Her Cowboy's Twin Blessings

by Patricia Johns

  “He’s had his bottle and I changed his diaper half an hour ago. But normally after that bottle—” Ember began. Then she smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about,” Bert replied. “And Will?”

  “He’s had his bottle, his diaper is changed and he’s been out like a light since.” So he’d wake up soon and want some entertaining.

  “Sounds good,” Bert said, then nodded to Casey. “Take your time, boss.”

  Ember got her jacket, and when Casey opened the door, she eyed the three steps with trepidation.

  “Grab your crutch,” Casey said, and when she did, he scooped her up into his arms. He smelled warm and musky, and her breath caught in her throat as he effortlessly carried her down the stairs, then put her down lightly once more.

  “Now you’re just showing off,” she said with a low laugh as she caught her balance once more.

  “Easier that way,” he said with a wink, then pulled the house door shut behind him. “So how did it go with the boys?”

  “Fine.”

  “I meant, how are you?” he said, his gaze catching hers.

  “Better than I was before. There is something to be said for just feeling your grief. It has less power that way.”

  “So they say.” He looked away from her, scanning the scene for a moment, then bringing his gaze back to lock on to hers. “I could see us being in each other’s lives, if you stuck around.”

  “But not as your therapist, and not as your boss,” she said. She hopped over to the truck, and Casey pulled open the passenger-side door. She turned toward him, and he stood there looking down into her face, his eyes locking on to hers in that tender way again. His broad chest emanated heat in the cool evening, and she had to hold herself back from leaning into those strong arms.

  “But I could be your friend,” he said quietly.

  “You’re assuming I’m staying here,” she said, sadness welling up inside her. “If I found the evidence I needed, I would. But I’m not buying this land without it. This isn’t only about me and my feelings. My plans would affect a lot of other people...” Who was she fooling? She wasn’t even thinking about the ranch hands who would be out of work or the wider community that wanted this to stay ranching land. “It would affect you, Casey. I don’t like the thought of that.”

  Casey ran a finger down her cheek. Whatever it was about Casey that was so comforting and appealing, she’d have to sort out when she could be alone again. And while she couldn’t just turn off whatever she was feeling, maybe she could wade through it and get to thinking rationally again.

  “Hmm...” He didn’t say anything else in response. Did he not believe her? Did he think she didn’t care how he’d be affected?

  “Casey, I’m serious—”

  “I know you are,” he said, and there was a flash of pain in those dark eyes. Then he dropped his gaze and pressed his lips together. “That’s why I said I could be your friend. You’re a good woman. I might think you’re crazy, but you’re deep-down good.”

  She smiled at that. “Crazy, am I?”

  “I stand by that.” He smiled ruefully. “I actually don’t think I could stay away from you entirely. But I will stop kissing you in moments like this.”

  Ember felt a sink of disappointment at that. She didn’t want him to turn off his feelings—even though it was best for both of them. But what did she expect? This wouldn’t work between them, and she wasn’t fooling herself about that.

  “Okay,” she said.

  He pulled in another breath, then nodded. “Okay.” He smiled into her eyes. “You want a hand up?”

  “Sure.” Casey put his hands on her waist and boosted her up into the passenger seat of the truck, and her stomach rippled at the sensation of his touch. He handed the crutch up to her, and then he slammed the door shut, leaving her in momentary silence as he circled around to the other side. She adjusted the crutch to fit more easily down by her feet and leaned her head back.

  She’d pored over those grainy photos on her phone’s internet browser while Casey had been gone, and there weren’t any family photos that fit the descriptions from those journals. There were some unidentified pictures of wildly bearded men or somber women standing alone...but what did that help her? They could be anyone. It seemed there was no way to be certain whether this was her family’s land or not. Maybe that was for the best. She didn’t need to disrupt things here any longer. As soon as her car was ready at the shop, she’d leave Vern Acres and let Casey put his offer down on the ranch. He deserved it—he’d worked this land and maybe he was right that this county didn’t need any more Reed influence.

  Casey opened the driver’s-side door and hopped up into the seat.

  “So why do you want me to be able to ride?” Ember asked, glancing over at him.

  “I want to show you something.” He put the key in the ignition and the truck rumbled to life. “And we can only get there on horseback. That’s one of the many complications of this place.”

  “What do you want to show me?” she asked, shooting him a curious look.

  “You’ll have to wait and see it yourself,” he said with a small smile. “Words won’t do it justice.”

  “And my ankle?” she said.

  “I’ll wait until it heals up enough to get you onto a horse.”

  Ember couldn’t help the curiosity that bubbled up inside her, but when she looked over at Casey, his expression was resolute. She wasn’t going to get anything out of him.

  “Did you find something?” she pressed.

  They pulled out onto that now-familiar gravel road and headed up toward the main house. Casey was obstinately silent, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d stumbled across that proof she’d been searching for. Excitement simmered up within her.

  Was this old ranch her home after all?

  Chapter Twelve

  That night, Casey sat in the kitchen, an untouched mug of tea on the table in front of him. His Bible lay open on the tabletop where he’d been rereading the story of Joshua and those walls.

