The Rancher’s Ecstasy (Ranchers of Madison County #4)

Chapter One

Emily drew in an unsteady breath as she drove up the mountain, trying to pay attention to the road while having a conversation with her daughter.

“How long are you going to be there?” Kara asked.

Emily smiled at the elation in her daughter’s tone. It helped ease some of the nerves that had been building in her stomach since this journey began months before.

“I booked the cabin for three months. But if my writing goes well, the owner said I could stay longer since it will be the slow season at the ranch by then. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to live on a ranch and get a feel for the real thing for my books.

Besides, the price was better than if I rented an apartment, so I’m saving money. ”

A shrill squeal came through the phone making Emily cringe and grin at the same time.

“I’m so hap—for you—om. You—ave talked about writing and—ving on a ran—as long as I can rem—ber.”

“Honey, you’re starting to cut out, and I’m just about there. I left the number you can reach me at on your voicemail. I’ll call in a few days. I love—”

A distinctive click sounded in her ear. Emily sighed and set down her phone. She hoped the reception was better on the ranch because she planned to talk to her daughters and editor several times a week.

She slowed, fascinated with the landscape. Emily craved feeling the air on her face and rolled down her window, not caring about the dust from the gravel road that floated and swirled around in her car.

There were so many different things to see, like the abundance of trees, the mountain, animals, and vegetation. She’d never seen any place as pretty as this.

She was glad she had decided to drive across the country instead of flying. She had always wanted to see more of the United States, but she’d never been able to do it.

Her ex-husband would never have done this. A vacation for him was going to the priciest hotels, eating the finest meals, maybe sitting around on a beach, being served everything, and sleeping in only the best beds made. He would have been even more pleased if there was gambling involved.

Emily still didn’t know how she could have gone years with a man that was beyond selfish and a major narcissist. He truly believed everyone was put on this earth for his enjoyment and care. He never gave a thought to anyone else’s feelings.

Although she was ashamed that she’d let her marriage go on so long, Emily was proud she’d kept the girls away from the majority of it. She had to admit it helped that Winston, her ex-husband and their father, had rarely been around.

Emily shook her head. She wasn’t going to think about the past. She was here to enjoy herself and write. She never had to deal with him ever again. Her daughters were adults with their own lives, so she didn’t have to keep protecting them from their father’s attitude

She looked around and took in a deep breath. This was her kind of vacation. Being outdoors. Being in the country with nature surrounding her. It would be perfect when she was surrounded by horses.

Horses had always had a special place in her heart since she was very young. They’d been the things that had grounded her when she most needed something to love. She was beyond excited to be able to live so close to the magnificent animals for three months or longer.

Horses had gotten Emily through her childhood and had been the only thing her parents had allowed her to pursue outside of her schooling, which still shocked her to this day.

She came from two parents who were accomplished in their fields of medicine.

Their ideal world was dedicating themselves to medicine and making it their whole lives. A child was never in their plans.

It still amazed her that they found time for each other to have the sex needed to have a baby because she rarely saw them together and had never seen them touch.

Any kind of affection for her was also nonexistent. In fact, they tended to forget about her altogether. She couldn’t count how many times one or both of her parents would look at her slightly surprised like they had forgotten she even existed.

The best times of her childhood were when she visited her aunt Poppy, her mother’s sister, and Uncle Tom for one amazing month every summer.

Poppy was the opposite of her mother in about everything.

She was loving and kind and always happy.

Her mother was cold, harsh, and rarely smiled.

Emily couldn’t ever remember hearing her laugh.

She could never understand how two people so different could come from the same parents and be raised the same way.

When she was a child, her parents lived in a large house in the fancy suburbs of Houston, one of the largest cities in the United States.

Both were highly respected doctors in their respective fields.

Poppy worked and lived on a small farm with her husband, Tom.

Sadly, they hadn’t ever been able to have children, so when she came to visit, they treated her like she was theirs.

