Rancher For The Holidays (Love Inspired) (7 page)

When the last kid left, Marley sagged against the counter. It had been a fun but exhausting week. She glanced at Ben as he straightened up the corner table, where Marley had gathered the children for each afternoon’s instructional session.

He caught her eye and grinned. “This week turned out to be more fun than I expected. And in case you didn’t notice, those kids idolize you.”

“I certainly hope not.” A sharp exhalation whistled between her teeth. She turned her attention to the student records she needed to file. “I’m the very
last
person anyone should consider a role model.”

Ben appeared beside her, one hand cupping her shoulder. “You’re a great photographer and a great teacher, Marley Sanders. Not to mention a great all-around person. Anybody who can keep her cool around nine hyperactive kids for a week while spearheading an outreach fund-raiser is definitely someone to be admired.”

If you only knew.
Marley cast him an awkward smile as she ducked from beneath his arm. “Which reminds me, it looks like we’ll have a good turnout at the ranch tomorrow for our meeting to discuss the trail ride.”

“Right, the committee’s coming out. Uncle Steve’s been scouting for the most interesting trail routes. Maybe we could saddle up some horses and—”

“Uh, maybe not. I was sore for almost a week after our last excursion.” Marley locked the front door and started turning off lights.

Ben followed her out the back. “You do know the more you use those muscles, the easier it gets.”

Kind of like her “independence” muscles from Dad? She already knew her father’s opinion of her business management skills. Besides, his handouts always came with strings attached or, at the very least, a lengthy lecture on fiscal responsibility.

At least the kids’ class had turned a small profit, and she did have the Stratton-Leonard wedding coming up later this month. She’d covered her September studio expenses with a little bit to spare, and October was starting out reasonably well. She had three more months before the rent increase kicked in, so there was no reason to throw in the towel quite yet.

As they strolled down the alley to the parking lot, Marley thanked Ben once again for his assistance with her class. “Not only was it nice having the extra help, but you gave me some great ideas for the future. The kids really got into the advertising-promotion thing.”

“They did, didn’t they?” Ben sighed. “Guess my degree isn’t a total waste.”

Marley paused behind her Honda. “If you can’t find a job in retail management, maybe you should consider teaching. Your real-world work experience could be a huge asset.”

Ben shook his head. “A week as your assistant was fun. I don’t think I’d have the patience to teach full time.”

“Maybe not middle schoolers—they can be a handful for any teacher—but I bet you’d do fine at the high school level or even college.”

“Maybe.” The Mustang beeped as Ben pressed the button on his key fob.

“I’m serious, Ben. You should check with the human resources department at Sul Ross and see if they have any openings.”

Ben shrugged. “If nothing else comes up, I’ll think about it. Want to get some supper before you head home?”

“Thanks, but Pastor Chris is picking up burgers. A few of us on the outreach committee are having a quick meeting to go over some details before tomorrow.” Marley cringed. “I would have asked you to join us, but we won’t get into publicity tonight so I didn’t want to impose.”

“No worries.” He pulled open his car door. “Wouldn’t hurt to spend the evening zapping a few more résumés into cyberspace.”

For a man desperate to find employment, he didn’t sound very enthusiastic. Marley climbed into the Civic. “I’m sure any day now your inbox will be overflowing with job offers.”

“From your lips to...” His words trailed off, as if he couldn’t bring himself to finish the saying.

“To God’s ears? Of course I’m praying for you.” And she had been, although not always in the way she should have. More like,
Lord, why’d You bring a wonderful guy into my life when there’s no chance for anything lasting between us?

She should really get it out of her head that it was all about her. Maybe God brought Ben to Alpine for other reasons, like to show him there was more to life than working sixty hours a week.

His expression flattening, Ben rested one arm along the roof of the Mustang. “Don’t waste your prayers on me. I think God’s forgotten I exist.”

“Ben...”

He released a heartless laugh. “See you tomorrow at the ranch.” He climbed into the Mustang, gunned the engine and drove away.

Marley sat in her car for a full minute before pulling herself together and heading over to Spirit Fellowship. She couldn’t get Ben’s forlorn expression out of her mind. The signals had been there since the day he’d bought her the steak lunch, when she’d paused to pray over her meal. She had the clear sense that Ben hadn’t always been distant from God, and it saddened her to think problems in his life had caused him to believe God didn’t care.

