Learnin' The Ropes (41 page)

Grass Valley Cowboys Series

Meet the Thompson family of the Triple T Ranch in Grass Valley, Oregon. Three handsome brothers, their rowdy friends, and the women who fall for them are at the heart of this sweet contemporary western romance series.

The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan
(Book 1) — Cadence Greer’s plans for a happy-ever-after are quickly derailed when her fiancé runs off with his secretary a week before their wedding. Homeless, jobless, and jilted, she escapes to Grass Valley, Oregon, where she takes a job as a housekeeper and cook to seven cowboys on a sprawling ranch.

The Cowboy’s Spring Romance
(Book 2) — Trent Thompson has carried a torch for the new schoolteacher since she moved to Grass Valley more than three years ago. Instead of asking her out, he’s dated every single female in a thirty-mile radius, giving her the impression he’s not interested in her at all.

The Cowboy’s Summer Love
(Book 3) — Always the wild-child, Travis Thompson doesn’t disappoint as he rolls from one adventure to another in his quest to keep his adrenaline pumping. He needs a release for the tension constantly building inside him, especially after he discovers the girl he’s loved his entire life just moved back to Grass Valley.

The Cowboy’s Autumn Fall
(Book 4) — Brice Morgan thought love at first sight was some ridiculous notion of schoolgirls and old ladies who read too many romance novels. At least he does until he meets Bailey Bishop at a friend’s wedding and falls hard and fast for the intriguing woman.

The Cowboy’s New Heart
(Book 5) —
Years after her husband died unexpectedly, Denni Thompson can’t bear to think of giving her heart to anyone else. With three newly married sons, a grandchild on the way, and a busy life, Denni doesn’t give a thought to romance until she meets the handsome new owner of Grass Valley’s gas station.

The Cowboy’s Last Goodbye
(Book 6) —
With his siblings and friends all entangled in the state of matrimony, Ben Morgan is more determined than ever to remain blissfully single. Despite his vehement refusal to commit to a relationship, he can’t help but envision a future with the sweet, charming woman who unknowingly captures his heart.

Turn the page for an excerpt from
The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan
…

The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan

The method of the enterprising

is to plan with audacity

 and execute with vigor.

Christian Nestell Bovee

Timothy Andrew Thompson III, known from the day he was born as Trey, removed his dirty Stetson and wiped the sweat from his brow. After running a hand through his sun-streaked hair, he settled the hat back in place and glanced at his brother.

“Do you remember it ever being this warm in September?” he asked Trent as he leaned over his horse’s bent leg, hammering on another horseshoe.

Methodically removing the last nail from his mouth and tapping it into place, Trent squinted through the bright afternoon sunlight at his older brother. “Nope, but I reckon it won’t last much longer. Supposed to drop off cold in a few weeks.”

“I’m ready for some cooler weather,” Trey commented as he and Trent put away the farrier tools and cleaned up the mess left behind from trimming and shoeing horses.

“Sure you are.” A teasing gleam shone in Trent’s blue eyes. “As soon as it freezes, you’ll do nothing but complain about how cold it is until the spring thaw sets in. You’ve got to learn to live in the moment and enjoy it, bro.”

Trey grinned at his brother. “And when did you go and get all philosophical? Have you been hanging out at the school again trying to get a date with Miss Lindsay? You’ve really got to stop mooning over that girl.”

Trent turned a narrowed gaze to Trey. “I don’t hang out at the school and I certainly don’t moon over any female.” Trent rubbed the nose of his horse. “Except maybe this one. Lass is worth her weight in gold, aren’t you, girl?”

The horse answered by bobbing her head and rubbing it against Trent’s chest.

Trey laughed and tossed a rag at Trent. “You’re pathetic.”

“Look who’s talking. When was the last time you had a date?” Trent questioned as he turned the horse loose in the pasture. “And escorting Mom and her cronies around does not count.”

Trey refused to let Trent’s comments get to him and changed the subject as they walked toward the house.

“Let’s get cleaned up and head in to Viv’s for dinner. I can’t stomach any more of your cooking or mine.” Trey held open the back door for Trent to walk in ahead of him. Inside the mudroom, they removed their dusty boots, hung their hats on pegs, and brushed at their dirty jeans.

Realizing what they were doing, they looked at each other and grinned.

“Guess we’ll never forget to remove our boots before going inside after Mom and Lois drummed that lesson through our thick skulls,” Trey said as they walked through the mudroom into the kitchen. After washing up at the sink, Trey pulled two cans of Dr. Pepper out of the refrigerator and slid one over to Trent. Wiping the beads of condensation running down the can onto his jean-clad leg, Trey popped the top and took a sip.

“Why did Lois have to go and retire on us?” Trent asked, taking a deep drink of the soda pop. “It was bad enough when Mom up and moved to The Dalles, but to have Lois abandon us left us in dire straits.”

Trey leaned against the counter and chuckled. “I don’t think we’re exactly in dire straits, although we could definitely use another housekeeper and cook. But it isn’t like they grow on trees out here.”

Here
as in Grass Valley.

The middle of nowhere.

The sticks.

Last stop before the edge of the planet gave way to a black abyss.

However, Trey and his brothers preferred to call it God’s country.

The Thompson family settled in Grass Valley back in the late 1800s and had been there since. Located in central Oregon, the rolling hills of wheat and pastures filled with cattle were about as close to heaven on earth as Trey thought anyone could find. Especially on a day when blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see, interrupted by the occasional fluffy white cloud.

