The Rancher's Unexpected Family

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Of course, nothing would come of it. Firstly, he was at the ranch for her help with his daughter. An affair would be a distraction from that. Secondly, she wasn’t about to start anything that had no future since he lived in a different state. And thirdly, it was too ridiculous to contemplate!

By the time she headed downstairs Jaye’s room was empty and Ash knew he would’ve already had his breakfast with Tahlia and Micah and was probably outside with his great-uncle. Ricky resided in one of the smaller cabins just a stone’s throw from the house, but the younger kids lived in the main house in the room next to her mother’s. Uncle Ted had moved into one of the larger cabins years ago, which made him a good chaperone for anyone staying in the cabins.

Ash poured herself a coffee and buttered a piece of toast and was just about to sit down at the table when her mother entered the room. She looked up and smiled.

“Everything all right?” her mother asked.

She nodded. “Sure. I overslept. My busy week catching up with me.”

“Well, you have a few days before you go back to work on Wednesday, so you have time to relax and unwind.”

“I know,” she said and drank some coffee. She’d planned a few days’ leave to get acquainted with her new guests, but now she wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. “Is Jaye with Uncle Ted?”

“No,” her mother answered. “With Cole.”

Her back straightened. “Why is he—”

“They’re in the barn,” her mother interrupted. “Tinkering with that old truck of yours, and there’s a good dose of hero worship going on. The kid is certainly smitten.”

He’s not the only one.

Ash put on a serious face. “Cole’s here to try and connect with his daughter, not to answer Jaye’s million and one questions. I should probably—”

“It’s good for Jaye,” her mother said, cutting her off again. “And probably good for Cole, too. I think he had a rough night with Maisy. When I went to check on Ricky last night after dinner and give him his lesson plan for this week, I heard them arguing. There’s a whole lot of hurt and anger in that young girl’s heart, most of it directed at her father.”

Ash understood the feeling. Her own father had left when she was ten years old. Her stepfather left when she was fifteen. And then Pete when she was twenty-one.

Men always leave.

She shrugged off the notion and ate her breakfast, conscious of her mother’s scrutiny.

“What?” she asked.

“Exactly,” Nancy said and came around the table. “What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing,” she said and got up. “I’m going to check on Jaye.”

“He’s nice,” her mother said and smiled, seeming as though she knew exactly what was going on in Ash’s churning thoughts. “Really nice. Don’t you think?”

Ash shrugged. “What I think isn’t important.”

Nancy chuckled. “Oh, stop being so sensible. There’s nothing wrong with admitting you like him. Or that you think he’s...nice.”

There was everything wrong with admitting that.

“Have you been reading Jane Austen again?” she asked and took her dishes to the sink. “You know how that always makes you sappy and sentimental.”

“And I love how you always deflect the conversation away from yourself whenever I mention the idea of you dusting off that cynical heart of yours.”

Ash dismissed her mother’s words with a wave of her hand. “I’m not a cynic. I’m a realist.”

“You’re a scaredy-cat,” Nancy said, grinning. “But with two failed marriages behind me, I’m probably not in a position to give advice.”

“And yet, you still do,” Ash said with a smile as she moved around the counter. “Can you watch Tahlia and Micah? I’ll be back soon.”

Ash headed outside and made her way toward the barn. The dogs raced around with sticks and the chickens were pecking around the yard. It was a warm morning and the ranch was buzzing with sounds and scents. The goats were bleating and walking the fence line of their pen, usual behavior when they spotted someone walking across the yard. And Rodney, the five-year-old alpaca who acted more like a dog than anything else, was following Uncle Ted around near the vegetable garden. It was a peaceful scene and Ash was consumed by a sense of how much good there was in her life.

And then she heard it.

Music. Loud and awful. Some kind of heavy, brain-draining rock that hurt her eardrums.

She followed the sound into the barn and stood by the doorway. Cole was bent over the hood of her old truck, dressed in worn jeans and a black T-shirt that molded to his shoulders and showed off way too much of his gloriously well-muscled arms. And then she spotted her son, perched on an old fruit crate, about two feet away from the truck, laughing and flapping his arms in time to the mind-numbing music and clearly having a fabulous time.

