Once a Rancher by Linda Lael Miller Page A

but considering how impulsive she was, she might’ve had it cut short or dyed it green in the interim. She had mischievous hazel eyes and an infectious laugh; it had been that laugh that had caught his attention in the first place, when they’d met at a party a little over a decade ago, the beginning of a six-month affair. A talented graphic artist, Raine also designed websites and had recently done a stunning one for the winery.
    His thoughts shifted, once again, to Daisy. From the very beginning, she’d been a member of the Carson clan; they’d instantly embraced her. In fact, they completely spoiled her. There’d been the pony from Uncle Drake, the custom dollhouse from Uncle Mace, the fit-for-a-princess bedroom their mother had designed for the little girl’s frequent visits to the ranch. Slater had finally had to ask them, politely of course, to stop one-upping him all the time.
    Yeah, that had worked. The Christmas he’d given Daisy a bicycle, she’d received two more—one from each of her uncles.
    But these were small glitches to Slater. Early on, he’d been afraid Raine might decide to leave town, move somewhere far from Mustang Creek to pursue big-city work opportunities, taking Daisy with her. But that fear had been put to rest when he and Raine had signed a joint custody agreement.
    He’d bought her a house in town, and she’d established herself as a valued member of the community.
    Raine had also been the one to suggest that Daisy take the Carson name.
    Slater stepped onto the side porch, really more of a veranda, and saw that his mother was waiting, chatting with one of the hands, who held the reins to two saddled horses. The older man’s eyes lit up in his weathered face, and when Slater got close enough, he received a hearty slap on the back as welcome. If he hadn’t been expecting it, he might have staggered under the blow.
    â€œSlate, good to see you, son.” Red—named after the river—was a true tough-as-nails cowboy, the old-fashioned variety. He was like a human barometer, and Slater didn’t check the forecasts when he was home; he just asked Red, who would squint at the sky and give him an accurate prediction every time. Slater could swear the man had worn the same hat for the past thirty years, but maybe he just liked the style and actually bought a new one now and then.
    â€œGood to be home,” he said, meaning it. “When I come back, I always wonder why I left to begin with.”
    â€œI wonder the same dang thing.” Red patted the neck of one of the horses, a restive bay. “This here is Heckfire,” he told Slater. “I know you miss old Walter, but Drake and I thought you might like this young fella.”
    The horse was a sleek beauty with a glossy coat, and he tossed his head against the rein. Slater sensed that it wasn’t so much rebellion as the fact that he wanted to get moving. All this yammering is boring. Let’s run.
    There was no question that Slater missed his gelding, a horse that had been a gift from his father. But his four-legged friend had been nearly thirty years old, and when Slater had said goodbye on his last visit, he’d known it was for the final time.
    He ran his hand down the length of the horse’s muscled neck and was rewarded with a nicker and an investigative sniff as Red handed over the reins. “He’s a showstopper. But... Heckfire?”
    â€œWe call him Heck. The name comes from Drake. Even as a colt, this critter was causing trouble, and we hadn’t named him yet and your brother said, ‘Heck, he’s full of fire.’” Red paused, cleared his throat then glanced at Blythe and blushed. “Well, he didn’t exactly say ‘heck,’” he clarified. “Anyhow, we, uh, adapted the name, and it stuck.”
    Blythe rolled her eyes but said nothing. Red was an institution on the ranch; he’d worked for the family