Ride a Rancher: Rancher Only Series Read online

  Ride a Rancher

  Rancher Only Series

  Elle Christensen

  Edited by

  Tera Cuskaden

  Copyright © 2020 by Elle Christensen

  All Editions

  Edited by Tera Cuskaden

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information and retrieval system without express written permission from the Author/Publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The Author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication’s use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.

  All rights reserved.

  .

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Helena

  2. Stone

  3. Stone

  4. Helena

  5. Stone

  6. Helena

  7. Helena

  8. Stone

  9. Helena

  10. Stone

  11. Helena

  12. Stone

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  Ranchers Only (Book 1)

  The Ranchers Rose (Book 2)

  Also by Elle Christensen

  About the Author

  1

  Helena

  “I think Garrison might appreciate this getup better on your wedding night.” I chuckled as the guests at the bridal shower wrapped the bride, my friend, Rose, in toilet paper. “Easy access,” I drawled with a wink, making Rose giggle and blush. The silly image of her “dress” and wrapping paper “bouquet” had my mind wandering to our bridesmaid dress fitting we’d done that morning.

  I’d been tempted to take a few minutes and try on a few wedding gowns myself but thought better of it. Instinctively, I rubbed my thumb underneath the third finger on my left hand, like I’d done so many times before. Even though it had been a month, it still felt weird when I didn’t touch the cool metal of my engagement ring. Trying on wedding dresses was pointless when there wasn’t going to be a wedding, and I wasn’t sure why it bothered me so much.

  Marriage and kids had never been in my plans. Especially after growing up with parents who weren’t happy with each other and didn’t hide the fact they regretted their “oops” moment that resulted in…me. At least when I was an adult, they were more tolerant of me, and even a little proud when I landed a job at the most prestigious law firm in Austin. However, I was even more certain of my decision when I started my job. The relationships I saw around me were more for show than for emotional attachment. Spouses and kids were trotted out like show horses and used as tools to get my colleagues into doors that were harder for single people to get through. It was all about image and keeping up with the Joneses.

  Maybe it was spending so much time with my best friend, Lia, her adoring husband, James, and their ridiculously cute kids. Then, watching Rose (Lia’s sister-in-law) also find a man who worshipped her and managed to knock her up without even trying. Everyone was sickeningly happy, and while I was ecstatic for them, I’d noticed an emptiness in myself that hadn’t been there before. Lia had once teased me about being “next,” and I’d scoffed, laughing it off and telling her she would have enough kids for the both of us. She’d been cooking number four at the time, so it definitely wasn’t an exaggeration.

  Shortly after that, I started helping out with the planning of Rose and Garrison’s wedding, and Lia gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Romance and family surrounded me. Everyone treated me like another family member, and it made me wonder whether I’d been too hasty in ruling out a husband and kids. I’d been dating another lawyer at my firm, and when I think back, this was my rationale for what I did next.

  In an odd twist of timing, Howard had proposed, and I’d said yes. At the back of my mind, I knew this was another shallow, trophy relationship, and the fact that he was okay with waiting until the wedding to have sex (skipping right over the fact that I was using this excuse because I couldn’t see myself sleeping with him at all…) should have driven that point home a lot sooner. We were engaged for two months when I came to my senses and admitted to myself I’d make a colossal mistake. Howard wasn’t happy with my choice, but like always, he was calm and sensible about it. Again, another not-so-subtle hint I’d ignored. The man had no passion for anything but the law. Even so, I’d enjoyed the bubble I’d lived in while it lasted, and I’d gotten used to the ring on my finger. The absence of it now was a reminder that I should never have strayed from my original plan. I would be the cool aunt who lived in the city and spoiled Lia’s and Rose’s kids rotten.

  “Okay, ladies. Time for me to collect my bride.” Rose’s fiancé, Garrison, strode into Lia’s living room and made a beeline for his girl. When he reached her, he gathered her up in his arms, bent her over backward, and kissed her like they were straight out of a movie. We all whistled and catcalled teasingly, and when he finally let her up, Rose was the shade of her namesake. The two of them looked so happy, it melted my heart. However, it also caused a pang in my chest. The envy crept up on me, and I was honestly confused by it. This was what I wanted for my friends, not for me. So, why was I suddenly feeling suffocated by all the bliss surrounding me?

  “You know,” I teased, trying to forget my melancholy. “I’d like to think I can take some credit for your and Lia’s happily ever afters.”

  Lia raised a brow and smirked at me. “How do you figure?”

  I grinned and winked at her. “It was my advice to ride a rancher.”

  “I believe you asked me if I’d banged a hot rancher,” Lia quipped before she and Rose doubled over with laughter. Garrison frowned at me, and I smirked. “Relax, cowboy, my advice to Rose was too specific to you.”

