The Navy SEAL Cowboy

Chance Westley walked off the small plane on to the tarmac at the Coyote Creek airport, a duffel bag containing everything he owned slung over his shoulder. Chance hadn't been in Montana in three years, not since he'd gotten his orders to report to the base before getting sent to the Middle East. When he'd signed on to become a Navy SEAL, he never imagined that so much of his life would pass him by while he served his country. His parents passed away, his sister Julie got married and moved to Ireland with her new husband, and now Chance had nothing left but the family home in Coyote Creek.

 

He never regretted a day he had spent in the Navy, especially as a member of the elite SEALs. It had never been easy, but Chance had worked hard, and he'd risen through the ranks quickly. He loved his work, but when it was time for him to go back to the States, it didn't occur to him that he'd have to find a regular job. He had no idea what he was going to do outside the service, but Chance figured he had some time to mull over his options while he settled in at the house he’d grown up in.

 

As Chance rode the bus from the airport to the side of Coyote Creek, he realized he didn't recognize any of the faces riding with him. Could three years really have changed a town that much? Chance was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that a group of teenagers were staring at him and giggling. They were daring each other to go over and talk to him, but not one of them had the courage.

 

In his twenty-eight years, Chance never had any idea how good looking he was. Even on a bus, after thirty-eight hours of travel, with a smattering of five o’ clock shadow and tired eyes, he looked like a cowboy out of an Old West film. His jaw was as chiseled as a marble statue, and his whole face lit up when he smiled. His sandy blond hair and big, brown eyes gave him the air of a movie star, but his quiet demeanor left every woman he came into contact with trying to save him from the invisible specter of his sadness.

 

The bus pulled up at the corner closest to Chance's family farm, which was only about a mile's walk away. He thanked the bus driver and began the long walk up the drive, taking in the scenery that reminded him so much of his childhood. Everything was so quiet in the middle of the day, so peaceful. It was nothing like the life he'd just left behind. Chance was so overwhelmed by the quiet that he didn't realize he'd reached the property where his family's farm had been standing for generations.

 

And it wasn't there.

 

At first, Chance couldn't process what he was looking at. The sky that had once been landscape behind the farmhouse was now the only thing there was to see. There were some charred remains of what would have been the main framing of the house littering the ground, but anything substantial that had been left behind had long been blown away by the Montana winds. Chance's mind was racing. Why hadn't anyone told him? Called him? Written him? Something...

 

Chance pulled the cell phone he'd grabbed at a drug store out of his bag and tried to dial the last number he had for his sister, but the phone wouldn't let him call overseas. In a fit of frustration, he chucked the phone into the empty field in front of him. He spun around, looking at the empty sky, the space where he had run and played and ridden horses as a boy.

 

There was nothing left. And Chance had no idea what to do.

 

***

 

Clyde McCoy walked into the diner in Serenity Hill, Montana, slapping the backs of a few old timers as he made his way past the counter. A couple of the men tipped their hats as McCoy went by; words were rarely exchanged among the men that had lived and breathed all of their days in Serenity Hill. Just a nod and a half smile did well enough to say “good morning.” Most days, Clyde would sit down and join the other ranchers for a coffee and a plate of eggs. But today, he had a mission.

 

Clyde's old ranch hand, Marcus, had packed up and made his way toward the coast, hoping to get a job working with horses in Northern California. So now, Clyde had no one to help him with the daily chores, except his nineteen-year-old daughter, Mathilda, and she could only do so much.

 

Mattie, as everyone called her, had grown up on the ranch, and she was as skilled at running the operation as Clyde himself. But there was still plenty of work that needed to be done, and Clyde needed a young man on his staff to do it. Serenity Hill was a town of old timers. Most of the young men who had grown up there had moved away for college or better jobs in other states. No one wanted to hang around town and work on a ranch or a farm. They wanted bigger and better lives, and Serenity Hill didn't offer bigger, it only offered quaint.

 

Clyde walked up to a booth occupied by Joe Myers, the editor of Serenity Hill's newspaper, and plopped an ad that Mattie had typed down in front of him.

 

“Joe, can you put this in the paper for me? Maybe put it on the Interweb? I need myself a new ranch hand.”

 

Joe laughed and shook his head. “The Internet, you mean, Clyde? Sure, I'd be happy to. No charge either, after the help you gave me with my foal last spring.”

 

Clyde nodded his head in thanks, said his goodbyes to the girls behind the counter, and walked out of the diner. Joe picked up the ad and gave it a read.

 

Ranch hand needed!

$200/week + room & board

Serious long-term inquiries only!

Contact McCoy Ranch, Serenity Hill, Montana

 

***

 

Chance felt like he'd been wandering around Montana for months, desperately grasping at any work opportunity he could find. He'd hitchhiked from Helena to Columbia Falls, taken a bus from Glasgow to St. Mary, and still he hadn't found anything stable that offered him a place to live while he worked. But worst of all, he still couldn't get in touch with Julie, who had apparently moved from Ireland to England the month before he got back from Kabul.

