Marrying the Billboard Cowboy (Christmas in Redemption Ridge)

Chapter 7

7

Z eke led Kaitlyn and Stetson along the winding road that circled the heart of Redemption Ridge Ranch. The sun was blazing high in the sky, illuminating the vast expanse of land that housed Redemption Ridge Ranch and Resort.

“Over there.” Zeke pointed to a large wooden and stone building to the left of the front drive. “That’s Redemption Ridge Resort. We host guests year-round. City folks looking to get a taste of ranch life.” He watched Kaitlyn’s dark eyes absorb the sight.

“It’s huge,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around herself, a subtle shiver betraying her despite the warmth of the fading day.

“More so than you’d think,” Zeke agreed with a nod. “And down that road” –he gestured to a fork ahead— “you’ll find the main house. That’s where I grew up and where my parents live.”

He kept driving, circling the stables and main corral in the middle of the loop, pointing out the turns for the wrangler cabins, chapel, spa, and event barn. He parked his truck in front of the stables. From here, they could look south and see the cows lounging in the southern pasture.

“Your home is beautiful,” Kaitlyn said, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to break the tranquility surrounding them.

Beside her, Stetson clung like a shadow, his hand gripping hers tightly. The boy’s curious gaze followed every movement, but he stayed silent, his presence a quiet testament to his wariness of the new surroundings.

Despite having only known about the boy for an hour, he wanted Stetson to feel comfortable and welcome.

“Stetson,” Zeke said, crouching down to meet the boy’s eye level, “what’s your favorite animal?”

Stetson’s grip on his mother’s hand loosened just a fraction, and he glanced from Zeke to the animals and back again before answering hesitantly, “I always wanted a cat.” He sucked in a breath. “But I can like horses instead. If you want me to.”

Zeke’s heart cracked a little bit at the young boy’s eagerness to please.

“It’s okay if you don’t,” he replied casually. “We’ve got a couple of barn cats running around. If you haven’t been around horses, they can seem really big. But I used to spend hours out here with the horses when I was a kid, just a bit older than you. They can be great friends if you treat them right.”

“Really?” Stetson’s dark eyes brightened with interest, and the tight line of his shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Absolutely,” Zeke affirmed. “They’ve got personalities of their own. Just like people.” He stood up and nodded at Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn caught Zeke’s gaze, a flicker of gratitude shining through her tired eyes. He’d never heard the words thank you so much. Nothing he’d done so far was extraordinary. But even basic kindness seemed to leave her overwhelmed. The resilience she clung to seemed to allow for precious few moments of softness, especially when it came to Stetson.

“Did you have a favorite horse, Mr. Zeke?” Stetson asked, his curiosity overcoming his shyness.

“Mr. Zeke” echoed oddly in Zeke’s ears, too formal for his taste, but he let it slide for now, considering the boy’s tentative steps toward trust. “Let me introduce you to Inky. He’s lived here almost as long as me.”

The trio moved slowly along the path, the crunch of gravel underfoot. The barn doors creaked on their hinges as Zeke pushed them open, revealing the dusky interior where several horses shifted and neighed softly. Stetson’s grip on Kaitlyn’s hand tightened, his little chest rising and falling with quick breaths. Zeke watched the boy’s dark eyes grow round with a mix of wonder and apprehension.

“See there? That’s Thunder,” Zeke said, pointing to a chestnut stallion with a blaze running down its nose. “And beside him is Honeysuckle, the sweetest mare you’ll ever meet.”

Stetson’s curiosity battled his nerves, his feet rooted to the spot, even as he craned his neck for a better look. Zeke lowered himself to one knee, his own childhood memories of awe at these majestic creatures rushing back. He remembered the gentle guidance of his father, the same patience he now offered to this small boy before him.

“Hey, Stet,” Zeke began, his voice soft but firm, “horses can sense when we’re scared, but they’re good-hearted animals. They want to be friends if we let ‘em.”

“Really?” Stetson’s voice was a whisper, his gaze fixed on the gentle swaying tails and flicking ears.

“Really.” Zeke smiled, extending his hand toward Stetson. “How about we say hello? I’ll be right here with you.”

Stetson hesitated, then placed his tiny hand in Zeke’s larger, calloused one. Together, they took slow, measured steps toward Honeysuckle. The horse lifted its head, nostrils flaring gently as it assessed the new visitors.

“Go on, give her a pat. Just like this.” Zeke demonstrated, moving his hand along the horse’s nose, fingers trailing over velvety skin. “Nice and gentle.”

