Wrangling the cowboys dr.., p.1
Wrangling the Cowboy's Dreams, page 1
part #1 of Rowdy Ranch Series
Wrangling the Cowboy’s Dreams
Rowdy Ranch
Vicki Lewis Thompson
WRANGLING THE COWBOY’S DREAMS
Copyright © 2024 by Vicki Lewis Thompson
ISBN: 978-1-63803-924-2
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Ocean Dance Press, PO Box 69901, Oro Valley AZ 85737
Visit the author’s website: VickiLewisThompson.com
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Also by Vicki Lewis Thompson
About the Author
Chapter One
Traffic was light on the 93 coming home from Missoula Saturday morning. That suited Lucky McLintock just fine. He and his two companions would be back in Wagon Train before the snow hit. He needed to get that red chair unloaded from the bed of his pickup, too.
“Good thing we got this done when we did.” His brother Rance was wedged in the back seat next to a garment bag of rented wedding duds. “Those big ol’ clouds over the Sapphires are on the move.”
Trenton Armstrong, better known as Trent, occupied the front passenger seat. “I appreciate you two devoting your Saturday morning to picking up the clothes.” He’d relocated to Montana just in time to be best man at his brother Dallas’s wedding.
“Happy to help.” Lucky flashed him a smile. Trent had been all set to go it alone, since Dallas was banking time at the fire station to give him extra days for a honeymoon. “Gave me an excuse to check out the furniture store sale.” And surprise Oksana.
“That chair’s a beauty,” said Rance, who’d invited himself along for the ride. “Killer price, too, and they threw in the ottoman for practically nothing. Oksana will love it.”
“Have I met this lady?” Trent’s brow furrowed. “I’ve been trying to place her.”
“She’s my assistant at the bookstore.”
“Oh! I was thinking girlfriend.”
Lucky smiled. “No, not at all.”
“Must be a valued employee, then. You were very particular about the color and whether it would fit her right.”
“She’s valued, all right, and I happen to know red’s her favorite color. Also, she’s tall, at least five-ten, so—”
“Five-ten? Did you say five-ten?” Rance leaned forward, mimicking the salesman’s voice. “Gosh almighty, folks, this is your lucky day because I’m five-ten on the button. Let’s just have us a de-mon-stra-tion.”
Lucky snorted. “When he let out a big ol’ sigh and closed his eyes, I figured I’d better grab it for Oksana before he bought it for himself.”
“Unusual first name,” Trent said. “I’ve heard it somewhere, but I can’t remember—”
“She’s named after Oksana Baiul, the figure skater.” Which had been a mixed blessing for her.
“Right. That’s where I’ve heard it. So why are you buying her an easy chair? Is she elderly? Does she have a health issue?”
“She’s twenty-seven and in great shape— I mean health. She’s in great health.” As her employer, he had no business thinking about her shape.
Trent still looked confused. “Is it for the bookstore? Because I can see customers wanting to—”
“It isn’t. We already have a couple of chairs in a reading nook. No ottomans. We don’t want customers taking a nap. This’ll go in her apartment above the store.”
“Ah. Good idea. Everyone needs a comfy chair.”
“I agree, and the one she has is uncomfortable, especially for reading. I know because that’s where I lived when I first took over managing the store.”
“I get it. She mentioned the chair and now you’re replacing it. That’s a thoughtful move.”
“She’s never mentioned the chair. She wouldn’t. She’s a fanatic about watching the bottom line. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and finally decided I had to buy it instead of putting it on the store’s credit card.”
“Wow. She sounds like the perfect employee. “What’s her last name?”
“Jones.”
“Oksana Jones. I like that. An unusual first name paired with one of the most common last names in the country. Is she coming to the wedding?”
“She is.”
“Good. Then I’ll get to meet her.”
They’d probably like each other. Why did that give him a twinge?
Rance jumped in. “Oksana is amazing, dude. You can go in there and ask her about a book, any book, and she either hands it to you in under a minute or finds it online almost as fast. She barely needs Lucky around at all. Which reminds me, bro, she’s due for a raise.”
“I gave her one six months ago.”
“Give her another one.”
“She wouldn’t accept it unless we’d had another uptick in sales, which we haven’t. Christmas didn’t count. It’s seasonal.” He put on his signal and passed an SUV that was lollygagging. Clearly the driver didn’t have the same respect for those bulging clouds that he did.
“Okay, then take her to dinner.”
“Uh… no, I don’t think that would be—”
“Make it a business dinner if you must. You can sit there and go over your spreadsheets, but at least you could treat her to a nice meal. It doesn’t have to be a date. Then again, I can’t remember the last time you asked somebody out. You’ve probably forgotten how.”
