Chapter 2
Two
“ O h, come on, Opal! We made it this far, you gotta stick with me just a little further.”
Evie knew it was a pretty big gamble trying to get her hunk-of-junk car to safely make the trip from Wisconsin down to Texas, but things had gone oddly smooth since she set out, and it lulled her into a false sense of security. She should have known it would bite her in the butt.
She was just five minutes away from the Red River Ranch, her bladder protesting the three hour drive that morning with no stops. But she didn’t want to chance being late. That was a good thing, in the end, because even if Opal died on the side of the road, she could make the walk with time to spare.
Every single prayer she’d ever learned as a kid flew through her mind as she inched closer and closer to the ranch. Finally, she made it. The sign over the driveway really added to the surreal feeling she had of moving to Texas. This was her fresh start, and she was going to work her butt off to make sure that the Coopers knew just how invaluable she was.
Evie stepped out of her car and smoothed her hands over her blouse. She had specifically selected that outfit because it was the only one she owned where her baby bump wasn’t quite as noticeable. She was past the halfway point of her pregnancy, and her belly had certainly popped. Of course, it wouldn’t be long before she’d need to tell her new employers about her condition, but she wanted her to wait until the ink on her employment contract was dry, at least.
“Evelyn Williams?” She turned around at the sound of someone saying her name.
“Yes. Hello, that’s me. But please, call me Evie.”
“Hi. I’m Sam Cooper. I run Red River Ranch.”
Holy Toledo. The man standing in front of her was not what she was expecting. To be honest, she had been picturing Samuel Cooper as a man in his late fifties. But the tall drink of ice cold whiskey standing in front of her had to be much closer to her own age. Maybe late twenties or early thirties? His broad shoulders and muscular arms were on full display as he reached out to shake her hand.
“Of course, Mr. Cooper. Thank you so much for this opportunity.” Thankfully her voice held steady. What were those damn pregnancy hormones doing to her?
“Sam is fine. We’re not all too formal around here.” He smiled, and she felt a spark in her chest. She really needed to pull herself together. “I have a busy day ahead of me Evie, so if you’d like, I’ll show you to the office space we’ll be sharing and we can go over your employment agreement.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Evie quickly fell into line behind Sam as he walked towards the barn. Stepping inside, her breath left her lungs in one wonder-filled exhale.
“This is incredible, Sam. Oh my goodness…you have horses.”
“This is a working ranch. So yes. We do.”
“Right. I just meant…They’re so beautiful. ”
“Don’t let Jasper hear you say that. He’s already got enough of an attitude.”
“Oh, who’s that? Is one of these horses his?”
“No,” Sam laughed. “He IS the horse.”
“Well, I’ll make sure to keep the compliments away from him.”
“You’ll have to come out on horseback one day with us and see the ranch.”
Evie’s eyes dropped to the floor. She couldn’t ride while pregnant, and Sam couldn’t know why she was apprehensive. Not yet at least. “I’d like that. One day.”
She’d been so distracted by the horses, she hadn’t properly taken the building in until they started walking through it. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beautiful barn.”
“Thank you. Our original barn actually had a devastating fire a while ago, and this is what we rebuilt. Figured it should have some modern amenities in it.”
And from what Evie could see, it certainly did. Beautiful cobblestone floors were accentuated by large murals on the walls. There were gorgeous ceiling fans running which helped circulate the air and large doors in several areas that pulled in fresh air. When she’d thought of working on a cattle ranch, she certainly hadn’t been picturing this.
“Here past the horse stalls is the office. Let’s go in and get started.”
Once inside, Evie assessed the space. Piles of paper crammed on the desks in disarray with no clear system in place. Boxes were stacked, half open, spilling their contents out in the corner. She certainly had her work cut out for her.
Something whimpered and pressed against her leg. She looked down into the sweetest pair of puppy dog eyes she’d ever seen. Her hand swept down and petted the furry little head.
“And who might you be? ”
“That’s Shep. Don’t baby him, he’s already a terror.”
“Shep. Very original name for a German Shepard puppy,” she teased.
“Yeah, well, he’s my sister’s puppy. Or maybe my niece’s? Abby, my sister, insists we keep him here at the ranch, so he’s lucky I call him Shep and not Germ, Leech, or Pita.”
“Pita?”
“Pain in the…uh, rear.”
“Ah, got it. Well, he seems like a sweetheart. I love animals, so I can look after him if he likes to hang out here.”
“He’ll be a working ranch dog, eventually, but for now, yeah, that would work just fine.”
