A Rancher for their Mom

Chapter Three

Joel felt as awkward as a high-school freshman with his first crush as he drove to the Landers ranch. Before he could get out of his vehicle, the boys scrambled down the porch stairs and raced toward him.

The screen door slammed. April, along with Cora, stood on the porch. “Have you eaten yet?”

“No, just grabbed a cup of coffee before I did chores.”

“Well, I’ve got eggs, bacon, hash browns and biscuits. And lots of coffee.”

His mouth watered. “Your stock fed?”

“I got it.”

“I helped,” Todd proudly announced.

Joel smiled at the boy. “And I know your help made things easier for your mom.”

Wes didn’t speak up, but Joel knew he wasn’t going to let his younger brother outdo him. Joel winked at Wes, acknowledging him.

The smell of bacon and eggs drifted out the screen door, making Joel’s stomach rumble, which was heard by all. “Then let’s feed the workers so we can get this day rolling.”

Laughing, Todd raced inside, Joel following.

Wes and Cora were already seated. Todd pulled out a chair.

“Wash your hands, young man.”

“Aw, Mom.”

“I need to wash my hands, too.” Joel held out his hands.

“’Kay. Follow me.”

Todd led Joel through the living room to the hall beyond. The first door stood open and Todd walked in. He stepped up onto the stool and turned on the water.

“Mom’s strict about washing our hands.” He grabbed the soap, lathered up and passed the bar to Joel.

“I know. My mom was the same,” Joel whispered, bending close. “And I had to have an inspection. But you know what was worse?”

Todd’s eyes widened. “What?”

“My grandmother. She wouldn’t allow a speck of dirt. I’ve been sent back to the bathroom many times. One time I had dirt here—” he pointed to a spot on the back of his hand close to the wrist bone “—and she made me go back and wash again. I got a second inspection.”

Todd thought about it. “Mom’s not that hard.”

Once finished, they joined the others at the table.

“Wes, would you like to pray?” April asked.

During the prayer, Joel heard a noise and opened one eye to see Cora grab a piece of bacon. April frowned. She noticed him, and they traded smiles. Adults holding down the fort.

“Amen.”

April dished eggs for Cora and Todd. Wes helped himself to a biscuit and hash browns. After serving himself a generous helping of eggs and hash browns, Joel dug into the meal. Watching the children eat, Joel flashed back to the scenes of his youth around the dinner table. Seeing April interact with her children made him keenly aware of how alone he was. One day in the future, he’d like to have a family of his own, which oddly resembled the people at this table.

Todd put down his knife. The biscuit on his plate sported a layer of butter, topped with peach preserves. “Why are you smiling, Mr. Joel?”

“I was remembering when I was your age and eating with my parents and grandparents.”

“Wow, you can remember that long ago?” Todd murmured in awe.

April choked on her coffee. Wes snickered.

“Of course I do even if my sister has her doubts.”

“I mean, where are your mom and dad?”

“They’re in Heaven now.”

“Oh.” Todd stared down at his plate, his shoulders hunched. “My dad and Oma and Opa are in Heaven, too.”

The smile on April’s face disappeared.

“Do you miss them?” Todd whispered, a catch in his voice.

The ache in the little boy’s voice touched Joel. He also knew Wes waited for his answer.

“I do. They went to Heaven many years ago, but sometimes I see a sunset or a flower and it reminds me of my mom and grandma. Now, with my dad, if I see a horse the same color as his, I think he would like that horse.”

“Oh.” Todd thought over the answer. “Are you still sad?”

April bit her lip, waiting.

He hadn’t expected a counseling session at breakfast and wondered what his sister, the counselor in training, would tell him to say.

Lord, I need some words of wisdom. “I was sad when it happened, but now I can remember them and smile. I recall the good and funny things, like when my dad stepped in a bucket of water I left beside the back door. Or the time my mom got mad at me and threw an egg. I ducked and it hit my sister, who was coming into the kitchen.” He winked at the boys. “You should’ve seen her face with all the yolk and egg white running down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. My mom’s reaction, her expression—” he dropped his jaw and let his eyes go wide to demonstrate the reaction “—was funnier than my sister’s.”

The boys laughed and he caught April smiling.

“I did my share of things that my mom got on me about.”

“What?” the boys asked.

Joel glanced at April. “I do need to keep a few secrets.”

“Aw,” the boys groaned.

