Page 29 of Rancher’s Strength (Flying Diamond 5, #4)
Chapter Twenty-Four
RYDER
“ D amn, sweetheart, I forgot how you looked in jeans and boots,” I whistled, a grin spreading at the corners of my mouth as she sashayed into the barn to get her horse.
My eyes slowly trailed down her body, drinking in the swell of her breast and the roundness of her hip.
“Don’t get me wrong, the skirts and heels have their purpose, but this.
” I licked my lips and bit the corner of my mouth before reaching out and grabbing her arm, pulling Lexie to me.
Lexie wrapped her arms around my neck and ground her hips against me.
“You better not keep that up, or we’ll be trying to catch up to the rest of the group.
” I moved my hands down to her ass and grabbed it as I rocked against her, my cock coming alive from the sight of her and having her against me.
“It’s not going to be very easy to ride with that little issue.”
“Well, get away from me, and I won’t have this issue.
It’s not little either.” I winked, and she let her head fall back, laughing.
She tried to push me away, but her arms were still locked around my neck.
“No, I’ll still have a problem because I’m going to watch you in the saddle and wish I was under you. ”
Someone cleared their throat from the door, and I froze as Ryder looked over my shoulder. “Morning Linc.” He nodded. A slight twinge of guilt rocketed through me as I stood here happier than I’d been in ages while he was dealing with his own heartbreak.
“Morning, you two,” Linc said gruffly. “It’s been a while since you’ve done this Lexie, you up for it?” He leaned against the stall wall and looked at me.
“It’s riding a horse. I’ve done that all my life.” She shrugged and tried desperately to be nonchalant about it, even though she knew she was going to be in over her head. The fact of the matter is, Linc wasn’t wrong; it had been years since she’d been on the back of a horse for this long.
Leading our horses out of the barn, I spotted Ruby and Sawyer standing by the round pen, watching the other kids get ready to ride.
“Hey, what’s up? It’s round-up day, and you both look sad.
” I knew they probably wanted to ride their horses, but this was going to be a long day in the saddle, and I didn’t feel confident that they were ready for this yet.
“They all have the same scarves. Even you and auntie have them.” Ruby looked at the ground and kicked at a small rock, sending it bouncing along the ground. That was not what I expected to hear.
“They’re called wild rags. Can you tell me what you think they mean?” I crouched down between them and waited for an answer.
“Because if Sawyer and I have one like the rest of you, it means we belong here. Everyone that belongs here has one, but me and him.” Her little eyes welled with tears, and my heart broke again for these two kids that didn’t feel like this was their home yet.
The lump that formed in my throat almost made me choke.
“Ruby” Josie called, jumping up and down as my girl ran to hug her.
“Are you ready to go get the cows?” Josie asked excitedly.
Josie was Nash and Fallon’s oldest daughter; she’d turned three a few months ago, and she thought Ruby was her best friend.
Ruby was like a little mother, making sure Josie was where she was supposed to be and keeping her safe.
“Well, it’s about time you showed up, ready to go?” Kipp said as he walked out of his house, his words strained, but I was pretty sure Nora would have told him to be on his best behavior.
“We’ve been here for half an hour, and our horses are ready to go.
I’m pretty sure I saw yours in the stall munching on hay,” I shot back at him.
Cooper pulled Sawyer down the stairs, and they ran toward the fence.
The boys were the same age and in the same class in school.
We were already counting down the days until they would get into trouble.
“Any idea where the ranch wild rags got put?” I asked as I walked toward the porch steps. “And a new jacket.”
“In the attic, I think. Where we’ve always kept them,” he replied, nodding as he looked over at Lexie. “Come on, let’s see what we can find, and I guess you need a new one also.” I didn’t need Kipp to guide me to our merch, but I knew he’d have questions.
We walked silently up the hand-hewn wooden steps.
This part of the main house was the original home that his great-grandfather had built.
Pulling the string on the light, it sizzled to life.
I moved to the far wall and looked for the boxes that came from our supplier.
“What’s the deal?” Kipp asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
“Ruby wants to know she belongs here and thinks that having a wild rag will make that happen. I’d never actually considered them anything but work wear, but if it makes her and Sawyer feel like they have a place here, I’m damn sure going to get her one.
” I looked around the attic for the boxes we kept them in, and Nash handed me three of them.
They had Ruby and Sawyer’s names embroidered on them, along with the ranch logo.
I looked up at him, my mind racing, but words weren’t forming.
