CHAPTER THIRTEEN

OVER THE NEXT week Josh spent a few hours each morning with one of the twins, riding or doing other work, while Kelly stayed with the other. In the afternoon, they switched places.

Since Gizmo refused to go anywhere without Kelly, Lark went with Josh. It was hard on the Australian shepherd. Casey and Marc were her “herd,” so she was torn whenever they were separated.

“You’ll get to know the boys better if you have one-on-one time,” Kelly had explained. “Especially Casey. He talks more when his brother isn’t around.”

Some of the tired tension had eased from her face, but Josh knew she was still working too hard and losing sleep.

Over him?

He didn’t like to think so, but he was realistic. Trust took time to build. His own doubts had eased, largely from seeing Kelly’s devotion to the twins. She’d had good reasons not to tell him about her pregnancy, and in the six years since their birth, she had simply been protecting Casey and Marc in the way she’d felt best. Maybe it hadn’t been ideal, but life didn’t always have neat, easy choices.

“Josh, is it okay if I call you Dad?” Casey asked as they rode toward the north herd one afternoon.

“Sure,” he agreed, elated.

It was the first time either of the boys had brought up what to call him. If anything, he would have expected the question to come from Marc first, but it made sense that Casey would ask since he’d had more time to think about it.

“That would be great,” Josh added. “I call my own father Pop, so maybe you could call him Grandpop. I’ll show you his picture when we get back. We can call him, too, if you’d like.”

“Sure. Can I tell my friends about you?”

Josh hesitated. “I don’t mind, but let’s talk to your mom first.”

“I already asked. She says it’s okay with her if it’s okay with you.”

Josh could imagine the storm of gossip that would ensue once the news got out. But there wasn’t a good way to tell people something like this. They were long past putting a birth notice in the local paper, though he had a brief longing to see exactly that.

How were those things worded, anyhow?

Kelly Beaumont and Josh McKeon announce they’re the proud parents of twin sons named Casey and…

He stopped and told himself not to be ridiculous.

Then another thought struck him; in all of their discussions about the boys, Kelly had never said anything about saving face in front of Shelton. The Flannigans were highly respected, and even in today’s more accepting climate, it must have caused a stir when she gave birth to the twins with no father in sight. Yet she’d deferred the decision of telling people to him.

He and Casey guided their horses up the narrow path to the north end of the ranch. As they threaded the gap in the rocks, they could see the herd spread out across the valley.

A hawk suddenly took flight from a nearby rock, causing Quicksilver to rear; he was more accustomed to loudspeakers and milling crowds than large birds exploding at his feet. As Josh brought the stallion down, his attention remained riveted on Casey. What if Ringo threw his rider or took off in a frenzy?

Casey and his horse, however, were calmly watching the hawk soar in a circle, then rise skyward on a warm current of air.

Josh puffed out a relieved breath.

For the hundredth time he recalled Kelly’s comment about parenting being scary and hard work. He was getting a crash course on the subject, but she was helping and had reassured him that he’d eventually find a balance. He hoped so; otherwise he’d died of heart failure inside of six months.

“Mom says all the cows in our herds have had their calves,” Casey said matter-of-factly. “Two in this herd were born really late, so they’ll have trouble growing up enough in time for winter.”

“I see.” It was an issue they faced on McKeon’s Choice as well, though they tried to breed their cows for an early delivery. A calf normally put on a hundred pounds a month, weight they needed to get through the winter months. Late calves had less time to gain needed pounds.

“Mom hates losing late calves,” Casey continued, “so she puts them in a special pasture where they can go into a barn when it’s extra cold. Grandpa Liam laughs about it, but she even has heaters in the barn when it’s really bad. We lose less cows than any other ranch in Shelton County.”

Warmth went through Josh. Kelly had a temper and was as stubborn as a badger, but everything about her charmed him these days, even her faults. Two nights ago they’d had a rollicking row when she discovered that he’d paid off the mortgage on the foaling barn.

“The bank had no right to accept that money from you,” she’d declared furiously.