All the more reason Candelaria could be part of God’s plan for Ben. Maybe he needed to learn that struggle, heartache and loss didn’t automatically mean God had turned away, but instead became opportunities to grow in faith and discover new ways to celebrate the Lord’s goodness.

Pulling into the empty space next to Ernie’s pickup, Marley rested her forehead on her folded hands.
Lord, You know the plans You have for Ben, for me and for this outreach ministry. Let Your will be done.

Chapter Seven

F
or Ben, the most difficult part of getting involved with this whole outreach-ministry thing was having to confront his feelings about God. Couldn’t he simply do a good thing for a good cause and leave faith out of it?

He had a feeling Marley would disagree.

If he had any sense, he’d put a little professional distance between Marley and him, and concentrate on publicity for this trail ride.

They’d set the date for the Saturday after Thanksgiving, six weeks away. Not a lot of time to organize an event like this, but the locals they hoped would either volunteer or participate were more likely to be free that weekend. Also, the committee had agreed to start small this year. If the ride proved a success, they’d begin planning much earlier next year and build the event into something bigger.

With Uncle Steve, Aunt Jane and six Spirit Outreach committee members, including Marley, gathered around the Whitlows’ kitchen table, Ben remained standing, hip propped against the counter.

Aunt Jane shot him a frown. “What are you doing way over there? Grab a folding chair from the hall closet.”

“That’s okay. I’m not officially on the committee.” He flicked a glance toward Marley, but she looked totally engrossed in whatever was on her tablet screen. “Just call me a consultant.”

“And we’re grateful for your help,” Pastor Chris said with a nod. He opened the discussion with the list of organizational responsibilities the committee had come up with. “I’m hoping for plenty of volunteers from within the congregation to help staff the event. We’ll need a setup crew, parking attendants, registration coordinator...”

Ben tuned out the rest, making himself useful refilling coffee cups and setting out more of Aunt Jane’s mini oatmeal-raisin muffins. The meeting had been in progress for about forty-five minutes when the doorbell rang. Ben went to answer, opening the door to a tall, dark-haired man about his age.

“Hi, I’m Lucas Montero. Marley asked me to come.”

“Marley asked you to come?” Ben repeated.

“To the Spirit Outreach meeting? This is the Whitlows’, right?”

“Right. Yes. They’re in the kitchen. Go on back and I’ll grab another chair.”

Ben decided maybe he’d take two chairs while he was at it. When he returned to the kitchen, Marley had risen to share a hug with Mr. Tall, Latino and Ruggedly Handsome.

“Lucas, I’m so glad you could make it. I’ve missed seeing you in church.” Marley made room for Ben to set a chair for Lucas next to hers.

“The guide service keeps me pretty busy on weekends.” Lucas scooted his chair up to the table. “I try to watch the recorded worship online during the week, though.”

Ben yanked open the second chair and squeezed in between Aunt Jane and Judy Jackson, directly across from the late arrival. There was a brief shift in the conversation as Marley quickly filled Lucas in on what they’d discussed so far.

Then she continued, “I thought with your wilderness guide experience you could be available on the trail to point out interesting plants and terrain features.”

“Sure, be glad to.” Shifting in his seat, Lucas draped an arm around the back of Marley’s chair. When he cast her a pearly white grin and she smiled back, Ben looked away.

Pastor Chris turned to him. “Ben, how about sharing some of your publicity ideas before Steve takes us on a tour of the ranch?”

“Uh, sure.” Ben reengaged his brain and flipped open the pad where he’d been jotting his notes. “Obviously, the first thing we need to do is get some local media coverage. Ads can get expensive, so I’m thinking public announcements on local radio stations and maybe talking to the features editor at the
Avalanche
about doing a human interest story...” When he glimpsed Marley’s furrowed brow and pursed lips, his words trailed off. “Is something wrong?”

Her expression brightened, but not convincingly. “Just taking this all in. Sorry.”

It took Ben a beat or two to recapture his train of thought. “As I was saying, I’d also like to see the paper do a story on this committee and the work you’re doing in Candelaria.” He outlined a few more ideas for advance publicity, then stressed the value of getting media coverage during the actual event. “The more attention you can garner early on, the more ongoing support you can expect from the community at large.”