 

Chance had just hitched a ride with Otis, a cattle rancher on a long haul from Texas to Washington State, when they stopped for a bite to eat in Serenity Hill. Chance was debating sticking with the cattle ranch and just leaving Montana all together when the rancher wordlessly slid a copy of the local paper across the diner booth.

 

“What am I looking at, Otis?”

 

Otis, an older gentleman of very few words, pointed a grizzled finger at an ad in the classified section. Chance read it over curiously, then did the math in his head. Factoring in even the cost of each week, he'd still be making more working for this McCoy ranch than he would as a traveling farm hand, picking up work where he could find it.

 

“Do you know these McCoy's, Otis? Are they good people?”

 

Otis nodded solemnly.

 

“I know Clyde McCoy through the business. He's an honest, old-fashioned gentleman rancher. He'll do right by you. But his little girl, Mathilda...Mattie, I think they call her, that girl is a damn spitfire. Watch out for her. A buddy of mine went up against her at an equipment auction and she damn near made him cry. She runs the day-to-day on McCoy, last I heard.”

 

Chance read over the ad a few more times.

 

“McCoy is a fair dealer though? And the work is good? I'm not really in a position to run from a decent job just because there is a rumor that the rancher's daughter likes to throw her weight around.”

 

Otis shrugged and slid a quarter across the table.

 

“Pay phone's back there, soldier. Give 'em a call. Just gird your loins. I've never met Mattie, but I met her mama, Esther, and if they are anything alike, she's as beautiful as she is hot-headed.”

 

Chance laughed and accepted the quarter with a smile. Fiery farmer's daughter or not, he hoped the interview would go well enough that he could call Serenity Hill home...

 

For now.

 

***

 

Chance walked up to the gate of McCoy ranch with his duffel slung over his shoulder, and his defenses up. His phone conversation with the woman who answered the phone had been brief, and terse. She'd told him to get to the ranch as soon as possible for an interview, then hung up on him. She hadn't announced herself, but he had a feeling that he'd been talking to Mattie McCoy.

 

It was about a half-mile walk from the gate to the ranch, and when the ranch property itself opened up in front of him, Chance couldn't believe what he saw. McCoy Ranch looked as if it had been picked up from an entirely different location and just dropped in the middle of the Montana high desert. Lush greenery spread out in every direction, surrounding a massive two-story ranch house. Goats and sheep wandered the acres of lawn in front of the house, and Chance could see a huge horse stable off to the side of the house. Groundskeepers wandered around, tending to the animals and cleaning up the sidewalks and driveways. Chance couldn't help but notice that McCoy Ranch looked more like a resort than a typical working ranch.

 

He was only a few steps from the main walk when a young woman came riding up on a gorgeous grey spotted Percheron. The horse whickered softly as the girl climbed down off its back. Chance knew he was staring at her, but he couldn't stop himself. She was tall and curvaceous, long-limbed, with an air of power that put even Chance on edge. Her long, curly hair drifted in the wind, and her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief and cleverness. From the way she carried herself, Chance knew she had to be Mattie McCoy.

 

“Chance Westley, I take it? You're here about the ranch hand job?”

 

Chance nodded nervously, any hint of verbal ability dead in his throat before it made its way to the surface. Mattie rolled her eyes impatiently.

 

“My daddy, Clyde, is in the stables. He's trying to rebuild a few of the troughs, and he needs help. That will be your interview. If you do the work well, and daddy likes you, you can stay. If not, you go. Got it?”

 

Chance tried to keep his face a blank slate, but he was starting to get annoyed. He was used to being bossed around by higher ranking officers and even the occasional upstart officer, but not a girl who was at least ten years younger than him. It was chafing at him pretty badly, but he just nodded respectfully and started for the stables.

 

It didn't take but a moment for Mattie to drift from his mind as the beauty of McCoy Ranch intoxicated him. Everything was so pristine, so lovingly maintained, even the chickens pecking around the grass seemed to be smiling.  Chance had done his fair share of work on farms around Montana, but he'd never seen a place like McCoy.

 

He also couldn't help but notice that, outside of the people working on the grounds, there wasn't another single person doing ranch-related labor. For a property this size, there should have been at minimum ten other people working. That , but again, he was in no position to look a gift horse in the mouth, as it were.

 

Chance wandered into the stables and spotted Clyde McCoy right away. He was a tall man, with the same presence as his daughter, but his face reflected years of hard work out in the sun. Unlike his daughter, his hair was blond as summer corn, despite the fact he should probably have been grey by now. It gave him a youthful spark that betrayed his real age. Chance dropped his bag at the entrance of the stables as Clyde looked up from the trough he was building, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

 

“Oh, praise the Lord. You must be my new ranch hand, for as long as you last. And just in time.”

