Home on the Ranch: Wyoming Sheriff Page 16
Chase came around the bed and took it from her before running out of the bedroom with the bag of chips.
The second they were alone, Holden pulled her down on top of him. “Jessica—” He crushed her against his body and kissed her possessively. The world spun away now that they were able to shower their love on each other. “You have no idea how much I love you.” In the next breath they were devouring each other.
“I wish we were on our honeymoon right now,” she murmured. “Ugh... I’m afraid I sound like Chase.”
“We’re going to need one. I love it. I love you. On Monday we’ll go get our marriage license. We don’t need a blood test and there’s no waiting period. As soon as we pick a date, we’ll arrange it with your pastor.”
By the time Chase come running back in, they were entwined and had to break apart.
“Joey can’t wait!”
“Neither can I,” Holden whispered against Jessica’s lips and he kissed her one more time before setting her free. Jessica was so deliriously happy she couldn’t believe she wasn’t dreaming.
“You know what this means, Chase? Tomorrow I’ll be well enough for the three of us to leave for Cody for a few days. I want you to meet my family. They know we’re getting married and are dying to meet you before the wedding. You’re going to love Chrissy and Rob.”
“Can we go, Mom?” Chase’s eyes were dancing.
Her heart was so full, she could hardly talk. “I’ll call Nana and tell her our plans.”
Holden’s eyes held hers. “On our way back from Cody, we’ll pick up the marriage license.”
* * *
After a five-hundred-mile drive that had started out Sunday morning, the three of them arrived in Cody.
“Here we are, Chase.”
His brown eyes rounded. “Your family lives in a huge ranch house!”
That produced a deep chuckle from Holden.
Jessica’s son was right. The sprawling two-story log-style ranch house looked to be right off the cover of Old West magazine.
Ponderosa and cottonwood trees shaded most of it with well-tended lush green grass and flowers in front. Good heavens! She’d had no idea.
There were so many things she still didn’t know about Holden. So little time and the urgency of circumstances had prevented them from learning even some of the most elemental things about each other’s lives.
The second they’d driven underneath the arch of antlers holding up the sign Circle G Ranch, Jessica had understood that he came from a well-to-do ranching family that likely went back many generations. The mention of his own property that adjoined his father’s should have given her a clue.
“Is this yours?”
“It belongs to the Granger family.” She marveled at Holden’s patience at answering Chase’s questions.
“How big is it?”
“Eight thousand acres.”
“That’s a lot, huh, Mom?”
“I’ll say.” Jessica was still trying to take it all in.
“It has to be big, Chase. We’re a cattle ranch.”
“Do you have a lot of cows?”
“About a thousand mother cows and five hundred babies.”
Chase looked at Jessica. “Mom? I’m not afraid of cows.”
All three of them laughed. Jessica squeezed Holden’s arm. “Of course not. They’re gentle.”
Holden smiled at Jessica. He knew how much of a surprise this was to her and Chase. “I’ll drive us around to the corral so Blackie and Bucky can go for a run. Then we’ll go in the house and you can meet my family.”
They drove around to some outbuildings and a large barn. Beyond it were several corrals and livestock facilities. Holden was a remarkable man to have left all this and moved to Whitebark. If he hadn’t come, Jessica would never have met him. That was something she couldn’t contemplate. Not now.
After he parked the truck next to the barn, he got out. Jessica opened her door and jumped down to help him with the horses.
The horses seemed to have handled the trip well. But Bucky acted happy to see her when Holden opened the doors and she walked around to him.
“How are you doing, fella?” He nickered several times. She patted his neck and backed him out of the trailer to where Chase was waiting. “We’ve brought you to a new place, Bucky. Come on. We’ll walk you around so you get used to it.”
Holden did the same thing with Blackie, his black gelding who was almost as gorgeous as his master. But the minute Holden entered the corral, he let Blackie go and his horse took off, acting very much at home.
Bucky was a little more timid. Jessica removed the lead rope. “Let’s take a walk.” Chase watched from the top of the corral fencing. She started ahead of the horse. Pretty soon, he followed her. She headed for Blackie to see what Bucky would do. Her horse slowly walked toward him. They both let out neighs.
Holden put his arm around her shoulders. “If we leave them alone, I think they’ll start to make friends.”
She looked up at him. “Why didn’t you tell me about all this?”
“Honestly, I’ve been so focused on finding your husband’s killer, I’ve been in a different world.”
“Tell me one thing. I know you went into law enforcement because it appealed to you, but how were you able to leave here?”
His eyes narrowed on her features. “I was in so much pain after losing Cynthia, I went into a depression. My parents felt I needed to get away in order to throw it off. At first I resented them for saying anything, but in time I knew they were right. Much as I hated leaving the family because I’m a rancher at heart, I realized I had to get away before nothing mattered anymore.”
