Blurb:

I’m rugged. Independent and used to having whatever or whoever I want.

At thirty I’ve been hit with a small problem. My grandfather holds the purse strings to the family fortune. He no longer plans to loosen them unless I agree to marry. He tells me he’s dying and that time is running out. He insists I settle down. Not with the woman of my choosing, but the daughter of his former ranch hand.

Olivia.

She’s pretty enough. In fact, she’s hot. Her parents died in a fiery car crash, leaving her penniless. She’s desperate. And smoking hot. Curves in the right places and her fiery red hair just sets my temperature on a high.

My grandfather insists I give this marriage a three-month trial. It’s easy for him to say, I tried it once and it left me cold and alone. I don’t want to say no to my granddad, but this family’s fucking cursed. There’s too many secrets. Too much darkness, I shouldn’t let Olivia come into the darkness. When her innocence shines, like a bright light.

I have plans for her. Filthy plans that will make this entire scheme not only pleasurable, but make me filthy rich too…

Chapter One

Isaac

I can’t believe the old man’s demanding that I came to the ranch today. As if I haven’t got enough to do today. First, the banks are on my nuts about the loan and Paul the CFO quit, all in the same fucking day. I spent the whole car journey thinking that I should turn back and go to the office. Then again, Paul’s been the CFO since granddad was the CEO. He should have retired a long time ago. Besides, it’s not my fault that he’s competent.

“Granddad,” I sigh as I park up the car and get out of the car. He’s standing by the front door as if he was waiting for him. He comes down the stairs to greet me,

“Son.”

I haven’t seen him for months, because he hasn’t been to the city for a long while. I don’t ever come here, I can’t fucking stand it. Granddad looks well considering he’s three decades older than me. I’m relieved knowing that’s not the reason that he called me here today. For some crazy reason, I thought that it had something to do with his health.

Walking with him is a woman, he motions towards her, “Olivia have you met my grandson?”

She stretches out her hand but then withdraws it. She wipes it on her jeans. Shit, I bet she loves riding horses. She can ride me, any day, anytime. She’s fucking hot. Trust the old man to have the best staff working for him.

She shakes her head and then takes off her cowgirl hat letting lose her fire hair.

Fuck, she’s a red-head! Now, I’m intrigued, there’s something about a redhead that sets them apart from all the rest. They’re different. Unique and just the way I love my women.

“Isaac?”

I shake my head, my cock’s going wild, and I can’t get this hottie out of my head, shit it’s too early in the morning for this, and I’ve got my important things to deal with today.

I shake it and say, “Hi.”

“Well, Neil,” she kisses him on the cheek. “I need to get going; I want to see if Autumn’s okay?”

Granddad nods his head, “You and that horse. You would think that you’re sisters separated at birth. The bond between the pair of you is too strong.

Olivia smiles and then she starts walking away, “Isaac, it’s nice meeting you.”

I nod thinking that if Granddad weren't here, I wouldn’t let her out of my fucking sight.

“Damn Granddad, how do you cope with her working here?”

He laughs as he pats me on the back, “She doesn’t just work here. She lives here too…”

I shake my head because I didn’t come here to check the ranch hand, I came here to find out what he wants.

“Granddad, what is it? I’ve got work to do.”

He sighs, “I know, but I heard about Paul and decided that things are getting out of hand.”

I shake my head, “No, he was too old and besides he should have retired when you did. You’re the same age right?”

It’s as if we’re stuck in the quick mud as we look at each other. I know what I’m thinking, that I’ll ask him straight-up to bail the company out. He has the money to do it. Part of me’s pissed, he should just sign the damn thing to me. Just because my dad was incompetent when he took over doesn’t mean that I follow in his shoes.

“Yes, but we know what the real issue is. I wanted us to come in and talk about it. Like men. Man-to-man.”

I nearly choke on his words, “You’ve got to be kidding me. You treat me like a fucking kid. Just because dad fucked up the company when he ran it. Doesn’t mean that I’ll do the same.”

I want to go inside because the sun’s beating down on me like daggers. I start to loosen my tie, and can’t believe that I drove four hours, because most of that was spent in traffic. There was some fucking accident on the highway and it doubled the time that it should have taken to make this journey. I never made it to have the third degree.

“Come inside, let’s talk. You’re getting upset over nothing,” Granddad says as he puts his hand on me, no doubt we’re causing a scene. He likes his privacy which is why I’m surprised that he let’s Olivia stay here. Maybe there’s something going on, fuck I just hope that she’s not some gold digger that’s after his money. Then again, she seems to innocent for that, or she could be a good actress.

I walk up, to the house in front of him, not because I want to go in to talk, but I just need a fucking drink. Anything to calm down the nerves. I’ve stopped driving to work because a drink in the morning helps keep me going, but seeing as he demanded that I came here this morning and the driver’s out of town. I had no choice but to drive here.

As soon as I open the front door the painful memories of my childhood flash into my mind like a tidal wave. Maybe Granddad’s right and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

“This way,” granddad instructs me as he starts to walk to his study. I look up and see that he’s still got the family pictures up of when I was young and when this house used to mean something. We were respected by then; people used to look up to us until dad got into one scandal after another and it ended up with him retiring and me taking over the company.

He shuts the door behind me and I stand to wait for him to lay it on me and then I’ll tell him the truth. The real reason I was debating about coming here today, so I can get it off my chest as we both sit down facing each other.

I’m not a man to beat around the bush, so I just say what’s on my mind, “I need your help. The business isn’t doing well, and with Paul leaving, the bank’s on my back about the bank loan.”

“What loan?”

“Remember last year, when I told you that the business was in trouble and I needed your input you refused,” I sigh because either the old man’s playing games, or he’s going senile?

I was sitting in the same chair telling him that things need to change at the company and he flat out refused to help. He must know that he can’t do that again.

Fuck I need a drink!

I stand up and start to head to the bar. The one at the corner of his study. There’s nothing new about this room. It’s as if it’s stuck in a time warp. The same antique chairs in the corner, the same mahogany desk that should have been replaced a long time ago and the photo of him and grandma on top of his desk.

“Do you want one?” I say as I lift up a tumbler and realize that something has changed. This bar used to be stocked with different types of whiskeys, brandies and all kinds of liquor. Now, there’s just one bottle of bourbon.

He shakes his head, “No.”

I shrug and take off my tie and jacket which feel as if they’re ropes hanging around my neck and suffocating me.

Then as I pour a bourbon he sighs, “I didn’t want to do this. I can’t have you running the company down to the ground like your dad did.”

I knock back the bourbon and as it burns my throat and I think twice about pouring another one, but he’s still going on about what’s on his mind.

“I need you to stop ruining not only your life but mine too. It’s my fault.”

I turn to face him; he has his hands on his desk. He’s rubbing it as if he’s reliving a memory. One that I told him to lock away and turn away the key.

“Your dad was a good man. Don’t get me wrong; I loved Ben just like I love you. I pushed him when his mother told me that he’s not a ruthless business man. I pushed him over the edge.”

I agree, “You fucking did that alright.”

He ignores me as he says, “I saw that you had the steam, the one that was ready to run the company. You took after me in many ways.”

I choke, “Going to the office with you was the most excitement that I’d had as a kid. All I used to dream about was being you. Making people run around and jump to my command. You had that way about you that everyone did that as soon as you walked in the door.”

“Yes, but it consumed me. So much so that I pushed your dad and looked what happened to him.”

I sigh as I decide that there’s no point topping up the glass. I’ll just drink straight from the bottle, and then I sit down and face him as he revised the painful memory of dad when he was the CEO for two years.

“I didn’t want to take your dad out of his position, but I had no choice…”

“Blah, blah, blah…it doesn’t matter. As I said, I need money. Fast. Let’s not pussyfoot around and talk about the past. Because if I don’t have the financial injection soon, then Winters Industry will be closed and not passed to another generation. Not that there is any generation to pass it to,” I laugh as I start to sip from the bottle. I’m starting to feel disorientated as the bourbon’s not offering comfort but if anything it’s starting to give me a headache.

“Son, you’ve been like this ever since Dede died and I-“

“Don’t you fucking bring her name into this!”

I’m trying to stand up, but then I flop back into the chair. I drank too much, and the worst part is I can’t remember the last time that I ate. This is turning into a fucking disaster.

“Isaac you leave me no choice!”

I’ve never seen the old man raise his voice. Not true, I’ve seen him but as he turns a deeper shade of red and then heads closer towards me. He takes the bottle of my hand and rants on, “Your drinking’s out of control. You took out a loan to invest in a company that’s not even related to our industry. You took out a loan against your apartment and even your flipping house.”

“Damn! Someone’s been busy.”

He shakes his head, “Not busy enough because I’ve tried. I call, I come to visit, and you go out of your way to avoid me. I was shocked that you said you would come here today, but then when I learned about the state of affairs, I knew that it was only for one reason. Money. Listen carefully, because I won’t be repeating myself. You see that beautiful woman that you saw when you came here.”

I nod my head because one minute he’s talking about money and the next he’s talking about women.

“Seriously, I don’t need to know about your love life. What you do with your life is your business. I just came here for the money.”

“Three months Isaac. You move here. Live here. I help you with your drinking and if at the end of that you marry Olivia. Everything becomes yours.”

He’s got to be fucking kidding me!

“I’m not going to be blackmailed into marriage. Let alone living in the one place, I can’t stand to visit. What makes you think that everything will happen in three months time?”

He sighs, “That’s how long the doctors have given me to live. I want it all to go to you, but things need to change.”

Did he say what I think he said, “Three months?” I whisper as I think about this family and the fucking curse that must be on it. I can’t deal with another death or be a part of it. That’s why the bottle’s safe; it makes me forget my fucking nightmares.

“I’m not sticking around and watching you die. And I’m not getting married. You can leave all your money to charity for all I fucking care,” I’m slurring, and my vision is blurry, that’s when I feel a hand by my side.

“Trevor,” I look up as I see Granddad’s driver supporting my weight.

“What the fuck do you want?”

He doesn’t blink; sometimes I think that the man’s a fucking robot. He’s so damn emotionless. “Your granddad said that I should drive you home.”

“I don’t want Olivia to see you in this state, and I need you to sleep on it.”

Maybe I should stay so that she’ll see what her precious boss has lined up for her. But as Trevor practically drags me to my car. I know that I have no choice, Trevor’s going to take me home. He’ll do whatever my granddad tells him to do, and unfortunately, I’m not in any state to argue with him. Then again, I’m not in any state to do anything right now.

Chapter Two

Olivia

Isaac’s hot! I can’t believe we have never met. I’ve been working here for a couple of years and have never met him. I’ve seen pictures of him around the house, but the man’s changed. I’ll ride Autumn for a while, ever since she injured her leg, she’s been a bit nervous about riding. Gareth, the vet said that I just need to give her time, but I can’t help myself. I hate seeing her this way. Especially when she was so vibrant before the injury.

I smile as I think about the way he was looking at me. Then again, Isaac’s out of my league. I’m penniless, which is why I’m working and living on Neil’s ranch. I never used to be when both of my parents had jobs working on the ranch. Things were just great on the surface. But Dad couldn’t stop drinking. One sip and he took to it like a duck to water.

If Dad hadn’t insisted on driving home after the party that night and ran his Mercedes off a bridge into a river thirty feet deep, then he would still be alive. However, I’m sure his drinking had become so bad he couldn’t function at work. I just hadn’t seen the signs. I was too caught up in thinking about going to college. Then again, that became a distant dream when I found out that my college fund was only something that dad talked about, but never set-up.

I turn around as I walk away, but Neil and Isaac are in a heated discussion. I found myself speechless in his presence. I wanted to say something, but then my mouth was shut firmly, and all I could do was think about his emerald eyes and dark hair. His features are the complete opposite of Neil’s, who has dark hair, but matching eyes. Maybe Isaac will stay for lunch, and I’ll get to know him better.

I love the ranch, especially the stables. The smell of hay and horses seems to have gotten in my blood. The barn with its arched entrance and wide lane down the center makes me feel the way I do when walking into a church. I get a spiritual boost.

Gee, I love Autumn, the chestnut colored mare that Neil gave me. She tosses her head up and down when she spots me. It’s her way of greeting me. My hand immediately goes to her forehead to scratch her. After a brief hug and a kiss on her nose I enter her stall, taking a brush and comb to her long mane. God, being around horses is one of the reasons I love the ranch. I think I like horses better than people.

As much as I’m trying to focus on Autumn, my mind keeps drifting to Isaac. I hope I get to know him better. I shake my head. Stop with your silly daydreaming. I quickly finish my rounds in the stables as I want to hurry back home, get changed and see if Isaac’s still around. I feel like a little school girl with a major crush on someone that I’ve just met. But there’s something about him, which intrigues me. Maybe if he stays for lunch, then I can talk to him about spending more time with Neil. I think that he misses his family, sometimes he just stands in the hall looking at their pictures, and Isaac is his only living relative.

“Okay, Autumn, you’ve had your brushing, and you’re good for the day.” I hug her neck as she bends it to look at me with her big brown eyes. “I hate to leave you,” I look at my watch and realize that it’s nearly lunch time. It’s amazing how time goes so quickly when you’re having fun and dreaming about your boss’s grandson.

“Autumn, I need to get going. I’ll catch up with you later.” I smile and leave her to wash my hands. I wonder if she does understand everything I say. Maybe Neil’s right, that we’re like sisters that were separated at birth, but there’s just one problem. She’s a horse, and I’m not. I laugh at his observation, and then I sigh as I think about leaving the stables. I know the real reason that I’m going to see Isaac isn’t so much because he’s lonely, but I am at the best of times. I walk across the manicured lawn to the back door of the house, thinking about the rest of the ranch hands, they think that because I live in the same house as Neil that we’re sleeping together. We have separate rooms, and Neil’s never treated me as more than anything but the daughter that he never had. This is the problem with small towns, the tongues start wagging, and everyone has ideas even if they have no foundation for them. I try and be friendly to everyone, but they treat me as if I have the plague or something. I smell the roasting chicken before I enter and soon forget about my loneliness. I catch Neil peeking in the oven.

“If you’re hungry, we can eat any time,” he says glancing at the kitchen clock. “The chicken’s done. It’ll only take me a few minutes to do the rice and broccoli?”

Great, plenty of time to have a quick shower and then I remember why I didn’t do all my chores. I wanted to see Isaac.

“Where’s Isaac? Isn’t he going to have lunch with us?”

“He had to leave. I tried to get him to stay but he refused,” his voice changes from being friendly to being cold.

“Oh, that’s too bad,” I want to say more, ask maybe why they were arguing when I left. But I know that it’s none of my business. Neil’s my employer and I’m his ranch hand.

“Yeah, I really wanted him to stay for lunch, but he does what he wants these days.” Neil sighs. “I don’t seem to know him as well as I used to. We were so close when he was growing up, but now he’s seems to have drifted away from me and the ranch,” he hesitates before saying it, “I think he has the same problem your dad had with the bottle.”

Oh, he likes to drink too much. He seems clean shaven and not the type. Then again I didn’t know that my dad had a problem until it was too late.

“I just thought that my dad liked having a drink after working. I never knew that it was more than that,” I feel stupid whenever I think back. It’s always clear when you look back at things to see the signs, but I was thinking about going to college, enjoying high school and worrying about whether my dad was a drunk never featured into it.

“I’m afraid it’s more than that,” he sighs as he sits down on the breakfast stool.

“Really?” I decide to forget taking a shower and just help Neil in the kitchen. I put the oven roasted chicken on the table. “It can cool a bit. The broccoli and rice are coming right up.”

“Good I’m getting hungrier by the second.”

“So, what exactly is Isaac’s problem?”

Neil sighs. “His drinking is destroying the company. I love the boy God; I love him. It just breaks my heart to see him struggling, because of the….”

He shakes his head for a minute as if he remembers something.

“Anyway, he’s just lost his way due to one tragedy after another. First, his mom dying of cancer. His dad and the suicide and then…anyway, I just need to help him.”

He’s missing out parts, I know about his son and his wife. So, there’s something else that must have happened to trigger it. I just don’t know what and without Neil telling me the whole story I kind of feel helpless.