“You better eat while your eggs are still warm,” April warned.

Reluctantly, Wes and Todd started eating, but they constantly looked at Joel, as though they were afraid he’d vanish into thin air if they didn’t look at him every few minutes.

* * *

April watched the boys wolf down their breakfast, but what broke her heart was their constant checking to make sure Joel didn’t disappear. Would this be a bigger disaster than she feared?

Her fields would be planted, but at what cost?

Wes and Todd slipped from their seats and headed for the back door.

“Put your dishes by the sink,” April instructed.

“Aw, Mom,” Wes complained, but obeyed.

Todd opened his mouth to voice his objection, but with one look at her, he swallowed the gripe and slipped his plate beside his brother’s.

“Down,” Cora asked.

Joel took the little girl out of her booster chair and placed her on her feet. She followed her brothers outside.

They were alone in the kitchen, finishing their coffee. The warm, intimate feeling of them together, lingering over breakfast, discussing the ranch, rattled her. She wanted to see Joel as nothing but a hired hand, but somehow her brain and heart went mushy.

She held up her cup. “More?”

“Sure. Top me off.”

She grabbed the coffee carafe and refilled both cups. Sitting down, she took a deep breath to steady herself.

“So tell me what you’ve decided to plant and what fields you plan to use.” Joel took a sip of his coffee.

His question jerked her back to the present. Most of the night she’d prayed and wrestled with what to do on the ranch—as well as fantasies about this tall, toe-tingling cowboy. Early this morning she’d come to a decision. “I want to plant hay in the north field, and in the west field I thought I’d go with your suggestion and plant sunflowers.”

They traded glances, and April thought she saw him smile, but it was gone so quickly that maybe she’d been wishing it.

“I think you made a good choice. So where are these fields?”

“Let’s go take a drive and I’ll show you.”

They all piled into April’s truck, Cora and Todd in the backseat, Wes between April and Joel. She drove out to the north field first, pointing out the section that needed to be planted with hay.

“At mile marker 123 is the start of the field,” she explained and continued to drive.

“Right there by the sign for the feed store is where our field ends.” Wes pointed, his arm shooting out and nearly catching Joel on the chin.

She glanced at Wes. “I didn’t know you knew the boundaries.”

“Yeah, Opa showed me,” he answered casually without looking at her.

Words piled up in her throat, and she couldn’t spit one out.

Within twenty minutes, April finished showing Joel the other field she wanted to plant.

“And the rest of the fields, I’ll rent out. I’ve had a couple of the folks at church offer to rent a field.”

“Good idea.”

April nodded. “If something’s not in that field, I could lose topsoil, and that I can’t afford to do.”

“Opa always talked to us about the ranch,” Wes said. “And how to care for it.”

Her son knew more than she credited him with. Vernon had been a great teacher.

“I see your grandfather taught you well.”

Wes sat up straighter. “Opa told me I needed to plant a field and not let it lay fallow, ’cause you don’t want to lose the topsoil. We are stewards of this land.”

Vernon had always said that. April felt pride her son had picked up his grandfather’s attitude and ashamed she hadn’t realized her son’s connection to the land. The boys hiring Joel should’ve sent her a clue.

“When harvest time comes around, whoever harvests the fields you rent out might do yours, too.”

His words, like a slap in the face, reminded her that he wouldn’t be here in the fall to harvest the crops, but they told her he knew his way around a ranch.

The boys chatted with Joel while she drove back to the house. The instant she stopped the truck by the kitchen door, Joel slipped out and walked to the tractor. “So let’s pray that your tractor will start this morning,” Joel said, “or I’ll be using that wrench. Where’s the key?”

“Inside the kitchen door.”

The children stood by the truck and watched him retrieve the key, start the tractor and attach the blades to the back of it.

“I’ll do the hay field first, then go to the west field and plow and plant the sunflowers today. I’ll replow the hay field tomorrow and plant it.”

When his words finally registered, April’s gaze jerked to his. The man knew what to do and didn’t need her instruction or prodding. Such a simple gesture softened her heart. “Sounds good.”

He climbed down from the seat and walked toward her. “I’ll give you my cell number in case you need to contact me.”

April held up her hand, reached inside the truck and grabbed the pad and pencil she kept in the center console. “I’m ready.”

He rattled off his cell-phone number.

“I guess you should have the house number, just in case, as you said.” The corner of his mouth kicked up, making her stomach dance.

