Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
I began to chuckle. Sammy called me that all the time, and he had somehow picked it up.
Ally sighed, the tension leaving her body. “Okay.”
“Great. After breakfast, we’ll see the horses, chickens, and kittens.” I kept my voice calm, as if it was a regular occurrence.
“And cows,” Jake said. “Happy cows.”
My laughter was loud this time. I ruffled his hair.
“Yeah, Little Partner. The happy cows.”
I met Sammy’s gaze, the wonder of the moment not lost on us. Ally trusted Jake, and Jake trusted us. Our circle was beginning. And it was only the start.
Three Years Later
Luke
I paused at the foot of the hills, looking down at the ranch. It had changed and grown so much since Sammy had entered my life.
It was thriving. The ranch was in the black. The business was in the black. Deep in the black, despite all the upgrades we continually made. We opened every season up on February 1 for reservations and were booked solid by the end of the day. From May to September, Home on the Range was a bustling, energetic entity. Rachel and Sammy oversaw everything. Between the income from the guests, the cheese shop, the wool shop, and the small crafters’ market, business boomed. Rachel and others worked endlessly in the off-season, building up inventory and selling items online. The wool and cheese shop alone needed three full-time workers year-round. I lost count of the number of people we employed in the busy season. The business thrived. The ranch thrived. Our families did as well.
It was more than Rachel ever dreamed and better than I had imagined.
I urged Maverick in the direction of the stables. Inside, I slid down and handed Maverick off to one of the hands to take care of.
“Give him an extra rubdown,” I said, stroking his velvety nose. “He worked hard today.”
“Will do.”
“Dad!” a voice called, and I turned, already smiling. Jake ran my way, flinging his arms around my waist and hugging me so tight his hat fell off his head. “You’re home!”
I chuckled. “I was only gone one night, Partner,” I teased him. I’d had to drop the “Little” in his name when he started sprouting and insisted he was too big for that.
“But we missed you.”
I hugged him back, thrilled to hear that. “I missed you too.” I picked up his hat and set it back on his head. “Where’s your sister and mom?”
“Over here, Daddy,” a soft voice called.
Jake looked up at me, rolling his eyes. “The kittens,” he explained.
We went over to the corner, and I bent down, pressing a kiss to Ally’s head. “How’s my Little Lady?”
So far, she still liked me calling her that. I hoped it never changed.
“Good.”
“How’re the kittens?”
She grinned. “Cuddly.”
I had to laugh. All six of them were curled up in her lap, except one. A fluffy, caramel-colored one was nestled in her neck. It reminded me of Sammy and Oreo.
“Mom said I could ask you if I can keep Taffy,” she whispered, stroking the sleeping kitten. “Like she kept Oreo.”
“Have they met?”
She looked guilty, then nodded. “Oreo is okay with her.”
I lifted one eyebrow. “Did Taffy stay the night last night?”
“Yeah.”
“And she was okay?”
“She was good.” She looked at me, her dark eyes pleading. “Jake got a dog.”
Jake laughed. “Ralph kept trying to take the kitten to his basket.”
I had to laugh. The golden retriever we’d gotten him not long after they came to live with us helped him and Ally get over their anxiety. He was a great dog, protective, loving, and loyal. That he’d try to baby a kitten didn’t surprise me. He often came to the stable when there were kittens and checked them out. He and Oreo had a good relationship—as long as he remembered Oreo owned the place.
This was the first time Ally had ever asked to keep a kitten, so I knew how important it was to her. I pressed another kiss to her head. “If Mom is okay with it, then I am too. Same rules as Jake, though. You have to care for her.”
“I will, Daddy! Thank you!”
I stood and looked down at our kids. They were settled and happy. Did well at school. Loved living on the ranch and especially loved the times the ranch teemed with guests.
It had taken a year before their personalities had completely shown through. Ally was quiet and sweet, but as sharp as a tack. She was a homebody and loved hanging with her mom and Aunt Rachel. She especially adored Liv and Van and was overjoyed when they came for one of their many visits or going to see them in Port Albany. She thought the entire massive family on Sammy’s side was the greatest thing in the world.
Jake was outspoken and mischievous. He loved working on the ranch and hated school. Sammy had explained to him it was illegal for him not to go to school, so he did it so “Mom won’t go to jail” but informed her once he graduated, that was it. He’d be working on the ranch. And despite his dislike of school, he did well. I had to admit I loved the fact that he was anxious to learn and be part of the family business.