Winning the Rancher's Heart

by Arlene James

  “It’s tough losing a parent. My dad died when I was a baby, then my stepdad died suddenly of a heart attack when I was nineteen.”

  “It’s funny how...unprotected...you feel when your daddy dies, isn’t it? No matter how old you are.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Wyatt was always there for me and Jake, but when I was little, it was Mom who made me feel loved and Dad who made me feel safe. I miss them.” Ryder huffed a sigh. “Life goes on, but it’s not always easy.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Jeri agreed. “I miss my brother especially.” As soon as the words slid out of her mouth, she wanted to bite off her tongue.

  Ryder sat up straight, his palms braced atop his muscular thighs. “Your brother died, too? I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. You must’ve been really close to him,” Ryder surmised, leaning forward again and taking both of her hands in his.

  Jeri closed her eyes and felt him press her hands before nodding briskly. “I—I was.”

  “Oh, man. If anything ever happened to one of my brothers...” Ryder shook his head. “And your poor mom. Both husbands and her son. That’s a lot for anyone to bear.”

  Looking Ryder straight in the eyes, Jeri said, “Losing him has almost unhinged my mother.”

  “Well, you can’t blame the poor woman. Do you mind if I ask how your brother died?”

  You killed him, Jeri thought, but she couldn’t say that. Neither could she dredge up the rancor and anger that usually accompanied that thought.

  “We’re not sure,” she finally said. “We just don’t know.”

  “Oh, that’s bad,” Ryder commiserated, shaking his head. “I’m real sorry about that. I’ll pray for you and your mom.”

  You already are.

  The thought came with certainty. It was just about the only thing she knew for certain now, but she knew, in her heart, that Ryder Smith consistently prayed for her and her mother.

  He just didn’t know it.

  And Jeri prayed that he never found out, for if he did, he’d surely hate her for duping him.

  * * *

  “Don’t take too long to change,” Wyatt instructed as Ryder slid out of the SUV under cover of the ranch house’s carport the next day. “I’m starved.”

  “There’s soup in the Crock-Pot,” Kathryn reminded him calmly, letting herself out of the back seat. “I’ll make some grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it.”

  “I’ll get the boys changed,” Jake announced.

  Usually, Ryder would have been anxious to get out of his church clothes, but Jeri was in there with Tina, and he was eager to see her. Jeri had surprised him with her compassion and understanding the afternoon before, and he’d been looking forward to spending more time with her. He’d been disappointed when she’d volunteered to stay with Tina instead of attending the worship service that morning.

  “This will be my only chance,” she’d said, making it sound like a privilege rather than a chore. “Once I get back out on the road, I’ll be competing or traveling every Sunday.”

  Selfishly, Ryder had hoped that Wyatt would refuse Jeri’s offer, but Tina had urged him to go to church, and he’d given in.

  Loosening his string tie, Ryder said, “I’ll change later. After lunch. Someone should help Kathryn get the food on the table.”

  Wyatt traded looks with Jake, who was pulling Frankie out of his safety seat.

  “Right,” Wyatt drawled. “Because you’re always so keen to help Kathryn prepare meals.”

  “He does help,” Kathryn said mildly. “From time to time.”

  Ryder stuck out his tongue at Wyatt, who laughed. Feeling lighthearted, Ryder followed Kathryn into the house, only to bump into her when she came up short just inside the door. The acrid scent of burnt food assailed his nostrils. Jeri sat dejectedly at the table, one elbow braced on the tabletop, the other arm hanging over the back of her chair.

  Kathryn put a hand to her forehead, looking around the room. The place was a disaster. “What on earth?”

  Jeri flipped a hand morosely. “I followed Tina’s instructions to the letter, but...” She shook her head. “I melted the butter first and I counted to ten, but the bread came up black. I tried buttering the bread. I counted to ten. Burned. I tried it without butter. Counted to six. The bread was perfectly browned, but the cheese didn’t melt. So I tried another skillet. Tina went through it all with me again.” She slashed a hand in defeat. “I cannot make a decent grilled cheese sandwich.”

  “And apparently, you can’t do it without using every skillet in the kitchen,” Kathryn muttered.

