Born to Be a Cowboy Read online

  That brought a fresh round of tears from Nola.

  Jessie handed Mary Pat a white satin box containing a similar locket. Inside was a picture of Finn, Sam, and Ben on one side, and the three brothers with Mac, Mary Pat, Zachariah, Otis, and Roscoe on the other. Engraved on the back were the words FAMILY FOREVER.

  Now it was Mary Pat’s turn to weep.

  Jessie handed Becca and Penny larger white boxes. Inside were double strands of pearls with jeweled clasps. The minute she’d fastened them around their necks, the two young women were hugging her and laughing together.

  A knock sounded on the door and their voices stilled as they all looked up.

  Finn’s voice announced, “Reverend Grayson is here. Where are you hiding my wife?”

  With a laugh the door was opened and the women came spilling out. As each one passed him, they paused to kiss his cheek.

  When they were gone he stepped inside and brought his hand from behind his back, where he’d been hiding a nosegay of pink and white roses.

  Before he could offer them to Jessie he paused and simply stared.

  “Cat got your tongue, cowboy?”

  He swallowed. “Jessie, you’re so beautiful. You take my breath away.”

  “Good. I hope I always have that effect on you.”

  “You can count on it, babe.” He stepped closer and held out the flowers.

  She took them and lifted them to her face, breathing in their perfume. “They’re beautiful.”

  “Not nearly as beautiful as the woman holding them.” He framed her face with his hands and brushed a soft kiss over her mouth.

  At a shout from downstairs, she caught his hand. “Come on, Finn. Let’s do this.”

  As she took a step, he held up a hand. “Wait.”

  She arched a brow. “Having a change of heart?”

  “Never. I just want…” He gathered her close and kissed her, lingering over her lips until they were both sighing.

  He gave her that sexy grin that did such strange things to her heart.

  “Okay. That’ll hold me until we’re alone.” He caught her hand and they started down the stairs and out onto the porch, where the minister and their family stood waiting.

  As they stood before Reverend Grayson and spoke their vows, with Ben, Becca, Sam, and Penny as their witnesses, Finn noticed Zachariah nodding as each word was spoken. Otis and Roscoe were smiling from ear to ear. Nola was wiping tears. And out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mary Pat tuck her hand in Mac’s.

  And then he was looking at Jessie, eyes shining, and his heart swelled with such love.

  Life, he thought, didn’t get better than this.

  The wedding supper was, like their lives had always been, raucous and filled with laughter.

  There was Penny’s amazing barbecue. Ribs and chicken and steak, with slow-baked beans and oven-roasted potatoes and Texas toast. There were Champagne toasts, and slices of six-tier cake that had everybody raving.

  Mac made a little speech about the joy he felt at seeing his sons settling down with such good women.

  Nola managed a few words about how happy she was to see her Jessie find the love of her life.

  Even Zachariah offered a few words about his student and fellow lawyer, and how satisfying it was to see Finn finally find love.

  Through it all, Archie, wearing a white bow tied to his collar, wiggled his way under the table, catching any scraps that fell. A number of hands disappeared beneath the table, holding out bits of chicken and steak.

  When Finn and Jessie disappeared inside and returned dressed in boots and denims, carrying overnight bags, the family gathered around to bid them good-bye as they left for their honeymoon.

  Ben made a final attempt to find out where they were headed. “Just in case I need to get hold of you, Finn.”

  “You have my cell phone number, bro.” Finn was grinning as he helped Jessie into the truck.

  They were both laughing as they continued waving while they drove along the gravel driveway.

  Jessie turned to Finn. “It wouldn’t hurt to tell them where we’re going.”

  “Knowing my brothers, if they knew, they’d be pounding on the door at midnight. Or dropping by for breakfast.”

  “I wouldn’t mind.”

  He winked. “I would. The last time we stayed at that cabin, we only had a night.”

  “As I recall, it was a perfect night.”

  “It was storming. We couldn’t even go outside.”

  It was Jessie’s turn to wink. “I don’t recall hearing you complain.”

  The two of them shared a laugh before Finn pulled over to the side of the road.

  She looked surprised. “Did you forget something?”

  “Just this.” He drew her close and kissed her long and slow, then kissed her again. “Do you know how happy you’ve made me, Jess?”

  “Not nearly as happy as you’ve made me.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and offered her lips. “Now kiss me again, cowboy. We’re on our honeymoon, remember?”

  “How could I forget?”

  As they came together, Jessie thought about how far she’d come. She’d been a stranger in a strange town, telling a story that nobody would believe. Nobody but Finn.

  And because of Finn, she’d found a safe haven, a family that loved and accepted her, and the great love of a lifetime.

  Life with this good man, she realized, was just the beginning.

  Whatever came along, she would face it without fear, as long as she had Finn beside her.

  In this big, crazy world, two kids who’d been dealt a tough hand in their childhoods had found one another. And with the help of generous souls who’d opened their hearts, they’d found all they needed to give and receive the greatest gift of all—love.