Emily always pleaded to stay with them, to live with them, but her mother always made her come home, then would forget about her and ignore her again.

Emily suspected her mother hated that she would rather be with her sister than with her own mother, even though she really didn’t want her.

Emily couldn’t figure out what else it could have been because it hadn’t been love. Of that, she was certain.

Emily frowned, and her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she thought of the last time she’d seen her parents.

It was the day she graduated from college.

They hadn’t been there for her wedding and had never met their two granddaughters.

They had met Winston once at the graduation.

Emily hadn’t heard from them since, and she hadn’t tried to contact them either.

Her aunt Poppy and Uncle Tom had died a year apart when she had been married to Winston for several years.

Emily had gone to both funerals by herself and had grieved by herself.

It always broke her heart when she thought of her uncle living alone on the farm for ten months after his wife died.

He always sounded more despondent every time she talked to him.

She still wished she had been able to get him to come live with them, or had spent more time with him.

When the will was read, she wasn’t surprised that she had received everything as there were no other relatives beside Poppy’s sister and her husband. The farm, animals, and acres of land had all gone to her although she was only able to keep it a very short time.

To this day, she still resented Winston for making her sell it.

His argument was since she was raising two young children and taking care of him and the house, when would she have time to see the place.

Stupidly, she had given in, and to this day she regretted that decision.

Emily had driven by it a year after she and Winston had divorced.

It pleased her to see a young family had bought the place and took care of it as well as she would have.

Emily took a deep breath, pulled herself back from the dark memories, and looked around the countryside.

She couldn’t stop gawking. Her eyes roamed out the front window, then out the side windows, trying to take in everything at once.

The sky was such a vibrant blue it almost hurt her eyes.

The brilliant colors blended together so flawlessly.

The sky, the dazzling greens of the grasses and trees, and the wildflowers that grew in abundance were calming at the same time, so wild.

It thawed something in her heart she hadn’t realized was frozen.

She felt an overwhelming sense of peace take over her soul, and it made tears burn in her eyes as a brilliant smile spread across her face.

She chortled at herself when she realized she had been stopped in the middle of the road for some time.

She wiped the moisture from her eyes, laughing.

Emily looked into her rearview mirror, thankful no one had come upon her.

They would have thought she was crazy, but she didn’t care.

She’d never felt this overwhelming sense of peace, and it felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest at any moment.

Emily started forward but slowly, afraid she’d miss the turn she needed to take. She realized she still hadn’t come to the sign for the ranch. Green and brown fields of hay and pastures were all she had seen in the last ten minutes.

A shiver of doubt crept through her. She was in the middle of nowhere and hadn’t seen another person since the little town of Breakenridge she passed through half an hour ago. What if she’d read the directions wrong?

A light cramp of tension tightened the back of her neck and between her shoulders.

Emily realized it had been a long time since she’d stopped the car and let herself move around and get the blood rushing through her veins again.

The idea of a long run right then was so tempting, but she had to remind herself she was in the middle of nowhere and she didn’t think it was really safe. Until she knew, she had to hold off.

A sigh of frustration slipped from her lips, and her hands tightened on the steering wheel. She decided she would drive another twenty minutes, and if she hadn’t come upon anything, she’d head back to town and get further help.

Only another five minutes passed when she came upon the Knight Ranch sign.

The sign was large, made of black metal and held up by two stone pillars, and arched over the driveway.

It was beautiful. On the sides of the Knight name were carvings of three horses.

Two on one side of the name and one on the other.

Emily flexed her stiff fingers when her hands began to ache.

She hadn’t known she’d been gripping the steering wheel that tightly.

Her eyes roamed back and forth but kept a close eye on the driveway.

She could just see the top of a house and a few barns when she turned into the gravel driveway.

She estimated it was going to be close to another mile before she actually got to the part of the ranch she needed to reach.

When she reached the big house, she parked, turned off the car, and exhaled. She was finally here. She was both exhausted and exhilarated to finally be on a ranch, surrounded by horses. It was a dream come true.