Single Mom at Charming Ranch

By Clara Bliss

Sweet, single mom and rancher romance

 

Jackie is a hard-working single mom who plans on doing anything her son needs, even when that means taking him to Rancher Camp. What she isn't prepared for is meeting Matthew, a handsome rancher with a heart of gold.

 

Welcome to Charming Ranch, a dude ranch built on small-town pride. Get to know the Mason brothers as they work the land, look for love, and find out the value of family. Looking to escape reality? Come on out to the ranch and fall in love with this sweet romantic comedy today.

The Charming Ranch series is a collection of sweet rancher romance books. Each can be read as a stand-alone, but you will enjoy the Mason brothers so much more as a group ♥

 

Book One- Single Dad & the Nanny at Charming Ranch

Book Two- Cowboy and the Fake Marriage at Charming Ranch

Book Three- Single Mom at Charming Ranch

Book Four- Racher and the Second Chance

Book Five- Grateful for Love at Charming Ranch

Book Six- Mr. & Mrs. Forever at Charming Ranch

 

As always, this series comes with a blissful promise of a hopeful happily ever after, no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a whole lot of cheer. Pack your bags, we're getting out of the city for some laughs with the loveable, quirky, Mason brothers. Pour some tea, and fall in love today!

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clara Bliss
• Release date: Jan 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224546060

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

WELCOME TO CHARMING RANCH

Gravel crunches beneath my leather cowboy boots as I walk in through the split rail fence and under a sign that reads, Welcome to Charming Ranch. I may be out of place, but I was determined to look the part as best I can.

My son, Justin, hurries past me with wide eyes, surveying the scene. He’s always been impatient, but for once, it’s nice to see him excited. There’s the wood chopping station! He points across the field toward the outdoor arena.

There are more than a few stations set up. Justin turns on a swivel, then he looks up at me, his eyes wide as saucers and a few strands of his dark hair falling against his forehead. Do you think I’ll get to rope any cattle?

I hope so, I laugh.

Buzz. Buzz.

I feel the soft vibration of a text message coming from my phone. I dig into my purse, a sense of dread dancing in the outskirts of my mind. I don’t need to look to know who it is and I hope I’m wrong.

I think we will. I think we might shoe a horse too. Or maybe feed pigs… Justin rambles on.

I want to be present with Justin, he deserves this experience. But I know what’s coming and it’ll break his heart. I inhale and look down at my phone. As I suspected, it’s from Jeffery. He’s my ex-husband and more importantly, Justin’s dad.

Please let him be here. Please let him be here. I keep my face as neutral as possible as my eyes scan the message.

Jeffery: Not gonna make it out to the rancher camp thing.

A swell of heat bubbles through me. This is exactly what I was worried about. I tried to give Jeffery the benefit of the doubt. I thought that maybe, just this once, he’d pull through for his son. Justin is here, building a core memory and fulfilling his dream. All he wanted was for his dad to be a part of it. Disappointment settles into the pit of my stomach.

I shove my phone back into my pocket and don’t bother responding to the text. There isn’t anything left to say. Jeffery only has Justin two weekends each month. But he hasn’t shown up for any of them in over a year. Sometimes I think it would be better if he disappeared from our lives altogether.

But he doesn’t disappear completely. He calls at random times. He sends the odd text every once in a while. Jeffery does just enough to string Justin along. Justin thinks that he might be a priority in his dad’s life at any minute. It’s like I can see my son holding his breath, waiting to be loved and it’s devastating. The worst part is, there’s nothing I can do to make up for it. And now, I need to think of how I’m going to break it to my son this time.

Justin’s still chattering on. You don’t think there are snakes, do you? Or scorpions? How long until they let me ride a horse? Do the other kids know how to ride horses? What if a horse throws me off him and my legs break? That would be bad. That would be really bad. But I’ll bet they have like a farm doctor here.

I could tell Justin that his dad had a last-minute work trip. Maybe I could say that he got sick, or that he isn’t feeling well. My stomach bubbles. Or maybe I should just tell Justin the truth. He’s old enough to hear it, isn’t he?

It’s impossible to know what to do and the decision rests on me and me alone. But the truth is, there are so many unknowns. The only thing I’m sure of is that I refuse to let Jeffery’s absence ruin this moment. Justin’s been asking to attend Rancher Camp for as long as he could talk and we’re finally here.

