Redeemed (Black Spruce Ranch #3)

Chapter 1

JENNY

The ranch is a sight for sore eyes, even if it’s a pretty sore sight itself.

Mary pops out of the doorway just as I click the button to lock my car. Her round face splits into a bright smile at the sight of me, and she slings a rag over her shoulder before trotting down the porch steps.

“You’re back early!” She tugs my duffel bag from my hands, insistent on helping — like always. “Thought you were staying another week?”

“Eh, you know those Cali folk,” I say, with a shrug and an easy grin. “All about deadlines. I decided to wrap it up early and come back home where there are no surfer boys parading as CEOs.”

In reality, I busted my ass to get things over with as quickly as possible.

I had to get back before Dad had time to run the ranch into the ground in my absence.

Mary’s a little more trustworthy than him in regards to getting things done around here, but her determination doesn’t exactly make up for her lack of experience.

She’s gotten a lot better, but she still goes pale at some of things the rest of us have long since been desensitized to.

“Looks like they paid you well,” she says teasingly, nodding toward my car.

It’s brand new off the lot, sleek and shiny, the BMW logo shimmering with a pristine blue and white glow. I’ve wanted a Z3 since I was a kid, and walking into the dealership in California and buying it outright felt so good I can’t help but grin just thinking about it.

“What can I say? They may be annoying, but those hotshot directors pay well when you can fix their finances.” I don’t bother to hide the pride in my voice. “Drove it right off the lot and came right back here. Wanted this to be the first place I parked it for more than a few minutes.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were homesick,” Mary jokes, eyes crinkling at the corners. “That’s a long drive to make without stopping.”

I was anxious to get home, but more because I was worried Dad would revert back to his old bone-deep exhaustion without me here to keep things running smoothly. I’m not saying that aloud, though.

“I guess I missed you guys,” I tease back. “But it was nice to get away for a bit.”

A month in California was exactly what I needed after… well, everything.

Things were tumultuous before I left, to say the least. Katie and Wayne had their baby, and we barely had time to celebrate before the news of Al’s death came calling.

It wasn’t out of nowhere, exactly — he had aggressive stage four leukemia — but that didn’t mean any of us were prepared.

We all thought we had more time. He probably thought he had more time, too.

But one day he was here, and the next he was gone.

I couldn’t stand being on the ranch without him.

He was like an uncle to me, especially as I got older.

Every passing second made me feel like I was going to crawl out of my skin, which is saying something now that Dad doesn’t fall into arguments over stupid things with me as easily anymore.

It’s all just been too much. Big ups and big downs.

Al’s passing on top of Wayne’s return, him having a baby — which makes me an aunt — and then Mary entering the picture and saving the ranch, all the chaos of Dad finally getting his act together …

it’s just too much. I needed a break from it all.

So I took a minute. A month. Whatever.

It was good for me.

“It’s good to have you back home,” Mary says softly.

The look in her eyes tells me she knows exactly where my mind wandered off to in those few moments of silence, but I’m grateful she doesn’t bring it up. I can only talk about it so many times, and I don’t really want to break down in tears the second I get back home.

“Happy to be here.” And to see the buildings still standing. “Everything go okay while I was gone?”

“I won’t lie and say it was easy, but I think your dad and I make a pretty good team,” she says with a wry grin, blue eyes sparkling with affection. “He hired someone to pick up some of the slack. I don’t think he’s quite taking over Al’s position, but… extra hands help.”

I flinch ever so slightly at the thought of anyone else being Dad’s right hand man. It feels wrong to even consider someone else in that position, even though I know it needs to be filled eventually.

“Yeah,” I say weakly. “Glad he’s not trying to do everything on his own.”

I duck my face down as I walk up the porch steps, taking deep breaths to fight back the rising swell of emotions. I’m tired from the drive and the month-long work trip, and I’m sure once I get some food and some rest, the news will be easier to swallow.

“He’s a good kid, only been here about two weeks, but he’s figuring things out,” Mary continues behind me, thankfully not noticing my internal struggle. “Oh, your dad’s talking to him right now. Everett!”

I glance over to see Dad and Wayne chatting in front of the barn with a tall, broad shouldered blond man with his back to me.

Dad’s head pops up when Mary calls his name, and he immediately excuses himself from the conversation before jogging over to us, but my eyes linger on the new guy instead of finding my dad in greeting.

He’s stacked like a fucking linebacker, thick in all the right places, biceps bulging under the thin cotton of his shirt. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t had much more than a passing interest in anyone since high school, but this guy will at least make good eye candy.

“Jenny!” Dad says, a little breathless as he stops in front of us. “Mary said you wouldn’t be back until next weekend!”

He pulls me into a hug before I can answer, and I huff a little laugh into his shoulder as I pat his back. He’s gotten a lot more touchy-feely ever since we settled some of our differences. It’s a good thing — he used to be so distant — but I’m still getting used to it.

“Wrapped up early, figured I’d come home and show off the new car.”

