Christmas on the Ranch--A Clean Romance

by Julianna Morris

  FROM UNDER THE brim of his hat, Gideon watched Alaina talk to Danger and rub his neck.

  She seemed to have a gift with animals, horses included.

  He yawned and plucked a long strand of grass, automatically assessing its condition. Forage grew fast and furiously after winter. The trick was cutting it for hay when it had the greatest nutritional value, while also taking the weather into account. With clear skies predicted, three days ago he’d assigned Jeremy, Chad and Nate to begin cutting the east fields with the ranch’s swathers. Soon they’d all be in a frantic push to mow, bale and store the Double Branch’s hay.

  Winter would return all too soon.

  It had been rash to insist on doing tours for Alaina at the start of such a busy period on the ranch. Still, someone had to keep an eye on the herds, and he would only be taking her out once a week. He didn’t need to plan any overnight outings until later.

  Suddenly restless, Gideon sat up. “Are you done?” he called to Alaina.

  “I’ll never be done taking pictures, but we can continue whenever you like.”

  She stood and collected the hat he’d given her. Though he saw few signs she was suffering any ill-effects of their long morning ride, he thought it might be wise to cut things short. Alaina was so stubborn she probably wouldn’t tell him if she was uncomfortable. Or even in acute pain.

  “Do you mind if we head back?” he asked once they were both mounted. “That way I’d have time to check on how the mowing is progressing. Maybe even do some work myself.”

  Alaina shook her head. “It’s fine. Oh, before I forget, I’m meeting with Nels on Monday. Is there a problem with giving him a copy of the photographs I took of the letters and journals?”

  “I’ve talked to everyone in the family. We all agree it’s okay. The rights to the content belong to us, my great-grandfather made sure of that.”

  “Colby Westcott must have been really sharp.”

  Gideon smiled. “He was remarkable, and not just as a rancher. He was also a real-estate whiz, investing across Montana and surrounding states. Some ranches have to get by with ancient mowers, balers and other equipment, but not Grandpa Colby. He was old-school when it came to raising cattle, but he got the best haying equipment that money could buy and built barns to store it.”

  “That must have left you in a better position when you inherited the ranch.”

  “I was fortunate.”

  Gideon didn’t want to discuss his inheritance or how the rest of the family had shared in Colby’s estate. Few people had known the true extent of his great-grandfather’s financial worth. But it was only on paper that Gideon looked wealthy; it would only be true if he sold the Double Branch, something he’d never do. He had to watch his expenditures and losses the same as any other rancher. And with only one real payday each year when he sold cattle in October, he needed as much financial cushion as possible, which was why Alaina’s offer to rent the foreman’s cabin had sounded so attractive.

  “You obviously work long hours,” Alaina said after a few minutes, “but days like this must be one of the rewards. I mean...it’s so beautiful and peaceful out here in the sun, I feel like a sleepy, contented cat.”

  “It is a good day,” he agreed, tempted to tease and ask if she wanted her neck scratched the way his barn cats enjoyed. “So I’ll try not to say anything that ruffles your fur.”

  She grinned. “Wow. In the beginning I didn’t think you had a sense of humor, yet you keep surprising me.”

  “That isn’t my fault. Whenever Danger steals my funny bone it takes forever to find where it’s buried.”

  Danger yipped at hearing his name and Alaina laughed. “Oh, right, blame everything on the dog.”

  Gideon couldn’t recall the last time he’d had this kind of fun, almost flirtatious exchange with a woman. It was his own fault—he was usually worried they’d get the wrong idea. Except that wasn’t an issue with Alaina. If anything, he should be concerned about developing feelings for a woman who was devoted to the memory of her husband.

  “I take it a sense of humor is important to you,” he said.

  “Only the way breathing is important,” Alaina returned without missing a beat. “Laughter is seductive.”

  “A lot of things are seductive. But I admit to being out of practice in that particular area.”

  “Me, too. Maybe it’s like riding a bike and you never forget how.” She stopped and wrinkled her nose at him. “Do you have the feeling this conversation has gone out of control?”

