Cherished Embrace (Cherish Cowboys Book 3)

by Charlene Bright

  “I can handle that,” he said.

  “I know you can,” Wade said, still feeling that Brayden wasn’t fully present. He felt bad for his cousin and figured that it would take some time for him to get over what had happened to him. Being left at the altar with the lame excuse of being “too nice” had to have been a real blow. It had just been a few months ago, so maybe staying really busy would be a good thing for him. And man, between what Colton and he needed done on their ranches, there was enough work to make that happen.

  “Have you ever operated a post-hole before?” Colton asked.

  “No,” Brayden replied, suddenly a bit nervous that he may be in over his head.

  “Well, it’s easy and I have an automatic one, which is a heck of a lot better than doing it manually—trust me.”

  “I will,” Brayden said, nodding his head. “I bet that’s a bear of a job.”

  “What’s wrong with the fence?” Wade asked. It seemed like Colton was always working on some section of fence on his ranch.

  “This one section just needs to be redone. The bull keeps trying to get out of the back pasture and doesn’t seem to mind ramming into the fence, even though it’s low voltage. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. And if that big fella’ got out, he’d startle a good many people. He’s definitely every bit the ornery bull.”

  “And where would the bull be when I was working on the fence?” Brayden asked, realizing just how little he knew about how a ranch actually worked. He was a numbers guy—an accountant by trade.

  “He’d be in the barn, no worries,” Colton said, laughing at Brayden’s expression. “Didn’t mean to startle you, and rest assured, I don’t want anyone to get hurt by any bull.”

  “Absolutely,” Wade agreed. He was a retired bull rider and had been very successful, but had gotten hurt and moved back to Cherish to recover. He’d have been the last one to think he’d end up living in the area again, much less getting married and settling down. He and Colton had been lifelong friends who’d been through some tough times together—oddly enough, centered around a bull and one of their friends, Tommy, who’d been killed while riding one. Tommy had been an amateur and it had cost him his life. Colton and Wade had carried around a great deal of guilt about it until Mal, seeing how it was eating the two up, did some investigating. It had turned out that Tommy had actually been sick and it had been his desire to end his life on his own terms, doing something he loved. Finding that out so many years later had provided relief, but they both still ached about the loss. It had been really tough.

  Brayden looked over at the three women as they got up and were preparing to leave, watching as they walked over to the table.

  “Well, we’ll see you guys later,” Olivia said, reaching over to Colton and kissing him on the head. He blushed, always a bit shy about public displays of affection, but darn, he loved the way a kiss from Olivia felt—even one on the top of the head.

  “And I’ll see you two back at the house later,” Mal said. “I’ve got to go and get ready for my lessons today.” She was the most sought-out instructor for teaching people how to ride, and also for breaking horses in a way that did not break their spirits. It was an incredible gift that had given the former attorney big notoriety in the world of horses.

  “Bye, nice to see you Colton and Wade. Nice to meet you, Brayden,” Kelsey said.

  “Nice to meet you too,” he said.

  Again, their eyes locked for a brief moment and they found it difficult to look away.

  Kelsey and Olivia noticed it and smiled at each other in a knowing way. Colton and Wade were already wrapped up in some conversation about the pastures and the weather predictions in the Farmer’s Almanac.

  Once the girls had left, the guys were back on business. Brayden was thankful that the women had left, because it was easier to stay focused on the discussion with Wade and Colton. He inwardly mused at what a greenhorn he was compared to them, and even Mal. He didn’t know about Olivia and Kelsey, but suspected since their day jobs didn’t involve working on the ranches that they did not have ranching backgrounds. That led him to a more pressing question: what type of background did Kelsey have? He didn’t like that he was curious about it, but he was.