“I wanted to get away, too,” she confessed. “But I couldn’t do that to my little three-year-old boy.”
“You had Chase to give you the will to go on living. I needed something, too. Being police chief and then sheriff in Whitebark meant new friends and surroundings. Right from the start I liked it there without all the old reminders.
“Then one amazing night, this beautiful blond woman in jeopardy came to my office. You know the rest. I fell head over heels in love and haven’t been the same since.”
“Neither have I.”
He lowered his head and they kissed passionately while the horses wandered around getting used to each other.
Holden finally let her go. “We’ll take them for a ride later and put them in the barn. Right now I’m dying for my parents to meet you.”
“I want to get to know the people who raised you. I’d like to tell them what a perfect man you turned out to be.”
His half smile caught at her heart. “Perfect? If you only knew. After my sisters and their families come over and we’ve eaten, we’ll sit down and do some planning with the folks.”
By the time they started walking toward the house, his parents had come outside. They were talking to Chase who was still perched on the fencing.
Both were tall and good-looking. His mother had given him those luminous gray eyes. Mr. Granger had bequeathed Holden his build and hair color. His brown hair showed a few streaks of silver, making him very distinguished. She could already imagine how Holden would look when he got older.
Her chatty son had engaged them. “Holden knew where to find that yellow-bellied marmot. We fed it a doughnut and he ate it.”
Everyone chuckled. Holden’s mom turned to Jessica. “Congratulations on your engagement.” She studied her for a moment before hugging her. “You poor darling for having to go through this ordeal,” she said in a quiet voice. “We’re so happy you’ll stay with us for a few days. My son is a different man. It’s all because of you.”
“He’s changed my whole life, too. Thank you for welcoming us to your home. It was completely Holden’s idea.”
“I know it was. We couldn’t wait for you to come. Our son is terribly in love wi
th you and is crazy about Chase. Those he loves, he cherishes.”
“You’re even more beautiful than the pictures Holden sent,” his father said. “Welcome to the ranch. After what you’ve lived through, we hope you’ll forget all the pain and worry and just enjoy being here.”
“We already have.”
He gave her a warm hug.
When she stepped away, he hunkered down by Chase. “The grandchildren are excited to know you’ve come. They’re going to be jealous of that sheriff’s hat you’re wearing.”
“Holden gave it to me. I love him. He’s going to be my new dad.”
Tears filled the older man’s eyes.
Holden picked him up in his arms. “I love him and his mother. I love his nana, too. Come on, everyone. Let’s go in the house. I’ll show you where you’re going to sleep.” Mr. Granger went with them.
“Is it upstairs?”
“Yup. It’s my old room. You can see for miles and miles from the window.”
“Yay!”
Holden’s mother smiled at Jessica. “They look so perfect together. It’s as if they’ve known each other all their lives.”
Jessica nodded. “That’s how it felt from the moment we met. But before we do anything else, I want you to know something important about me before Holden says anything. I can’t have any more children. The doctor told me I went through early menopause. I’ve talked all this over with Holden because I wanted him to meet someone else with whom he could have a baby.”
“But he wouldn’t hear of it,” his mother broke in on her. “I can only understand how heartbroken you must have been to be given news like that, but it’s clear he’s deeply in love with you and hasn’t let that matter.”
“The trouble is, he’d make the most wonderful father.”
His mother smiled through her tears. “You’re right, but anyone can see that your adorable Chase already fills his life with joy. Thank you for telling me. I’m glad I know and can tell the rest of the family.
“When they find out, no one will ask any questions about that. Why don’t we go inside and get you settled? The children will be over any minute now. They all adore their uncle Holden.”
Jessica smiled. “I adore him, too. So much it hurts.”
“I can relate,” his mother said. “That’s how I feel about my husband.”
“Thanks again for making us all feel so welcome.”
“We want to do whatever we can. We’re so happy Holden brought you here now. It will be easier for all of us to plan a wedding date that suits everyone. Does your mother have some dates in mind?”
“She’s waiting to hear dates from you.”
Holden’s mother was wonderful.
Within a half hour the rest of the family had driven over and everyone got acquainted while they ate a delicious meal. Jessica liked his family a lot. Chase was going to have two cousins plus another cousin who would be born in a few months. Having to share their uncle was a little hard for Rob and Chrissy. Jessica could tell she was used to Holden’s attention and a little jealous of his interest in Chase. Jessica talked to Holden about it later when they said good-night before going to separate bedrooms.
“Give them time and they’ll work it out.”
“I know they will.”
He kissed her long and hard. “See you in the morning. We’ll go riding while he plays with his cousins.”
It was torture letting Holden go, but Jessica had to remember this wouldn’t go on for too much longer.
The next morning after they’d had breakfast, they rode out on the Granger ranch and talked about the future. When they reached a spot near a small lake, they dismounted.
