The Cowboy’s Mixed-Up Matchmaker

by Valerie Comer

  “You could. We have bottles and canine milk replacer at the clinic.” Lauren should have thought to put some in the Jeep, just in case, though there’d been nothing to indicate this wouldn’t be a routine newborn checkup. “Tuck Morrison is waiting on me to check out a lame horse, but I can run some out later, if you like.”

  Carmen shook her head. “I can’t afford to pay you for an extra trip. If the pup isn’t thriving by morning, I’ll stop by when I’m in town anyway.”

  “I won’t charge you.” Lauren knew how hard her friend worked, trying to get a dog breeding and training business going. Carmen had been struggling ever since her husband’s death a few years ago, trying to convince Eric’s great uncle, owner of the Rocking H, that she should inherit the ranch when the old man passed on. Eric had been Howard’s heir, after all, and their daughter had been born right on the property.

  “I’m not asking for charity.”

  Lauren elbowed her friend lightly. “I’m not offering it.”

  Carmen sighed. “Don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine, I’m sure. I’ll be solvent — or at least a lot closer — when all Gwynn’s puppies are paid for and picked up. They’re almost ready for their owners... and then there is this batch of Selah’s. I’d hoped for more than four pups.” Her gaze slid to the runt.

  So did Lauren’s. “She’ll probably be just fine.”

  “Yeah. I can’t help worrying some.” Carmen pulled to her feet. “I’ll keep a close eye on them all and let you know if anything changes. Right now, keeping Juliana out of here is one of my biggest concerns. You’d think she’d be more excited about playing with Gwynn’s pups since they can run with her now, but Selah is her favorite.”

  “They should be handled as little as possible for the first few weeks.”

  “I know, and I’ve told Juliana repeatedly. I really need to make this breeding business work, and I’ve got a couple of one-year-olds coming this fall for sheep-dog training. Now, if only I could convince Uncle Howard this is a legitimate sideline for the Rocking H.”

  “He’s old-school. Ranches mean horses and cows, not dog training, especially for sheep.”

  “They herd cows, too.” Carmen raised both hands. “I know, I know. I’ve probably killed any hope of making Howard reconsider. It’s just that I love this place and so does Juliana. I don’t want to raise her anywhere else, and without Eric’s inheritance, I certainly can’t afford my own acreage to run sheep and dogs.”

  Lauren had been dying of curiosity ever since the old man’s will had become public knowledge. “Why is he giving everything to the other great-nephew? I don’t even know if I’ve ever met Spencer.”

  “Ranching is macho man’s business, not for weak females.”

  They rolled their eyes at the same time then laughed.

  Carmen sobered first. “You and I both know the main thing about keeping a ranch in the black is good management. I can hire someone for the brute labor, but Howard doesn’t see it that way. To him, being a rancher is all about riding the range and doing everything himself. A loner.”

  “And that’s why the Rocking H has declined since he got too old to handle things.”

  “You’re not telling me anything I don’t know, but try to convince him. What a joke.”

  “Maybe you can make a deal with Spencer. Is he a reasonable kind of guy?”

  Carmen sucked in her lower lip. “I have no clue, but I doubt it. He’s worked in an accounting firm in Dallas forever. I’ve seen him twice in the past few years — at our wedding, and at Eric’s funeral.”

  “I don’t get why Howard thinks someone who never visits would be best for the ranch. Does Spencer even want it?”

  “Time will tell, I guess.” Carmen turned and watched the puppies. “Meanwhile, I have to do what I can to get in Howard’s good graces and convince him I have a solid plan.”

  “Or maybe you should forget the Rocking H and start looking for a husband.” Lauren was done pushing women at James. The guy had made his decision, and Bailey wasn’t the sort of person she’d wish on anyone. “There are several ranchers’ sons in the area. Oh, I know! How about Trevor Delgado? Standing Rock Ranch has plenty of room for you, Juliana, the sheep, and the dogs.”

  “Are you crazy?” Carmen’s eyebrows shot up. “Definitely not Trevor. And don’t even suggest Sawyer.”