“Banks generally take money from anyone willing to give it to them. But don’t worry. I made the payment through a holding company, so nobody knows it was from me.”

“That isn’t the point.”

“I don’t care about the point. I expect to help financially. That isn’t negotiable.”

“I’m totally capable of supporting Casey and Marc.”

Josh had crossed his arms over his chest, more amused by her obstinate vehemence than angry himself. “That isn’t the point, either. I’m not impugning your ability to take care of Casey and Marc. I’m just doing my part.”

“You—”

She’d stopped, glared and stalked away. He would have preferred her to stay and discuss why she was so stubbornly independent…not that it needed discussing. Kelly had grown up with parents who were nice people but who lacked reliability. Liam and Susannah would have looked after her when she was at the ranch, but when traveling with her parents, she’d been forced to take care of herself. And she’d had over six years to worry about proving she was a fit mother in case of a custody battle.

At least she was talking to him more. Opening up and letting him see the complex woman he should have seen when they were dating.

“Your mom is a good rancher,” he told Casey.

“Mom is super,” Casey returned staunchly. “She knows all about horses and other important stuff. She just doesn’t like rodeos much. Is that why she didn’t tell you about us?”

Josh sighed. “It’s complicated.” Even as the words left his mouth, he groaned. Growing up, he’d hated people telling him that something was too complicated for him to understand.

“Everybody says that when they don’t want to talk about something.” Casey sounded disgusted.

“It’s just that I don’t know how to explain. Your mom and I loved each other, but I was ambitious. I thought about winning most of the time and I didn’t see how much that was hurting her.”

Casey cocked his head. “What d’ya mean?”

“When you love someone, they need to know how important they are to you,” Josh said. “And they can’t know, unless you tell them. I’m bad at that because I get busy and focused on what I’m doing. Then I don’t take care of things that are more important. Earning enough money to buy a ranch wasn’t a bad goal, but I made your mom feel as if she was less important than winning and being a big star.”

“Was she?”

Josh sighed again. He’d quickly discovered that Casey didn’t accept half explanations.

“I don’t know,” Josh told him honestly. “Not now, but back then I was really bigheaded and figured everything should go my way.”

Casey giggled. “Bigheaded?”

“That’s another way of saying I was full of myself. Which means I was conceited,” Josh admitted. “Do you know what that is?”

“I guess.”

“Anyhow, I let something happen that made your mom angry and I didn’t try hard enough to fix it. Then by the time she knew she was pregnant, I was married to someone else.”

Casey’s eyes widened. “You’re married?”

“Not any longer. It was a mistake. Not as huge a mistake as letting your mother go, but a big one. The basic truth is, when people don’t know how much we care, we risk losing them.”

Casey’s chin went up. “Marc says you’d think I’m a baby for hugging Mom, but I told him that I didn’t care if you did. I was gonna hug her anyhow.”

Josh’s heart thudded with emotion. He gripped the reins with one hand and leaned over to give Casey’s shoulders a quick, hard hug. “Everyone has to choose their own way of showing love, but I like hugging, too.”

His son’s face scrunched up. “Does that mean you love us?”

“It means I love you and Marc, very, very much, and you’re much more important to me than rodeos or winning.”

“Does Mom know that?”

“I hope she does,” Josh said carefully. “But whatever happens between your mom and me, it won’t change how I feel about you and Marc.”

Josh hoped his explanation would be enough. He’d fallen in love with Kelly again, but what happened next wasn’t just up to him. Even if she felt the same, she might not be willing to take the chance of history repeating itself.

He couldn’t blame her. Right now he was still formulating ideas for the future and hoping he could convince her that even if his priorities had been screwed up seven years ago, they were on target now.

A big idea had occurred to him while watching Harry lead his children’s rodeo workshop. Namely, to buy his own ranch in the Shelton area and start a training facility for rodeo contestants.

But no matter what, he needed to be near Kelly and his sons. If she didn’t accept his first proposal, maybe she’d finally accept if he stayed around and kept asking.