“Fallon ordered them the day you showed up here with the kids and Lexie. She’d been so mad that they were delayed, but they got here last week. There’s a box for each of them.” Nash’s eyes softened, and I looked around at the men who’d been my friends and saviors when I’d needed them most.
“And how’d you lose your jacket?” Kipp arched a brow and tossed me a new one.
“She helped me work those cows the other morning and was cold. Apparently, it’s hers now.” I shrugged. It truly was that simple.
“Look, we’ve all been walking on eggshells since your wedding, and none of us are real happy about it. This isn’t how we operate, so let’s do this right now,” Kipp said as he bounded over to the top of the stairs, blocking anyone from leaving.
“I thought she was your mortal enemy? And now you’ve up and re-married her out of the blue.
Ryder, something isn’t adding up here. Dad saw your interaction only months ago, and he said if she’d been in the middle of the street, you probably wouldn’t have stopped,” Nash spoke first, crossing his arms and waiting for my answer.
“She was never my enemy,” I grumbled as I grabbed another jacket in my size. “Look, things are different, okay.” I grabbed the sheet and slung it back over the rack. “This time’s different. We have a family now.”
“We’re happy for you, don’t get me wrong, but you went through a year of hell after she left, man. We just really got you back,” Kipp said, the pain in his eyes cutting me to my core.
“I get that you’re worried about me, but I’ve got this,” I said as I tried to push past the wall they’d built in front of me, but none of them moved.
“Fine, have it your way. I never stopped loving her, I shouldn’t have to tell any of you that.
So, when we were forced back together for the sake of the kids, I took it as a sign.
And you know I hate that bullshit, so it must have been meant to be.
I don’t know what this life will bring, but I do know I never dreamed that she’d be back, and we’d have kids to raise. ”
The guys all knew that Lexie couldn’t have kids.
It wasn’t something she’d brought up right away, but there was teasing about ranch babies one night, and she blurted it out to shut the guys up.
They all felt absolutely awful, but that was the end of the discussion about kids.
My four best friends were also fiercely protective of her, and when some well-meaning woman or nosy man would ask, they’d change the subject or flat-out tell people they were rude for asking.
I waited for someone to speak, but nobody did, they just cleared a path to the stairs. However, I did see a little more understanding in all their eyes.
“Ryder, we can see how happy you are with her and the kids, but you can’t blame us for checking in. And we are all really glad you’re both there for Ruby and Sawyer.” Kipp slapped me on the back, and I looked at the others.
A lump formed in my throat, but I wasn’t about to let any of these fuckers see me emotional, so I headed for the stairs.
None of them moved to follow me, and I didn’t care.
If they wanted to say more, I didn’t need to hear it, because if they thought I didn’t have the same worries about her leaving a million times a day, they were dumber than I thought.
“Ruby,” I called as I walked out the front door.
The little girl came running, her blonde hair flying wildly around her.
Falling to my knees, I held up the scarf, and her eyes went wide as she saw her name on it.
“This is where you belong, no matter how you ended up here, I’m so proud you’re here, and you’re ours now.
“I tied it around her neck, and she wrapped me in a hug.
“Thanks, Uncle Ryder,” she whispered.
“You need to thank Fallon; she got the ball rolling before I even thought of it.” Ruby kissed my cheek before running over and wrapping Fallon in a hug. As I watched them, I caught Fallon’s eye and could have sworn she had a tear in it.
Sawyer stood in front of me next, and I repeated the process. I’d barely even tied his tie, and he was on his way to Fallon. Standing, I brushed my knees off and held Lexie’s out to her. “Can I get mine back?” I smirked, not letting on that I had another one tucked into my jacket pocket.
“No, I think I like yours more than mine.” She smirked, and I tied the one with her name around my neck.
“Now I belong to you.” I leaned over and quickly kissed her before she spun away from me.
“I have to go thank Fallon too.” She winked and walked away. Lexie held open her arms, and without hesitation, Fallon embraced her. They’d been cool to one another since the night Lexie drove her home from the bar, but I was hoping maybe the ice around this ranch was about to break apart.
The guys walked up beside me, and Griff shook his head. “Didn’t think it was possible for you to be more gone for her than you were the first time, but I guess I was wrong.” He slung his arm around me and grinned. “It’s good man.” All the others nodded in agreement.
“Took you fuckers long enough to come around,” I said as I pushed Griff off me. “But thank you. As much as I hate to admit it, I needed you all to be the ones to keep things in check these last few weeks.” I didn’t look at them and just waited for a response.
“Yeah, like any of us could have done that.” Nash laughed as he slapped me on the back and headed toward his wife.