Christmas on the Ranch--A Clean Romance

by Julianna Morris

  Libby sighed. “It’s sweet that he cares, but I don’t want anyone interfering.”

  “Don’t you think action is justified?”

  “Of course I do, but what if a lawsuit backfires? Dr. Barstow is respected and successful. If I sue him for discrimination and lose, he could blacklist me as a troublemaker with his colleagues and in academic circles. He could even do it if I win, and winning the battle doesn’t count for much if you end up losing the war.”

  Alaina nodded. It was a valid point. Academic and professional politics were inescapable. Even on field studies through the university, which should have been pure research, Alaina had seen rivalries and disputes. Mason had done what he could to keep it under control on his team, but people were people.

  A mile south of the ranch road, they found Gideon and one of the ranch hands had started baling hay. A third of the vast field was already studded with large round bales.

  “They just started cutting a few days ago and the hay is already dry enough to be baled?” Alaina asked.

  “The swather also crimps and crushes the grass,” Libby explained. “It’s called conditioning, which helps the hay dry quickly, provided the weather cooperates. Did you know I offered to run one of the swathers and my dear brother refused?”

  Uh-oh.

  Now Alaina knew why Libby had wanted to go out to watch the haying operations. She was already feeding the orphan calves and cleaning their pens, along with shoveling out the horse stalls in the main horse barn, but she wanted to do more. Alaina understood. Even though she was a paying tenant, she felt a tug to get involved with all the tasks that needed doing at the Double Branch, despite having her own work to do.

  “I used to run the swather at my grandparents’ ranch before I left for college,” Libby grumbled.

  Alaina didn’t know anything about ranch equipment or how safe it was to operate, so it wasn’t a subject she could discuss. The most likely reason for Gideon’s refusal was his protective instincts, but the terrain might be hillier and rockier on the Double Branch, making it harder to operate heavy machinery.

  She rolled her eyes, annoyed with herself. Did she really need to come up with possible justifications for his behavior? It would be easier to keep her guard up if she didn’t see his side of things.

  “I also know how to run the balers,” Libby continued. “Gideon has more equipment than he and his men can operate at one time. But will he let me help? No. On a ranch, everyone has to join in. That’s standard. Why can’t he get it? Sure, I’m doing some things around here, but I could be doing more.”

  On a ranch, everyone has to join in.

  Alaina tucked that bit of information away for future reference. She wasn’t sure how it might be helpful, but you never knew, particularly when dealing with a guy like Gideon.

  * * *

  WHEN GIDEON SAW his sister and Alaina appear on the edge of the field, he stopped the baler and got out of the cab. Ever since losing his stepfather, a concern kept lurking about the rest of the family. It was to be expected; he’d gotten the worst call of his life when Flynn had phoned about Stewart. So while it was unlikely that Libby would ride out with Alaina to give him bad news, Gideon felt an instinctive thump of worry at seeing them.

  “I’ll take over, boss,” Nate said, hustling up to him from where he’d been working on the irrigation ditch. After the hay bales were moved, they expected to start watering again. A second mowing was possible if the weather cooperated.

  “Thanks, I’m just going to touch base with Libby.”

  “Gotcha.” Nate swung into the driver’s seat and continued down the windrow of dry grass. Nobody wasted time during haying season; you never knew when the weather might change or something else could happen.

  Gideon wiped the dirt and sweat from his face as he strode toward the horses, automatically evaluating Alaina’s posture on Nikko. He was glad she seemed less stiff and sore.

  He’d experienced the same deep muscle pain after being sidelined by a broken collarbone. After finally getting back on a horse, his body had felt as if the entire football team and their opponents had tackled him together. The original injuries had given him discomfort, but nothing like the rest. Yet Alaina kept pretending she wasn’t going through the same adjustment.

  Under other circumstances, he might have suggested a massage with liniment, but it was the sort of thing that could get him into deep, deep trouble.

  “Libby, what’s up?” he asked when he was within earshot.

  “If something was up, I would have called.”

  “I can’t hear my cell ring while running the baler,” he said, annoyed. “Even inside the cab. You know that.”

  His sister gave him an innocent look. “How would I know? You think li’l ole me is incapable of running a baler, so I must be ignorant of how much noise and vibration they make.”

  “I didn’t say you were incapable.”

  “You didn’t have to.”

  Gideon couldn’t stop himself from glancing at Alaina, but whatever she thought about the situation was well hidden.

  “I want you to have this summer to enjoy yourself,” he said finally. “Is that a crime?”

  “Running big powerful equipment is fun. And besides, you need help. If I pitch in with mowing or baling, you’ll get the haying done that much faster. Hopefully before we get any rain.”

  It was a valid point and Libby was qualified to operate both the swather and baler. Grandpa Joe wouldn’t have allowed her to run either at the Carmichael ranch in Shelton without proper training.

  Gideon nodded.

  “All right, you can help. But if you hit something, do not start the equipment back up again until one of us has thoroughly checked it. I’m talking about me or one of the ranch hands inspecting it. We know this equipment inside and out and you don’t.”