  The laughter felt good, but it didn’t ease the tightness in my chest. It must have something to do with the big changes I’d made recently. After I broke it off with Howard, I’d been extra restless and unsatisfied with the road I was traveling. Lia had been pestering me for years, suggesting I take a sabbatical and come out to stay with her and her family at Locke Creek Ranch until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. Finally, I’d not only agreed to take her up on the offer, I leaped into the unknown with both feet. I decided to stop trying to please my parents, stop chasing a ridiculous dream where a man like my friends’ husbands swept me off my feet, and quit a job that made me miserable. So, here I was, staying a small house of the back of my friend’s ranch that belonged to the previous manager, who happened to be marrying James’s sister in a month. They lived next door at Red Hill Ranch, which had been Lia’s property until she married James and it became a part of Locke Creek.

  Maddie, the newly promoted manager, decided to stay in her apartment above the stables, where the manager’s office was located. Which left Garrison’s house empty. Lia wasn’t happy with my choice to stay there, but I wasn’t going to intrude indefinitely. James made it clear I was welcome, but I knew they needed time as a family without my constant presence. Besides, having some alone time was necessary for my own sanity anyway.

  The sound of a whimpering baby drew my attentio
n away from the happy couple and my own musings. James walked in with Emma, their four-week-old baby. “Sorry to interrupt, but Emma’s hungry.”

  Rose laughed and shook her head. “No worries, big bro. We understand. You lack the right equipment to satisfy her.”

  James smirked before winking at Lia. “Emma’s not the only one her ‘equipment’ satisfies.”

  Lis gasped and covered her face while Rose wrinkled her nose and exclaimed, “Ewww!” James grinned at her until she turned to Garrison and asked slyly, “How about me, babe? Do I satisfy you?” When the smile slid right off of James’s face and he turned a little green, I burst into laughter.

  “Unless you want to mumble your vows through a broken jaw, I highly suggest you don’t answer that question,” he warned.

  Garrison raised both hands and shook his head. “No way am I getting involved in this.”

  Rose huffed and put her hands on her hips. “And now you know how it feels,” she snipped at her brother.

  Emma chose that moment to let out a demanding wail, and Lia hurried over to take her from her husband. James put an arm around them both and gazed at them lovingly as he guided them out of the room. Rose thanked everyone and saw them out before Garrison impatiently swept her up into his arms and stalked to his truck. I didn’t bother to wave before I quickly shut the door, blocking the view of the two of them making out against the side of the vehicle. I did open it up a crack to call, “Broken jaw, Garrison.” Rose’s laughter drifted over as I shut the door once again. Less than a minute later, I heard the engine roar to life and chuckled as I walked away.

  I headed toward the kitchen through the large, community dining room and stopped suddenly as I took in the scene before me. Lia was sitting at the table burping Emma while their five-year-old daughter, Felicity cooed at her little sister. James was sitting next to them but facing away since he had their boys, James and Nicholas, on his lap. Suddenly, they all burst into laughter at something one of the boys said. It was a perfect family moment.

  Stealthily, I quickly made my way into the kitchen without interrupting. The Locke Creek cook, Cookie, was taking some bread out of the oven, and it smelled heavenly. I was a complete disaster in the kitchen, so most nights I ate dinner with the family and ranch hands. The one time I’d tried to help, Cookie banned me from stepping behind the large Island that split the room. My mouth watered, and I was about to attempt to sweet talk a slice of bread out of her when the screen door to the back porch swung open.

  An attractive, older man stepped inside; his intense blue eyes glued on Cookie. From the creases in his face and the silver peppering his dark hair, I guessed he was probably in his early fifties; likely only a handful or so years older than her. He was dressed in a flannel shirt, worn jeans, boots, and a cowboy hat, which he immediately removed and tossed on the island. Then he stalked over to Cookie, spun her around, and kissed the hell out of her.

  Suddenly, I needed to get some space and air. Luckily, I lived on a fucking ranch. I slipped outside unnoticed and started for the barn but stopped after a few steps. Lia and Rose were teaching me to ride, but I wasn’t sure I was comfortable venturing out on my own yet. I pivoted and swept my eyes over the area until they landed on the ancient truck that had been James’s before he passed to Rose when she was in high school and now was rarely used.

  Lia had told me to use it any time I wanted. Mostly because my car, a red, M Series BMW, didn’t have the easiest time navigating the dirt and gravel roads around the ranch. I knew the truck was unlocked and the keys were in the sun visor, so I trotted over to it. After opening the door and hopping up into the driver seat, I pulled down the visor, and the keys dropped into my waiting hand. Once I inserted the key in the ignition, I turned it only to have nothing happen.

  Shit. The battery must be dead.

  Frustrated, I flopped back into the seat, and that’s when my eyes fell to the floor. Three pedals.

  Double shit.

  The good news was that it was possible the battery wasn’t dead. The bad news was that the truck was manual, and while I knew how to drive stick, I hadn’t done it since high school. My brow furrowed as I searched my memory and finally remembered how to start the beat-up old truck. I smiled in triumph when the engine roared to life, then went back to concentrating on the pedals and stick shift as I slowly got it moving.

