The Black Sheep's Proposal

Her wheat-colored hair was pulled back in a ponytail, also, and was a shade darker than the child’s. Her profile was near perfect, along with her creamy complexion. He cursed silently for noticing, and cursed again for wanting to see more.

“Excuse me,” he said.

The two females swung around toward him. Okay, both mother and daughter were gorgeous. Somehow he managed to find his voice. “Could this little guy be who you’re looking for?”

“Jinx!” The small child jumped up and ran to him. “You found my kitty.”

Luke handed the furry bundle to her. “I think it found me.” He brushed his hands off and glanced at the woman.

Tess didn’t like being caught off guard. Over the last several months her entire life had been turned upside down, and she suspected this stranger was the big reason.

He walked toward her and extended a hand. “Luke Randell.”

She climbed to her feet. “Tess Meyers.” She shook his hand. It was not rough like a rancher’s, but his grip was strong.

“This is my daughter, Olivia.”

Her daughter looked at Mr. Randell. “But everybody calls me Livy, and this is Jinx.”

“Well, hello, Livy…and Jinx.”

Tess drew his attention back to her. “We weren’t expecting you for a few more days, Mr. Randell.”

“My plans changed.” His gaze bore into hers. “Is there a problem?”

“None whatsoever,” she lied. “I just wanted to make sure the house was ready for you.” No way was she ready for this man with his dark good looks and silver eyes. Just what San Angelo needed. Another handsome Randell man.

He glanced around. “I didn’t expect any of this, but I appreciate it. Thank you.”

“Outside of needing linens on the bed, the house should be livable.”

He nodded toward the fresh sheets on the bare mattress. “I think I can manage to make up a bed.”

She nodded. No doubt he could mess up a bed, too. She groaned. Where had that come from? “Oh, I plugged in the refrigerator, but I’m afraid there isn’t any food in the house.”

“Not a problem. I stopped by the grocery store and bought some staples.”

She couldn’t help but stare at the man dressed in his knife-pressed jeans, navy polo shirt and topsider shoes looking like the last person anyone would expect to take over a cattle ranch—a ranch she and her father had put a lot of work into, which, there was a good possibility, could be taken away from them. She had to be very careful. This man held her future in his hands.

“Okay then, I guess we’ll be going and let you get settled in.” She started for the door. “Come on, Livy.”

“But, Mom, I didn’t ask him yet.” She stood rooted in the middle of the room, gripping her kitty. “Do you have any little girls I can play with?”

The new owner looked surprised by the question, but finally he said, “No, sorry, I don’t.”

“Oh…” Livy looked disappointed. “That’s the reason I got a kitty because I don’t have anyone to play with.” She held up Jinx. “Mommy said she wasn’t going to have any more babies…and I got him so I won’t get lonely.”

“Olivia Meyers,” Tess said, mortified. “It’s time we let Mr. Randell move in.”

“Okay.” Her daughter complied and walked to her mother. “Goodbye, Mr. Randell.”

“Goodbye, Livy…Jinx.” He looked at Tess. “Mrs. Meyers.”

“It’s Miss Meyers.” She didn’t know why she corrected him. “Ray Meyers is my father, not my husband.”

Livy chimed in once again. “Yeah… Mommy doesn’t have a husband, and I don’t have a daddy.”

Thirty minutes later, Tess sat at the kitchen table in the foreman’s cottage.

“I was mortified, Bernice,” Tess said.

Her aunt shook her head. “The child sure has a mind of her own.” She carried their lunch plates to the sink. “Now, tell me, is Luke Randell as handsome as his cousins?”

Bernice was her dad’s younger sister. In her late fifties, she’d lost her husband a few years ago. When Ray Meyers first took ill last year, Bernice didn’t hesitate to come and help out.

Tess shrugged. “If you like the preppy look. He’s definitely not a rancher. I doubt he’s capable or has any desire to run this place.”

“He could learn,” Bernice told her. “My goodness, he has six cousins who do some sort of ranching. It’s in his blood.”

“What if he doesn’t want to ranch, but instead sells the Rocking R?”

Those soft hazel eyes met hers. “Doesn’t he have to wait for his brother to show up before he could do anything?”

She nodded. “They do own it jointly.”

She’d been notified of Sam Randell’s death by the lawyer, who also let them know that the ranch had been left to his two sons, Luke and Brady.

“Maybe Brady Randell wants to sell, too. He’s a pilot in the air force. Why would he want a ranch?”

With a shrug, Bernice filled the sink and added some liquid soap. Tess picked up a towel to dry. “And maybe those boys will decide to continue to lease the Rocking R to you.”

“Sam Randell leased the land to Ray Meyers. And we both know Dad can’t run this place any longer.”

Sadness crept in as Tess leaned against the counter in the small kitchen. She’d grown up in this house. Back then it had been just her and her dad. Now it was pretty crowded with Bernice and Livy added into the mix.

That’s why Tess had moved into her daughter’s bedroom. It was more convenient for everyone to have Bernice move into Tess’s room.

She knew this setup was only temporary. His disease was progressing, and his good days were becoming fewer. He hardly ever left his room. It made her sad to think of her father’s mind slowly erasing memories of his life…and that he was not always able to remember his daughter, or his granddaughter.

Tess shook away the sad thoughts. “I need to talk to Mr. Randell. I need to know what he’s going to do, so I can make some plans.” She was hopeful she could stay on and continue to lease this house, along with barn space for the horses. She needed to make a living for her family. And there was her father’s cattle operation. Although small, she didn’t want to sell the calves yet. Roundup wasn’t for another few months.

But if the worst happened and they had to leave, she’d get another place. She doubted she could find as good a setup as the Rocking R Ranch. Her father had built several of the horse stalls in the barn. The large corral had been Ray’s handiwork, too. That had been the reason the lease agreement was so cheap; her dad had also been the caretaker.

They’d had such big plans as partners. The Meyerses were going to breed and train quarter horses. And her bay stallion, Smooth Whiskey Doc, was going to be their cutting champion. So far she had made something of a name as a trainer and rider. But she wanted and needed the money that her future champion stallion could bring in. She wasn’t thinking about herself, but Olivia. She was her sole parent.

Her aunt’s voice brought her back. “What?”

“Go work Whiskey,” Bernice said. “That always calms you.”