“Sorry to hear that. I wish there were something I could do to help. I don’t like to see you disturbed, Neil. You’ve been so kind to me giving me a job and letting me live in your house.”

I put the broccoli and rice on the table, and we’re all ready to eat. I signal for him to sit, so he moves from the stool to the table.

“Well, there’s something you can do for me?” Neil says as he carves the chicken. “White meat or dark?”

“White,” I hold my plate near the chicken. “What it is that I can do, Neil?”

“Ah . . . Isaac needs someone to help him back on the right track.”

I tilt my head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“He needs a friend. I don’t think he has a friend in the city. I know that he has no one. He doesn’t even drive to work because he drinks too much in the morning. I was surprised that he made it this far without having a drink.”

“Wow, it’s that bad Neil?”

He nods, “That bad. But I think that you can help him.”

“Neil,” I smile. “Is that some hint?

Neil chuckles, “Well, you know that old saying, ‘if the shoe fits, wear it.’ He’s going to move back to the ranch for a while. I was hoping you would help me keep him busy when he’s here so he doesn’t feel the need to drink so much.”

“Neil!”

“No, no I don’t mean anything improper. Just go riding with him. Get him using the swimming pool again. Maybe get him to teach you to shoot pool.”

“Of course, Neil I’ll love to do that. The truth is I get sort of lonely here on the ranch. I always end up doing everything alone when you’re out with your friends.”

“I noticed that. Are they still treating you as if we’re an item?”

I nod my head.

Neil starts to slowly eat his chicken and says, “Well maybe it’s better if you move to the cottage at the back of the house. I just hated coming home to an empty home before, but since I’ve started being a bit sociable. I don’t mind it so much. Especially if Neil moves in.”

“Why should we make changes so that people don’t talk?”

He sighs, “Because we live in a small town. As much as we can say that they should mind their own business. I don’t want you to be lonely and unhappy anymore. I want you to have a social life and friends other than Autumn and me.”

“And Isaac?” I chime in.

“Yes, that’s all I ask. Just be his friend, he could do with one.”

I nod and change the subject, “Isaac doesn’t know what a great meal he’s missing especially the chicken sauce.”

It’s as though Neil has become my surrogate father. I enjoy meals with him. He’s always so calm and pleasant. The memories of my father at the dinner table are not so pleasant.

“Oh, I forgot to ask how Autumn is doing?”

“Neil, she is the love of my life since you gave her to me. I love riding her around the ranch.”

“When Isaac comes back then maybe you guys could go out for rides. He loves riding Buckskin.’

“Sounds good, I can’t wait for him to move in.”

He abruptly stops eating and says “Sorry, I can’t eat another bite, Olivia. I’ve had an emotional day. I’m going to head up for a bit and read, then take a nap. Thanks for keeping an old man company at lunch.”

“You don’t have to thank me. It’s my pleasure.”

Isaac’s a hottie. I bet he doesn’t have problems attracting beautiful women in Houston. I look forward to spending some time with him.

“Expect nothing, and you’ll never get hurt,” Mom used to say to me. I’ll take her words to heart when it comes to Neil. I’ll try to keep him distracted if that’s what Neil wants and besides it’s the least I can do for him. He’s given me a home and a job. Besides I could do with some company, even if it just happens to be a hottie like Isaac.

Chapter 3

Isaac

I wake up with a killer hangover. I must have got up at least three times during the night to pee. Every time I kept thinking about the old man and what he wanted me to do. Fucking, marry some girl that I don’t even know. What?

So, that she’ll either kill herself or even worse just end up dying of some disease. That’s the trait in our family, which is why it’s only granddad and I left. The rest are all gone and buried, which is why I drowned myself in work. That was the only way to get rid of the pain. Not thinking or feeling anything, just working until that day. The time that nothing could take away that pain, that’s when I found my relief. The one thing that helped me make it through the day and that was to get drunk.

There’s a knock on my bedroom door. I’m in my room in darkness. Just the way I like it, because I just need to be alone.

“What?”

I blurt out thinking that it can’t be my cleaner or my maid. I told both of them to take the week off. I thought that somehow the old man would see things my way and I’ll be at the office all week. The last thing I expected him to do was move me in for three months with some girl that he has working on the ranch.

“It’s Trevor. I’ve been sent to pick you up.”

Shit, if he sent you to wipe my butt, would you do that too?

“Go away, Trevor.”

He doesn’t shout back, but he opens the door. “I can’t do that. I’ve been with this family before you were born. I’ve never seen you behave this way and I’ve never seen Neil so worried. You may not give a shit about it.”

Then he enters and starts drawing the curtains. Something that my mom would do if she was alive. Then again, if she was then maybe I wouldn’t be in this state.

“Now, get showered. Dressed and then we’re heading up to the ranch.”

I’m about to tell him that I don’t appreciate a driver telling me what to do. But I know that Trevor’s more than just any driver. He’s the one that saved me from finding my dad hanging himself from school. Why else would he tell me to wait outside that day? Every single day from school had been the same, apart from that one.

Granddad practically raised me, but when he had to go and work for the company again. He waited until I could take over. Trevor was the one that was picking me from college with granddad at times, most of the time with grandma. She died of cancer too. Just like the rest of them, one at a time, just dying of one thing or another.

“I’m fucking not going, not yet.”

Trevor shakes his head, “You misunderstood Isaac. I wasn’t asking you. I was fucking telling you. Now get up, go and shower. Then get in the car.”

“Who do you think you are?”

He blurts out as he practically carries me from my bed with just one hand, “I’m someone who cares. Don’t even try and start any shit with me. Get up. Shower. Get dressed and let’s go.”

“You seem to forget one thing. I have a company to run. I can’t do that if I’m on the ranch for three months.”

He nods, “So you can do that if you’re stuck in bed for days?”

I don’t know how to reply to that; he has a point. It’s not as if I’ve even called into the office to find out how things are going or anything. Shit, I don’t even know if one day has passed or two? At times, I forget to care.

“Besides Neil has someone to step in temporarily while you’re at the ranch.”

Fuck, the old man’s got it all planned, and I feel even more resentment towards him.

“Isaac, you need help. That’s all Neil wants to do. Just let us help you,” Trevor sighs, and he no longer looks frightening or as if he’s trying to overpower me. He’s trying to act as a friend.

I feel as if I’m the same teenager boy that didn’t want to do anything after dad died, as I move around him because I don’t want to look at him. Besides the daylight is hurting my eyes, my room was so much better when it was dark.

As I enter the shower and the hot water beats on my body, it makes me feel new for a few minutes. I cleanse away the sickness and addiction of my habit. The one that I’ve become accustomed to doing later just for a few moments. Trevor’s not in my room. I can see that he’s taken a couple of cases, damn he even packed.

Neil’s not the only one that’s serious about me moving to the ranch; it seems that Trevor’s taken a hand in this idea too.

As I put on my jeans and a shirt. I don’t feel like wearing a suit. I would normally to hide the man that I’ve become and puts a mask, so everyone thinks that I’m the man that I used to be. The CEO who loved his family’s company. The one that started to work at a company that had been in his family for three generations. A dream that he’d held on to for so long. Compared to the one that he’d become. The one that was a drunk all the time and couldn’t even pack his bag to go and stay at the ranch.

I nodded, to Trevor who was standing at the door ready for us to leave. I looked around my apartment, the one that the bank most likely will take in the next few weeks. I’ve defaulted on the loan for so long that I was sure that there was probably a letter of notification in the mail arriving any day now.

Fuck I needed a drink!

A stiff one, and as I entered the limo I started to raid, the bar at the back and there was nothing. I had a feeling that they would do that. Trevor would make sure that I’ll get there sober, but if he wanted to do that, then he should have checked the bag that I was carrying. The one that will make me arrive in one piece, not having withdrawn symptoms because I had my bottle in the backpack that I was carrying. This would get me to the ranch in one piece and not feel the need to rip the back of the limo to bits because I wouldn’t be desperate for a drink?

Chapter 4

Olivia

Isaac’s been here three days, and he’s still acting like a pig. I glance around the bedroom at his clothes scattered on the floor, bed, and nightstand. God, he’s lazy. He never bothers to pick them up by himself. It’s my job to clean, but his room looks like a teenager’s and not one belonging to a grown man who runs a multi-millionaire dollar empire. If he’s this unorganized at home, no wonder the company is in trouble.

Things started out so good between us! I enjoy spending time with Isaac when we go riding around the ranch with me on Autumn and him on Buckskin. On horseback, he seems like a different person, laughing and carefree. He makes me feel good. But once he’s back at the ranch, he becomes moody and finds fault in everything I do. Nothing is good enough for him. Nothing!

“Daydreaming again?” Isaac says as he walks into his bedroom. I’m picking up after him again; I do it more for Neil. I just feel bad for him, because for sure one of the cleaners will complain about Isaac’s room. I know that I would if I was paid to clean up after him.

“Yeah, I’m dreaming that you’ll learn to pick up after yourself for once!”

“You do work here, right?”

He’s deadly serious as he folds his arms and stares at me. I don’t know what planet this man comes from? When does ranch hand involve cleaning up to the owners' grandson?

“Neil pays me a good wage to look after the ranch. Not clean up after you!”

Sometimes he makes it unbearable to be around him, I’ve been biting my tongue, but if he carries on this way, then I’ll have to forget to try to be nice to him. We can keep our distance especially because I don’t live in the main house anymore.

“I want to go riding this morning,” Isaac says offhandedly.

“You aren’t going to the office today?”

That’s what he said to me yesterday when I suggested that we ride today. I wonder what changed his mind?

“Maybe this afternoon. Now, I feel like riding!”

“Sorry, I’ve got laundry to do this morning,” I’m shaking my head. I’m not going to jump every time he wants to do something. If he wants to spend the morning riding around the ranch instead of taking care of the company, that’s his business.

“Have it your way,” Isaac says stalking out of the room like a little boy that’s been told that he’s not going to be taken out for ice-cream.

What did I see in him? I think shaking my head as he walks out of the bedroom. Okay, he is handsome and has a decent body, but that isn’t enough to build a friendship on and certainly not enough to building a relationship.

I fantasized about having sex with him when he first moved back to the ranch, but my initial attraction to him is slowly and surely fading. It’s a shame too because I enjoy the time we spent together riding and swimming. I’ve even come to enjoy him giving me pool lessons, but I still can’t make a decent shot to save my life.

Isaac storms out of the room, and I do the same. I’m going to let Gloria, the cleaner or Harriet the maid see his room. Let them sort it out. Neil said to keep Isaac company, not be his slave.

***

I head to the laundry room, wondering if maybe I was too harsh on Isaac? He’s a grown man, but he has the tendency to act like a big kid. I can’t get over the way he switches when we’re on the ranch and then it dawns on me.

When we’re not on the ranch, he’s not drinking. That’s the real Isaac and then as soon as we get back he hits the bottle like a duck to water, and that’s when the horrible side. The part that I hate starts to reveal like an onion, the more layers you peel, the more it makes you cry. He says nasty things and even at one time demanded that I fucking clean his boots because he thought that Ron, the other hand who cleans the boots had stolen his last pair. He insisted on me cleaning them and then we discovered that Isaac had taken them up to his room. God, he gets paranoid when he drinks.

I didn’t even notice that Neil’s poking his head into the laundry room.

“Hey, Olivia, I see Isaac’s not going to work this morning?”

“No, he said he didn’t have any appointments until this afternoon, and he felt like taking Buckskin out for a ride,” I explain, but I have a feeling that Neil already knows the answer to his question.

Neil slowly shakes his head. “That’s his problems. He does only what he has to do! He doesn’t put enough of himself into running the business. Not like before. He hasn’t even asked me who I put in his place while he’s here. It’s as if he’s not interested in it anymore. Maybe I should just think about putting him in rehab and forget about him going back to the office.”

Neil takes a deep breath, “Sorry to unload on you like this; I don’t know what’s got into him. I’ve hidden all the drink in the ranch. And I think that he’s got someone buying him some, because sometimes at night it’s clear that he’s drunk.”

“At least we’re on the same page about that.”

“You’ve noticed it too?”

I nod my head because I feel as if I should have spoken to Neil sooner, but Isaac’s only been here three days. It’s not as if he was going to change over night.

“An old saying comes to mind, and it seems to apply to him.”

“What saying is that?” I ask thinking that maybe I can be of more use to Neil and try and get Isaac away from his bad habit or disease as they call it.

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”

We both smile and laugh, just at the irony of him thinking of an old saying about Isaac drinking.

“I haven’t seen you smiling much lately. How is it going between you and Isaac? If I may ask?”

“It’s not going,” I admit. “I try, but if I get too close, he seems to lash out at me.” I shrug. “I’m not sure if he even likes me or thinks of me as a human being or just some servant?”

“Oh, I believe he does,” Neil says. “Maybe he won’t admit it. But I think he does. When he comes back from riding, he’s briefly his old self. Then he starts drinking and goes into the new Isaac, the one that I’ve become accustomed to hating lately,” he crosses his arms and leans back on the machine. Luckily, I never started one of them. I was too busy thinking about Isaac and maybe allowing him to take advantage of my kind nature.

“Neil, I’ve tried. I have tried, but I don’t know if I want to bother with him anymore. I’ve been more than fair to him. But I give, and he just takes,” I need to tell him the truth. That enough is enough. I know that Neil’s my boss, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

“Olivia, there’s something that I haven’t told you,” he sighs and takes my hand, and now he’s scaring me.

“What?”

My heart is racing out of control like the old dryer, the one that Neil refuses to replace because he said that his wife loved that dryer. It was her first one, and it makes so much noise at times I think that the whole ranch is going to collapse. That’s how I feel right now, as if the room’s making so much noise, but the only sound is my heart beat racing out of control.

I beg him, “Please. Tell me.”

Oh God! No!

I move away from him; I can’t breathe. The room feels so hot, and it’s as if I’m suffocating so I need to get out. I can’t lose someone else I love. I can’t take it.

“It might look like I’m in good health, but I’m not.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. “I don’t have long to live!” He says the words fast as though if he speaks generally, he won’t be able to tell me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask feeling a wave of panic swell up from the pit of my stomach.

He holds up his hands. “Olivia, I hate telling you this. You lost your parents not long ago, and I took you in. But I didn’t want to burden you with my family issues.” He starts to walk away, “I shouldn’t have told you. I’m sorry.”

I shake my head, “No Neil. I shouldn’t have asked. Maybe they’ll find a cure; maybe it’s not too late. You’re a rich man. They’re always bending over to help the rich.”

“You don’t have to worry you’ll be taken care of.”

“Neil, you think that’s bothering me? My family didn’t even bother helping me. They thought that we had money, and then they were interested, but when they learned that dad had drank it all away. They slowly took me in one-by-one. Please don’t tell me that this is the end. Neil, you mean so much to me. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t given me a job on the ranch. I owe you. And I pay my debts. Please tell me what it is I can do?”

“Help Isaac! I need to see him happy again before I go. I can’t let go knowing he’s lost his way. I need to see him in a better place. And only someone as kind and good-natured as you can help him. Olivia, do this for me.”

I feel like crying as I hug Neil, he gently strokes my hair and says, “Save your tears. It’s not over yet. As you said, there might be some hope. I just need you to help Isaac. I think that he likes you. He’s just not good at showing his feelings.”

I break away from Neil wishing that he’ll ask me to do anything else. If I spend any more time with him, then I may turn to drink myself, and I’ve never touched a drop. Not ever since I found out that it killed my parents. My watery eyes meet Neil soft pleading eyes I relent. “Of course, Neil. You know I would move heaven and earth for you. You . . . You’ve been like a father to me for the past two years.”

Neil’s face lights up with a smile. “That’s what I want to hear. Just give him a second chance, that’s all I ask.”

He kisses me on the forehead and then leaves the laundry room with his head bowed down. He’s feeling down, and I know that there’s only one way to put a smile on his face and that’s to help Isaac. I decide to go to his room; I’ll do the laundry later.

I head up the stairs with a mission on my mind, that’s to help Isaac. I’ll find out who’s buying drinks for him and put it to an end. I’ll search his room with the help of Gloria and get rid of the existing bottles. I’ll make Neil see that there’s nothing I won’t do for him and it starts and end with making Isaac turn his nose from liquor.