  Dolly’s Diner

  Famous Meat Loaf

  Ingredients

  ½ cup milk

  1 cup soft bread crumbs

  2 pounds ground chuck

  1½ teaspoons salt

  Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  2 eggs, slightly beaten

  3 tablespoons steak sauce

  1 onion, finely chopped

  ½ cup finely diced green bell pepper (optional)

  ½ cup ketchup

  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  Combine the milk and bread crumbs in a bowl and allow to soften (about 5 minutes).

  In a mixing bowl, combine the ground chuck, salt, pepper, eggs, steak sauce, onions, green pepper (if using), and ketchup. Add the bread crumb mixture and combine.

  Pat the mixture into a loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until done. Allow to stand 5 minutes before slicing.

  Enjoy.

  About the Author

  New York Times bestselling author R. C. Ryan has written more than a hundred novels, both contemporary and historical—quite an accomplishment for someone who, after her fifth child started school, gave herself the gift of an hour a day to follow her dream to become a writer.

  In a career spanning more than thirty years, Ms. Ryan has given dozens of radio, television, and print interviews across the country and Canada, and has been quoted in such diverse publications as the Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan. She has also appeared on CNN News and Good Morning America.

  You can learn more about R. C. Ryan—and her alter ego Ruth Ryan Langan—at:

  RyanLangan.com

  Twitter @RuthRyanLangan

  Facebook.com/RuthRyanLangan

  Also by R. C. Ryan

  Cowboy on My Mind

  The Cowboy Next Door

  Matt

  Luke

  A Cowboy’s Christmas Eve (available as an e-novella)

  Reed

  The Maverick of Copper Creek

  The Rebel of Copper Creek

  The Legacy of Copper Creek

  Quinn

  Josh

  Jake

  Montana Legacy

  Montana Destiny

  Montana Glory

&nbs
p; RAVES FOR R. C. RYAN’S NOVELS

  THE COWBOY NEXT DOOR

  “Satisfying…This sweetly domestic story should win Ryan many new fans.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “The Cowboy Next Door is a work of art.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  COWBOY ON MY MIND

  “A strong, protective hero and an independent heroine fight for their future in this modern rough-and-tumble Western.”

  —Library Journal

  “This talented writer…invites you to join a little journey that has you biting at the bit for more.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  REED

  “4 stars! Ryan’s latest book in her Malloys of Montana series contains a heartwarming plot filled with down-to-earth cowboys and warm, memorable characters. Reed and Ally are engaging and endearing, and their sweet, fiery chemistry heats up the pages, which will leave readers’ hearts melting…A delightful read.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  LUKE

  “Ryan creates vivid characters against the lovingly rendered backdrop of sweeping Montana ranchlands. The passion between Ryan’s protagonists, which they keep discreet, is tender and heartwarming. The plot is drawn in broad strokes, but Ryan expertly brings it to a satisfying conclusion.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  MATT

  “Ryan has created a gripping love story fraught with danger and lust, pain and sweet, sweet triumph.”

  —Library Journal, starred review

  For a bonus story from another

  author you may love,

  please turn the page to read

  Cowboy to the Rescue

  by A.J. Pine.

  For those who go above and beyond to keep the rest of us safe.

  Chapter One

  Ivy Serrano smelled smoke.

  Not the Ooh! Someone must be having a bonfire kind of smoke or the Mmm! Someone is grilling up burgers kind of smoke. She smelled the Shoot! Something’s burning kind of smoke right here, in her new shop, on the day of her grand opening.

  She glanced around the small boutique, brows knitted together. She’d been about to flip the CLOSED sign to OPEN for the very first time when it hit her. Something was burning.

  After two years of putting her life on hold due to a family tragedy from which she thought she’d never recover, here she was, back home, starting over. And of all things, she smelled smoke.

  It didn’t take long for the smell to be accompanied by sound, the high-pitched wail of a top-of-the-line smoke detector. Although, if anyone was keeping score, she’d noticed first. One point for the Ivy, zero for technology.

  Except then she remembered that each detector was wired to the next, which meant that in five, four, three, two, one…a chorus of digital, earsplitting screams filled eight hundred square feet of space.

  Her senses were keen enough, though, that it only took a second to register that the first alarm came from the back office.

  Her design sketches! And samples! And Oh no! It was opening day!

  She sprinted through the door that separated the shop from her office and storage. The only appliance she had back there was a mini refrigerator, because every now and then a girl needed a cold beverage and maybe even a healthy snack and ohmygod this was not happening.

  She gasped when she saw the charred cord and the licking flames dancing up the wall from the outlet. Items on her desk were turning to kindling as the fire reached paper. She grabbed the extinguisher from its prominent space on the wall and, amid the incessant shrieking, snuffed out the fire in a matter of seconds. She yanked on the part of the cord that hadn’t been completely cooked and unplugged the appliance.

  Problem solved.

  Except the design drawing on her desk, the one she’d been working on for the past week, was partially burned and now covered in foam.