  Libby made a face. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “My ranch, my rules. I also want to watch you run the baler for a while, to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.”

  Libby promptly dismounted and handed him Firefly’s reins. “Fine. I’ll let Nate know I’m taking over.”

  “I didn’t mean today,” Gideon exclaimed, but she was already dashing across the field, waving her arms at Nate.

  Alaina dismounted, too. “This could take a while.”

  “You don’t have to wait for her. It’s okay if you ride Nikko home.” Gideon noted the camera hanging from around her neck. “Unless you’re planning to take pictures.”

  “I’m considering a pictorial series called The Last Stand of Overly Protective Brothers.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not overly protective. I’m just the right amount of protective. Besides, after what happened to Libby’s internship and with her boyfriend, I simply wanted her to have a relaxing break from school. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing, but she expected to be working on an archeological dig and needs something to do. Or are you trying to give her more time to get acquainted with Deke Hewitt?”

  Gideon glared. “That’s none of your business.”

  “It isn’t yours, either. Libby is an adult, in case you haven’t noticed,” Alaina retorted. “But there’s something that confuses me. You’re surrounded by examples of wonderful marriages in your family, yet you’re opposed to it for yourself.”

  “You don’t want to get married again, either.”

  “But not because I don’t believe in marriage. I just can’t imagine finding anyone else I’d love as much as Mason.”

  “You sound pretty sure of that.”

  Alaina’s face softened. “He was a pretty special guy. I couldn’t marry somebody without being completely and utterly in love with them. As for Libby, she’s the only one who can decide if Deke is right for her.”

  “I’m also concerned about Deke,” Gideon asserted. “Libby h
as plans for her life that don’t include living in Bannister. He could get hurt, too. Maybe worse than my sister.”

  “That may be true. Love isn’t easy.”

  Gideon had long held the opinion that love was impossible, at least for him. It wasn’t just Celeste; his romantic track record stunk. There were nice women in his hometown, but he hadn’t been interested in them, or them in him, which was how he’d ended up with Celeste.

  Now he was being tempted by a woman whose heart was buried with her husband. Not a good idea—so he couldn’t let it go beyond recognizing her appeal. It was best for a man to understand his weak points and move on. Since his judgment stunk when it came to the opposite sex, he was going to stick with something he understood, cattle ranching.

  As long as he kept telling himself that, he’d be all right.

  Alaina was looking around and he realized she was trying to find a place to tether Nikko.

  “I’ll tie him to the truck,” Gideon said, taking the reins and securing both horses. To save time, he and his men were driving to the fields. In the spare minutes between swathing and baling, they’d move the bales closer to where he wintered his herds.

  His sister climbed into the cab of the baler and he watched it move forward again. She drove in a straight line, picking up the dry grass. At the end of the field, she correctly judged her turn and neatly started on the next windrow. Soon a bale was discharged out the back.

  “I’ve been thinking about something,” Alaina murmured.

  Gideon nodded, his attention still focused on the baler’s progress. “Yeah?”

  “We should delay our next tour until the end of the Double Branch’s haying season.”

  He looked at her sharply. “The contract addendum you insisted we sign—”

  “Doesn’t specify a time frame,” Alaina interrupted. “You urged me to learn more about ranching, and one of the things I’ve learned is that you have a tight window to cut and bale your hay. It isn’t reasonable to take time away when you’re so busy.”

  It was almost as if she’d read his thoughts when they’d stopped for lunch the other day.

  “I’ll hire someone to cover for me when I’m gone,” Gideon said, determined to do the tours as planned. “Nate can oversee everything when I’m not here.”

  “Then you won’t come out ahead,” Alaina objected.

  “I didn’t want to be paid in the first place,” he reminded her. “But since you insisted I cash your check, it’s my choice what to do with the money.”

  She crossed her arms over her stomach and glared. “Your ranch, your rules? You’re still trying to keep me from hiking alone.”

  “I already know that’s impossible,” Gideon said wryly. “But showing you around remains a good idea. Once you’ve seen enough and decide on the right locations, we can begin delivering the supply caches you talked about.”

  “Fine. Whatever. I made the offer, so it’s on your head.”

  Gideon restrained a smile at the frustration on Alaina’s face. The smallest concession from her was a major victory.

  * * *

  LIBBY WONDERED WHAT her brother and Alaina were talking about so intently. At least Gideon wasn’t still watching her drive the baler the way a hawk would watch a rabbit.

  She wanted to be an archeologist, but that didn’t mean she disliked ranching and the work that went with it. Haying was satisfying, and modern haying was a whole lot easier than when her ancestors had used horse-drawn sickles and rakes.

  Maybe Deke and Alaina were right and she should file a lawsuit against Dr. Barstow. But he was famous and had more resources to fight a case than she had to win one.

  Libby shook her head to clear it and turned the baler down another windrow.

