Marrying the Billboard Cowboy (Christmas in Redemption Ridge)

Chapter 2

2

T he day rolled out like countless others before it—full of hard work, small victories, and the steady pulse of Redemption Ridge.

Zeke Reynolds moved down the line of stalls, each step deliberate, the rhythm of his boots on the packed earth mingling with the contented chewing of the horses. The scent of hay was rich in his nostrils, mingling with the earthy musk of the animals he tended to with a reverence that came from years of stewardship.

A shadow passed across the stable floor as Zeke straightened up, his gaze following the familiar path worn into the ground by countless boots before his. Scratches and nicks on the wooden stalls told stories of past seasons, of storms weathered and calm days cherished. He respected each mark as a piece of history, a testament to the Reynolds’ commitment to tradition. Even if he didn’t want to be a rancher forever, he respected the ranch, the animals, and the legacy it held.

He reached for the feed bucket, the grains shifting and rustling as he scooped them out methodically. Each horse knew the routine—two scoops in the morning, one at dusk, fresh water always. Zeke’s father had drilled these protocols into him, the importance of consistency and order not just for the sake of efficiency, but for the wellbeing of their charges.

“Old ways have their place, don’t they?” Zeke ran a hand along the mare’s flank, feeling the warmth of her coat beneath his palm. The urge to innovate, to create dishes that tantalized the senses, itched within him like an unscratchable spot on his back. Yet here, amidst the comforting rhythms of ranch life, those desires often felt like a betrayal, an abandonment of the legacy he was meant to uphold.

“Maybe one day,” he muttered, allowing himself a fleeting vision of a bustling kitchen, aromas of garlic and rosemary in the air. But the clang of a metal gate swinging shut snapped him back to reality, back to duty and the path laid out before him.

With a final pat to the mare, Zeke set the empty feed bucket aside and checked the latch on the stall door. Redemption Ridge demanded his full attention, at least for now. But tucked away in the corner of his heart, the simmering passion for culinary arts stayed warm. Someday, he’d be out from under his father’s thumb. Perhaps, even carry his approval as he undertook something new.

The evening sun cast long shadows across the dusty yard, and the air was filled with the earthy scent of horse and leather. Across the ranch, the rhythmic sound of hooves against soil mixed with the distant lowing of cattle.

“Zeke!” Cassie’s voice cut through the sounds of the ranch, her silhouette approaching from the direction of the main house. His sister waved a thick stack of envelopes in her hand—a peculiar sight that furrowed Zeke’s brow.

“Whatcha got there?” he called out, crossing the yard to meet her.

“Mail,” she said, thrusting the bundle into his arms. “Lots of it.”

“Mail?” He turned the envelopes over in his hands, puzzled. They were all addressed to him—Ezekiel Reynolds—with handwriting ranging from elegant curls to hurried scrawls. “Why so much?”

“Guess you haven’t seen it yet.” There was a mischievous twinkle in Cassie’s eyes that Zeke didn’t trust. “Gideon put up a billboard.”

“A billboard?” Zeke’s confusion morphed into a growing sense of dread. Gideon had been on him about settling down, but surely, he wouldn’t—

“Yep, advertising for a bride for our dear brother Ezekiel,” Cassie confirmed with a grin.

“Advertising for a—” Zeke’s voice caught in his throat as his heart sank. Anger bubbled inside him like a pot left too long on the stove. “He did what?”

“He thought it was a hoot.” She shrugged, seemingly unfazed by his rising temper.

“I’m going to throw him off the cliff.” Zeke’s words came out clipped, sharp as the edge of a newly honed blade.

“Lighten up, Zeke. Maybe it’s God’s way of answering your prayers. I certainly never expected the way He answered mine.” Cassie nudged him playfully before turning back toward the house.

Zeke rolled his eyes at her comment. Just because she’d ended up in a whirlwind of a marriage to one of their ranch hands last year didn’t mean everyone got that kind of crazy happy ending.

“God’s way or Gideon’s foolishness?” Zeke muttered under his breath, glaring at the pile of potential heartaches in his hands. He loved his adventure-seeking prankster of a brother, but this had gone too far.

But something deep within whispered to breathe, to find a sliver of grace even in this madness. Gideon had just been trying to help, and he even knew exactly when his brother had gotten the idea.

Their discussion about Dad’s crazy inheritance rules had only happened two weeks ago. They both had other dreams to chase but felt tied to the ranch by their dad’s expectations. They’d agreed that getting married was the easy solution. When they got married, they would become one-third owner of Redemption Ranch. And as owner, he could choose to be the chef at Redemption Lodge, instead of being defaulted to Ranch Manager.

