Hopeful Cowboy: A Mulbury Boys Novel (Hope Eternal Ranch Romance Book 1)

by Elana Johnson

  He thought of the next drop he needed to make, and fear slid through his whole body. He kept his head down and kept working, his thoughts tangling about this weekend’s activities. Ginger had actually suggested they go to the mall, because she needed a day away from the ranch, and she wanted some Chinese noodles from a restaurant next to the mall.

  He’d asked if she’d wait for him at the bank again, and she’d said she would. He could see the questions in her eyes, but to her credit, she hadn’t asked them. Nate figured he’d have to tell her something soon enough, but she hadn’t revealed her dating history to him, and as he pulled the last barrel off the truck, he realized his relationship with Ginger wasn’t as deep as it could be.

  He told himself it was still new, and it was. But he wanted it to be deeper, so he’d have to dig down and find something to share with her.

  Spencer’s phone rang, and he answered it with, “Hey, boss,” the way he always did when Ginger called. “Yeah, I can be there. I’m just out at the north bird blinds with Nate.” He looked over at Nate, who waited for Spencer to tell him what to do.

  They weren’t anywhere near done here. The barrels needed to be moved to the six blinds out here, and they’d have to walk through some watery areas the truck couldn’t go to get the job done.

  “He’ll have to be here alone,” Spencer said, half-turning away from Nate. A couple of seconds passed before he said, “All right, boss. See you in a minute.” He hung up and faced Nate. “Ginger needs me back at the ranch.”

  “And I’m not going.” Nate wasn’t asking.

  “She said it’s fine if you work out here on your own.” Spencer went around to the driver’s seat. “I’ll come back and get you, okay?” He paused before he got in the truck. “And Nate, for the record, I think you’re nothing like that other guy that was here.”

  Nate nodded, though his chest squeezed too tight. “Thanks, Spencer.”

  “She trusts you, and so do I.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  Spencer nodded and got in the truck. Nate got straight to work, even before Spencer had gone. He wanted to show everyone that they could trust him. He could work hard. He could accomplish what they wanted him to accomplish.

  And in four months, he’d be on his own, achieving his own dreams. If only he knew what those were.

  He used to know what he wanted from his life, but that had all changed when he’d gotten caught up in the fraud scheme. Now, he needed a new purpose, one that would take him and Connor somewhere amazing.

  He didn’t really want to leave Texas, as Connor only had one set of grandparents, and Nate didn’t think it fair to go too far from them. He’d spoken to his mom and dad several times over the weeks, and Bethany picked up the phone when Nate called too. Those relationships had been damaged, and he’d been rebuilding them for years.

  He felt like they were almost there, and he hoped to move to White Lake with Connor to continue the work he’d been doing to reconstruct the trust he’d ruined with just a few bad decisions.

  By the time he’d moved all the barrels, his breath huffed and puffed from his mouth, and his back, shoulders, and arms burned with the exertion he’d had to use to get them where Ginger wanted them.

  Spencer still hadn’t returned, and Nate’s stomach growled for lunch. He looked down the road, trying to estimate how far it was back to the homestead. Probably an hour by foot, and Nate looked up into the bright, blazing sun.

  He wasn’t making that trek without water, and he’d left his bottle in the truck. He retreated to the shade of the bird blind, though it wasn’t any cooler there.

  His phone rang, and Nate quickly swiped on the call from the Bureau of Prisons, expecting to hear Ted’s voice. Nate didn’t want to tell him he hadn’t followed up with Ginger about bringing him to the ranch, but he wouldn’t lie to a friend.

  Instead, he heard Dallas Dreyer say, “Nathaniel Mulbury,” followed by a big belly laugh.

  Nate chuckled too, because only a few people called him by his full name, and one of them was Dallas. At least the first time they talked. “What’s up, Dallas?” he asked after they’d quieted down.

  “Nothing much. Wondering how ranch life is.”

  “You know what? It’s not bad.” Nate could honestly say that now. “I think maybe I missed my calling in life the first time I chose a career.”

