Marrying the Rancher

by Roz Denny Fox

  “You’re not pleased with the arrangement?” Loki asked on reaching the vehicle. “I thought I detected sparks.”

  “Sparks aplenty. Do you remember how bummed I was after I broke up with Kylie for my job? It’s the same. Tandy is looking for grounded.”

  As they climbed into the SUV and drove out, Loki cocked his head. “You and Kylie had conflicting careers where you both could get moved around. Tandy is situated on a ranch. I see how you look at her. I never saw you make cow eyes at Kylie.”

  “Cow eyes? I do not.” Wyatt huffed indignantly.

  Loki laughed from his belly. “Oh, buddy, you do. So tell me about the rancher neighbor who has it in for both of you.”

  Glad for the opportunity to change the subject, Wyatt launched into what he knew about Preston Hicks and even some of the others in the Cattle and Sheep Ranchers Association. “The old cowboy who works for Tandy used to tend her dad’s cattle. He says the ringleader at the association wants to buy her ranch.”

  “By hook or crook?” Loki murmured. “Sounds as if she needs you in her corner, Wyatt.”

  Feeling pressured, Wyatt launched into what had happened to his SUV.

  * * *

  BACK AT THE HOUSE, Abby told the kids to take the dogs and go play inside. “I’ll show Tandy the cabin and get her settled.”

  Tandy stayed her son. “Scotty, wait. I should’ve packed you a separate bag. Here, take your pj’s, toothbrush and clean clothes for tomorrow.” Unzipping her duffel, she lifted out his things, which he snatched, then he ran off with the others.

  “He and Mr. Bones are in hog heaven having your kids and pets to play with,” Tandy murmured, hefting her bag after noting Abby held Wyatt’s. “Our ranch is so remote.” She explained how she’d inherited Spiritridge.

  “I hate to ask, but did you lose your husband in the war? Wyatt said you’d both served in the army.”

  “I’m divorced. Dual deployment puts a strain on relationships, and I’m only finding out it took a toll on Scotty, too. He stayed with my sister-in-law in Honolulu. I thought it was ideal. Her husband was in the navy and away a lot. I expected Scotty’s father to co-parent, but he didn’t.”

  “That’s awful,” Abby exclaimed as she unlocked the cabin. “Wyatt will be good for him. He’s wonderful with our kids.”

  “He’s been exceedingly nice to Scotty. Wow, this cabin is way nicer than my casitas. It’s a wonder Wyatt elected to come back and rent from me. As you probably know, he’d rented from my dad when he first set up the wolf project.”

  “Yes. He really liked your father and felt so bad when he passed away.” Abby led the way to bedrooms separated by a Jack and Jill bathroom. She dropped Wyatt’s duffel in a room with masculine decor. The second bedroom where Tandy left her bag was still rustic but done in more neutral shades.

  “I’ll serve breakfast at our house. You and Wyatt will probably want coffee first thing. He knows where the cabin coffee maker’s stored.” Abby crossed the compact living room and turned up the thermostat. Her cell phone buzzed. “It’s Loki,” she said, tapping to answer. “Hi, babe. Did you get to town in time to exchange Wyatt’s SUV?”

  “Yep.” Loki’s voice boomed into the room. “They gave him a king cab pickup. It has a trailer hitch, so he didn’t need to buy one. He suggested we stop at Andy’s for fried chicken and all the fixin’s so we don’t have to cook tonight.”

  Abby quirked a brow at Tandy, who rotated a shoulder, but then gave a thumbs-up.

  “Bless Wyatt. That sounds good. We have soda for the kids, beer for you guys, and wine for Tandy and me, unless she prefers the other.” She ended the call, blowing kisses into the phone.

  Her easy, loving relationship with her husband stabbed painful regret through Tandy. On returning to the main house she watched all the kids, including Scotty, shout with glee. That was the moment she realized she was open to another relationship. Her bad experience with Dan hadn’t totally killed her desire to share her life and Scotty’s with a man capable of being a partner and a dad. But it was wrong to picture Wyatt in that role given he was so footloose.

  Tandy, who’d had few women pals, found Abby easy to be around. She fed all the dogs, turned on country music, and the women jabbered and laughed like old friends while setting the big dining table.