  No big deal. She’d simply start over—on the first piece she’d been brave enough to attempt that reminded her of Charlie. And now she had to muster that courage again after—of all things—a fire.

  Or it would be, once she remembered how to turn the alarms off. Did she rip the battery out of the first one and all the rest would follow? Or did she have to somehow reset each and every one? She spun in a circle, panic only now setting in, because she knew what happened once the first alarm triggered the rest.

  She ran back to the front of the shop and pushed through the door and out onto First Street. Sure enough, an emergency vehicle had already pulled out of the fire station’s lot, siren blazing.

  She dropped onto the public bench in front of her store and waited the fifteen seconds it took for the truck to roll down the street.

  “It would have been faster if you all had walked,” she mumbled.

  Four figures hopped out of the truck in full gear. One whom she recognized as her best friend Casey’s younger sister, Jessie, started to unfurl the hose while another—yep, that was Wyatt O’Brien—went to open the nearby hydrant. The third was Wyatt’s younger brother Shane.

  Ivy stood and crossed her arms. “Fire’s out already.”

  The last one—the one she hadn’t recognized yet—strode toward her, his eyes narrowed as he took her in.

  “Sorry, miss. But we still need to go inside and assess the situation, figure out what type of fire it was, and if you’re still at any sort of risk.”

  She shrugged and cleared her throat, trying to force the tremble out of her voice. “It was an electrical fire. Probably caused by faulty wiring in a mini fridge cord because I had this place inspected a dozen times and know it was up to code. Used a class C extinguisher. I have smart detectors, though. Couldn’t get the fire out before you guys were automatically called. Sorry to waste your time.”

  The fire was out. That wasn’t the issue. Fire didn’t scare her after the fact, especially now that she was so prepared. It was—them. She didn’t want them here, didn’t need them here, and certainly didn’t require anyone’s assistance. Just seeing their uniforms made it hard for her to breathe, made it impossible not to think of how Charlie wearing the uniform had cost him his life.

  The man in front of her took off his firefighter helmet and ran a hand through a mop of overgrown dark auburn hair. If he weren’t wearing the uniform, he’d have been quite handsome. She knew it was backward, that most women found men in uniforms sexy. But there was nothing sexy about a man who risked his life for a living. Noble? Absolutely. That didn’t mean she had to find him attractive.

  There was something familiar about him, though, even though she swore she’d never met him. Ivy knew just about everyone in town, especially those who worked at the fire station. So who the heck was this stranger?

  “You still need to let us inside,” he said. “We’re not permitted to accept civilian confirmation of fire containment.”

  Ivy scoffed. “Just tell Chief Burnett it was Ivy’s place and that I said everything is fine. He knows me well enough, so that should suffice.”

  The stranger grinned, but Ivy got the feeling it wasn’t because he was happy.

  “Chief Burnett is also my new boss, and I don’t think he’d take kindly to me slacking off on my first call. But, hey, appreciate the heads-up and the unneeded paperwork I’ll have to file when I get back to the station.”

  Definitely not a happy smile. Well, that made two of them. He wasn’t happy to be here, and she wasn’t happy to have him here.

  He pushed past her and through the front entrance of the store—aptly called Ivy’s—while two of his crew assessed the outside of the building’s facade and the fourth jogged down to the end of the street and disappeared behind the row of stores that included her own.

  “I really do have things under control in here,” she called over the continued screech of the multiple alarms. When she received no response, she followed into the back office, where Needed-a-Haircut Man was inspecting the charred cord from the mini fridge and the blackened outlet.

  “Don’t you turn those off or something?” she yelle
d, barely able to hear her own voice.

  The firefighter stood, pulled off his glove, and climbed onto her office chair. He reached for the smoke detector on the ceiling and pulled it out of its holster. Then he pressed a button, and it and all other alarms ceased.

  “Thought you had things under control in here,” he said with a self-satisfied grin as he hopped down to the floor, his boots hitting the linoleum tile with a thud.

  Her mouth hung open for a second before she regained control.

  “I did. I mean, I do. The detectors are new. This is the first time I’ve had to use them.” And I grew up in a firefighter household, thank you very much. So who are you to question what I do and do not have under control? Of course, she kept all that to herself because her family was her business, but still—this guy had a lot of nerve.

  He pointed to a button on the device marked with the word RESET.

  “All you have to do is press and hold for five seconds, and they all turn off. But, if you accidentally do the same thing with the TEST button, all alarms will sound for half a minute. So I don’t recommend doing that during business hours. Might scare customers away.”

  Ivy rolled her eyes. “I can read, but thanks for the warning.”

  “My pleasure,” he said, smiling. “I’m gonna grab the rest of the crew so we can do a full assessment on the outlet, check your circuit breaker. Glad to see you’re not using power strips.”

  “It was the fridge. I’m sure of it.” That was the last time she took a hand-me-down appliance even if it was still under warranty. “Look, Mr.…”