He whipped out his phone from the front pocket of his Western shirt and entered the number as she said it.

Once he had the number saved, he waved the boys to his side. “Okay, let’s do rock, paper, scissors to see who rides with me out to the north field. When I do the west field, the other boy will go.”

“Aren’t they a little young to be riding in the cab?” April asked.

“You’re never too young to learn how to use a tractor. My dad had me ride with him when I was Todd’s age, and I was plowing fields after I turned ten.”

“Opa let me ride with him, Mom,” Wes hastily added.

If the man had used any other argument, she would’ve shot down the idea, but the boys needed to know how to operate the machinery and how to plow if they were going to maintain the ranch. She knew Vernon had been teaching the boys, but hearing them repeat the lessons would’ve made him proud. It certainly made her smile. After surveying three waiting males, she said, “All right.”

The boys pounded their little fists on their hands. April stood rooted to the spot, watching.

“One. Two. Three.”

The boys went along and Todd won.

“Can we try again?” Wes asked.

Joel put his hand on Wes’s shoulder. “You’re with me to plant the sunflowers.”

Wes looked up at Joel, than at his brother. “Okay.” He didn’t argue or pout, but trusted Joel enough to go along with his turn being second.

April worked hard not to let her jaw drop that her son offered no argument.

“I guess Wes can help me get my vegetable garden ready to plant.”

“And Mr. Joel told me some stuff to do around here,” Wes added.

“Those chores can wait until you help your mom plant the garden.”

Wes nodded.

They watched as Joel drove the tractor to the north section of land.

Cora looked back at April. “I go, too.”

“We’ll work right here and plant some of your favorite vegetables.”

“Cupcakes?”

Wes snickered. “That’s not a vegetable. Carrots, peas, potatoes—those are vegetables.”

Cora folded her arms over her chest and pursed her lips.

“You like giving Sammie a carrot, don’t you?” Wes asked.

“And you like mashed potatoes?” April added, knowing it was Cora’s favorite food.

Cora nodded.

“Well, we’ll plant potatoes and strawberries and watch them grow.” Throwing in the strawberries clinched the deal. Both children agreed to work in the garden.

* * *

April turned off the computer, finished with her accounts. She melted into her chair and took a deep breath. Relief washed over her, making her light-headed.

“Thank You, Lord.”

The roller-coaster events of the past couple of days still had her reeling. By dinner tonight, the sunflowers were planted, along with her garden, and she had three happy, satisfied children. Tomorrow the hay field would be done. There was hope.

Hope.

Such a small word, with some giant results.

Despite her offer, Joel didn’t stay for dinner, but the boys beamed with pride as they told her how they’d helped Mr. Joel. She hadn’t seen Wes and Todd that excited about anything since before their grandfather died.

Intrigued by the story Joel had told about his parents and his grandmother at breakfast, she felt there was something more to the story than he told. She’d like to know what he’d left out.

“Stop,” she chided herself. Joel would only be here the balance of the week. The man’s presence had managed to scramble the brains of all members of the family, herself included. That should be a warning, flashing bright, telling her of danger. And yet, she found herself ignoring those caution lights.

If she thought about it, Joel’s attitude differed as much from Ross’s as night from day. Joel welcomed her boys, piercing the shield she’d built around her heart in a way she couldn’t stop. When news of Ross’s death had reached April, she’d grieved with his parents, but she’d felt guilty that she wasn’t devastated. She had two little boys to take care of. When she discovered she was pregnant again, she didn’t have any time to grieve—at least, that was what she told herself. Was that simply an excuse?

The phone rang. Instantly, April picked it up, since she didn’t want the ring to wake any of the kids. “Hello.”

“April, honey, how are you doing and how are the kids?”

“Hi, Mom. We’re all doing well. Are you and Dad going to be coming to spend Easter with us this year?” Her mother lived in Houston, the closest big city to the platform her father managed. The children were excited about seeing their grandparents.

“Uh, that’s what I’m calling about. Your father has a new assignment. They want him to manage one of the new drilling platforms off Brazil. He’s leaving tomorrow. I’m going to put the house here on the market by the end of the week, then look for a house for us in Rio de Janeiro.”

“How long is his assignment?”