  “Yeah, but I’m blaming the sunshine. And Danger.”

  Danger yipped again.

  Alaina leaned over and patted Nikko’s neck. “It’s a good thing neither one of us is driving and that the horses know the route home.” She straightened. “So to blatantly change the subject, tell me why you’re a rancher. Is it more than family tradition?”

  Gideon shrugged. “I don’t know what to say except that I’ve never wanted to be anything else. My stepdad was a sheriff and I respected him, but ranching is in my blood, however trite that sounds.”

  “It isn’t trite. I feel the same way about photography, and apparently archeology is in Libby’s blood.”

  “Yeah. Dad used to take us out to look for artifacts and even as a kid, Libby amazed us with her patience.”

  The discussion stayed impersonal and since he was taking a direct route back, it wasn’t too long before they reached the ranch. Alaina handed him the cowboy hat he’d given her, a challenging expression in her blue-green eyes.

  “Keep it for the next time,” he suggested. “Or for when you’re out taking pictures.”

  “Libby has been trying to talk Helene into riding with her, so one of them may need it. Remember, you promised not to ruffle my fur,” Alaina reminded him lightly.

  Gideon let out a breath, both exasperated and amused. Did everything have to be a debate?

  “Fine. No fur ruffling.” He took the hat and tossed it into the tack room. When he came back outside, Deke had driven in and was getting out of his personal truck, wearing civilian clothes.

  Deke’s schedule changed regularly and he was on the midnight shift this week, giving him afternoons free. He worked hard and everyone knew it. He’d probably be elected sheriff when his father retired, continuing a long Bannister County tradition of having Hewitts in the office.

  “Hey, Deke,” Gideon called to his friend, “I’m going to check on the mowing. Do you want to ride along with me? We’ve been out riding, so Nikko is already saddled.”

  Curiously, his friend glanced at Alaina, who was still standing by the paddock fence with Nikko. Gideon belatedly realized he’d been headed in her direction instead of toward the ranch house.

  “Sure,” Deke said. “Let’s go.”

  * * *

  ALAINA WAS RELIEVED as she watched the two men ride away. She was even more sore now than she’d been at lunch and hadn’t looked forward to Gideon being amused by her stiff gait. Nonetheless, she’d been prepared to groom Nikko the way any good horsewoman would do.

  Now she didn’t have to.

  “Where’s Deke?” Libby asked as she walked across the compound.

  “Gideon invited him to ride with him to check on the mowing.”

  Libby scrunched her nose. “My big brother did that deliberately. He keeps hinting Deke is too old for me.”

  “What do you think?” Alaina asked carefully.

  “It didn’t even occur to me until Gideon started fussing,” Libby said. “Mostly I was flattered Deke was interested. But I enjoy his company and he isn’t that much older.”

  “Maybe your brother is concerned because you haven’t finished college,” Alaina suggested, trying to keep a neutral expression on her face. While she’d be a hypocrite to believe the age difference was an insurmountable issue, a lot depended on the people involved.

 
“Maybe, but it’s my life.” Libby’s face brightened. “I’m going to saddle one of the horses and follow them. Want to come with me?”

  Alaina restrained a groan. She wasn’t sure when she’d be prepared to get on a horse again. If ever.

  “Sorry, I need to work.”

  Alaina got a carrot for Grizzly and put it on the usual fence post, then headed for the cabin and took a warm shower to soothe her tired muscles. With all the hiking she’d been doing, who would have thought that riding a horse would have so much impact?

  She debated going out on foot with her camera, then decided to take her computer over to the rocking chair by the paddock.

  Now would be a good time to give Griz some company.

  * * *

  IF ALAINA HAD thought she was stiff and sore immediately after her ride with Gideon, it was nothing to how she felt the next morning.

  Her thighs, her hips, her back...muscles she hadn’t even known existed were protesting.

