traitor.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “Do you feel trapped?” she said in the forthright tone that always intrigued him.

  “No,” he heard himself say. And oddly enough, he no longer did. There would certainly be enough distractions at Josh’s house to keep them apart. “You look great.”

  “Thank you. You’re not bad yourself,” she said with a grin. “Which will suit Josh. You know he’s trying to match-make.”

  “I sorta got that idea.”

  “Should we go along or put him straight?” she asked.

  He wondered what “put him straight” meant exactly. Was there anything to put straight? They’d just met and yet he couldn’t deny the electricity that sparked between them when he least expected it. He couldn’t deny he wanted to spend more time with her, or that he wanted to kiss her again in the worst way.

  “I’ll try to let him down easily,” he said.

  “Good luck.”

  When they arrived at Josh’s house, Nick immediately cornered Ross and Hobo as the boy’s tribe of dogs introduced themselves in different ways. One a lick, one a bark, one a nudge. One tried to jump into Ross’s lap until Hobo growled and the offender slunk off.

  Hobo was getting his mojo back.

  Despite Susan’s warning, she was whisked off to the kitchen by Eve, leaving Ross in Josh’s clutches.

  “Ever think about settling down?” Josh asked.

  “Nope,” Ross said easily. “Never have.”

  “Neither had I until I came here,” he said. “Shocked the hell out of me.”

  “I have to admit I never thought you, of all people, would settle down,” Ross agreed.

  “There was one battle too many,” Josh said. “When David died and I was wounded, all I wanted to do was crawl up in a hole. It was finding his dog that kept me from doing it. Then I met Eve. She wouldn’t let me do it, either.”

  Ross nodded but didn’t say anything.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not going to try to convince you to stay, although you would have a place here if you did. The guys really like you. Luke, Jubal and me are the instructors, but from the day you stepped on Jubal’s ranch, you were one of ‘them.’ The vets. I don’t know how you do it, but you make hard work fun. We would like to keep you here.”

  “Jubal already showed me the cabin,” Ross said. “There’s not enough work here to keep me in beer,” Ross pointed out as Josh handed him one. “Besides, I chose being a traveling PT because I wanted to travel. I like the variety. And it pays well.”

  “I’m not going to press you. Just wanted you to know you have options.”

  The rest of the night went quickly. Travis arrived in a football uniform shirt and Jenny was, as described, a great storyteller.

  So was Eve. She kept the conversation going, mentioning that the origins of the Camel Trail Inn started here at the dinner table. “It’s been Susan’s baby since.” Then she changed the subject to Covenant Falls and its story.

  It was at dessert when Eve asked, “Have you been to the falls yet?”

  “No. I’ve been pretty busy at the ranch.”

  “I heard about that. You even have Jubal running again. Josh should join you.”

  “Great idea,” Ross said. “You’re getting a little...”

  Josh’s glower stopped him. “Don’t say it,” Josh warned.

  Ross grinned. “I think I’ve worn out my welcome fast.” He looked at his watch. “We should leave soon. I have observations to record while they’re still in my head. And I imagine Susan needs to feed the terror that is her cat.”

  “You really should see them,” Josh persisted.

  “I read the brochure. I understand you’ll be taking the guys there on horseback for the wilderness trip.”

  “Yeah. When Jubal and Luke think they’re ready.”

  “That’s quite a group that’s come together,” Ross said. “Rangers, Special Services and a SEAL.”

  “It makes for good poker games,” Josh said. “Every Monday night at the community center except during the weeks our participants are here.” He changed the subject. “You really do need to see the falls before you leave.”

  “I’ll make a point of it,” he said.

  “And now, I’d better get him home,” Susan said, “and me. These late nights are not helping my relationship with Vagabond.”

  “That is the world’s ugliest cat,” Travis said with a grin.

  “It’s all in the eyes of the beholder,” Susan protested. “I think she looks as if she has character.”

  “A bad one,” Josh tossed in.

  “You two just don’t appreciate individuality,” Susan replied with mock outrage. “And since you all see fit to slander my cat, we are leaving.”

  It was Ross’s signal to stand. They all said goodbye and he followed her out to her Jeep.