I knock lightly on Isaac’s bedroom door. “Isaac?” I call out.

No answer.

“Isaac? Do you want to go for a swim with me? Come on. It’s hot, and a swim will be refreshing.”

I’m trying to sound pleasant and as if I mean it. I’m not a good actress, but I need this to work. If it doesn’t then I don’t want Neil to feel bad. He doesn’t deserve it. I’m standing and waiting for him to answer the door. I grow impatient and just open the door. He’s not in bed. I open the door and step into his room. His bags are gone!

Damn!

He’s left I realize as I face an empty closet with none of his clothes in there. This is the first time that he’s left the room clean. Which means that either Gloria or Harriet has come to clean it.

What’s up with this guy?

I know that this time of day, Neil will be in the library. That’s where he’ll be ready with one of his books.

“You’re not going to believe this. Isaac’s gone.”

“What?”

“Yes, Neil he’s gone and so has all his things.”

He lifts his hand up in the air dropping his book, “I give up. I do.”

I blurt out, “I don’t. I’m going to go to the city and find him.”

“Olivia, you don’t need to do that.”

Yes, I do, because you’ve been more than a father to me and I owe you big time. I’m going to find Isaac, and I’ll give him a piece of my mind. Once I do, he’ll be the one running back here, with his tail in between his legs.

“I’ll go in the morning. Don’t worry Neil. I don’t work Thursday’s. So, I’ll have cover.”

I kiss the old man on the head and reassure him with a hand pat on his shoulders. He holds on to my hand for a second, maybe trying to figure out if I’m serious. I’m a woman of my word, and one thing’s for sure. I’m going to bring Isaac back. No more miss nice girl. He’s going to see a different side to me now.

Chapter 5

Isaac

What the fuck is wrong with everyone?

I was just about to get a bottle from the stables. That’s where I’ve been hiding my bottles when I get a phone call. Tom, the IT director, ’s quit. Granddad sent Steven in to run the company for the weeks that I’ll be at the stables. The guy’s a fucking mercenary, he’s my oldest cousin and is desperate to take over the family business. Granddad says that he’s good because Steven doesn’t get attached, that’s right he’s a fucking workaholic because no one wants to be with him. He’s the type that treats women like dogs and his staff as if they’re the bottom of the food chain.

I told Tom to sit tight, and I’ll be in the office in a couple of hours. As soon as I got here, it was fucking World War IV.

“Isaac you need to realize that you don’t need an IT Director, Senior Manager and Head of the IT Department. All in the same building and all doing the same fucking job,” Steven says as we all sit down to discuss Tom’s resignation.

Shit, I didn’t even realize that there were so many senior managers working in IT. I drum my fingers on the table because I know that Steven’s right. I feel like a fool for even jumping in the car, stroking my bottle the whole fucking journey thinking that I’ll be having a drink soon.

“So, what now?” I whisper as I feel as if I’m in fucking school and being told off by the principle.

“Well, he can leave immediately. That’s the way that we normally do it.”

Steven has that smug look on his face as he rubs his oversized stomach and balding head. The guy’s only thirty, and he looks over forty. If that’s what dedication and hard work look like, then they can count me out.

“I don’t understand why you drove all this way, Isaac? Aren’t you enjoying being on the ranch?”

I hate his smugness and his tone.

“Yes, it’s just that I wanted to make sure that everything was alright here. There’s nothing wrong with that. I am still the CEO.”

He stands up, “Yes, we all know that.”

Good, that shut him up!

“Seeing as you have everything in hand, then I’ll be getting back. I just need to take a few things from my office. If you don’t mind?”

He stands up, “Be my guest. After all, it is your office. I’m going to grab something to eat, so I’ll be gone a while. If I don’t see you again, then have a safe trip.”

I nod because there’s no fucking way that he’s going to see me again and I’ll make sure that I’m not here when he comes back.

I just want to go to my office to see if my stash is still there. I’m going to get my driver to take me back to the ranch, and I want to make sure that I have some good stuff before we reach there.

“Until next time Steven.”

He’s standing and waiting for me to say something. The one thing that I rarely do, but I know that if granddad were here, then he would force me to do it.

Fuck!

Just this one.

“Thank you,” I say through gritted teeth. The smugness and smile reappear on Steven’s face as he holds out his hand and says, “Anytime cuz.”

Great as if I need reminding that we’re related. That’s when it dawns on me as I slump my shoulders and head to my office. I better go back to the ranch. I was so lost in my thoughts when I came here that I didn’t even tell granddad that I was going. I could have told Olivia, but I hated the way that she treats me at times as if I’m her kid or something.

I’ve never been with a woman that doesn’t want me to try something. Not even once. She makes me feel as if I’ve lost my fucking touch. No man wants to be with a woman who wants to be his friend.

Hell no!

Every time I flirt with her, she just backs away. I grab my key open the closet and my Scotch Malt Whisky Society Karuizawa Single Malt is sitting there begging me to open it. Shit, it won’t have to wait long. One phone call and one long car drive with a couple of blocks of ice, and I’ll be in fucking heaven.

I’m stuffing it in my bag and closing the door. I’m about to leave when I see a face. One that I never expected to see this side of Texas.

“Olivia!”

“Isaac!” she says as she walks into my office.

I don’t even know what to say to her.

“I should have told you that I was leaving…”

“But you didn’t.”

She says with her hands on her hips. I may not know much about women, but I know one thing for sure. Olivia’s genuinely pissed.

“Well you didn’t, and I came to bring you back to the ranch.”

“Really?” I sigh, because I’m not used to seeing her not smile and acting a bit too chirpy any hour of the day. It’s as if she’s constantly on a happy dial. Maybe I’m rubbing off on her with my crappy attitude.

“But before we do that. Let’s go and have a coffee.”

She’s so fucking close that all I want to do is kiss her right now. Tell her that she must be as attracted to me as I am to her. But as she backs away I blurt out, “Fine, but you’re paying.”

Apparently, Granddad’s paying her too much. It didn’t take her long to get here, which means that she either drove or Trevor brought her? But he couldn’t have because he’s out for the day on some run, which means that she has her car. So, not only is she living in the cottage for free, she’s riding around town for free too. Not with me. Granddad may think that she’s an angel, but the way that she commanded me right now. I can tell that it’s all one big act.

Chapter 6

Olivia

I can’t believe that he agrees to everything I say. Something must have happened before I arrived at the office, part of me wants to know, and the other part thinks that ignorance is bliss and maybe that’s the problem. I’ve spent too much time trying to get to know him and forcing myself on him to some extent. Not stripping down and telling him to take me. But more subtly, like brushing my hand against his, or telling him to help me when I can do it myself.

Not once has he taken the hint!

Like the one time we were playing pool, he was so close to me that I could smell his woody scent. He just took the stick of me and told me that I needed to do it this way. He didn’t try to touch me, and I can’t just throw myself at him. I’m not that type of girl, but then he has a sadness about him. One that should make me stay as far away from him as possible, but it does the complete opposite it pulls me towards him like a magnet.

I do know one thing for sure. He’s holding on to his bag as if his life depends on it. That can only mean one thing. It has a bottle in it. So, I come up with the grand plan to distract him. Make him forget about what he’s holding.

“I thought that you might like to show me around, Houston. Instead of us rushing to the ranch.”

“But you stormed into my office saying that I was coming back to the ranch with you now!”

I laugh, “I know, but I’ve never been to Houston before.”

“You’re kidding me?”

“No, I’m serious. I’ve always lived in the country. Houston’s too crowded, and the traffic sucks. I was always afraid to drive here. But I finally decide it was time to tackle my fear of the traffic head on.”

“But it's only a couple of hours from the ranch! You make it sound as if it’s the other side of the world.”

“To you maybe, but for me, it’s a couple of hours by car and the world apart socially,” I sigh as I finish my second cup of coffee. I wonder if he’s mocking me or trying to educate me? I can never tell, but then there’s something different about our conversation compared to when we’re on the ranch. Maybe he seems me as Neil’s ranch hand there, and here he’ll see me in a different light?

“I’ll show you around. You can’t come to Houston, have a cup of coffee, and return to the ranch without seeing more of Houston than Interstate 10.”

Suddenly, I don’t want to go back to the ranch. I want to spend more time with Isaac. “Great, maybe I’ll like Houston if I see a little more of it.”

“What would you like to see?”

“Space Center Houston,” I say without hesitating. “I’ve wanted to visit it since I was a little girl. I remember telling everyone that one day I was going to be an astronaut and go the see the man on the moon.”

“To see the man in the moon?” Isaac laughs.

“I was only five years old,” I pout thinking that he’s mocking me now.

“It’s just cute. I didn’t think that you would be interested in things like that. You just caught me by surprise.”

We say nothing for a second, and I don’t know what to take about what he just said.

Doesn't he think that I’m educated? Or that I’m interested in space?

I’m about to ask him when he blurts out, “Space Center Houston it is. Come on, let’s go.”

He grabs my hand, and the other is safely in his bag. He’s smiling and maybe my plans working because as we get to his car. He dumps the bag at the back.

“Come on, cowgirl. No horses today, cars only in downtown,” Isaac says as he opens the car door for me. I feel like a Princess as he waits for me to enter. My car’s parked for the day, but as soon as he takes the wheel and starts driving, I have to close my eyes.

Isaac burrows through the notorious Houston traffic, and I think about the country roads near the ranch. They’re nothing compared to the noisy drivers in the city. I can’t wait for us to get there, so as soon as Isaac increases the volume of the radio. I start concentrating on the radio show and don’t even think about the way that he drives. Thank goodness he doesn’t ride horses the same way that he does cars. That’s when I spot the space shuttle atop the 747 as we approach the Space Center. I feel a surge of excitement that I don’t even try and hide.

“Excited?” Isaac says turning to smile at me as he parks the car.

I squeal, “Yes, I can’t believe that we’re here.”

Then I clap my hands together, and I can’t help but let out a little scream as he parks the car.

“Are we doing this?” I ask as he takes my hand and we enter the Space Center. "Where do you want to start?" I close my eyes and think for about two seconds, what's the one thing that I've always been dying to see the most, "The historic Apollo 11 command module without a doubt."

He nods, "Good choice. My lady gets what my lady demands.”

Then I loop my hand into his arm as he locks the car and then we go on a tour. I expected Isaac to go to the module and then turn around. The more time we spent in there, the more he wanted to see. I soon realized that he hadn’t been in there since he was a kid.

“It seems as if I’m not the only one was excited to come.”

He confesses, “You got me there. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

“Should we see some more?”

He laughs, “Why not? We’ve got nothing else to be rushing back for? Or do you have to work at the ranch today?”

I shake my head, “You’re asking me now. After we’ve spent most of the morning and afternoon out together?”

He laughs, “You know the crazy thing about it all?”

As he ignores my question, curiosity wants to know what’s on his mind.

“No.”

“I haven’t even wanted a drink.”

This means that my plan’s working. I start flicking through the guide book. I want us to stay all day, not only because I want to spend time with him, but because I never thought I'd say this, but I’m loving not being at the ranch for the first time in a long time.

***

I stop as we near the car and take out my cell phone. “I have to call Neil. It’s my day off, but I didn’t tell him that I got here safely.”

“Don’t go back,” Isaac says. “There’s much more to see in Houston. Tomorrow we can see more sights.”

“But where am I going to stay?”

“In my apartment. It’s huge. Of course, it’s nothing near as many square feet as the ranch house, but it’s more than big enough for the two of us.

“Okay, I’ll stay. You’ve twisted my arm.”

He nods, “Good now, call granddad and tell him that you’ll be back tomorrow night. I pick up my phone and Neil picks on the first ring, “Hi Neil’s speaking.”

“Neil, it’s Olivia,” I say as my eyes dart from Isaac to the floor.

“Where are you?”

“Houston.”

“ I know that you said that you were going, but I thought that you might change your mind,” he chuckles as he talks about my trip.

“Yeah, I surprised myself. Uh . . . I’m with Isaac. We just got through touring the Space Center,” I’m smiling at Isaac, but I know what he’s looking at. The back seat and his bottle that’s waiting for him.

“Now, that’s worth a trip to Houston for sure. Uh . . . How is Isaac? Are the two of you coming back to the ranch tonight?”

“Isaac wants to show me more sights in Houston tomorrow. He said that I could stay in his apartment.”

I’m nodding my head waiting for a reaction from Neil. He’ll tell me if it's not a good idea. He’ll reassure me if it’s the right thing to do.

“I think that’s great. It’s about time you got away from the ranch and saw some of the city. Why don’t you take a couple of days off? You and Isaac enjoy yourselves. It’ll do both of you good.”

“You sure, Neil. You sure you’ll be okay. I’m worried about . . . You know your health.”

“Olivia, I’ll be fine. I’ll go down to the Brass Rail for meals. Don’t worry about me. Just have fun.”

“If you’re sure?” I say glancing at Isaac and smiling.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure.”

“Okay. Bye,” I say as I hung up the phone.

I turn to Isaac to tell him the good news, “Well, it looks like you’re stuck with me for a few days, Isaac.”

“You make it sound like something bad,” Isaac says as he opens the car door for me.

“Do you like Italian food?”

“Yes, lasagna is my all-time favorite!”

“Well, it just happens that there’s a great Italian restaurant near my apartment that I eat at regularly. And their lasagna is to die for, so you’re in luck.”

“I just need to get my car from the parking lot. I can’t leave it there all night.”

He shakes his head, “It’s fine. I’ll pay for it, and you didn’t bring anything with you. You didn’t know that you were staying overnight.”

He’s right about that. I visioned myself going back tonight for some reason. Not spending the day at the Space Centre and I never thought that I'd be enjoying myself with him.

“So, let’s go and get lasagne!”

As we ride in the car, I can’t think of anything better than spending the next couple of days with Isaac. Not only is the idea of speaking to someone and spending time with them, it feels as if it’s the best gift in the world. Neil and I have our moments, but apart from meal time, I don’t go out with him, or anything like that. This is about two people just enjoying each other’s company. My eyes dart towards Isaac once in a while. I wonder if he knows how I feel, but then again if he did he would make a move by now. It’s obvious that there is just one sided Isaac doesn’t feel any attraction towards me, I’m starting to realize it more and more. Isaac pulls into the parking lot of a small restaurant with a neon sight spelling out Fettuccines in big red letters.

Isaac wasn’t lying about being a regular at the restaurant. The moment we walk in the waiter standing a podium with a sign. “Good evening Isaac.” The front manager greets him with a wink and a smile. Isaac responds with the same friendly gesture.

“We haven’t seen you for a few days.”

Isaac smiles, “Yes, I had to spend time with my granddad on his ranch.”

The Front Manger smiles at me, then back to Isaac, “Do you want your usual table?”

“Yes, and we’ll like a bottle of Cotes du Rhone wine.”

I start to ask what kind of wine that is, but as I follow him to the table, Isaac smiles and says, “You’ll love the wine.”

An older waiter who looks Italian bring us some breadsticks and a small shallow dish with olive oil.

I glance at Isaac because I’m completely lost and feel pathetic that as much as I love lasagne, I’ve never eaten it in an Italian restaurant. Only when they’ve had an Italian night in town at the local bar. That’s when I first sampled it and ever since then I checked out the recipe on the net and made it once in a while.

He smiles reassuringly, “You dip the bread in the olive oil.”

“Damn, is it so obvious that I haven’t got a clue what to do with everything?”

He laughs,“That’s what I like about you. You are sort of unspoiled like the air in the country.”

“I guess that’s a nice way to say I’m a country bumpkin.”

We both chuckle. I like hearing Isaac laugh.

“Ah, was granddad upset yesterday when I moved back to my apartment,” Isaac asks, suddenly turning serious.

“A little, but I think he understands, but he just wants what’s best for you.”

“Yeah, well I’m a big boy living in the city. Not the boy that he raised so many years ago. Sometimes he has a hard time distinguishing between the two of us,” he lets out a sigh as he pours us glasses of water. “He needs to let go, and maybe I do too.”

“I’m confused, what you mean about you need do the same?”

