by Zoe Matthews
“What else does she do when she spends the day in Pinedale?” Logan asked.
“I am sure she will visit Paul’s grave,” Sadie said. “She always goes there when she drives to Pinedale.”
Even though he wasn’t surprised at Sadie’s words, he again wondered if Sierra would ever be able to let her husband go. Sadie wished him a good day as she and Brooklyn started walking towards the river.
Logan sighed as he looked at the empty road again. Maybe he needed to back off a bit and give Sierra the time she obviously needed. He thought of the horse he needed to work with and decided it was time to start his day. He went into the Ranch House to collect Mason and Noah. He hoped that the boys would be willing to watch him quietly while he worked with the horses. Maybe if he promised them they could go fishing after lunch if they were good while he worked with the horses, they would be willing to play quietly.
Chapter 16
For the next week, Sierra watched Mason and Noah as usual. She also helped with the vegetable garden and met with Sadie a few times.
Sierra was excited about their plans for the activities. Between the two of them, they decided they would offer horseback riding, arts and crafts, fishing, overnight backpacking trips, day hikes to Mirror Lake and to a fresh spring that was located above the lake, and four-wheel drive trips. Sadie wanted to include rock climbing and river rafting. The river near the ranch was pretty mellow and not good for rafting, but as it went past the ranch, it became much more rough. There was a long stretch of the river that was perfect for rafting for most of the summer.
They also talked about having barn dances, campfire activities, and singing regularly. They hoped the guests would also enjoy free use of the vegetable garden.
Sadie was also planning winter activities like cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Sierra knew that Sheridan wanted to keep the dude ranch open through Christmas every year, but then close it for the months of January through March to give the family a break. During the months the dude ranch would be open, the family would be very busy, and Sheridan felt it would be beneficial to take part of the year off. Besides, during the winter months, they received quite a bit of snow, and it would be difficult to entertain guests.
The week went by quickly, but after the first few days, Sierra started to realize Logan had not sought her out. They talked about the boys and what they had done each day, but after the kids were all in bed, he disappeared each night, and there was no meeting on the porch like they had been doing before she made her trip to Pinedale. She wondered if he was avoiding her. Maybe he had changed his mind about wanting to get to know her.
Now it was Friday morning and Sierra was making sure the kids ate their breakfast before they started their day. She felt a presence behind her and knew immediately it was Logan.
“I have some free time this morning,” Logan told her with his usual carefree grin. “How about we take our kids to the river for some fishing?”
All four children heard his suggestion and immediately started cheering with agreement.
“Do we have enough fishing gear?” Sierra wondered, knowing she would agree with his suggestion. She missed spending time with him.
“Yep. Spencer told me there are a few fishing poles and supplies in the shed, and I also brought a few.”
“I think that sounds fun,” Sierra told him with a smile, “and it seems the kids think so, too.” She glanced at the kids who had big grins on their faces.
“Let’s plan to leave in about an hour then,” Logan suggested as he sat next to Mason to help him butter a piece of toast.
Breakfast was soon over and Sierra quickly helped Ashley and Elysha get ready. She then helped Kathy pack them a lunch. She hoped that they would be gone most of the day. Sierra was looking forward to spending some time with Logan and their kids.
Soon they were on their way. Logan led the group up the river towards a spot he said he discovered earlier in the week that he felt might be full of fish. Sierra knew of the spot. It was part of the river that had been blocked off with stones and logs by Sheridan and some of his friends when they were teenagers and so a small pool had developed. Part of the dam had been washed away, but some of the larger logs and rocks were still there and it usually caught quite a bit of larger fish in its depths.
They spent the morning helping the kids cast their lines. Sierra noticed that Logan didn’t fish himself, even though he had brought his own fishing pole. He spent all of his time patiently helping each of the children with their own poles. Ashley caught the first fish, a nice brown trout. Soon between the six of them, they had caught four nice sized fish.
“Let’s build a fire and cook them up,” Logan suggested after he gutted and cleaned them. Soon a small fire was going and Logan expertly cooked the fish over the fire. Each of the kids tasted some of the fish, but Mason was the only child who ate an entire fish on his own. The rest of them enjoyed the sandwiches that Sierra had made. Sierra loved trout cooked over a fire, so she enjoyed the cooked trout with Logan.
“You know how to cook these well,” Sierra commented when the last of the fish was gone. “Maybe we should add cooking trout over a campfire as part of the activities we are providing.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” Logan said. The kids had lost interest in fishing. They were running around and playing near the river.
