Stranded with the Rancher

“Not for me. Not ever,” she said.

“Look, you can lose control with me anytime.”

They both stopped in their tracks.

Dan’s ears were red as he slowly turned around, and she could see the appalled expression on his face.

Beth couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing. The humor of the situation eased the tension she’d been wearing like a heavy coat all day. For the first time in hours, she relaxed.

“You know what I mean,” he said firmly.

“I do.” She smiled. “Thank you for getting me to your house, and for trusting me to meet your family.”

He nodded, and despite his stern expression, the corners of his mouth threatened to curve into a grin and his eyes sparkled with humor.

“Dan, the CB is going off. You’ll want to see to that,” Elsie called out as she came down the hall with a medicine bottle and an ice pack. “I’ll get Beth settled in.”

“Thanks.” He turned to Beth and gave a nod. “I’ll leave you in the good hands of Dr. Mom.”

Beth continued to smile as she watched him walk away, then she hurried her steps to catch up with Elsie.

Elsie opened a door at the end of the hall. “There are three bedrooms upstairs and this is the only one downstairs. When the kids were living at home they shared. My husband always said that sharing a room builds character. My kids are characters, so I suppose he was right.” She chuckled at her own words.

Before Beth could respond, Elsie turned on the light and then handed her the ibuprofen and ice pack. “Here we go.”

An antique, wrought-iron bed occupied most of the space. A thick duvet in a peach-and-rose-colored paisley covered it.

“What a welcoming room,” Beth said.

“Yes. Nice and toasty, being on the ground floor. Though not as quiet as upstairs.” Elsie walked directly across the hall. “Private bathroom. Plenty of towels and anything else you might need in the closet. I just stocked the drawers for you with shampoo and whatnot.” She grinned. “Girlie stuff. I keep a supply of it for when my daughters come home.”

“Thank you, so much,” Beth said, truly touched by the kind gestures.

“Oh, no problem. It’s fun to have company, and especially nice to have another woman around.”

“Thank you.”

Elsie looked at Beth, her expression sympathetic. “I’m so sorry about your job. But I will be sure to add you to my prayer list during my prayer time in the morning. And I want you to remember that God has a plan for you, Beth.”

“I hope so,” she murmured.

“No hoping about God. Trust me on this. After all, you don’t raise four children and bury a husband without learning a bit about the nature of the good Lord. He loves you so much He gathers your sorrows and collects your tears. Did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t.” Beth pondered the words, finding herself intrigued by the comment.

Elsie smiled. “Absolutely true. Now, you help yourself to anything you want. The refrigerator is open 24/7. I’m working on a quilt in the sewing room, other side of the kitchen. If you need anything feel free to come and find me.”

“Okay.” She paused. “Mrs. Gallagher?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks very much.”

Elsie cocked her head. “For what, dear?”

“Welcoming me into your home,” Beth said.

“You’re very welcome. And you can call me Elsie.”

Beth nodded and slowly closed the door behind Dan’s mother. She sank into the peach Parsons chair next to the dresser and dug in her tote for her phone, punching in her cousin’s number.

“Hey, Beth. Dan called to let us know what happened. He said you’re staying at his mother’s.”

“Yes.”

“Elsie is a hoot, isn’t she?”

“She is.” Beth released a short laugh “Actually, all of the Gallaghers that I’ve met are nice. I like them.”

“They’re good folk.”

“So, is everything okay at your place?” Beth asked.

“Yeah. We lost power, but I have a couple backup generators. That snow plays havoc on the trees and then they hit those wires, so we’re used to dealing with it.”

“Could that happen here?”

“Elsie has generators, too. Everyone does up here. You’re safe.”

Beth glanced around the cozy room. Safe.

“Are you okay, Beth?” Ben asked. “You sound...off.”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“Remember, everything is going to work out.”

“Do you think so?”

“I do. Beth, this storm is huge. It’s on all the national news channels. Storm of the year, they’re calling it. That practice in New York will realize soon enough that there was nothing you could do to get there.”

“I hope you’re right. I’ll leave a message with them and then try to reach someone through the answering service in the morning.”

“Good.” He paused. “And, Beth, Dan is a good guy. You can trust him.”

“Will I need to?”

“You have to trust someone.”