A Rancher’s Song

by Vivian Arend

  She made a face.

  “Or you track down Luke, or you go to Tamara—you’ve got a whole lot of people who care about you around here.”

  “I know that.” She wiped her nose then grimaced. “You’d better fast-talk Luke, because I don’t want to have to put up with him bossing me around unless I ask for help.”

  “I’ll deal with him,” Walker assured her. But as she walked away, his gaze lingered on the blue marks along her neck, and he wondered if he was making the right choice.

  When he walked outside of the barn and was accosted by his brother, it made it that much harder to stick to his guns.

  Luke’s eyes were on fire. “Who was it?”

  “How did you see the bruises?” Walker wanted to know, hoping the question would distract Luke.

  “She was scrubbing down saddles wearing nothing but a tank top because it’s stinking hot in the tack room. She jerked that long sleeve shirt on before I could do more than see the damage.” Luke caught him by the shirt and didn’t let go. “What did she tell you?”

  “That she wants you to mind your own business,” Walker said softly. “She promised to ask for help if she needs it.”

  Luke stalked away, swearing loudly before whirling on a boot heel. “That’s bullshit. Because whoever beat on her is going to stop in the middle so she can come running to get one of us?”

  “She’s a grown woman, and one of our employees. We don’t have the right to run her life,” Walker snapped back. “I don’t like it any more than you, but it’s not our decision.”

  “Fine. We’ll make sure she’s never anywhere without supervision,” Luke said firmly.

  “What part of grown woman did you not understand?” Walker said. “You don’t think she’s going to figure out we’ve got her under house arrest if there’s suddenly someone babysitting her all the time?”

  “I don’t care if she figures it out as long as she’s safe.”

  Walker stopped then, sudden wonder making him look Luke up and down more thoroughly. “You seem a lot more heated up about this than just discovering a situation with someone who works for us. I mean, it’s horrible, and I want to get to the bottom of it too, but is there something going on with you and Kelli?”

  The expression of sheer shock racing over Luke’s face gave a firm no answer, but it didn’t explain why he was going off the deep end.

  “Okay, forget I asked.” Walker rubbed his temples, tempted to haul Kelli in front of Ashton until the woman confessed what was going on. But that wasn’t how you treated somebody who was a strange mix of employee and family. “We’ll tell Ashton to keep an eye on her, and we’ll talk to Tamara.”

  Luke’s worry and anger redirected slightly. “Well, damn, you are sneaky. Tamara is the perfect solution.”

  “But you need to lay off,” Walker warned.

  His brother nodded reluctantly. “I went about that the wrong way. I was just so pissed.”

  “But she’s not the one you need to be pissed at,” Walker pointed out. “And that’s the way it sounded.”

  He put his arm around Luke’s shoulders and walked forward, giving his shoulder a squeeze and trying really hard to force himself to let a few of his own secrets go.

  Because Kelli was right and completely wrong. He knew what it was like to want to solve a problem by himself, but he was also realizing it didn’t always work.

  “We’re headed to the pub tomorrow. You joining us?” Luke asked.

  “Who’s we? Because I was hoping to see Ivy.”

  Luke waved a hand. “Invite her along. It’s me, Glenn, and Josiah. Ginny will come, and Kelli said earlier she was going to meet the Fields, so maybe Ivy plans on being there anyway.”

  Walker nodded. A night out together sounded like a great next step in their summer. If he went home with Ivy afterward, so much the better.

  Because while he was enjoying going slow, it was time to pick up the pace a little. It wasn’t a secret how much he wanted her, and the best way to tell her was with a full-out physical confession.

  Maybe one confession would give him the strength to make a second.

  * * *

  Ivy wrapped her fingers around a glass that held something cool and lime-scented, settling into the comfy chair she’d been pointed at after stepping into the room above her sisters’ shop.

  A group of women were already assembled, including Tamara and Ginny Stone, Rose and Tansy, and two others.