Sierra watched as Logan put the fire out and then sat down next to her on a fallen log.
“How has your week been?” Sierra tried to ask him nonchalantly. What she really wanted to know was why he had been avoiding her all week.
Logan glanced at her and then looked away at the playing children. “Good. I’ve been working with one of those horses that arrived last week. I don’t think he is going to be good for riding. He seems to be a one-man horse. I wouldn’t trust him with guests, especially people who aren’t real familiar with horses.”
“What are you going to do?” Sierra asked.
“I talked to Sheridan. Whatever he decides, we will do. Personally, I think we need to rehome him. We need horses that are safe to ride.”
“What makes horses act like that?”
“He probably was abused some time in his life, harsh handling, something along those lines. Some horses can’t get over stuff like that.”
Logan turned to her. “Did you enjoy your trip to Pinedale last Saturday?”
Sierra was confused at his question, mainly because of his tone of voice. He seemed to want some information and she wasn’t sure what he wanted her to tell him.
“Yes, I ran some errands I needed to do. I took the girls out for hamburgers and they played at a nearby park. We had a nice time.”
“Did you go anywhere else?”
Sierra searched his face. Did she want to talk to Logan about visiting Paul’s grave?
“When was the last time you visited Sarah’s grave, Logan?” Sierra asked instead of answering Logan’s question.
“About six months ago, I guess,” Logan shrugged. “I have a hard time visiting cemeteries. She really isn’t there, you know.”
“Do you really know that? Where do you think Sarah is?”
“I know she is in heaven. She watches over us sometimes. She is probably with her grandmother. Pearl died a few years before Sarah did and they were very close.”
“Do you think she is happy?”
“Yes, I do. I know she didn’t want to die. But yes, I think she is happy. And I know she wants me to be happy here. She wants Mason and Noah to have a good life.”
“How do you know, for sure?”
“Well, we did talk about it, when we knew the cancer was throughout her body, and she wasn’t going to make it. She told me she didn’t want me to spend my life alone.”
“Paul and I never talked about stuff like that,” Sierra admitted. “We were planning on growing old together.”
“I never knew Paul, Sierra, but I think I can safely say something. From what you have told me about him, he loved you and your girls ver
y much. When there is that type of love, it isn’t selfish. I think if he had a chance to talk to you, he would tell you he would want you to be happy, too.”
Sierra opened her mouth, but Logan interrupted her, as if anticipating her next words. “I’m not saying that just because I want things to work out between us. I would say that even if you never wanted to see me again after today. I am saying that because I believe it is true.”
Sierra slowly reached out and took Logan’s hand. “I also took the girls to the cemetery. While we were there, both Ashley and Elysha let me know in no uncertain terms that they were ready for a new daddy, namely you.”
A smile spread across Logan’s face. “And what about their mother? Is she ready for a new husband?”
“I am getting closer. I am just afraid…”
“You are afraid something will happen to me,” Logan concluded. He grasped her hand with both of his. He cradled her hand between his as if he was holding something precious. “Sierra, I can’t promise nothing will happen to me. We both know there are no guarantees with life. But I can promise that I will do my best to stick around.”
“Until we are both old and gray?” Sierra smiled as she felt tears run down her face.
“Yes, until we are both old and gray.” Logan reached a hand out and wiped the tears on her face away. He then bent close and lightly kissed her cheek, and then her lips. He didn’t deepen the kiss, but Sierra felt as if their souls touched with that one kiss. She had never felt that a kiss could mean so much and speak to her heart, but this one did.
“I made a promise to you that I would not rush you, and I will keep that promise, but can you promise me something?” Logan asked her softly as he touched her chin with his hand, looking deep into her eyes.
Sierra couldn’t do anything but nod.
“Can you promise to give us a chance? Let’s get to know each other this summer, with the idea that by the end of summer, we talk about marriage.”
Sierra nodded her agreement and smiled at him. She realized that Sheridan was right. She was going to be one of the lucky ones who found true love twice in a lifetime. She suddenly noticed that their four children were quiet and they were standing close by watching their parents.
“We saw you kiss,” Mason announced. “Are you going to get married?”
“Yeah, do we get to be a family?” Ashley asked. All four children were grasping their hands together as if showing a united front.
Sierra smiled at their wonderful children and then looked at Logan. “I think we should take the summer and spend as much time together as we can, but I know I am ready to move on.” She tried to let Logan know what she meant without saying what she felt in front of the kids. She could tell he knew what she meant when he pulled her to her feet and gave her a big hug. He then turned to the kids.