  Ryder might have laughed if tears hadn’t filled Jeri’s big brown eyes.

  “I don’t know how you do it,” Jeri admitted, her chin wobbling.

  “Well,” Kathryn said briskly, putting on a smile, “when you live without conveniences like fast-food restaurants, you learn to do for yourself. Or live on frozen dinners.”

  “I eat mostly in restaurants,” Jeri grumbled. “I can scrounge a decent meal out of a convenience store in a pinch, but...” She gusted a pitiful sigh. “Not much opportunity to actually cook.”

  “Probably just as well,” Wyatt said under his breath, pushing past Ryder. Jake and the boys crowded in behind him, prompting Kathryn to hang up her coat. Ryder ventured on into the room, carefully peeling off his overcoat.

  “Don’t worry,” he said to Jeri. “I’ll help you clean up while Kathryn makes the grilled cheese sandwiches. Won’t take long.”

  “There’s no more cheese,” Jeri informed him glumly.

  Kathryn paused in the act of tying on an apron, but then she gamely smiled. “Who’s up for BLTs?”

  “Me!” Wyatt and Tyler both exclaimed.

  Jeri’s chin wobbled again. “There’s no more bread.”

  Kathryn looked stunned, but she quickly rallied. “Crackers. We’ll have crackers with our soup.”

  “Lots and lots of crackers,” Jake drawled, hanging up Frankie’s coat.

  Glancing at Jeri, Ryder went to hang up his coat and hat, too.

  “Think I’ll eat with my wife,” Wyatt said from behind a smile, but Ryder recognized the tic at the corner of his eye. His big brother was holding onto his temper by a thin thread.

  Jake herded the boys after him. Jeri sat slumped at the table, looking as if she’d lost her last friend.

  Ryder shrugged out of his suit jacket and hung it on the back of a chair. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  “I’m a complete failure.”

  He chuckled, jerking his thumb at the door. “There’s a fancy dualie sitting out there that suggests otherwise.”

  One corner of her lips curved ever so slightly at that.

  “I’ll teach you to cook, if you want,” Kathryn said, taking soup bowls out of the cabinet.

  “I’ll only be here until Thursday,” Jeri groused. “We could work around the clock until then, and I’d still burn the grilled cheese.”

  “What happens Thursday?”

  “Denver.”

  “Oh, that’s right. You told us you didn’t have a lot of time to look for property because you’d be traveling to and from competitions. I guess that means rodeos.”

  “Mostly,” Jeri said. “There are other types of competition.”

  “Denver is a long haul to make by yourself,” Ryder worried aloud.

  She shrugged. “I’m used to it. I’ve been doing it since I turned twenty. Besides, I’ve already missed Sioux City. I have to make Denver.”

  “I see.” He hated to think of her being on the road alone, but it wasn’t any of his business. Still, he could keep track of her, at least. “You’ll be back next week, though, won’t you?”

  “Yeah. For a few days. Then I drive down to Fort Worth. That’s an easy one. It’s...what? Three, four hours from here?”

  “Something
like that. You taking all of your horses with you?”

  “Just two. Glad and Star. Betty’s not ready yet, and Dovie is better off here.” She sighed again. “I could sure use some practice, but I don’t have any place to set up the barrels. The ground’s too hard at the Burns paddock.”

  “You could get Dean Pryor to disc it for you,” Wyatt said, returning to the room. “He’ll probably do it real cheap. Or for nothing.”

  “I’ll take you over to the Pryors’ this afternoon, if you like,” Ryder told her.

  “Yes,” she agreed, sniffing. “That would help. Thanks.”

  Wyatt went to pick up the tray, which Kathryn had piled with crackers and apple slices. “We’ve still got pound cake,” she told him, “and canned peaches to put over it.”

  “I’ll be back,” Wyatt promised enthusiastically.

  The boys ran into the room then, followed by Jake. Kathryn held up two boxes. “What’ll it be? Animal crackers or saltines?”

  “Aminal quackers!” Frankie cried.

  “Both!” Tyler insisted.

  “Yeah. Bof,” Frankie amended.