  Chapter Three

  The hospital fundraiser was hands down the largest community event that they had in Cherish. Everyone was always excited for it, and nearly the whole town showed up, along with a lot of people from surrounding areas. It was known for great music, lively conversations, excellent food, and bringing out the most generous natures of its attendees. Without it, life would be much tougher at the hospital, and specifically for the children’s and senior citizens’ programs that were run through it. All funds they raised went toward these causes, which everyone appreciated.

  This year, Olivia and Kelsey were heading up the entire event and Mal was in charge of PR. It would take more than just those three to pull it all off, though, and they were eager to help get things organized and make sure they had enough volunteers.

  Sitting at Mal’s house, they were gathered around the kitchen table, a glass of wine by each.

  “I’ve never been out to Millberry Farm yet,” Kelsey said. “Have you, Olivia?”

  “Not yet, but I can call and schedule a time for us to tour the property so we can visualize it better.”

  “I have Darla Millberry’s number for you,” Mal added. “I’ll text it over to you and send her a message that you’ll be calling.”

  “She’s really nice. She comes into the library a lot,” Olivia said. “She has a really interesting story about that farm and how long it’s been in her family, which reminds me, I need to get that on my notes. It would be good to better document it at the library.”

  “You have the best job. You can relate almost everything to something that should be documented,” Kelsey said.

  “I love it, but you have a pretty sweet deal too. All those beautiful dresses that you’re around, seeing so many happy people. I’d be crying all the time,” Olivia said, shaking her head.

  “It used to touch me quite a bit,” Kelsey said softly, her mind drifting off for a minute.

  “Used to?” Olivia asked.

  Kelsey quickly recovered. It was still wonderful to see, of course, but it saddened her to think that every story that started happy in her shop didn’t necessarily end up happy. It was a dismal thought. “Well, you know how it is, once you’ve done the same thing for a while, it becomes more routine, less emotional.”

  “Not for me,” Mal said, “but I think you’ll find that all changes soon for you, Kelsey.”

  Kelsey looked at Mal, whose confidence in the best outcomes was something she greatly admired. Mal was nodding her head confidently, and Olivia had joined in too. “You two look like bobble heads,” Kelsey said, laughing. It was time for her to focus on the task at hand—it was more important than the small pity party she’d been having.

  “Okay, hopefully we can go look at the property tomorrow,” Kelsey said. “As far as keeping track of all the invoices, receipts, and everything else, is there someone who has managed that in the past that we could count on again?”

  “I used to, but I don’t think I have time for it,” Mal said. She took a sip of her wine and then said, “Hey, I know. Let’s have Brayden do it. He’s an accountant so it’ll be easy for him.”

  “Are you sure that he’d want to?” Kelsey asked. She wasn’t certain if her question was filled with hope or genuine curiosity.

  “I’ll ask him later,” Mal said, “but I’m sure he’ll want to.”

  Olivia giggled.

  Kelsey looked at her. “Am I missing something here?”

  “No,” she said. Then she took a sip of her wine. Behind the glass, she was still smiling, though.

  “Olivia, what’s your schedule tomorrow? Can you go look at the farm?”

  “I can. Anytime in the afternoon works out great. That’s when I have help at the library.”

  “Excellent,
let’s shoot for that,” Kelsey said.

  “What about decorations?” Olivia asked.

  “There are a few boxes of them that we keep in the barn here, but the place is pretty beautiful,” said Mal. “Just a few new things showing this year’s theme and event should be all we need. There’s a great printer in Deer Run that we’ve used in the past. I’ll work with him again.”

  “How about sponsors?” Kelsey asked.

  “Oh, I’m glad you brought that up. I have the form on my computer we can use to try and get them. I kept the packages the same as last year, because they seemed to work great and we received more sponsorships and money than we’d ever received before. Just hold on while I run and get that.” Mal was up and off to her office.

  Olivia turned to Kelsey. “I’m kind of nervous about doing this. We’ve never even been to this thing. Hopefully Mal’s right that it’ll be good for the fundraiser to have some new people heading it up.”