When they’d covered everything, Uncle Steve invited the group out to the barn, where a couple of his ranch hands had saddled six horses, one for Steve and five for the committee members who’d expressed interest in riding the trail. Pastor Chris, Ernie Coutu and Pete Oldam had asked to ride, along with Ben and Marley.

Then at the last minute Marley changed her mind. “Lucas should go in my place. He needs to get familiar with the trail.”

Ben chimed in, “Forget it. Lucas can take my horse. You two go on and enjoy the ride.”

Marley smiled uncertainly as she started toward the ranch hand holding Dancer’s reins. Then, from somewhere along the main road, a car backfired and the horses jerked their heads up, ears on alert. Even though Dancer’s reaction was mild and he settled quickly, Marley didn’t look reassured. “I think I’ll sit this one out.”

No amount of cajoling would get her on the horse, so when it came to a choice between staying behind with Marley or spending the next few hours in the company of Lucas Montero, Ben’s decision was easy. Judy Jackson, the retired teacher, said she hadn’t ridden since she was a girl but would love the chance to sit on a horse again. One of the hands boosted her into Dancer’s saddle and she happily rode off with the group.

While Ben leaned on the fence rail and watched the riders depart, Aunt Jane invited Marley and Pete’s wife, Bonnie, inside for more coffee.

“Be right there,” Marley said. She wandered over and stood next to Ben. “Sorry for chickening out.”

“Didn’t mean to pressure you, but I thought you had a good time when we rode last time.”

“I did. But...today felt different.” She sighed and rested her forearms on the fence rail.

Several moments of silence elapsed. Ben glanced over, noticing the fatigue lines around her eyes. “You okay?”

“It’s been a long week.” She lowered her chin onto her folded arms. “And with this trail ride to organize, things are only going to get busier.”

“Looks like you’ll have plenty of help, though.” Ben wanted to ask what she had going with Lucas Montero but decided it was none of his business. Besides, something else was niggling at him. “I couldn’t help noticing you looked a little uncomfortable while we were talking about media coverage.”

She straightened abruptly and marched a few steps away, then spun to face him. “You’re going to keep the publicity local, right? I mean, the plan was to concentrate on the Alpine area, not go for regional or statewide coverage.”

“I thought we’d start local, yes. But the further we can spread the word, the more interest we can generate to bring in more aid for Candelaria.” Ben cocked his head. “That’s the whole point, right?”

“Yes, of course, but—” Marley hesitated briefly before her lips twitched in a tentative smile. “You said
we.
”

Surprised at himself, Ben uttered a soft chuckle. “Guess your enthusiasm is rubbing off on me.”

* * *

Marley glanced over her shoulder to see Jane Whitlow smiling from the kitchen window. Great, she probably thought Marley had stayed out with Ben because they had something going between them. The woman couldn’t be sweeter, but she was terrible at disguising her matchmaking intentions.

With a peek at her watch, Marley started toward the house. “It could be noon before they’re back from the ride. There isn’t much more I can contribute here, and I desperately need to get some work done at my studio.” Something that paid the bills so she could afford to take all this time off for the outreach ministry, keep her studio open
and
get out from under her father’s thumb.

Ben fell in step with her. “I thought you’d want to wait for Lucas to get back. It sounded like you hadn’t seen each other in a while.”

His tight tone drew her attention. She’d noticed from the moment Lucas arrived that Ben didn’t appear to like him much. Which was ridiculous since they obviously didn’t know each other. “We see each other at church from time to time. He’s a wilderness guide for Purple Sky Expeditions here in Alpine, but he grew up in Candelaria.”

“So...you two share a common interest. That’s cool.”

“It’s nice, yes. Lucas drives over to see his family every few weeks, so he delivers any donations we’ve collected and keeps us posted about what’s happening with everyone.” Marley paused on the porch. “Remember the photo of the little girl boarding the school bus? That’s Isabella, Lucas’s niece.”

Ben stuffed his fingertips into his jeans pockets. “So...”

Ben couldn’t be jealous, could he? Marley arched a brow at him. “Is that
so
like ‘Isn’t that interesting?’ Or
so
like ‘What’s the rest of the story?’ Because there is none.”

“So... I guess I’m getting a little too nosy.” Ben dipped his chin and peered up with a boyish grin. “Sorry.”

With a wry smile, Marley shook her head. “I have to go.”