* * *

A WEEK AFTER Betsy had first helped with the veterinary clinic flower beds, she drove over to the feed-and-seed store to get more plants. It was her third trip. Shelton was a small town, so businesses had multiple functions, and she was fascinated by the farm store’s variety.

They didn’t sell just animal food and farm seed. They also sold tractors, yard equipment, animals, trees, water troughs and a bunch of other stuff. Some of it needed to be special-ordered because it wasn’t practical to keep everything on hand, but there was still a huge amount in stock.

According to Jill, the farm store’s prices were competitive, but the cost of a tractor had still made Betsy’s eyes pop. It wasn’t any wonder that she’d seen ancient tractors still being used, not just around Shelton, but through her various travels.

“Hi, Betsy,” called the warehouse manager as she got out of the van.

“Hey, Mack.”

“We have a new batch of baby rabbits if you’re interested,” he said, grinning. He’d been patient with her questions about warehouse operations and knew how much she loved visiting the animals. Particularly the babies. She didn’t think it meant anything special; she’d always loved them. Well, animals of any age. They were so basic and honest about their responses and needs. Anyway, she wasn’t old enough for the ticking from her biological clock to be keeping her up at night.

“Of course I’m interested,” she told Mack.

Betsy went to the rabbit hutches near the warehouse doors and cooed over the tiny babies. The amiable warehouse cat lay on top of the hutch, watching them as well with a benevolent expression on his whiskered face. He wasn’t being predatory, just protective; his job was to catch the pesky rodents that got into the building. Apparently when chicks occasionally escaped, usually assisted by a curious toddler, he even helped round them up like a harried uncle whose charges were being uncooperative.

She petted the ginger tomcat and his purr rumbled out.

“You’re spoiling that animal,” Mack said.

“As if I haven’t seen him riding around on your shoulders,” Betsy teased. “Or don’t know you keep a bag of treats in your pocket for him.”

“Guilty as charged.” He looked past her at an arriving vehicle. “Say, Dr. Latham just got here. I wonder what he needs. As if I didn’t know.” Mack grinned.

Betsy’s breath quickened. Everyone seemed to think something was going on between her and Grant, but he’d been annoyingly proper since their kiss on the Ferris wheel. True, he’d taken her with him on an emergency veterinary visit on Saturday, but that didn’t mean anything. They’d been working on the flower beds together when the call came in and she had asked if she could go along. The chance to see a working ranch had been irresistible.

It wasn’t totally picturesque, at least not in the way movies often portrayed ranches, but better because of that. The Wards had a huge spread and she’d already met some of the family while helping with the rodeo preparations. The quiet strength and self-assurance of ranchers intrigued her. It was as if the world could get knocked on its ear one night and they’d go on riding fences and checking cattle the next morning.

“Good morning, Grant,” she called.

“Don’t tell me—you’re here to get more flowers,” he guessed.

“And learning how a feed-and-seed farm store operates.”

* * *

IT WAS NO surprise to Grant. When Betsy threw herself into something, she did it wholeheartedly, like helping with the rodeo and taking care of her customers at the café. He just didn’t know how she had the energy to be interested in so many different things.

“That’s why I’m here, too,” he explained. “The garden center claims we’re planting everything too close together, but I think it would be nice for you to see the beds looking good before you leave.”

“Are you trying to scoot me past the town limits?”

Grant kicked himself. He didn’t want to push Betsy away, but for some reason he kept referring to her departure. Admittedly, he was also looking for signs that she was restless. She’d said she didn’t stay anywhere for more than a few weeks, and she had been in Shelton for well over two months.

“Not at all. It would be great if you stay,” he said. “In fact, the Shelton City Council may even give you the keys to the city.”

She laughed. “Just for staying? Shelton can’t be that desperate for new citizens.”

“Of course not. But at the chamber of commerce meeting they mentioned getting inquiries because of your article in the A.C. Globetrotter. More tourists have been coming to town—the motel has been booked continuously and the permanent campgrounds are full. Also, a filmmaker from Hollywood wants to make a rodeo-based movie here because of the article. That’s why they haven’t called for volunteers to take the grandstand and other stuff down again.”

