Depending on the cowboy, p.1
Depending on the Cowboy, page 1
“What were we doing in the summer when we were sixteen?”
His eyes seemed to drink her in, and Sienna blushed, uncertain where the conversation was headed.
“Getting pizza, riding horses, hopping on four-wheelers, going to the rodeo and any other local attraction that pulled into town.” She had fond memories of those days. They’d been the most carefree ones she’d ever experienced.
“Then we should make sure Connor and Lily have the same thing.”
There he went again, using the word we.
“I appreciate what you’re saying, Blaine, but I’ve imposed too much already.” She didn’t want him to think she was ungrateful, but Connor and Lily were her responsibility, not his. “We don’t have to do anything. I thought it was important for you to know what’s going on. That’s it.”
She couldn’t have asked for a better response from Blaine, but it was dangerous accepting his help. Sixteen was a lifetime ago, and reliving it with Blaine, Lily and Connor might make her want more. She’d been blessed to enjoy it once. Happiness like that didn’t come around twice.
Jill Kemerer writes novels with love, humor and faith. Besides spoiling her mini dachshund and keeping up with her busy kids, Jill reads stacks of books, lives for her morning coffee and gushes over fluffy animals. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Jill loves connecting with readers, so please visit her website, jillkemerer.com, or contact her at PO Box 2802, Whitehouse, OH 43571.
Books by Jill Kemerer
Love Inspired
Wyoming Ranchers
The Prodigal’s Holiday Hope
A Cowboy to Rely On
Guarding His Secret
The Mistletoe Favor
Depending on the Cowboy
Wyoming Sweethearts
Her Cowboy Till Christmas
The Cowboy’s Secret
The Cowboy’s Christmas Blessings
Hers for the Summer
Wyoming Cowboys
The Rancher’s Mistletoe Bride
Reunited with the Bull Rider
Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets
His Wyoming Baby Blessing
Visit the Author Profile page at LoveInspired.com for more titles.
DEPENDING ON THE COWBOY
Jill Kemerer
Remember ye not the former things,
neither consider the things of old. Behold,
I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth;
shall ye not know it? I will even make a way
in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
—Isaiah 43:18–19
To my good friend Kristina Knight, whom I can always count on to ooh and aah over texts of puppies and baby goats. Love you, Kristi!
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
Dear Reader
Excerpt from Bound by a Secret by Jolene Navarro
Chapter One
Women made him nervous. Pregnant women? Well, they terrified him.
Blaine Mayer gave the kitchen counter one last swipe, then straightened the pillows on the couch in the three-bedroom log cabin down the lane from his ranch house. The former foreman’s home had been collecting dust for over a year. And that wouldn’t do for when Sienna arrived.
Sienna Norden—Sienna Powell now. Blaine had good memories of being her lab partner in high school biology and hanging out with her and their friends on the weekends until she moved to Casper, Wyoming, right before junior year. She’d been one of the only women he’d ever considered easy to talk to, aside from his sisters, and they didn’t count.
It had been jarring last fall when his sister Erica, now married and living in Casper, had announced she’d run in to Sienna. Since then, the two women had become good friends. When Mom had informed him a week ago that Sienna—pregnant and recently divorced—was bringing her niece and nephew to Mayer Canyon Ranch for the next two months, Blaine hadn’t put up a fight.
It wasn’t like he had a say in it, anyhow. Erica, too, was having a baby, and Blaine knew better than to argue with her. It would only cause tears or a battle. No thank you. Honestly, he didn’t mind Sienna and her crew staying here for most of the summer. It had been lonelier than he’d expected when he’d moved to his half of the sprawling family ranch in Sunrise Bend, Wyoming, last year.
He gave the place a quick once-over. Yep, the cabin was ready. All morning he and his mother had disinfected and deodorized it. Mom had brought over new bedspreads for the guest rooms, and she’d made sure there were plenty of fluffy towels. To say she was tickled pink to be getting Sienna as a part-time helper for the candle shop and two teens to spoil for all of June and July would be the understatement of the century.
Blaine just hoped having them a mere hop, skip and jump away wouldn’t affect his plans for the ranch. He’d been riding out every afternoon to what he and Jet, his big brother and owner of the other half of the ranch, jokingly referred to as the dead pasture on Grandpa’s land—Blaine’s land now.
Blaine was convinced it could be a good source of additional hay. Last fall, he’d killed the weeds. This spring, he’d reseeded the entire pasture with drought-resistant wheatgrass.
It had been expensive. And risky.
With the dry conditions this year, he might have been better off keeping the pasture free for the cattle to graze. Now that it had been reseeded, it couldn’t be grazed for two entire growing seasons. Jet, naturally, thought he was making a mistake and had told him so on more than one occasion. Maybe his brother was right.
What if the cattle ran out of grazing land this winter? What if the pasture didn’t produce the hay he anticipated?
How would he feed his herd?
His phone rang, and he reluctantly took the call, stepping onto the front porch and closing the door behind him. “Blaine speaking.”
“Oh, good.” A woman with a no-nonsense voice sighed. “I’m glad I caught you. It’s Laura Cane. Ralph’s daughter.”