 

Chance laughed awkwardly.

 

“For as long as I last? What does that mean, sir?”

 

Clyde tossed Chance a beer out of the cooler next to him, and gestured to him to join him at the trough.

 

“Manners. I like that. Well, kid, my daughter knows how she wants things run around her, and that's that. Not every man can handle taking orders from a girl like Mattie. Are you that kind of man...”

 

Chance took a slug of the beer before he answered, “Chance, sir. Chance Westley. I just got out of the Navy, Mr. McCoy, so I reckon I can take orders from just about anyone.”

 

Clyde chuckled. “I think you'll find, Chance, that the Navy doesn't have a damn thing on Mattie. And please, Clyde is good enough for me. Now, let's get these troughs built so I can officially hire you and get Mattie off my back.”

 

***

 

It was almost sunset by the time the troughs were done. Chance and Clyde were both exhausted, so rather than do any more work, Clyde decided to cut to the chase.

 

“Chance, I can't speak for my daughter, but as far as I'm concerned, you've more than proven your mettle. What do you say to $250 a week plus the room over the stables?”

 

Chance picked up his bag and glanced at the space over the stable. From outside, you couldn't see much. But he didn't need much either.

 

“Clyde, sir, the ad said $200 a week. I couldn't possibly take more than was offered. It wouldn't be right.”

 

Clyde gave Chance a solid pat on the back. “Mattie set the price, but it's my ranch, and I think you deserve the raise. So shut your pie hole and follow me upstairs. We'll get you set up so I can get some damn sleep.”

 

Chance wasn't about to argue with Clyde, who had clearly made up his mind already. There was a flight of stairs outside the stable that led up to the roof, where Chance would be staying. He suspected it would be a storage room with a cot, accommodations he'd experienced more than a few times during his travels. But when Clyde unlocked the door and let Chance inside, his mind was blown yet again.

 

The area over the stable was more of a small studio apartment, with a king-sized bed, a kitchen, and bathroom tucked away in the corner. There was even an old wood-burning stove already fighting off the chilly Montana evening with a crackling fire. A set of French doors led out to a small balcony that overlooked a lake at the back of the property. Chance's heart beat a little bit faster; he'd never lived anywhere like this in his whole adult life.

 

Chance turned to Clyde. “Sir...Clyde...I can't...I mean...This is far too nice for the likes of me. I don't feel comfortable living here for free.”

 

Clyde let out a hearty laugh. “Son, you aren't living here for free. You're doing honest work for honest pay, and the housing? Well, we'll just call that a trade-off for Mattie and what she's going to put you through. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable, and get ready for tomorrow. Bright and early.”

 

Chance tried to maintain his stoic demeanor, but he was so happy to have a place to sleep, to have a job, to have a reason to get up in the morning and do something with his hands. But as Clyde left him to his own devices, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous about what the morning held.

 

And about facing the looming threat of Mattie's tyrannical rule for real.

 

***

 

The sun was barely up the next morning when Mattie let herself into the apartment above the stables. As she approached Chance's bed with a bucket of water in her hand, she stopped short when she actually caught sight of him, bathed in the early morning sun. He wasn't wearing anything but his boxers, which highlighted the defined muscle of his stomach, chest, and hips. He was gorgeous, and for a second, Mattie forgot why she was there. But then Chance shifted in his sleep, and put a strong arm over his eyes, reminding her of her mission.

 

With a quick flick of her wrist, she tossed the bucket of water at Chance, and he bolted upright in a panic.

 

“Son of a...What in the holy hell are you doing, girl? The sun ain't even up yet!” Chance used the quilt to wipe the water out of his eyes, making it easier for him to scowl at Mattie. She tapped her riding-boot-clad foot with impatience. Her long legs looked even longer in snug jeans, and her oversized button-down already had traced of mud on it, as if she'd been up for hours. Her return scowl outpaced Chance's by a country mile.

 

“The sun has been up for an hour, and the horses need to be fed. There is also a fence on the far end of the property that needs to be mended and a tractor with a busted tire. If you're not up before the roosters, you're no good to me.”

 

Chance threw the quilt off the bed and stalked over to his clothes. Mattie glared at him with a watchful eye the whole time, attempting to keep her angry stare in place, but fully aware that she wanted to ogle his god-like body. With his jeans and shirt in hand, Chance turned and shook his head at Mattie.

 

“Well? Are you going to watch me get dressed, too, or can I do that without supervision, Miss McCoy?”

 

Mattie caught the emphasis on her name, and she didn't appreciate it.

 

“Watch your tone, Westley. There are plenty of other men I could hire for this job, so don't go thinking you're special or something.”

 

Chance snickered, “That's not what I heard, but yeah, alright.”