  Ivy remembered one from before she’d left Heart Falls. Brooke’s father owned the garage in town. The other woman Ivy hadn’t met until that night, but she turned out to be Brad’s mysterious Hanna. She was petite and delicate, with long brown hair and haunted eyes.

  Ivy took a sip of her drink and scolded herself for letting her imagination take off into flights of fancy. Brad had set his sights on a pretty target, but she did seem quiet compared to Brad’s boldness.

  Kind of like me and Walker, remember?

  “The first monthly meeting is about to begin,” Tansy announced, interrupting Ivy’s musings. She set off a set of bell-like chimes on her phone to get everyone’s attention.

  “Thank you, Tinkerbell,” Rose snarked mildly.

  “And what exactly are we meeting monthly about?” Brooke asked, crossing a foot over her knee as she leaned back in the corner of the sofa and balanced a drink on the armrest. “Because all I got was an email from Tamara telling me to show up and bring a snack, which, hey—I’m good at following orders when it involves food and drink.”

  “This was partly inspired by you, Ivy,” Tamara said. “You mentioned starting a book club, which I still think you should do, but Tansy and I had been talking about other things that would be fun and interesting to learn—”

  “From each other,” Tansy slipped in. “Because we are awesome, and we’ve got a lot of talent, so why not share the wealth of information?”

  “Share our talents? You guys want to learn how to do your own oil changes?” Brooke made a face. “Okay. If that’s your idea of a good time.”

  Tamara grinned. “Oil changes and spending time together. It doesn’t always have to be about the project. It’s a good excuse to eat and drink with friends.”

  “Damn you for not thinking of this years ago,” Ginny joked. “You’re going to have to include me via Skype or something until I’m back for good.”

  “Long-distance repair lessons in exchange for hints about which wines go best with seduction?” Brooke raised a brow.

  Ivy laughed with the group. Surprisingly, Ginny didn’t jab back, just winked and rose to get something from the kitchen. Her cheeks were flushed redder than usual.

  Ivy tucked that interesting tidbit away to gossip about later with her sisters.

  “What’s the agenda for today?” Tamara asked. “Oh, and Kelli sends her regrets, but says she’d love to join us next time.”

  “I was wondering where she was. You think she’ll make it to the pub tomorrow night?” Brooke took a sip of her drink. “God, Tansy, whatever we’re doing tonight had better not involve heavy machinery. This is like a double.”

  “Triple, but who’s counting?” Rose eyed her sister. “Tansy had a fit of some sort right when the bottle hit vertical. I swear most of the tequila went in the blender.”

  “Better than on the counter or the floor,” Tansy chirped happily. “And since this is our first night we’re just going to hang out, drink and eat.”

  “A worthy agenda,” Ivy offered. It would be good to get to know more women in the community.

  Rose and Hanna brought out trays with hot food, and everyone loaded up. Ivy avoided the jalapeño poppers but hummed happily as she dug a chip into a cheesy melted dip that smelled like a million calories.

  “Oh my word, pass the napkins because I’m drooling.”

  Hanna’s eyes lit up. “You like it? It’s pretty much my go-to for potlucks.”

  “It’s gorgeous, and don’t you dare give me the recipe,” Ivy warned. “Or anyone else. If you’r
e the only one in town making this, I can avoid the temptation to have it every day.”

  “It’s good with vegetable sticks too,” Hanna offered, smiling proudly as she settled on the carpet by the coffee table with a filled plate.

  Ivy’s attempt to stop from making a face failed.

  Her sisters laughed. “Ivy, do you still hate vegetables that much?”

  “I can eat a salad,” Ivy protested. “If I have to. Maybe.”

  Tansy turned to answer Hanna’s puzzled expression. “Our sister does not approve of vegicide. She has no trouble with steak or chicken, but she’s like an opposite to vegan. If it doesn’t have a face—”

  “—it doesn’t have a taste.” Ivy recited the last bit of her old motto with a sheepish smile. “Really, I am better than I was all those years ago.”

  Hanna was snickering now with the other girls. “Please don’t teach your grade two students to hate veggies. My daughter will be in your class this year, and right now Crissy thinks broccoli is a treat.”

