The Rancher's Promise (The Granger Family Ranch, 2) - Softcover

Hart, Jillian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0373814798 ISBN 13: 9780373814794

Verlag: Love Inspired Larger Print, 2010

Inhaltsangabe

Rancher Justin Granger hasn't seen his high school sweetheart since she rode out of town with his heart. Now, "too good for this small town" Rori Cornell stands on his doorstep, seeking a job as his cook and housekeeper. He can't turn her away, not with the sadness and worry in her cornflower-blue eyes. He'll just have to avoid her between meals. But when Justin discovers that Rori's big dream has always been him, he finds his heart softening. And an old promise yearning to be kept.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Jillian Hart grew up on the original homestead where her family still lives, went to high school where Twin Peaks was filmed, earned an English degree, and has travelled extensively. When Jillian’s not writing her stories, she reads, stops for café mochas, and hikes through the pine forests near her home in Washington State.

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"Justin, I finally got a call on the housekeeper job." "Oh, yeah? That's a shock." Justin Granger hefted the feed sack, settling the fifty-pound weight easily onto his shoulder. As a rancher, he was used to heavy lifting and in his line of work, this wasn't considered heavy. He followed his dad out the open front door of the feed store, waved goodbye to Kit behind the counter and squinted in the hot late May sunshine. "I was beginning to think that putting an ad in the paper was a waste of time and money."

"I figure we got lucky. Not many folks want to cook for the likes of us." His dad, Frank Granger, swung two feed bags into the back of the white pickup parked curbside. "I made the interview for later today. If that doesn't fit your schedule, then I can interview the gal on my own."

"A gal?" That meant a woman. Not promising, not at all. Justin tossed the sack into the back and closed the tailgate. "I wish Aunt Opal hadn't gone to Arizona. She's about the only female I want to trust."

"Not all women are like Tia or your mom." Frank gave the keys a toss. "I'm sure there's one trustworthy gal around these parts, at least enough honest to cook three squares for us and wash our socks."

"You're more optimistic than me, Dad." Justin hopped behind the wheel and turned over the engine. Cool air breezed out of the vents, a relief from the intense summer heat that had hit hard and early. Not the best thing for the crops. They mostly ran cattle, but they grew their own alfalfa, corn and hay. "I don't see why Autumn and Addison can't do it."

"Hey, if you want to tell your sisters to do housework instead of ranch work, be my guest. I'm not touching that with a ten-foot pole. I'd rather wrestle a rattler barehanded." Frank buckled up. "No, it's better we hire someone. I got a good feeling about this one."

"I hope you're right. I don't want to wind up with another closet drinker who falls asleep on the couch instead of fixing our supper." Justin checked the mirror. No traffic coming for as far as he could see, which wasn't a surprise. In a town the size of Wild Horse, Wyoming, it would have been a shock if there had been a car. He pulled onto the main drag, scowling. "If I remember, you had a good feeling about the drinker, too."

"Try to be more optimistic, son."

Justin rolled his eyes. Optimism was for birds and fools. He'd tried it once and hadn't liked it. He'd gotten his heart crushed and his illusions shattered because of it. In his view, it was wiser to expect the worst. Hard not to get disappointed or hurt that way.

"Looks like everyone's gettin' geared up for the festival." His dad sounded pretty glad about that.

"Guess so." Justin frowned, slowing down when the mayor held up a hand and walked into the road. Wild Horse was a small town with a handful of necessary businesses and an equal number of others tottering on the edge of failure, like The Greasy Spoon, which had been The Brown Bag eight months before. Justin stopped, wondering what the mayor wanted.

"Mornin', Grangers." Tim Wisener strolled up to the passenger window. "Got some exciting news. Just heard it from my wife a few minutes ago."

"Don't tell me you're finally going to be a grand-daddy," Frank teased in his good-natured way. "Both your boys have been married for how long and no little ones?"

"Too long." Tim shook his head. "Don't know what it is with kids these days."

