The Rancher's First Love

“Come down and visit us, then,” he offered.

She laughed. “Because Oregon and Lilly want company this late at night? I don’t think so. Go home.”

“I’ll go but you text me or call when you get home. If you don’t, I’ll have to come looking for you.”

She loved his protectiveness. “I’ll text you.”

He gave her a tight hug, then headed around the back of the building where he’d parked his truck. Samantha watched him go, then took off running down the sidewalk. She headed down Main Street to the intersection. Ahead of her the Community Church was dark and quiet, bathed only in the orange glow of streetlights. The park was equally dark. She kept running, breathing in deep and letting go of the tenseness that had built up during the long day.

She loved working with children. She wouldn’t change jobs for anything. But watching those children in pain was tough. She’d tried but couldn’t leave her work behind at the end of the day. Parker, Danny and the others, they were in her heart. She knew that the longer she remained in this job, the more she’d have to cry about.

She ran several miles, keeping to the few side streets that made up Martin’s Crossing. As she turned back up Main Street, she saw a truck had parked next to hers. She slowed her steps, going from a run to a jog and then a walk.

The driver of the truck got out. Even on the dimly lit street, she knew him. She knew the way he stood. She knew the way he pushed that white cowboy hat back. He shouldn’t be so familiar to her. But he was.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she leaned over to touch her toes. When she straightened, he was leaning against the side of his truck, watching her.

“I would have gone running with you if you’d called,” he said.

She looked him over. Jeans, cowboy hat, boots. Her heart did a little flip she had to ignore. “Really?”

“I would have changed.”

She lifted one shoulder. “I like to run alone.”

That was what had changed about her in the years since she’d been sent away. She’d gotten used to being alone. She’d gone from the girl at the center of the crowd to a woman who knew how to be independent.

“Of course.” He sat on the tailgate of his truck. “I was driving through town and I saw you running. I didn’t like the idea of leaving you here alone.”

“I’m a big girl. No one needs to protect me or rescue me.”

The words slipped out and she wished she’d kept quiet. Not that he would understand what she meant. He wouldn’t guess that she’d waited for him to rescue her from her aunt Mavis, believing he’d show up and take her away. She’d thought they would be a family.

But he hadn’t rescued her. There hadn’t been a letter or a phone call. Not once in all of those years had she ever heard from him.

That summer she’d learned an important lesson about love. Remington had said he loved her. Her brothers had said they loved her and that’s why they’d sent her away. Her mom should have loved her. She’d left when Samantha was little more than a baby.

Now it was all just water under the bridge.

“Sam?” The quiet, husky voice broke into her thoughts.

So much for letting go of the tension. She faced the man who had broken her fifteen-year-old heart.

“Remington, I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to talk about what happened. I don’t want to figure out the past. I’m building a future for myself. I have a job I love. I have a home, my family and a life I’m reclaiming. Don’t make this about what happened before, because I don’t want to go back.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “I know. I promise, I’m here to talk about the future. Sit down, please.”

She paced a few steps away from him, then faced him again. “I don’t want to sit.”

“Stubborn as always.” He grinned as he said it, his teeth flashing white in his suntanned face.

“Not stubborn. I just don’t want to sit down.”

“I’m sorry they sent you away,” he spoke quietly. In the distance coyotes howled and a train whistle echoed in the night. His words were soft, shifting things inside her that she didn’t want shifted. Like the walls she’d built up around her.

“Me, too.” She rubbed her hands down her suddenly chilled arms. “I wasn’t prepared to see you today.”

She opened her mouth to tell him more, but she couldn’t. Not yet. Not tonight. There was more to tell him. She’d tried to write him a letter. More than once she’d sat down with pen and paper and tried to tell him everything that had happened. At sixteen she hadn’t found the right words. At seventeen she’d wanted to put it all behind her. As she got older, she’d convinced herself he didn’t need to know.

Maybe Aunt Mavis had been right. They’d been kids ten years ago. What did two kids know about love and forever? It had been a learning experience. A mistake.

“We should talk.”

She gave up and sat down next to him on the metal tailgate. “Rem, I’m just not ready for this. I know I’ve had plenty of time to come to terms with what happened, but I’m just not ready to talk it all out with you yet.”