“At least two years, maybe three. They think this area is a gold mine, which means we might be there longer. I’m going to have to learn to speak Portuguese.” She spoke Bahasa Indonesian and Dutch, which she’d learned while they were in Indonesia. And when they were in Ghana her mother had learned Dagbanli, but she couldn’t remember any of April’s friends’ names. She’d even forgotten April’s twelfth birthday because she’d been too busy managing a reception in honor of the president of Ghana given by the oil company.

April’s stomach sank. “So we won’t see you this Easter. Maybe Christmas?”

“I don’t know. Things are still hectic. I want to see those babies of yours, but this move just caught us off guard. Your dad was offered a very nice bonus to take this job.”

A familiar refrain that her father had accepted this new challenge didn’t shock her. His job always was number one. April had realized it the Christmas she was eight and her father couldn’t make it off the oil platform. He’d come home the week of New Year’s and explained that his working on Christmas meant he could buy her a nicer bicycle as a gift. What she wanted was her father sharing Christmas with his family.

“I know the kids will be disappointed not to see their grandparents. They are growing so quickly that you won’t recognize them.”

“I’m disappointed not to be able to see them, too, but this opportunity just showed up and we couldn’t turn it down.”

Nothing had changed with her parents. Living with her in-laws had taught her to expect more, but then she had to realize she was talking to her mom.

“You know, maybe you and the kids could come to Brazil and spend Christmas with us. It would be such a treat for them to be in the warm weather.”

Instead of enduring the cold wind and weather in the Panhandle. April heard her mother’s implication although no words were spoken.

“I don’t know, Mom. Who would take care of the animals and ranch while we were gone?”

The line remained quiet for several moments. Finally, her mother said, “Your dad and I have talked about it. Both your husband and his family are dead, and all you have are those precious children. We think you should consider selling the ranch and moving to the city. Without the burden of that place, you could have time for your children. Find a job you like or go back to school and get a degree. You can’t do all that ranch work by yourself.”

Her mother’s words felt like a knife in her heart. Sure, there were problems, but she wasn’t going to sell her children’s inheritance no matter what. Vernon had bragged how big the ranch had been in the early 1900s, when the Landerses had a big family and relatives who lived close by. But slowly, the family members had died or moved away. Vernon and Grace had only had one son instead of the seven that Vernon’s parents had had. The Circle L Ranch might not be the size it once was, but she wasn’t going to sell or desert it. It was part of her heart.

April knew her father wanted her to sell the ranch, but she’d thought she had her mother’s support. Apparently not. “Thanks for the input, Mom. I’ll think about it.”

“I know you love that place, but face reality. It’s a mighty big job and there’s only you.”

“I have help to plant this year.” The words were out before she thought.

“Oh?”

It was the truth even if Joel was only here for the week. “I know the kids will miss seeing you. You and Dad might want to call them before Dad leaves and explain your exciting news.”

“We’ll try.”

In other words, it won’t happen. “I pray things will go smoothly with the move, Mom.”

“We can talk with the kids over the computer and they can see our new house once we’re settled.”

April’s heart broke. “They’ll love it.”

“I know you’re disappointed, sweetheart. I’m sorry.”

The familiar refrain rang hollow. “I know.”

When she hung up, April’s mind raced over all the birthdays, holidays and graduations her father had missed. She didn’t want that for her children. She wanted her kids to have a connection with their home and good memories of growing up—memories like going to the rodeo every year and having a tall cowboy show them how to lasso a horse or a cow.

Determination filled her heart. She wouldn’t fail her babies. “Thank you, Lord, for sending help to plant my field, but I’m going to need a long-range plan and a way to make this happen.”

And did that long-range plan own cowboy boots?

Chapter Four

The following day, Joel finished planting the hay field well before 10:00 a.m. Next they tackled the chores around the barn. Finally, Joel roped Buckwheat and Sammie and tied them to the posts outside the barn.

“What are we doing, Mr. Joel?” Wes asked.

The screen door slammed and April and Cora appeared.

“If you’re going to own a horse, you’re going to need to learn to groom him. Had your opa shown you how to do that?”

“He did, but Todd might need to be shown again.”

Joel heard a choked laugh. He didn’t look at April because he knew he’d laugh, too.

“Then we’ll do that.”

With a couple of buckets of soapy water, a wooden step stool he found in the barn and Buckwheat and Sammie tied up, Joel gave a sponge to each boy.

“Is this just a boy party or can the girls help?”

The boys glanced at Joel.