Of The Cowboy's Own Accord (Double Dutch Ranch; Love At First Sight #3) Read online

  Of the Cowboy’s Own Accord

  Double Dutch Ranch Series:

  Love at First Sight #3

  Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  http://www.maryjdresselbooks.com

  COPYRIGHT: Of the Cowboy’s Own Accord is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidences either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  DISCLAIMER: The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms or accidents that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

  Of the Cowboy’s Own Accord

  Copyright © 2015 by Mary J. Dressel

  First Digital Edition 2015 United States of America

  Publisher: Teel Blue Books

  Edited By: Creative Manuscripts

  Cover Design By: Dawné Dominique

  Ebook Formatting:

  LK E-Book Formatting Services

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, scanned, distributed, stored in, or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, either now known or in the future, is forbidden without the express written permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

  Books by This Author

  Double Dutch Ranch Series:

  Love at First Sight

  Cowboy Boss and his Destiny

  Tristan’s Destiny - Bonus Book #1.5

  Heartbreak’s Reward

  Of the Cowboy’s Own Accord

  Bull Rider Series

  Howdy, Ma’am, #1

  Hey, Cowboy, #2

  06-2015:1

  Dedication

  ~For Ron

  A special place in my heart is reserved just for you.

  Shortened Blurb

  Army Ranger Dane Carlson never means to fall in love before leaving for another tour of duty, but, unexpectedly, he does. While deployed, he finds himself being sent home early to the family ranch to make a heartrending decision. Little does he know he isn’t the only one making decisions. Once home, his first priority is to rekindle the flame after losing communication with Gracelyn Clark. The woman who owns his heart and has since the moment their gaze connects. But now, nothing is the same as when they met.

  Challenges abound even as Dane and Gracelyn come to terms with the decisions they’ve made. Whatever tomorrow brings, their only choice is acceptance—to take one day at a time and face life as it comes.

  Chapter 1

  Today, Judy Carlson tried to be strong for her family’s sake, yet her vow not to cry betrayed her. Dane, her youngest, prepared for his fourth extended tour of duty. He’d be gone in a matter of hours. She folded her arms across her chest while standing at the window in her bedroom—the majestic Superstition Mountain looking back at her. Dane headed to the barn after his ride through the desert. As soon as he untacked the horse, he would barge through the back door. Judy listened. Waited. A few moments later the back door slammed as she expected.

  Tapping on the bedroom door drew her attention. She inhaled a big breath and blew it out. “Just a minute,” she said, grabbing a tissue to dab at the wetness on her cheeks and tossed it into the wicker trash basket beside her desk.

  “Mom? Can I come in?”

  Dane. She summoned up the strength to hold it together. “Come in.”

  When he entered, he closed the door behind him. She forced a smile and walked around her queen-sized sleigh bed toward him.

  He stuffed his hands into his front pockets and took a minute before making eye contact. “Can we talk?”

  “Definitely.” Their eyes met, and for a moment she saw that blond-headed, blue-eyed boy asking for a cookie. She held her arms out and they hugged.

  He patted her back while she patted his. “It’ll be okay, Mom. I hate leaving you guys to worry. You know I’ll be home before you realize it.” His voice came out with an unfamiliar cracking.

  No, she didn’t. Every day was like a hundred piled into one while he was in combat. “I understand.” She lied. “Have you changed your mind about us coming to the base for the deployment send-off?” Send off? Like hell. Sending him off and not knowing if he’d return? It tore at her heart each time. “We can get plane tickets.” Judy wrinkled her nose at the familiar barn smells of hay and horses, on her son.

  Dane stood straight, taking a minute before speaking. He nonchalantly brushed his hair back. “No, not this time.” He took a seat on her bed like he’d done as a teenager who needed answers to some big problem, like what shirt to wear on his first date. His eyes lowered. “It’s not only hard on all of you.”

  It had to be hard for him to admit. “I understand.” Judy slipped her arm around his waist when she sat beside him, and leaned her head against his broad shoulder. “Why did you have to sign up again?” Oh, Lord, she shouldn’t be making it more difficult, because the choice wasn’t always his.

  Dane sat sideways to face her. With seriousness in his eyes and a tilt to his head, he calmly said, “You know why—this is my job.”

  Judy nodded. She knew why all right. Because he had to Ranger up. Well, she’d rather he did giddy-yup out in the Sonoran Desert instead of some desert thousands of miles away. She peered out the window to watch for a moment as the horses galloped in the pasture. An image of peacefulness. “Because this is what you do.”

  “Yes. And once I get on that plane today, I’ll soldier up…get with the program. Not many on this earth are as well-trained as us.” Bending his arm to flex his bicep, he laughed. “We take care of one another. I’ll be all right over there.”

  What could she say? That she prayed continually? He was right about his training. She stood, for it wasn’t any easier to sit here beside him. “Have you given up your residence in Georgia, or will someone need to look in on it?”

  “I let it go this time like I usually do on a long deployment. I’ve already taken care of it. When I get back, I’ll find something new.”