  Grinning, Jake went to gather up the plates stacked on the counter at Kathryn’s elbow. “I’ll have saltine quackers,” he teased. Kathryn laughed. He kissed her on the cheek and carried the plates to the table to begin doling them out.

  Ryder went to carry a bowl of soup to Frankie. Jeri got up and followed him to help, but when she started back to the table, hot soup sloshed over the edge of the bowl and onto the floor. She instantly burst into tears. Ryder took the bowls, placing them on the table beside his. Then he gingerly pulled her into his arms.

  “There, there. It’s not that bad.”

  “I just want to go back to bed and start this day over,” she whined, huddling against him.

  He smiled against the top of her head. The girl fit like she was made for him. Maybe she was. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he and Jeri had a chance for something more than temporary friendship.

  And maybe he was losing his mind.

  At the moment, he didn’t much care. She felt like the sweetest thing in the world, standing there in his arms, sniffling against his chest.

  After lunch, he helped her clean up her mess, loading dishes into the dishwasher and wiping down the countertops and stove while she scrubbed the heavy skillets. Kathryn surmised that Jeri had overheated the skillets before browning the sandwiches. Jeri listened carefully, nodding as Kathryn quietly, gently explained the process. In the end, she promised to replace the bread and cheese, despite Kathryn’s protests.

  The grocery store in War Bonnet was closed on Sundays, so Ryder promised to take Jeri into Ardmore after they saw Dean Pryor. While he was thinking about it, he called Dean and asked if they could come over, but he didn’t intend to ask Dean to disc up Stark’s paddock. He already knew that space was too small.

  He planned what he was going to say as he went out to the bunkhouse and changed into jeans and a sweater. When he returned to the house, he went in to speak to Wyatt and Tina. He assured Tina that Jeri had recovered from the morning’s debacle before broaching the subject he’d really come to discuss.

  “Listen, Wyatt, she won’t say it, but that paddock over at Stark’s is unsuitable in more ways than one. I think we should have Dean disc a suitable space over here. In fact, I think we should bring Jeri’s horses over here. I don’t want to deprive Stark of a paying customer, but we’ve got the room, and it would be so much more convenient over here. It would cut an hour off my own workday at least. And Tina and Kathryn are going to want the ground tilled for a garden this spring anyway. Let me tell Jeri to move her horses and practice here.”

  The accommodations at Loco Man weren’t as luxurious as those at Stark’s place, but they were more than adequate. Surely they could suit her current needs better at Loco Man.

  Wyatt was lying on the bed next to Tina, atop the covers, his arms tucked behind his head, his stockinged feet crossed at the ankles.

  “Have you talked to her about this?”

  “No.”

  Wyatt sighed. “I don’t know, Ryder. That girl’s a walking catastrophe.”

  “Not in everything,” Ryder insisted. “Okay, she can’t make a grilled cheese sandwich to save her life, but Rex could learn a thing or two from her when it comes to horses.”

  Rex was the acknowledged horse nerd in the area. As a veterinarian, Stark knew loads about horses, but Rex could spend hours on the computer researching the animals.

  Wyatt rocked up into a sitting position, grinning. “And you’re not the least bit biased where she’s concerned, are you?”

  Ryder felt his face heat, but he didn’t cavil. “Maybe. But I’m not wrong. She’s good.”

  “Okay, she’s good. And?”

  “We’re heading over to Dean’s in a few minutes. You know Dean will disc our ground for nothing if we ask. I’ll put up temporary fencing myself.”

  Narrowing his eyes, Wyatt deliberated. “Are you sure you want to get that involved with this girl, Ryder?”

  He tried to consider his answer dispassionately, but he already knew what he was going to say. “Yeah, I do. I want to help her work her horses, and that’ll be easier here. For everyone.”

  Wyatt lifted his eyebrows then settled back onto his pillow. “Okay by me.”

  Pleased, Ryder couldn’t catch back a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Wyatt.”

  Smiling, Tina smoothed the bedcovers with her hands. “She worked so hard at those grilled cheese sandwiches, but I guess I’m not the best instructor, and she threatened to call Wyatt at church if I got up to help her.”