“I’m sorry. I always thought eventually we’d run into each other here in Martin’s Crossing. It took longer than I expected.”

She pulled one leg up, resting her chin on her knee. “I always looked for you. When I came home for breaks, I’d drive by Gus’s, thinking you might be there.”

“I looked for you, too. Now it seems as if we’re both back in town for good.”

She looked up, surprised. “For good? You’re staying here?”

In the light of the street lamp she saw the twinkle in his eyes. “Gus needs my help on the ranch. And now Parker and his grandmother are moving in.”

“So you’re moving here?”

“I’m going to pastor the Countryside Church and run the ranch.”

“I see.” But she didn’t. It was all well and good to see him at the hospital with a horse named John Wayne. She’d never expected him back in Martin’s Crossing. Back in her life.

* * *

Remington let the silence linger around them. He guessed they both had their memories of that summer. From his point of view, he’d been a kid who’d fallen hard for a pretty girl. They’d been young and they’d gone too far too fast. He’d faced the wrath of Jake and Duke Martin. They’d run him off the ranch and out of her life, letting him know he wasn’t welcome on Martin land, or near their sister. Gus had sent him back home to his folks, and their ranch near Austin, where his mom told him to learn from his mistakes.

Samantha Martin. Sitting next to her now on the tailgate, he felt the past coming at him like a steam train. Her arm brushed against his, her soft scent tangled with the breeze and attempted to drive him crazy.

Common sense told him not to go back down that road. He remembered all too well how it had felt to be sent packing. As an adult he doubted her brothers would be his problem. No, if he had any intentions of pursuing her, she’d be the one sending him away.

“Pastor Jenkins?” she said it with a teasing glint in her eyes.

“Yeah, surprise.” He shifted to look at her. “There I was in college studying agriculture and taking a class on the Bible that was meant to be an easy A. Instead I found something I’d been missing. I didn’t mean for it to be a career.”

“I haven’t gone to church in ages.” Her voice was soft, a little bit lost and all kinds of hurt.

He didn’t know what to say to that. He knew she probably had her reasons for not going to church and he didn’t want to push for answers. He’d learned a hard lesson a few years ago about dating, and found out that if two people lived on opposite sides of the faith fence, it was difficult to make a relationship work.

They sat there a few more minutes. “Parker is your cousin?” she asked.

“Yeah. I guess you know his parents died in a car accident?”

“Yes, I knew. I’m sorry.”

“Me, too. It’s going to be tough on him. And on his grandmother, my aunt Lee.”

“But they have you. And Gus.”

Yes, they had him. He hadn’t really planned this, coming back to Martin’s Crossing. Life was funny that way. It never really went according to plan. At least not his. At seventeen he’d planned on marrying the woman sitting next to him.

“How is your granddad?” she asked, dragging him back to the present.

“Slowing down, but he’s good. He’s recovered from his stroke and thinks he can still outwork me. My mom worries about him.”

“It’s good that you can be here to help him. To help them.” Meaning his aunt and Parker.

Her fingers momentarily closed over his, then let go.

He hadn’t expected that. He also didn’t expect her to hop down from the tailgate and take off. He watched her go. She didn’t head for her truck. Instead she headed down the street, walking slow and easy.

“What are you doing?” he called out to her.

She glanced back, a finger pressed to her lips. Okay, silence, he got that. He followed her. Suddenly she was on all fours, peeking under the truck parked in front of Lefty Mueller’s woodworking shop.

“Come here, sweetheart. Come on,” she said in a sweet tone that would have had him crawling through hot coals to get to her.

“What...”

She shot him a look and shook her head. Right. No talking.

He saw what had drawn her attention. A pregnant hound dog, skin and bones but about to whelp any day. The dog whimpered, then crawled out from under the truck. Sam sat back on her heels and the dog nuzzled into her lap, all big brown eyes and long ears.

“What are you going to do with her?”

Sam held the hound’s soulful face in her hands. “Take her home.”

“Duke and Jake will love that.”

“Duke and Jake don’t have a say in the matter. I’m not going to ask their opinion on every decision I make.”

“Or any decision,” he muttered, heading for his truck.

“You’re leaving?” she called out, sounding like she honestly didn’t want him to go.