“The store’s been busy. The holidays, the Santa display at the fair, then inventory, then—”
“That dog won’t hunt, bro. Ever since you hired her that place has been running like my supercharged V-8. You could take the time and she deserves a reward. Treat her to dinner at the Buffalo.”
“Hey, I bought her a chair.” But his brother was right. Oksana had earned a dinner at the Buffalo. Several dinners.
But he was hesitant. He and Oksana enjoyed a sweet tension that was harmless at its current level. He didn’t want to mess with that, and not just because of the employer/employee relationship.
He used to date, even got serious about someone a couple years ago, but when she’d started pushing for a ring, he’d backed off. He turned twenty-eight this year. Most women in his age group were looking for a commitment. But he was firmly on the fence in that department.
“Good thing you moved here, Trent,” Rance continued. “It’ll be great to have another bachelor around who’s putting himself out there. We can trade war stories. I’ll bet you’re not letting grass grow under your feet.”
“You’d lose that bet,” Trent said. “I have enough grass under my feet to keep the ranch horses fed for a month.”
“That can’t be right. I’ve seen you on the dance floor at the Buffalo. Are you telling me you haven’t asked any of those women for their digits?”
“That’s what I’m telling you. I’ve had my hands full learning to dance country style. One thing at a time.”
Rance pursued the subject. “Ever heard of multitasking? You’re a decent looking guy and being Dallas’s brother gives ladies a point of reference.”
“Yeah, but I’m not a firefighter. Or a cowboy. I’m a product manager.”
“Well, I wouldn’t lead with that list of negatives, but—”
“What product do you manage?” Lucky’s ears perked up. This was the first concrete detail he’d heard about Trent’s job. He’d mentioned he could live anywhere with good Wi-Fi, which had allowed him to rent Cheyenne’s cabin and give Montana a try. But he hadn’t divulged any particulars.
“Depends on the client. Businesses hire me when they’re developing a new product or service. I research the market and help them create a launch plan.”
“So, let’s say L’Amour and More wanted to open a second bookstore in a nearby town. You could help with that?”
“Absolutely. Are you thinking about it?”
“Not any time soon. Just curious. What are you working on, now?”
“A company hired me to research the novelty condom market.”
Rance cracked up. “Sure they did.”
“God’s truth. The research data’s on my laptop, but since it’s proprietary, I can’t show it to you.”
“I’ll bet Rance can give you some data.” Lucky deadpanned the delivery. “Hey, bro, was it just candy canes and wreaths on those, or was there a Santa—”
“Never mind.” Ra nce’s scowl appeared in the rearview mirror. Then he switched his attention to Trent. “Does this company also make the regular kind?”
“They do.”
“Then you should tell them to scrub the project. Guys want their lady hot and bothered, not giggling so hard she can’t breathe.”
“Good info.” Trent’s cough sounded like stifled laughter. “The company’s looking at sales, but they might not be considering customer satisfaction.”
“Well, this customer was extremely dissatisfied. And I wouldn’t recommend describing your current project to a lady friend.”
“Wasn’t planning to.”
“Matter of fact, I wouldn’t mention your job at all. Concentrate on your look. The clothes Dallas talked you into are a big improvement. You might consider trading in that sedan for a truck, though.”
“I don’t need one.”
“It’s part of your look. If you dress like a cowboy and drive a truck, you can let women assume—”
“That I’m a cowpoke from Jersey? The minute I open my mouth, they’ll know I’m not the real deal.”
“Then don’t talk much. Be mysterious.”
“I think you’re smart to take it slow,” Lucky stepped in before Rance dispensed any more of his harebrained advice. “Give yourself time to get acclimated. Dallas sounded just like you when he first got here, but now he has a slight drawl and tosses out yes, ma’ams like he was born to it.”
“I noticed he’s gone country. My sisters are gonna tease the living daylights out of him, which will take their minds off the prospect of being eaten alive by wolves and grizzlies.”
Lucky rolled his eyes. “C’mon. They don’t really think—”
“I’m exaggerating, but they’re kinda ramped up about it. My parents, too. They’ve never been out West. Logically they know bears hibernate in the winter, but that still leaves wolves and mountain lions. They’re not wrong about the wolves. I’ve heard them howling.”
Lucky turned onto the dirt road to Rowdy Ranch. “It’s not like they’ll break into your house and eat you up like in the storybooks.”
“Intellectually, they know that.” He shrugged. “Unknowns can be scary, though, especially if you have a vivid imagination.”
“I take it they’re a lot younger than you.” Rance sounded disappointed by that prospect.
“Not much. Atlanta’s twenty-eight and Syracuse is twenty-six.”
“Oh!” That perked up his brother considerably. “Do they go by those names?”
“They use Lani and Sara.”