  “Oh yeah? Are you a cowboy now?”

  “I think I am,” Nate said. He hoped he could be a good cowboy. “It’s good work.” He rolled his aching shoulder, thinking maybe he shouldn’t have fought the mud so much.

  “I’m glad,” Dallas said.

  “What’s new there?” Nate asked, surprised he wanted to know. But he missed his boys behind bars, and Dallas had needed a strong core group to watch out for him. Nate worried about what would happen to him once Ted left, as then Dallas would be the one with the most days behind him. Slate Sanders would probably rise to the top, because he had a stronger personality than Dallas, and Luke was happy to let someone else lead.

  And as far as Nate knew, they’d added more men to their ranks. The five of them, Nate included, had formed a camaraderie that Nate missed powerfully every time he thought of his friends.

  He did have Spencer now, and Nick, and a few other cowboys that lived in the house with him. He had Connor, and Ginger, and Emma. And his family, though he didn’t get to see them much.

  He let Dallas talk about River Bay, and how nothing much had changed. “Oh, except guess who just took over your job in the office?” he asked.

  “Who?” Nate asked.

  “Josiah Manuel.”

  All sound ceased as Nate absorbed that information. “You’re kidding.”

  “I wish. And he’s strutting around now like he’s wearing the Manager’s uniform or something. He’s headed for a big fall.”

  “I didn’t realize he had so much sway.” Nate hadn’t really either, but Josiah held a ton of tickets, and he’d almost been moved up a level of security because he loved to start fights.

  “He doesn’t,” Dallas said. “Greg just wants him where he can keep an eye on him, because one of our wings is going through a remodel.”

  “Ah, I see.” Nate wondered if he’d been in the office for a reason like that, but he dismissed the idea quickly. A beep sounded on the line, which meant that Dallas had one minute left on his call. So they said their goodbyes, and Nate hung up.

  He moved to the edge of the bird blind and looked down the road, still finding it empty. He looked up into the clear sky, the hot sun burning straight through him. Frustration built inside him at his situation, so Nate decided to make one more phone call before he went back to the more populated areas of the ranch.

  Sam Wiseman picked up his personal line after only one ring with the words, “Hello, Nathaniel. What can I do for you?”

  “I need another withdrawal,” Nate said. “In the same amount as last time. Same envelope too, if possible.”

  “It’s possible,” Sam said crisply. “I can have that ready for you for this afternoon.”

  Nate started thinking about possibilities, and he asked, “Can you deliver it to someone for me?” He couldn’t imagine detailing how to put the money in a locker at the mall, not to Sam.

  “No, sir,” Sam said. “We can’t do that.”

  “Can I pick it up tomorrow?”

  “Absolutely. The counter is open from ten until two. I’m not in on weekends.”

  “How would I get it?” Nate asked.

  “I’ll put it in your safety deposit box, if that works for you?”

  “That works,” Nate said. He wasn’t sure how he’d carry the briefcase around the mall, disappear, and come back without it. He needed a new bag, one that would conceal the envelope and that he could carry with him reasonably. Did men carry backpacks around the mall?

  He shook his head at this situation. He hated it. He just wanted to give Oscar his money and be done with it. But Oscar refused to take more than nine thousa
nd dollars at a time, and for the twenty-six thousand dollars Nate owed Oscar, that required three drops.

  Tomorrow would only be the second, which meant Nate had to go through this again.

  His phone rang, and when he looked at the screen, he found Ginger’s name on the screen. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said.

  “Hey,” she said. “You still out at the bird blinds?”

  “It’s good to hear your voice.”

  Ginger gave him a light laugh, and that made him smile. He wanted to confide in her, but he didn’t know how. She probably felt the same way about telling him about her ex-boyfriend.

  A guy like him.

  “And yes,” he added. “I’m out at the bird blinds. Done, but I can’t bear the thought of walking back in this heat.”

  “I have good news for you then,” she said. “I’m about five minutes away, and the air conditioner in this truck works really well.”

  “Bless you,” he said, actually sighing in relief.