He shook his head. “No, I’m getting you a lead rope for your new pet.”

When he returned with the rope she was standing, the underfed and overly pregnant dog standing next to her. He shook his head and handed her the rope.

“What?” She made a loop and put the rope around the dog’s neck.

“I’m just thinking that you’re asking for trouble.”

“She’s beautiful.” Sam brushed a hand down the dog’s head. “Maybe part bloodhound?”

Beautiful. He had to agree. Standing there in shorts, a T-shirt and with her hair pulled back, Sam was beautiful. He let himself get tangled up in everything he’d felt years ago. But those memories would get him nowhere. He pushed his hat back and refocused his attention on the dog.

“From the looks of that face and those ears, I’d say yes,” he agreed, reaching to let the dog sniff his hand.

“Who would dump a pretty girl like her?”

“Someone tired of puppies would be my guess.”

“Then they should have gotten her fixed.”

“I agree. I’m just giving you my opinion on why she’s been left on the side of the road.”

“Yes, because she’s going to have puppies.” Her expression changed from angry to something close to sad, then she walked away, the dog next to her. He watched them go, wondering what that look meant and fearing deep down that he didn’t know the whole story.

“Maybe she just got lost?”

Back at her truck, Sam opened the door and coaxed the dog inside. “That’s a possibility.”

“We can ask around. Someone might be missing her.”

“Yes, I’ll do that. I’ll put a poster up at Duke’s and at the grocery store.”

Inside the truck the dog had settled on the seat, happy to be inside. Sam fidgeted, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

Ten years. They had become different people. They no longer knew each other. If he was honest, he’d admit they’d probably never known each other. They’d been kids. They’d both liked horses, rodeos and sitting down by the creek on a summer day.

It hadn’t been a relationship, his mom had informed him. It had been a summer romance.

The warm night air reminded him that it was summer once again. With that thought in mind, he had to head home, because now was the wrong time for him to get distracted.

“Thanks for...” she started at the same time he said, “I should go.”

“Goodbye, Rem. I’m glad we talked.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

She walked away from him and he watched her go. After she’d driven away, he sat on the tailgate of his truck for a while, thinking about that summer, about being seventeen and really believing he knew everything about life.

He hadn’t had a clue. He still didn’t have a clue. But he knew that Samantha Martin was in his past. That’s where she belonged. And that’s where a wise man would leave her.

He was smart, but he’d never been too wise.

Chapter Three

Samantha woke up early the next morning. She loved waking up on the ranch, to the quiet broken only by country sounds. Dogs, a cow in the distance, a tractor working in a nearby field. Carrying her cup of coffee, she walked out to the barn.

After she’d gotten home last night, she’d put the pregnant dog in a stall with a bowl of leftover stew and a bucket of water. As she headed across the yard she could hear the animal whining.

“What’s going on, pretty girl?” She leaned across the top of the stall and peeked in. “Oh, I see.”

The dog yelped and turned to clean her new puppies. There were four already, still damp and squirmy. The mamma dog hovered over them, nervous about having company.

“Hey, what’s up?” A loud, chipper voice burst into the moment.

Lilly. Sam turned to greet her niece, Duke’s daughter. The surprise, as Sam liked to call her. Duke hadn’t known about his daughter until just last year. Sam loved the bubbly, energetic twelve-year-old. She secretly hoped the girl would keep Duke on his toes.

Sam held up a finger, and then pointed to the stall. “Shhh.”

Lilly silently tiptoed forward, her eyes going big when she looked inside and saw the dog. And now, five puppies.

“We should give her some privacy,” Sam said. “Let’s have breakfast.”

As soon as the two of them walked out of the barn, Lilly’s carefully contained energy uncorked. “Where did you get her? What’s her name? And did you know my mom is going to adopt a baby?”

Sam blinked a few times. Okay, this was news. And probably not the way Duke or Oregon wanted it announced.

“I’m not sure what to say, Lilly.” Sam cleared her throat. “You know, your parents might not want everyone to know.”

“Mom said I could tell you.”

“Oh, well that’s good. I didn’t know and I’m excited for them.”

“It’s through the state. He’s only six weeks old and he’s living in a foster home in Houston. We’re going to see him next week.”

