A Rancher's Redemption

“Nope, and during the dry days of summer, I’ll be glad I did it. My mom called this afternoon.”

“No kidding,” Dani said. Nick and his mother weren’t close, but she and Dani got along okay. “It’s been ages since you heard from her. What did she want?”

“She asked me to come over after work Friday.”

Dani was puzzled. “I wonder why.”

“If I know my mother, she needs money.”

He sounded disgusted. Despite having a job that paid decently, his mother always seemed short of cash. And she often borrowed from Nick to make up the gap.

“Are you going?” Dani asked.

“If I don’t, she’ll nag me until I do.”

There the conversation died.

They usually chatted easily about everything under the sun, but tonight Dani couldn’t think of anything else to say. Apparently neither could Nick.

The ensuing silence was uncomfortable.

Finally Nick cleared his throat. “You probably want to get back to your laundry and then to bed. I’ll let you go. Sweet dreams.”

His signature sign-off. Tonight, Dani wasn’t sure what kinds of dreams she’d have. She hoped they didn’t feature Nick doing delicious things to her... “You, too,” she said. “Good luck with your mom.”

They both disconnected.

Feeling oddly discombobulated, she folded the rest of the laundry and wondered how long it would take before she and Nick were at ease with each other again.

* * *

AFTER TWO DAYS of torrential rain and intermittent hail, the downpour suddenly braked to a stop just as darkness hit. During the nasty weather Nick, Palmer, Clip and Jerome had spent much of their waking hours fighting to keep the swelling river at the north end of the ranch from flooding the surrounding pastures. Meanwhile Blake and Wally, two seasonal ranch hands in need of work, had offered to herd the cattle to dry ground. The two men had impressed Nick, and he’d offered them jobs to last through September.

Now hungry, muddy and wet, he showered and put on a clean flannel shirt and jeans. After phoning in an order for a jumbo pie with the works he jumped in the truck and headed for Harper’s Pizza, his favorite.

As usual, the small pizza hut was packed. Salivating over the mouth-watering aroma of the pizzas, Nick nodded at people he knew and shared flood stories with several ranchers before taking his place in the crowd waiting near the takeout window. Every few minutes the teenage kid manning the window called out some lucky Joe’s name to pick up their order.

In the midst of the noise, the door opened and a redhead sauntered inside. Nick wasn’t the only guy who checked her out. Flashing a pretty smile, she joined him in line.

“What a big crowd tonight,” she commented. “The bad weather must’ve kept people home for a few days, and I guess they’re making up for lost time.”

Nick nodded. “It’s been a heck of a few days.”

“My hair and I are both relieved that it finally stopped raining.” With an apologetic smile, she touched her hair. “It gets crazy wild.”

“Curly looks good on you,” Nick said. So did the long sweater she wore in place of a coat. A wide leather belt emphasized her small waist and rounded hips. She had long legs, too. Pretty face, nice body—just his type.

For some reason he flashed on Dani and the red-hot kisses they’d shared the other night. But Dani was off-limits. They were friends, period, and they’d both agreed to forget those kisses had ever happened. “I’m Nick Kelly,” he said.

“Hello, Nick Kelly.” The woman tossed her head, drawing his attention to her slender neck and a pair of long, dangly earrings. “I’m Sylvie Kitchen.”

They shook hands. Sylvie’s fingers were slender and warm. Attraction flared in her eyes.

Nick waited for a similar spark, but felt only mild interest. Maybe if he got to know her a little better...

During the ten minutes they waited for their pizzas he learned that she worked for the local tourism department, which after ranching, was the second biggest business in Prosperity. During the late spring and early summer months, hiking, camping and bicycling swelled the town by as much as ten thousand people.

“To kick off this year’s tourist season, we’re going to host a joint function with Prosperity Park,” she said. The park housed Prosperity Falls, an eye-popping cascading waterfall that was a popular place for marriage proposals and outdoor weddings and drew visitors from all over. “It’s going to take place in mid-April. I could get a couple of tickets for you and your girlfriend.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend right now,” he said.

“Oh?” She flashed a pleased smile. “Maybe you’ll want to bring someone.”

She arched her eyebrow and angled her chin slightly, as if half expecting him to ask her out.

“Nick Kelly, your order’s ready,” the teenage boy called out.

Nick signaled that he’d be right there, then redirected his attention to Sylvie. “I’d like to, but spring is pretty busy at the ranch. I doubt I’ll be able to make it.”

She seemed genuinely disappointed. “Here’s my card,” she said, scribbling something on the back. “If you change your mind, give me a call.”

Before slipping the card into his pocket he glanced at what she’d written. In case you want to reach me after hours, and a number.

Minutes later, shaking his head, he carried the pizza to his truck. A beautiful woman had just given him her number, but he didn’t want to call her.

What was wrong with him?

* * *

DANI LIKED EVERYTHING about Pettit Ranch—the vastness of her brother’s holdings, the hints of new spring grass coloring in the brown winter pastures, the grazing horses and cattle everywhere you looked. Most of all, the home Sly shared with his wife, Lana, and their daughter. Tonight Sly had gone to Tim Carpenter’s ranch, which was five hundred or so acres down the road, for a spur-of-the-moment Thursday poker game. Lana had invited Dani over for a girls’ evening.

“I come bearing gifts,” she said when Lana opened the front door. “Chinese, from Chung’s.” A take-out place they both loved. “And chocolate chip cookies, courtesy of Big Mama’s Café.”

“I so love those cookies!” Lana looked grateful, as well as tired. Between running two successful daycares and being mom to Johanna, a spunky two-and-a-half-year-old, she had her hands full.

As soon as Dani stepped through the door, the little girl squealed and threw herself at her knees.

“Hi, pumpkin!” Laughing, Dani scooped her up and swung her around.

Johanna giggled and held out her arms for more. “Again, Dani!”

She was no lightweight, but Dani couldn’t resist her adorableness. She spun around twice more, each time with Johanna reaching out to her and begging, “Again!”

Finally, breathless and worn out, Dani quit. “That was fun, but I’m pooped, Johanna. Now I want to visit with Mommy.”

Sometime later, she and Lana lingered over the dwindling pile of chocolate chip cookies, while Johanna marched around the kitchen, pounding on an old pan with a wooden spoon.

“She’s so cute,” Dani said.