Page 1 of Rancher's Rescue
CHAPTER ONE
MAGGIE
Gone were the days when I would curl up beside my husband and reconnect after the kids went to bed, when we could just breathe. Now there was nobody to talk to.
Jeremiah had been gone for over two years. I still had moments when I forgot and turned to tell him something and it ripped the wound open all over again. Kit was seven when she lost her daddy. She had only just stopped asking when he would be back to take her for a ride after all our work was done for the day. It broke my heart watching her miss him. It wasn’t fair that he was her world and now he was gone.
I wasn’t sure what was worse, knowing your dad and missing him, or growing up never knowing him. Marshall was too little to really know what was going on. Just barely three at the time, he looked for Jeremiah for a few weeks but after that, it was out of sight, out of mind. It made me jealous, because no matter what I did, I remembered. I needed my partner by my side.
The sound of a vehicle broke the tranquil state of mind I had managed to get myself in. A big black truck drove over the hill and pulled up in front of the house. My stomach dropped, and Iwanted to crawl into a hole and hide. “Well, Maggie, it’s nice to see you again.” The man tipped his hat as he climbed the three steps onto my porch. Where were the dogs when you needed them?
“Hello, Palmer, what brings you around at this hour?” I glanced at my watch, and it wasn’t really all that late, but I had worked all day and the last thing I wanted was to entertain this pompous windbag. His black felt hat in the middle of summer and shiny cowboy boots spoke of no actual work. All hat and no cattle, the town whispered when Palmer or his family lowered themselves and grace us with their presence.
“How are you doing?” His words were flat, as he looked over the house and then out to the barn and corrals.
“I’m doing well, thank you,” I replied sharply, unable to keep the irritation out of my voice. “What can I do for you?” Standing, I walked closer to him, waiting for his answer.
“Well, Jeremiah asked that I look out for you if anything happened to him, so I’m keeping my promise.”
“Jeremiah has been gone for two years.” I frowned and crossed my arms. “Where have you been?” I wasn’t in the mood for someone trying to pull at my heartstrings and say they made promises to my late husband. The frogs in the pond stopped croaking, and the birds stopped their singing. It was like the universe knew he was full of shit.
“I was giving you time.” He leaned against the post, crossed his arms as he looked over my shoulder at the drink I had placed on the table. “Maybe you should invite me in for a drink?” The smug grin on his face made my stomach lurch.
“He didn’t like you Palmer, someone being polite, and someone being a friend, are two different things.” Shaking my head, I couldn’t imagine him even thinking I would fall for this. Everyone in town had hated Palmer since his family showed up here in the nineties from Kentucky. Nobody was sad whenhis siblings started going to school out of state, but we couldn’t shake Palmer. Low down, worthless, runt of his family.
“Palmer, unlike you, I spent the whole day working and I have no interest in entertaining anyone, especially you.” I wanted to run into the house, but I was sure he’d follow me.
“You know Maggie, it’s time for you to move on from Jeremiah. Like you said, it’s been two years. I think you need to get back at it.” He lowered his voice and reached up and ran his finger down my bare arm. “My mother remarried after six months. It’s not right for a woman to be alone. You need a man to take care of you.” He reached for my hand and I pulled it away violently, narrowly missing slapping him. I wouldn’t have felt bad in the slightest.
Through gritted teeth, I tried to hold back my anger. “I think you better go Palmer, before you regret coming here.” He held his hands up and slowly backed down the steps.
“I won’t give up, Maggie. You and I are going to be together.” He got in his truck and sped out of the yard. I had never felt unsafe in this house without Jeremiah. Lonely, of course, even with the kids, but never unsafe. But now I wasn’t sure.
Grabbing my wine, I walked into the house and sat down at the ramshackle desk where I pretended to keep up with the bills and opened the computer. I had been putting off finding help, but now it wasn’t just help I needed. I needed someone to be here just to make sure guys like Palmer didn’t come around, looking for a good time, or to take this place away from me.
Bringing up the website, I scrolled through person after person looking for a job on a ranch. So many of the ranch hands on this site had no experience and looked like they hadn’t spent a day working in their life. If I read,it’s my dream to work on a ranch.One more time, I might scream. The person I brought on to this ranch needs to get up in the morning, know what to do, and get at it. I didn’t have it in me to hold anyone’s hand so theycould live out some fantasy they’d had since they watched some fake television show thinking that’s how a ranch runs.
I didn’t need to look at the clock. My body was telling me it was past my bedtime, and if I didn’t go up soon, I would regret it in the morning. Scrolling through a few more profiles, I saw the most perfect cowboy roll up my screen. Stopping immediately, I read through his work experience.
He’d worked in Texas and Oklahoma, was originally from Wyoming and had grown up on a ranch there. Winter hadn’t suited him in his younger years, which is why he had gone south, but now he was looking to head back north and work as far away from civilization as he could get.
He wore his black hat low, but his dark eyes shone through. The scruffy stubble on his face was dark brown and the years of working outside showed on his tan face. Something drew me to him. It was a pull, like I could sense that he would keep us safe from the people who would no doubt come around trying to get me to sell, or marry them.
“Well, Kane Watson, I think you just found yourself a new home.” Grabbing my wine glass, I downed the pink liquid and hit the hire button. I was happy I had already filled in the information about my ranch because the wine hit me. I wasn’t typing very well anymore and my eyes were refusing to stay open, no matter what my brain was trying to make them do.
I knew it was time to hit the hay. Just as I walked into the kitchen to put my glass in the sink, my computer chimed with an email. Moving back to the table, I looked and couldn’t believe that I’d had a response from this guy so quickly.
Ms Nathan,
I will leave Texas tomorrow, and arrive in Montana in two days.
See you soon.
Kane.
CHAPTER TWO
KANE