  She was warmed by the camaraderie swirling in this home. The contrast with Lucinda’s place in Hawaii was stark. At once she determined with clarity that this was the model she’d emulate. Someday.

  Ten minutes later the men blew into the house enveloped in yummy odors of fast food so potent it brought the kids pouring out of Parker’s bedroom. The sheer joy made Tandy acutely aware of all that had been missing in her marriage.

  As everyone crowded around the trestle table, Abby gave Tandy condiments and paper towels to hand out. That made her chuckle and feel even more at home.

  The kids yammered and chowed down. Tandy noticed Scotty fit in and didn’t hold back. It warmed her heart.

  The adults discussed ranching, wild animals and even exchanged recipes. Once the food had been consumed, the kids disappeared to play. The guys escaped to the barn to look at farm implements. Left to clear the table, the women glanced at each other and laughed. “I guess this is typical,” Tandy said, tossing the paper plates in the trash. She shared her experience with big meals in the military. “Any time we ate at base camp it was bedlam.”

  “You’re amazing,” Abby said. “I can’t imagine fighting a war or running a cattle ranch on my own. If anything ever happened to Loki, I’d sell the ranch and move in with family, I guess.”

  “I got out of the army to make a home for Scotty. I was an only child as were my folks. I’m disheartened that neighbors kept me from purchasing a bull and from hiring an able-bodied helper.” Tandy relayed her fears about Manny’s health and how he’d come out of retirement for her.

  Tandy’s cell phone rang just as the men stomped back into the house. She peered at the readout, gasped and said to Wyatt, “It’s Manny.” Rushing to a quiet alcove, she answered.

  “Tandy, I hate like the devil to bother you, but the south fence has two sections down. Preston’s heifers have swarmed into your pasture. His cows are lined up for a quarter mile drinking from your stream. It’s like they’re starved for water.”

  “So he cut our wire again?”

  “That’s the heck of it. Those sections were knocked down from the inside. Hicks pointed that out when I called him to complain. After he learned you were away, he ignored me. He’s not driving his cows home. What should I do?”

  “What can you do but keep watch? I’ve bought a bull. Wyatt’s swapped his vehicle. We’ll head home at first light.” She cast a worried glance at him for confirmation.

  He bobbed his head and Tandy signed off with Manny. “I’m so sorry,” she said to the others. “We’d all love to stay longer, but I have fence down and the neighbor isn’t cooperating with removing his cattle.”

  Abby rounded the table. “If you need to leave early, we’d better get the kids to bed.”

  “Please don’t disrupt their schedule on my account. Scotty can sleep on the drive home. I’ll go to the cabin and grab some shut-eye so I can drive the first leg. Wyatt, you stay and catch up with your friends. I’m so sorry.” Tandy collected her jacket and went to advise Scotty.

  “I’ll turn in, too. I can’t let anyone else drive a government vehicle.” Wyatt hugged Abby and lightly punched Loki’s shoulder. Shrugging into his jacket, he waited for Tandy by the door.

  “Breakfast at five a.m,” Abby announced.

  Exiting Parker’s bedroom, Tandy exclaimed, “We can’t put you out like that.”

  “It won’t be the first breakfast I’ve cooked at dawn. It’s daily at roundup.”

  Loki trailed them onto the porch. “We’ll eat then load the bull. And
let me know what happens with the neighbor. He sounds like a real SOB.”

  Agreeing, Wyatt followed Tandy to the steps and helped her with her jacket. Their path went dark when Loki shut the door, so Wyatt kept his arm around Tandy until they reached the cabin.

  “It’s cold in here,” he noted. “There’s a gas fireplace. I’ll turn it on for a while.”

  “Abby turned on the heat. But, you’re right. Maybe I’ll sit in front of it a few minutes to warm up. I feel horrid for cutting our trip short. Your friends are so nice.”

  Once he got the blaze going, Wyatt sat on the couch and patted the cushion beside him. “I wish your spring pasture didn’t border Hicks’s land. His behavior concerns me.”

  “Me, too. Thanks to Dad, though, the lease is paid up and I have ten years left on it.” Tandy sat, kicked off her boots and curled her feet under her.