  Deke had suggested they have dinner again. She’d put him off, but maybe she should call him this evening and see when and where he’d like to meet. She was ashamed of quibbling about it. He was far more interesting than the guys she’d met in Bozeman, but it had shaken her when she learned that he’d gotten shot at a routine traffic stop and was still recovering.

  Libby shivered, though it was warm in the baler’s cab.

  Losing her father had been the most awful thing she could imagine happening. It would be even worse to fall in love and expect to live your entire life with that person, only to have it tragically cut short.

  Would her father want his daughter involved with someone in law enforcement like himself? Dad had often said that it took the right kind of person to deal with the risks one’s spouse faced in the line of duty. Then he’d smile at Mom and everything felt right.

  Now he was gone, the world was upside down and Libby wasn’t quite sure if it would ever be right again.

  CHAPTER TEN

  AS THEY RODE out on Thursday, Alaina was thrilled when Gideon turned to go up the valley rather than heading for the lower level of the ranch again.

  “Have you ever traced the elk migration route out of Yellowstone? I mean for the herd that winters on the Double Branch,” she said, trying to sound casual rather than elated.

  “Several times. As I told you, I know these mountains inside and out.”

  Alaina nodded.

  They soon rode beyond the area she’d already explored on foot and she kept an eager watch on the ground and terrain around them.

  “What are you going to do once your year on the Double Branch is up?” Gideon asked, breaking into her concentration.

  “Eventually I’ll probably buy a house in Montana or Wyoming. My husband and I kept a small apartment near the university where he was tenured as a researcher, but we were rarely there. To be honest, it never felt like home. More like a storage area for equipment.”

  “Was that your choice or his?”

  “I married him knowing how we’d live, so it’s fair to say we both chose it,” she said evenly.

  Alaina had gotten used to going from one field study to another with Mason, spending short intervals at the college for compilation of data. But being used to something wasn’t necessarily the same as liking it. In the past she’d always pushed the thought away, thinking it seemed disloyal.

  But it wasn’t disloyal. It was simply a fact. Mason had known how she felt and they’d talked about a time when they wouldn’t do as much field research.

  “I enjoy having the cabin to come back to between my hikes,” she added. “And someday I want to have a garden, even if I have to pay someone to tend it when I’m gone.”

  “You’re welcome to plant a garden on the Double Branch.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Alaina would enjoy taking Gideon up on the offer, but each week that passed was a reminder that she had less than a year left on the ranch. It was well into summer now, and fall would arrive all too quickly.

  Silence fell until Gideon cleared his throat. “What other wildlife do you want to photograph? I don’t mean just on the ranch, but what else are you hoping to see and do?”

  She glanced at him and thought she saw genuine interest in his face. “The American West is my first love, but it would be wonderful to photograph Amur leopards and giant pandas in China, or the big cats and other wildlife in Africa. Then there’s the possibility of underwater photography. And how about Antarctica and getting pictures of emperor penguins? That would be incredible.”

  * * *

  GIDEON’S HANDS TIGHTENED on Brushfire’s reins as Alaina’s ideas continued to bubble out like champagne from a bottle suddenly uncorked. Clearly she’d sacrificed many of her dreams to take part in her husband’s career, but now she was letting those dreams take flight.

  “It sounds as if you have more ideas than time,” he said finally, oddly dispirited. He’d rarely left Montana, but she wanted to explore the entire planet with her camera.

  Yet he wasn’t in love with Alaina, so her plans for the future shouldn’t affect him. In fact he s
hould be ashamed of trying to put roadblocks in her path, despite doing it out of a concern for her safety. She was amazing.

  “True. And it may be wiser to become known for photographing animals in a specific ecosystem. I haven’t decided that part yet.”

  “But wolves and bears are your first love.”

  Alaina nodded. “And in case you’re wondering, I’ve loved them since I was a kid, along with the other animals in this area. Buffalo fascinate me almost as much as wolves. They’re like ancient petroglyphs come to life.”

  “Bison are amazing creatures,” Gideon agreed.

  “So, what are your goals for the future?” Alaina asked lightly.

  “Nothing too dramatic. I want to take care of the Double Branch and my family.”

  He gazed at the land rising beyond them, knowing he hadn’t really answered her question. Alaina had enough goals and dreams for ten lifetimes, while he had a basic no-detour game plan.

  “I’ve considered going organic, the way a cousin has done back in Shelton,” he added, albeit lamely.

  “Organic is good. And you shouldn’t have trouble getting certified if the ranch hasn’t used pesticides since the 1960s.”

  “The drawback is that certification is a long, complicated process.”

  “It could still be worth doing.” Alaina gave him a searching look. “Would Colby Westcott have viewed organic ranching as newfangled nonsense or as a profitable investment?”

  “My great-grandmother would have approved, which is all that would have mattered to him.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  “I’m not sure anyone ever called Grandpa Colby sweet, but I guess it is.”

  * * *

  ALAINA LOOKED AWAY from Gideon’s intense expression, reminding herself that she was supposed to be checking for signs of wolves or other animals.