Romancing the Rancher

She’s worth everything. He knows he’s nothing.

Life seems perfect for Dr. Samantha Squires: it's Christmas time, she just landed her dream veterinary job in a small Colorado town, and she’s met a handsome horse trainer who makes her heart beat faster. But after an accident on Christmas Day that tests her skills and her nerve, her new love is suddenly backing away and Sam doesn’t know why.

Jesse Williams loves being a ranch hand at Black Rock Ranch—all the outdoor animal time he wants with no reading, writing, or ‘rithmatic required. When the new vet turns out to be the mystery woman he’s seen around town, life is even better…until he realizes his future can never measure up to hers. Can Sam’s belief in Jesse overcome his past?

Each Black Rock Ranch romance is a stand-alone story with its own HEA, but the family saga is best enjoyed in order:

1. Cherished by the Rancher (Adam & Maddy)
2. Resisting the Rancher (Caleb & Jo)
2.5 Romancing the Rancher (Jesse & Sam)
3. Falling for the Rancher (Micah & Cassie)
4. Rescuing the Rancher (Seth & Riley)

Jesse carried the last bucket of grain to the last horse in the last stall. Almost done. Ruby thrust her nose out as he opened the stall door, and he rubbed her face in greeting. She snatched a bite from the bucket before he poured it, blinked at him, and sneezed.

A loud, juicy, blasting sneeze.

Grain and saliva covered Jesse’s shirt. And his hands. And his face. Thanks loads, horse. He didn’t dare open his mouth.

He wiped the goop from his eyes, gave a swipe to his mouth, and headed back to the feed room. Maybe there would be a rag handy to clean up with.

Nope. At least, nothing that wasn’t soaked with glycerine for cleaning leather. Everything else had gone up to the house to be washed.

Muttering under his breath, Jesse headed for the nearest pasture’s water trough. He splashed icy December water over his face until he was fairly sure it was clean, then shivered and wiped as much gunk from his shirt as he could. “What do you call a cowboy who loves his horses?” he mumbled. “Messy.”

He wandered back to the feed room, tidied the supplements, made sure the grain barrel’s lid was well sealed, and scratched his arms, now itchy from Ruby’s goop. He’d be glad to hit the shower, even if it was for the second time that morning.

“What happened to you?” Caleb laughed as he brought the empty hay cart back.

“One of Ruby’s sneezes,” Jesse said with a rueful smile.

“Hah! I thought you knew better than that by now. Better hurry with your shower, though—only about twenty minutes until we need to leave for church.”

Jesse sighed. Did he really want to get dressed up and head down to Beaver Falls for church today? Most everyone at Black Rock had gone to the early service, but he and Caleb had the morning chores. That meant the late service, but it also meant it was easy to skip it and laze around instead. Hard physical labor through the week made for a tired man come Sunday.

He figured God would understand about being tired, but Caleb Black wouldn’t. And Jesse didn’t like to disappoint his boss.

One good thing about church, besides the sense of peace, was that he could see people. Living and working at Black Rock Ranch meant seeing the same small set of people day in and day out. Now, he spied old Fred sitting half way up the rows of pews, and Caitlyn and Brenda waggled their fingers at him. The two gals were always good for a smile and a fun dance.

Jesse and Caleb took seats toward the back. Just before the praise choir began, an unknown woman walked in and sat on the other side of the chapel. Her long brown hair had streaks of light in it. Big eyes, a cute nose, and a lush mouth. And she was alone.

Jesse nudged Caleb. “Who is she?”

Caleb glanced over and shrugged. “Never seen her before. Maybe she’s new in town.”

Jesse shot Caleb a look, but he was watching the choir. Who would have thought that Caleb Black would ever see a pretty gal and not be interested? But the horse trainer had been entranced with his girlfriend for the last month or two, even if she was out of town now.

A little less competition with the ladies would be nice for a change—usually Jesse didn’t stand a chance once Caleb showed up to flirt or dance.

However, this new gal was ultra-classy. Her dress looked different than what most of the women wore, more high-end or properly fitted or something. Her makeup was smooth, enhancing her lips and eyes without being too bold. And she was drop dead gorgeous.

Way out of Jesse’s league.

But all through the service, Jesse’s mind wandered back to her. Why was she here? Visiting or staying?

Was she a city girl who might like walking in the starlight or dancing to soft music? Or a dressed-up country girl who would enjoy riding through sunny meadows?

He shook his head to clear it. His dates usually consisted of live country music at the Hoot Owl or trying for a strike at the Beaver Bowl. He doubted this beautiful stranger would be interested in either of those.

He set the daydreams aside and tried to tune into Pastor Rich’s comments. His sermon this week was about “Do unto others.”

Jesse snorted softly. If he did unto others what they’d done unto him, the world would be a sorry place. On the other hand, Pastor Rich pointed out that you were supposed to do to others what you wanted them to do to you, not what they actually did.

In Jesse’s life, at least once he’d gotten himself straightened out, what had worked best was to be polite and try not to think about what other people were doing.

Pastor Rich had lots of stories and examples in his sermon, but it still didn’t keep Jesse focused. His eyes strayed frequently to the brunette.

Caleb nudged him once. “She’s pretty.”

“You have Jo,” Jesse whispered back.

“And I’m keeping her. And it’s not like you need a nudge or anything—I’m just sayin’.”

Pastor Rich was wrapping things up, and Jesse looked at the mystery woman again. He was for sure going to move fast after church. He wanted her name and number, and he wanted to know if her smile made her eyes sparkle.

But just as Pastor Rich was sitting down and the choir was standing, she left. Just stood up, excused herself to the person she had to squeeze past, and tiptoed out.

Dang. Jesse had really, really wanted to meet her. He sighed and turned his attention back to the front of the room. Maybe this was God’s payback for letting his attention wander in church.