  She laughed again and said she’d be there soon. Nate decided he could brave the sun for a few minutes, and he stepped out of the bird blind and headed down the road. Sure enough, Ginger rounded the bend and came toward him. She pulled to a stop beside him and said, “You lost, Mister?”

  He grinned at her and sighed as he got in the passenger seat. “It’s hot.”

  “That it is,” she said. “I brought you a water.” She indicated it sitting in the console between them. Nate also spied something there that made his mouth water. “And yes, I got you a hamburger.”

  “You’re the best,” he said, reaching for the food and then the water. “Seriously, Ginger, thank you.”

  She gripped the steering wheel tightly. Her voice was a bit too high when she said, “Thanks for being someone I can trust.”

  Guilt cut through Nate, but he said nothing. Once all the drops were done, once Oscar had his money and no reason to contact Nate ever again, then he’d tell Ginger. He’d tell her everything, share his whole life with her.

  But for now, he had to keep this one secret. After all, how much damage could one little secret do?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ginger had looked for ways Nate could potentially mess up. After the one time he hadn’t been in the stables where she’d expected him to be, her stomach clenched whenever she went to find him. But he was always right where he said he’d be. He learned quickly, and he was one of the hardest working men she’d ever met.

  She’d been toying with the idea of offering him a permanent position on the ranch once his reentry term expired. But he didn’t seem to be hurting for money, and he’d mentioned moving into Ward’s house in White Lake more than once.

  So Ginger had kept her mouth closed. White Lake was only about twenty minutes down the road, and she could easily make the drive to see him. Heck, after his residential program ended, he’d be a free man, and he could drive to see her.

  She set the curling iron down, deciding she couldn’t make every lock of hair into a wave. Nate would know she’d spent an hour in front of the mirror, and she didn’t want him to think she was trying so hard. Even if she was.

  They were going to the mall today to get her favorite Chinese food. She hadn’t told him it was to celebrate her birthday, but it was. She should probably text him just to let him know. As soon as she thought so, she recalled the idea. No, she told herself. It’s fine. She didn’t need him to buy her anything.

  She knew he liked her, because he poured everything into his kisses, and Ginger had felt it time and time again over the past few weeks.

  “There you are,” Emma said, leaning into the doorway. “I just put the cheesecake in. Jill, Jess, Michelle, and Hannah have all confirmed for tonight. So did both of your sisters.”

  “Both of them?” Ginger turned away from her reflection. She was as beautiful as she was going to get, and another layer of lip gloss wouldn’t help. “Sierra isn’t going out with Max?”

  Emma rolled her eyes. “She actually asked if she could bring him, and I told her irrevocably that she could not.”

  “I’m surprised she’s coming then.” Her sister couldn’t do anything without her fiancé, and no one had the heart to tell Sierra that she and Max had been engaged for four years. Ginger wanted a man who couldn’t wait to get her to the altar, not one that put the wedding off and off and off…

  No one in the family—or anyone who’d been around for the past four years—believed Sierra and Max would actually get married. In fact, the plans for the non-existent wedding had stopped years ago.

  But Sierra worked the weekend tours, and she helped with Connor, so Ginger respected her. She loved her because they were related, but sometimes Sierra could pull a diva card out of nowhere.

  “We’ll see if she actually does,” Emma said, scanning Ginger. “How are things with Nate?”

  “Fine,” Ginger said with an air of coolness. She didn’t make direct eye contact with Emma as she approached the door, and her best friend fell back into the hallway.

  “Must be,” Emma said. “You’ve gone to The Green Dragon by yourself for five years. Wouldn’t even let me come so you didn’t have to be alone on your birthday.”

  “I’m never alone on my birthday,” Ginger said, pausing in front of Emma. She had gorgeous dark hair that had a natural wave, not like the too-tight one Ginger had put in her hair with a curling iron. Emma’s big, brown eyes looked at Ginger, practically begging her for all the details.

  It seemed that everyone around the ranch knew Ginger and Nate were something. They just didn’t know how serious it was. Ginger herself didn’t know that either, though she’d felt herself slipping more and more the past couple of weeks.