“Hi, Laura.” Blaine had spent plenty of time on the Canes’ farm as a teen. Ralph was an expert at breeding and training Australian shepherds as working dogs. Ten years ago, the man had moved an hour south to spend more time with his daughter. Blaine missed helping out with all those dog litters. “How’s your dad doing?”
She hesitated, and he got a funny feeling he was about to hear bad news. “Actually, that’s why I’m calling. Dad passed away two days ago. Frank and I are planning the funeral, and I don’t know how to ask this, but...well, Tiara is due to have her pups within the week. I can’t take off work to raise the puppies, and Dad would want Tiara and Ollie to go to someone with experience. You’re the only one I could think of who could raise her pups. Dad promised two locals first dibs, so you’d have to find homes for the others if she has more. I know it’s a lot to ask.”
“I’m sorry about your dad.” Blaine swallowed the regret that was lodged in his throat. He wished he had taken the time to drive down there and visit Ralph. Had thought about it several times over the past couple of years, but he’d never acted on it. And now, it was too late. “I didn’t realize he was having health problems.”
“He died in his sleep. It was unexpected, but he was eighty-two. We were blessed to have him as long as we did. The funeral’s the day after tomorrow. I can text you the details if you’d like.”
“Would you? My folks will want to come, too.” Blaine figured she had a lot of arrangements to make, so he’d better get back to the reason for her call. He descended the porch steps and headed toward the gravel drive. “I take it both dogs are Australian shepherds...?” Blaine couldn’t imagine Ralph breeding any other kind.
“Yes, Tiara is Lady Di’s grandpup. Dad bought Ollie three years ago from a breeder in Montana. Beautiful dog. Those two are like an old married couple. I won’t separate them, and they’re too special to stop breeding. Would you be willing to consider adopting them both?”
He’d been there when Lady Di had her final litter. “I’ll take Tiara and Ollie for now and raise this litter, but I’m going to have to think about continuing to breed them. It’s a big commitment. Why don’t I give you a call in a few months after the puppies are weaned? We can figure out where to go from there.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. Thank you, Blaine. I’ll bring them over this afternoon.”
This afternoon? He opened his mouth to speak, but she’d already hung up. He pocketed the phone, his mind reeling with everything he’d need to do to prepare for a pregnant dog due any minute.
The rumble of tires alerted him that Sienna had arrived. Hopefully, her niece and nephew liked dogs, because he was going to need a lot of help when Tiara had her pups.
The silver crossover SUV came to a stop near where Blaine was standing. Both front doors opened, and one of the back doors, too. A tall, lanky teen unfolded his legs from the passenger seat. He had shaggy, d ark brown hair, and he was wearing loose-fitting jeans, a black T-shirt and athletic shoes. The girl from the back seat stretched her arms over her head and smiled. Her hazel eyes widened and sparkled as she looked around. She had on light gray jogging pants and a pink T-shirt that said Be Happy. Long, unruly light brown hair trailed down her back.
Sienna stepped out of the driver’s seat, letting out an oof as she placed a hand on her round belly.
Blaine inhaled sharply. She was still a stunner. Her wavy, dark red hair was a few inches shorter than he remembered, but he noticed her dimples hadn’t changed a bit as she tossed him a smile. Took him right back to fifteen, stuttering pulse and all.
Enough of that. This was a platonic arrangement. Nothing more.
“Hope you had a good trip.” He tipped his cowboy hat to her in greeting.
“It was good. Uneventful.” Sienna slowly walked his way.
He braced himself. Should he hug her? Thrust out his hand? Back up and nod?
The decision was made for him as she held out her arms. He gave her an awkward hug with two quick pats on the back. Flames of embarrassment licked his neck, and he was pretty sure his face resembled a tomato.
“This is my nephew, Connor, and my niece, Lily.” Sienna stretched out her arm to indicate the two teens and angled her neck to the side as they approached. They both said hi. “We’re all excited to spend the summer here. It was kind of you to offer to put us up.”
Well, technically Erica had offered, and Mom had been the one to volunteer his cabin for the three of them since it was the largest guesthouse on either side of the ranch. But Sienna didn’t need to know all that.
“Glad to have you,” Blaine said. “Want to tour the cabin before unloading?”
“Sure.” Sienna beamed as she put her arm around Lily’s shoulders and ambled toward the porch. Connor followed behind them, looking like he felt out of place. Blaine knew the feeling well. He’d spent a good portion of his life trailing two steps behind everyone else, especially his big brother.
He loped ahead and held open the front door for the trio, and when they were inside, he pointed out the bedrooms, bathroom and the large mudroom/laundry room off the kitchen.
“Wow, Aunt Sienna, this is amazing.” Lily spun in a circle in the living room, looking up at the vaulted ceilings. “It’s like a mountain getaway.”
“Without the mountains,” Blaine added cheerfully. “At least you can see them in the distance.”
“Isn’t this great, Connor?” Lily asked.
“Yeah, it is, Lil.” His expression was hard to read, but his tone was pleasant enough.
