The Rancher Meets His Match (The Millers of Morgan Valley #4) - Kate Pearce Page 0,2

held the bottle with both hands, and offered the teat to the calf, who latched on immediately and sucked the whole meal down in minutes.

After cleaning out the empty bottle and checking all the horses were settled in, Kaiden turned out the lights, leaving the barn to the feral cats and the bird population. Darkness came quickly to Morgan Valley at this time of year, but he knew his way back to the ranch house blindfolded.

He went into his bedroom, painfully aware that his brother Ben, whom he’d shared a bathroom with his whole life, was no longer there. He’d moved out to manage the Gomez Ranch with his film star fiancée, Silver. Technically, Ben was only a couple of miles away, but Kaiden missed his messy brother more than he had anticipated. Even when they’d fought, they’d always forgiven each other and made up quickly.

At least his bathroom was clean now. Ben had tended to drop everything and leave it there while Kaiden liked stuff to be in its correct place. He stared at the immaculately lined up bottles and found himself missing the clutter, which was just weird.

“Get over yourself,” Kaiden muttered as he turned on the shower. “Enjoy the space.”

By the time he’d washed up and changed, he could already smell the heavenly aromas coming from the kitchen. His big brother Adam loved to cook and knew they all had healthy appetites, so he didn’t stint on the portions.

When Kaiden reached the large open-plan kitchen, he paused to run his fingers over the work surface he had hand planed from wood salvaged from Miller land. He loved the ranch, but working with his hands to create his own unique furniture was sometimes even better.

“Hey,” Adam called out to him as he set a big casserole dish on the table. “Can you grab some beverages from the refrigerator?”

“Sure.” Kaiden got out the iced tea and lemonade and placed them on the table with a selection of glasses. “Are Lizzie and Roman here?”

“No, she had to work late today.” Adam frowned as he mashed the potatoes. “I’d like her to move up here permanently, but she’s not keen on that.”

“Give her some time, Bro,” Kaiden advised. “She’s got a lot on her plate right now.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Adam wasn’t the most forthcoming of brothers at the best of times, and getting him to talk about the woman he loved was like pulling teeth. It wasn’t because he didn’t care or feel things deeply, it was just because he’d spent so many years bottling things up that it was still hard for him to open up even with his family.

Kaiden didn’t push the conversation and, instead, went to call his father and brothers to the table. His sister Daisy was currently in Palo Alto working at her high-tech startup, and Ben was living at the other ranch. Kaiden wasn’t sure he liked all the absences around the table. It felt like his family was changing too fast while he somehow stood still.

“Where’s Danny?” his father demanded as he came into the kitchen.

“He’s probably on his way back right now.” Adam handed his father a plate. “It’s a long drive from Lake Tahoe.”

“I don’t know why he’s bothering with that degree rubbish anyway.” Jeff sat down, mumbled a quick prayer, and then helped himself to the pot of chicken. “I can teach him everything he needs to know about how to manage a ranch right here for free. I taught you guys everything.”

“You sure did, Dad.” Kaiden shared a wry glance with his oldest brother, Adam, and his youngest brother, Evan. “And we all have the scars to prove it.”

“No one dies from getting a clock in the head when they’re being stupid, Son.” Jeff chewed vigorously. “I didn’t have time to consider whether I was hurting your feelings when a steer was running you down.”

“You didn’t even consider we had feelings.” Kaiden took a huge portion of the creamy mashed potatoes and the rich chicken and red wine sauce. “Danny’s degree will help keep this ranch in business. He’s learning all new kinds of stuff that we’ve never even considered before.”

Jeff made a face before continuing to eat. “Waste of money.”

“He’s paying his own way with what he makes here and working for me,” Kaiden pointed out. “I think he’s smart to do it. I wish I’d had the opportunity.”

“You went to college, Son,” Jeff pointed out. “I didn’t like that, either, but at least you learned something practical, which saves