I feel like the best mom in the world for managing to get Justin into Rancher Camp. It’s been a three-year process. This place is at the heart of dreams for an only child like him. There are wide open spaces, the chance to sleep in a bunkhouse with other boys his age, and endless opportunities to learn about life on a farm.

The camp itself is crazy expensive on a single income. Then there’s the cost of getting all the way out here, taking days off from work, and booking a hotel for myself for the week. It took a miracle and a whole lot of hard work to get to this moment. I pulled double shifts at the coffee shop and saved every penny to make this happen for him. It was worth it. I’d make every sacrifice all over again just to see that look of joy on his face.

I don’t only want Justin to be happy, I want him to have the life he deserves. So much of his childhood was shattered by my divorce. He deserves action, adventure, and a chance to thrive. I never imagined myself being a single mom, but I’m going to rise to the challenges as they present themselves. What else can I do? He’s my world.

I brush my fingers through his soft hair. When I look at Justin, I can’t help but see traces of his father. The dark hair, the deep-set dimples, and the wide sparkling eyes are all Jeffery. But he’s nothing like his dad on the inside. My son is kind with a huge heart and wild imagination. Being his mom is the greatest gift of my life.

I stretch my neck from side to side and try to shake the tension out of my shoulders. My son’s silence pulls me back to reality.

I look at him to see Justin’s holding a crumpled-up flier for Rancher Camp. He must have dug it out of his bag. When his eyes meet mine, Justin shifts his weight between his feet.

I’m nervous. It says I need a rope and an ax. And that most kids are bringing their cowboy hats.

I frown as Justin makes a frustrated sigh. And just like that, I’m back to being not enough. I’m the mom who can’t give her son the life he deserves. My stomach wrenches with disappointment.

I force a smile. True. But we’re here and I checked out the website. It says they have axes and rope available for campers who don’t bring their own. Even if you're missing a few things, everything will work out in the end. There have to be extra supplies laying around from previous camps. It’s a farm, look at all this equipment... I see tractors, I’ll bet the other kids don’t bring their own tractors. I’m sure you won’t even notice what equipment belongs to who.

Mom, he groans as he crosses his arms over his chest.

I know he’s overwhelmed, and he’s got every right to be, but it still stings. He doesn’t realize how hard I work for things like this. But I admit that in itself is a parenting win. He isn’t supposed to worry about money or about the way we’re just scraping by these days. That’s for me to figure out.

Justin’s eyes, scan the massive open field. They run past the barn, across the corn, and over to the cows. Then he stops abruptly. His body straightens and his eyes grow even wider than usual. What’s that for?

He wanders toward a stable that is separate from the rest. It’s old and the once-red paint is weathered. The entry has been blocked with a plank of wood. But Justin marches on. I follow him, feeling grateful that he’s dropped the subject of what he’s lacking, at least for the moment.

I’d guess that's probably just an empty stable, I tell him.

It doesn’t lead to a pen though. Look behind it, nothing. It just leads to the wild. Without another word, Justin ducks under the wooden barricade and disappears inside.

I follow, a little uneasy with breaking and entering but saddling up, as they say out here. Once I’m on the other side of the door, My jaw drops open.

We are standing face to face with an enormous, chocolate-brown horse with wild eyes. The horse neighs, stamping its foot and kicking against the back wall of its pen. My blood runs cold.

I haven’t had a ton of experience working with animals, especially those larger than say, a house cat. So hanging out with this horse seems like a dramatic leap up the food chain, one I’m most definitely not ready for. Hey, let's head out. Maybe we can find a nice goat running around here somewhere.

Why’s this horse so big? Justin’s voice is nearly drowned out by the sound of my heart pounding. And why is he over here in horse jail by himself? Do you think he did something terrible?

No, definitely not. The words jump from my throat without a second thought. I swallow hard and try to stabilize my quivering voice. There are so many different kinds of activities for kids to do here. People come from all over to attend this camp. This guy is probably not used to big crowds at all. He’s probably here to get some quiet. So, let’s leave him to it!

He looks the horse up and down, then back to me. "Yeah, you know. I’m not doing it. The other kids that are in my group have probably gone riding on horses like this one hundred times. If I would’ve started at the right age, this would be my third year at camp. Everyone comes when they are seven. I’m already