The Rancher’s Bride Surprise

by Maya Stirling

  The barn was perfect, Rachel told herself as she stood at the open door and surveyed the work which had been done to transform it into a schoolroom. The barn was about the same size as the schoolhouse. Just less robust. The wooden walls seemed to rest at an odd angle. She knew this place was never intended for permanent, long-term use. But, it would do for however long she had to wait before the schoolhouse would be restored to its proper use.

  In front of the raised platform upon which rested the blackboard and teacher's desk and chair, there were two lines of small tables, each with a tiny chair. Micah had told her he had spoken with the owner of the general store and they'd come up with the furnishings. She couldn't imagine where they'd found these things, but she was glad they'd done so.

  It was early Monday morning. The sun was shining bright at her back. The children would be here soon. Lily was already over at the stable, checking on the foal. It had been easy to persuade Lily to come up to the ranch to have her lessons. And, when Rachel had visited the parents of her other pupils last night, it hadn't taken long to garner support for her defiance against the unfair closing of the school. Heated opinions had been expressed by those parents. Rachel knew the Mayor was in for a rough ride if he tried to keep the school closed for any length of time.

  But, for now, all that mattered to Rachel was that the children should not miss a single lesson. And, thanks to Micah, they wouldn't. She thought about the ride up to the ranch this morning. How it had felt to be seated next the rancher as he guided the carriage up the trail. Once again, with Lily seated alongside her, Rachel had had a keen sense of what it would be like being a family. But, for some reason, this morning had felt different. Maybe it was because of her and Micah's shared purpose, she told herself. He seemed as determined as her to ensure the children didn't miss one single day at school.

  Or perhaps it was something much more personal, she allowed herself to think. Maybe it had more to do with the fact that she felt closer to the handsome rancher than at any time since she'd met him. He truly possessed a heart of gold, she'd told herself as she'd sat next to him during the ride to the ranch. His kindness was one thing. But his determination to fix this problem had proven to be unstoppable. He was the one who'd arranged all of this.

  Micah had made it possible for her to thwart Calhoun's attempt to punish Rachel for rejecting him. Rachel had understood Calhoun's motives, as she'd faced him down at the saloon the day before. Bitterness and humiliation had driven him to influence the Mayor. And an inflated sense of pride. Calhoun was a perfect example of how evil could use a man's vainglory to drive him to harmful acts. Micah hadn't been exaggerating when he'd described Calhoun's poisonous influence in the town.

  From the distance, Rachel heard the rattling of carriage wheels. She turned and looked out of the barn, past the gate beyond the ranch house. She saw five carriages rolling through the gate. And on those carriages were seated all her pupils. She smiled and made her way out to the yard. The house door opened. Caleb, Eugenie and Micah emerged from inside the house. They all had broad grins on their faces. Rachel knew that Micah had left her alone this morning after bringing her and Lily. Seems he'd understood she had preparations to make before the children arrived.

  Micah smiled at Rachel. She smiled right back at him and then waited while the carriages drew to a halt. The children leaped from the carriages and stared around at the ranch, wonder filling their faces. She guessed that some of them might have been on a ranch before. Clearly, not all of them had.

  Rachel lined the children up in front of the house and instructed them to listen to what Micah's parents had to say. Caleb and Eugenie welcomed the children and wished them all the best for their lessons. They said how pleased and proud they were that the Circle Cross now had a temporary school. Caleb promised they'd all get a tour of the ranch after their first lesson. The children yelled with excitement at that announcement.

  Then it was Rachel's turn to lead the children to the converted barn over near the stable. When the children saw the inside of the barn, they gasped. It must seem like a new world to them, Rachel told herself as she instructed the children to take their seats. Rachel turned to go to the stable in order to fetch Lily. But, she was delighted to see the little girl already making her way to the barn. Obviously Lily had heard the sound of her fellow students' arrival. Lily entered the class and took her seat at the front.

  Before Rachel closed the door, Micah made his way over. He leaned against the edge of the open door and peered inside. "Everything the way you like it?" he asked.

  She smiled at him. Did he know that him just being here made everything just about perfect? This close, he looked so handsome it made her heart ache just to be near him. She caught his scent, a mixture of the leather waistcoat he was wearing and the aroma of freshly washed skin. His eyes were bright with obvious pleasure. His glance settled on her, awaiting her reply. She dragged herself back to the moment, realizing he might catch her staring at him. "Everything's perfect, Micah. Thank you for making this possible."

  "The children look as if they like it," Micah said gazing into the barn. "I think they might get used to being up here." There was a whole lot of noise coming from the children. Rachel called out and they quietened immediately.

  Micah lifted a brow. "I see you haven't lost your touch when it comes to classroom management," he joked.

  "It'll take more than anything Brett Calhoun can muster to stop me from teaching," she stated boldly.