“Yeah. Duty calls.” Ben held the door for her.

She said her goodbyes to Jane and Bonnie, then continued out front to her car.

Ben followed, but this time he didn’t try any delay tactics like he’d done the day of the Whitlows’ photo shoot. He halted on the porch steps and called, “See you at the meeting Monday night?”

“I’ll be there.”

Before pulling away, she tugged her cell phone from her purse to turn on the ringer and check for messages. A text from her father read
Call me ASAP.
The time stamp was nearly two hours ago, while she’d had her phone silenced during the meeting. And Dad hated to be kept waiting.

She made him wait another five minutes while she drove down the lane to the Whitlows’ entrance gate. Pulling off to the side, she parked and pressed the callback button.

“Where have you been?” her father practically shouted.

“Hi, Dad, nice to talk to you, too.”

“Don’t get sarcastic with me. I’ve been calling your studio number all morning. What were you thinking, staying closed on a Saturday?” Dad huffed. “This is no way to run a business, Marsha.”

“Marley.
Marley
.” She ground her teeth. “I’ve told you before, Dad. The studio isn’t like a retail business. Most of my work is done by appointment.”

“Yes, but—” He made a growling noise in his throat. “I didn’t call to lecture you about good business practices. I assume you know I’m up for reelection in November.”

Forcing politeness into her tone, she asked, “How’s the campaign going?”

“Exceedingly well.” A meaningful pause. “Which is why I don’t need any surprises.”

Meaning any reports surfacing about his problem child. A sigh raked her lungs. “Dad, it’s been over ten years. Have I done anything to embarrass you since you swept me and my past under the rug?”

“Marsha...”

She didn’t correct him this time. It was pointless, anyway, because in her father’s eyes she’d always be Marsha Sanderson, juvenile delinquent, and the skeleton in Harold Sanderson’s closet he never wanted exposed to public scrutiny.

“Just promise me,” her father said tiredly.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to shed them. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I wouldn’t dream of raining on your victory parade.”

“Good. That’s good. Now, how’s the money situation? Are your bills covered this month?”

“I’m flush.” Close enough, anyway, that she was adamant she wouldn’t ask her father for another advance. “Dad, I have to go. I’m on my way to the studio right now.”

“Very well. Just remember what I said.”

“No surprises. Got it.”

He paused. “Your mother sends her love.”

But there was no “And I do, too.” That would be too much to expect from her father. “Love to Mom. Goodbye, Dad.”

Marley tossed her phone into the passenger seat and turned onto the road toward town. To get her mind off her dysfunctional family, she reviewed that morning’s planning session. They’d accomplished a lot in a short time, and her hopes for a successful fund-raiser continued to grow.

Of course, if not for Ben, they might never have come up with the idea for a trail ride. Thoughts of him brought a smile to her lips. The annoyingly cute city boy certainly was full of surprises.

Marley’s stomach clenched as she pulled into her parking spot down the alley from the studio. She really needed to make sure Ben didn’t carry his publicity efforts beyond Alpine—or if he did, he kept her name out of it. The chances of anyone making the connection between Marley Sanders and the former Marsha Sanderson were slim, but it wasn’t worth taking the risk.

* * *

As the event date neared, the Spirit Outreach committee began holding more frequent meetings. With plans to serve cold drinks and burgers after the ride, they had arranged to rent or borrow picnic tables, chairs and a large party tent. A local country-and-western band would provide entertainment.

Marley had already heard several announcements about the trail ride on local radio stations, and Neil Ingram, a feature writer for the
Alpine Avalanche
, offered coverage in a series of articles about Spirit Outreach and their work in Candelaria. With the addition of an information and sign-up page to the church’s website, rider registrations were already coming in.

At a committee meeting near the end of October, Pastor Chris summarized their progress to date. “As of this morning, we have twenty-two riders signed up. Most of our supplies have been donated or offered at a reduced rate, but we’re still only looking at a profit of around twelve hundred dollars.”

Marley’s stomach sank. She’d been hoping for at least two or three times that much. “The ride is still a month away. Surely we’ll get a few more by then.” She knew firsthand from her photography classes about last-minute registrations.

Seated across the table from her, Ben cast a frown in her direction. “Marley, I know you’ve wanted to keep this local, but Alpine isn’t that big a town. We need to widen our reach, and we need to do it now so potential riders can make plans.”