“That’s amazing. I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Me, too.” Lilly glanced back at the barn. “So, where did you get the dog?”

“I found her in town.”

“Oh, that’s the dog that my dad was talking about. The stray that he’s going to have to do something about.”

“He said that?”

“You know how guys are,” Lilly said, rolling her eyes.

“Yes, I do know how guys are. And he isn’t going to do anything about this dog because she’s mine now.”

Lilly just shrugged. “So, I’m out of school and bored.”

Sam laughed. “I’m sure you are. What are you going to do with your summer?”

Lilly shrugged and Sam got the feeling there was more she wanted to say. They kept walking, though, back to the house. Sam hadn’t been here when Oregon and Lilly showed up a few years ago. When Duke learned that the precocious girl across the street was his daughter. But she was here now. And she loved being an aunt.

“So?” she prodded her niece. “Give it up. I know you have more to say. Or something to ask.”

“Okay. Dad said you were the best barrel racer in the county. I’m not the best. But I want to be. I’ll be thirteen soon and I don’t want to have to compete with the little girls.”

“Gotcha. So we have some work to do?”

Lilly nodded. “Please. I mean, Dad tries to help me, but he’s a guy. He can rope. He can train a horse.”

“But he isn’t a barrel racer.”

“Right.” Lilly stepped through the door Sam opened.

“That works for me, because my new gelding needs some practice.” Sam followed her niece inside. The kitchen felt cool after being outside. It was not quite nine o’clock and already hot and humid. “Want breakfast?”

In answer Lilly headed for the cabinet, helping herself to cereal bars. She and Oregon had lived in this house for a time. The girl knew her way around more than just the house. She knew how to be a part of the Martin family. Sam envied that. Sometimes she felt like the outsider, as if she was the one who didn’t know how to be a Martin.

“Are you going to eat?” Lilly poured herself a glass of milk and dunked the cereal bar.

“Not yet. I need at least another cup or two of coffee.” She poured herself a cup and leaned against the counter next to Lilly. “About this horse business. I have to work this evening, but I can help you this morning. We might even trailer the horses over to the rodeo grounds. I always found it helpful to get away from the ranch arena.”

“Really? You’d do that?”

“Of course. You’re my niece and we have a tradition to continue in this family.”

Lilly popped the last bite in her mouth, and then drained the glass of milk. She wiped her mouth with a paper towel and put the glass in the sink. “So, you’re going to barrel race this summer?”

“We’ll see how things go.”

“Do you think we should go check on your dog?” Lilly glanced toward the barn. “Have you named her?”

“Not yet. I don’t want to name her if she belongs to someone and she’s just lost. I’ll put up some posters and see if anyone claims her. As a matter of fact, let me get my phone so I can take a picture.”

They were on their way to the barn when Jake pulled up. Sam waved at her brother, but she and Lilly kept walking. She knew he’d follow. She also knew he’d have something to say about the stray dog.

As she and Lilly leaned over, watching the mama dog and her litter of six, Jake stepped into the barn.

“What do we have here?” He sidled next to her and groaned when he saw the dog and puppies. “A stray?”

“No, she’s not a stray. She either belongs to someone or she’s mine. She’s not a stray.”

He cleared his throat. “She’s a mutt.”

“Jake, I don’t have to ask your permission to get a dog.” She wouldn’t argue with him. Not in front of Lilly.

She wanted to tell her brother that what she did was no longer his business. He didn’t get to make decisions about her life, her career, who she dated. Not that she had dated since she’d come home. But he definitely got no say in what animals she brought home. He’d made decisions for her when she was younger and hadn’t asked her opinion. No more.

“You’re right. You don’t,” he said just as quietly. “I just wanted to let you know, Breezy isn’t feeling too great. The baby is fussy. I think they’re both going to need a trip to the doctor.”

“I can watch the twins for you,” she was quick to offer.

“Marty has them, but if she needs a break, can she call you?”

“You know she can.”

Lilly glanced at Jake, then at Sam. “Do I need to leave so you two can argue?”

Sam laughed a little and Jake looked uncomfortable.

“You stay put, kiddo. Aunt Sam and I will step outside.”