“Group hug, kids!” Logan announced. “It looks like we are going to be a family.”
With the children yelling their joy as they participated in the group hug, Sierra knew she really was ready to move on. She loved this cowboy and his two little boys very much.
“I love you,” she told Logan above their children’s yells. Logan looked at her intently with the look that always made her heart jump and pulled her close to him. She felt his love like a touch to her soul.
“I love you, too,” he whispered in her ear. He grasped her hands with his own, with their children surrounding them, both of them ready to form a new family.
The End
Colorado Secrets
Majestic Mountain Ranch Romance Series, Book 2
Written by Zoe Matthews
Copyright © 2015
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author's imagination and used fictitiously.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 1
Stephanie Collingsworth picked up another stack of books and placed them in the top of the box before grabbing the packing tape and securing the cardboard flaps closed. She slid the box towards the small pile of boxes that she wanted to take with her back to her family ranch.
It was the end of May. She had returned to Denver where she had lived for the past five years two weeks ago after attending her father’s funeral about an hour’s drive outside Pinedale, Colorado. He’d crashed his small private plane into the side of a mountain, and if that hadn’t been shock enough for the six adult children he’d left behind, his last will and testament had provided the rest.
To each of his six children he’d left a half million dollars, but there had been a very unusual, and non-negotiable condition placed on them each receiving the money. All six of them had to return to the family land, Majestic Mountain Ranch, and reside there, together, for a period of six months.
Several of Stephanie’s siblings already resided there; mainly Sierra, Sadie, and Sheridan. Her other two siblings lived on opposite sides of the continent, but after some discussion and hearing Sheridan’s plans for converting the family cattle ranch into a fully functional dude ranch, even they had agreed to return to the family land. June first was the agreed upon date, and Stephanie had promised to arrive even sooner than that.
It’s not like I actually had a job to come back to! she thought to herself as she started to fill another box.
Stephanie had been living in Denver for the last five years. A year ago she finally secured a dream job at an upscale bridal store. The store was a one-stop shopping experience for the brides and grooms of Denver, offering bridal attire, catering, flowers, and many more amenities.
Stephanie had been planning to make a long-term career out of working in the bridal store and absolutely loved helping brides make their wedding day so special.
Until recently that was. When she first had been hired on, the boss had offered her the possibility of a partnership down the road if things worked out between them. Stephanie had thought her future was all planned out for her.
Then she met her very last client. Bridezilla! Stephanie had secretly referred to the woman as such, and the mother of the bride-to-be was even worse!
Between those two women, they had all but ruined her career at the bridal store. First there had been a problem with the wedding dress. The bride had changed her mind, not once, not twice, but five times! And several of the changes had been after alterations had begun on the dress she no longer liked!
Of course, that had all been Stephanie’s fault, in their opinion. Then there had been a problem with the flowers. The bride and her mother had chosen the rarest flowers in the display book, and even though they had been warned there might be a problem getting them delivered for a May wedding, they had insisted on ordering them.
Stephanie sighed as she remembered the call from the florist shop, informing her the flowers were not available and most likely would not be so for at least another four months.
She’d waited for the bride’s fitting to impart this bit of news, and then the ensuing dialogue had left her wishing to be anywhere but at work. The bride and her mother were personal friends of her boss, and Stephanie had gone out of her way to ensure the young woman got the wedding of her dreams.
When the wedding day had arrived, Stephanie had been silently hoping things would be better. She couldn’t have been more wrong. The bride and her mother had complained about nearly everything. The food w
as cold, the wine was flat, the live musicians played the wrong music – the list went on. And on.
Stephanie hadn’t been very surprised when her boss had called her into the office the next day and accused her of not working well with people. Because of all of the complaints, the company had lost some revenue over this particular wedding, and her boss felt it was only right that Stephanie personally pay some of those losses back. A little bit out of each of her paychecks!
Stephanie had been so flabbergasted by the goings on, she hadn’t really put up much of a fuss. Not even when her boss withdrew her offer of a partnership in the future.
Stephanie had still been dealing with her job situation when she’d received news that her father had been killed in a small plane crash as he was flying from their ranch to the closest large town, Pinedale. Stephanie had gone back in to see her boss, and had asked for a week off to attend the funeral. It was more than a three hour drive away from Denver, and she’d wanted to spend a few days with her siblings during this period of grieving.
