Three weeks! Had it really been that long?
It was time, she thought with a deep breath. She was healed. Lifting her face up to the sunshine, she realized how good she actually felt. Deep down good. A sense of well being, of strength and happiness surged inside of her.
It was nice.
After months of anger and bitterness, this was nice.
Better than nice!
She was at peace.
It was time to spread her wings once more. To test the world and open her eyes to the possibilities. Time to breathe fresh air. Time to live again.
Samantha looked around at the ranch hands she’d grown to love over the past three weeks. They were all good men and she enjoyed talking with them, laughed at their teasing banter and, as the cook, she sincerely loved making wholesome, nutritious meals for them each day.
But she also acknowledged that she was acting like a coward, afraid of living life, afraid of being hurt again. This wasn’t living. This was cowering and she was stronger than that. She needed to get out and experience the world a bit more. For three weeks, she’d been hiding in this kitchen and loving her job, but it wasn’t enough. Not any longer.
Making meals for the crew that worked on the DeBron Ranch was wonderful, and she prayed that she never had to go back to being an accountant again but she really did need to step outside of her cocoon. Maybe get a bit of vitamin D. Samantha laughed at herself as she tucked the breakfast leftovers into the fridge. She’d never cowered in her life, but after…
No! She wasn’t looking back. Only forward. That was the vow she’d made months ago and so far, it had worked.
Life on the DeBron ranch had been exactly what she’d needed. Her time here had given her a safe place to heal, to find solace, and repair her wounded heart. She’d spent so many years going to school, studying to become an accountant, and now that she was away from that life, away from the pressures of the corporate world, she knew that she hated accounting. She hated working in an office, competing to get projects finished faster, more accurately, to get the better tasks, to buy the best clothes, and all of the other superficial competitions she’d wrapped herself in during her previous life.
She was free now. And sincerely enjoying her job. Cooking had always been her passion. Now she had dozens of men complimenting her, thanking her for her efforts. No one had ever thanked her for doing their accounting or saving them money on their taxes. Clients had hired her firm and moved on once the accounting activities were finished, she was paid a salary, and as far as her supervisors had been concerned, that was all the recognition she needed.
These days, after just about every meal, at least one of the ranch hands politely thanked her for her cooking. And every one of them tipped their hats or nodded their heads when she walked by…simply out of respect! It was so different here! Montana was…happiness!
There was that word again. Happiness. Such a strange word. So startling. So…foreign!
Yes, she realized, she was finally happy. It was a staggering thought!
Stepping further outdoors, she lifted her face up to the glorious sunshine. It was an amazing spring morning and she had a full hour before she needed to start preparing for the lunch rush. Taking a deep breath, she nodded her head. Yes, it was time to live a little.
Getting into her car, she turned right instead of left at the entrance to the DeBron Ranch. She had no idea how big this operation was, but she knew she wanted to get away from her job and relax.
She drove for fifteen minutes, looking at all the land, the open spaces, and the beautiful mountains in the distance. Montana was one of those gorgeous states that never failed to make her soul sing with happiness and wonder.
After driving several miles, she carefully pulled off the road, spotting at a group of trees about fifty yards away. From this distance, it looked like the perfect place. A pretty creek was running down from the mountains, surrounded by birch trees and evergreen bushes. There was a rock right there, perched above the water. Stepping out of her car, she looked around, worried that this might be someone’s land and she was trespassing. But as her eyes surveyed the horizon, there didn’t appear to be another soul for miles! It was exhilarating and a touch intimidating to be this alone in the world. Having come from Washington, D.C., she’d never known that a place this isolated existed except in storybooks.
There wasn’t even a plane flying overhead!
Silence. No traffic, no horns, no cell phones, no boss yelling from her office demanding a report or the status on a deadline. Just the faint sound of the wind blowing through the tall grass and leaves.
It was almost as if she could hear the sun shining!
Samantha simply stood there beside her car for several minutes, not thinking, not feeling, and not caring. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on absorbing the silence, the warmth of the sunshine, and the amazing feeling of just…being.
With a deep breath, she carefully picked her way through the tall grass, walking towards her chosen oasis. The birch trees seemed to be clapping at her approach, the leaves dancing in the sunlight, and the sound of the water rushing through the creek bed made her smile with anticipation.