  The clutch was really loose, but I only stalled once before I finally got rolling. I headed toward the dirt path leading out to the large expanse of unused land on the property. It wasn’t far from my little cottage, and it seemed like a good place for me to drive when I was so unfamiliar with the vehicle. I would kill anyone or damage anything if I had a hiccup while maneuvering the truck.

  Turned out, I was very fucking wrong about that assumption.

  2

  Stone

  I pulled my horse to a stop as I approached the border between my property and that of Locke Creek Ranch. My eyes panned over the open land, and I mentally nodded in satisfaction. I’d struck a bargain with James, the owner of Locke Creek, to rent out this part of his ranch for my cattle to graze. My herd was bigger this year because we’d ended up with more pregnant cows than expected and lost very few calves.

  An old, small pickup truck rattled its way into my view as it sputtered and jerked over the far hill. I watched it as it came closer, veering off the path and heading straight for the barbed wire fence separating it from me. I expected it to turn any time, but it barreled forward, and when I realized it wasn’t going to stop, I shouted a warning and got the fuck out of the way.

  My horse, Pandora, shrieked and reared up at the noise as the truck crashed into the thick, wooden fence post, finally coming to a stop. The front had crunched in, and smoke billowed from under the hood. I hopped down from Pandora’s back and left her a couple of yards away. She was well trained, and I knew she would stay where I left her.

  My temper flared as I assessed the damage to the fence, but I pushed it aside as I ran over to the smashed vehicle, worried about the condition of the driver. As I neared it, I heard a string of curses coming from the cab and a loud banging. That’s when I realized whoever it was, was stuck, the door obviously jammed. At least their profanity and irate voice gave me the impression they weren’t too badly hurt.

  “You alright?” I called as I reached the site of the crash.

  “Um, yeah. But the stupid door is stuck.” Now that I was close, it was clear the driver was a woman. Her voice had an unexpected and unwanted effect on my body. The sound went straight to my cock, and he immediately jumped to attention, straining toward the owner of that voice.

  I tried to shake it off and focus on the situation, but adjusted myself quickly to make sure my reaction wasn’t noticeable.

  “Have you tried the passenger door?” I asked as I eyed the damage to the driver’s side. I didn’t think I’d be able to pry the twisted metal away from the frame.

  There was a moment of silence, and I wondered if she was more injured than I realized. “Ma’am?”

  I heard a heavy sigh and the sound of fabric tearing. “For Pete’s sake,” she muttered. There was a lot more mumbling under her breath before I heard the creak of the opposite door. I’d already started around the truck bed and stopped short at the sight of long, long legs encased in skintight jeans scooting out the door.

  They were followed by a small waist, flat stomach, average-sized but mouthwatering tits, and a head surrounded by a mess of wavy, blonde hair. Her elegant, manicured hands pushed the pale hair back from her face as she huffed in noticeable frustration.

  She was fucking gorgeous. An oval face, plush lips, high cheekbones, and big, blue eyes. Her scowl did nothing to deter from her beauty, in fact, it looked fucking cute.

  I’d already noticed the soft hands, but now I took in the expensive cut of her hair, her obviously designer jeans, boots that looked brand new, and the diamond studs in her ears.

  What the fuck was a woman like that doing out here and driving
that piece-of-shit truck?

  She noticed me right then, and a pretty blush bloomed on her cheeks. “Please, don’t call me ma’am,” she asked politely with a humorless laugh.

  Her blue eyes widened as they scanned over my face and body. And when she realized I was well aware of her ogling, her blush deepened. “Um, I apologize for almost killing you…” she trailed off, realizing she didn’t know my name.

  “Stone Kensington,” I stated, keeping my tone even to disguise the fact that I was having a difficult time reining in my desire for her. I expected the pampered look of her to turn me off, but apparently, my dick didn’t give a fuck that this woman didn’t belong anywhere near a ranch. I raised a single black brow and asked, “You are?”

  “Oh, um, Helena Justice. I’m Lia’s best friend from Austin.”

  “Well, Helena from Austin,” I drawled. “Care to explain why you just about killed yourself and smashed my fence in the process?”

  “I borrowed the truck to get away from…well, anyway, I borrowed it, but I was in a hurry and haven’t driven stick shift since I was a teenager. The clutch is really loose, and I lost control and—” She rambled on until I finally cut her off.

  “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take the issue up with James.”

  She shook her head. “No, no. This was my mess, I’ll handle it.”

  “You’re going to fix the fence?” I deadpanned. She looked panicked for a moment, then hopeful. “I will if you’ll teach me how?”

  I heaved a sigh and walked over the dented, open truck door. “I don’t have time to help a pampered city girl to play rancher.” Reaching in, I made sure the vehicle was off before taking the keys from the ignition.