She watched as Sam pulled off his cowboy hat and placed it over a hook on the wall.
“Sorry it’s a bit of a mess. But I guess that’s what you’re here for, right?”
“Exactly. I see this and I get excited.”
Evie gave Shep one more pat for good measure and made her way over to Sam.
“Well, that’s good. Now, I know I’ve got the folder here with your employment conditions somewhere… Ah, yes! Thank goodness for Daisy. I’d lose my head without her.”
“Oh, is that Mrs. Cooper?” Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she tried to hide the flush she felt rising in her cheeks as he looked at her.
Sam laughed.
“No, and the sheriff wouldn’t like me claiming her as such.”
“The sheriff?”
“Daisy is his wife. We’ve been good friends for years though. She actually helped me pick candidates for the position you applied for. You were at the top of her list.”
“Oh, that’s really nice. I’ll have to thank her if I ever bump into her. ”
“You will probably see her a lot over here. She used to bring me batches of her famous brownies every couple of days.”
“Used to?”
Something changed, and Sam’s face dropped.
“Yeah, I uh… I know she’s busy with her daughter now.”
“How old is she?”
Evie put her head down and looked over the paperwork Sam handed to her as he told her about his friends. Ten minutes later, Evie’s contract was signed and she let out a huge sigh of relief.
“Alright, well I better head out to see how things are going with our herd this morning. Feel free to take the weekend to settle in. Is there anything else I can help you with before I go?”
“I was just wondering if you could point me in the direction of the apartment that came with my position.” The whole reason Evie had even applied to the job was the fact that it came with an apartment as part of the compensation package. Knowing she wouldn’t have a horrendous commute like she had in Wisconsin was the best gift she could be given. Of course, when the baby came, she’d most likely have to move into town. Maybe even before the baby arrived, depending on how mad Sam was about her hiding her pregnancy. A strange ache settled in her chest.
“See that key hanging behind your desk? Grab it and I’ll walk you up. It’s on the second story of the barn, but there is a separate, locked entrance so no one should bother you.”
“Wonderful.”
A few more minutes passed, and Evie had seen not only where she would be working, but also the cute little apartment where she would be able to stay. Saying the job was a godsend was too little of a compliment. She’d needed nothing short of a miracle and that’s exactly what had fallen into her lap .
“I’ll be on my way.”
“Thank you, Sam. I’m really looking forward to working here.”
He smiled, his incredible dimples on full display, as he ducked out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.
Evie took a few deep breaths and then ran to the bathroom. It was a miracle she hadn’t had an accident before then.
No longer in imminent danger of peeing her pants, she set off towards her car. Evie hadn’t traveled with much, but what she had would get her through until her first paycheck.
“Hi there!” She heard a feminine voice say from behind her as she grabbed a box from her car.
“Hello.”
“I’m Daisy, I run Sunshine Acres. I’m Sam’s neighbor just down the road that way.” Evie followed Daisy’s finger.
“Oh, Daisy.” She set the box back down into her trunk. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Evie, the new office manager. Sam told me I have you to thank for being at the top of the list for who he hired. Thank you so much for taking the time to read over my resume and application. This job is a lifesaver, and I’m really hoping I’m a good fit here.”
“You were the best candidate by a mile! Trust me.”
Evie laughed. She could see why Sam spoke so highly of Daisy.
“Who is this sweet pea?” Evie asked, waving hello to the baby in Daisy’s arms.
“This is my daughter, Madison, but everyone calls her Sunny. She’s almost nine months old and I’m just not ready to face her first birthday!”
“I can imagine. I’m sure it all goes so fast.”
Evie saw Daisy’s eyes grow wide as her eyes dropped to Evie’s belly. Oh no. She’d absentmindedly placed her hand over her bump.
“Oh my goodness, are you? Are you expecting? ”
Evie felt the color drain from her face and immediately pulled her hand away from her belly.
Daisy’s face fell. “I’m so sorry. Were you not wanting anyone to know? Oh, I’m always putting my foot in my mouth. I promise. I won’t say a thing!”
“That’s okay. I’m obviously not very good at hiding it. I wasn’t going to say anything for a while, I didn’t want to worry Sam about my work ethic or ability to do my job. But yes, I’m just past five months along. I honestly still have a hard time remembering that I am pregnant.”
“Oh, I was the same when–”
“You’re pregnant?!”
Evie spun on her heels and watched as her new boss, who was clearly pissed off at her newly exposed secret, walked up to her.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Oh, hell. His new office manager was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Sam had forced himself to recite every prayer he could recall learning as a kid, including the wild ones his mother had him say while dancing under the harvest moon, in order to not stare at the poor woman the entire time she filled out her employment paperwork in the office.