Brothers. She gave Lilly a quick wink and the girl shook her head, as if she got it. Because even though she didn’t have brothers, she had Duke for a dad.

“Back in a minute, Lilly,” she assured her niece.

“If you need me to rescue you, the code word is help.”

Sam laughed. “I’ll remember that.”

Jake was waiting for her outside. They walked to the fence, neither saying a word. Sam leaned her arms across the top rail and watched her new gelding, a pretty palomino, as he trotted across the field, his buttery gold coat soaking up the sunshine. Standing next to Jake, she felt small. And young. She exhaled her frustration, but he didn’t react.

“Nice horse,” Jake commented.

“What do you want, Jake?”

“I ran across Remington. He was at the feed store.”

“Yeah, he lives here now.”

He cleared his throat. “So you know he’s in town?”

“Yes, I know.” She could have said more, but she didn’t want to make this easy for him. She didn’t want to let him off the hook. Her brothers had hurt her. They’d meant to protect her, to make things right. But they’d hurt her along the way.

It still ached. Not the way it had before, but from time to time it would sneak up on her. She closed her eyes tight for a moment, long enough to fight back the tears.

Jake touched her back. “I’m sorry, Sam. I don’t know what else to say. We were young. We were doing the best we could. And we didn’t know how to raise a younger sister.”

“I know. So why did you feel the need to tell me you saw Remington?”

“I didn’t want you to be surprised.”

“Oh, I was surprised. He showed up at the hospital with a crew of cowboys who minister to kids.”

“Ah.”

He said it as though he understood. She doubted he did. He hadn’t lived with Aunt Mavis. He hadn’t lived through the Bible lessons, the lectures and the condemnation.

She’d always thought her aunt well-meaning. She’d given the older woman the benefit of the doubt. That didn’t ease the pain.

“I should go. Lilly is in there with the dog and she wants me to help her with her horse.”

Before she could step away, Jake stopped her, his hand on her arm. “Sam, we’re all glad you’re home. We want you here. But we want more than that. We want you in our lives.”

She nodded but her throat was tight and tears burned her eyes. “I know. I don’t go to work until three. I can watch the twins if you need me to.”

The twins. Rosie and Violet. They were the daughters of Jake’s twin, Elizabeth. She and her husband had died in a plane crash, devastating the family all over again. They’d had too much devastation in their past. A mother who had walked away. A father who drank himself to death. Then Elizabeth’s death.

But they were making up for those hard times. Jake had found Breezy, the sister of Elizabeth’s husband, Lawton. Duke and Oregon had found each other. Brody had Grace.

They all had someone. Except her.

Sam shook off the melancholy. She had her family. And that was good.

She was saved from darker thoughts when Lilly ran out of the barn, a big grin on her face. “Nine. There are nine puppies!”

“I should go home and leave the two of you to your labor and delivery.” Jake leaned to kiss Sam’s cheek. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Will do.” She glanced away, hoping he didn’t see the truth. She needed him. She needed all of her brothers.

“Sam, I hope you’ll forgive us.”

She stopped, unsure of how to process that request. She was forced to look at Jake, to see the tenderness in his expression. She nodded, brushing hair back from her face as the wind kicked up. She started to tell him there was nothing to forgive, but it didn’t seem honest. She’d been angry with them. She loved her brothers, but they’d hurt her.

“I’m working on it,” she said. It was a candid answer and he seemed to accept it.

“Good. That’s all we ask.”

When he left, she headed for the barn and Lilly. What she needed was an hour or two on horseback to clear her mind.

* * *

Remington had spent his morning with a family that had lost a father during the night. It hadn’t been easy, watching them say goodbye to a man they’d expected to be in their lives for years to come. As much as he loved ministry, he was still adjusting to this part of the job. Standing in front of a crowd on a Sunday morning was easy compared to sitting one-on-one with a wife, telling her God would help her through the coming days, weeks and months.

He slowed as he drove past the Martin’s Crossing Saddle Club. He recognized the truck with the horse trailer hooked to it, and the woman sitting on the showy palomino. Good old common sense told him to keep driving. He sure didn’t need distractions in the form of Samantha Martin. He didn’t need to get caught up in the past when he had the present to concern himself with.