 

Mattie didn't feel like fighting with him anymore, and she had her own work to do in the office. So she turned on her heel and headed for the stairs, but not before leaving some final instructions.

 

“Oh, and Westley? The stables need to be mucked out too. Preferably before riding classes this afternoon.”

 

Once Mattie was gone, Chance saluted her as he would an overbearing sergeant.

 

What in all hell have I gotten myself into? he thought as he got dressed for the day.

 

***

 

It was barely noon before the sun was beating down on Chance so hard that he had to take off his shirt for fear of roasting alive. He'd finished cleaning out the stables and feeding the animals, so now he was “mending” the fence that Mattie had mentioned. Except it wasn't so much mending as it was rebuilding the thing from scratch. At least three hundred feet of it had been knocked clean out, most likely by a cattle stampede. That meant Chance was anchoring and rebuilding a reinforced log fence from the bottom up, and it was going to take him a week at least.

 

Rather than focus on the back-breaking labor, Chance kept imagining how much fun it would be to throw Mattie McCoy over his shoulder, carry her to the nearest lake, and toss her in. It was only his first day, but that girl was already a giant pain in his ass, and he expected it wasn't going to get any better. But he needed the job, and hell if he was going to give her the satisfaction of quitting. So every strike of the hammer was another satisfying exertion of the rage he felt toward Mattie and her haughty stance...her proud eyes...her full, pouting lips...

 

What the...where did that come from?

 

Chance stopped to wipe the sweat from his brow when he spotted Clyde riding up on his Appaloosa. He tossed a cold bottle of water over to Chance, who accepted it gratefully and chugged almost all of it down in a few long gulps.

 

“Good grief, soldier. Should you be doing all this work by yourself? I can get a couple of the yard guys to come lend you a hand.”

 

Chance shook his head. “Nah, thanks though. I think if your daughter caught me accepting help, she'd toss me out on my backside but quick.”

 

Clyde laughed and tilted his hat down.

 

“Son, I know she can be a real handful, but trust me when I say, she will come around. Just do what you can, and don't let her give you any guff. If she does, tell her I said to come see me, got it?”

 

Chance nodded with a smile. “Yes, sir.”

 

“Say, why don't you come by the house for dinner tonight? Friday is fried chicken night! You look like you could use some good home-cooking.”

 

Chance bristled. He did, indeed, crave some home-cooked food, but the idea of sharing a meal with Mattie McCoy was less than appealing. Still, he knew it would be rude to turn down such a kind invitation from his boss.

 

“If it's not an imposition...”

 

Clyde smacked him on the back. “None at all, soldier! Come by the house at 6pm sharp! And wear a nice shirt. We dress up for fried chicken night!”

 

***

 

Chance must have reached out five times to knock on the door of the McCoy's ranch house , only to pull his hand away at the last minute. He couldn't stop himself from feeling completely awkward, and it took all of his energy to resist the urge to run screaming in the other direction. He lifted his hand and attempted to knock one more time when, instead, the door flew open in front of him, Mattie standing on the other side.

 

Clyde hadn't been kidding about dressing up; Mattie looked like an angel standing in the doorway. She was wearing a white lace dress that was short in the front but long and flowing in the back. Big, beautiful pink roses were embroidered onto the lace and their stems bent and traced all the way down the front. Mattie finished the look off with a thick brown leather belt and her cowboy boots, which kept it from looking too feminine.

 

Chance knew he was just staring at her, but he had no idea what to say. Luckily, Mattie was rarely without words.

 

“told me he invited you over for dinner. And since it would have been rude for me to rescind an invitation that had already been extended, I suppose you can come in.”

 

The brief flash of affection Chance felt for Mattie disappeared when she took the opportunity to remind him that she had no use for him. Chance rolled his eyes as he followed her inside the massive foyer of the ranch house. Even the house looked more like it belonged on a resort. He couldn't believe that just Clyde and Mattie lived in this massive home.

 

“Is it just you and your father here?”

 

Mattie stopped outside what looked like a formal living room, where a fireplace was gently crackling, and a massive sheepdog was snoozing away, oblivious that anyone else had come in. Mattie sat on the edge of a couch and crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“Now, yeah. My mom died ten years ago, and my brothers all moved out as soon as they turned eighteen. Jay is a teacher in California and Rob is in the Marines. Dad said you were in the Navy or something?”

 

The sheepdog woke up and, with a goofy grin, toddled over to Chance for some attention, which he gave happily. Chance loved dogs and missed having one of his own.

 

“I was. I was a SEAL. Did three tours in the Middle East. My time finally came up this fall.”

 

Mattie eyed him suspiciously. “You were a SEAL? And you couldn't get a better job when you got out than as a ranch hand?”

 

Chance saw an instantaneous look of regret in Mattie's eyes. She put her hand over her mouth and shook her head, sending her long curls in a spin around her face like a silky tornado. Chance couldn't help but chuckle.