  “All right.” She had to share him with the family who were all equally upset about him going off again. “My dear, lunch has been kept warm long enough.” Judy fiddled with the hem on her lightweight sweater. “I needed a minute. Thanks for helping the kids take the Christmas decorations down earlier.”

  “Sure. You didn’t have to fix such a big meal today. Thanks for the birthday cake yesterday.”

  When he returned her smile, she again envisioned him as a youngster. “Now, you know it makes me happy to cook—a good thing to keep my nervousness at bay.” She patted his chest. Strong and muscular was her son. Smart, too. So smart that he recently got promoted to Master Sergeant. He’d been happy to climb the ladder now, as a principal NCO, and had passed up a chance to enter a military academy to become an officer. Instead, he’d rather jump right into his Army career—get the job done, as he’d say.

  Judy headed for the door. “I made cookies for you to take back. You know, if you need a snack on the plane.”

  “Tell my brothers not to eat them all before we get to the airport,” he teased. Before going out, he spoke with a gentle tone. “I love you, Mom. Try not to worry too much.”

  “Honey, I do wish you had the love-of-your-life here to encourage, love you. Someone to hold you dear in their heart while you’re gone.”

  “I have all you guys here to do that. Besides, that
isn’t fair.” He shook his head. “One day in the distant future I’ll have a family—make y’all happy.”

  “Well, it’ll happen when you least expect it. You’ll meet someone, and maybe she’ll make you reconsider going off to war.”

  “You think a babe can keep me home, huh?” he jibed with a grin. “I like serving my country…it’s what I’m about.” He held the door and walked out, giving her arm a nudge. “Maybe I plan on staying a mama’s boy. Bet you’d like that.”

  “My dear son. A mama’s boy is the last thing you’ve ever been.” His father all over again. The rebel son.

  A subtle grin on his face, he winked at her. “Got that right. Don’t ever forget it, Ma.”

  He got her that time. She sighed and clutched his arm tighter as they entered the great room where the rest of the family lingered. This was hard on them too, for Jase and Tristan wanted Dane to stay home and run the ranch with them. Yet, Dane was happy to be part of an elite team, and to live his life as an Army Ranger—to be a soldier doing what he loved. Protecting. Defending. He had his own will and proved it all the time. Nothing they did could change that.

  ***

  Hours later, she watched him move around the room. He stopped at the mantle over the fireplace to check out all the family pictures one more time. Judy pretended not to notice him linger a little longer at a picture of his dad. Dane turned and scanned the room as if embedding it into his memory.

  Jase grabbed his keys and she glanced at him. “You boys stay out of your brother’s cookies on the way to the airport. I have plenty here at home for y’all.”

  “Ma,” said Jase as he shoved Dane’s arm. “You know us better than that. We won’t eat your little boy’s cookies.” Everyone, even Dane, laughed at that one.

  Jase, her first born, made light of the situation, but Judy sensed his sad demeanor underneath his strong physical frame.

  Tristan had to get in his opinion. “We know he’s your baby, and I also know you sneak your special iced tea over to Jase.” He picked up his child. “Where does that leave me?”

  It was like her middle son. “Now, Tristan, don’t be teasing like that. Y’all are loved the same, for your own unique differences. Lord knows, you have your own ways about things. Still, stay out of your brother’s cookies.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Tristan said as he gave his child a hug.

  Dane said farewell to each of his nieces and nephew, making them promise to write. He went to Tristan and leaned down to kiss the child in his arms. Turning to Nora and Brenna next, he hugged them at the same time. “You two ladies keep these brothers of mine in line.”

  “No problem,” Brenna said as she patted his back and winked at Jase.

  Nora smiled at Tristan and took the child from his arms. “I got that under control, Dane.”

  “She thinks so,” Tristan said with a wink in Nora’s direction. “Come on, Dane, let’s get you to the airport on time.”

  The two older boys dashed out the door ahead of him. Judy savored Dane’s hug, his clean scent and favorite cologne, before he pulled away to catch up with them. She faded fast now as she stood at the window watching her three sons tussling around in the driveway.

  Nora and Brenna came to stand at her side. They put their arms around her. She smiled, giving them both a hug, happy to have their support. Her boys out there were no different than when they were teens. Well, a lot more muscles and height. If only time could stand still for a while. When they finally got in the truck, Jase backed out to turn around. Judy blew a kiss along with a silent prayer down the dusty road.

  She waited until they were out of sight before excusing herself to her bedroom. Inside, she quietly closed the door and lay on the bed. Judy hugged the pillow with her favorite gold colored sham to her chest—curling into the fetal position like a child. The knot of agony in her belly was nearly more than she could stand. “Oh, Bill. Our youngest is going back to war. Watch over him, sweetheart.”

  ***

  Dane remained quiet in the front seat as Jase rambled on. He recognized his brother’s nervousness. It happened each time he left the ranch to go back to the base. This time he meant it. No way would he let them see him off for his deployment. Like he had told his mom, it was already too hard to say good-bye at home. He’d get on that bus at Ft. Benning and dive into the job he loved.