Personally, Justin got the Wisener sons' view of things. Facing the prospect of marrying a woman was tough enough—something he never wanted to do—but trusting one to raise a family in this remote, ranching town and stick with it when times got tough was a whole different question. He didn't want to wind up like his dad, raising a family and making a living when a wife kept trying to bail him. That was one drama he wanted to avoid.

"Martha sold the old River Lodge. Deal closes right quick. It's a lady from back east, New York, I think, putting down cash for the place and the cottage and acres behind it."

"That is good news. This town could use something besides one sorry motel. Too bad it won't be up and running for the annual shindig."

Justin didn't tune in to the older men's conversation. This couldn't have waited? He hadn't the time or inclination to worry about the old lodge. He had a ranch to run and time was wasting. Now he had a new woman to worry about. Personally, the family did need a cook, but he didn't have high expectations.

His dad kept talking, and Justin really didn't listen until his ears perked up at the mention of horses. Along with a fine herd of Herefords and Angus, they raised and sold working ranch horses. That was his sister's love. She possessed a knack for working with animals that no one in these parts had.

"Martha will be thrilled." Tim backed away from the truck. "I'll tell her to get a hold of Autumn."

"You do that, Tim. See you around."

Now that his dad was done jawing, Justin put the truck in gear. Something familiar caught his attention. He swung back to look at the woman walking along the sidewalk up ahead. She had dark blond hair with gold highlights, blue eyes the color of hyacinths, and his heart skipped three beats. He would know that heart-shaped face anywhere.

Rori. His high-school sweetheart. His palms went slick against the steering wheel. His pulse lurched to a shotgun start and galloped like a runaway horse. What was she doing back in town?

Not his business, he decided, whipped his gaze away and hit the gas. The truck zipped forward, but he didn't let his eyes stray from the single yellow line. He was over her, done with romance and emotions that took a man up and down and lower still. White-knuckled, he prayed she didn't notice them as they rolled by. Too bad he knew the sheriff was parked behind the library sign with radar, or he'd get up some speed and leave her behind in his dust. In fact, maybe a ticket would be worth it.

"Slow down, son." Frank buzzed open his window. "Rori! What are you doin' walking around town?"

Leave it to Dad, who had to chat with everyone. Tempted to keep on going, Justin bit the bullet and hit the brake. He could man up and face the girl who'd broken his heart, who had as good as told him he wasn't good enough for her. No need to let her know how that broke him. Back then he'd been too young to know a smart man didn't let a woman into his heart. All they did was cause wreckage and ruin.

Yep, he could handle this. He shoved the gear into Park and pulled the brake. Might as well get this over with. Let her see she didn't have an effect on him these days.

"Hi, Mr. Granger." She looked a mite surprised, folded a lock of silken hair behind her ear and approached the truck. Her gaze cut through the windshield and when she spotted him behind the wheel, she winced. The way her top teeth dug into her bottom lip, worrying it, was a clear sign. She wasn't comfortable seeing him either. "Justin."

"Rori." No need to sound overly friendly. Likely as not she was back in Wyoming only to visit for a few days. Probably attending Terri Baker's wedding. Had he thought it through and realized running into her might be a possibility, he would have stayed on the ranch and let his dad run the errands.

"Looks like you've got a problem, missy." Dad leaned out the window to get a good look at something. "Your horse threw a shoe."

"He's trying to. It's come off just enough that I can't ride him back to Gram's. I can't get it off, wouldn't you know?" She was a master of the shy grin. "I didn't think to bring a shoe-puller with me."

Don't get sucked in by that grin, Justin told himself. No way, no sir. He'd stopped being immune to her smile when she'd taken his heart, stomped it to bits and shoved it back at him. He opened his mouth to tell her they'd be happy to call her grandparents for her, but Dad unbuckled and opened the door.

"We got some tools. We can improvise." Frank's boots hit the...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Love Inspired Larger Print
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2010
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0373814798
• ISBN 13: 9780373814794
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 288
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: RS FASHIONS; admin@ilovefancydress.co.uk; ; Unit 3; Southend on Sea; Essex; SS2 6GD; Vereinigtes Königreich
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