 

“I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. Sometimes I just talk before I realize what nonsense is coming out my mouth. I just meant...weren't there any better opportunities for you?”

 

Chance got down on the floor with the dog, who promptly shoved large muzzle into his neck. Chance was enjoying the fact that, for once, Mattie McCoy was the one stumbling over words and not him.

 

“Well, my parents died while I was overseas, my sister got married and moved to the U.K., and the family farm burned down. I thought I'd have some time to weigh my options when I got home, but it didn't look like luck was on my side. So rather than hang around in Coyote Creek and beg for favors, I decided to hit the road and figure my shit out that way. I have to say, it's been interesting.”

 

He couldn't explain what changed, but something in Mattie's face softened. She sat down on the floor next to Chance, the lace of her dress creeping up her thighs and drawing Chance's eyes to her soft, tanned skin. He tried to be a gentleman and keep his eyes on the dog, but he couldn't stop noticing how lovely Mattie looked in the firelight. As if she knew what he was thinking, and wanted to defuse the situation, she reached out and gave the dog a gentle ruffle of the fur on head.

 

“His name is Doc. He's been my best friend since I was a kid. It's kind of hard making friends, living this far out in the middle of nowhere.”

 

Chance couldn't help but laugh. “With your sunny disposition and welcoming attitude? I can't hardly believe it.”

 

Mattie feigned offense and playfully shoved Chance away just as Clyde walked into the living room, clad in an apron covered in flour.

 

“Chance! I didn't even hear you come in! I see you met old Doc. Come on in to the kitchen. You can help shuck the corn.”

 

Chance stood up from the floor, a grin plastered on his face.

 

“When you invited me for dinner, somehow I didn't imagine it would be you doing the cooking, sir.”

 

Mattie walked up behind her dad and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Dad's a great cook! He makes dinner every Friday. It's me who leaves a lot to be desired.”

 

Clyde gave his little girl a side hug, in an attempt not to cover her dress with flour.

 

“My girl brags on me, but it's just fried chicken! Doesn't take a genius. Now grab yourselves some corn and get to shucking! I want to get those ears over the grill out back.”

 

***

 

Several weeks went by like that, with Mattie bossing Chance around like a drill sergeant during the week, but then making sure he didn't forget to show up for Friday dinners. In all his years on the earth, Chance had never met a girl as confusing as Mattie McCoy, and he found himself thinking about her all of the time. Part of him knew she was probably too young for him; at nineteen, she was only a few years younger than his baby sister. But he couldn't help himself as he watched her tend to her horses or toil away at the vegetable gardens. She was strong, and smart, and had more gumption than most of the men Chance had met in the service.

 

He knew he shouldn't be thinking about her the way he did, but he thought about her just the same. Chance knew, however, that as long as Clyde McCoy was doing him the favor of letting him live on his property and providing him with such a fantastic job, he couldn't so much as look at Mattie with any kind of romantic intentions.

 

But then, the night came when a massive thunderstorm rolled across McCoy Ranch, and changed everything in a way that couldn't be undone.

 

Chance was out in the fields, chasing down a few stray head of cattle that had wandered away from the rest of the herd, when the unmistakable sound of thunder rolled across the mountains. Chance's horse bucked nervously underneath him, and the steer Chance was after took a quick glance at the sky before trotting its way home. He couldn't explain it, but a feeling of dread settled deep in his stomach, and Chance knew that he should be heading back for the ranch house.

 

Chance hadn't made it more than a few hundred feet when a huge crack of thunder shook the ground beneath him and a bolt of lightening flashed down right in the middle of the fields that surrounded McCoy ranch. It only took a moment, but smoke began to billow up from the center of the field, and Chance took off like a shot. It wouldn't take long for a fire to spread throughout the dry grasses of the fields, and if no one else saw what he saw, it could reach the ranch house in a matter of minutes.

 

Chance stopped the horse a fair bit away from the ranch and ran at top speed for the hose that they used to water the horses. He could smell fire, and it was too much for him to handle alone. Chance shouted as loudly as he could for Clyde and Mattie, for anyone. Some of the groundskeepers came running from behind the stables, buckets already in hand. Chance was spraying everything he could with the hose when Mattie bolted from inside the house.

 

“Chance! Oh my God, what...what happened?!”

 

Chance handed Mattie the hose as he darted to grab buckets from the groundskeepers so he could help douse the smaller fires that were springing up.

 

“Lightning! A storm rolled over the mountains! I saw it strike from the outer fields. Less talking, more dousing!”

 

Chance was trying to focus on the fire, but he couldn't help but notice how strong Mattie became in the face of adversity, how beautiful she looked with the stain of soot on her cheeks. He felt so foolish, allowing himself to be distracted under such circumstances. But he'd never met anyone like her before, and it was enough to distract any man who hadn't fully taken leave of his senses.