Holden pulled a blanket out of his saddlebag and threw it on the grass. Then he pulled her down next to him. For the next hour they lost themselves in each other until he tore his lips from hers and got to his feet.
“We’d better go, or the honeymoon will start right here. I want you to be my wife first.”
Holden was such an honorable man. She adored him for it and stood up. This time she folded the blanket and put it in the saddlebag so he didn’t have to use his injured hand.
They headed back to the ranch house and talked about her career. “I’ll keep working at the beauty salon, but I don’t think Mom is going to hold on to it much longer.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I think there’s going to be another wedding in the not too distant future. I told you she’s been seeing a man named Ray Marsden from the church. He’s a rancher who lost his wife, and she’s crazy about him. He wants to marry her and take her traveling, but we’ll see.”
“Do you think you might want to teach school and get your degree? You know I’ll support you in anything you’d like to do.”
“I do know, and maybe I will, but right now all I can think about is being a wife to you. What about you? You said you were a rancher at heart.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.”
Just to hear him say that got her excited. “I’ll bet you have. As I told you yesterday, after coming here I don’t see how you ever gave this up.”
He eyed her steadily. “How would you feel if we moved here and built our own ranch house on my property in a few years?”
“If it’s what you really want deep down, then I want it for us.”
“Let me think about it. It could be hard on Chase.”
“Only because he would have to leave his nana. But she would come and visit us often, and we’d go there to visit Joey.
“So the decision of where we live and what you want to do for the rest of your life is up to you, darling. All I can say is, if you resign as sheriff one of these days, Whitebark will never find another sheriff who can hold a candle to you.”
She heard him take a deep breath. “What star was I born under to meet a woman like you?”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’m still trying to believe you’ve asked me to marry you. I love you so much.”
“Let’s get back to Chase and talk to him.”
Jessica loved it that he was so concerned for her son and his feelings.
When they reached the ranch house, all three children ran up to them outside the barn. Just as Holden had predicted, it appeared they’d become good friends.
“Mom, guess what? Baby follows us around and lets us feed her apple slices. I think she really likes me, Holden.”
“Of course she does.” He laughed in pure happiness. “She’s like a baby and loves the attention. What else have you been doing?”
“We played out in the yard on the waterslide and got to help Grandma Granger make lemonade.”
Grandma Granger already. Jessica smiled to see how fast the bond had happened.
“She let us sell it outside.”
“Did lots of people buy it?”
Chrissy nodded. “Mom, Grandpa, Uncle Joe and Benny.”
“He takes care of the horses,” Chase explained, causing Holden’s smile to turn into a grin.
“And Mike,” Chrissy added. “He mows the lawn.”
“Mike let us ride around with him.” This from Chase.
Jessica laughed. “I bet that was a blast.”
“I loved it!”
They rode into the barn and dismounted. The children followed them. “How much money did you make for mowing?” Holden wanted to know.
“We each got six quarters.”
“What are you going to spend it on?”
“Grandpa said we should save our money.”
“That sounds like my father.”
“Can I spend any of it?”
“Of course. You earned it.”
“How soon do we have to go back to Whitebark?”
Holden glanced at Jessica. “Tomorrow.”
“Do you have to go to work?”
“Heck.”
“We’ll come back soon.”
“Come on, Chase. Grandma says it’s time to go in and wash our hands. We’re going to have dinner pretty soon.”
“Okay. See you in a minute, Mom.”
When they ran off, Holden put his arm around Jessica. “On our way home tomorrow we’ll put the question to Chase and see how he feels.”
* * *
The next morning, they loaded the horses in the trailer after hugging everyone goodbye.
“I wish we didn’t have to go home yet.”
Jessica smiled. That son of hers wished his life away. “We had a wonderful time, didn’t we?”
“Yeah. Rob and Chrissy didn’t want me to leave.”
“I can see why,” Holden responded. “Let me ask you something,” he said when they were out on the highway. “After your mom and I are married, what would you think if we moved to Cody?”
“But how could you? You’re the sheriff!”
“That’s true, but what if I gave that up and started ranching again?”
“But where would we live?”
“We’ll build a ranch house on my property adjoining my parents’ with a barn and a corral.”
Chase was quiet for so long, Jessica knew he was having a struggle. “Would Nana come with us?”
Jessica knew that was on his mind. “She’d come to visit often and we’d go see her.”
“Don’t you like being sheriff?” Chase asked Holden.
“I like it very much. It’s how I met your mom.”
“But would you rather be a rancher?”
“I’m happy doing both.”
Except that Jessica knew how he really felt. Though he’d been a police officer, he would have eventually become a full-time rancher if his wife hadn’t died.
“I want to know how you feel about it. Think about it, and when you know what matters most to you, tell me.”
“I don’t need to think about it.”
“How come?”
“Every night I pray that you won’t get killed by a bad guy. If you’re a rancher, you’ll be safe, so I’d rather we moved to Cody.”