  He nodded. "I can believe that, ma'am," he said quietly, his voice dropping to a low murmur that sent shivers of delight racing up her spine. She felt her cheeks flush with heat. "I better get to work," she announced.

  He quirked a brow at her. "See you later? After lessons?"

  She tilted her head. "Okay."

  And then she headed back into the barn, closing the door behind her. It took a while to calm the children. But, eventually they settled and she managed to get through the morning's lesson just like she would have if she'd been down at the schoolhouse. Of course it felt different. And she was sure the children found the whole experience a curious novelty. But, learning was learning as far as Rachel was concerned. No matter where it took place, it was important that the children got the best education she could muster.

  When she finally emerged from the barn the sun had risen higher in the sky and there was Micah waiting for her on the porch at the front of the big house. The children raced out of the barn eager to claim their prize for being good pupils. The tour of the ranch. The children split into groups, each under the control of a worried looking ranch hand. It wasn't every day that the Circle Cross was invaded like this, Rachel told herself, trying not to smile at the visible unease of the various ranch hands.

  She stepped up onto the porch and Micah rose from the seat. He was still wearing the leather waistcoat, plaid shirt, jeans and well-worn boots from earlier. She felt her breath catch as she gazed at him standing there. The way he was looking at her, she was sure he'd been impatient, waiting for the lesson to end. There was a hunger in the way he looked at her. This was his domain. It was where he felt comfortable. Where he'd grown up to be a man.

  He gestured to the seat. "Join me?"

  She sat down and he eased himself down onto the seat. His arm went to the top edge of the back of the seat. He sighed as he took in the sight of the children organizing themselves into groups, ready to explore the ranch. "Looks like they're happy to be here," he suggested.

  "I could hardly keep their attention on the lesson. Every time they heard a noise from out here, they wanted to come running out here to see what was going on."

  "I guess we take all this for granted," Micah said. "We're here every day. It's just home for us."

  There was an excited cheer from some of the children as they were being led toward the corral. Beyond the fence, Rachel could see a wrangler setting himself up to deal with a feisty and ornery stallion. A show was about to begin, Rachel told herself. It was going to get noisy.r />
  "I suppose it's been a while since the sound of children's voices has been heard around the Circle Cross," she said.

  He lifted a brow. "You're right. Not for few years. Although, maybe that's about to change."

  "Why?"

  "My three brothers. Their wives will be expecting soon." Micah grinned. "Zane hinted as much to me. I think Johanna might be expecting. Maybe they're waiting to make the big announcement. And then there'll be babies crawling around the ranch house. My ma and pa will be pleased about that."

  For some reason, the mention of babies caused something to shift inside her. Her pulse quickened and she drew in a calming breath. Rachel nodded. "I saw how delighted they were when they welcomed the children. They seemed genuinely happy to see them."

  Micah sighed. "All they can think of is the future," he said. "That's all they've ever wanted. A future. Here, in this place." Rachel detected a wistful tone to his voice. Had she accidentally led his attention to a subject which would worry him? The future of the Buchanan spread?

  He shifted his body slightly, easing his frame a few inches nearer to her. Now he was closer, she could sense his presence. The sheer power of his physique. It was a body which had been shaped by outdoor work. Powerful. Strong.

  Butterflies tumbled in her middle. Rachel knew while she and Micah were both in full view of everyone there would be none of the closeness they'd shared yesterday. But, still, it felt good to be near him. Even if they were completely out of bounds to each other. The barrier between them was beginning to crumble, she told herself.

  "Pa says he's spoken to some of the men in town," Micah said. "They're going to put pressure on the mayor to reopen the schoolhouse."

  She turned to face him. "That's good news," she replied. Although it would mean she'd spend less time up at the ranch. And that prospect wasn't so pleasing to her.

  Micah frowned. "Bad news is, it might not happen this week. The mayor has suddenly got busy. No-one can get a hold of him to challenge this decision." He sighed. "But, he'll give in to the pressure. Eventually."

  Rachel heard excited yells coming from the children over at the corral. "Maybe the children might not want to go back to the schoolhouse," she said and smiled.

  Micah nodded. "Some future ranch hands there, I reckon," he said peering at the corral.

  "You might be right," she agreed.

  "When do you leave?" he asked.

  Rachel lifted a brow and then shook her head. "I haven't decided yet. Depends on how the afternoon goes. Some of the parents will want their children back home by mid-afternoon, I guess."

  He seemed disappointed at her reply. Did he want her to stay all day at the ranch? She could, if she wanted, she told herself. There was no hurry to go back to the Cameron house. Sophie, of all people, would understand if Rachel and Lily stayed a while at the ranch.

  "You could have some lunch, if you like," he suggested.