  “Ohmigosh,” she groaned, easing her legs over the edge of the mattress. This could have been Gideon’s grand plan all along, to ensure she wouldn’t wander off on any hikes on her own. It took her over twenty minutes to get dressed. Then, thinking it was unwise to walk downstairs on such wobbly legs, she sat at the top of the stairs and went down each step on her bottom.

  Alaina felt triumphant when she reached the main floor. This wasn’t any different from the first time she’d gone on a marathon bike ride. Of course, she’d been fourteen then, not twenty-nine. So perhaps she needed to go light on activity, exercising parts of her body that weren’t hurting.

  Surely log splitting used different muscles than riding a horse. After breakfast she went out to assess the remaining logs from the first load. Robert Pritchett had warned her to be careful with any chunks that had knots because they were harder to split. He was right. They were the only pieces she had left.

  Alaina lifted the ax.

  It hurt.

  She tried whacking a piece of wood.

  It hurt even more.

  She dropped the ax and sat on the chopping block, watching as Gideon, Jeremy and Nate conferred near one of the ranch trucks. Gideon looked over at her and she waved cheerily. It looked as if he frowned, then they all got into the truck and drove out, presumably headed for the fields being mowed.

  Alaina was glad he hadn’t come over to ask how she was doing, or she might have used language that would scald his ears. No doubt he knew how she felt and thought the whole thing was extremely funny.

  Or was she being fair?

  Their ride the day before had shaken her view of Gideon. Beneath his solemn exterior she’d glimpsed a thoroughly enjoyable trace of whimsy.

  After a slow walk to the other side of the valley and back, Alaina carried her computer to the paddock and sank into the weathered rocking chair. She suspected Grizzly would respond more readily if she pretended not to be interested, so she opened the laptop and began reviewing her photos from the museum. A while later soft hoof clops approached and from the corner of her eye, she saw Grizzly standing on the other side of the fence.

  She held a carrot in the air without looking at him. After a moment there was a gentle tug as he accepted a treat from her hand for the first time.

  Despite her aches and pains, Alaina smiled.

  Success.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “I WASN’T SURE what sort of images you wanted for the museum brochure, so I took a variety,” Alaina explained to Nels as he looked through the photos she’d taken.

  “These are amazing, better than I even imagined they could be. Our old brochure is embarrassing.”

  “I don’t agree,” she protested, examining the tri-folded copy he’d given her. It had been designed for low-cost reproduction on a photocopier, but that didn’t mean it was embarrassing. “The information is interesting and the artwork is attractive,” she added.

  Nels beamed. “Deke’s mother—my sister-in-law—did the art. She’s a sculptor now. It’s amazing what she creates by welding metal scraps together. The grizzly bear next to the Welcome to Bannister sign is her work.”

  The interconnected family relations in Bannister reminded Alaina of her hometown. Apparently the Hewitt family had been protecting Bannister County with a sheriff’s badge since the early days. Nels was the rare exception, having gone into commerce rather than law enforcement.

  “Tell her I love the sculpture,” Alaina said.

  Nels nodded. “About the brochure, as I told Helene, we’ll give you photo credit. I just wish we could pay something.”

  “It’s a fair exchange for being able to work with the letters and journals. Your museum is impressive. The, uh, natural history section is especially well-supplied.” Alaina almost choked getting the words out, but it was true; it was unusual to see such a fine collection in a small museum.

  “Gideon Carmichael is responsible. After Colby died, Gideon donated the Westcott family’s hunting displays and animal skins. He didn’t want to be thanked—says he won’t keep that kind of thing in the house—but we still acknowledged his donation on the displays.”

  Score one for Gideon.

  Alaina shut down the computer and gave Nels a portable hard drive with the files.

  “Thanks,” he said. “We hope to have the brochures distributed by Founders Day.”

  “Good luck.”

  Alaina shook his hand and headed for her SUV. She felt better after a few days of rest and gentle exercise. Surely it wouldn’t be as bad the next time she went riding with Gideon, and eventually she wouldn’t even notice a difference. It was just a question of building muscles that weren’t accustomed to being used that way.