  “Tired?” Susan asked as she started the car.

  “Not really,” he said. He felt, instead, invigorated.

  “Want to drive up to the falls tonight?”

  “Can we see anything?”

  “The moon’s almost full and I have a lantern in the car. There could be some teenagers.”

  “We could pretend like we got lost,” he said.

  She laughed, and he loved the sound of it. Like bells.

  Damn, it was all he needed tonight. Falls and bells and a woman who made him laugh.

  But it was a fine night with a fresh breeze and a sky of a million stars. He didn’t want to go back to his room, as pleasant as it was, alone. Which was out of character. He usually didn’t mind being alone.

  They passed a place called the Rusty Nail Saloon. “That’s Josh’s favorite place, and they deliver to the inn if you get hungry. They have great hamburgers and fries. Very veteran friendly.”

  About fifteen minutes later, she turned at a big sign announcing The Falls of Covenant Falls. “We’re a fair distance from the town itself,” Ross noted.

  “We’re still in the city limits. It’s a long story but, to make it short, the founder of the town had a lot of political clout and was able to extend the city limits to include the falls. Go online and search Covenant Falls. Most of the history is there.”

  He was intrigued, especially after Eve’s storytelling earlier. The road twisted around until they reached a parking area. She took a lantern from the back, but the moon was bright enough to see a trail without it.

  Hobo was sound asleep, and Ross decided to leave the dog in the car. As they walked a path that looked as if it was going into a forest, he heard the roaring of the falls. She led him to a railing and he looked down. A river ran swiftly below. His hand caught hers and curled around her fingers. She looked up at him, the very blue eyes searching his face.

  “You look great in moonlight,” he said.

  “So do you, craggy face and all.”

  “Craggy?” He raised an eyebrow in question.

  “In a good, sexy way.”

  “I don’t know whether to be insulted or not.”

  “Not,” she said. “I like craggy.”

  Their eyes were locked on each other, their fingers tightening around the other’s. Knowing it was reckless and stupid, he used his free hand to touch her face and trace the curves. He lifted her chin until their eyes met. “You’re so darn...irresistible,” he said. “I’ve been trying to stay away and, dammit, it’s not working very well.”

  Especially tonight when I actually agreed to visit a waterfall at night. How reckless could he get? But the words accepting her invite had just popped out. He wanted to be
alone with her and not at the inn where someone might take notice. Word traveled too quickly in Covenant Falls.

  He’d lied to himself about keeping a distance from her. He hadn’t tried that hard. He ignored his instincts because he truly liked her, was attracted to her, but that was before he realized his feelings ran deeper than they should. Something inside lit like a Christmas tree whenever she came into sight.

  She wasn’t the kind of woman he could kiss, sleep with and leave without damaging both of them. She was the kind he’d avoided through basic training, his years in the army and the eight years since. She was the forever kind.

  She looked up into his face, his eyes. He didn’t know what she wanted or how she felt. Maybe she didn’t feel the same warmth when he was around as he did when she was near.

  Even if she did, she knew how he felt about permanence. He’d made it clear from the time they first met. She, on the other hand, was apparently sustained by permanence.

  She moved away but caught his hand. “You haven’t seen the waterfall yet.”

  “I can hear it,” he replied.

  She tugged his hand and they went around a heavily wooded bend, then he stopped. Water roared over a high, rocky cliff. It threw off water drops that caught the glow from the moon and glistened in the air.

  He’d rarely seen anything as magical. It wasn’t a word he’d used before but nothing else fit.

  “Why isn’t anyone else here?”

  “It’s a school night and most parents wouldn’t want their kids driving up that road at night.” She paused, then added, “In the daytime, a rainbow hovers over it. The park is usually packed on weekends.”

  “And Covenant Falls has it all to itself?”

  “Until recently. We’re trying to change that.”

  “Why?”

  “We need more residents and visitors. We have too many young people leaving because there’s not many opportunities here. It’s why I left.”

  “And yet you returned.”

  “Yes,” she said, “I did. But I should never have left. Maybe that’s why I want the town to grow. It’s a great place to live. I don’t want other young people to leave because they can’t find jobs.”