He doesn’t answer as the waiter interrupts and brings the bottle of red wine. He pours Isaac a little in his wine glass, and it’s just like in the movies. Isaac takes a small sip and nods his head at the waiter who then pours wine into my glass before give more to Isaac. I taste the wine, and I raise my eyebrows thinking that I would love to say that I hate it. Just for the sake of it, but it’s not in my nature to do that.

I put my glass down and say, “I could get used to this type of lifestyle.”

He smiles at me in a way that he never has before.

The rest of the meal is delightful. I realize as I set the table from Isaac that I don’t want the magical moments to end. I’m afraid that when we walk out, we’ll end up bickering like we did at the ranch. But the mood follows us out in the hot, humid Houston night air.

“Now, I get to show you my apartment. I think you’ll be impressed. It’s decorated in Johnnie Versace.”

“Was he gunned down on the stoops of his house in Miami?” I ask suddenly recalling an old new report.

“Yes, and the world lost a great designer.”

“I remember that he was expensive,” I’m thinking about one day having my home. A place that I can have for my own and decorate it the way the way that I want to have it.

“I guess so,” Isaac replies, “Right here we are!”

He says as he parks outside an apartment block, and I don’t know if this is a good idea. Not only is it late, and I have no underwear or any clothes, but this place is chic. Back on the ranch, I’m in my comfort zone, as we enter his apartment I’m afraid to walk on the white carpet. I start to take my shoes off, but Isaac shakes his head.

“Don’t worry about it,” he says.

The tour of the apartment leaves me overwhelmed. Once the tour is over, he stops at one of his two guest bedrooms. “This one is yours, don’t worry there’s things a toothbrush, bathe robe and towels.”

I laugh, “Do you have underwear in there too?”

He shakes his head, “Sorry, I don’t.”

There’s an awkward silence between us as if he doesn’t know what to say, but I know how I feel. I want him to tell me that he doesn’t want this night to end. Not to just drop me off at my bedroom.

“I don’t think I’ve ever slept in bed as big as that,” I say nodding toward the huge round bed. Then he grabs my arm and spins me towards him. His lips are on mine, in a kiss, he did what I expected him to do all day and gave up hope. I didn’t think that Isaac was interested until now. I thought that he was thinking of me as a little sister, one so inexperienced that he had to give instructions to in a restaurant.

He crushes his face against mine, sandwiches my body between his chest as his tongue explores my mouth greedily while darting in between it. Whereas his fingers prowl my shoulders, back and the nape of my neck. I’m trying to kiss him back, but I can’t as he’s so powerful and determined that I feel as if so helpless compared to Isaac.

I feel the throbbing building against my stomach, and I feel confident that I’m not going to be sleeping in this bed tonight.

That’s when he takes me by surprise and pulls back.

“Shit! I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Why?

Why does he back away now, the first time that I’ve known that he’s been interested and he leaves me hanging. I can’t get to sleep now. I decide that I’m going to need a cold shower, one that will stop me from going to the room next door and begging Isaac to finish what he started only a few seconds ago.

Chapter 7

Isaac

God, I bet he sent her! Granddad’s trying to manipulate me! Do this! You should do that. It’s for your good!

My lips still tingling from the passionate kiss and I shake my head as I enter the bedroom. I didn’t realize she was so hot blooded. I pause to rearrange my cock. It’s pressing painfully against my zipper. I need to have a cold shower, I’ve resisted touching her all this time. I’m not about to give it all up now, especially when granddad’s pushing me into a corner.

Fuck it!

Cold showers not even going to do or get rid of the anger that’s boiling inside of me right now. I pick up the phone and decide to have it out with him.

“Hello,” Granddad answers after the second ring.

“It’s me, Isaac! Did you send her to get me! And don’t lie to me, Granddad. I’ll find out the truth!”

I decide that with my painful hard-on and knowing that Olivia’s next door. I’ll just have it out with him. I can’t deal with any of this pussy footing around.

“Isaac, no, I didn’t even know she was there until she called me this afternoon. I thought she’ll change her mind about coming to Houston. She’s tried a couple of times and each time she chickens out. I couldn’t believe it when she said that she actually made it.”

“You didn’t tell her to come see me? Are you sure?”

I’m still not convinced that he’s telling me the truth. He hasn’t done it until now, why should it be any different. Besides this conversation’s useless. He’s not going to tell me the truth on the phone. I’m not sure why I’m even calling him.

“No, I wouldn’t even want her to drive on I-10. That road’s hell,” he sounds out of breath as if maybe he was in bed or something and the phone call woke him up.

“Well, she showed up at the office this morning and asked me if I wanted to go for coffee. I was sure that you sent her.” My voice softens a bit as I start to calm down, “So why did she come?”

“Isaac, haven’t you guessed the truth about her yet, that she’s a decent girl, country girl. Hell, she’s a cowgirl and the reason that I wanted you to get married. She's the type that’ll stay with you through thick and thin. Olivia’s so damn reliable that you can put a clock behind her and she’ll stick at the right time.”

“So you think that I need a clock to get on the straight and narrow?”

“No! What you need is someone to bring you out of the darkness, so that you can stop punishing yourself for the past. She reminds me a lot of your grandma. That’s why I like her so much.”

“More than Dede?”

Granddad says, “That’s not fair. I’m not going to compare the woman that you loved and lost to Olivia. But I will say this; she’s different. Dede decided to keep from you that she was carrying your baby. She knew the risks, and she was willing to take them.”

I cough, feeling the need for a drink as he relives my life. The part that I’m trying to keep deeply buried, “Dede was keeping our child to bring us together. I was too busy working and trying to get over mom’s death to see what was going on.”

Granddad sighs as we’ve had this decision so many times, “Son, we don’t know why she did it. All we know is that with her genetic heart defect, she shouldn’t ever be pregnant let alone attempt to have babies. She was offered the chance to have a hysterectomy, and she chose not to have one. That has nothing to do with you or I. That was her decision.”

There’s a moment of silence as I manage to find my whiskey bottle and debate whether to start drinking it. My erection that I had thinking about Olivia has turned my cock into a limp one. The same it does every time I talk about the past. I don’t even care about getting it on. All I can think about is talking to Dede. Telling her that it doesn’t matter if she can’t have children. I love her and getting down on one knee and giving her the one thing that she wanted, marriage. Grandad’s right no one knows what Dede was thinking, all I know is that I saw her when she was seven months pregnant on our bathroom floor begging me to help her up. By the time I did and took her to the hospital, it was too late. Our baby had died before then, and Dede did shortly after our baby.

Granddad clears his throat, “So, did you two have fun?”

The hope that I hear in his voice irritates me. I try to keep in mind that he’s an old man. One that’s supposedly dying, but the more I think about it. The more I doubt that even that’s true, but he knows what I’ve been through. He wouldn’t dare lie about that.

“Yeah, it was nice. Nice.”

“Where is she now?”

“In the guest bedroom, next to mine.”

“Really?”

“I didn’t realize that you were such a dirty old man, Granddad. I know what’s going through your mind.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Right. Okay, I’m going to bed . . . Alone!”

“Have a good night, son and I’ll see you at the ranch tomorrow.”

“’Bye!” I say and hang up.

I put my cell phone away. As I climb into bed and leave the bottle by the side. I decide to take Olivia to the office with me tomorrow morning. If things go well, I’ll take her out to lunch and drive her around town to show her more of Houston. I did enjoy today for the first time in a long time I had the opportunity to relax. Maybe granddad’s right, and she’s a welcome distraction, for the first time I never thought about Dede and our baby until tonight, but I don’t feel guilty about moving on. If anything, I think of it as a welcome relief.

Chapter Eight

Olivia

I hear a loud knock on the door. It's so loud that it scares me and I jump up the moment I realize that it’s Isaac thumping at the door, "Olivia wake-up!

“Go away!” I want to shout out, but I don’t I just whisper it while covering my head underneath the covers. I don’t want to get out of these silk sheets. Doesn’t he know that the bed coverings that I have in the cottage are nothing compared to this, I could sleep here all week.

“We’re going for breakfast, get up.”

Now, he’s not on the other side of the door. I have no clothes on, and I’m naked underneath the covers. If I were confident enough to seduce him, then I would just take off the covers and stand naked in front of him. But I can’t even if I knew how to do it.

Like a mouse I whisper, “I have no clothes on.”

I’m waiting for a reaction from him. Instead, he just blurts out, “Well get in the shower and get ready. We’re going to breakfast.”

I’m so damn confused, one minute he’s just kissing me and the next he’s talking to me as if we’re friends. We’re not. He should want me, but then he doesn’t. Damn it Isaac, what do you want?

I think as I take off the covers and pop my head out wondering if he’s still in the room. When I see that he’s gone. I should be relieved, but I’m not. I was hoping that he’ll still be around.

I didn’t sleep; the pounding headache doesn’t escape me as I try and stand up to figure out what I’m going to wear. That’s when I see neatly laid on the side, a new set of underwear. Wow, he must have gone to buy it while I was sleeping. My old set is next to it, so that’s how he knew the size. That was thought of him as well as the jeans and shirt next to it. It’s as if he’s thought of everything. Anything. But being with me.

I should be happy; I think as my toes sink into the cream carpet and I stretch out in the room. Then I see that he’s drawn the curtains and someone could see me, so I hurry into the bathroom and have a shower. Just like he said there's a robe and everything that I need to freshen up including a toothbrush. I quickly shower and pin my hair back. I could dry it, but that would take ages and the way that he was trying to get me to get ready. I’m assuming that time isn’t on our side.

As I put my clothes on, it doesn’t take long for me to find Isaac. He’s standing just outside my door. I wonder if he was debating whether to come in or not this whole time? Why does he keep backing away?

“You were waiting for me by standing outside my door?”

He shakes his head not saying a word, he’s not looking at me, but more at my feet.

“Did something happen?”

Again, he shakes his head, but says, “We need to get going.”

He says it so quietly automatically I feel the need to comfort him. What happened? Why does he always do that?

I grab his hand, “Isaac have you been drinking again?”

This is the only time that his mood changes, whenever he’s had a drink. That must be why he’s acting like this.

“No, I’m just thinking that we should get going. I haven’t touched a drink, but if we stay here any longer. I might just do that.”

On that note, we move quickly to the elevator and head to his car. Black suits him; I thought that with his dark hair that it’ll absorb into one. But no, with his polo shirt and black pants he looks completely different to when we’re on the ranch.

“What are you smiling about?”

He asks as we stand in the elevator.

“Oh, just how different you are here compared to in the ranch.”

He nods, “That’s because the ranch is my place of insanity.”

“And here your place of sanity?”

“Yes.”

Then we head out of the elevator, and I follow him like a puppy. It doesn’t make any sense if here is his place of sanity then why does he drink when he’s here.

“So how comes you’ve been drinking whenever you’re here?”

He opens the car door, and I stand to wait for him to reply, “Because there’s been so much pain on the ranch.”

He motions for me to sit down and I follow suit. He closes the car door, and he doesn’t wait for me to prompt him. He turns to face me, “My mom, grandma, and my dad all died at that ranch.”

“I thought your mom and grandma were sick?”

He nods, “They were and when they found out that there was nothing more that the hospital could do for them. They opted to die at home. Part of me wishes they hadn’t. The selfish part of me and I hate it at times, so I do the one thing that I’m good at, I just avoid the ranch.”

“I sometimes visit the place that my parents died; they died in a car crash.”

“I know you told me Elle; they say that time heals all wounds eventually. I don’t want the wounds to heal. I just want to forget it most of the time.”

“About your parents and grandma?”

He shakes his head, “No. Not about them.”

He’s quiet for a moment, and it’s as if he’s thinking about something, but then he changes his mind, “We need to get there soon otherwise, we won’t enjoy our day out.”

“Are we not going to the ranch today?”

He laughs, “You do love that place?”

“No, I just miss Autumn.”

“The horse?”

I sigh, “She’s not just any ordinary horse. She’s my horse. I’ve never owned one before. I don’t own anything now. Even the car I’m driving is Neil’s. He just gives me free access to it. Anyway, where are we going?”

"We're going to the Common Bond Cafe & Bakery. You are going to eat too much chocolate, doughnuts, and all sweet things. Because it's my treat and in between that when you feel like sleeping. I'll pump you up with some coffee to help you eat some more,” he starts the engine and then backs out of his space.

“There goes my diet!”

As we get to the door, to leave the building. He smiles, “Your diet. You don’t need to be on one. Your body’s perfect.”

Then he winks at me, and his hand touches my leg. I want to hold it, but then he moves it away quickly and starts focusing on the road. I feel like a teenage girl that’s got a major crush. It starts and ends with Isaac. I want him so bad, that I can’t think of anything else right now, but tonight the pair of us sharing the same bed. He can take me all he wants, because if this is a taste of his true personality, then I don’t want to go back to the ranch. I love the old Isaac. The one that Neil’s been talking about when he asked me to give him another chance. It just feels natural doing it now compared to when we were together at the ranch.

“What are you smiling about?”

I laugh, “You and I. I hated you so much at the ranch.”

“I don’t blame you. I’m a bit of a jerk when I drink.”

“So, you know, and you keep doing it.”

He doesn’t say a word; there’s something that happens every time. Something that stops him from talking to me and telling me exactly what’s on his mind. I thought that it was drinking, but then I started to think that it was losing his relatives. But there’s something else. It’s starting to make sense now why he doesn’t want to touch me; there’s someone else. Maybe a girlfriend and this is the reason for the photo in the hallway, but when I asked him about it. He just brushed me off. The same way that he’s doing it now. I don’t know what to think about him; sometimes it’s as if we get close and then he backs away. Whereas I’m like an open book. What you see is what you get!

I see the sign and that there are a few people in the restaurant, which has glass walls. The place is starting to get busy as customers enter, but I love the waiters uniform with their white hats and matching shirts. It’s as if they’re bringing something old-fashion to the modern Houston.

“Cool, this is the place right?”

I ask as he parks and turns off the engine.

“Yep, I’m kind of shocked that I’ve got parking nearby. Usually, it’s a struggle which is why I woke you up early. Sorry?”

“You forget that I’m a cowgirl. I’m used to getting up early, besides seven-thirty is not exactly at the beginning of my book.”

“Right this place has everything from irresistible croissants, every type of bread that you can think off and cookies too. And anything you don’t want right now. We can take with us. They have gift boxes because some people give them as gifts.”

He gets out of the car, and I want to ask him before we enter. I’m dying to get it off my chest, and I didn’t want to say it while he was driving.

“Is this where you bring all your girlfriends?”

I get out of the car, and he asks, “Why do you think that?”

“Oh, because of the picture in your apartment.”

He clears his throat as he shuts the car door, “She wasn’t just my girlfriend. She was my fiancee.”

Shoot, why didn’t I keep my big mouth shut?

“I love coffee,” he lifts up his elbow for me to loop my hand in his, “This place has the best coffee, and you can see them working at the back of the bakery. If you want to take photos, then let me know.”

“Let me guess; you’re a regular here too?”

He raises an eyebrow, “How did you know?”

I shake my head, “Do you ever just stay at home and eat?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

Then as we arrive, he opens the door for me. I see that the interior has a mixture of steel and wood. There’s a mixture of people here, which I find weird because in town there’s a segregation between what the youngsters like and what the old folks do, but here it’s as if everyone’s just here enjoying the croissants, chocolate and everything else.

“Isaac, I don’t even know what coffee to choose. It’s as if it’s in a different language?”

He laughs, “Don’t worry, I’ll look after you. Is it okay if I order for you?”

I nod my head because my hands still looped on to his and all I can think about is the fact that he said that he'd look after me. Is it just while I’m in Houston or is he thinking about doing it a little while longer?

Chapter Nine

Isaac

This is our final night here, and I decide that I’d take her to my favorite restaurant, Louie’s. I took her shopping to buy a dress for the evening. I couldn’t believe how hot she looked in a black crossover dress. Everyone stared at her from the moment we walked into the restaurant.

Olivia thought that they were staring because she was worried about what cutlery to use and not knowing what to order. Watching her innocence should annoy me, but it does the complete opposite, it just intrigues me even more. How she’ll react if I order things for her and what she’ll do if she doesn’t like it.

There’s nothing about her that doesn’t surprise me, and I know that I'm not honest with her. I should tell her about Dede. Explain the reason why I started drinking “I can’t believe that I’ve seen so much in two days.”