  “Alaina,” called a voice.

  She looked up and saw Deke waving as he crossed the street. He was in uniform, so presumably he was on duty. “Hi, Deke.”

  “I was hoping we could talk before you returned to the ranch.”

  “Oh?”

  He looked uneasy and Alaina hoped he wasn’t going to ask her out. Not that he seemed like one of those guys who thought he could simultaneously date women who knew each other and get away with it, but you never knew.

  “You may have heard that I had dinner with Libby on Friday. I tried to discuss the business about Dr. Barstow with her, but she cut me off again.”

  “Again?”

  Deke shifted his feet. “I brought it up another time when I asked about that former boyfriend who was harassing her.”

  “I’m not sure how much of a problem the ex-boyfriend still is, but why did Libby cut you off on Friday?”

  “I have no idea, but Dr. Barstow shouldn’t be allowed to get away with discrimination. We have female deputies in this county. They’re great at the job, yet they still face resistance because they’re women. It’s wrong.”

  Alaina was charmed. Libby had told her that Deke expected to run for office when his father retired. When the time came, he’d probably make a good candidate for sheriff.

  “Anyhow,” Deke continued, “I hate seeing Libby lose out on something important, so I ordered a background check on Dr. Barstow. While I didn’t find anything specific, something seems dodgy about the guy.”

  “And?” Alaina prompted.

  “A while back I heard you suggest Libby file a lawsuit against him. You also mentioned that your sister-in-law is an attorney. Is there any chance you could speak to her and get an opinion on Libby’s legal options? She’s going through so much with her father’s death and everything else, I just want to help. I’d be happy to pay for a consultation.”

  “Taking legal action is up to Libby,” Alaina said gently. “I know you mean well, but you don’t want her to think you’re going behind her back.”

  He looked dismayed. “That isn’t what I intended.”

  “Tell you what, I’ll bring it up again with her an
d see how she feels.”

  “Thanks.” The radio on Deke’s belt suddenly spewed a series of beeps and code words, catching his attention. “Sorry, I’ve got to go.” He waved his hand and returned to his vehicle. A moment later he zoomed up the street, lights flashing.

  Alaina drove back to the Double Branch, thinking about Deke’s request. She understood how he felt. Libby’s reluctance to do anything about Dr. Barstow confused her, as well. Yet she must have her reasons.

  Cut grass was drying in long windrows on both sides of the road leading to the ranch house. When leaving for town, Alaina had waved at whoever was driving the swather around the field, equipment that she’d learned both cut the hay and laid it in a row to catch the wind and dry. They’d now finished this section and moved farther away.

  At the cabin she got out of her SUV and stretched. It was a gorgeous day and she decided to stock her backpack for another overnight camping trip. But before she could go inside, the door of the main house flew open and Libby dashed toward her.

  “Do you want to take a ride?” she asked eagerly.

  Alaina suspected Libby was bored. “Uh, I don’t know if that’s a good—”

  “Just a short one,” Libby said. “It’ll help you be in better shape for the next time you go out with Gideon.”

  Alaina agreed and changed into her borrowed riding boots. In the barn she saddled Nikko, though when she swung her leg over his back, she hesitated a moment. Steeling herself, she settled into the saddle. While a slight ache crept through her thighs, it wasn’t too bad.

  Libby was already outside. “This is Firefly,” she said, leaning over to pat her horse’s neck. “Gideon mated her with Brushfire this spring. He doesn’t do as much horse breeding as he’d like, though he has several pregnant mares right now.”

  From what Alaina had seen, she was amazed Gideon ever got any sleep, much less have time for side pursuits. On the other hand, could horse breeding be considered a side pursuit when the animals were so necessary to running the ranch?

  They rode toward the pastures being mowed and after a while she cleared her throat. “Libby, I ran into Deke earlier. He knows the decision is up to you, but he’s concerned that you don’t want to take any action against Dr. Barstow. He feels strongly about it because he sees the challenges female deputies still encounter around Bannister.”