“I heard about that,” Mack exclaimed. “Some of us might get to play extras. Nice going, Betsy.”

“Oh. That’s nice. About the movie and having more tourists, I mean.” She didn’t seem interested in the praise. Her travel articles were published under the byline B. A. Hartner, and her reluctance to talk about them suggested she didn’t want name recognition.

“I’d better get to work,” Mack said, winking at Grant.

“I just remembered that I’ve never asked what the A in B. A. Hartner stands for,” Grant said when they were alone.

“That’s a state secret.”

“If you’re going to be that way about it, I won’t tell you my middle name.”

“I already know. It’s Douglas,” Betsy returned promptly. “I saw it on your veterinary certificate in the waiting room.”

“Oh, right.”

He looked at her laughing face and the final defenses in his heart crumbled. She was the most amazing woman he’d ever met. But would she consider sharing his life? While she was enjoying Shelton now, there was no telling how long that would last.

There had to be a way they could work out being together. Maybe he could start making changes that would give him more time to travel with her, and go from there.

Because the alternative was too awful to contemplate.

* * *

JOSH HAD SPENT the past eight days laying the groundwork for his rodeo training facility, though he still hadn’t mentioned it to Harry. There were consultations back and forth with lawyers, and he made a number of calls to the Western clothing company that had asked him to represent their clothing line. For just a few days of work a year, he’d earn a hefty income. He set up a meeting with their representatives down in Dallas, where they expected to immediately shoot the first series of commercials and magazine advertisements.

When he was finally ready to take the first step locally—approaching Mrs. Gillespie about purchasing the Galloping G—he told Marc that he had an appointment and they wouldn’t be able to go riding together the next morning.

Marc stuck his lip out. “Why not?”

“Because I have things to take care of. Adult things. Maybe all of us can take a ride tomorrow afternoon.”

“What kind of adult things?”

“Marc, that’s none of your business,” Kelly interjected. “Josh doesn’t have to explain himself to you.”

Marc’s pout grew even more pronounced. “Ooookaaay,” he said in a long, drawn-out way that announced he wasn’t the least bit okay with it. He stomped out of the barn.

“Don’t worry. He’s just—” Kelly started to say, only to be interrupted by Harry.

“Josh, the boys need to be able to count on you,” Harry scolded.

Frustration rose in Josh. He didn’t intend to take parenting advice from a man who knew nothing about the subject. “Let me be clear, Harry. I’m not the one who’s let them down. You practically bankrupted two ranches to keep competing, and most of the time you left your daughter to be raised by her grandparents instead of raising her yourself. Even when Kelly was with you on the road, you paid little attention to her or what she needed.”

“You don’t und—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Josh said sternly. “You’ve been a good friend to me and hundreds of rodeo cowboys, but Kelly is the only one who has the right to make comments about my relationship with the boys. For that matter, have you even noticed how hard she’s had to work at getting Kindred Ranch back on solid financial ground after all the support you accepted from the Flannigans?”

Looking shaken, Harry turned to his daughter. “Was it really that bad?” he appealed. “I tried not to ask Liam and Susannah for too much, and I was always going to pay it back when I started winning more often.”

Kelly’s expression was strained. “Harry, you can’t continually take more out of a ranch than it earns. The reserves Grams and Granddad had saved were gone by the time I was eighteen. After that, they started going into debt. I wish I could put it more gently, but that’s the truth.”

Harry’s face went haggard. “I didn’t realize. That’s why you said you couldn’t give me more money to compete. You told me it was to protect the boys, but I thought it was mostly because you didn’t approve.”

“I had to cut it off,” Kelly said gently. “Otherwise we risked losing everything. We’re doing better now, but it’s a slow process. I’m delaying most of the improvements until we have some reserve again.”