She slumps down on the sofa, and I see her dress ride her up the leg. It’s fully exposed, and I should take her now. I think that’s what she wants, but I can’t fucking tell.

“There’s so much more to do.”

She smiles, then pats for me to sit down next to her. “I know, but between the Children’s Museum, the Space Center, Aquarium and I’m never setting foot inside another zoo. That’s enough for now. Maybe next time if I can come here, you can show me more. And as for having breakfast at Common Bond Cafe, please let us do it again. I want to try some of their muffins and the rest of their croissants. Oh and the coffee menu. I'm curious as to what a drip coffee, flat white, lavender latte and a chai latte tastes like.”

I laugh as I sit next to her. I move my cock out of the way and think about just talking to her. Nothing else. But then I can’t help but get distracted as her breasts start to glow in the moonlight.

“As for this dress, when you bought it for me. I felt like Cinderella.”

She looked so beautiful as the assistant told her to come out and show me. I found myself speechless, not because I didn’t think that she looked great in the dress. She looked better than great, but it brought back a painful memory. One of the time that I’d taken Dede there, and she’d done the same thing. I was on my phone, Dede told me that night that she could have been wearing a bag over her head and I wouldn’t have looked twice at her.

I was consumed with work; I thought the woman I had at home was enough. We were going to get married; she was pregnant, everything was in place. I never knew that she was risking her life for me. I hate myself for not seeing the desperation in her actions. I hurt her so fucking badly that she died, just because of me.

I can’t have another woman love me. I know that Olivia’s so easily blinded by my charm. She thinks that I’m this great guy if she knew the truth about me. She wouldn’t stay here; she would run away.

I’m lost in my thoughts that I don’t say a word. If anything, she needs to go to bed alone. As far away from me as possible.

“Thanks, Isaac,” she says as she gives me a kiss on the cheek and then she jumps up. I’m disappointed, but I don’t know what it is about her. Maybe it’s the fact that I know she’s working for granddad and he’s setting us up. I want her so fucking bad, and the temptation’s too strong.

“I need to hit the showers.”

“You look stunning in that dress.”

“Really?”

I nod my head, “Really.”

“It’s just when you saw me in it; you just turned away. I was kind of worried that maybe it was too sexy for me.”

Shit, she doesn’t have a clue about how hot she is, does she?

I’m about to get up to get some water when she blurts out, “Anyway, I’m going to have a shower.”

Shit, a shower without me, I can’t even respond to that. My cock’s rock hard as I watch her walk away and then as she enters the bedroom. I see that she doesn’t shut her door. That’s an invitation, but one that I shouldn’t take. Then, I hear her running the shower. She’s left that door open for me to.

I hear to the open-plan kitchen and grab some water. I take a big sip of my drink, all the time thinking that this is granddad’s trap. He wants me to fall for her. I can’t do it. No, I fucking won’t. I feel as if I’m standing for hours debating about going into her room, but then as I hear the shower stop. I feel relieved that she didn’t stay in there any longer. She walks into the living room in a snow-white robe with her hair done up in a white towel; I almost shoot my load she looks so fucking hot! I don’t say anything as it seems our bodies are being pulled together as though magnetized.

I walk to the living room; we stand to face each other. No words are exchanged as our lips touch, rekindling the passionate memories of the other night’s kiss. I don’t think we can bring more passion to our lips, but we do. I want to devour her. My tongue feels like it’s wiggling around in liquid fire as we kiss.

I want to reach down inside her robe but am afraid that she will stop me and end the enchantment. But I can’t stop myself from sliding my hand into the opening of her robe and touching her belly button.

Instead of protesting she sighs loudly, “Yes.” She wants me to take her, but I don’t know if she knows what’s at stake. This isn’t by chance. Somewhere in the midst of it, we’ve been set-up, but I can’t resist her, not anymore. Especially, knowing that this is our last night together. I let my fingers move down her flat stomach. I feel a surge of excitement when my fingers touch her pussy hair. God, she is an old-fashion cowgirl. I touch the mound around her pussy. My cock throbs wildly!

Olivia moans as my index finger locates her pussy lips. They are tight as I push my index finger inside her. The moan that escapes her causes my cock to bob up and down.

The tip of my finger touches her clit. Olivia’s entire body shudders. Suddenly, her big breasts are pressing against my shirt.

I start pumping my finger back and forth inside her moist, hot pussy as Olivia moans softly in her throat while I fuck her mouth with my tongue.

I pull back from our embrace, this is wrong, she deserves better. She’s innocent isn’t she. That’s why I’ve been holding back. Not only because granddad’s been pushing us together, but because I know that she’s a virgin.

“You’re a virgin, right?”

“Yes,” she purrs as she wants me to take her once again.

“Maybe we shouldn’t,” I say even though my cock is bouncing up and down wildly.

“I want you, Isaac,” she says as she pulls her robe apart and steps out of it.

The sight of her naked as she drops her robe to the floor flips on every sexual switch in my body that I can’t resist the temptation. I slowly take off my shirt, peeling away at it. Waiting to change my mind any moment, but I can’t as I unbuckle my belt and my pants drop to the ground. Her eyes grow larger as she sees my long fat cock jerking up and down. Without a word, I lift her into my arms and take her into my bedroom. I kiss her softly on her full perfect lips before lying her on her back.

I have only eyes for her breasts and red haired crotch as I climb on top of her. I start to kiss her lips but my mouth diverts to her right nipple. I take it in my mouth and run my tongue over it.

“Isaac, oh, Isaac,” she calls my name. My name’s rolling off her tongue is one of the sweetest sounds I’ve ever heard.

With my mouth clamped over her nipple I reach down and guide the head of my cock to the tight lips of her young, unsullied pussy. I press the head against the quivering lips guarding the entrance to her pleasure hole. They block my entrance. I press down harder.

Olivia moans as she tosses her head from side to side.

The big head of my cock pries open the lips of her pussy slowly, gently. I get my first taste of the hot moist flesh that her tight lips are reluctantly giving me access to.

I cry out with my mouth still enclosed around her nipple as the head of my cock enters her hot flesh. I try to be gentle, but my cock has tasted the pleasure between her legs and wants more. I hunch my hips downward. My cock head spears into her pussy smashing through her hymen.

Olivia cries out as I drive my cock as deeper inside her pussy.

“Shit, does it hurt?”

She whimpers, “You’re so big.”

I pull my cock out of her completely thinking that I must be hurting her and then I start to rub the head against her entrance and slowly enter her. She starts to hold on to me. She’s no longer crying out of pain, but only pleasure as I hold her hands and we’re on her bed. I’m rocking into her as her wetness eases me into her sweet innocent pussy.

I start to change into powerful strokes as I can’t hold back my frustration any longer. “Yes!” she screams out as I know that her first orgasm’s starting to rip through her. She’s crying out as if her life depends on it.

I shift an angle to penetrate her deeper and bring her closer to the edge, but I have no intention of stopping. Not until every I milk every drop of her climax over and over again.

“Shit, you’re so fucking tight,” I blurt out as I start to pick up the pace. I grunt as I’m completely inside of her. There’s no holding back as I fill her up completely.

I should have used a condom, but I couldn’t resist her. She was butt naked in front of me, fucking begging me to take her. She handed her virginity to me on a fucking plate.

I start to tremble as if the animal inside of me has been set free. My strokes are no longer powerful, but quick thrusts as I can see that any minute I’ll be joining her as my body takes on a mind of its own.

“Fuck, I’m coming!”

I blurt out as her breasts rub against my chest. There’s a flash of heat that feels as if the whole fucking bedroom’s about to come apart as the bed bangs furiously against the wall. I can’t remember the last time I had sex. It’s been a while, my cock’s been practically dead with the amount that I’ve been drinking lately. Yet, it’s alive whenever Olivia’s near me.

It seems to go on a lot longer than I thought it would as I keep thrusting into her and her cries have turned into screams of pleasure.

That’s when I hear a rumble in my chest and my body stiffens, I slam into her so hard as my come spills inside of her. It fucking jerks so many times wanting her to milk every last piece of my come.

I know that I should have been careful, I should have taken precaution, but I didn’t and as I stiffen and my cock keeps jerking I know that I’ve crossed the line. The one that I’ve fought so hard not to do.

Finally, it comes to an end and I move to the side of her. I leave her naked body next to mine and I laugh, “God, that was good. I haven’t done that in so long.”

I’m out of breath and trying to get my thoughts together, should I go to my room or just lie next to her. I haven’t done that with anyone, not since Dede died, the idea of it all makes me feel as if I’m cheating on her. I would never do that to the one woman that I’ve loved, but as I look at Olivia and see her innocence. She’s smiling as if all her dreams have come true.

She wanted this, but before I was suspicious thinking that she knew granddad’s plan. She gently kisses me on the lips and says, “I’m so glad that I saved my virginity for someone special. I thought it would hurt, but I just feel alive now.”

No one put her up to this, she’s attracted to me in a big way. I don’t know what to do, because I know that the last few days have been a reflection of the old me. The one that fell in love with Dede, but then that’s not the real me. The only one that exists is the one that broke her heart.

Chapter 10

Olivia

I’m woken up by something soft and moist touching my back. Isaac’s lips, he’s wakening me up with kisses. I wait wanting to feel more kisses before I give in to his lustful desires. My wait is rewarded as his lips tattoo my shoulders and then lower back with moist spots as they move toward my butt. I wait, wanting to see how far downward he will plants his warm moist kisses. He doesn’t stop. At the last moment, I turn around so that his face is even with my crotch.

“Naughty, naughty,” I say as I grab his hair and pull his face toward my patch of red pubic hair. Shoot! I should have shaved, but I never expected things to work out like this. I thought that Isaac wasn’t into me, but last night he proved me wrong. I expect him to refuse as he glances up into my eyes. He doesn’t. Suddenly. his tongue is wiggling between the tight lips of my pussy.

I call out in unexpected pleasure. Suddenly I’m wild with lust as though I am alone. My inhibitions dissolve. I grab both my nipples and start twisting them as I hunch his face.

Yet as good as his warm moist tongue is, my memories of his big cock surface and I reach down and lift his head. I pull on his shoulders. Isaac follows my directing. But his lips don’t make it to mine. They brush my finger and thumb from my left nipple. He opens his mouth to my throbbing nipple. I expect him to suck it. Instead he bits down on the tip.

God, it hurts but feel good at the same time. I don’t try to stop him. His teeth are against my sensitive nipple have me hunching. Isaac takes this moment to guide his rock-hard cock to my crotch. I can feel the head of it throbbing.

“Fuck me! Fuck me, Isaac,” I cry out crazy for his big cock inside me again where it belongs.

Isaac isn’t gentle, not like he was last night. He spears the head of his cock into me. It’s as if he’s claiming me. I want him so badly, I want to be his.

I hunch back even if it sends his big pulsing cock so deep into me that it hurts. I’m out of my mind with lust. Pleasure is flooding my mind from both my nipples and my pussy. I can’t believe that I was so confident last night. I went into the living room, wanting him to take me. He hesitated at first, but then he knew that this is what I want, and moreover this is exactly what he needs. Me. I was hoping that he felt the same way about me as I did him.

“Isaac,” I chant his name. Suddenly I feel an electric current racing though my body. I’m having an orgasm. My God, I’m having an orgasm My body starts jerking like I’m having an epileptic fit.

“I’m coming!”

I don’t want it to end, but as he starts to pump me harder, I know that he’s going to come too. Damn! It’s only been one night, but yet I can’t get enough of him already.

“Wow! You’re something else.”

I just lie there looking up at him as he gets out of bed. Then he breaks away, the same thing that he does whenever we have a moment together.

“Get showered and then we’ll head to the ranch.”

“Together?”

Because part of me feels as if he’s sending me away.

He kisses me on the forehead like a child, “Yes, together.”

“Neil, will be so happy. You know he’s like a father to me and I really want this to work.”

“What to work?”

He asks suspiciously as he raises an eyebrow.

“You and him to reunite as you did before.”

“Oh, yes….now go and get ready so that we can be on our way.”

I climb out of bed slowly wondering if he’ll join me in the shower. He’s watching me and I wiggle my butt. An open invitation for us both to come inside.

“Do you want me to join you?”

I smile, “What do you think Isaac?”

I put on the shower and then wait patiently for him to enter. He doesn’t at first and then I feel a wave of disappointment as a cloud of steam has engulfs inside the shower. I slowly walk in and then I see movement behind the glass of the shower stall, but only a hand then a face. I can’t see Isaac’s entire body. I don’t hesitate as I slide open the door and a cloud of steam escapes the shower.

I smile as I see him coming inside, then moving by touch, I kneel beside Isaac just outside the strong spray of the shower and grab his hips.

“Olivia? What are you doing?”

I don’t answer with words. I wait until his crotch is facing me and then open my mouth and take in the head of his limp cock.

“You don’t have to do that.”

I ignore him as I start sucking on the head of his cock. Isaac tries to pull back, but I have both hands on his hips and hang on as I continue to suck.

“Fuck, you can rise the dead,” Isaac calls out a moment later when his cock is so thick that I can no longer fit the entire head into my mouth. He reaches down and lifts me to my feet. “Why you little sex maniac!”

“You created me Dr. Frankenstein! Now take care of your little monster and give me what I need, you want this as much as I do. Stop trying to deny it!”

Isaac laughs as he reached down and grabs the shaft of his cock and guides its big head to my leaking pussy.

“One for the road,” he whispers in my ear as he sends his now fully erect cock into me.

I gasp. Damn it’s so big. I don’t think I will ever really get used to the size. At least I hope I don’t.

He starts to pump my pussy back and forth. We kiss as water runs off our heads. I can easily imagine we are having sex under a water fall in a steamy jungle.

“Yes, yes,” Isaac is chanting like some long-ago savage fucking his mate.

“Don’t stop!” I shout suddenly feeling his body suddenly tensing.

“Too late!” he shouts as he grabs me and pulls me to him.

I suddenly have my climax again and I slump down. Isaac quickly grabs me so that I don’t fall down. Then he whispers in my ear, “You wanted this, you know that you don’t have to do it. There’s nothing saying that we have to have fuck.”

I’m disappointed by his words, because I thought that he wanted this as much as I did, but he used the word fuck and not making love. I thought that’s what we were doing, connecting sexually. But maybe I read the signals wrong yet again. He’s an experienced man and I may be twenty, but I haven’t had any life experience not like him.

“I just want to go to bed. I’m tired now.”

I don’t want to be in the car for the long journey with him. Not like this, if all he thinks we’re doing is having sex.

He laughs, “You can sleep in the car, besides Granddad’s waiting for us and I thought you wanted breakfast?”

I nod, and then head out of the shower. He does the same whistling as he leaves the room. I dry my hair and put on my limited closet. I decide on the summer dress that he bought for me yesterday. I don’t feel like wearing jeans and the other dress is too much to wear to the ranch. It’s a yellow flowery dress. Something that I wouldn’t wear, but then again all I have in my closet in the cottage are jeans too.

He smiles as I come out of the bedroom, “You fix up pretty good when you want to.”

“Thanks,” then I grab my purse and say, “Should we go then.”

“Sure, first breakfast and then we’ll head to the ranch.”

I shake my head, “I don’t feel like breakfast anymore.”

All of a sudden I’ve lost my appetite.

“Okay we can pick up a coffee to go and some croissants. Granddad loves their croissants and if you’re a good girl then maybe I’ll buy some extra for you.”

There he goes again, treating me like a child. I shrug, “I’m not a child. If I want some then I can get some.”

“What happened to you?” he asks as he takes my arm.

“Nothing, it’s just that you said that we were fucking earlier and it kind of got to me.”

“Oh.”

“Look I get it. You’re older and this is nothing to you…”

Before I can even finish what I’m saying he wraps his arms around me and kisses me. I melt as usual as this time he’s not being forceful, but rather gentle, slowly looping his tongue inside of mine as if he’s trying to make a statement.

“Sorry, I can be an insensitive prick at times. Let’s go. I’ll get you the croissants and you look hot in that dress by the way. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my hands off you.”