  “I wasn’t going to.” The youngest Delgado brother was in competition, same as Carmen’s deceased husband, who’d died after being gored by a bull. Lauren could see why Carmen wouldn’t be interested in a rodeo cowboy again. “There’s Bryce Sutherland down south of town. He’s a pretty nice guy.”

  “Lauren?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I mean this in the nicest possible way, but stop it, okay? If I’m going to remarry, I’ll find the guy myself.”

  “I was just trying to help.”

  “Well, don’t.”

  Nobody seemed to appreciate the fact that Lauren knew all the ranchers in the area and probably two-thirds of the rest of Saddle Springs’ population. The veterinary clinic treated everyone’s pets and stock. Well, fine. It was no skin off her back if her friends didn’t appreciate a tip here and there.

  Just stop. James’s words. Kade had said the same last summer, and Trevor only raised his eyebrows at her suggestions for him. Garret was the only one who looked remotely thoughtful, but that didn’t mean he was taking her any more seriously than the other guys.

  She forced a smile even as her gut roiled. “I need to get down to Canyon Crossing. Let me know how things go with the puppy.”

  “I will.” Carmen fell into step beside her as they walked out to the Jeep. “Sorry if I came across as offensive. That wasn’t my intention.”

  “No problem. Sorry for interfering.” Lauren climbed into her vehicle. “Talk to you later.”

  * * *

  “Hey, can you watch Aiden?” Eli appeared at the round corral where James worked with Snowball. “Meg’s gone into labor, and I can’t find your mom anywhere.”

  James blinked to attention and gave a gentle tug on the lunge line. “Halt.”

  Snowball broke her stride, watching him closely, then came to a stop, tossing her head. He moved toward the mare, gathering the line in large loops before running his hands over her head and whispering sweet nothings in her flickering ear. Then he tugged her halter as he crossed the dusty corral to where his brother-in-law stood, bracing Aiden on the top rail.

  “She’s a beauty,” Eli said. “Rosebud doing okay?”

  James nodded, still stroking Snowball’s neck. “They’re both doing well, and this way Mama gets a bit of exercise and doesn’t forget all her training.” He tipped his hat back and eyed his brother-in-law. “Isn’t this early for Meg?”

  “Only a couple of weeks. Last time we were in, Doc said she wasn’t far off. Anyway, I hate to ask you when I can see you’re busy.”

  “But Tori’s on a trail ride with guests, and Mom’s in a meeting with Ollie about the Fourth of July menu.” James chucked his nephew’s chin. “This little dude can hang out with Uncle James anytime.”

  “Thanks.” Eli’s expression relaxed. “I owe you one.”

  James shook his head. “No, you don’t. Family is family. C’mere, Aiden. Want to see the foal?”

  Aiden flung himself off the corral rail with a squeal and nearly strangled James with two short, tight arms around his throat. “Bye, Daddy.”

  Eli chuckled. “All right, then. Got your phone on you? In case I need to get in touch?”

  James patted his snapped-down shirt pocket as he shifted Aiden to a more comfortable position. “Yep, right here. Tell Meg I’m praying for her, okay?”

  “Thanks, man.” Eli turned and strode toward the ranch ATV he’d driven over from their house.

  Things were sure different from Aiden’s birth. Meg was different. Grown up, in love, giving of herself to others instead of the selfish, willful person she’d been. She credited it all to God whopping her upside the he
ad when she found herself pregnant and alone. While it was hard to argue all her difficulties had been God’s will, the result had been a woman whose life had completely reversed direction.

  “Unca James!” Aiden bounced on his arm as the ATV roared away. “Pet horsey?”

  “Be gentle.” James turned so the child could hug Snowball’s large head. “You have to listen really good, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  James kept his nephew within arm’s reach and made an attempt to do some of his chores. A three-year-old sure kept a guy on his toes.

  “James?” His mom’s voice came from nearby. “Heard anything from Eli? And hello there, Nanna’s favorite little cowpoke.”

  Aiden squealed and scrambled off the corral fence where James had parked him. Mom scooped him up.