 

It took hours, hours of fighting a fire that simply did not want to be bested, before the danger finally began to subside. They'd managed to keep the house from sustaining any damage, but the cornfields were lost, and much of the vegetable garden. Chance could see Mattie was devastated, but they were lucky, far luckier than they could have been had they not caught it in time.

 

He walked over to where Mattie sat, rummaging through the charred remains of her squash and carrots, and sat down next to her.

 

“It could have been a lot worse, Mattie. A lot worse. We could have lost the house, the stables. At least all of this...it can be replanted. But some things can't be replaced.”

 

Chance reached over and put his hand on Mattie's knee. He half expected her to swat it away, but instead she placed her own hand on top of his and squeezed it.

 

“I just don't know what I'm going to tell Daddy. He left for Texas this morning, and I know he's going to want to rush back. But he's got a meeting about a merger with a cattle ranch in Houston, and I don't want him to worry.”

 

Chance turned his hand over so their fingers intertwined, and let his thumb run along the length of Mattie's palm. She felt a shiver run down her spine, a shiver she tried to ignore.

 

“Nothing is going to change tonight, or tomorrow. I'll stay up and keep an eye on things tonight. Once his meeting is over, then you call him. For now, nothing to be accomplished by him rushing back in a panic. You go get cleaned up, and I'm going to do the same. And then I'll stay on the porch tonight.”

 

Mattie squeezed Chance's hand again, and turned to look deep into his eyes.

 

“Can you...not...leave me? Please? You can stay in the ranch house tonight. Shower in one of the guest rooms. I'd just rather not be alone. I'm a little unsettled, I guess.”

 

Chance knew it was a terrible idea, which he should politely decline and go back to the stables. But there was something about the way Mattie was looking at him, the combination of sadness and resolution in her eyes, and Chance found himself saying the words before he'd even fully thought it over.

 

“I'll stay.”

 

***

 

Mattie walked out of the kitchen with two mugs of coffee and handed one to Chance. They'd both washed away the reminders of the fire and were sitting in the family room of the ranch house, the TV humming quietly in the background. He tried not to notice that Mattie was only wearing a , and didn't seem to have anything else on underneath. He felt his nerves begin to tingle, but tried to get control by focusing on the room.

 

Chance was surprised at how soothing this particular room was; it was filled with family photos, memories that weren't even his, yet being around any family at all brought him comfort.

 

Mattie sat next to Chance on the carpet and took a long, slow breath.

 

“Thank you for today. I never would have been able to save the ranch without you. If you hadn't been here, it all would have been lost. Chance...I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I just need you to understand. Everyone in my life, my mom, my brothers...everyone but Dad, they leave. I suppose I don't trust anyone, especially wanderers who just show up here looking for a quick buck. So, I hope you'll forgive me.”

 

Chance felt his defenses weaken and he reached out and ran his fingertips down Mattie's soft cheek. She reached up, took his hand into hers, and kissed his palm. For a moment, Chance snapped back to the present.

 

“Mattie...your father will kill me.”

 

Mattie laughed. “My father isn't here, Chance. Just me.” Mattie ran her through Chance's hair as she inched closer and closer to him. He couldn't believe what was happening, but he wasn't left with long to dwell on it. Mattie reached over and slid her hands under Chance's t-shirt, and lifted it over his head so she could once again take in the beauty of his sinewy form.

 

Not one to be left shirtless alone, Chance pulled off Mattie's sweater, shivering as his hands drifted over the curve of her breasts, as he felt her body leaning in to his touch. Mattie wrapped her arms around Chance's neck, and looked deep into his eyes. With a lustful whisper, she spoke into his ear, “I'm so glad you came here, Chance. I'm so glad you answered my call.” Chance buried his face in the slope of Mattie's neck, and let his hands slide down her back, into her jeans, and onto her firm, rounded ass.

 

Chance gently nibbled at Mattie's plump lips, and kissed her with a passion he hadn't felt for anything in his entire life. From the moment he saw her, he knew she was going to drive him crazy. He just hadn't understood in what way she was going to do it. As Mattie crawled into Chance's lap, she felt his rigid cock press into her thighs, drawing her in with the same desire that his kiss was echoing into her entire body.

 

Chance pulled away for a moment and whispered, “I knew you were going to be trouble, Mathilda McCoy. I knew it.”

 

Chance let his skilled hand drift between Mattie's legs, his fingers traveled up to trace the outline of her underwear, his own body thrilling at her warmth against his skin. Mattie hadn't felt this way for another person in her whole life, had never felt so drawn to a man. Her whole body was afire, and she was flush with the need to taste every inch of Chance's skin, nibble at him and let her tongue drift over his firm warmth.

 

Chance bent down and whispered into Mattie's ear, “I'm never letting you go, Mattie.”