I think that’s his way of apologizing and I shouldn’t let him get away with it so easily, but I can’t help it. Because I know that it’s not only the croissants that I’m falling in love with, but him too.

***

I can feel Isaac glowing in the seat beside me as he drives Neil’s car back to the ranch. Half way there I reach my hand and place it on top of his, he knew that I needed a coffee once we sat down and had one with a couple of croissants my mood changed, as I thought about the last few days and wished that they didn’t need to come to an end. He glances at me and smiles. The touch of his warm hand against the palm of my hand excites me.

I can’t get enough of him. It’s as if he’s broken through a wall around my heart, releasing all the emotions I’ve held in reserve. I find myself thinking how lucky I am to have met him. At first I had my doubts about him, but I’m glad that I gave him a second chance.

As Isaac pulls onto the driveway, I see Neil standing on the porch alerted to our arrival by the sounds the tires makes on the gravel. He’s smiling from ear-to-ear like a cat that ate the canary when Isaac opens my door and I step out.

“Did you enjoy yourself in Houston?” Neil asks as I climb the steps to the porch.

Isaac steps in as he wraps his arm around me, “We both had a great time touring Houston.”

I can’t believe that he’s being so open about us. It makes me feel silly for being paranoid, when he said that we were just fucking earlier. God, I want this man to never leave the ranch.

“Great!” Neil says. He glances at me. “I’ve been trying to get Olivia to visit the city for a long time.”

“I just waited for the right time,” I tell Neil before I give him a hug. “I missed you, Neil.”

“And I you. I’m tired of opening cans or eating at the Brass Rail. I’m addicted to your home cooking.”

I laugh, “So you wanted me to come back so that I could cook for you?”

He winks, “Apart from roast chicken, I can’t do much else. I’m kind of hopeless.”

I know that it’s not only my cooking he misses, our occasional game of chess and our discussions about Agatha Christie too. Once in a while we sit in the library and pick a book. Then we discuss the parts that we loved the most and the other parts we hated.

“Okay, it’s nearly time for lunch. Let me check on Autumn and then I’ll whip you both up something. Okay?”

Neil nods and then I kiss Isaac on the cheek, “Take your time. I’ll catch up with Granddad.”

I can feel their eyes on me as I walk away. Isaac adjusts his pants and I’m sure that it’s this dress. I’ll definitely wear it again, because I know that he likes it so much.

I smell the horses and hay as I run across the grass. I suddenly feel like a cowgirl again as I enter the barn. The adventure in Houston seem like a fairy tale that happens only once in a person’s live. But I know that not true because I brought back my Prince Charming.

Chapter 11

Isaac

Damn! Olivia sure knows how to cook. Last night she came into the kitchen and whipped us up a spaghetti carbonara in no time. She really does love Italian food, she wasn’t kidding about that and I decided while we were eating and she was telling Neil about our adventures in the city that I must take her there. She’s never even been on a plane, which I find a little crazy, but she’s never had the money to just travel.

I haven’t had biscuits as good as hers since grandmother’s, I admit to myself as I watch Olivia take a platter full of biscuits out of the oven and place them on the table just as granddad walks in to join us.

“Morning,” he says cheerfully, for someone’s that dying he looks good. Even better than I do. But then again it’s been nearly a week since I’ve had anything to drink. The first few days were hard, but now I haven’t even thought about it. I managed to go to restaurants order wine for Olivia and just have a little, and the second time none at all.

“Feeling okay today, Neil,” Olivia asks. I can see she immediately regrets the question since it probably isn’t something you asked a person with a terminal illness.

“Right as rain,” he says and winks.

“You look a little pale, Neil. Have you been taking all your meds?” Olivia asks as she sets plates of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast on the table.

“Yes, I’m fine thanks, Olivia.” He turns to glance at me as I reach for the eggs. “We need to move some cattle to the back pasture. Can you help old Dan herd drive them down the Old Fork road?”

“Sure, I haven don’t that cattle for a long spell, but I’ll give it a try. Of course I’ll have to check with Mrs. Roberts and see if there are any emergencies brewing at the office first,” Olivia says as she sits down to eat.

“Can, I help?” I ask, because if she goes out all day as much as I love granddad I’ll rather spend my time with her. Seeing as we’re getting to know each other and I want to tell her about Dede. I just want to get it all of my chest. The truth, for once in my life. Whenever we’re alone, I just want to take her. At least out there while we’re working we can talk when we have a break and then she’ll know the demons that really turned me to drink. The real reason that I lost my way.

Olivia’s lost in her thoughts, “Autumn’s a good cutting horse and maybe if she’s out there working again then she won’t feel so down.”

“Sure of course,” Neil says beaming his ear to ear smile. “If that’s alright for Isaac to go with you too?”

I smile as there’s no one I would go driving cattle with than Olivia, the beautiful red head that doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.

“Think you’re up to it, Cowgirl?” I tease her.

Olivia raises her eyebrows. “When’s the last time you were in the saddle all day, Isaac?”

“Point taken. My butt has been glued to the office chair for a while and when I tried riding last week after an hour, I was getting tired.”

Granddad says, “Well there’s only one way to find out!”

“Granddad you’re right. Saddle me up and I’ll be there all day with you.”

She winks, “You’ve got a deal!”

***

After breakfast as we walk to the barn to saddle the horses, I can’t help but say, “I wish we were sleeping in the same bed. I don’t like you being in the guest cottage.”

“Sex friend.”

“Me, how can you even say that? Yesterday you were the one that wanted me in the shower.”

“Yes, I was an innocent cowgirl before you came along and branded me,” Olivia’s battering her eyelashes as if to say that she’s innocent.

“Really, you really think that?”

We’re both smiling at each other, playing and teasing, it’s kind of funny that she thinks that I’m the one that’s been after her. When I’ve wanted to stay as far away from her as possible.

Olivia raises her chin, “Yes, I was respectable before I met you.”

Suddenly, we are both laughing so hard that tears are running down our cheeks.

“I can see getting any work done today with you around is going to be hard,” I say wiping my eyes as we enter the barn.

“Yeah, well you better hold up your end of the drive. I have my doubts you can cowboy up for this one.”

I shake my head. “Cowgirl, you just haven’t seen me and Buckskin working cows. You just hold your hat while you watch, or we will blow it away,” I joke. Then I get a serious. “Be careful, Olivia. With a herd as big as the one we’re moving today anything can happen.”

“Yeah, same goes to you,” she says as she splits off and heads for Autumn’s stall while I go to greet Buckskin.

Minutes later we ride out to join Granddad’s hired hand who seems almost his age. However, I quickly find that Dan and his horse Smokey still have the moves. Of course, he has old Shep nipping at the cows heels helping out. We’ll be driving the cattle down a gravel road with fences on each side, I realize that Dan can probably move the cattle without our help. Maybe it would be a little difficult, but I’m sure that he could do it alone.

Damn is granddad manipulating me again?

Yet, this time I don’t mind. Sure, the work’s dusty, and I’m not used to being in the saddle all day. But, Olivia’s riding at the tail end of the herd with me and I hate to admit that as we get started, I’m enjoying myself.

The herd kicks up such a thick cloud of dust that it’s hard to see their feet in front of our faces. I know this is granddad’s way of getting back at me for not wanting to stay on the ranch and let men better qualified than me run the company. I just regret that Olivia must endure the dust too. But her being here beside me helps me accept riding drag like a new cowboy.

Although Olivia’s Autumn isn’t a cutting horse up to Buckskin’s standards, she’s pretty good. Olivia looks sexy with her boobs bouncing up and down as she rides back and forth hitting her lariat against her saddle. Several times I get a fucking hard on just watching her.

Finally, Dan closes to gate to the South pasture.

“You haven’t lost it yet, Mr. Isaac. You’re a little bit rusty, but you and the horse of yours still got the moves.”

Praise coming from a man that has won more than one calf roping contest made me smile all the way back to the barn.

“I guess we’re finished, right, Dan?” I say smiling at the old, wrinkle-faced cowboy.

Dan shakes his head.

“There’s more?” I ask thinking that I misjudged the situation. I thought that was it, more likely I hoped that was the end of it.

Dan glances at Olivia. “You want to tell him?”

I look at Olivia. “Tell me what?”

“Whenever we put cattle in a new pasture, we’ve got to ride the fence to make sure the barbwire isn’t broken.”

“I guess I forgot about that,” I reply. I glance at the fence that runs across the flat land until it’s lost in the distance horizon. “It’s a huge pasture,” I add with a sigh.

“Roger, that,” Dan says as he tips his hat and rides off to the right, following the fence line.

“That leaves us the left side,” Olivia says.

I know she’s hiding a smile taking pleasure out my discomfort. Still, I can’t get upset at her. At least she’s here rather than I’m just being stuck out here with Dan.

“Time to cowboy up,” Olivia says as she rides off following the fence line.

“I’ll cowboy you up for sure when we get back to the barn!” I say as I ride after her.

“Yeah, promises, promises! That’s all city slickers are good for.”

“When we get home, I’m going to make you sorry for calling me a city slicker,” I say as I catch up with her.

We ride side by side for what feels like an hour but is probably a forth that long when Olivia pulls Autumn to a full stop.

“What?”

She nods her head toward the fence row. “It’s a good thing we have the rule about riding the line after changing a herd to a new pasture. There’s a break in the wire just ahead.”

“Damn, you have good eyes.”

“Come on let’s fix it.”

“Uh . . . I forgot to bring the wire stretcher. I didn’t know we were going to be riding the fence line.”

“Don’t worry; it’ll be okay,” Olivia says reaching back and pulling a pair of fence stretchers out of Autumn’s saddle bag. She waves them at me.

“Yeah, you are a barrel of laughs,” I say shaking my head.

“A cowboy is always prepared . . .”

“Don’t start with me, Olivia, or I’ll rub your pretty little nose in a cow patty. And then we can call you Cow Patty, the cowgirl,” I say and start laughing so hard I almost fall out of the saddle.

“God, I wish you would fall off your horse so I can get a shot of it with my cell phone. It would look good on a Facebook page . . . CEO trying to cowboy.”

“What say we call a truce and fix the fence.”

I ignore her as she tries to bribe me about posting it on Facebook. Not that I care, it’s not as if I go on there that much.

“Yeah, spoken like a wise CEO,” Olivia says as she climbs off Autumn.

As I put on my gloves, I glance up at the sun that is threatening to suck all the moisture out of my body. “Suddenly, I remember why I moved to Houston,” I’m wiping my forehead with the back of my arm.

The sun’s pouring down on my face and burning me. I should have put sun lotion on before I came out here, because I burn easily.

“Why because you’re not a good cowboy?”

She raises and eyebrow and I know that she’s really pushing me to the limit.

“No, because…”

I can’t even think of a comeback. She’s got me there, I’ll make her pay for it much later, when I spend the night with her in the cottage or maybe before that, when we get back to the barn.

Chapter 12

Olivia

I smile to myself when we finally meet up with Dan. Isaac’s trying to put on a good show, but I know his butt must be hurting something awful. Not once has he complained.

“How did it go? Find any breaks in the fence?” Dan asks as he approaches Isaac.

“Yeah, two. We fixed them. And you?”

“None,” Dan says as he rides past us. “Time to head back to the ranch,” he calls over his shoulder.

Isaac looks over at me. “Do you think he knew the breaks in the fence were on the left side?”

I manage only to smile instead of laughing. “Have you ever known a cowboy to do work when he can get someone else to do it?”

“Damn him. I bet he stopped in the shade of a cottonwood tree and took a nap.”

I didn’t respond. It was what I would have done when I wanted to make a new hand work a little extra.

“That’s all right, I’ll get him back,” Isaac says as he kicks Buckskin in the sides and rides after Dan. “What goes around comes around, Dan,” he calls out.

Dan lifts his hand to show he’s heard and I can see a crafty smile on his face.

“Hey,” Isaac says as I catch up with him. “Have I told you yet today that you’re sexy?”

“No, you’ve been too busy,” I laugh as I think about the way that Dan conned us both to do his job. I suspected it at first, but I didn’t mind doing it because it meant spending more time with Isaac.

“Well, too busy to tell you, but always thinking it. The thought flashes through my mind every time I see those tits bouncing up and down as we chase a stray.”

“I’ll wear a bra next time,” I say and stick my tongue out at Isaac.

“Fuck! No bra. You don’t know what you’re doing to me right now.”

“And no panties either? Shit, I want to take you to the barn right now!”

Dan turns around, glances at Isaac, and shakes his head. “Too much sun.”

That’s when we both stop talking; we’ve got company. I smile feeling embarrassed that I said those things and Dan must have heard us. I can’t remember having so much fun doing ranch chores. It makes a big difference having Isaac here on the ranch. I know that without him I’ll be doing this alone. Even Dan keeps his distance from me most of the time. Probably worried that everyone would think that I have a thing for older men.

“I think I’ll soak in a warm bath tonight,” Isaac says when we get in sight of the ranch. “Not a shower and not alone.”

I’m thinking the same thing but with him in the shower with me, but I don’t bother to tell him my version. He seems horny enough without my fanning the fire.

“Is that an open invitation?”

Isaac laughs, “You’ll have to wait and see.”

“See you on the flip side,” I say as I split off and lead Autumn to her stall because now I don’t want to wait. I only want to see.

“Not if I see you first,” he calls out.

I can’t take my mind off Isaac as I feed and water Autumn. I keep remembering the hot sex we had in his apartment the first night. And then the steamy double dipping the next morning, especially when I followed him into the shower.

God, I’m wet between the legs thinking of him.

I was just finishing up brushing out Autumn’s tail when Isaac suddenly appeared in the door

”I hope you didn’t short change Buckskin,” I say glancing up at him leaning against the frame of the door, half in and half out.

“I didn’t, and I don’t want to short-change you either,” he says as he walks into Autumn’s stall, smiling. I can see the bulge in the crotch of his jean is bigger than it should be. He grabs my shoulder and turns me around to face him. I start to say something witty, but he leans forward and covers my mouth with his. Our tongue meet with electrifying results.

We both begin stripping as we continue to kiss. The sight of his huge semi-hard cock really start my wetness starts growing in between my legs. I flinch when Autumn turns her head and looks at me with her big brown eyes as though I’m doing something I shouldn’t be doing and she likes it.

“Don’t mind Autumn, she understands mother nature,” Isaac says seeing me staring back at her.

“What if your Neil comes out to check on us?” I say glancing nervously from Autumn to the door of the stall.

“No, he’s probably sitting in front of the television watching In the Heat of the Night like every other senior in the state of Texas is doing about now,” Isaac says, knowing that Neil would never be caught dead looking at afternoon television shows.

I shake my head and roll my eyes, that is until his lips touch my left nipple. I moan as he sucks on it like a newborn baby.

“Bite it gently like you did in your apartment,” I tell Isaac in a breathy voice as he kicks my motor into high gear.

Isaac clamps his teeth onto my nipple

I scream so loud I fear Neil might rush out to investigate. I’m at that point of no return. Come hell or high water; I want Isaac to finish what he started.

As Isaac sucks and nibbles, I feel him reaching down between my legs to slide his fingers into my moist pussy. I am no longer a virgin, but I am still virgin tight. I go wild the moment his finger finds my clit. He pinches it, and I cry out again as I start hunching his fingers like a bitch in heat. But I’m so deep in lust that I don’t feel any shame. I’m leaking. His finger is getting slippery with each stroke.

Isaac knows this too as he suddenly kneels in front of me. I glance down in time to see him press his face against my crotch. A loud gasp escapes my lips as he pushed his warm tongue into my pussy. I almost faint when his tongue touches my clit so powerful are the little electric shocks that radiate pleasure, no longer pain.

“Isaac””

I’m so out of my mind I don’t know what I am doing. He starts sucking on me, and I’m almost overpowered with ecstasy. I grab Isaac’s head and hold it in place as I hunch my pussy against his face. I don’t know how he can possibly keep his tongue inside me with my hips gyrating. He keeps tonguing me. I’m so overwhelmed with pleasure that I’m ready to push him away.

He kisses me, and all I can think about is him fucking me. When he breaks our embrace, I think this is it. Instead he puts his hands on my shoulder and forces me down to my knees.