  Ivy shuddered without thinking, drawing more laughs from the group. She glanced over at Hanna, somewhat surprised the woman was old enough to have an eight-year-old daughter. “They’ll never find out from me, I promise. Only if she wants to bring an apple for the teacher, I’d prefer that to carrot sticks.”

  Conversation flitted like butterflies over a patch of wildflowers; the whole group for a while, smaller twos and threes at moments. Ivy took mental notes, but it was fun to find out more about each woman’s personality as well as what they were doing for a living.

  Tamara was working at the ranch, and Ginny was helping her get a limited Community Sponsored Agriculture program going while she was in town for a month. Then Ginny would be heading back to Italy and the rest of her apprenticeship time.

  Brooke still worked at the garage with her father, and Hanna cleaned local offices in the evenings.

  And even though Tansy and Rose were family and Ivy had kept in touch with them over the years, it was good to hear how they spoke about Buns and Roses with such excitement. It pleased her to see the delight on their faces and know the shop was something they wanted to do.

  Another happy gear turned in her gut, and the tumblers for “content family” lined up a little tighter.

  Rose had just refilled the glasses when Tansy clapped her hands. “On to the final event of the evening, unless you all want to stay for a sleepover.”

  “I thought there wasn’t an agenda?” Ginny was curled up next to Tamara, the two Stone women who’d only briefly met before this week obviously hitting it off.

  “No agenda, just fun.” Tansy passed a page to each of them.

  Rose eyed the offering with trepidation. She knew Tansy the best of all of them. One glance was enough to have her sputtering. “You’re so bad.”

  “What is this?” Ivy glanced at her page and laughed even as she felt her face heat.

  “Dirty Minds,” Tansy informed them happily. “We take turns. Read out your three clues, Ivy, and we’ll all try to guess what you’re talking about. First person to get it wins a point.”

  Oh. No. “I can’t read these out loud,” Ivy complained.

  “A grade two teacher who can’t read?” Brooke snickered into her glass. “Hanna, this doesn’t bode well for your daughter.”

  Six expectant faces were turned Ivy’s way. Ivy glanced at her paper again. “I will get you for this, Tansy.”

  “That’s not a clue…”

  “Or a surprise. Someone is always threatening Tansy.” Rose sighed long-sufferingly.

  “We need to keep Tansy and my sister Lisa apart,” Tamara murmured. She cleared her throat. “I’ll start. First clue. I last a long time when conditions are right.”

  Ginny raised a brow. “Do I want to listen to this bit of gossip? I mean, yeah for you and Caleb, but…”

  Rose elbowed her on the other side. “It’s the clue. What’s that describing?”

  “My brother’s sex life? Which, ick.”

  Brooke snorted, her eyes widening as if in shock. “Excuse me.”

  Tamara kept a far straighter face than Ivy would have been able to. “Second clue. You never know how many inches you’re going to get.”

  “Oh. My.” Rose fanned her face with a napkin. Tansy was grinning ear-to-ear.

  Brooke dug into her purse and brought out a tape measure. The mechanic pulled on the tape. Slowly. Slowly. A bit more, making faces as she eyed the length.

  The first inches got a wrinkled nose, then that expression morphed into a happy smile before turning into wide-eyed shock. And when she pulled her arms apart, stretching the tape as wide as she could reach, a cry of dismay and horror bursting from her lips, Ivy laughed hard enough she was having trouble breathing.

  Tansy fell off her chair.

  Tamara somehow pulled herself together, and after clearing her throat a couple of times, still snickering hard, she got out the final clue. “You never know when I’m going to come.”

  Ginny buried her face in her hands, but it was Hanna who brought the house down.

  “A snowstorm?”

  Ivy wiped the tears from her eyes to look into Hanna’s clear, innocent expression. Tansy coughed a few times before they all lost it.

  Hanna sat back and quietly sipped her drink while they got themselves together.