He spotted Gideon across the ranch and yelled his name. Gideon looked around, as though hoping he could escape. “Don’t even think about it,” Zeke hollered above the wind. There was no way he was letting his brother get away with this nonsense.

Gideon’s shoulders slumped, and he trudged toward him.

“You have something you want to tell me?” Zeke asked, holding up the mail in one hand.

Gideon grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “Would you believe me if I said I have no idea what you’re talking about?”

Zeke narrowed his eyes. Gideon raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, fine. It was me.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Zeke’s words quickly turned into a rant. “You had no right to interfere in my life.” He took a breath to continue yelling at his younger brother, but Gideon interrupted.

“It started as a joke, Z. But,” he shrugged, “it kind of spiraled on me.”

Zeke gave a humorless laugh, holding up the dozens of letters in his hand. “You don’t say,” he said sarcastically. “You’ve gone too far this time, Gid.”

Gideon winced. “I’m sorry. I just thought it would be a good laugh. I never expected,” he glanced at the letters, “all that. Or the news coverage.”

Zeke’s eyebrows lifted. “News coverage?”

Gideon’s eyes widened. “Oh, uh... yeah. It may have gotten a bit of attention. I actually had to chase a reporter from the ranch the other day.”

A sigh escaped him and he growled at his brother as he stretched out an arm, aiming to get a hand around Gideon’s shoulder.

Gideon flashed a smile and ducked out of reach. “Laugh it off, bro. You don’t smile enough.” Then, Gideon jogged away, his laughter rolling over the open field as he headed back to the barn.

“Get it taken down, Gideon!”

With another sigh, Zeke let go of the anger, releasing it like a hawk into the vast Colorado sky. Gideon was impulsive and almost never took things too seriously. But Zeke loved him all the same. And the billboard would come down in a few days. He’d make sure of it.

Curiosity at the letters got the best of him. The first envelope crinkled under his calloused fingers as he tore it open. Inside, a neatly typed letter unfolded, the words of a stranger seeking a life change. “You’re so handsome,” one proclaimed. He rolled his eyes. As though physical attraction were enough to build a life on.

“I can’t ride a horse, but I would definitely ride a cowboy!” The exclamation point had a heart at the bottom. He grimaced, disgusted by the cheap feeling it had given him.

A new wave of frustration at his brother flooded him with each letter. Most of them were easily dismissed, women looking for money or an easy life of luxury after googling his name. And he wasn’t foolish enough to go through that again. Too many were looking for a forever love, but he was no romantic. Some tried to convince him they loved horses, but it was obvious they’d never met one.

His fingers, calloused from ranch work, paused on a particular letter. It didn’t even have an envelope, just a single sheet of paper, taped shut. It held more weight in his hands than he anticipated.

“Ezekiel,” the letter began, typed and printed. “Life is a series of choices,” he read, “and today I’m making one that could change everything. I’m a Christian first, a dreamer second, and mostly, a woman who has known more struggles than triumphs. And made more mistakes than I can count.”

The honesty in those opening lines caught Zeke off guard. Here was no pretense of perfection, no grand promises of love at first sight—just the candid admission of vulnerability. He leaned back against the barn wall, the rough wood pressing into his broad shoulders, and read on.

The woman wrote of her resilience, of days spent searching for work with little to show for it but the resolve to keep trying. The hurt she felt when those she loved abandoned her, leaving her with nothing but a faith in the Lord.

She spoke vaguely of making huge mistakes but having no regrets with a tenderness that seeped through the ink. Unlike many of the other letters, there were no photos attached, but Zeke found he didn’t need them.

Her words painted a portrait of strength worn down by circumstance yet not defeated.

It was signed “Hopefully, Kaitlyn.”

He imagined Kaitlyn’s eyes held a thousand untold stories, moving through the world with quiet determination. Her hint of sass, evident even in the polite phrasing of the letter, suggested a spirit that refused to give up, no matter what life threw her way.

A soft sigh escaped him. She seemed so different from the others, women who spoke of fairytale endings and romantic escapades.

“Maybe it’s time to take a risk,” he considered, the protective hero within him stirring at the thought of offering shelter to someone as battle-scarred as himself.

With a deep breath, he reached for his phone. She hadn’t given a return address, just an email address. So he typed it in, the blank page suddenly daunting. What could he offer Kaitlyn McCallum, this woman who had already weathered so many storms?

“Dear Kaitlyn,” he typed carefully, his deliberate nature guiding every tap of the tiny keyboard. “Your letter stood out to me amidst many. Your strength, your candidness, and your will to move forward resonate with me more than you can imagine...”

Zeke sent the email before doubt could reclaim him.