When she stood by the creek, the rock she’d spotted from her car turned out to be larger, flatter, than she’d originally anticipated. Sitting down, she found the sun had warmed the stone and she curled her legs up while her eyes took in the beauty around her.
This was the kind of scene that people craved, but rarely ever found.
Lying back, she rested her head against the flat rock and stared up at the sky. The sun was warming up the air, slowly eliminating the chill from the previous night while the warmth from the flat rock finished thawing the last, tiny piece of frozen anger and resentment from her past.
The small town of Jefferson, Montana was slowly easing the cold that had arrested her soul for too long. The warmth of the townspeople, the compliments from the men who devoured her meals, and the gentle heat of the Montana sunshine all helped to push her miserable, hurtful past out of her mind.
Her alarm beeped, indicating that she needed to get back to the ranch, to her kitchen, so she could start getting ready for lunch. Samantha’s body protested, but she promised herself that she’d return to this spot. This had felt good, Samantha thought. Liberating. Cleansing.
Grabbing her keys from the ground where she’d tossed them before sitting down, she was just about to get up when she spotted the horse and rider galloping in the distance. The image was so startling that she stopped in her tracks, her body frozen, her mind taking in the enormous man and his horse. Staring at him, she was struck by the power in which he rode his horse, the confidence in his shoulders, and the gentle way he controlled the animal.
He was…magnificent! Marvelously, shockingly magnificent!
The rational side of her brain told her to pull her eyes away and not stare. The woman inside of her told the rational side to shut up. No rational woman would look away from the sight of this man as he galloped across the field on that amazing animal!
Her racing heart and the crazy, sexual tug on her senses kept her staring. Kept her watching for as long as she could. When he rode off behind another clump of trees, she had to sigh wistfully, longing for him to reappear, to give her another chance to ogle his broad shoulders and the packed muscles that surely were underneath the denim material of those well-worn jeans. The man was astonishing!
Obviously not one of the men that worked for the DeBron Ranch, or she would have met him already. She knew all of the men who worked on the ranch because they came through her kitchen three times a day for food. No way would she have missed a man that powerfully compelling if he’d come through her food line.
She stared for several more minutes, willing him to ride back this way, to give her just one more glimpse. Unfortunately, he didn’t return and her disappointment was irrationally strong. Pulling her eyes away from the horizon, she forced her feet to turn back towards her car. It was time to head back. Lunch, she reminded herself, pushing the mysterious cowboy out of her mind.
Charlie sat on top of Sampson, his stallion and friend, as the intriguing woman hurried from the creek to her car. From his position atop a bluff several hundred yards away, he could see the outline of her figure, enjoy the gentle sway of her hips and her long, blonde hair as the wind whipped it about her shoulders.
What was it about her that had drawn his eye? She was just a woman, albeit a relatively small one. He couldn’t see any part of her upper figure since the bulky sweatshirt and loose jeans hid everything from his view. But even so, he couldn’t stop watching her.
She drove off in a non-descript hatchback and he still didn’t move. Who was she? He’d lived in Jefferson, Montana practically all his life, so he knew everyone on the ranch, as well as everyone in town. The only new person to come into Jefferson was his new crew cook, but that guy’s name was Sam, according to Tom, his foreman. This woman must be just passing through.
With a sigh, he turned Sampson towards the trail. He didn’t have time to contemplate lonely beauties that liked to soak up sunshine. He had work to do. Dancing brown hair was not on his agenda.
The following day, Samantha hurriedly wiped down the tables even as she glanced at the clock over the sink. She’d finished earlier than yesterday and had already done most of the prep work for lunch.
Biting her lip, she considered her plans. Samantha knew she was being ridiculous, but her heart still leapt with excitement at what she was contemplating!
But instead of second-guessing herself, she grabbed her car keys and rushed to her car, eager to find her way back to her rock.
Ten minutes later, she stepped out of the car and looked around. Her mind drifted back to all of the dire warnings from law enforcement personnel over the years; don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation.
And yet, here she was, walking towards her rock in an isolated area of the world, no one else around for miles, anticipating just a brief glimpse of a broad shouldered man on a horse. She actually shivered, thinking that this would be one of those situations the police warned people to avoid.
Still, she walked over to her rock, enjoying the sunshine and the breeze as well as the stillness of the world around her.