 

Mattie laughed and kissed Chance on the cheeks. “What makes you think you have the option?”

 

Before Mattie knew what was happening, as Chance still let his fingers play with her pussy, he lifted her into the air, turned around, and set her softly on the thick carpet in front of them. The sight of Chance in the soft glow of the moonlight, of his big, brown eyes looking down at her with so much affection, left her in state of overwhelming desire and pure, unadulterated need.

 

Mattie was so consumed with her own passionate thoughts that she barely noticed as Chance slipped her panties off and tossed them into the corner of the room, a soft moan escaping his lips as he bent down to kiss the skin of her flat stomach. Mattie's own desire overcame her and she wrapped her long legs around Chance's strong torso, grinding her sex against Chance's muscled waist, dripping with the perspiration of their passion.

 

Mattie let her nails drift slowly down Chance's muscled back, sending a flurry of shivers through Chance's whole body. Both of them gave in to their extreme and overwhelming desire as they folded around each other, their skin aching with need to feel and touch and experience even more of one another.

 

Chance brought his lips to Mattie's strong sloped shoulders and kissed them gently, letting his tongue trace its way down her collarbone and to her chest. “God, Mattie, you're driving me crazy.”

 

Mattie pulled Chance closer to her, letting her feet trace the length of his legs and ass. “Ditto,” she whispered into his ear.

 

Chance leaned in to suck softly on Mattie's pert nipples, and Mattie knew she wanted to really feel Chance's thick cock against her hand. Mattie slid one hand into his jeans, and let her palm drift up and down the length of his trembling firmness. She let her fingers play tantalizingly with his cock, circling the tip, occasionally pausing at the bottom and letting her fingers graze his balls. It wasn't long before Mattie needed to feel more than just the touch of Chance's manhood; she needed to feel all of it, inside of her. Mattie stretched back and used her feet to push away Chance's pants.

 

Chance moaned, torn between his desire and what he thought to be right. “I want you so bad, Mattie. I do. But I don't know...I just don't know if we should...”

 

Mattie leaned up and kissed Chance with every fiber of her being. She let her tongue trace the curve of his lips before she pulled away and kissed him gently on the chin.

 

“I do know, Chance. I know who I am. I know what I want. And I want you. I want you.”

 

In one graceful motion, Chance slid his hands under Mattie's ass and lifted her up to him.  With a soft sigh, Mattie let herself drift down onto his waiting cock. She felt as if her body and Chance's were tailor-made for one another, as if every inch of him were meant only for her. With every expert thrust, Mattie felt another rush of orgasm wash over her. She thought perhaps she could stand to feel this way forever.

 

Chance slid in and out of her, fucking her with a gentle frenzy, his hands running through her long, lush hair, and his eyes unable to look away from hers for even a moment. He forgot all of his fears, all of his doubts, all of his worries, and just lost himself in the fog of their passion.

 

“I think I might love you, Mattie,” he said in an instant, before he'd even realized the words had slipped out of his mouth.

 

Mattie looked up at Chance, overtaken by a moment of shock that was lost as a last glorious wash of pleasure poured over her.  Utterly spent from their furious desire, Chance thrust forth one last time into to Mattie, his throbbing cock providing one last exquisite rush of joy, as he filled her with his cum. Mattie's head was spinning as Chance collapsed down next to her, her legs shaking, her brain trying to process what had happened only a moment before.

 

She tried to listen to her heart, for once in her life, to say what she truly felt inside without overthinking it, or letting her responsibilities force her to make a decision that felt wrong.

 

“I think I love you too, Chance.”

 

Chance rolled over and kissed Mattie on the shoulder. He reached down and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently as he whispered in her ear.

 

“That's enough for now, Mathilda. That's enough for now.”

 

***

 

Clyde came back the next day, after Mattie called and told him about the fire. But she was very careful not to mention that Chance had spent the night at the ranch house. Things went relatively back to normal, except that every few nights, Mattie would sneak out after Clyde went to bed, and spend the night in the stables with Chance. During the day, she would boss him around just as she always had, but at night... At night, they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

 

One cold November morning, a few hours after Mattie had left Chance's room, there was a knock on his door. He thought perhaps she had forgotten something, so he sleepily walked over and opened it without asking who it was. But instead of Mattie, it was Clyde, and he was holding a phone.

 

“Clyde? What's wrong? What time is it?”

 

Clyde shrugged and wiped sleep out of his eyes as he handed Chance the phone. “I think it's 4 a.m. She says she's your sister. Julie, I think?”

 

Chance's eyes opened wide as he grabbed the phone. “Julie? Is that really you?”

 

His sister's voice came in clear and happy from the inside, filling him with a relief he hadn't known since he'd gotten back and lost track of her.