  Ducking his head, Ryder smiled. Maybe she was accident prone and choosy, and she definitely could not cook, but she was thoughtful and caring. And beautiful. So beautiful.

  “Dinner’s on me tonight. I have to take Jeri into Ardmore, so I’ll pick up some burgers, if that’s all right with everyone.”

  The family had adopted the habit of fending for themselves on Sundays so Kathryn could have the time off at home with her husband and son, but with Tina laid up that had become problematic. Ryder figured this was the least he could do in light of Wyatt’s cooperation on Jeri’s situation.

  “Sounds good to me,” Wyatt agreed. Tina nodded, smiling.

  Ryder hurried upstairs to tell Jeri that they were expected at the Pryors’ and propose the new plan. When he tapped on her door, she called out.

  “One minute.”

  He heard her speaking to someone, which meant she was probably on the phone, but he didn’t even try to make out the words. After a few seconds, she opened the door. Her eyelashes sparkled, as if she’d been crying again.

  “Ryder.”

  “You okay?”

  She nodded and smiled wanly. “Fine.”

  He told her what he’d discussed with Wyatt. For a long moment, she just stood there and stared at him. Then her eyes began to glisten again.

  “Seriously? Here at Loco Man?”

  “Wouldn’t that be best all the way around?”

  Bowing her head, she squeaked, “Yes.”

  “Then why are you upset?” he asked softly.

  He heard her gulp. Then she shook her head, the long, dark, glossy strands of her hair rippling.

  “I’m not. I’m...” She looked up, blinking away tears. “I’m grateful. And, of course, I’ll pay you what I’m paying Burns.”

  “We’ll work that out later,” he told her. “Right now, Dean and Ann are expecting us. You’ll need to explain to him exactly how you need the ground prepared.”

  “Let me pull on my boots.” She turned back into her room to do that and returned moments later, throwing on her coat.

  They walked downstairs together. Ryder shrugged into his coat and picked up his hat. At the same time, Jeri thrust her keys at him.

  “You drive. You
know where we’re going.”

  The Pryor farm was only five miles away and easy to find, but Ryder smiled and took the keys before grabbing an insulated bag from the top of the refrigerator. If Dean kept them talking for a while, which was very likely, they might not return to the ranch before heading over to Ardmore for the food. The insulated bag would keep the food hot on the drive back home.

  It went exactly as Ryder anticipated. Billie, Dean’s grandmother, insisted on serving them coffee and cookies. Ann chatted up Jeri, learning in minutes what it had taken Ryder the better part of a week to discover. Dean and Ann’s kids had to introduce Jeri to their dog, Digger, who was only too happy for the attention. The Pryors wanted to know all about Tina and her situation. Then Dean questioned Jeri extensively about barrel racing. An hour passed before Ryder could get to the reason for their visit. That necessitated another discussion about preparing the ground properly for Jeri’s purposes. Dean brushed off any suggestion of pay.

  “It’s a small job, and I’m not doing anything right now, anyway. I’ll get to work on it first thing in the morning.”

  “And he does mean first thing,” Ann warned them.

  Dean shrugged. “Farmer’s lot in life, rising with the sun.”

  “I hope it’s not too cold,” Jeri worried aloud.

  Shaking his head, Dean said, “Working the ground’ll warm it up. Lot of friction involved.”

  “I think she meant for you,” Ryder clarified, winking at Jeri.

  “Oh, I’ll be inside, snug as a bug in a rug. You know, tractors have cabs these days, not just a cold metal seat. Or at least mine does.” He grinned.

  “A farmer’s lot,” Ann deadpanned, and they all laughed.

  By the time Ryder and Jeri rose to leave, Billie was urging them to stay for supper.

  “Thank you, but another time. I promised everyone hamburgers.”

  They took their leave amid hugs and invitations for meals in the future. As they walked to the truck, Jeri commented, “Life seems to revolve around food here. Have you noticed that?”

  Ryder chuckled. “Yeah, I have, but when you don’t enjoy the luxury of restaurants and grocery stores around every corner, you spend a lot of time planning meals and cooking them. Meals become more of a family event. I like it. But then I don’t have to do the planning, shopping and cooking.”