She shouldn’t have come back to this creek. The man wasn’t going to ride this way again, and even if he did, what was she going to do?
Stare! Mentally, Samantha laughed at herself. She was acting like a silly schoolgirl with a ridiculous crush. But yes, she just wanted a glimpse of her mystery man. A short, brief look to spur her heart rate. And what was more pathetic, she’d even put on a touch of makeup this morning in anticipation of seeing him.
Sitting down on ‘her’ rock, she pushed the man from her mind. He wasn’t going to be here. She was just coming to get out of the kitchen for a bit of fresh air. This was her private time. It would be her secret break in the day in which she allowed herself to contemplate life and how happy she was.
Yeah, right. Samantha snorted at the story she was mentally trying to weave inside of her head in order to justify her irrational actions.
The truth was, she was here because she wanted another glimpse of the cowboy. There was no other reason for her presence here.
Well, it was a beautiful spot. The dappled sunlight through the birch trees warmed her body and the babbling brook helped her to relax with the hypnotic rhythm. It was the perfect spot to unwind.
Lifting the thermos, she poured herself a cup of coffee, enjoying the moment, the taste of the brew and the peaceful surroundings as she went over her lunch and dinner menus. Unfortunately, her mystery man kept popping into her mind, breaking her concentration.
Why was she so tense? He wasn’t going to show up. Why was she gripping the thermos of coffee as if it were a lifeline?
Because she was a silly, pathetic female hoping for the sight of a man who wasn’t going to….
A movement to her right caught her eye and her head whipped around to stare in that direction. Sure enough, there he was! Oh my, he was beautiful! His profile looked hard and demanding, but his grip on the reins was light, indicating a gentle touch.
Her breath caught in her throat when he turned in her direction. He didn’t stop as their eyes caught and her mind froze with the impact of that gaze.
Powerful, she thought. Raw.
Everything inside of her trembled with awareness. With anticipation.
Samantha sighed with amazement, unaware of the longing in her own eyes.
Just like the day before, he rode across the field, his legs shifting as if they were guiding the horse instead of his hands on the reins. He rode across the horizon until she couldn’t see him behind the trees. Unlike yesterday, she stood there staring, wanting him to come back. Begging him to turn around.
When she realized what she was thinking, Samantha berated herself. Like she would know what to do with a man like that! She hadn’t been able to handle her last man, and Brad had been far less a man than this cowboy.
Shaking her head, she picked up her thermos and headed back to her car. She had things to do, a lot of work waiting for her back at the ranch. She didn’t have time to dawdle any longer.
Walking back to her car, she started it up and drove off, wishing that her mind wasn’t still back on the cowboy.
From his vantage point higher up on the bluff, Charlie watched the woman walk away and cursed under his breath. Why was he so fascinated by this woman? What was it about her that made him want to toss away all of his responsibilities and just…find out who she was?
He lifted his rope up from his side and quickly caught the stray calf that had wandered off from the main herd. With a gentle tug, he pulled the little guy away from the ravine and back to safety, then released the calf to his mother.
When he looked around again, the woman was gone, as was her little hatchback. She was cute, he thought. Sexy in a wholesome sort of way. Nice.
Of course, he’d only seen her from a distance. Very soon, he was going to find her and see her up close.
He thought about his last mistress. She’d been everything he’d thought he’d wanted in a woman. Vanessa had been tall, raven-haired, lovely, and sophisticated.
But seeing that woman with her soft, blonde hair and rough jeans, he had to admit that she held more appeal than Vanessa had ever generated in him.
Or maybe it was just time to find another mistress. Vanessa was long gone, her bedroom appeal dissipated after only a couple of months. Unfortunately, that had been the pattern for several women lately.
Was he becoming sexually jaded? Was he looking for someone different? Or had he become too cynical about women now?
Pushing his ridiculous thoughts aside, he nudged Sampson into a gallop. He didn’t have time for women. He didn’t have time for this kind of a distraction.
Samantha wiped her hands on a dishtowel and looked around, trying to think of anything else she needed to do for the next day. Coffee urns were filled and ready to start brewing on a timer, the breakfast prep was done, dinner cleanup finished. She’d really gotten this whole process down to a science now, she thought with excitement.
She now had the whole evening ahead of her. It was only seven o’clock…what was she going to do with all of this extra time on her hands?
