The Rancher's Texas Match
A Rancher's MissionAs a volunteer at the Lone Star Cowboy League Boys Ranch, Tanner Barstow helps the troubled young residents turn their lives around. When a local rancher dies and leaves his large property to the boys ranch, Tanner finds himself spending a lot of time with Macy Swanson, whose orphaned nephew, Colby, lives at the ranch. Tanner's attracted to the newcomer, but she doesn't fit his plans. Macy longs to have Colby come home with her, but the former city girl worries she won't be the mother he deserves. Can Tanner help her see that the future she and Colby need is right here—with him?
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A Rancherâs Mission
As a volunteer at the Lone Star Cowboy League Boys Ranch, Tanner Barstow helps the troubled young residents turn their lives around. When a local rancher dies and leaves his large property to the boys ranch, Tanner finds himself spending a lot of time with Macy Swanson, whose orphaned nephew, Colby, lives at the ranch. Tannerâs attracted to the newcomer, but she doesnât fit his plans. Macy longs to have Colby come home with her, but the former city girl worries she wonât be the mother he deserves. Can Tanner help her see that the future she and Colby need is right hereâwith him?
Tears were streaming down Macyâs cheeks.
She wasnât his problem, Tanner reminded himself. But for the life of him, he couldnât walk away from her.
âI want to fix this all for Colby and I canât,â she said. âHeâs only seven. I have to find a way to help him get past his grief and his anger.â She covered her face with her hands. âIâm mad because I donât know what to do for Colby.â Her eyes closed and she shook her head.
âMacy?â he asked gently. He needed to let her continue, to talk it out.
âThere are days I wonder if Colby would be better off with someone else, with anyone but me. But Iâm his family. We have each other.â
âYes,â he said, âand in the end, that matters.â
âBut what if Iâm not a mom? What if I canât do this?â She looked young standing there next to him, her green eyes troubled.
He had to say just the right thing.
* * *
Lone Star Cowboy League: Boys Ranch
Bighearted ranchers in small-town Texas
The Rancherâs Texas Match by Brenda Minton,
October 2016
The Rangerâs Texas Proposal by Jessica Keller,
November 2016
The Nannyâs Texas Christmas by Lee Tobin McClain,
December 2016
The Cowboyâs Texas Family by Margaret Daley,
January 2017
The Doctorâs Texas Baby by Deb Kastner,
February 2017
The Rancherâs Texas Twins by Allie Pleiter,
March 2017
BRENDA MINTON lives in the Ozarks with her husband, children, cats, dogs and strays. She is a pastorâs wife, Sunday school teacher, coffee addict and sleep deprived. Not in that order. Her dream to be an author for Harlequin started somewhere in the pages of a romance novel about a young American woman stranded in a Spanish castle. Her dreams came true, and twenty-plus books later, she is an author hoping to inspire young girls to dream.
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to allow the world to corrupt you.
âJames 1:27
Dedicated to the workers who tirelessly serve, helping children and families in need.
Special thanks and acknowledgment to Brenda Minton for her contribution to the Lone Star Cowboy League: Boys Ranch miniseries.
Contents
The Silver Star ranch was one of the prettiest, most peaceful places Macy Swanson had ever experienced, from the stately oaks that lined the fenced drive, to the white-sided, two-story home. Behind the home was a red barn. In the background were the three cabins that made up the Lone Star Cowboy League Boys Ranch.
The Silver Star, on first glance, looked as if it might be a family ranch. On second glance, a person noticed the boys. From ages six to seventeen they were the reason the ranch existed in its current state and the reason she had come there. Because one of those boys was hers. Her nephew, Colby.
As she parked under the shade of a twisted old oak tree, she caught the tears before they could fall. She took a deep breath, to let go of the pain, the grief. The guilt. It took more than one breath. It took several. It took a swipe of her finger under her eyes to brush away the evidence. Even now, at the first of October and almost a year since the accident that had taken her brother and sister-in-law, the grief still sneaked up on her.
She missed her brother, Grant. She missed Cynthia, his wife. They should have been here, raising their son. Instead she was the one trying to fill their shoes after the crash that ended their lives. She was the one trying to put the pieces back together for Colby, only seven and still angry and hurt that his parents werenât coming back.
The guilt sometimes outweighed the grief because she didnât know how to help her nephew. She had always wanted children. Now she doubted she knew how to be a mom. After all, she didnât seem able to fix this one hurting little boy.
Someone tapped on her car window. She jumped a little, moving her hand to the steering wheel and managing to smile up at the man looking in at her.
Tanner Barstow. Wonderful. The rancher and volunteer at the boys ranch stepped back from the door as she pushed it open. Heâd posed as Mr. January for the calendar the community put out as a fund-raiser for the ranch. The Cowboys of McLennan County calendar had been a hit, sheâd been told. She had a copy hanging in her kitchen. It had been there when she moved in last winter, after the accident.
