Asha

After a long three hours, the new animals were finally settled into their pens. The horse, a dappled mare, was only two years old and painfully thin. Her ribs stuck out of her sides and her back slumped. Asha knew with time the mare would fill out, she just hoped the poor girl could learn to trust people again. The two cows were both female. One was heavily pregnant. They were both riddled with parasites and Asha hoped they could get that under control before the mother was due to give birth.

Despite being scared and in poor health, all of the animals seemed friendly. The horse they called Silver, the two cows, Annibel and Annika. With their new arrivals it bought the farm number to a total of fifty-three animals. Three horses, six cows, twelve goats, sixteen sheep, nine chickens, six cats, and one dog.

Asha was on her way back to the house to finally get the drink of water she’d been dying for all afternoon when she noted a smaller cloud of dust coming down the gravel driveway. Great. Impeccable timing.

She stopped, waiting, watching. Her throat felt closed up, like she’d swallowed a bag of cotton balls. So much for my drink of water.

The blue SUV, sporty, shiny, new and expensive, stopped a few feet from where she stood. Her new guest, Gabriel McDonald, climbed out.

He was the kind of man who was probably used to stealing a woman’s breath. Asha inhaled quickly, very aware that she had done so. Her face heated and she was painfully aware that her grey t-shirt was dirty and soaked with sweat and clung to her body.

Gabriel gaped at her for a second before his eyes flew to her face. He marched forward and extended a hand. “Hi. I’m Gabriel. I’m supposed to ask for Asha Roseland when I got here.”

Asha slowly extended a hand. His strong fingers curled around hers and he shook, with just the right amount of pressure before he released her fingers. Her body reacted on a purely biological level, her fingers recalling the impression of his hand long after it was retracted.

“I figured.” Asha forced the words past her dust dry throat. “I’m glad you found the farm.” Her tone suggested she was anything but. She slowly appraised the man who was, for all intents and purposes, her new employee.

He was well over six feet with broad shoulders and chest which ended in a trim waist. His legs were well muscled, and clung to his tight dark wash designer jeans. He was too well groomed for Asha's taste. His blonde hair was cut close to his head and he was freshly shaved. Asha would bet her entire farm that those muscles came from hours in the gym, not from doing meaningful labour. It was his eyes that got her. Green eyes that were the colour of new spring grass. 

Gabriel shifted from one foot to the other. Finally Asha gave herself a shake. What the hell am I doing sizing him up like that?

“Yes. I’m Asha. I was just going to the house to get a drink. You can join me there and then I’ll show you your cabin.”

The walk to the house took less than a minute, but Asha had never felt so self-conscious in her life. She could literally feel Gabriel’s eyes burning into her back. Was he staring at her ass? Was it vain to even wonder that?

 “Sit down,” Asha said, pointing to the large table in the kitchen. Gabriel did as she asked, gaping at the hundred year old piece of furniture. Asha wanted to tell him her grandfather had been born on that table but she decided to keep that to herself.

She busied herself putting the kettle on instead. She didn't bother to ask Gabriel if he liked tea. She would make it and if he chose not to drink it that suited her just fine. She wouldn't tell him that the herbs inside the diffuser were hand grown. He might think he was being poisoned.

Gabriel surprised Asha by pouring himself a cup of peppermint tea after she set the pot on the table. He took a sip. “This is really good.”

She nodded. “It is. My favourite actually.” She stared down at the table because for once she was at a loss for something to say. She had no idea where to start all this talk about things she really didn't want to concern herself with. So she let Gabriel take the lead.

“Your sister said you were looking for someone to help with your website and your marketing and social media.”

“Yes. I wanted you to come out here so you can see firsthand what we do. I care very much about my farm and about our store and I wouldn't want it misrepresented. I have dedicated my life to this place. I love this land and these animals. I don't want you working for me if I feel like you don't have a passion for this. Or if I feel like I can't trust you.”

“Well I hope I wouldn't give you a reason not to trust me,” Gabriel said, a little caught off guard. Asha could tell he was being sincere. “I honestly don't know much about farming. But that doesn't mean I won't be able to make you an amazing website or work with you.”

“Good. Good…” Asha trailed off. Her hand shook when she picked up her mug of tea. How long had it been since she’d had a man inside her house? It unnerved her that she even cared.

“What kind of a name is Asha? I mean, it’s an unusual name isn’t it?” He stammered, trying to cover up his discomfort.

“Is that wrong?” Her head cranked up sharply at his statement.

“No…” Gabriel stammered. “I actually really like it. I've just never heard it before.”

“Well it's not Biblical,” Asha said sarcastically. She saw Gabriel's face redden and she was suddenly ashamed of herself. She didn't want Gabriel here but he had come nevertheless. Asha had promised her sister she would try and make this work. And I’m doing a fine job of that so far. Not to mention she was acting with hostility towards someone she didn't even know. She had asked him to come. She had wanted him to be here, and now that he had actually shown up, eager to do nothing but help her, she supposed she should cut him a break.

“I'm sorry,” Asha said. She looked up into Gabriel's green eyes. Asha found that she liked the colour very much. She saw a kindness there that she should have noticed earlier. “My name is Natasha. My mother’s name was also Natasha, so my parents called me Asha.”

“It's a good bohemian name,” Gabriel said, obviously without thinking. He had the grace to look embarrassed after.

Asha had to laugh. “Is that what you think I am? Some gypsy or some hippie running this farm? Or commune?”

“Well...” Gabriel took a sip of tea and stared at Asha. “I was hoping you could tell me.”

“I'm not a hippy. This isn't a commune. I'll tell you more about it later, but for now how about I show you around? Oh and you may be right about the gypsy part. I've been accused of that before.”

 “I'm looking forward to seeing the farm,” Gabriel agreed, swallowing the last of his tea.

“Good. I hope you're not afraid of work. There's a lot of it to get done. You can help or you can follow me around and watch.” Asha threw down the gauntlet and let the challenge hang.