Ash stayed where she was and enjoyed the moment. She loved seeing Jaye so happy. He was mostly a cheerful child, and intelligent and compliant. He had something of a stubborn streak, too. Particularly when he wanted something—like entering the soapbox-derby race at this year’s spring fair. Part of her longed to let him spread his wings and enter the race. But she was scared for him and, as always, her priority was keeping him safe. If he got injured or bullied she would never forgive herself. It was better this way. Better to wait until the following year. He’d be older and better equipped to handle the risks. Sure, he was disappointed and made his feelings abundantly clear whenever he got the opportunity, but she was prepared to shoulder his frustration if it meant he was kept out of harm’s way. Overprotective...maybe. But she could live with that.

“Mom!”

Jaye’s voice broke through her thoughts and she frowned when she saw Cole jerk back and bang his head on the hood. He cursed loudly and then quickly apologized as he turned toward the radio and flicked down the volume.

“Mom has a swearing jar in the kitchen,” her son said matter-of-factly. “Ten cents for every bad word.”

Cole rubbed the back of his head. “I better start saving my dimes.”

Jaye laughed loudly. “I’ve got a stash in my piggy bank if you run out.”

Ash smiled to herself, enjoying the exchange between man and boy. Jaye’s only regular male company was Uncle Ted, and although he was kindhearted, he was also busy running the ranch and didn’t have a lot of spare time to spend with her son. It was nice to see him so relaxed and carefree and clearly reveling in Cole’s company.

“Is your head okay?” she asked and walked toward the truck. “Not concussed or anything?”

He gave her a wry smile and his blue eyes glittered spectacularly. “Nothing permanent. Just whacked the metal plate in my skull.”

“You have a metal plate in your skull?” she asked, frowning.

He laughed and grabbed the cloth Jaye was now holding toward him. “I’m kidding. About it being in my head. I do have two attached to my spine, though,” he said as he wiped his hands.

Her frown increased. “Really?”

“Really. I was in an accident around ten years ago.”

“I read about that,” she said and forced herself to stand back while Jaye slowly got to his feet. Helping him came to her as naturally as breathing, but she knew she needed to give him his space and independence. “It’s what ended your career as a driver?”

“It did,” he replied and moved around the front of the truck. “I broke my back and a bunch of other bones and spent months in the hospital.”

Ash was horrified. “You could have been killed.”

He shrugged. “It’s a dangerous sport. I knew the risks. I had a tire blow out and lost control. It happens. But I was stubborn and wouldn’t let it beat me. Then had to learn how to walk again.”

“You couldn’t walk?” Jaye’s incredulous voice rang out between them.

“That’s right, buddy. I spent a long time in hospital and then worked with a physical therapist to get back on my feet.”

“I have a physical therapist,” Jaye announced, clearly proud to have some common denominator with the man in front of him. “I go and see her every two weeks, don’t I, Mom?” He didn’t wait for her to respond. “Her name is Becca and she’s really nice. Grandma says she’s a cougar, though,” Jaye said and then frowned. “But I don’t really know what that means.”

Ash gasped slightly. “Ah, Jaye, why don’t you go and see if Uncle Ted needs any help with the vegetable garden.”

He groaned. “But, Mom,” he complained. “I’m gonna help Cole fix the truck and that’s going to take—”

“You can still help,” Cole said easily. “We’ll work on the truck some more tomorrow. And if it’s okay with you, I’d like to talk to your mom about a few things.”

“About me?”

Cole shook his head fractionally. “About Maisy. You know how I told you she wasn’t feeling so great this morning?”

Jaye nodded, absorbing Cole’s words as though they were gold. “Okay, I’ll see you later. See you later, too, Mom,” her son said as he headed from the barn.

Cole waited until her son was out of sight before speaking again. “So, about this cougar...”

Ash met his gaze and laughed. “I really have to tell my mother to stop gossiping.”

“Where’s the fun in that,” he teased and draped the cloth over the hood. “Your brakes are fixed and the thermostat needs replacing. I’ve spoken to your uncle this morning and he’s given me the number of a place in town where I can get the part ordered.”

Fixed. Just like that. Ash had been under the hood of the old truck countless times, trying to figure out the problem. The next stop was the auto repair shop in town owned by her friend Joss Culhane—probably where Cole intended ordering the part from. She experienced a feeling of gratitude that quickly manifested into awareness when he crossed his arms, flexing muscles that were impossible to ignore. Awareness morphed into a blisteringly hot rush of lust so intense it almost knocked the breath from her lungs.

She wanted to say something. Anything. But nothing came out. It was Cole who spoke next.

“I’m sorry about last night,” he said quietly. “I shouldn’t have said that to you. Sometimes I speak before I think and—”

“I didn’t deny it,” she said, cutting him off, suddenly hot all over. The less they said about the subject, the better. “Let’s just forget about it. You said you wanted to discuss Maisy? Is she unwell?”