  “I’m sorry, Lord,” he prayed. “I shouldn’t have kissed her. That wasn’t right—it doesn’t matter what I feel for her. She’s not mine to kiss.”

  He looked over at the cradles where the babies were sleeping peacefully. He was a dad now. He’d struggled with how he would handle all of this, but it had started to settle inside him. These boys were his responsibility, his God-given obligation. They were also his blessing and his joy. They needed him, and maybe he needed them just as much. Caring for these little guys was hard work—he couldn’t deny that—but he’d fallen in love with them in the process.

  “Make me a good father,” he prayed, his voice choked. “Give me the wisdom I’m going to need to raise these boys right. Give me strength, and tenderness, and insight... Make me into the father that these kids need. And please, Lord, take away whatever it is that I’m feeling for Ember. There is only so much a man can handle at one time, and I’m pretty sure I’m reaching my limit here...”

  Once he showed Ember his discovery, she’d finalize her offer—and he’d need to figure out where he and the boys would go. Surely, God had something in mind for them. He’d given Casey a family, hadn’t He? If that wasn’t God moving in His own mysterious ways...

  But Casey did need a woman in his life—a mother for those boys. He needed someone to stand by him, raise kids with him, wrestle with the hard stuff. He needed a woman who could help him teach those boys the country manners and the Christian morals. He needed a partner.

  So what was he doing letting himself fall for Ember Reed? It was dumb—there was no way around it—but he also felt a little helpless when it came to his feelings for her. When he looked at Ember, a part of his heart he’d never known existed woke up.

  Casey didn’t sleep well that night. Telling Ember about that stone heart
h with the single brick worked in that was by the river wouldn’t be easy, because it would be a sort of goodbye to all of his hopes for this land, too. But at least he’d have some time alone with Ember and he could show her what she needed to see...alone, without an audience.

  The next morning, he went to do his rounds after the ranch hands had completed the early chores. Bert stayed with the babies, and Casey called his aunt, just to make sure she was feeling well enough to start helping him out on a full-time basis the next week as they’d agreed. There were two baby boys who needed nurturing and love while he was working to provide for them, and his wayward heart was not the top priority. Those boys were.

  When he’d done his rounds, Casey headed on up to the main house. He parked his truck and stood outside for a moment, the cool morning air soothing his mood. The sun hadn’t risen very high in the sky, but the warm rays felt good on his shoulders. The curtain flicked, and he saw Ember standing by the kitchen window. She wore a gray sweater, her hair tumbling down around her shoulders, and those direct blue eyes followed him with a mildly curious expression.

  “I can’t put it off, Lord,” he prayed under his breath. “Guide me.”

  Sometimes God expected His children to hand deliver a blessing to someone else. If only that particular blessing wasn’t the one he’d been praying for, himself.

  Casey headed to the side door and knocked once before opening it. Mr. Vern was seated at the table with his ledgers open as he worked through the ranch’s monthly finances, and he glanced up as Casey came inside.

  “Good morning,” Mr. Vern said. “How’s the herd?”

  “Twelve new calves last night,” Casey said. “All healthy.”

  “Good, good.” Mr. Vern nodded, turning his attention back down to the ledger. “I’m just trying to get these accounts sorted out. I need to write a check for the nursing home.”

  “No problem, sir. I’m here to see if Ember’s well enough to ride,” Casey said, turning toward Ember. She stood by the counter, her bandaged foot gingerly touching the floor, but obviously not holding her weight. She took a sip from a mug.

  “That depends on how much will be expected from me,” she said.

  “I’ll get you in and out of the saddle,” Casey said, and he had to admit, he was looking forward to any excuse to be close to her again.

  “If that’s the case, let’s go.” She put her mug down on the counter and turned to Mr. Vern.

  “Thank you for breakfast, Mr. Vern.”

  The older man looked up with a distracted smile. “Not a problem.” He pursed his lips. “Are you any closer to a decision on this place?”

  “It’s beautiful land, sir,” Ember said. “But unless I can find some solid proof that the Harpers homesteaded here, I’m not going to put in an offer.”

  Mr. Vern nodded slowly. “All right, then. Thanks for being honest.”

  And he sank back down into his ledgers again. Casey looked at his boss for a moment, his heart going out to him. The financial pressure was heavy this time of year, and with his wife’s medical care getting more expensive, Casey could only imagine the weight of those worries. But it would be over soon enough, and Mr. Vern would have his sale.

  Casey helped Ember limp down the steps and into the waiting truck. He turned the key and the engine rumbled to life. Then he looked over at her. God worked things together for good—not just for a collective good, but for an individual’s good, too. For a man with a heart that kept loving when it shouldn’t, for two tiny boys whose parents were dead and for this woman who’d been through too much in her lifetime. God worked things together for good—Casey had to hold on to that.

  Casey pulled out of the drive and headed down the gravel road toward the red horse barn. He felt better with Ember by his side, even knowing that he was about to give her the keys to this place, figuratively speaking. What was it about Ember Reed that did this to him?

