Title: Empath’s Ranch
Author: Janice Seagraves
Genre: Paranormal Western/Cowboy/Cowgirl
Book Blurb:
Finding love is hard when your family has psychic gifts you have to hide. Just ask Max and Gwen Dréville. Max talks to animals. Falling for the local dairy farmer's daughter was probably not his best plan.
Then there's Gwen. Will she let handsome playboy Arthur Castiel seduce her, or will she turn her gift on him, tossing him into a nightmare of his worst fears? Three related short stories of the Drévilles.
Excerpt:
Max drove carefully home. The baby stumbled in the back of the truck and bawled for its mother. Max turned into his family farm’s hard-packed dirt driveway. His fourteen-year-old sister, Winnie, rode his old Razor scooter in a circle right in front of the unpainted barn. He eyed a couple of boards where the nails had worked loose and decided to use screws the next time he repaired them.
He parked and climbed out. “Where’s Mom?”
“In the office, crying over the bills,” Winnie answered, staring at the baby. “Is that a calf?”
“A gift from Old Man Dillard. So you and Gwen will have something to do this summer.”
“For meeeee?” Willie squealed and dropped the scooter.
Laughing, he released the tailgate and scooped out the baby. He slowly knelt. “He’s for both of you. So don’t hog the calf all to yourself.”
“Have I ever done that?” She got down on her knees and petted the calf.
“Of course you have.” He snorted. “Where’s Gwen?”
“Off somewhere riding Smokey Joe. Mom said she might have to sell him if she can’t figure something out.”
Max stood and let loose his abilities. Smokey Joe, his sister riding serenely in the saddle, plodded toward the barn. The old pony hadn’t been ridden this hard and fast in quite a while. He wanted the security of his stall and a billet of hay. His sister must have been upset to ride her old pony that hard.
Max announced, “They’re heading home.”
“Oh, good,” Winnie said, rubbing the calf’s forehead. “Then she can help me get the baby’s stall ready.”
“I’m going to go talk to Mom.” If Mom was willing to sell Gwen’s pony, then their finances were in worse shape than he’d thought.
He strode into the whitewashed brick home. The evaporator cooler blew lukewarm air around, making the family home only marginally cooler than the outside temperature.
When he tugged open the office door, Mom jerked her head up and snatched some tissues to blot her eyes.
He marched around her secondhand desk and gave her a hug. “Don’t sell Gwen’s pony, Mom. I got a job.”
“You did?” Hope filled her gaze.
“Yes.” He straightened. “Old Man Dillard hired me. It’s full time. I go in first thing in the morning.”
“That’s wonderful, son. Even so, I’m afraid your job won’t be enough. We owe too much.” She gestured toward several bills marked ‘past due’ in bright red letters.
“What are you going to do? You can’t sell Gwen’s pony.”
Mom slammed a hand on the desk. “I’ll do what I must, Max. I have to keep this farm running somehow.” Then she deflated. “The pony’s old and won’t bring in enough. I’ll have to sell off a few acres of land.”
Max didn’t want his mom to sell the ranch piecemeal. It would mean that in the end, there wouldn’t be enough left to farm. “Old Man Dillard gave me a calf, so Gwen and Winnie can raise it to sell before school starts up again.”
“That’s good of Bob.” She blew her nose. “He is a wonderful man. Just don’t mess with his daughter.”
“Why?” He propped a hip on his mom’s old desk, and it squeaked under his weight.
“She’s his only child and heir. He and his wife wanted lots of children, but only managed one baby girl before she passed away.”
“What killed her?”
“Eclampsia. In Betty’s case, after giving birth to Linda, she went into a coma and died a week later.”
“That’s awful. So Linda never knew her mom?”
“No. And her dad is awfully protective of her. She’s all he has.”
“Linda mentioned the barbeque this weekend, but when Old Man Dillard walked by, he put an end to the discussion.”
“I’m not surprised.” Mom narrowed her eyes. “Now don’t be sneaking around with the girl at that barbeque.” She held up a colorful invitation.
He plucked the card from her and opened it.
Date: Fourth of July.
Time: all day.
With the words scrawled underneath—Food and drinks provided. Come as you are.
“I’m only going to meet our new neighbor. Don Galloway said he invited him and he’d be there. I sense he might be interested in buying a few acres next to his farm.”
Max raised his head. “Dad’s avocado orchard?”
“It never did well.”
He closed the invitation and ran his fingertips along the seam of the fold. “Did you ever regret that we inherited the family’s psychic abilities?”
Max wasn’t only animal empathic but had the abilities to charm beasts. Winnie could predict the future but it was still developing and possessed a slight mind-reader talent. But Gwen was so much more.
Mom looked up at him with tired eyes. “I knew my babies would inherit the gift. You and your sisters are precious and each with a unique talent. I had to lock away most of Gwen’s abilities until she’s mature enough to handle them, but when she’s angry or upset, she can break through my blocks. At the barbeque, I’ll need you to keep an eye on her.”
“I will.” His stomach flipped. He’d get to see Linda away from the farm.
Buy Links:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1086206
What makes your featured book a must-read?
Young psychic people trying to hide their powers and finding love.
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Author Biography:
Janice Seagraves grew up with a deep love of science fiction and adventure stories. Always the consummate artist, she traded in her paint brush for a desktop to write breathless life-affirming novels that celebrate enduring love.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://janice-seagraves.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janiceseagraves