With trembling fingers, Stetson reached out, his touch tentative at first. Then, feeling the warmth of the horse’s breath and the softness of its muzzle, his fear melted into a smile that lit up his young face. The horse nuzzled his palm, accepting the tentative gesture of friendship.

“Good job, Stet. See? You’re a natural,” Zeke encouraged, pride swelling in his chest at the boy’s bravery.

“Momma, she’s soft!” Stetson turned back to Kaitlyn, excitement replacing his initial trepidation.

She met Zeke’s gaze across the barn. He responded with a nod. I’ve got you, he wanted to say.

Zeke cleared his throat. “Inky is down here,” he said, giving Honeysuckle one last pat and leading them down the aisle.

Inky was an old Appaloosa. When Zeke was a teenager, Inky had been his closest friend. The one he confessed all his boyhood crushes to and complained to about his annoying younger brother. While Inky was too old for ranch work these days, he still sometimes saddled up for Pony Patrol, the riding lessons for younger elementary kids.

Stetson would love it.

Zeke pulled a couple peppermints from a bag in the cabinet and let Stetson give them to Inky. The boy giggled when the horse mouthed them from his palm.

He kept his focus on Stetson. It was easier than thinking about the beautiful woman that had shown up with a kid in tow. Zeke wanted to be angry about the surprise, but at the same time, he could understand. She couldn’t have known whether he would have said yes, knowing about Stetson.

But now that they were here? Both of them? There was no way he could have turned them away.

After Stetson had met all of the horses, Zeke led Kaitlyn and Stetson away from the barn. He guided them toward a white picket fence encircling a small pen where chickens scratched at the earth, goats bleated a welcome, and pigs snorted in the mud. It wasn’t a petting zoo, necessarily, but the guests at the resort loved to pet and feed the smaller animals as well.

“Look, Stet,” Kaitlyn said, her voice soft with encouragement. “They have goats just like the fair.”

Stetson’s gaze followed his mother’s pointing finger, locking onto the bustling activity within the pen. He squealed with delight, pressing his face against the fence, fingers curling around the wooden planks. The chickens clucked and pecked, oblivious to the little boy’s fascination.

“Goats are funny creatures,” Zeke commented, chuckling as one head-butted another in a playful skirmish. “They’ll eat just about anything.”

“Even tin cans?” Stetson’s dark eyes sparkled with curiosity as he turned to Zeke, repeating tales he’d surely heard before.

“Maybe not cans, but they sure have a go at everything else.” Zeke reached out, scratching behind the ear of a particularly friendly goat that had ambled over.

“Come on, let’s show Stetson the pigs,” Zeke beckoned them along, leading the way to where the pigs lounged in their pen, snuffling contentedly.

“Momma, they’re so big!” Stetson exclaimed, and Kaitlyn couldn’t help but laugh at his wide-eyed wonder.

“Big and muddy,” she agreed, kneeling beside him to watch the pigs wallow.

As the shadows lengthened and the air grew cooler, Zeke glanced at the pair. “You two must be getting hungry.”

“Oh, no. Lunch was plenty.”

But Zeke fixed her with a look that brooked no argument. “No arguing now. Let’s get something to eat.”

Without waiting for a response, he led them back to his truck and then to his cabin, a small structure tucked near the edge of a grove of aspens. Wrangler Row housed a handful of single-bedroom homes for the ranch hands. While Zeke could have stayed at the main house with his parents, he liked the independence of his own space.

“Take a seat at the counter. I’ll whip up something quick,” Zeke said, already rolling up the sleeves of his plaid shirt as he moved to the stove.

Kaitlyn settled Stetson onto a barstool, helping him swing his little legs up. She took the seat next to him, watching as Zeke moved about the kitchen with ease. The sizzle of food hitting the pan filled the room.

“Thank you, Zeke,” she said quietly, her words carrying a weight of gratitude that went beyond a simple meal.

“Happy to do it,” Zeke replied without turning, focused on the task at hand. But even he couldn’t hide the small smile that tugged at his lips. In the warmth of the cabin’s kitchen, with the aroma of dinner on the stove and the company of two people who were slowly breaking down the walls he’d built, Zeke felt an unfamiliar sense of contentment settle over him.

He glanced over at Kaitlyn, who perched on a barstool, her son beside her, their heads bowed together in whispered conversation.

“Momma, are we going to see the horses again tomorrow?” Stetson’s voice, bright and hopeful, broke through the rhythmic sounds of dinner preparation.

Kaitlyn’s face softened, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she nodded. “If you’d like, sweetheart. I think our life here will be a lot different than in the city.”

