The Rancher's Rules

by Lucy Monroe

  “You’re wrong.”

  He reached up and gently pulled her hand away from his mouth. “What are you trying to say?”

  “Living with you, loving you, will make me happy. Living without you would be hell. Please don’t make me do it.”

  He pulled her into a tight embrace. “Never. I want to marry you. I want you to have my babies. I’m not the one who started talking about affairs instead of a future after the most passionate night of love between two people known to man.”

  He reached over and flipped on the light. “Marry me, Zoe.” He cupped her face with one hand while the other held her close to him. “I love you more than the ranch, more than my freedom, more than anything in my life. Marry me.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “I love you. I love you so much. I’ll live on the ranch with you. I’ll have your babies, and I’ll be as stoic as they come every year at the stock sale.”

  He smiled and shook his head, covering her lips with his thumb when she opened her mouth to answer. “I’d give up the ranch, if that was what it would take to make you happy as my wife, but I don’t think I’ll have to.”

  She nodded her head in agreement. “You don’t have to.”

  How he loved this woman. She would do it. She would live a lifestyle she hated to be with him, and he knew deep down in his gut that she would never ask him to leave it for her sake. Zoe’s love wasn’t like that. She gave with both hands.

  “We’ve got a couple of alternatives. We can venture into horse ranching. I’ve thought about raising Arabians before, but the cattle always required too much of my time.”

  Her brown eyes grew round and big. “Horses?” she whispered against his thumb.

  “Yes. Or breeding cattle. They aren’t sold for beef. What do you think?” He moved his thumb so she could answer.

  The tears in her eyes spilled over, but her smile left no doubt in his mind that they were tears of joy. “I think loving you is the greatest gift I’ve ever had in my life.”

  “And loving you makes my life a gift.” He crushed her mouth under his, knowing in his heart that even if he had to sell the ranch he would always be happy and complete as long as he had Zoe by his side.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ZOE sat in perfect stillness as she soaked in the feeling of rightness surrounding her. Her parents weren’t here, but this was still the best Christmas she could ever remember.

  The pastor had announced her and Grant’s upcoming wedding at the Christmas morning service, and her principal had looked very relieved. She allowed a small smile to curve her lips.

  “What’s so funny, angel?”

  Grant walked into the room with his dad, who carried the camcorder. Lottie was right behind them.

  They’d already gorged on Christmas dinner, and now the time had come to open gifts. Next to church, this was Zoe’s favorite part of the day. “I was just remembering the look of abject relief on my principal’s face when the pastor announced our imminent wedding.”

  Grant grinned. “He doesn’t have to worry about having another talk with you, huh?”

  She smiled in return. “Uh-uh.”

  He moved to sit next to her on the sofa and put one arm around her shoulder, hugging her to his body. “Ready to open your presents?” he asked in a husky whisper against her ear.

  She shivered in sensual response. “Do any of them come packaged in fancy Spanish dye-tooled boots, well-worn jeans and red flannel?” she asked, describing his current attire.

  He kissed her temple. “Not yet, querida, but soon.”

  She affected disappointment, but secretly thrilled to the anticipation he was building for their wedding night. He’d refused to make love again until they were married. She hadn’t argued—not after he’d pointed out that they’d forgotten precautions in the shower and that he’d prefer their children were conceived after the wedding and not before.

  Just then the doorbell rang, and Lottie left the room to answer it. Zoe was wondering who would be calling on Christmas Day when a familiar deep voice boomed from the entry hall.

  “It’s colder than a witch’s tit out there.”

  Zoe sat paralyzed as her parents walked into Grant’s living room. “You came.”

  “’Course we came,” her dad said. “It’s Christmas, ain’t it?”

  “Yes.” It was Christmas, and her parents had come. She smiled at them. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  Her mother smiled warmly back, but her father actually walked right up to her and pulled her from the loveseat for a hug. “Glad to see you too, Zoe.”

  Her dad held her so tightly she could barely breathe, and he whispered two words into her ear she’d never expected to hear. “I’m sorry.”

  The pain of a lifetime couldn’t be eradicated with a hug, but a lot of healing could happen—and did. Her mom pulled her into an embrace before Zoe could respond, but she squeezed her dad’s arm as she let go of him.

