Page 1 of Her Saltwater Cowboy

ChapterOne

His father couldn’t be serious.

Chance Sutter ran his hand across the scruff of his face as he listened to unexpected news. Earlier this morning, he had debated whether to bother with the razor, but after a lousy night’s sleep, the scruff won out. He figured his father wouldn’t even notice him over in the barn with a day’s growth on his skin. Or in the horse stalls. Or even when he wandered into the farmhouse kitchen for a late breakfast after he’d finished his early morning chores.

And he especially hadn’t expected to run into him in the dining room, long after the ranch owner and the hands usually ate their morning meal.

Ace Sutter, Chance’s father, hated it when he and his brothers showed up at the ranch without a shave. A holdover from when they were teens, and their mother would line them up and shave every last pubescent whisker from their mugs before church.

She had been gone for years now, and his two brothers had rarely been to visit, but their father kept up the tradition.

Apparently, that’s where his father’s love of tradition ended.

“Look me in the eye, son.” Ace no longer towered over Chance, of course, but his mountainous presence was felt just the same, even as they sat at his mother’s favorite scarred-up wooden table waiting for a hearty, but simple meal. “Rafael and his bride will be moving in soon, and I want them to feel welcome.”

These were the last words he had expected to hear this morning. Even a scolding about his whiskers would have been more welcome than this.

Chance lifted his chin as Willow, their new cook, breezed through the dining room and laid plates piled high with eggs, bacon, sausage, and a perfunctory slice of orange in front of them. Willow looked unflustered by the sudden change in her new employer’s eating schedule.

On any other day, Chance would have wandered inside mid-morning, taken a plate of food for himself after the ranch hands had eaten, and gobbled it up quickly and quietly before heading back to work. Usually, the aroma made his stomach grumble in a good way, rather than lurch, as it was doing now. He avoided Willow’s eyes as she bustled right back out of the room.

After she’d gone, Chance speared his father with a look. “How long have you planned this … transition?”

Ace stared back at his son. He reached for the salt, turned the shaker over, and generously seasoned his breakfast. He took a bite and chewed it slowly, offering Chance a pensive expression, the kind that caused a dip in his brow.

Chance sat back, waiting. His father put down his fork. “You don’t worry about that. What I want from you is to make sure your cousin has all his questions answered about our operations here. He’ll be relying on you. As will Bella, his wife.”

“Me?”

“You’re the only son who’s stayed around long enough to know something about this place.”

He ignored the tinge of bitterness in his father’s tone because, honestly, what he said was only partially true. Yes, Chance’s brothers had left the state, returning for funerals—like their mother’s—and holidays, when possible. But all three of them had grown up on the ranch, knew the ins and outs, what needed doing, and when.

Only he had decided to eventually return to make his life here at Sutter Creek Ranch in the shadow of the Topatopa Mountains. He figured he would step in and resume daily duties, and, when the time was right, take on more. Then it happened. Sparky, their longtime foreman, retired.

And Chance was ready to step into those boots.

Only, instead of handing the foreman position to the man who’d ridden out every storm on this ranch, Ace had given it to someone who hadn’t stepped onto the property in years.

Chance kept his voice even. “You might’ve talked to me first.”

Ace gave a dry chuckle. “Didn’t realize I needed your permission.”

Chance ignored the dig. “If you’d asked, you would have heard I was ready to take on more. That I’vebeenready.”

Ace gave him a long, unreadable look.

“I’ve hauled fence posts, kept the inventory clean, coordinated the vet visits, trained the new hires …”

“Ran off to the beach,” Ace interjected.

Chance paused, keeping his voice level. “I’ve been here every necessary minute. Day in, day out.”

Ace took a sip of coffee from his mug. “But for how long?”

“I’m not leaving.” Chance leaned his arms on the table. “Besides, the ranch could use an audit before we go hiring anybody.”

“You let me worry about the ranch’s funds. I don’t need some fancy degree to show me what’s in black and white.”

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