Evie was gorgeous. Curvy in every mouth watering way. There was something about her that called to Sam. Was it her dark eyes? In the sunlight they had been almost chestnut colored. But in the office, they’d changed, taking on a deeper color, like melted chocolate.
He couldn’t even think about how sweet she smelled. The scent of lemons had slapped him straight in the chest, and he’d forced himself to walk in front of her the entire way to the office. Never mind the weird way he’d wanted to linger in her apartment and ask if she wanted any help bringing up her things. Talk about overstepping.
Boy, did he need to get his shit together. Sam shook his head and tried to clear away the last lingering thoughts of Evie as he walked back to the barn from the house.
Oh, the welcome wagon was fast. As Sam walked across the lawn he saw Daisy standing with her daughter Sunny on her hip. There was no doubt in his mind that if Evelyn could get Daisy’s stamp of approval, she’d be welcomed into his friend group with open arms.
Was that what he wanted? Over the last few weeks, he’d been imagining someone more introverted than Evie was after they’d interviewed on the phone. Someone who wanted to spend her time alone in the apartment he was providing. Someone who wouldn’t infiltrate every part of his life.
But the moment he’d seen her smile, fuck, the strangest feeling settled into his chest.
Their conversation slowly drifted towards him. Evie’s voice was filled with happiness and he found himself smiling as he walked towards them.
“…yes, I’m almost five months along. I honestly still have a hard time remembering sometimes that I am pregnant.”
“Oh, I was the same when–”
A cold weight settled in his chest, the smile gone from his face as her words slammed into him. “You’re pregnant?!”
“I…well, yes.” Her eyes went wide.
“Then I’m sorry to say, Ms. Williams, but we will not be employing you here at Red River Ranch.”
“What?!”
Sam watched as Evie wobbled, Daisy’s hand reaching out to steady her.
“I am still perfectly capable of carrying out the daily tasks of my job. ”
Christ. There was no way she could handle being on the ranch. There were a million different things that could go wrong. That could put her and the baby in danger. For fucks sake..a baby!
“It’s unsafe for a woman in your condition to be on the ranch. Had I known, I certainly would not have hired you.”
“Sam!” Daisy snapped. “You’re being ridiculous. She was the best candidate by a mile!”
“You, of all people, should know how dangerous this life is. And I’m not running a flower farm here. This is a cattle ranch. She’d be working in a barn with horses, for Pete’s sake. We even sometimes store chemicals and medications in the office. I can’t be responsible if something goes wrong.”
Evelyn’s hands rounded into fits that she promptly set on her hips. “I understand all of those risks. Part of why I am here is to sort out the sad state of your office, and to make things more efficient. I am more than capable of finding you a more appropriate storage option for whatever chemicals or medications you need to have on hand. I truly want to be here, and I am not worried at all about the working conditions. I know to stay away from the cattle, and I’ll do the same with the horses if that will make you feel better. But I need to be here.”
He could hear the desperation in her voice. Part of him was furious at the thought that she would be desperate over anything. Where was the father of her baby? How could he ever think her working on a ranch was a good idea?
“I appreciate all that, Evie,” he admitted, raking his hand through his hair. “But it’s not enough to convince me.”
“I hate to tell you this Mr. Cooper, but we’ve already signed my employment contract. It is illegal for you to fire me based on my pregnancy, and I will not hesitate to sue you if you choose to take that path.”
“She’s right, Sam.” Daisy said, shifting her daughter from one hip to the other. “You cannot dismiss her from her job because she’s pregnant. Why don’t you just take a breath and give her a shot?”
“I’m trying to protect her, Daisy. I’m trying to make sure nothing happens to her,” he glanced at Evie’s stomach, “or her baby.”
“Look, I understand your concern.” Evie straightened her back. It was clear she wouldn’t leave without a fight. “I take full responsibility for myself and my safety. I’d still like to stay and prove to you that I am the best person for this job. Give me a month. Heck, give me a week. If you feel like I’m not working out, I’ll leave on my own, and you won’t need to fire me. But please, let me show you that nothing, not even my pregnancy, will stop me from being an asset to your business.”
He stared at her. The last thing the ranch needed was bad publicity or an employment lawsuit to worry about. He knew he needed to give in.
“Fine. One week. If I feel like there is even one single moment where you aren’t safe being here, you’ll have to leave.”
“I accept.”