He straightened and put his shoulders back. “Then I guess it’s time to stop being proud and explain something. Taylor Fulton sent the first scheduled payment for the Bucking B this month and I’ve signed it over to Liam and Susannah. The down payment went to pay off the Bucking B mortgage I took out a few years ago. I couldn’t have sold the ranch otherwise.”

“Oh, Dad…” Kelly went over and hugged her father.

Josh’s chest tightened and he marveled at how forgiving she was to Harry. She might have some lingering resentment about her childhood, but she wasn’t living in the past. She saw Harry for what he was, a good, if flawed, man, and loved all of him.

It gave Josh hope that she could look past his own less-than-stellar qualities and see value in him, as well.

He cleared his throat. “I’ll go talk to Marc.”

Kelly turned, her remarkable eyes moist with emotion. “Don’t worry. He’ll sulk for a while, but he’ll get over it. They can’t expect all of your time, any more than I can give them every minute. It’s healthy for children to understand that their parents have lives, too.”

Josh thought about it all evening. The twins and the rest of her family were Kelly’s unquestioned priority, but she also had to take care of Kindred Ranch. If she didn’t, they’d lose their home and livelihood. So even if the ranch wasn’t as important as the family, it had its proper place in her concerns.

What Kelly hadn’t done was take good care of herself. He intended to change that.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING at the Galloping G, Josh knocked on the door and smiled at the silver-haired woman who answered. “Hello, ma’am. My name is Josh McKeon.”

“I recognize you from all the rodeo publicity. Please come in. I’m Dorothy Gillespie.”

The ranch house was newer than the Flannigan home, though not as large, and it was decorated in a simple theme of Native American art and pottery.

“Please sit down,” Mrs. Gillespie said, gesturing to the wood-framed couch.

Josh sat, but immediately leaned forward. “Ma’am, thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m Casey and Marc Beaumont’s father,” he announced, coming right to the point.

Her gray eyes widened. “No, I hadn’t heard. That’s…” Her voice trailed. Clearly she wasn’t sure how to react and Josh suspected it would be a common issue until people got used to the idea.

“I didn’t know about the boys until a few weeks ago,” he explained. “My relationship with Kelly was a mess when we broke up, and she didn’t know how to tell me she was pregnant. But the boys are telling their friends about me, so the news will get around fast.”

“Well…yes. Well.” Mrs. Gillespie folded her hands on her lap. “It must have been a shock to discover you had two sons.”

“We’ve sorted it out,” Josh said, reluctant to get into more personal details. He wouldn’t have said anything about the boys, but he didn’t think Mrs. Gillespie would sell the Galloping G to him if she believed he’d been an absentee father. “As a matter of fact, I’m more in love with Kelly than ever. She and the boys are the most important thing in the world to me. I haven’t told her how I feel, but I hope to propose soon,” he added hastily.

The rigidity in Dorothy Gillespie’s face eased. “I think of Kelly as another daughter. She rides over every week to check on me, even though her ranch hands live in our bunkhouse and I see them at meals.”

“She mentioned your children have careers that have taken them away from Shelton.”

Dorothy laughed, a small, silvery laugh that matched her hair. “How tactful. Yes, my children, while dear to my heart, simply don’t care for country living. I don’t blame them. They have terrible allergies, one to bees, another to pollens, and the third can’t touch a horse without breaking into hives.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“They’re happy, which is what counts. After their father died they wanted me to sell the Galloping G, but my arrangement to have the Kindred Ranch employees live in our bunkhouse has reassured them.”

Josh leaned forward. “That’s, uh, sort of what I came to talk to you about.”

“Oh?”

“I understand you hope to sell the Galloping G to Kelly one day, with the condition that you can continue residing on the ranch. Is there any way you’d consider me as a buyer? With the same terms, of course.”

Josh had done his research on the property. Even if it hadn’t been adjacent to Kindred Ranch, it would be a smart buy—with more than adequate water and mineral rights, located near the highway, and no unreasonable use restrictions. It was also a ranch with a long history of unbroken ownership by a family respected in the community. He’d ridden over every inch of it the past few weeks, so it also seemed unlikely that an environmental assessment would uncover a private dump, uncontrolled noxious weeds or hidden fuel tanks.