Dad whistles appreciatively as he wanders around to look it over, eyes catching on random parts like he’s looking for something in particular.

I bite back a laugh — he only knows how to work on ancient Ford trucks and half-dead tractors — and glance back over to where Wayne and the new guy are still chatting animatedly.

Something about the sight strikes me as familiar, but I’m not sure what. Maybe it’s the hair? Plenty of the ranch hands have longer hair, although they usually keep it tied back.

The guy reaches his hand up to scratch at the back of his neck, and it tugs his shirt even tighter across the sculpted muscles of his chest. Instead of taking a moment to appreciate the view, my blood goes cold.

I very suddenly know exactly why this looks familiar.

And why the guy is built like a linebacker.

Lucas fucking Cross—linebacker for our high school football team, total dreamboat, and my one and only ex. Motherfucker.

I whirl on my heel and advance on Dad before any rational thought can permeate through the blanket of rage over my mind.

“What the fuck is Lucas Cross doing here?” I hiss.

Dad looks up at me in surprise before glancing back at the two men in front of the barn.

He almost looks like it’s news to him, but the guilty shine in his eyes gets rid of that possibility.

There’s no way he didn’t know. Even if he wasn’t my ex, Lucas is Al’s son.

Dad doesn’t have a fucking toe to stand on, much less a leg, if he wants to make that excuse.

The wariness etched into the lines of his face fades away as he sighs. “Jenny, you can’t still be mad at the boy after all these years.”

Like fuck I can’t.

Lucas and I stood by each other back then, homework and football practice, dinner dates of boxed macaroni and cheese when Al had too much work to even go home.

Lucas and I had plans, and he ditched every last one of them to go chase after a football scholarship at a college I didn’t even apply to.

He didn’t even tell me until the weekend he was leaving.

I was left in my bedroom with my heart torn to shreds, alone in the town we grew up together in, looking like a total fucking idiot.

And yeah, it’s been years since then, but if Dad thinks I can’t hold a grudge for that long, he doesn’t know me at all.

“What do you mean?” I ask through gritted teeth, my voice so sweet it’s venomous. “All I asked is why he’s here. I didn’t say anything about being upset.”

He and Mary share a look, but he’s smart enough to answer my question without poking the bear.

“He tore his ACL. Can’t play anymore. Lost his scholarship, tried to find work but nothing stuck, came back home.

He only got back a week before Al died.” He keeps his tone blunt, nothing more than sharing information, but there’s a glimmer of sympathy in his eyes.

I can’t tell if it’s directed at me or Lucas.

“I offered him a job. Figured it would give him a leg up while he grieves and gets his feet back under him, and I know I can trust him.”

I scoff witheringly at the very thought of trusting Lucas Cross.

“That’s… that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

Are you going fucking senile?” I spit the words at him like acid.

“There’s no way you trust that asshole! He’s flaky and irresponsible and he doesn’t know a damn thing about working on a ranch.

Jesus Christ, I can’t believe you hired someone while I was away. You couldn’t even talk to me first?”

“Why don’t we get you settled in for now?” Mary cuts in, a tight smile on her face as she nods toward the house. “I’m sure this conversation will be easier after you get some rest.”

I toss a glare her way, the kindest warning I can offer in my current state. I’m exhausted and on edge as is, and Lucas being here isn’t helping at all.

“Good idea, honey,” Dad says. “I’ve got work to wrap up, and I’m sure Jenny could use some time to calm down.”

Mary winces at his words, knowing just how much they’ll piss me off before I even scoff. I throw my hands up in frustration, tempted to toss my shit in my car and go right back to California. Anything would be better than this shitshow.

“Look, just… fire the guy, help him get a job somewhere he might actually be useful, wherever that is,” I say, a sneer on my lips. “I’ll find you someone who’s qualified and has real experience so the ranch doesn’t fall apart again.”

Dad’s face falls slack, every ounce of emotion wiped clean as he stares at me blankly. I expect to see anger bubbling in his eyes, but there’s just that same goddamn glimmer of pity underneath the apathy.

It makes me want to shake him and scream.

He shakes his head slowly, a frown forming beneath his bushy mustache. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing this is my ranch and not yours, because I won’t be doing anything of the sort. That boy isn’t going anywhere, and if you don’t want to see him, you’ll just have to do your best to avoid him.”

“You can’t be serious!” I’m using every ounce of self-control I have not to yell right now, but it’s a near fucking thing. “This isn’t about my feelings, this is about keeping the ranch running. You can’t just hire whoever you feel bad for! This is an actual business, in case you forgot.”

Dad just shrugs, halfway between careless and sympathetic like he’s trying to be a hardass but doesn’t want to be mean. This would be so much easier if he would actually argue with me, but he seems intent on taking the moral high ground.

“I didn’t forget, kiddo,” he says easily. “But it’s still mine, and I’m going to run it how I see fit.”

Well. So much for taking a vacation to get my head on straight after everything.

It looks like things around here are only going to get even more stressful.