Staring out at the early evening sunset, she decided that a walk would be the perfect solution. Or maybe a drive. Yeah, she could just head out and enjoy the night for a bit.
Fifteen minutes later, she found herself standing on her rock, staring up at the moon as it slowly started to glow in the night sky.
She wasn’t expecting her cowboy tonight. All she was expecting was a moment of peace, a period in time when there were no obligations, no responsibilities. Just her and the moon and…
The footsteps broke the silence and Samantha spun around, her eyes wide as she tried to see if an animal was approaching. She was near a watering place and it was just past dusk. Was this the time when the other animals came out to feed? On her?
“Relax,” a deep voice said. The voice was rich and extremely masculine, as well as incorporating a tone would normally be very reassuring. But the sexy voice made her stomach muscles tense in a very different way. Wild animals might have been preferable.
Or maybe not, she thought as the tall man approached, the darkness making him seem even more menacing. But he was on the other side of the creek. The space would give her enough time to get away if she sensed danger.
Correction, if she sensed a danger she wanted to run away from.
Okay, bad thought, she told herself. She should run from all forms of danger. Including a tall, dark, dangerous cowboy that had filtered into her dreams in the most erotic way, making her body wake up each morning wanting more.
So yeah, this man was definitely dangerous.
Then why wasn’t she making her way back to her car? Why was she pulling her legs up, wrapping her arms around her knees as if settling in for a long chat?
“What are you doing out here?” the man asked softly, that deep voice sending shivers of awareness throughout her whole body.
No name, she realized. He didn’t ask for hers and he didn’t offer his own.
“Contemplating life?” she tossed out with what she hoped was a casual smile.
The laughter was rumbling, sending more of those delicious quivers down her body. “Is that a question or your answer?”
Samantha smiled. Why did his interest make her feel special? “Perhaps both.”
“You’re not from around here. Where are you from?”
Crossing her arms, she tried to look up at the moon, to stop staring at his face, which she couldn’t really see because of the darkness surrounding them. “Virginia most recently. But I was born in Texas.”
“How did you end up here?”
Samantha thought about how to answer that. Not wanting to reveal her pathetic history to a man like this, she shrugged, as if her answer were flippant instead of hiding the deep pain she felt every time she thought about her ex-husband’s betrayal. “Just got in my car and drove.”
“Intending to end up here?”
Samantha laughed. “Absolutely not.” She looked up at the moon again and took a deep breath, trying to relax, but this man was not tranquil company. Invigorating. Intoxicating. Terrifying. Yes, those were better adjectives to describe this man. Definitely not relaxing. “It was just luck and happenstance that I ended up here in Jefferson, Montana.”
The long silence made her wonder what he was thinking, but she didn’t want to break that silence to ask.
“Do you like it here?” he finally asked.
Samantha smiled again. “Yeah. It’s pretty nice. The people are wonderful.”
He indicated the rock behind him with a wave of his hand, silently asking if he could sit down and she smiled as she nodded and faced him. They sat there and talked about everything and nothing for over an hour. He sat on his side of the creek, she perched on her rock, and the huge horse munched on grass the whole time.
The moon crept higher over the night sky and Samantha knew she should get back to the ranch. She didn’t want to, but her alarm woke her pretty early in the morning so she could get breakfast prepared for the men. The ranch hands usually started their days before the sun was up, which meant they generally started wandering in for coffee and a warm breakfast around five o’clock in the morning.
She didn’t want to leave, but she knew it was the wise thing to do. “I’d better get back,” she finally said, the regret sounding in her voice.
“Are you going to be back here tomorrow?”
Samantha hesitated. Should she? She loved coming here after breakfast, but was her continued fascination with this man healthy?
“I shouldn’t,” she finally answered.
She didn’t hear a thing, but she felt him smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” With those words, he walked over to his horse, gathered up the reins and mounted his horse. “I’ll wait until you’re safely in your car,” he told her as he sat there on top of the enormous beast. Man and horse seemed perfectly suited. Both were calm and patient as she walked over to her tiny car and started it up. She put it in gear and looked over to where she’d just been talking with her mystery man.
How had he known she was looking over at him? He raised his hand and waved, only a shadowed man backlit by the moonlight. But still a stronger man than she’d ever met in her life.
With a shiver of awareness, she put her car in gear and drove away.