  “Everyone loves you and thinks you’re one of the most creative people around town, so I think we’ll be fine,” Kelsey said.

  “And everyone thinks you’re a heck of a business woman. So … I guess we’ve got it covered.” Olivia paused with her mouth slightly open.

  Kelsey noticed her look and waited for her to say something else. It looked like she was just holding back. “What’s on your mind?” she finally asked.

  “Brayden,” Olivia said. “I mean, what do you think of him? He seems pretty nice, doesn’t he?”

  “He does seem nice,” Kelsey said. “It’s great that Wade and Mal can help him out.”

  “I wonder what his story is,” Olivia said.

  Kelsey was not sure how to respond, because while she’d shared her story with Mal and Olivia in confidence, the thought of everyone else speculating kind of felt intrusive. That was just natural in a smaller town, she guessed. Then again, Jackson Hole hadn’t been the smallest of towns and everyone seemed to be curious about everyone else’s stories there too. So maybe it was more human nature than anything. Finally, Kelsey said, “If he wants to share it, he will.”

  “You’re so patient. I don’t know how you do it,” Olivia said.

  “It’s a learned skill, and I embrace it out of necessity. Otherwise I’d drive myself crazy.”

  Mal returned with the flyer, and they continued to go over all the details. Kelsey was going to do the gold sponsorship, she decided. It might be a bit tight, but it would be good for the co-chair and owner of one of the newer businesses in town to show her commitment to the community. Things like that meant a lot. Plus, she really believed in this cause and had been touched by some of the stories she’d been learning about how those programs had really impacted people’s lives in a positive way. Drug rehabilitation programs, after-school sporting programs—something that was not supported by school districts in these smaller communities—and Christmas cards and caroling for the seniors. All of it was good and kind, which sat really well with her.

  By the time they left, they’d heard back from Darla and all three were scheduled to go out to the farm the next afternoon at 2:00 p.m.

  “Well, I’d better get back to the shop. I know that I don’t have to have hours all day long and all, but it makes me feel nervous that I might miss out on someone when I shut down too often at random times, but I’ll figure something out,” Kelsey said. Just like ranches, businesses could not just be tended to on a “when-I-feel-like-it” basis. It was a big commitment.

  “Why didn’t you say something? We could have held the meeting down there. That wouldn’t have been a big deal,” Mal said.

  “You were both over here. I didn’t want to inconvenience you.”

  “We wouldn’t have minded at all, Kelsey. Friends look out for each other,” Mal said, shaking her head. “From now on, we’ll host the meetings in town, either at your store or the library, okay?”

  Kelsey smiled, touched by their kindness. Finding such great friends upon moving to Cherish had been a Godsend, and she was thankful for them. “I appreciate it.”

  ***

  Later that day, after Wade and Brayden returned home from a long, busy day, they settled down to dinner. Mal was excited to put her new plan into motion. And Olivia was a perfect partner in crime to help pull it off. At least, Brayden and Kelsey could see if there was anything there. From an outsider’s perspective, it looked like they had the potential for some big chemistry.

  After the pot roast for dinner was on the table and they’d all sat down, everyone began to talk about their day. She waited for the perfect time to talk to Brayden and she had to admit, she knew that once Wade was enjoying his food he probably wouldn’t say much of anything at all, which would be fantastic. He always sensed what she was up to, but whether he thought it was worth the effort to try and deter her was another matter. Tonight, it was the path of least resistance.

  “Brayden, how do you like Cherish so far?” she asked.

  “Good. Everyone seems nice and I’m enjoying figuring out the manual labor,” he said, taking a bite of his pot roast.

  “Everyone is real nice. Did you meet any people, in particular, that you thought were really nice?” she asked. She knew that this was not subtle, but there was no coy way to ask such a question.

  “Lots of people.” He looked at her and wondered if she was hinting at something or digging for information.

  “Oh. So, what’s it like doing manual labor compared to number crunching?” she asked next.