  James pushed his cowboy hat higher on his forehead. “He sent you a message earlier, right?”

  “Two. One asking if I could take Aiden then another saying you had him. Nothing since.”

  “Me, either.” James tugged out his phone and checked, but he had not missed the ding of an incoming message. “It’s been only an hour or two. I guess it takes longer for a human to give birth than a horse.”

  Mom laughed. “Yes. Yes, it does. Odds are she’s just getting started.” She squeezed Aiden and gave him a twirl. The little guy chortled.

  James’s heart pinched. Would he ever have a son like Aiden or a daughter like the infant his sister was struggling to birth right now? Would his mom ever blow raspberries on his children’s throats and hear them giggle in response?

  Could he really get over Lauren and then date and marry someone else? Only in theory. In practice, he’d been tuned to her for half his life, and moving on was not in his agenda.

  Maybe his sisters were right. Maybe he should simply walk up to Lauren and kiss her like he meant it... because he did. Maybe he’d muddled things on the trail ride. Never mind the maybe. Somehow, she’d felt like a pity project, something that had never occurred to him. He’d only been trying to explain the progression in his head.

  He loved her. She might be focused and opinionated, but so was he. It could all be channeled for good, couldn’t it? If she ever let him get within ten feet of her again.

  “You okay, Jamie?” Mom’s eyebrows furrowed as she watched him over Aiden’s shoulder. “Megan will be fine.”

  “It’s not Meg.”

  “Lauren?”

  James nodded. “I know I should just let it all rest in God’s hands, but it’s hard.”

  Mom slipped an arm around his waist, and Aiden flung himself at James. “Your dad and I are praying for you both.”

  Aiden burbled a kiss against James’s scruffy cheeks then giggled until it turned into a belly laugh. It was impossible to stay serious with the little clown in his arms. Aiden’s laughter was simply infectious. James rubbed his whiskers gently over his nephew’s soft cheek, and the little guy shrieked in delight.

  “Thanks, Mom. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your support.”

  “It will work out. God’s got it.”

  She sounded so serene. Was it just because it wasn’t her life in turmoil? No. She’d held on to God’s sovereignty as far back as James could remember, even through the horrible accident that nearly took Dad’s life and left him crippled. If Mom had ever had doubts, she’d poured them out to God, not in front of her children. Her words weren’t sweet, untested platitudes, but a result of deep, enduring faith.

  James needed to do the same. Pour out everything to the Lord and stop whining to his family and friends about how Lauren misunderstood his feeble proclamation. Grow some faith. Live by God’s will as revealed in Scripture. The list on the church Facebook group continued to grow, weeks later. He’d started taking one of the references every morning and meditating on it, asking God to help him put it into practice.

  Mom’s phone rang, and she pulled it out. “It’s Eli,” she told James as she tapped to accept. “Hello? ... Taking her to Missoula? ... Is everything okay? ... Yes, Aiden’s fine. He can stay with us, no problem ... Take care of our girls ... Love you, too. We’ll keep praying.” She took a deep breath and turned to James. “The baby’s in distress. They’re sending Meg to Missoula for a C-section.”

  Mustang County Hospital wasn’t equipped to handle anything out of the ordinary, but James still hadn’t expected his niece to be born outside of Saddle Springs. He wrapped one arm around his mom’s shoulders. “And so we pray.”

  Pray for God’s will to be done. Wasn’t that getting to be the story of his life?

  Chapter Nineteen

  Lauren curled up in her bed, Felix tucked against her, and stared at her Bible reading app. The thing was programmed to tell it like it was, right? Could she really have missed this many days of digging into God’s word? One more layer of guilt piled onto the others. She was a failure at everything. She was a lousy daughter and a terrible friend. She wasn’t even a very good veterinarian. How could that pup of Carmen’s go from listless to lifeless in under eighteen hours? It wasn’t just that Carmen couldn’t afford the loss, but that Lauren had gotten busy — or call it distracted — and hadn’t driven back to the Rocking H with puppy formula. She hadn’t checked back. She always checked back.