  “How is your ankle on the bumps?” he asked. “Because on a horse, it’ll be even worse.”

  “It’s not too bad,” she said. “It wasn’t as bad of a sprain as I thought—or maybe it was the ice compress Mr. Vern gave me last night that fixed it right up. I expected to see all sorts of black-and-blue on my foot, but it’s only a little bruised.”

  Casey was thankful to God for the small blessings—it could have been a whole lot worse. They fell into silence for a few more minutes as he circled around toward the barn. When they arrived, he pulled to a stop and leaned forward to look at the corral.

  “I think this will be worth it for you,” he said.

  “Casey, I’m not a country woman,” Ember said with a low laugh. “It might be easier to just tell me about whatever it is you think I need to see... Besides, I’m not sure I’m going to pursue this sale. I was praying about this pretty seriously out there by the river, and in response, I was attacked by wolves and sprained my ankle.”

  “Maybe that wasn’t a response to your prayer,” Casey replied.

  “And maybe it was. I don’t need to be shown any more rugged territory to convince me that I’m in over my head, Casey. You’ve already accomplished that.”

  “This isn’t about proving that you don’t belong here,” he said with a shake of his head. “This is...just for you.”

  Casey got out of the vehicle and circled around to help her down from the passenger side of the truck. She was warm in his arms as he helped her down, and he went ahead to open the door for her into the barn.

  Casey had the horses saddled and ready, so all he had to do was help Ember up into the saddle. Once she was settled he looked up at her, drinking in this beautiful woman with the aching heart. She was lovely, interesting, tender, smart—the whole package. But she wasn’t for him. He could be a part of answering her prayers, though, and today he’d get to see the look on her face when she saw the foundation of her family’s homestead.

  Those weren’t his walls—they were hers.

  He just prayed that while God was working out Ember’s good, that He would remember Casey, too. Because he’d marched so long that every single part of him was deeply tired. Especially his heart.

  * * *

  Ember’s ankle was a little sore as Patience started to move, following Casey’s large stallion, but she wouldn’t complain. She could tell that Casey wanted to show her something important, and the curiosity if she waited longer would be more agonizing than the ride, in her opinion. There was a throbbing place in her heart that wished she could find some proof that this had been the Harpers’ land, but maybe Casey had found a hint that would mean something to her... Because it wasn’t just about her therapy center—it was about coming home.

  The day was bright and warm, and she could feel summer coming in that fragrant wind. She sucked in a chestful of spring air as Casey led them out of the corral and then through the gate.

  “Are we going through the woods again?” Ember asked.

  “No, we’re heading across a pasture. It’s through open fields,” he replied. “It was when I was dealing with that difficult calving that I saw something you’ll be interested in.”

  “And that’s all you’ll say?” she asked with a rueful smile.

  “Yup.” He grinned back at her.

  “Are you sure this ranch won’t kill me yet?” she asked with a low laugh.

  “Not entirely,” he replied, then chuckled. “I told you that ranch life wasn’t what you were expecting. There is no living peaceably with nature. You live peaceably in spite of it, and you’d better know what you’re doing.”

  “For every story in that old journal about catching crayfish in the creek and running around outside or befriending some animal, there was another story about someone just about dying,” Ember said, her mind going back over those well-worn stories told and retold by her mother.

  “Oh, yeah? Like who?” Casey said.

  “Oh, like Bernard�
�that was the oldest son in the family. He went hunting with his father, and they shot an elk. He went up to finish it off and he got a hoof to the head. They had to carry him back to the house and bandage him up. He was unconscious for a week. They sent for a doctor from town who said he’d die. But he didn’t. He eventually woke up. He was never the same, though. Walked with a limp, even though his leg hadn’t been hurt, and he slurred his words. A brain injury, I’d imagine. They didn’t have an explanation for it back then.”

  Ember sighed. Was she crazy to want this rugged, unforgiving patch of land? But even with the risks involved, if this was Harper land, then she did! She wanted to come home to those stories and the ancestors who battled the elements to make a life in these wild Montana plains.

  “So why did your ancestors choose to come out here to homestead?” Casey asked.

  “No idea,” she admitted. “That was never mentioned. They just did. But I think it must have been a sense of adventure. Pa—that’s what the journal called the father of the family—was the adventurous sort. He was the kind of man who could build a log cabin by himself with an ox and a hatchet. He was a big man—stood head and shoulders taller than anyone else—and he hardly ever talked. Mam adored him and did all the chatter for him. And she...trusted him to keep them all alive, I suppose.”

  The horses plodded comfortably forward, and Ember adjusted herself in the saddle, trying to find a better position for her ankle. She bent down to rub a hand over the tensor bandage. She was trusting Casey to keep her alive, too, so she felt like she could understand Mam a little better now. With the right man to rely on, a woman could face more than she ever thought possible.

  “You sore?” Casey asked.

  “Yeah.” She winced. “I’ll be okay.”

  “You want to stop and rest?” he asked, and there was concern in his voice. “I knew it was too early to take you on horseback.”