To Hold a Rancher's Hand: A Volunteer Fireman Cowboy Romance: Coyote Valley Cowboys, #1

By Kadi James

Rafe is a volunteer fireman who is sworn to protect his ranch and town. Gail has just lost everything to the devastating fire that destroyed her home. Will these two be able to heal their scars and find new love and happiness?

After the trauma of war, rancher Rafe comes home to help his community as a volunteer fireman while trying to find balance in civilian life. He must carry the mantle of his family, who have been Guardians of Coyote Valley for generations. Now its up to Gabe to protect the town from the fires that ravage the national forests around Coyote Valley. But as he gives his all to the community, he often forgets to take care of his own heart.

Loner Gail has just lost everything to the devastating fire that destroyed her home. When the handsome rancher who saved her offers to let her stay at his place, it seems like the perfect solution. Until she remembers she doesn't really like living with people. It's why she was living up on top of the mountain in the first place.

As these awkward two stumble in to a relationship, will they be able to heal their wounds and find new love and happiness?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melle Amade
• Release date: Sep 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201882808

Book preview

Books by Kadi

FOSTER BROTHERS RANCH ROMANCE

His Sweet Arrangement

His Sweet Boss

His Sweet Best Friend

His Sweet Wager

His Sweet Ex-Girlfriend

His Sweet Enemy

COYOTE VALLEY COWBOYS

To Hold a Rancher’s Hand

To Tame a Rancher’s Heart

To Calm a Rancher’s Mind

To Heal a Rancher’s Soul

Chapter 1.

The idyllic rural dawn was suddenly pierced by an electronic screech, and Rafe startled upright, eyes immediately darting to the corners of the small room before he even knew what he was doing. His heart pounded, and his throat felt dry, just like it did every morning that alarm went off. Now he leaned forward, hand clutched to his heart, feeling it race as he tried to calm his breath and let stillness return. It wasn’t always easy, but he had yet to find a time when it was impossible.

His aunt, a nurse at the local Adventist Clinic, said he had PTSD, but that seemed... unfitting, to say the least. He had served two tours of duty in Afghanistan with the army over the last eight years, and while he knew he had some left-over issues from his experiences, he didn’t like to think he had post-traumatic stress disorder. There wasn’t anything disorderly about it. Anyone who had experienced what he saw would be freaked out.

Frequently and randomly.

For the rest of their lives.

It had been a stipulation of his parents’ will that Rafe join the military before he could claim his inheritance, the family estate, Guardian Oak Ranch. He had been eight years old when the tractor rolled over on them, and he was left in the care of Javier, the ranch manager. The stern but well-meaning man had raised him alongside his own children until it was time for Rafe to enlist and ship out at seventeen.

Rafe sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face before shifting himself out of bed. As his feet hit the ground, he said a silent prayer. Dear God, thank you so much for giving me this day to do Your work. Please help me and support me as I go forward. Remind me to listen to You, and please give me the strength to do all You ask of me.

He was always grateful for his relationship with God. God was his mentor, always there when he needed Him. Rafe was never ashamed to pray aloud in a restaurant before a meal, or anywhere, really. He always felt like more people should pray in public. He was sure if they did, people would unite, and their voices could only grow stronger together.

It was one of the few lessons his parents had pressed upon him before their deaths: Never be ashamed to pray aloud.

He had enjoyed his time in the military. So much so that he had considered giving away the ranch and building a career there. It had given him everything he lacked growing up: camaraderie, brotherhood, a sense of purpose. Even though he’d grown up in a small town, he’d had the misfortune of being branded the poor little rich orphan boy who was going to inherit his parents’ ranch. Even though he wasn’t rich at all, the stigma stuck to him through school, and by the time he graduated, he had barely scraped together a handful of friendly faces. When he returned home after years of service, he realized he now had even less. But Rafe didn’t mind. His solitude had always troubled Javier more than it ever troubled him.

Javier would be waiting for him in the kitchen, as he was every morning, after trooping across the pasture to the main house. Javier and his family lived in a small house on the northeast side of the estate property, a decent distance away. The main house had been vacant all the years Rafe was growing up, and it wasn’t until he returned from the Army two years ago that Rafe had grudgingly moved back into his childhood home.

Two years previously, he became the Guardian.

When the land had first been claimed and settled a hundred years ago, four of the early families had realized that not only did their ranches need protection from the wildlife and frequent fires, but so did the entire valley. They created four large farms encircling Coyote Valley and called them the Guardian Ranches.

Guardian Redwood Ranch,

Guardian Ash Ranch,

Guardian Alder Ranch, and

Guardian Oak Ranch.

Each one had freshwater springs running underground and ample terrain to support a small army of farmhands to help take care of any dangers from the forests that surrounded the town. In the beginning, it was enough to just keep the coyotes and bobcats out of the valley and away from the livestock. The ranches set up patrols to make sure the predators didn’t get through to their own livestock, let alone past them and down to the town below. It was a sensible system to protect the townspeople, and it only became more necessary as wildfires began to rage through the forests.

What do we have on the agenda today? Rafe walked into the kitchen, and, just as expected, Javier was already there drinking his coffee.

We’ve got to shift the ewes and chalk the rams, move their pens. Javier’s weathered face stared down into his coffee cup as he gave it a swirl. The usual July activities.

Rafe listened as he busied himself around the kitchen, setting into making his usual breakfast, an egg-in-a-hole. Even though he knew it was childish, he made it every morning. He couldn’t help himself. It had been what he missed most after his mother died, and even more so while in the Army. He’d promised himself if he made it home alive, he would make himself an egg-in-a-hole every morning.

He used a small cup to carefully punch out a hole in the slice of bread, then laid it in the buttered pan and cracked an egg in the center. He never tired of the crackling sound of the butter and egg cooking. Rafe smiled softly into the pan, a daily reminder that his mother loved him dearly even though she couldn’t be with him.

Sounds like it’ll be a good day. He poured himself a cup of coffee with one hand while he flipped the egg with the other. I’m glad you still run the breeding program. I don’t think I’ll ever get my brain around the genetics and bloodlines and all that nonsense.

You will eventually. It takes time. Javier shrugged off the gratitude. I had to learn a lot from your parents, and it’s my job to catch you up. Our animals have—-

A national reputation to uphold, Rafe chuckled. "You know, I still remember my dad saying those words. That’s probably why I don’t want to take it over and mess it up. I’m happy