 

“Chance! Oh, thank God! I've been calling all over trying to find you, and finally found a waitress in this diner outside St. Mary... Anyway, Chance, we can catch up later. But the military called me, and they've been trying to find you! They want you to re-up for another tour. They wouldn't give me details, obviously, but they want you to call in as soon as you can. Chance...you don't really have to go back again, do you?”

 

Chance tried not to drop the phone. Go back? How can I go back?

 

“Jesus, Jules. I don't know. I'll have to drive up to the base tomorrow and see what's what. Julie, why didn't you tell me about the house?”

 

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Julie answered.

 

“Chance…what are you talking about? What about the house?”

 

***

 

Clyde gave Chance the day off to figure everything out. He even gave him the keys to one of the ranch trucks to drive out to the base so he could get in touch with one of his commanders from his last operation. He had just put on his jacket and was about to walk out the door when he looked up and saw Mattie standing in the doorway, her normally steely reserve betrayed by fear. Chance's stomach dropped out from under him. He couldn't take much more today.

 

“Aw, hell. What is it, Mattie? You look like you've see a damn ghost.”

 

Mattie reached into her pocket, pulled out a stick and held it up. Chance's jaw dropped.

 

“What the...that's not...please tell me that's not...” he stumbled awkwardly.

 

“I took four different tests. They all said the same thing, Chance. I'm pregnant.”

 

Chance dropped the truck keys to the floor.

 

“Well, now your dad is gonna kill me for sure.”

 

Mattie stuck the test back in her pocket and laughed uncomfortably. “I think the bigger problem is that Dad said you are going into Helena to see about signing up for another tour? Is that true?”

 

Chance collapsed down on the bed. “Well, damn, Mattie. That was five minutes ago. A lot has changed since then. Can you give me another minute? Maybe a meteor will crash into the planet and I won't have to make a decision.”

 

Mattie crossed the room and plopped down on the bed next to Chance.

 

“Listen, we didn't plan this. I'm a big girl. If you need to go, go. I'll...we'll...be here when you get back. But, the damn inconvenient truth of it is I'm in love with you, you goofy bastard. So whatever you decide, I'll support you.”

 

Chance leaned over and kissed Mattie on the cheek, then reached over and let his hand rest softly on her belly.

 

“It all might be for nothing, because seriously, girl, your dad is going to kill me.”

 

***

 

“YOU'RE WHAT?”

 

Clyde's bellowing brought the housekeeper running to the living room from the kitchen, but Mattie shuffled her out of the room and shut the door behind her. Clyde's face was bright red, and his hands were gripping the fireplace mantel so hard his knuckles were turning white. Mattie walked up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders.

 

“Daddy, just calm down. Chance is a good man, and I love him. We didn't intend for things to play out this way, but so it is. If you want us to leave, we'll leave. And if he decides to re-enlist for a tour, well, I'll figure out a way to take care of us. All of us. But I don't think you want to lose the chance to know your grandbaby.”

 

Clyde took a deep breath and turned around. His eyes were still afire with rage, but he was trying to calm himself down.

 

“You're not going anywhere, Mathilda. You'll stay right here. But I'm telling you right now, Westley, if you voluntarily leave my daughter and her child behind to go play cowboy that that sandbox, you’d best not come back.”

 

Mattie opened her mouth to object, but she could see there was no arguing with Clyde right now. Chance just stood there, staring into the distance, trying to figure out what do. He didn't want to leave Mattie, or his baby. He didn't even want to leave the ranch, or Clyde, whom he had grown quite fond of. But he didn't know yet if going overseas was an option or a demand. And until he found out, there was no use arguing.

 

“Sir, if I don't have to leave, I have no intention of going anywhere. But the only way I will know what is going on is if I drive to Helena and find out for myself. So, before you throw my ass out with the garbage, please let me find out what they want for me. Because there is nothing I want more in this world than to be with, and do right by, your daughter. And my child.”

 

Clyde grumbled and turned back to the fireplace.

 

“Then you better get on the road, boy. It's a long drive to Helena.”

 

***

 

Mattie paced back and forth across the foyer of the ranch house, her feet practically wearing a path in the wood. It was almost midnight, and Chance still wasn't back. Clyde had gone to bed hours ago, his anger dulled by half a bottle of bourbon. Mattie was the only one still up, and she thought she might drive herself crazy waiting for the sound of tires on pavement outside.

 

At ten after midnight, she finally heard what she'd been waiting for. She rushed to the front door and threw it wide open, to find Chance smiling on the other side, his arms open wide, waiting for her.

 

“So, you want to spend the rest of your life with a bum like me?”

 

Mattie ran into his arms and held him as tight as she could, tears rolling down her cheeks.

 

“This life and the next. You're stuck with me forever, Chance Westley.”

 

Chance spun Mattie in a circle, and kissed her with all of his might, as the sparkling starlight of the Montana sky shone down on them from above...

*****

The End