  Everything Nate did and said made her foothold on reality a little less sure. She wanted a fantasy life with the strong, handsome cowboy, and the towheaded little boy. She could admit she loved Connor, but going all the way there with Nate…Ginger still had a tight grip on those reins.

  “You always make me an amazing cake and a delicious dinner.” Ginger smiled at Emma and leaned into her for a hug. She did love this other woman, who had been by her side for the past ten years here on the ranch. Emma had started as a teacher’s aide, bringing first and second graders to the ranch to do the Monarch butterfly classes.

  She loved horses, and soon enough, Ginger had pulled her from the school system and onto the ranch, where she’d been ever since. Ginger didn’t trust anyone more than she did Emma, and they worked incredibly well together to make sure Hope Eternal Ranch thrived under any circumstances.

  Emma held her tight and breathed in deep. “Okay, but I know you and Nate are something serious, even if you won’t admit it.”

  “I never said I wouldn’t admit it,” Ginger said.

  “You’ve never even admitted that you’ve kissed him,” Emma said with a laugh, pulling away from Ginger. “And I don’t get why. We all know you have.”

  “Maybe I just don’t want to talk about it over dinner,” Ginger said.

  A new light entered Emma’s eyes, “Great. I’m going to get a ton of butter pecan ice cream, and you’ll come to my room tonight. Ten o’clock. Wait. Nine. And then we’ll chat.” She turned and started down the hall before Ginger could protest.

  When she finally did, Emma just waved over her shoulder. “Nine o’clock,” she said, disappearing around the corner. That was that. Ginger would go, because she’d always talked to Emma about her boyfriends.

  Boyfriend.

  Was that what Nate was? Would he classify her as his girlfriend?

  She hoped so.

  Several minutes later, she sat in the truck as Nate helped Connor onto the seat. “Slide over, bud. All the way.”

  Connor did, and Ginger helped him with his seatbelt. “How’s the little cowboy?” she asked. Nate slammed the door, so she didn’t hear the beginning of what Connor said, but it didn’t matter. The boy had been dipped in magic, and then gold, and she couldn’t imagine a better child than Connor.


  “You guys hungry?” she asked as she pulled through the garage and circled the house instead of backing out into the driveway.

  “I am,” Connor said, bouncing a little on the seat. “Uncle Nate wouldn’t let me eat breakfast.”

  “Is that so?”

  “No,” Nate said, somewhat crossly. He wore a displeased look on his face as he gazed at Connor. “That is not true. You ate French toast, Connor. And bacon. I wouldn’t let you eat a Twinkie fifteen minutes ago, because we’re going to lunch with Ginger.” He looked at her from across the cab. “For her birthday.”

  She sucked in a breath and dang near drove them into the fence post. She corrected sharply, throwing them all to the right. Nate started laughing, and Connor said, “Whoa there,” like a real cowboy.

  “Who told you?” Ginger asked.

  “Nick,” Nate said.

  “I’m going to kill him.”

  “Why?” Nate’s gaze on the side of her face was too heavy. “What’s the big deal if I know it’s your birthday?”

  “Yeah, don’t you want any presents?” Connor asked in his innocent little boy voice.

  “Yeah,” Nate echoed. “We could’ve gotten her so many presents. Now we’ll just have to settle for what we can find at the mall.”

  “No,” Ginger said. “I don’t want presents.”

  “Who doesn’t want presents?” Nate asked.

  “I don’t,” she said. “My friends throw me a big birthday dinner with cake every year. I just want Chinese food and good company.”

  “You don’t like your friends?”

  “I love my friends. They’re just…loud.”

  “The mall is loud,” Nate said.

  “But it’s not the ranch,” Ginger said, finally letting herself look at him. “So, to the bank first? Chinese second? Mall third?”

  Nate nodded, a curious look on his face still. Thankfully, Ginger had to look away to check the traffic before she pulled onto the highway.

  “You gotta be good,” Nate said in a mock whisper to Connor. “She said she wanted good company.”