The kids disappeared to claim their bedrooms, leaving Blaine and Sienna alone. His tongue must have tied itself into a knot, because he had no idea what to say.
“I really appreciate this, Blaine.” Her big green eyes looked suspiciously watery. His gut clenched. The last time Erica was home, he’d asked her how she was doing, and she’d burst into tears and then jogged to the bathroom to throw up.
He was not making that mistake again.
“It’s no problem,” he said. “I lived in this cabin last year for a few months while I remodeled Grandpa’s place. If you need me for anything, I’m in the big house down the lane.”
“I saw it.” She nodded. “You’ve done well for yourself. I figured this was what you’d be doing. Ranching always fit you like a glove.”
She thought he’d done well for himself? Pride rushed through him, only to be dampened. Blaine was still feeling his way on making big decisions.
Their father had always been in charge until Blaine’s youngest brother, Cody, had died a few years ago. Jet had taken over their father’s duties while the man grieved. Then Dad retired, insisting Jet and Blaine divide the ranch between them, since their sisters weren’t interested in raising cattle. The past year of being his own boss had been an eye-opener. And stressful.
“I hear you’re still living in Casper,” Blaine said.
“I am. I work for the community college. I’m the coordinator for special projects compliance. Basically, I help find and oversee grants. I’m thankful to have the summer off.” A cloud crossed her face. “I needed this summer off.”
“Yeah, I can see... Um, congratulations...” He gestured toward her baby bump.
“Thanks.” Her dimples flashed again as she cradled her stomach. “I’m due in late August. Your sister helped me through a tough time. I can’t wait until she has her baby, too.”
“Yeah, uh...” He rubbed the back of his neck. All this pregnancy talk had him way out of his element. “Why don’t I go get your luggage?” Before waiting for her reply, he pivoted and strode out the front door.
Idiot. This was Sienna, not some stranger. He couldn’t even hold a conversation for two minutes? No wonder he was single.
Not that he wanted to change his status.
He marched to the back of the SUV, opened the hatch and started grabbing suitcases.
Connor jogged up next to him. “Here, I’ll help.”
“Okay.” Blaine gave the kid a brief glance. “I’m assuming your aunt wants all this inside, so take whatever you can carry.”
Connor hefted a large bin into his arms before falling in step next to Blaine. “Aunt Sienna said Lily and I will be helping out around here.”
Blaine’s mom had mentioned Sienna working part-time at the candle shop, but she hadn’t said what Lily and Connor would be doing. Hopefully, enjoying their summer vacation.
“Can I help around the ranch? I don’t want to hurt my aunt’s feelings, but making candles just sounds...” He curled his lips in a sour expression.
Blaine chuckled. “I hear you, man. I’m not one to be stuck inside. You can ride out with me—that is, do you know how to ride?”
“I do. My buddy Jonah has horses. Been riding since I was six.”
“Good. I can use a strong ranch hand like you. I’ll introduce you to my part-timer, Bryce. He just graduated from high school. You’ll meet Jim, my full-time cowboy, too. You can help us while your aunt is at the candle shop. I’ll pay you, of course.”
“Really? You don’t have to. It’s enough to be here...” Connor’s voice faded as he frowned. Then he walked taller as he continued carrying the bin. “Thank you, sir.”
“Call me Blaine.”
A hint of a smile crossed Connor’s face, and Blaine was glad to ease the kid’s mind. The two of them continued unloading the back of the vehicle in silence, and when everything was inside, Blaine approached Sienna in the kitchen.
“I’ll take you over to the candle shop whenever you’re ready. If you’d prefer to unpack and relax, we can go there tomorrow. I have to warn you, though—Mom, Reagan and Holly are practically busting at the seams to see you.”
“That’s so sweet of them.” Her eyes lit up. “Why don’t we go over there now?”
Lily bounced over and gave Sienna a side hug. “Can we? I think a candle shop is the coolest thing in the world. I can’t wait to see it.”
Sienna kissed the side of Lily’s head. Blaine wasn’t sure what he’d expected from her and the kids, but their obvious closeness wasn’t it. They made him want to linger, let some of their bond soak into him, too.
“I’ll bring my truck over.” Blaine rapped his knuckles on the counter and headed out the door.
The sun warmed his face as he took long strides down the lane. While he wasn’t blindsided by the fact that he was still attracted to Sienna, he was surprised to be drawn to her niece and nephew as well. It wasn’t as if he lacked family or friends.
Family and friends were fine. They were safe.
He had a brother, two sisters, his mom, dad and four good buddies—plenty of bonding all around. The only person missing was Cody, and Blaine would do about anything to have his little brother back.
Back at his ranch house, Blaine climbed into the driver’s seat of the truck and fired up the engine. Sienna’s pretty smile plastered itself in his mind as he drove the short distance to the cabin. He was glad she’d be working with his mom and sister. They knew how to support women, unlike him.
Give him a horse, wide-open pastures and the big sky above him. He had cattle to raise, hay to bale, fences to fix and two dogs arriving soon. And that left no time for high school crushes. No time at all.