Each word lifted the shadows from her face, revealing glimpses of the woman who might have been before life took its toll. He caught himself imagining waking up to that radiant smile every day, sharing in the laughter of her and Stetson. But he snapped the lid on those thoughts as quickly as they formed, reminding himself that Kaitlyn was here for stability, not for him.

“Soup’s on,” Zeke announced, ladling generous portions into bowls. He set them down in front of Kaitlyn and Stetson, along with a basket of crusty bread. Steam rose in gentle curls, carrying the fragrance of thyme and roasted chicken across the counter.

“Wow, this looks amazing.” Kaitlyn’s dark eyes sparkled under the cabin’s soft lighting, her appreciation genuine. She lifted a spoonful to her lips, blowing gently before tasting. Her shoulders relaxed with her first sip, the tension of countless hard days easing just a fraction.

His chest swelled with pride that he’d been able to lift that weight from her shoulders. Not only by marrying her, although he was still going to do that. No, he found he really liked feeding her. He liked feeding most people, but usually it didn’t give him this soul-deep satisfaction.

“Thank you, Zeke,” she murmured after a moment.

Man, he was getting sick of hearing that.

“Of course.” Zeke’s response was casual, but inside, her gratitude resonated deeper than it should. He remained standing on the other side of the bar, watching over them. The protector in him found solace in providing, even if only through a simple meal shared at his kitchen counter.

Stetson slurped his soup, his earlier apprehension forgotten in the novelty of the moment. His gaze kept darting toward Zeke.

“Is it good?” Zeke asked him, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Uh-huh!” Stetson nodded enthusiastically, soup dribbling down his chin.

“Slow down, cowboy,” Zeke chuckled, pushing a napkin toward the boy. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”

Kaitlyn’s laugh joined his, light and airy, and for that fleeting moment, Zeke allowed himself to savor the semblance of family gathered around his kitchen counter.

“Never figured you for a cook,” she remarked.

“Learned from my mom. Then every online class I could find,” Zeke replied, wondering how much he could admit. “Cooking’s about the only thing that can make me forget the worries of the day.”

“Must be nice…” Kaitlyn mused aloud. “I think I’d give anything to forget my worries for a bit.”

“I hope you will,” Zeke said, his heart aching for the struggles this woman had gone through.

“Maybe you can teach me sometime,” she whispered.

“Would be my pleasure,” Zeke said, joy filling him at the prospect of sharing this part of his life with someone.

Zeke watched Kaitlyn’s hands move deftly to stack the bowls, her fingers lingering on the edges as if to ensure their stability. She was always ensuring stability, he mused, for herself and her son.

Like he did most nights, Zeke quickly built a small fire in the cabin fireplace. The cabin was well-built, but the Colorado winters could hold a bitter chill.

Stetson tried to stifle a yawn but failed, his small body succumbing to the warmth of the cabin and the fullness of his belly.

“Bedtime, I reckon,” Zeke said.

“Already?”

“Let me show you where you’ll be sleeping.” Zeke led them to the bedroom, the only one in the cabin. It was simple, a testament to necessity over luxury, but it was his. Well, theirs.

“I’m sorry there’s just the one room,” he apologized, his gaze meeting Kaitlyn’s. “I wasn’t exactly prepared for—”

Kaitlyn cut him off with a look, her dark eyes harboring shadows of guilt. “It’s more than enough, Zeke. Thank you.” Her voice was soft, almost lost in the quiet of the room.

“We’ll be comfortable here,” she added, brushing a hand through her son’s hair. The boy nodded, already eyeing the bed with sleepy interest. “It certainly beats the cots at the shelter,” she added quietly, almost as though she hadn’t intended to say them.

Zeke cleared his throat, feeling the weight of her words. “I’ll sleep at the main house tonight.”

“Oh, we can sleep on the couch,” she said. “I don’t want to impose.”

Zeke pressed a finger to her lips to hush her. They were full and soft beneath his rough skin. He tore his gaze up to meet her wide eyes. “I insist.”

She nodded wordlessly, and he pulled his hand away.

“Come on, Stet. Let’s get you ready for bed.” She ushered him toward the bathroom, her movements protective and tender.

Zeke stepped back into the living area, his hands absentmindedly gathering his coat, hat, and the keys to the ATV. He paused at the door, glancing back toward the hallway. Kaitlyn’s silhouette was visible through the gap of the partially closed door, her frame bent slightly as she helped Stetson change into pajamas.

“Zeke?” Her voice called out, halting him mid-stride.

“Yeah?”

“Do you have a night-light?”

“Of course,” Zeke replied, though he didn’t have any idea where he would find one. But if Stetson and Kaitlyn needed a night-light, he’d track one down. Whatever it took to make them feel safe. “I’ll be right back.”