The Rancher's First Love. Brenda Minton

pregnant dog standing next to her. He shook his head and handed her the rope.

      “What?” She made a loop and put the rope around the dog’s neck.

      “I’m just thinking that you’re asking for trouble.”

      “She’s beautiful.” Sam brushed a hand down the dog’s head. “Maybe part bloodhound?”

      Beautiful. He had to agree. Standing there in shorts, a T-shirt and with her hair pulled back, Sam was beautiful. He let himself get tangled up in everything he’d felt years ago. But those memories would get him nowhere. He pushed his hat back and refocused his attention on the dog.

      “From the looks of that face and those ears, I’d say yes,” he agreed, reaching to let the dog sniff his hand.

      “Who would dump a pretty girl like her?”

      “Someone tired of puppies would be my guess.”

      “Then they should have gotten her fixed.”

      “I agree. I’m just giving you my opinion on why she’s been left on the side of the road.”

      “Yes, because she’s going to have puppies.” Her expression changed from angry to something close to sad, then she walked away, the dog next to her. He watched them go, wondering what that look meant and fearing deep down that he didn’t know the whole story.

      “Maybe she just got lost?”

      Back at her truck, Sam opened the door and coaxed the dog inside. “That’s a possibility.”

      “We can ask around. Someone might be missing her.”

      “Yes, I’ll do that. I’ll put a poster up at Duke’s and at the grocery store.”

      Inside the truck the dog had settled on the seat, happy to be inside. Sam fidgeted, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

      Ten years. They had become different people. They no longer knew each other. If he was honest, he’d admit they’d probably never known each other. They’d been kids. They’d both liked horses, rodeos and sitting down by the creek on a summer day.

      It hadn’t been a relationship, his mom had informed him. It had been a summer romance.

      The warm night air reminded him that it was summer once again. With that thought in mind, he had to head home, because now was the wrong time for him to get distracted.

      “Thanks for...” she started at the same time he said, “I should go.”

      “Goodbye, Rem. I’m glad we talked.”

      “Yeah, me, too.”

      She walked away from him and he watched her go. After she’d driven away, he sat on the tailgate of his truck for a while, thinking about that summer, about being seventeen and really believing he knew everything about life.

      He hadn’t had a clue. He still didn’t have a clue. But he knew that Samantha Martin was in his past. That’s where she belonged. And that’s where a wise man would leave her.

      He was smart, but he’d never been too wise.

       Chapter Three

      Samantha woke up early the next morning. She loved waking up on the ranch, to the quiet broken only by country sounds. Dogs, a cow in the distance, a tractor working in a nearby field. Carrying her cup of coffee, she walked out to the barn.

      After she’d gotten home last night, she’d put the pregnant dog in a stall with a bowl of leftover stew and a bucket of water. As she headed across the yard she could hear the animal whining.

      “What’s going on, pretty girl?” She leaned across the top of the stall and peeked in. “Oh, I see.”

      The dog yelped and turned to clean her new puppies. There were four already, still damp and squirmy. The mamma dog hovered over them, nervous about having company.

      “Hey, what’s up?” A loud, chipper voice burst into the moment.

      Lilly. Sam turned to greet her niece, Duke’s daughter. The surprise, as Sam liked to call her. Duke hadn’t known about his daughter until just last year. Sam loved the bubbly, energetic twelve-year-old. She secretly hoped the girl would keep Duke on his toes.

      Sam held up a finger, and then pointed to the stall. “Shhh.”

      Lilly silently tiptoed forward, her eyes going big when she looked inside and saw the dog. And now, five puppies.

      “We should give her some privacy,” Sam said. “Let’s have breakfast.”

      As soon as the two of them walked out of the barn, Lilly’s carefully contained energy uncorked. “Where did you get her? What’s her name? And did you know my mom is going to adopt a baby?”

      Sam blinked a few times. Okay, this was news. And probably not the way Duke or Oregon wanted it announced.

      “I’m not sure what to say, Lilly.” Sam cleared her throat. “You know, your parents might not want everyone to know.”

      “Mom said I could tell you.”

      “Oh, well that’s good. I didn’t know and I’m excited for them.”

      “It’s through the state. He’s only six weeks old and he’s living in a foster home in Houston. We’re going to see him next week.”

      “That’s amazing. I can’t wait to meet him.”

      “Me, too.” Lilly glanced back at the barn. “So, where did you get the dog?”

      “I found her in town.”

      “Oh, that’s the dog that my dad was talking about. The stray that he’s going to have to do something about.”

      “He said that?”

      “You know how guys are,” Lilly said, rolling her eyes.

      “Yes, I do know how guys are. And he isn’t going to do anything about this dog because she’s mine now.”

      Lilly just shrugged. “So, I’m out of school and bored.”

      Sam laughed. “I’m sure you are. What are you going to do with your summer?”

      Lilly shrugged and Sam got the feeling there was more she wanted to say. They kept walking, though, back to the house. Sam hadn’t been here when Oregon and Lilly showed up a few years ago. When Duke learned that the precocious girl across the street was his daughter. But she was here now. And she loved being an aunt.

      “So?” she prodded her niece. “Give it up. I know you have more to say. Or something to ask.”

      “Okay. Dad said you were the best barrel racer in the county. I’m not the best. But I want to be. I’ll be thirteen soon and I don’t want to have to compete with the little girls.”

      “Gotcha. So we have some work to do?”

      Lilly nodded. “Please. I mean, Dad tries to help me, but he’s a guy. He can rope. He can train a horse.”

      “But he isn’t a barrel racer.”

      “Right.” Lilly stepped through the door Sam opened.

      “That works for me, because my new gelding needs some practice.” Sam followed her niece inside. The kitchen felt cool after being outside. It was not quite nine o’clock and already hot and humid. “Want breakfast?”

      In answer Lilly headed for the cabinet, helping herself to cereal bars. She and Oregon had lived in this house for a time. The girl knew her way around more than just the house. She knew how to be a part of the Martin family. Sam envied that. Sometimes she felt like the outsider, as if she was the one who didn’t know how to be a Martin.

      “Are