Page 1 of The Rancher

CHAPTER 1

June 16, 2024

Ray Kincaid, stood in the hot sun. Not even a slight breeze relieved him from the heat. His cowboy hat protected him and shaded his eyes so he could see the stopwatch he held in his right hand. He had one foot on the bottom rail and his left arm resting on the top of the tall three-railed white wooden fence surrounding the racing track. He timed his fifteen-year-old daughter, Maddy, while she raced her horse, White Lightning, around the track.

Horses and cattle grazed in the pasture beyond the racetrack.

He was proud of how far she’d come and yet terrified she’d die like her mother had.

Maddy was only three at the time. She was the one thing that held Ray together. He couldn’t wallow in grief because he had Maddy to take care of. One little girl, who he loved more than life, had saved him from falling into ruin.

She passed him again.

He clicked the stopwatch. She’d bested her previous time by three seconds. Every race she was a little faster. He watched her as she headed toward the barn to take care of White Lightning.

Behind him, he heard gravel crunching under the tires of a vehicle. He turned, prepared to tell whoever it was he didn’t work on Sundays.

The car was an older model, dark blue Chevy Yukon that had seen better days. The driver’s side door opened, and a statuesque redhead stepped out. She closed the door and headed toward him. Wearing faded jeans that looked like they were painted on, a plain emerald, green t-shirt and cowboy boots, she could’ve belonged to any ranch.

She walked up and removed her sunglasses. “Excuse me. Are you Ray Kincaid?”

“I am, but I don’t take visitors on Sundays.”

“I’m not a visitor. I’m Lyris Jennings, your new vet.” She held out her right hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

Ray took her outstretched hand. “I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

She shrugged and pulled her hand back. “I made better time than I anticipated and rather than spend the night with family in Denver, I decided to come on out and get settled. If you’d rather I can return tomorrow.”

Ray thought for a moment. He was tempted to tell her just that, but it was ridiculous for her to drive back to Denver when the guesthouse was ready to be occupied. “No, don’t do that. Your quarters are ready. I’ve put you in the guesthouse. As soon as Maddy is done caring for her horse, we’ll take you to it and let you get settled in.” He turned for a moment to check on Maddy, who had just removed her helmet and was shaking out her long blonde hair. She looked so much like Francie, it hurt to look at her sometimes. He took a deep breath, and then he turned back to Lyris. “Supper is at six in the main house. We all eat together. Breakfast is at five-thirty and lunch is at noon. There is always food in the fridge and the cupboards if you get hungry between meals. Maddy and I usually have hot cocoa or a cocktail beforebed. I have the cocktail, not Maddy. You’re welcome to come to the library and join us. Oh, and welcome to Whispering Wind Ranch.”

She chuckled. “Thank you, I might take you up on that.” She turned her gaze toward the racetrack. “She rides very well. And that’s a beautiful horse. I love the lightning bolt blazing down his nose against the black of his coat. It’s really mesmerizing.”

“His name is White Lightning because of that blaze. Although now that Maddy has been training him, he runs like lightning, too.”

“She looked good enough to ride professionally. Is that her plan?” Dr. Jennings leaned against the fence with her foot on the lowest rail.

The smile Ray had been feeling from the pride in Maddy’s riding slipped away, replaced by fear. What if the same thing happened to her as happened to Francie? He couldn’t get the thought out of his mind. He knew he was being unfair to Maddy, but he wanted her to be safe. She was his baby girl—always was and always would be.

“I didn’t realize you actually saw her ride. You didn’t get here in time for that.”

“I watched from the road before I drove up. As I said, she’s very good.”

Ray nodded. “She is. She’s just as good as her mother was, maybe better.”

The woman cocked her head to one side. “Was? I didn’t realize…”

He lifted his hand and brushed off her concern. “As long as you’ll be working and living here, you should be aware. Francie, my wife, died in a riding accident. She was thrown from a horse and broke her neck. Maddy was three at the time.”

The doctor looked at him with concern. “I’m so sorry. That must have been hard for you. Raising a child alone isn’t easy.”

Ray shifted from foot to foot. He didn’t know why he was nervous. There was no pity in her eyes. “No, it’s not.”

The sides of her mouth turned up. “You must be proud of her.”

He nodded. “I am. Very proud. She’s only fifteen and she rides as well as someone who’s been doing it much longer. I just…”

She frowned for a moment. “You wish she’d chosen something else.”