  “You don’t have a dirty mind.” Tansy raised a glass at Hanna. “But the game is young. We’ll teach you, young Padawan.”

  “But I get a point?”

  Ivy’s lips curled into a smile as Tansy assured her she had a point, and that it was her turn to read a clue.

  The night went on, and it was good to laugh and know there was a place for her within the company of some wonderful women.

  A place to build a home and a life. And it might be the tequila talking, but it was too easy to imagine Walker Stone at her side.

  13

  Walker stepped into Rough Cut, sandwiched between his brother Luke and their friendly neighbourhood veterinarian, Josiah Ryder.

  The music hit him low in the gut and set his bones on fire. The familiar words of the song rose to this tongue like sweet honey, and a smile snuck up on him.

  They didn’t know it, the bodies moving in time with the pulsing beat, but that was him in the background. One of the songs that he’d headed out last February to be a part of. He’d hit the studio to help with last-minute backup vocals for a friend of a friend, and it had started the whole singing nightmare.

  Production of the song itself had been pretty neat.

  A large screen had been added to the interior décor of the pub to the side of the stage area, and sure enough, there was a music video playing in all its glory. The top layer of live-action recording meshed together with the work they’d done in the recording studio, and the magic of music production turned it into one solid performance.

  He let himself feel a moment of pride. They sounded pretty good. Of course that was ninety-nine percent the rising star in the foreground; the man Walker had a chance to do more with than just quietly hide in the background, if he could only handle it.

  He must have gotten lost in thought because he was being guided by the arm. Josiah pulled him to the bar where a new face turned toward them with interest. A dark-haired man with Asian features, his hair cut military neat. His sharp gaze took in Walker and Luke, a smile growing as he turned back to Josiah with a nod. “These the Stone boys?”

  “You’re good,” Josiah answered with a nod. “Luke and Walker. Guys, this is Ryan Zhao, the new owner here at Rough Cut. His family’s moved to Black Diamond, but he’s decided to spend money in our corner of the map.”

  “As long as you decide to spend some in mine, it’ll all work out fine.” Ryan spoke easily as he shook their hands. “I’ve already met Caleb. I can tell that you’re family.”

  Luke raised a brow. “Our big brother was out drinking without us?”

  An easy laugh escaped the bartender. “He and his wife were at the community hall on
Canada Day. My daughter is the same age as their oldest, and Tamara was suggesting day camps she thought Talia would enjoy.”

  Of course Tamara was involved, because their new sister-in-law had jumped into the community like it was a lake and she was on fire.

  “Hope it helped.” Luke was grinning at Walker, the same thoughts regarding Tamara visible on his face. They were both pleased at Caleb’s change of fortune, and the woman was definitely at the center of that change.

  “Luke can find a ride for your daughter,” Josiah reminded him. “Best horseman in these parts, other than me, of course. If he doesn’t have one to sell you, he’s got the contacts.”

  “You looking for a mount?” Luke’s expression sharpened like it always did at the suggestion of matching a horse with a rider.

  “I am, but not until the end of summer. We should talk.”

  Luke nodded. “I’ll give you my number.”

  Josiah joined in the conversation for a moment, easy and light. Walker met Ryan’s dark brown gaze steadily as the other man examined him with a great deal of curiously.

  “And you’re Walker, the man of mystery,” Ryan offered. “I got a call from your manager this morning.”

  Walker shook his head to clear the cobwebs that had snuck in, because he was lost. “Who?”

  “Maxwell Pillion. He’s a big fan of yours—definitely thinks you’re headed for amazing things.”

  Oh my God. “He called you.”

  Ryan’s lazy grin tightened with confusion. “Is that a problem?”

  “Just not sure what’s going on,” Walker admitted. “He knows where to find me, and there’s nothing going on right now that would require him to track me down.”

  Because his deadline was still more than a month away.

  The sense of confusion was spreading as the dark-haired man’s gaze tightened. “He knew I ran the pub here. Said he thought the locals would be keen to support one of their own.”

  The sense of dread in Walker’s gut was growing. “There’s nothing to support.”