Mrs. Gillespie stroked the black-and-white cat who had leaped onto her lap, giving the feline her full attention. Josh suspected it was a delaying tactic while she digested his proposition.

“I would prefer selling to Kelly, but I’m realistic. What would you do with the Galloping G?” she asked finally. “And I’m not talking about the name. Changing that would be fine. Dustin didn’t care for it himself, but the Galloping G was his great-great-grandfather’s choice and one tends not to change that sort of thing.”

“It would remain a working ranch, but I also want to start a training facility for rodeo contestants,” Josh explained. “It doesn’t matter if there isn’t much money in the idea. My primary focus would be breeding horses.”

“And a rodeo training facility could give Harry Beaumont a purpose,” Mrs. Gillespie said shrewdly. “One that might keep him at home if he has the sense that God even gave a chicken.”

“I hope Harry will be a part of it,” Josh admitted, hoping the conversation wouldn’t go beyond the confines of the living room. Harry might have begun seeing the light about his professional rodeo career, but he was a proud man. “Kelly’s father was a great help when I started out as a rodeo cowboy. He has a wealth of expertise to share.”

Mrs. Gillespie watched him for a long moment and Josh had the feeling that little escaped her notice. “Would you continue competing in rodeos yourself?” she asked at length.

His smile grew. “No, ma’am. I expect to be raising children, horses and cattle for the rest of my life. With Kelly. That’ll be more than enough to keep me happy and busy. I just hope she loves me as much as I love her.”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

“I know, but I want to put certain things into motion before I ask her to take a chance on me.”

“I think we can make a deal,” Mrs. Gillespie said slowly. “Dustin and I supported Kelly’s organic efforts on Kindred Ranch, so you should know that we’ve been certified, as well. I’ll show you the documentation.”

“That’s great to hear.”

Josh had given little thought to the organic movement over the years, aside from thinking it made sense. But once he’d seen Kelly’s research and spreadsheets, he’d become a firm believer; he’d already asked his father to look into what was needed to get McKeon’s Choice certified.

Pop wasn’t thrilled by the prospect. He was going along because it was something his son wanted, but Josh hoped that once Pop and Kelly met, she’d do her magic and his father would see the benefits.

Josh reviewed the material from Mrs. Gillespie and mentally bumped the ranch’s value in his mind. This wasn’t the time for sharp real-estate dealings, and having the ranch already certified was a plus. Mostly he needed to get a good enough deal that Shelton didn’t see him as a fool, and pay a fair enough amount that nobody believed he’d taken advantage.

Luckily they’d both researched property values around Shelton and Mrs. Gillespie seemed well aware of the Galloping G’s monetary worth. They quickly came to a mutually agreeable figure, and he promised to have paperwork sent from the real-estate broker he’d consulted in Helena. He would have gone local, but in a small town, keeping something like this confidential could be next to impossible.

“You won’t, er, tell anyone about this, or what we’ve discussed, right?” Josh asked as he was leaving. “I hope to make an announcement within the next few weeks.”

“Of course, but expect to do it no later than when the land transfer is recorded,” Mrs. Gillespie said. “Ranches don’t change ownership in Shelton County very often. It will be big news.”

“I understand.”

Josh headed back to Kindred Ranch, satisfaction zinging through him. Running a rodeo training facility wasn’t an ideal solution—it would still expose the twins to the rodeo world—but nothing could work between him and Kelly if they weren’t both willing to compromise. Besides, wasn’t this the best way to teach Casey and Marc the balance she wanted for them?

He wanted it, too.

Life as a professional rodeo cowboy could be good, but it needed perspective. Plenty of his fellow contestants had that perspective; it was the ones who didn’t who got into trouble.

For the first time in a long while, Josh was excited about the future. Something had been missing in his life, and now he knew what it was.

Winning at rodeos and bull-riding events was great, but they were short-term goals. Keeping up with a woman like Kelly Beaumont and raising their children was worthy of a lifetime challenge.