“Much better. Not that naming kids after where they were conceived isn’t way cool, but—”
“Lani doesn’t think so. She keeps threatening to change hers. Sara thinks it’s funny. Anyway, they’ve scared themselves by watching too many wildlife specials, but they’ll be fine once they get here.”
“Just leave them to me.” Rance’s enthusiasm returned. “You and Dallas will be busy with the wedding and Lucky keeps saying he’s consumed by work. I’ll put myself in charge of watching out for your folks.”
Lucky grinned. “You do that, bro.” Rance would keep a close eye on those sisters, all right. When it came to women, his spirit of adventure never flagged.
He dropped Trent and the stuffed garment bag off at Cheyenne’s cabin. Everyone still referred to it as Cheyenne’s even though his older brother hadn’t lived there for a couple of years. Would Trent finally be the one to buy it? Too soon to tell.
Rance climbed into the front seat for the short trip to his place. “I like that guy. I think we need to get him on a horse, though. And take him shopping for an F-150.”
“What if he’d rather have a Ram?”
“We’ll talk him out of it. If he’s living on McLintock property, he needs a Ford. It’s what we drive.” He peered out the windshield. “Looks like it’ll snow any minute.”
“That’s why I’m just gonna drop you off quick and head on back to town.”
“Are you sure about that? We could take the chair to your place and haul it inside. She’s been without a good one for months. A couple of nights doesn’t matter.”
“You’re right, but now that I have it, I want to take it to her.”
“It’ll probably get snowed on.”
“The tarp will protect it.”
“You’ll likely be unloading it while it’s snowing. You should have let him wrap it in plastic.”
“Makes it harder to grip.”
Rance sighed. “Have it your way. Turn around. I’m going with you.”
“No, you’re not. This is your day off. You love having a day off. You never shut up about the glory of a whole day off and you’ve already lost half of it.” He pulled up next to Rance’s cabin. “Go on. Get out of here.”
“What if you get stuck in town?”
“I have options. I have a key to McLintock Metalworks and there’s a bed in the back room. And Mrs. J’s told me several times she’ll find a spot at her B&B if I need a place to crash.”
“Alrighty, then. Once you get that steely look on your face, there’s no budging you. Just text me and let me know where you end up.”
“I will. And thanks for the help today.”
“It was solely for my benefit. My jacket for Marsh and Ella’s wedding was a lousy fit. Threw me off my game. And with Trent’s sisters in the mix this time, I plan to be on my game.”
“They could have fiancés or steady boyfriends back home.”
“Maybe, but I think Trent would’ve said so.” He opened his door. “Don’t forget. Text me.”
“I promise.”
Rance flashed him a thumbs up, swung down and closed the door.
Tapping the horn in farewell, Lucky backed the truck around and headed toward the ranch road. The role reversal with his brother made him smile. Normally he was the one making Rance check in.
Although they’d arrived in the world only two hours apart, they were nothing alike. Rance was impetuous and outgoing, while he was cautious and reserved. That made sense, in a way.
Rance had been born a McLintock, his background an open book. Lucky’s origins remained shrouded in mystery. He’d inherited his Irish mother’s green eyes and dark hair. Beyond that he was a blank slate.
But Desiree McLintock had swooped in and added him to her brood. He gave thanks for that miracle every single day.
Chapter Two
Snow flurries whirled outside the multi-paned bay window of L’Amour and More. Oksana gazed past the display of books, a few shiny red hearts and three adorable Cupids dangling from red ribbons.
The street was empty, not a person or vehicle in sight. She should give up, flip the sign over and make herself a toasted cheese sandwich. Mother Nature had given her the afternoon off.
But first she wanted to hear from Lucky. By now he should be safely tucked into his cabin at Rowdy Ranch. But since she hadn’t heard from him, he must still be on the road.
Crossing to the cash wrap, she picked up her phone to check whether she’d missed a text. Nope. Then she opened her map app to look for traffic issues on the 93. Didn’t find any. Huh.
He was scheduled to work this afternoon but he wasn’t a stupid man. He’d cancel that plan for a snowstorm. He’d also text her to let her know. Always had before.
Taking down her ponytail, she finger-combed her hair and replaced the red scrunchie — a nervous habit when she was on edge. If something had happened, no one would think to call her, not for a long time, anyway.
Damn it, why hadn’t he—
The rumble of a truck engine sent her running to the window. What the heck was he doing here? He knew as well as anyone they’d have zero customers during a snowstorm and no task in the store merited driving to town during bad weather. What could he possibly—
“Hey.” He hurried in with a grin on his handsome face, his cheeks flushed from the cold and his neatly-trimmed beard decorated with melting flakes. “Wait’ll you see what I found.”