  Zoe turned to Grant. “Did you know they were coming?”

  He nodded, and something in his eyes told her that he’d had something to do with it. He’d told her about their dads’ attempts at matchmaking. Learning her dad had sold the ranch to Grant expecting it to pave the way for them to marry had helped detract from the lingering pain at the way he’d handled it.

  She smiled at Grant, letting her love shine through. She mouthed the words for him alone.

  I love you.

  He put his hand out and drew her to him. “I love you, too, angel.”

  She sighed, and snuggled against him.

  They were married on New Year’s Day.

  The church stood bright and beautiful in the winter sunshine, acting as a beacon as Grant walked through the side entrance, anticipation zinging through his body. Today Zoe would become his wife. He listened to the cacophony of voices and figured the majority of Sunshine Springs had turned out on short notice to witness his and Zoe’s wedding.

  A hush fell over the assembly, and the minister motioned Grant to take his place at the front of the church. Grant looked out over the crowded pews and smiled at their guests. Jenny and Tyler sat next to each other, their hands entwined. Grant’s parents occupied the first pew to his right. Zoe’s parents sat in the corresponding pew across the aisle.

  Remembering Zoe’s emotional reaction to her parents showing up at Christmas brought a smile to his face. She had cried when they arrived. She had cried again when he’d given her an engagement ring. For a woman who rarely wept, she had been very misty-eyed lately. He wondered if she would cry when she spoke her vows.

  The “Wedding March” started and Grant fixed his eyes on the back of the church. The guests stood, and then Zoe filled his vision. She wore her grandmother’s wedding dress. It hadn’t required any alterations, and the old-fashioned lace and veil suited Zoe to perfection. Grant’s heart constricted at the sight, and he felt his hands twitching to touch her. She smiled at him and he knew that the radiant happiness he saw in her eyes was reflected in his own.

  She reached his side and the minister instructed Grant to take her hand. He spoke his vows with assurance, gazing directly into her eyes. When he said, “I do,” his voice sounded strong, as if he had been practicing all his life. He felt like he had.

  A scream rent the air. Grant and Zoe both spun around to see what the commotion was about. Carlene stood on a pew at the back of the church, her peach-colored miniskirt visible above the heads of the couple in front of her.

  “Rodents!”

  Grant groaned. Zoe laughed, and a little boy, looking uncomfortable in his Sunday best, pushed his way into the center aisle. “That’s no rodent. That’s my hamster. He used be Miss Jensen’s. He wanted to see the wedding too.”

  Surprised gasps and shrieks followed this announcement. Within seconds the entire church was a massive scene of pandemonium. Everywhere but the front two pews. Zoe’s and Grant’s parents remained in their seats.

  “We’re used to this sort of thing, pastor. We raised her.” Zoe
’s father’s words, spoken with resignation but some humor too, brought a smile to Grant’s lips.

  “The hamster?” the minister asked.

  “No. Our daughter. Zoe.”

  Grant met Zoe’s eyes, and they both burst into laughter. He turned back to the minister. “Go on.”

  The pastor rubbed his hand across his bald head. “You sure? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until the rodent is found?”

  Zoe shook her head. “That’s not a rodent. It’s Bud, and they’ll find him eventually. Please go on.”

  Grant hoped they caught Bud before the hamster found his way into the church walls and its wiring.

  The minister led Zoe in her vows. When it was her turn to speak, Zoe took a deep breath. Tears misted her eyes and Grant was pleased that he had been right. Her voice was husky and full of emotion when she made her promises.

  Tyler shouted from behind Grant. “I’ve got him.”

  Grant looked back over his shoulder to see a small furry head peeking out from Tyler’s fist. It seemed only right that Bud had witnessed their marriage. After all, he had been instrumental in bringing Grant to his senses where Zoe was concerned.

  He turned back to his wife. His wife. Damn, that sounded good. From the look in her eyes, she felt the same way. They smiled and turned together to face the minister, who was muttering about most irregular events. The pandemonium in the church settled down, and the minister finished the ceremony and gave Grant permission to kiss Zoe.

  Grant lowered his head and took Zoe’s mouth in a kiss that sealed their future and their love.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-0974-3

  THE RANCHER’S RULES

  First North American Publication 2007.

  Copyright © 2006 by Lucy Monroe.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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