He shrugged lightly and looked a little uncomfortable. “Ah, girl stuff, she said. Which is obviously my cue to just nod and say nothing. But if you could look in on her this morning I would be grateful,” he said and sighed. “She’s not exactly talking to me at the moment. She doesn’t want to be here...she made that very clear.”

Ash nodded, feeling a deep surge of sympathy for his daughter. And him. “My mother heard you arguing when she went to check on Ricky.”

“It wasn’t a new argument. Just Maisy being...Maisy.”

Ash offered a gentle and knowing smile. “I’ll go and see how she’s doing. And, Cole,” she said quietly, “thank you for spending some time with Jaye this morning. He usually only has Uncle Ted to show him things around the place.”

“He’s good company,” he replied and smiled. “And smart, and quite the mechanical engineer. He showed me his sketches for his soapbox cart—you know, for when he gets to race.”

Ash moaned a little. “He’s been trying to get my agreement for the past six months.”

“Last night you said you were reluctant to let him enter this year?”

“Absolutely,” she replied. “He could get injured.”

“Or not,” Cole said as he moved around the truck and closed the hood. “I imagine it will be well supervised.”

Ash knew it was. The spring fair was a popular annual celebration in Cedar River and all the competitive events were run smoothly and safely, from the rodeo to the three-legged races. But it wasn’t only Jaye’s physical safety she worried about, but also his emotional well-being.

“He could get...teased.”

Cole wiped his hands on a rag. “He seems like a pretty resilient kid to me.”

Ash straightened her spine. “Are you saying you think I should let him do it?”

Cole moved back around the truck and faced her. “I’m saying that he’s a smart kid who’s sketched an impressive set of plans for a soapbox-derby cart. That’s all.”

Resentment licked across her skin. He didn’t have any right to an opinion. And just as she was about to say as much, her irritation suddenly wavered. Because he was right. Jaye was resilient. And strong. And smart.

“I think I’ll go and check on Maisy,” she said, confused by the unexpected lack of clarity in her thinking. When it came to her son, Ash always knew the right road. But somehow, this man she’d known for less than twenty-four hours made her question her usual rock-solid resolve. “I’m taking the kids for a picnic down at the creek this afternoon. You and Maisy are welcome to come along.”

She turned and walked away before he could respond, grateful that she didn’t have to look into his eyes any longer and determined to get all thoughts of him out of her head. When she reached the cabin, she tapped on the door and, when no response came, opened it and headed inside. Maisy sat on the sofa, earbuds in, her expression like thunder.

“I knocked,” Ash said when the teen scowled in her direction. She walked toward the sofa and smiled. “Your dad said you weren’t feeling well. Is there anything I can get for you? Hot water bottle? Ibuprofen?”

Maisy immediately looked defensive and then shrugged. “Sure. Whatever.”

Ash left the cabin and returned about five minutes later. Maisy was in the same spot, still scowling, still looking as though she had the world on her shoulders. After a few more minutes Ash had the water bottle filled, the painkillers and a glass of water on the coffee table and she held out a can of soda.

“Ginger ale,” she explained. “I find it helps with an upset tummy.”

Maisy took the can. “Thanks.”

Ash smiled. “We’re all heading down to the creek later for a picnic. I know Ricky would like the company if you’re up for helping me chaperone the younger kids.”

Maisy met her gaze for a moment. “Is he coming, too?”

“Your dad?” Ash asked. “I invited him. I guess that’s up to him.”

The teenager shrugged disinterestedly. “If I go, he’ll go—so we can bond, or whatever. The counselor at school said it takes time to bond.”

“The counselor is right. It takes time and effort.”

Maisy shrugged again. “He tries too hard.”

“He’s your father,” Ash said gently. “That’s his job.”

Maisy’s gaze jerked upward and her expression softened for a nanosecond. “Maybe I will come.”

“Great. I’ll see you later.”

Ash left the cabin and lingered on the small porch for a second, looking out across the yard. Cole was near the entrance to the barn, and then he began walking across the yard toward Uncle Ted and Jaye. He had an easy kind of swagger to his movements, and she remembered how he’d talked about the accident that had almost killed him and how he’d had to learn to walk again. It spoke volumes about his dedication and commitment. There was something almost magnetic about him...and it wasn’t simply her reaction to his obvious good looks. Sure, he was handsome and had a stellar physique. But this was something else. Something more. And she was still thinking it as she walked back toward the house.