Seeing his huge throbbing cock, I stretch my mouth around the head, sucking it, but Isaac pulls me away. He wants me to take in more of his cock. I glance up into his eyes as I swallow more of his cock. He wants me to take it all, and I’m going to do it. He gave me pleasure, and now it’s my turn to give it back. I force myself to keep swallowing inch after inch. I suddenly can’t breathe, yet I don’t stop. Only when I feel his pubic hairs against my lips do I pull my head back.

“Damn!”

He moves his cock away and guides it towards my pussy. He has me so hot that I feel as if I’m going to melt away in a pool of pleasure.

The moment the head of his cock finds the lips of my pussy, he spears his massive erection into me. I gasp as it plunges to the depths of my pleasure hole. Then, as he fucks me with brutal strokes, I call his name repeatedly, like a broken record.

It doesn’t take long for me to come, as Isaac continues to pump his fat cock. I suddenly don’t know night from the day as I feel his come exploding inside me. I feel totally connected to Isaac as he kisses me before pulling out his now come-dripping cock. The one that I love to hold, suck and have deep inside of me.

“That was worth waiting for,” Isaac growls as we lie naked in the hay.

I turn to kiss him and purr, “You’re more than I could ever dream off in a man and more.”

He says nothing as he turns me to hold him. I wrap my arms around him, and I can feel his heart beat quicken. As if I said something wrong, I couldn’t have done, because he’s been after me all morning. Seducing me with his words. He can’t deny how he feels about me. Not after all this, not after right now.

Chapter 13

Isaac

Later on, I go into the house to clean up, and Olivia goes to the cottage, I could have stayed in the barn forever. But then I knew that if I did, with her in my arms, I would tell her the truth about Dede, and there were a time and place for everything and after I spent all morning talking about taking her in the barn. That just wasn’t the place to do it.

“Where are you going, Isaac? Olivia asks as I walk into the kitchen.

“To the barn to polish my saddle.”

“Wow, you are quite the cowboy now, keeping your leather polished as if you were going to ride in a rodeo.”

“Good, idea,” I say as I grab Olivia around the waist and plant a kiss on her neck.

“Don’t! Neil might walk in,” Olivia says pulling free.

“He’ll be happy that we’re getting on so well.”

“Maybe,” she hesitates for a minute. “But there’s a time and place for everything and when I’m getting cookies ready to go in the oven is not one of those times.”

“Which are you, Dale Evens or Autumn Crooker?”

“Neither. I’m Olivia! One of a kind,” she laughs, “But I don’t want him to think that I’m with you for you not what.”

I love the way that she’s so innocent and the idea of granddad seeing her as anything but innocent is something that I just need to accept.

“Besides where is he? I haven’t seen him since this morning. I hope that he’s okay?”

Olivia frowned. “It’s hard to tell. I don’t see much difference in him that last few months then when I first arrived. The thing is…I keep thinking his doctors might have overlooked something.”

“What do you mean?”

Because he hasn’t even told me what’s wrong with him. “Olivia maybe he’s told you what’s wrong with him. He tried but I shut him up, I couldn’t bear hearing about his illness. It was selfish of me, and I need to seek to help him. Especially if he only has a few weeks to live.”

She shakes her head, “I have no idea. I just know that I wouldn’t leave any stone unturned if I were in his shoes. We need to find out what’s wrong with him. So, that we can help him, Isaac. He’s like a father to me, Isaac.”

“I know, I know.” What else is there to say? I can’t stop him from dying if he’s terminal. Nobody can.”

I’m holding her in my arms trying to comfort her, but she’s sobbing and getting emotional. I decide that we need to get to the bottom of this illness and then try and figure out how to help him.

“Look, I’ll leave Autumn Crooker to her cookies and then when I get back we’ll figure what to do with Granddad. I’ll insist that we all go to see his doctor’s together or something? I’ll think of something. Okay?” I quickly give Olivia a peck on the cheek.

She winks at me and then says, “And then after that, I want a real kiss.”

“Frankenstein’s created a monster,” I say as I give Olivia a pat on her butt before running for the door.

“You better run, Cowboy, before I swat you with a cookie-dough spoon!”

I laugh as I walk across the lawn. If someone had told me a few weeks ago that I was going to be this happy, I would have spit on their face. Damn how fast the world turns!

As I enter the tack room, I remember the first time I tried to polish a saddle. I must have been five. I put saddle soap all over my pony’s and then ran and got Granddad to look at it, but he just laughed so much that he started to cry. I remember looking for Grandma, knowing that she’ll make me feel better.

I shake my head thinking about all the memories. I was in a good mood and didn’t want to spoil it by drudging up things I didn’t want to think about. There’s no way that I’m going to let Granddad die, not if I can help it. I’ll work with the doctor’s and he’s going to be alright. I’m sure about it. As Olivia said, he hasn’t been sick, not since I’ve been here and she hasn’t noticed the change. Not like Grandma, she didn’t even have to tell her that she was dying. It was written all over her face.

Before I start on Buckskin’s saddle, I take a quick peek at the one that belongs to Autumn. It was spotless and as shiny as if it had just come out of the store. I’m putting the final polish on the silver trimming when I see movement and glance toward the door.

“There you are, Isaac,” Granddad says as he enters the tack room.

“You found me. There no hiding from you,” I say and smile.

“I just wanted to tell you how proud I am about what you’re doing. You’ve pitched in and done everything asked of you. And thanks to you and Olivia the ranch’s running smooth as silk again.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I should be thanking you for insisting that I come and spend three months on the ranch.”

“Well, what’s the verdict?”

I smile. “You mean you have to ask after seeing how we enjoy each other’s company,” I sound like a lovesick teenager and I don’t care for the first time in three years I feel alive again.

“She makes me feel alive as if I’ve been dead for the last two years. Shit, she’s everything that a man can want and more. But we’re still getting to know each other. You know it’s not as if I’m going to put a ring on her finger tomorrow or anything, but there’s a potentiality that I’ll do that in time.”

I want to put him in place, let him know that I’m happy to be with her, but I’m not going to run down the aisle with her because he says I need to do it now.

“Well, I’m going to keep my part of the bargain. If you marry Olivia, I’ll leave everything to you.” He pauses. “And I don’t have very long left. My health is declining rapidly. I don’t want to rush things between the two of you, but when do you think you ask her to marry you?”

“Never!”

Olivia blurts out as she’s standing in the door of the tack room. I glance in horror at granddad. His face is as pale as a full moon.

“I heard every word about your deal! How could you, Neil!” she cries out looking directly at Granddad. “I trusted you. Loved you like a father. And here you are trying to marry me off to Isaac as though I didn’t have a say in the matter. I feel so . . . so used.”

“Olivia, calm down. It’s not as bad as it sounds,” I say but when I see her flashing green eyes, I know my words are rolling off her like water off a duck’s back. “I fell in love with you. That’s all that matters.”

“Oh no, Isaac, it’s much more than that. It’s about trust. It about not being a pawn in some rich man’s chess game of life,” she says shaking her head “I feel violated! You two used me.”

She glances at Granddad. “Neil tell me one thing. Just how long have you been planning on forcing Isaac and I together? How long?”

“I knew you could make him snap out of the downward spiral he was in at the time,” Granddad says weakly, and then I realize what’s upsetting Olivia the most.

“How long?”

She demands, I didn’t think that there was an angry bone in her body. Now I can see that it exists, and it’s fucking frightening, but I don’t blame her. She’s been used, but I wonder like she does, how much.

“Two years,” he whispers.

“So when you helped me after my parents died, you had all this in mind.”

Granddad blurts out, “Yes.”

“How many other schemes did you try on Isaac to get him where you thought he should be?” she asks him as she stands in front of him. The tears are streaming down her eyes, and I wish that I could comfort her. Tell her that I knew nothing about this, but part of me is curious about how far he’ll go to help me.

“Olivia, lighten up on him. He’s just trying to help the two people he loves most. He wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble to get us together if he didn’t love both of us. And he’s a sick man.”

“No!” Olivia says shaking her head. “I’m not going to lighten up. He should have been honest with me from the start and so should of you,” Olivia snaps, “Don’t be so naive Isaac, do you believe that he’s sick?”

Shit, I hadn’t even thought about that. Granddad wouldn’t stoop so low to make out that he’s dying just to get us together. I’ve seen nearly every family member die; he wouldn’t lie to me about dying.

“Don’t be silly; he wouldn’t lie about dying. Not after what I’ve been through. First my parents, then Dede. That’s when I melted and couldn’t get back up again.”

“Who the fuck is Dede?” Olivia says, and I know that she’s mad. She cusses not ever.

“She was Isaac’s fiancee, she reminds me of you in a way,” Granddad says as he’s trying to comfort Olivia, but with her arms folded he’s going to have to do a lot more than apologies.

“Isaac used to work twenty-four seven. He loved Dede, but that wasn’t enough for her. She wanted his attention. She had a heart condition,” Granddad pauses as he relives my painful past.

I nod my head confirming that it’s fine for him to tell Olivia the truth. The one that I’ve kept hidden from her and I should have just told her from the start.

“She stopped taking the pill. Hoping that if she was pregnant and we had a family that our two-year engagement would turn into a marriage,” I say as a tear escapes my eye.

“Did it work?”

I shake my head, “No, even worse she was told about the risks of getting pregnant. She was seven months when they rushed her to the hospital. I lost not only her but my baby boy at the same time.”

“And that’s when you started to drink?”

Olivia asks as if she’s trying to put all the pieces together.

“Yes.”

“The girl in the photo. The one on the wall in your apartment.”

I nod again, “Yes.”

Olivia sighs, “The one that you still love?”

I’m about to correct her and say that I never thought I could give my heart to another when Granddad says, “Olivia’s right. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“Oh fucking hell!”

I’m so fucking mad I know that if I stay in the barn a minute longer, I’ll fucking blow. And he’s going to wish that he never confessed. That’s when I hear Olivia mumble, “The cookies are on the table,” she appears as if every emotion has been taken out of her. She starts to head to the cottage.

I throw down my polishing rag and walk out of the tack room, leaving Granddad alone with the saddles. As I cross the lawn, I see Olivia slowly heading toward the cottage. I want to run after her but don’t.

In a few minutes, everything had been turned upside down. I couldn’t put all the blame on the old man. I told myself. I was part of the conspiracy. Damn it, why couldn’t I have just played along with Granddad. Why did I have to fall in love with Olivia? Why, why!

I don’t have the answers, just the questions. Without thinking I take a cookie from the platter. I bite into it and shake my head. Damn it! I need to leave this fucking ranch. Before I do something that I’ll regret. I knew that I shouldn’t have fucking come back. This place has too many painful memories, and the old man’s just added another one to the list. He made me fall in love with the ranch hand, only to have to fall out of love with her all over again. There’s just one problem; I haven’t got a fucking clue how to do it.

Chapter 14

Olivia

It’s been a few days since I left the ranch. I had to get out of there. When I was in Houston with Isaac, I felt alive. I realized that there’s a whole world out here and I haven’t explored any of it. Luckily living on the ranch and being paid and having my meals paid for, meant that I was able to save. I managed to get a room, and I’m trying to find a job. There’s just one problem. Apart from my high school diploma I have no skills.

I need a job.

There’s just one problem - no one wants to hire anyone with ranch skills, not in the city. I knew that I would bump into Isaac sooner or later. I was walking past the coffee shop when I saw him.

“Olivia, I was hoping to see you again,” he smiles awkwardly.

I want to tell him that I’m busy and that I need to go. Out of all the coffee shops in Houston, why did I have to walk past this one?

“Come inside. Let’s talk?”

“No,” I blurt out. “I’m busy.”

“Well do you have a number I can call you on? I keep trying your old number, and it says out of service.”

I stand to feel as if he’s trying to put the blame on me.

“I got a new one because Neil kept calling me too.”

That’s the extent of people who call me. No one else is interested in speaking to me; it’s kind of sad.

“Do you have a new one? Maybe when you’re less busy, then we can meet up and have a coffee. On me. I’ll pay for your chai latte this time.”

He’s trying to be charming, and I hate it about him. The fact that he wants to meet up and talk to me. Didn’t he get his wish from our time together? Sex and money from Neil.

I shake my head and start to walk away, “Please Olivia. Let’s start again.”

I want to tell him, no, but then the moment I look up into his eyes I think that like the ranch I have no friends in the city. Realistically I have no skills either. Not for the type of jobs that the agency was talking about. Maybe one coffee and he can help, but then after that, I do not have anything to do with him or Neil ever again.

“Okay,” I say the number so fast hoping that he won’t catch them.

“Right, I’ll call you tonight and then we can figure out a time tomorrow.” He kisses me on the cheek, “I’m glad that you’re in the city.”

He walks away before I have time to respond to him. I forgot that he’s smart, of course, he managed to get all the digits. I wonder if part of me is in the city to be near to him when I should be as far away as possible from him and especially Neil.

***

All that time I was thinking that Neil was acting like my surrogate father and he was just using me. As for Isaac, I was just part of a business transaction. It’s as if they don’t believe in real people; they think that because they have money they can do whatever they want.

No!

Not with me. I may not have much, but one thing I do have is pride.

I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t come looking for him in Houston? Would I still be at the ranch taking care of Neil?

I glance at my cell phone. I see that it’s time to meet Isaac. I check the address for the tenth time. I don’t know why and it irritates me so much that I decided to meet him. I certainly didn’t have to agree to it, did I? It also irritates me that Isaac has chosen the same coffee shop where we met the day I drove to Houston. The day I faced the murderous traffic on I-10 and then meeting Isaac. I’d never imagined traffic could be so bad. Of course, the traffic probably wouldn’t bother most people, but I admit it, I’m just a country girl who’s never seen much of anything which is why Neil chose me as an easy target.

Okay, so I did have a great time talking to him at the coffee shop and an even better time at the Space Center. But that was then, that was before I learned the truth about Neil and Isaac’s little plan. There’s been a lot of muddy water under the bridge since that day.

I check myself out in the reflection of the window. Why am I even bothering? I know I can never again trust Isaac. And the same thing holds true for Neil, the man I’d thought was the most trustworthy person I’d ever met.

I’m not sure meeting Isaac at the coffee shop is going to change anything. He used me, end of story! I take a deep breath as I walk into the coffee shop. I look to the rear knowing that he’ll be at the same table that we set for the first time.

I stiffen in surprise! Isaac isn’t alone! Neil’s sitting beside him.

I nod my head in their direction as I walk up to the counter. Isaac comes up beside me, “I’ve already got your latte on the table.”

I snarl, “What’s he doing here?”

Isaac sighs, “He’s been staying with me. As soon as I told him about bumping into you yesterday, he didn’t hesitate in coming here to meet you.”

“You should have warned me.”

“If I did Olivia would you have come?”

That’s an easy question as I reply, “No.”

Most people wouldn’t be able to resist when someone dangles millions of dollars in front of them, to spend time with a woman. One that’s as innocent as I was until I found out their dirty secret.

Sure, Neil is the mastermind behind the plot, but if Isaac had even an ounce of integrity, he would have told his grandfather to go to hell. But instead, he went along with the plot so that he could be filthy rich.

“Olivia,” Neil says as I approach the table. “You look as radiant as ever.” I ignore him. I can’t even bear to be in the same room with him right now.

“Thanks for coming, Olivia,” Isaac adds as I pull out a chair.

“I wasn’t expecting you, Neil?” I say. “I hope you feel as good as you look seeing as you’re not dying.”

“I was afraid you might not come if I told you my granddad was coming,” Isaac says, and I don’t hesitate in replying, “I would have moved to another city to be as far away from him as possible.”

I lift up my latte and put it back down. All of a sudden I don’t feel like drinking coffee.

“How’s Autumn?” I wasn’t going to reveal how much I missed my horse, but the moment I saw Neil my love for Autumn washed over me, and I felt overwhelmed.

“She’s doing great. I brush her daily. But, I can tell she misses you.”

I sigh. “I miss her too. Maybe I’ll find a stable here in town and bring her to Houston once I get a job.”

I see Neil flinch when I suggest bringing Autumn to the city and boarding her here.

“Of course. She’s your horse, and you can do as you please. I’m sure you know she loves being there on the ranch, and she may have a hard time adjusting to being in a different place, particularly one that is so different from what she’s used to.”