  Deftly sliding closer, Wyatt cuddled her into the crook of his arm and rested his chin on top of her hair. “You could talk to Loki and ask if one of his many cousins might work for you when my project ends. They’ve all grown up wrangling cattle.”

  “It’s a thought. I wish I knew why I’m such a pariah.” She raised her head to look at Wyatt and he bent swiftly and kissed her.

  She pressed against him, returning his kiss and, after a moment, touched his cheek.

  When neither one could breathe, he broke their lip-lock. But his heated gaze never veered from her slumberous eyes.

  “This isn’t smart,” she murmured.

  “I like kissing you. Are you upset?”

  “No.” She gave a small shake of her head. “Everyone wants to be kissed.”

  He smiled softly and pulled her onto his lap, where he kissed her again. A kiss that went deeper and lasted longer.

  It lasted so long her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. Once the kiss mutually ended, Tandy loosened a hand and ran a tentative finger over his lips. “This could easily lead to more. But, we have to be realistic.”

  “How so?”

  “I have big obligations. Namely a son and a ranch.”

  “Neither of which I’d do anything to hurt.”

  She sighed. “You’re a good man. I know you’d never mean to hurt me or Scotty. But we both know your job is going to take you away. I can’t do a one-night stand. Or even one week or one month.”

  Closing his eyes, Wyatt set his forehead against hers. “Didn’t some wise person say where there’s a will there’s a way? I can promise you tonight.”

  “And it’s so tempting.” Tandy flattened a hand against his chest where she could feel his racing heart matched the tempo of her own. “You’re such a wonderful man, I could probably guilt you into promising you’d stay. I can’t do that.” A trail of tears leaked from her eyes and he kissed them away.

  “I’m warm. You’re warmer. And this is cozy,” she said, pulling back. “Dawn comes early. We both need sleep.” Climbing off his lap, she opened her mouth to say more, but couldn’t find the words. Instead she ran into her room and firmly shut the door.

  “I shouldn’t be objecting,” Wyatt murmured to her closed door.

  * * *

  IN THE MORNING they had a lot to do in a short amount of time. Avoiding Wyatt, Tandy helped clean up after breakfast while the men went out to load Stormtrooper.

  “I wish we didn’t hafta leave,” Scotty lamented. “Mama, put Parker’s number in your phone.”

  Tandy set up the contact as Wyatt installed Scotty’s booster seat in his pickup. “I wish we had more time, too.” And that was true. But she and Scotty said their goodbyes and went out just as the men closed up the trailer’s tailgate.

  Loki said, “If I decide to raise bison, come back and see if you think they’d do better on your ranch, Tandy.”

  She nodded, thinking the likelihood of that happening was slim to none once Wyatt finished with his wolves and left Spiritridge. She lifted her sleepy son and Mr. Bones into their seats.

  Loki and Wyatt shook hands, slapped shoulders, then Loki joined his family on the porch.

  Everyone waved heartily. And Wyatt drove out as salmon streaks bathed the home and family they’d left behind in warm pink light.

  Tandy turned on the radio. It wasn’t long before Mr. Bones and Scotty fell asleep. She expected Wyatt to mention last night’s interlude, but he said nothing. She’d been prepared to voice some possibilities for advancing their relationship. His silence on the subject left her unsure of herself. She couldn’t tell where he stood—maybe he’d thought it over and concluded that it wouldn’t work.

  On reaching the top of the pass Wyatt drove into a snowstorm the likes of which Tandy had never experienced. Worried about a restless, bawling bull threatening to kick the sides out of their trailer killed any thought of romance.

  It began to thunder. Lightning forked through falling snow. Tandy gripped Wyatt’s arm. “What’s happening? Shouldn’t we pull off under the trees and wait this out?”

  “It’s thundersnow,” he returned through gritted teeth. “See the hail mixed with the snow that’s beginning to freeze on the windshield? We need to drive on before the road gets too slick to travel.”

  “I’ve never heard of thundersnow.”

  Scotty woke up when Mr. Bones howled as only a hound could do. “What’s hitting my window?” He jerked forward. “When we made the snowman, the snow was soft.”