When his father passed away six years ago of a heart attack, Trey wasn’t sure how he and his brothers would keep the ranch going. He was only twenty-four at the time, Trent was twenty-one, and their brother Travis was just eighteen. But they “put their backs into it,” as their father taught them, and kept things rolling along just like Drew Thompson would have done.

Regardless, their mother, Denni, was heartbroken when Drew passed away and couldn’t stay on the ranch where they had lived and loved for nearly thirty years. She moved an hour away to The Dalles, went to work for one of her friends in a quilt and craft store, and started a new life.

The boys tried to visit her every other Sunday. Sometimes she drove out to meet them at the little country church in Grass Valley or came out to the ranch on the weekends when they couldn’t make it into The Dalles.

Trey often wondered if it hurt their mother to see them. All three brothers looked like their father — muscular and solidly built. Most people knew better than to mess with one of the Thompson boys.

Although Trey was the shortest at five-eleven, what he lacked in height, he more than made up for with broad shoulders, sculpted chest, and a commanding presence.

A few people had even referred to him as the best looking of the Thompsons.

With a square jaw, thick wavy hair the color of fresh honey, and a strong chin, he knew he had more than a few admirers among the female population. The fact that he inherited his grandmother’s striking aquamarine eyes didn’t hurt one bit either when he set out to charm the ladies.

Nonetheless, his charm had gotten him nowhere with Lois. He finally came right out and begged her not to leave. She had been a housekeeper and cook for the family for as long as Trey could remember.

When she became a grandmother in July, she decided she was ready to retire and moved to Boise to be close to her one and only daughter. At least she waited until after the wheat harvest to pack up and leave.

For the last month, Trey and Trent did the best they could at housekeeping and cooking. Their hired hands realized right away they could do better fending for themselves in the bunkhouse and had not been back to sample a meal at the main house since Trent set a pan of pre-made lasagna on fire.

It was past time to get serious about looking for a cook.

The ringing of the house phone brought Trey out of his musings. He crossed the kitchen and answered on the third ring.

“Thompson Ranch.”

 “Trey! How’s it going?” asked a familiar voice that sounded a million miles away.

“Great! How are you doing? Where are you at?” Trey was surprised to hear the voice of his youngest brother on the line. Travis was on his second tour of duty in Iraq and they hoped he would be home in time for Christmas.

“You know I can’t give you specifics, but I wanted to let you know I’m doing fine and I got the package you sent. Everything was appreciated.” Travis’ voice echoed across the line.

“You’re welcome.” A smile lifted the corners of Trey’s mouth. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

“Yep. The only way I could be better is if I was there to give you and Trent heck for letting Lois leave. Who’s going to feed me when I finally get home?”

Trey laughed. “We were just discussing that very thing when you called. I’m working on some ideas.”

“Work faster,” Travis joked. “I don’t want to come home and have to eat your cooking. That is a guaranteed death sentence. Now let me talk to Trent.”

Trey passed the phone to Trent and listened to the one-sided conversation.

They all were proud and scared when Travis came home and told them he had enlisted in the Army. The day he left stateside for Iraq, Trey wasn’t sure their mother would be able to handle her baby heading to a war zone. She surprised them all by calmly wishing Travis well, reminding him to wear clean underwear and call home when he could.

As Trent said goodbye, he passed the phone back to Trey.

“You be careful, Trav. We expect to have you home for Christmas.”

“I plan on being there, but you get busy finding a new cook. I’m not coming home if you two are doing the cooking.”

Trey laughed. “And just where do you get off being so bossy?”

“It’s all part of my job. Bye, Trey. Give Mom and Nana a hug for me.”

“Will do. You take care.”

Trey hung up the phone when he heard Travis disconnect. Turning to Trent, he gave him a thoughtful look.

“Well, you heard our little brother. We'd better find a new cook and housekeeper before he gets home. It’s time to get busy planning where we’re going to find one.”

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Occupied as they were by ranch work, the Thompson brothers hadn’t made a trip into town for dinner for a few weeks. They walked inside Viv’s Café during the dinner rush hour. It took them a few minutes to wander to an empty booth, stopping to chat with neighbors and catch up on the local news.

They hung their cowboy hats on the hooks at the end of the booth, took a seat, then picked up the laminated menus that were kept in a wire holder between the ketchup and mustard bottles on the surprisingly shiny table. Viv didn’t usually worry about keeping a high shine on anything. She figured if it was sanitized, it was good enough.

“What do you think?” Trey surveyed the menu that hadn’t changed since Viv took over the café fifteen years earlier. “Chicken fried steak or meatloaf?”

“Hmm. Good question.” Trent’s stomach growled as he thought about eating a decent meal.

The sound of ice and water glasses hitting the floor drew their attention to the table across from them.

A flustered woman bent to pick up the tray of water glasses she had dropped. Dark brown hair was styled in a severe bun and her face was a bright shade of red.

“I’m so terribly sorry,” she said in a quiet voice to the family seated at the table. “Please accept my apologies.” She hustled around the table with the tray of glasses firmly in hand only to slip on a chunk of ice and slide right into Trey.

The one glass that hadn’t yet spilled tipped over and ran down his front, soaking his shirt and jeans.

Aware of her humiliation, Trey reached out an arm to steady her. A flash of fire shot through his fingers and up his arm. Swiftly jerking his hand away, he started at the woman as she drew in a startled gasp.

“I beg your pardon, sir. I’m so sorry.” She took a step back, horrified by what she’d done.