  “Definitely different. I sleep well and have a whole lot less stress which is nice.”

  “Is your work stressful?”

  “Not smaller projects, but some of the larger clients, yeah, it can be. You want to do your best by them and with tax laws constantly changing, you have to check and double check the numbers,” he said. This time he took a sip of his beer and noticed an interesting look in Mal’s eyes. He had no idea what it meant, but it was interesting. And he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed.

  Wade looked at his wife and said, “Can’t you just let the guy relax, hon? I mean, it seems like he’s being put through the wringer.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean to,” she said. “I’m sorry if it sounded that way, Brayden, but I just had a favor to ask you. I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t overstepping my bounds.”

  “A favor? What is it?” Brayden asked.

  Wade looked over at her, one hand resting on his leg and the other holding his fork, waiting to take a bite of the potato at the end of it.

  “I was hoping that you could keep track of the receipts and bookwork for the hospital fundraiser. It would be a tremendous help to me,” Mal said.

  “Aren’t you in charge of PR this year?” Wade asked.

  “Yes, I am, but Olivia and Kelsey are the heads, and taking advantage of someone who can easily do that sort of thing seems like a good choice. Plus, it’d be kind of nice for him to get to know the people in town more. In case …”

  “In case what?” Wade asked. He had a cheeky grin on his face, and Mal knew that he was ready to banter with her, because he knew exactly what she was up to.

  “In case Brayden would maybe want to stick around Cherish,” Mal said. Then she looked at Brayden. “No pressure, of course.”

  Wade looked at him too. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to or feel obligated to help, Brayden. We’re keeping you plenty busy and you deserve free time, not just to be working for everyone.”

  Brayden looked back and forth at his two hosts. He had to admit that it would be nice to do something that he was familiar with and enjoyed, and how much bookkeeping could really be required for the event? It would likely be minimal. “It’s no inconvenience. I’d be glad to help, so long as it doesn’t get in the way of my obligations to Colton and Wade.” It was a diplomatic answer, but he was thinking, No one stands a chance against Mal when she gets determined. It was easy to see the part of her attorney skills that loved the challenge and the debate—arguing her case for a greater good.r />
  “Fantastic, I knew I could count on you,” she said. “See, Wade, it’s not an inconvenience,” she added, gloating to her husband.

  Wade just shook his head and went back to eating.

  Mal continued, getting started on her new project—one that would benefit the town and maybe the lives of two people. “I have a box full of information that I’ll need you to take over to Kelsey tomorrow—at her shop—and you two can figure out the best way to get all the receipts and keep track of the records.”

  “Isn’t Olivia going to be there? She’s the co-chair, isn’t she?” Wade asked, barely able to hide his laughter as he looked at his wife.

  “She’s busy,” Mal said, smiling back at him with an “I-dare-you” look.

  “Of course,” he said.

  Brayden just watched them and shook his head. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that he’d gotten ditched at the altar. It was confusing to watch their back-and-forth, but if he were to be honest, he knew that Mal and Wade had a fun and loving relationship, and his ex-fiancée Kellie and he had been rather dull together, always taking things seriously and never doing anything too adventurous or extreme. He’d thought that was by choice, but apparently, she’d wanted to live on the wild side and he’d just not been the guy to offer her that.

  After the two finally paused to take a bite of their meal, Brayden stepped in. “I don’t mind helping at all. I’m not sure what my schedule is tomorrow, though.”

  “Well, I was hoping that you two could meet at 10:00 a.m. That way you’d be wrapped up before we headed out to Millberry Farm in the afternoon. Would that work for your schedule, Wade?” she asked, turning to her husband

  “Does it matter?” he asked, laughing again.

  “Love ya, hon,” she said, blowing him a kiss and reaching over to squeeze his hand for a second.

  “You two make my head spin,” Brayden said. Now he had to laugh too, because it was crazy watching them. If there were a reality TV show for ranchers, those two could be the stars.