  She sighed as she glanced over the chapter for the next reading. Seriously? Ezekiel forty-one was all about the prophet’s vision for a new temple, when Israel’s reality was captivity in Babylon. She’d think the guy was an optimist if she hadn’t already read the earlier chapters and found all the dire warnings he’d given his people and the surrounding nations. Being a prophet must’ve been a nasty job. No one liked a naysayer.

  Fact was, Lauren wasn’t in the mood for Ezekiel’s woes. She had enough of her own, thanks. She’d missed so many days now — what was one more? She flicked her phone over to Facebook, and the church group’s discussion about God’s will popped to the top of her newsfeed. She’d call catching up on that her devotional time.

  The last entry was Tori Carmichael with First Thessalonians 4:11-12: Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

  She stared at the words. Mind your own business.

  Ouch. She’d been trying to help her friends, hadn’t she? No, not really. She’d been focused on trying to get James permanently off her heart and mind. All the other matchmaking had been to deflect attention off her top priority. Not only had it not worked, she’d sinned by doing it. It hadn’t seemed so bad, especially not at first.

  Lauren scanned the rest of the group’s new additions to the thread. Psalm 96:2: Sing to the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. 2 Peter 1:5-8: Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  There were more additions to the list. Good verses that reminded her to focus on godly attributes. To focus on God Himself and on being an effective, productive Christian. Not focusing on her own woes — some days, it felt like she could write a book to rival Ezekiel’s — but on growth through the trials. Keeping her own heart riveted on Jesus.

  Her gaze slid back to Tori’s entry. My mom drew my attention to these verses as a reminder to focus on my own growth and not worry about how everyone else is doing. I wrote them on a notecard and stuck it to my bathroom mirror, so I’d see it often. I hope it challenges you as much as it did me.

  Tears smarted in Lauren’s eyes. Why had Amanda Carmichael felt the need to share this scripture with her daughter? Was it Lauren’s fault, leading Tori astray? “Really, God. I didn’t mean to. What do I do now?”


  Repent, my beloved.

  Repent. Didn’t that mean to be sorry then do a one-eighty? “I’m sorry,” she whispered. But for what, exactly? Her eyes went back to the verse. “I’m sorry for not minding my own business. Lord, I’m sorry for trying to direct the lives of others. I’m sorry for losing my way.”

  The lightening in her spirit told her she was on the right path now. “I’m sorry for thinking I knew more than You did about what’s best for others. Even thinking that about myself.”

  Tears began to stream. Felix reached up and patted her cheek with his paw, and she clutched him to her chest. “Oh, kitty. I’ve made such a mess.”

  A suspicion fell over her that repenting to God was not the only requirement. She’d wronged people, too. Tori. Denae. Carmen. James. Especially James.

  Lauren tilted her gaze to the ceiling. “God, do I really have to apologize to James? That will open this whole mess back up again, and he’ll feel obligated to repeat that awkward proposal. I love him, Lord, but I can’t stand the thought of being married to him if he doesn’t love me back.”

  Of course, God loved the church as though she were a holy bride, and the church wasn’t exactly full of passion back. Did that mean a one-sided love, paired with reasonable affection, could be enough? She was pretty sure James liked her okay. Maybe, in time, he’d come to truly love her as she longed to be loved.

  But, what if he didn’t? It would be even worse if she accepted his proposal, poured out her heart’s desire, and he remained dutiful and honorable. Her heart would shrivel up and die.

  Trust Me, my child.

  Yeah, God had a lot of experience with that. Of putting Himself on the line, literally, and being rejected outright or only partially accepted. But could she truly trust Him to walk her through this difficult, painful time? Was her faith so weak? It would likely be stronger if she hadn’t skipped her devotions so many days. Another thing to repent of and turn away from.

  But, for now, she slowly stretched her hand into the air and visualized placing it in the hand of her Savior. “I trust You, Jesus. Help me know how and when to make my apology. I’ve got to admit, I’m shaking to the bottoms of my feet about this whole thing, so please prepare James as well as me.”