  She smiled. "That sounds nice."

  As if encouraged by her agreement, he leaned closer, his eyes suddenly bright with enthusiasm. "We could have a picnic. Cook can rustle something up for us."

  "Lily would love that," Rachel said and immediately regretted her choice of words when she saw his brows furrow. There was visible disappointment on his features. He'd wanted her all to himself, she realized.

  But, he quickly regained control of himself. "Of course," he said and stood. "I'll get cook to prepare something for the three of us."

  She smiled at him and watched him head back into the house. She leaned back on the bench and sighed. It would have been lovely to have spent this sunny afternoon somewhere out on the rangeland. Alone with Micah. But, Lily would have felt left out. And Rachel didn't want that. She was encouraged by the way Micah had compromised. It proved what she'd come to suspect. Micah considered both Rachel and Lily to be equally important to him. That much had changed in the time she'd known him. Even today, he'd been comfortable around the children. In contrast to when she'd first met Micah, he seemed relaxed and easy-going around the younger ones. That must have taken something for him to come to terms with being around children. She found that idea strangely comforting.

  Rachel stood, brushed a hand across her hair and tugged on her collar. It was going to be nice enjoying a family picnic with Micah and Lily.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Micah insisted on using a carriage to head out on the trail leading to the western edge of the spread. Rachel knew where he was taking her and Lily. The same place he'd brought her before. The parcel of land which had been designated to Micah. Assuming he married, of course. Assuming he took a wife. Would that be her? As she sat on the carriage seat, she pushed that thought out of her mind.

  Lily was excited at the prospect of a picnic. And, she wouldn't stop talking about the foal. She was learning everything there was to know about how to care for little horses. And Micah added his own knowledge gleaned from years of growing up on the ranch. By the end of summer, Lily would be a horse expert, Rachel told herself, feeling pride swell in her heart. She'd never seen the little girl this happy before. Was this what a future with Micah held in prospect? This much happiness and security? Rachel asked herself if she had any right to turn her back on such a possibility.

  If she was to accept it as a future, the only unanswered question which remained was whether or not she and Micah had forged a real connection between themselves. Something real. Something which would last a lifetime. And, more importantly, whether or not this was what God wanted Rachel to choose. That was just about the biggest question she'd ever faced in her life. And she felt the importance of it burning in her heart. The thought filled her mind every time she looked at Micah. She wondered if he could guess the tumult of emotions and thoughts she was trying to control. Today, he seemed calmer than usual. Almost confident. Did he think everything was leading to the outcome he wanted? Marriage to her? It might explain his casual good humor as he guided the carriage along the trail.

  Finally, they arrived at the place where he'd brought her. She saw the wooden post still fixed in the ground where he had thrust it so defiantly. The flat area was bordered by groves of trees that created a natural shelter. It felt like their own little private area, she told herself. She wondered what it would be like to wander in those groves with Micah by her side.

  Micah drew the carriage to a halt and unloaded the picnic baskets from the back. Pretty soon they'd spread out a blanket and laid out plates laden with food. They sat down and ate for a while. The chicken and biscuits tasted wonderful out here in the fresh air, Rachel told herself. Or was it just that sharing food with both Micah and Lily present seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Lily made short work of the bottle of lemonade. And then it was time to enjoy the cakes which cook had packed into a basket.

  Rachel leaned back on the blanket. Her stomach felt pleasantly full after the food. She ran her gaze around the spot he'd chosen for their first picnic together. Would it be their last? She sighed heavily, frustrated with herself for even entertaining such negative thoughts.

  All through the picnic, Micah had been pleasant and courteous. He'd joked with Lily, making the little girl giggle as she tried to eat her food and drink her lemonade. To Rachel, Micah had made many pleasing remarks, casually teasing her and making sure that everything was to her liking. He couldn't have been any more of a gentleman, she'd told herself throughout the picnic.

  They cleared up the plates and bottles, putting them away inside the baskets. Now the blanket was bare, except for the two figures stretching out on it. Rachel couldn't resist glancing at Micah as he eased his long body out across the plaid blanket.

  Having eaten to her fill, Lily was bubbling with energy and running around the picnic area. Over by the trees, the cool breeze made the leaves and branches rustle, creating a wonderfully calming soft sound which Rachel found entrancing. Lily raced over toward a grove of trees. "Don't go too far," Rachel called out to Lily.

  "I won't," Lily replied almost dismis
sively as she ducked beneath some low-hanging branches and disappeared out of sight. For the first time since they'd left the ranch house, Rachel was alone with Micah.

  As if sensing the significance of that, Micah eased himself toward Rachel. He wasn't so close to her that any issues of propriety would raise their head. But he was close enough that she could savor his presence. Feel the comfort at being with him. That was becoming a regular occurrence, she told herself.