  “It’s called hail,” Tandy said. “Growing up in Hawaii, you’ve never seen hail.”

  “Thundersnow is a rare occurrence.” Wyatt adjusted the defroster. “The department covered it in a training class. It takes elevated instability and strong dynamic lift in the atmosphere along with colder troposphere. Below freezing.”

  “Okay. Sorry I asked.” Tandy handed Scotty his stuffed wolf.

  “Where’s my snowman?” The boy pressed his nose to the side window. “I want to stop and make another one.”

  A bolt of lightning hit to the right of the front fender. Everyone jumped at the sight.

  “Scotty, we’ve passed the overlook where we built your snowman. Even if we hadn’t, the weather’s too dangerous. Can you pet Mr. Bones to keep him calm?”

  “I will, Mama. But don’t be scared. Wyatt’s gonna keep us safe.”

  “I’m scared the bull will break a leg.”

  “Hang tough for fifteen minutes. We’ll be off the mountain and into the valley, where the hail and snow will hopefully turn to rain,” Wyatt said.

  He was correct. Ten minutes later the pinging on the cab roof stopped as did Stormtrooper’s banging around. But rain continued to beat down.

  Tandy unclenched her hands to pour Wyatt and herself coffee Abby had provided. She filled a travel mug with hot chocolate for Scotty.

  Once his cup was dry, Wyatt glanced at Tandy. “How close can I drive to the pasture where you want to offload the bull? The rain slacked so we should do it as soon as we get to the ranch.”

  “I’d hoped to turn him in with my heifers straightaway. There’s a fire road that ends ten yards from my back gate.” She sawed her lip between her teeth. “Wait, is that a dumb idea if two sections of my fence are down and Preston’s cows are overrunning my lease?”

  “Call Manny. Ask if we should put him in the corral behind the barn. Sometimes he lets the horses run there. If they’re loose we need a plan B.”

  She took out her phone. “Are we an hour out from the ranch?”

  “Barring this rain worsening, maybe an hour and a half.”

  Tandy tapped her cell. When Manny answered, she laid out their situation and ETA.

  “Tandy, I tried to call you earlier. I got nothing so figured you were out of cell range. You won’t believe what I found at the lease this morning. Hicks’s cows were all gone. I swear even their hoofprints. The fence sections are in place. It’s
as if I dreamed the whole thing. ’Cept I know I didn’t.”

  “That’s totally weird. If all is back to normal, we’ll drive to the south gate on the fire road and offload the bull. If you, Wyatt and I form a triangle around him, I think we can drive him from the road to pasture with no problem. Where are you?”

  “I just picked up a prescription in town. I’ll go to the ranch, saddle a horse and meet you there. Give me an hour.”

  “Wyatt says we’re an hour and a half out. Is it raining at the ranch?”

  “Has been. The storm’s blown by, but the fire road will be muddy. Don’t get stuck. See ya, kid.”

  “You heard?” she said to Wyatt.

  “I agree it’s weird. What it tells me is that Preston Hicks is up to something. I wish we knew what.”

  “No good where I’m concerned. Maybe he’s messing with our minds.”

  “I don’t like him, Mama,” Scotty said from the back seat.

  “I know, honey. I’m not overly fond of him myself. Thinking back to when I was a kid, he and Dad often lent each other a hand. And his wife did a lot when my mom was sick and then died. He’s changed.”

  “I’m hungry,” Scotty whined. “Can we get pizza for lunch?”

  “We don’t want to drive into town pulling Stormtrooper in the trailer. Can you wait until we get him settled?” Tandy asked. “Then we’ll go home and I’ll fix us all tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.”

  “I sp’ose.”

  “Thanks, buddy.” Wyatt glanced at the boy through the rearview mirror. “The rain has tapered off. The ground by the corral will be perfect to spot tracks. I’ll take you out after lunch and you can show me what you find.”

  “Goody, goody! Did you know Parker can track? He and his dad followed coyotes that were killing their chickens. They caught ’em and called your office, Wyatt. Guys came and took the coyotes somewhere far away.”

  “That’s a major job of Game and Fish. Help coexistence between ranchers, farmers and wild animals.”

  “Is that what you’re gonna do with the wolves and those guys who were mean to Mama?”