  For sure, his family didn’t have to know that at times he was sent on missions to a hostile environment to support EOD crews who blew up IEDs. It had been a happy two-week leave. He wanted them to remember that part of it—not watching him get on a bus to leave the base.

  He’d been happy to be home again. One day, he’d have to come back to run his section of the ranch like his brothers. They all moved on with their lives. Even his mom with Martyn. Nevertheless, she insisted there’d never be another man to replace his father. In a way, her words pleased him.

  “Isn’t that right?” Jase asked.

  “What? I’m sorry, I’m somewhere else. Gearing up for the trip back.” Dane shook his head to clear his mind and find his way out of soldier mode. “What was it?”

  “Damn, pay attention.” Jase chortled. “You missed the blonde back there. It might be a while before you see another one.”

  “That’s not true. How do you even know I like blondes?” Dane picked at a jagged thumbnail. His heel tapped faster as they got closer to the airport. I should’ve smoked a cigarette before leaving home.

  “How do I know you like blondes?” Jase asked. “Because you practically drooled over Brenna when you met her. Not to mention her best friend Lacy.” Jase gave Tristan a furtive glance over his shoulder.

  I see what’s going on. Their nosy asses can’t stand not knowing what happened that night with Lacy. “About her… That was months ago. She was a date for the evening. Nothing came of it. By the way, maybe I checked out Brenna because she was half-dressed that night. So were you, Jase.”

  Jase’s gaze flicked upward. “I’m glad to hear that about Lacy since she lives thousands of miles away.” He chuckled. “But we heard you didn’t come home that night.”

  “Come on, guys. Get your head out of wherever it is. Nothing happened. We’re not each other’s type anyway.” He mused over that night. She had been fun to hang out with, but that was all.

  When Jase took the road leading into the airport, Dane read the overhead directional sign for Departures. His stomach lurched. “I guess this is it.” He had a bad feeling in his gut he didn’t like at all—nothing new for when he left home. “I’m leaving the cookies here. Don’t tell Mom I can’t take them on the plane.”

  His family didn’t want him to leave again, but he did what he was hired on to do. They had grudgingly accepted the five, three month tours he’d done in the Middle East—in between the other long deployments, but as soon as he mentioned this fourth extended tour, they cringed. His family figured eight tours of combat had been enough. “Jase, drive up to the next door where they allow smoking so I can have a cigarette.”

  Jase pulled to the next curb. “Hey, dude, all joking aside, take care of yourself. We need you to come back home to the ranch.”

  Tristan squeezed Dane’s shoulder. “Yeah, Dane, be careful out there. Don’t try to be a damn hero.”

  “I get paid to be a hero, Tristan. A silent hero.” Dane opened the door while his brothers got out with him. He took his bag from the bed of Jase’s truck, lowered it to the ground then grabbed his brothers into a hug. “Until the next time. Remind everybody once in a while that I love them—that I’ll be okay.”

  Dane slung the bag over his shoulder and pulled a cigarette from the pack. “Y’all take care of yourselves. I’ll email, call, or text when I can.” He peered into Jase’s eyes, then Tristan’s. “I love you two.” They got back into the truck, and Dane pulled out a match to light the cigarette.

  A window rolled down, and Tristan nodded, “Godspeed, bro. Love ya, dude.”

  Dane did a one finger salute—ready to kick it back into sold
ier mode as soon as he was away from his family. Time to kick some ass.

  Chapter 2

  A damn flight delay. Three, four hours. Holy hell. Again? After calling the military base to see about a hop to Ft. Benning, with no luck, he reserved a hotel room then changed his flight until the morning. This wasn’t a new thing, and he learned early to be prepared. He took a seat in the only empty chair at one of the airport bars, so he shared a table with a stranger. He ordered a beer then added a shot of Tequila to the order, and gave a short nod to the other patron, a young guy barely old enough to drink the boilermaker in front of him. Before Dane’s order arrived, the kid got up and walked out into the corridor.

  A pretty, dark-haired woman caught his attention as she entered with a carry-on and a laptop bag over her shoulder. Their eyes met. Held. He took a small, hard mint from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. He peered around the person at the table beside him to observe her searching for a seat, but didn’t mean to grin when she walked into another patron because her gaze remained on him. A guy at the bar wearing a sharp looking suit, immediately walked up to her. Dane stood and she glanced his way. She probably thinks I’m leaving.

  He directed his hand toward the empty chair at his table. She gave a faint smile, yet came toward him, ignoring the other guy from the bar. The woman was even more beautiful close-up—smooth skin, petite frame, and fit. He walked around to pull the chair out. “No one’s sitting here. Be my guest.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate your kindness.” She took a seat and hung her laptop bag over the back of the chair. Her skirt slid high on her toned thighs. Not something he’d miss, but when she noticed him staring, their eyes connected again.