“Yeah, well we don’t always get what we want, do we, Isaac?” I can’t help asking as I glance at him.

“Olivia, I’m trying, as hard as I can” He motions to his grandfather. “We’re both trying.”

I don’t answer. I just take another sip of my latte. I’m waiting for one of them to tell me why we’re here, but it’s clear that they’re great at manipulating people but not fantastic at confessing when they’re in the wrong.

Chapter 15

Isaac

I can’t believe that we’re just sitting here facing each other and no one’s saying a thing. Granddad begged me to tag along, and he’s not even making an effort. I watch as Olivia tries to sip on her coffee and then she doesn’t have the means to taste it. I don’t blame her; I don’t feel like drinking myself.

“I want to try again, Olivia.”

“What?”

Both Olivia and Granddad blurt it out at the same time.

“I’ve forgiven granddad for what he did. My dad killed himself in our house. Maybe he was pushed for the business or whatever, that’s all in the past. I was living a dangerous life, and he saw an opportunity to help me. What he did with you was inexcusable, but I know that in time he did it out of love. He’s not a mean man. You’ve lived with him for two years. Did you at any point think that his feelings for you were of a man that’s just using you?”

She shakes her head, but I know that I shouldn’t guilt trip her into this because it wasn’t just her fault.

“Olivia, I’m not saying that you should forgive us. But I would like to help. I know that you’re here for your independence.”

“I’ll like to do the same,” Granddad chimes in with a smile on his face.

Olivia ignores him, “I could do with a job.”

“Really, well there’s a need for an admin assistant that I could put in a good word.”

This time I’m the one holding the cards. The one that’s pulling strings and I’m going to milk it for every dime.

“I don’t want you to try.”

I say as I cross my arms. “I need you to do better than that. You see I could have stayed in the city years ago if an old man didn’t convince me otherwise.”

“You’re right. You’ve got a job. How soon can you start?”

“Tomorrow.”

Then she finishes her coffee and stands up.

Granddad says in a panic, “Are you not going to stay?”

She shakes her head, “I don’t need to. I planned on having one coffee with Isaac. I’ve done that, and now I need to prepare for my new job tomorrow.”

“You start at nine.”

She shakes her head, “I’ll start when I like.”

She winks and then walks away, I murmur as Granddad’s complaining about her change of heart what does he expect?

“Yes, I’m glad that you’re coming to work for me and giving us a second chance.”

She chuckles, “You, may be in time. Him, I’m not too sure about.”

Then she leaves us in the coffee shop alone. I realize then that I’ve created a monster.

“Seems that you taught her well Granddad. She’s going to make us suffer.”

He shakes his head, “I’ve never begged for anything in my life.”

I look at my watch and sigh, “Well it looks as if you’ve met your match because I can see that little lady’s going to make you suffer for it. And you know as well as I do that she means more to you than you want to admit. You better get used to begging. On your hands and knees, because I intend to do that until she trusts me once again. Until I have her back in my life.”

On that note, I left him in the coffee shop as I thought about ways to win Olivia’s heart and I didn’t have a clue how I was going to do it, but I knew that getting her a job was one step. I just needed a thousand more to make sure that I get her back into my life.

***

She walked in close to twelve, and in the same yellow dress that I bought her, it was as if she was tormenting me and I hated her for having me on a string. I deserved it, but someone like me isn’t used to being at someone’s mercy, and neither is granddad as he walks behind her.

“So, Isaac where do I start?”

I look at her completely confused as she sits at my desk and puts her feet up in the air.

“Are you taking over the company?”

She shakes her head, “Nope.”

“Granddad?”

“She demanded that I come in and get to work she said, if I wanted to earn her trust and respect again then I’m going to have to show it.”

She nods, “Actions speak louder than words. Now, if you boys don’t mind. Whatever you wanted me to do today and every day that I don’t decide to come in. Neil can do it.”

We both look at each other and blurt out, “What?”

She repeats herself as she stands up, “Whatever you wanted me to do around the office. He can do it.” She points to granddad who just shrugs his shoulders.

“If you need coffee, he’ll do it. If you want him to shine your shoes, he’ll do it. Whatever you fucking need, he’ll do it.”

Shit! I did create a monster.

“And maybe, just maybe I’ll talk to you both again.”

She starts walking out of the office and then she says, “But if either one of you even think of stopping what I’ve just asked you to do. Then you can forget it. Because if you don’t, then I’ll never trust either one of you ever again. I already don’t. So, it won’t be hard to once again. Do you understand?”

Like a bobbing head toy we both nod our heads, we expect her to come back and tell us that this is all one big joke, but she doesn’t. I sigh as I head to my chair the one that Olivia was sitting on and acting like she was the boss.

“Granddad we better get started then.”

He walks up to the desk, “If you want me to get you coffee, then you better start calling me Neil.”

We laugh as we face each other. Olivia’s making us spend time together. She may think that she’s smart and that she’s the one that’s manipulating us. She is to some extent. But, I know her game, and I’ll play along with it. Maybe we need someone like her to put us on the right track because granddad and I only have each other and we’re not good at showing love. Maybe for once, we’ll have to do it or at least try.

Chapter 16

Olivia

I walk into the company this time; I’m wearing a suit and looking the part. I’ve had two weeks of spending time with Autumn, seeing as Neil’s been in the office during the week, he hasn’t been going home.

She's well looked after, but that doesn’t stop me worrying about her and just get on with my life. I pop my head into Isaac’s office, and sure enough, Neil’s serving him coffee. They seem to be getting on which was part of the reason that I thought of my little scheme.

I had the impression that there was still a rift between them. Neil had done everything the wrong way, but for the right reasons. He wrote me a letter one that I’ve taken to heart and one that’s making me walk into the office today. He knew that I’ve been going to see Autumn or that I would see her again, and once I read it. I knew that I couldn’t stay away. Mainly, because for the first time since I’ve go to know Neil, I think that he wasn’t lying to me.

Dearest Olivia,

I know that you hate me and you have every reason to tear up this letter from the moment that you read it. But I want to thank you, not only for the time that you gave to me but for bringing life back into my grandson’s cold heart.

You see before you came alone and brought him back to life, he was ready to die. He may never admit it and pretend that he had it all under control, but it’s far from it.

I paid off the company’s loans, and even the one’s in his apartment from the moment that he came to see me. Isaac was so intoxicated that he couldn’t even see it. He turned a blind eye to his finances and worse of all himself.

I did think of the idea to pair you both up from the moment you were homeless and financially unable to support yourself. But from the time we started talking, and I learned about you. I soon changed my mind about my initial scheme. I lied to both of you, and for that, I’m truly sorry. I gave you a home because for some crazy reason I thought that your pure heart is something that both Isaac and I need in our lives.

Everyone in town thinks that we are an item. They believe that I am your ‘sugar daddy,' but not once did you leave the ranch or even put people in their place. You let them talk, and that makes you lonely.

No one talks to you.

No one wants to associate with you.

You lead this life just to appease me, to make me happy and I am forever grateful for the sacrifice. I suspected that you and Isaac could find love in each other. I went out of my way to push you to be one. I did not expect you to bond as much as you have and I would be eternally grateful for you giving my grandson back his heart. The one that he had lost. I know that he loves you, so please do not punish him for my mistake. They are mine alone.

Anything you need Olivia, you just shout, and I’ll come running.

Anything you want Olivia, just say the word and I will give it to you.

I owe you everything, and you owe me nothing. I do hope that one day you can forgive me. But I know that I do not deserve it. Especially the way that I have treated you. I do hope that one day you can forgive me or at least try.

Neil

I know that Neil was secretly trying to manipulate me. I remember Isaac saying that he thinks that it’s just natural for Neil. He has a way of manipulating everyone that he comes into contact with and I hate to admit that he’s right.

But the fact that Neil wrote a letter and there seems to be the bond that they both lost a long time ago slowly rebuilding their relationship. The way that I hoped when I set them up on the task.

“Good morning gentlemen,” I say as I walk through the door.

“Good morning Olivia,” Isaac smiles at me. He does look completely different from when I first met him. It’s as if he’s been working out or something. I’m distracted as I can see his biceps through his shirt and I wonder if he looks completely different underneath from what I remember. To say that I miss him is an understatement.

I remember him telling Neil that he loves me and would marry me in time. I remember smiling about that, but then the realization that they’d made a pact together tore me apart.

“Good morning Olivia,” Neil says indifferently. I think that he’s nervous about my appearance.

“I read your letter, Neil.”

“What letter?” Isaac asks, “I didn’t know that you knew where she lived?” His question is directed at Neil who shakes his head, “I don’t. I just left it with Autumn.”

“Ah,” Isaac says as the penny drops.

I shut the door and say, “I was thinking that if you’re not busy we could go to breakfast?” I ask Isaac and then Neil says, “He only has one appointment at eleven. He has time for that.”

I’m about to ask Neil, but I’m really hurt by what he did. I need time before I can forgive him with open arms.

“In that case I’m free,” Isaac nods his head.

“Cool, because I know this great little bakery. They have all types of croissants and cookies.”

“Sounds like my kind of place,” he says as he comes closer towards me. I want to back away, but between his moody scent and his black suit, which always melts me I find it hard. I just know that I’m not about to give in. Not in a hurry.

“Well, if you’re taking me out to breakfast then you better be paying. You see if I have this assistant who comes into the office whenever she feels like it, and she demanded that I pay her to double the going rate.”

“Maybe you should sack her.”

He presses his lips against mine, “Maybe I will. But for now, you’re taking me out for breakfast.”

Then I take his hand and lead him out of his office. As we stop at the desk, which is supposed to be mine. Neil’s sitting there, and I smile at him, “Maybe next week if you’re free then you can join us.”

He nods his head, “That’ll be fun.”

Isaac says, “But she’s still paying.”

Then I loop my arm around his, and as we enter the elevator it’s empty, and I know as much as I’m trying hard to get. It’s not going to work with Isaac. Especially when I feel as if I’m kidding myself. We’ve had our time apart, but I want a relationship that’s built on trust. He’s going to have to earn it. Whether he likes it or not.

Three months later…

Epilogue

Olivia

The touch of Isaac’s warm skin awakens me. I feel the afterglow of last night. Isaac’s damn hot in bed. I lie looking at the rays of morning sunlight shining through the curtains at a spot on the floor, thinking that I could stay in bed all day. Of course, I know that isn’t going to happen. Isaac has marketing people to meet. We have to return to Houston. I don’t want to, because I would love to spend the whole day in bed. The way that we’ve been accustomed to doing on the odd weekend.

Isaac raises his head and glances at me.

“How long have you been awake? I thought you were still sleeping.”

“Not long, but I could stay in bed all day the way I am feeling. I thought that you were sleeping too.”

“Olivia, I need to go in later. But after we can spend time together.”

“I know I just feel lazy.”

“You can’t be lazy. You own the ranch, and there’ll be no rest for you. I’ll tell Dan to give you all the dirty jobs.”

“Ha, I’m his boss now, not you?” I move on top of Isaac, because he’s trying to wind me up and it’s not working. Maybe I’ll tempt him into staying in bed.

“You’re in a great mood this morning. Well, I have a lot to be thankful for, don’t you agree. Neil signed over the ranch, but he didn’t have to do that. I never asked him to.”

“Neither did I. But he wanted to leave. He hated staying here alone and he thought that three’s a crowd.”

I shrug, “Not really, you spend just as much time in the office as you do here. So, I could do with the company.”

He laughs, “Not when you have Autumn.”

I ignore his comment and ask, “Are you not fixing breakfast before you go?

“Maybe?”

I move off him and say, “Well I’ll like some scrambled eggs and toast please?” I kiss him on the cheek and head into the shower.

I missed the ranch when I moved out, that must be the most heartbreaking part of living in the city. The crazy part was when I was here, I used to dream about leaving. I used to think about living in the city. When I had the opportunity to do it. I hated it. Despised it with a passion.

As soon as I finish in the shower. I hear Isaac in the kitchen and decide to pop to the barn to see Autumn. I walk across the lawn toward the barn. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Neil gave me the ranch and moved out. Having lived with him here for years, I know how much he loves the ranch.

I know I shouldn’t forgive Neil, but I can’t hold a grudge against him. I care for him too much. I take in a deep breathe as I enter the barn and let the smell of horses and hay percolate throughout my body. I know that if I had been forced to stay away from the ranch, a part of my soul would have withered, so much had I became a part of the ranch.

Autumn has her head out the stall looking for me as I approach. It’s funny how she always seems to know when I’m approaching her stall. “I missed you,” I tell her as I hug her neck. She nudges my pocket to see if I have brought her an apple. “No, I didn’t bring anything for you. Just me. I wish I could take time and give you a good brushing, but Isaac has to get back to the office.” I talk to her as though she’s a person. Well, to me maybe she is. When Neil and I lived on the ranch I used to spend so much time coming here and talking to her, especially whenever I felt lonely.

My phone’s vibrating in my back pocket I pick it up as I kiss Autumn on the forehead. “I’ve got to run,” I say as I walk away. I know that only one person would be calling me on my cell right now and that’s Isaac. Most likely to tell me that breakfast is ready.

As soon as I enter the kitchen I can smell toast and eggs. I glance at Isaac thinking that he’s really learning to cook and not feel the need to always go out to eat,“See that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“You’re just lucky I didn’t burn the toast. Did you look in on Buckskin?”

“No, I thought that you would do that before, you go to the office. His head’s outside the stall looking for you. When’s the last time you rode him?”

“Too long. After I get things settled in the office I want to do some riding.”

We both sit down to eat and both of us are avoiding looking at the chair. The one chair that Neil always sits in whenever he eats at the table is empty and it pulls a chord in my heart. Maybe I should just tell him that I don’t want this place?

Isaac eats so fast as if his life depends on it. I know that there’s no room for a conversation, let alone a discussion about Neil.

“Need to go,” he says as he pops the last bit of toast in his mouth.

I nod my head and then I walk behind him as he rushes to his car and then his car pulls out of the driveway, I found myself already missing the ranch. I really didn’t want to return to Houston, but it was necessary. I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell what was going to become of Isaac and I.

When I first started working for the company I grew to enjoy the challenge of working for Isaac. You’d think that when his employees found out I was the boss’s girlfriend, they would cut me some slack. They were different from people around me. They didn’t care and no one battered an eyelash about our relationship in and out of the office.

The time I'd spent in the office was fun while it lasted. I proved to myself that I'm capable of doing more than just running a stable. It felt good to have issues and not run to Isaac, every time I faced a problem.

I loved going to lunch with the other secretaries. They would invite me, and we would sit and gossip. Everyone wanted to know what it was like with Isaac.

“We can't believe that he's found happiness again after..”

No one wanted to say her name. It was as if there would be a cloud of darkness at the mention of her name.

“Dede. I know about her, and he's come a long way from it all. He's healed, and he's moving on from what happened in his past.”

“Good,” they would smile, but I wondered if part of them were disappointed that there wasn’t any gossip about our relationship or even more about the boss. Even if our friendships weren’t real, they had treated me better than some of the people in town that I’ve known my whole life.

I get up and clear the table and then I hear a familiar voice behind me, “I could do that?”

I turn around and hug him, “Neil, you came back?”

He nods, “I couldn’t stay away from this place. Do you mind if I stay for a little while?”

I push him back and say, “You really are stubborn. This is your home. I don’t care what it says on paper. You can stay here as long as you want.”

He shakes his head, “But I don’t like the way that you look at me, or the fact that you don’t trust me.”

I agree with him and say, “If you want things to change then you have to change it.”

He takes out his hand and says, “You got a deal!”

I hug him one more time and say, “You really are an old fool and I love you. And Isaac does too. He’s going to be thrilled that you’ve come back.”

He winks, “He his, he’s bringing my things into the house right now.”

I laugh as I think about the two men in my life. They’re a handful, but I feel proud because before I didn’t have any family. I had no one that really loved me and although Neil had hurt me and done things the wrong way. I knew that he loved me. He’d showed me when he handed me his home, took up a meaningless job and the pity in his eyes right now. I shouldn’t let the old man suffer, because as angry as I was in the past. It’s truly buried, and that’s the only way to move forward with a happy new beginning.