Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
ERIN
T hat first sip of coffee just hits different when it’s your day off.
Curled up on my couch, wrapped up in a red throw blanket that my mom sent me, I take a long, deep breath and then another sip.
I love quiet mornings, watching the mountains. Well, the tiny bit that I can see from my little apartment window anyway. I like watching the world wake up with me.
And for the first time in a week, I don’t have to work at either job.
I can admit that I’m exhausted, but not in a bad way. My first week with Holly and Johnny was great, and I was able to keep up at the coffee shop, as well, which is exactly what I was hoping for. So far, everyone seems happy, and I was able to give Brooks the go-ahead to get started on the car repairs.
Yeah, I’m going to be tired from working two jobs for a while, but that’s okay. I don’t mind.
With half of my cup consumed, I reach for my phone and open the ‘gram so I can see what all my cousins are up to. It looks like a few of them went out on the town last night, so I heart the posts and comment on a few.
I’m glad that Zoey and Millie talked me into being on the app, even if I’m incognito, so I can keep up with everyone. Speaking of Millie, I search her name and immediately give her a follow, and then notice that she posted a photo an hour ago from out at the ranch.
The caption reads, Sunrises at the ranch FTW!
Holy shit, the photo of the mountains is just incredible, with the first rays of sunshine touching the peaks almost lovingly. The mountains in this area always take my breath away, but I haven’t seen the ones in this photo out at the ranch. And the trees! They’re so green and beautiful.
I never thought I’d be the girl who has a thing for trees, but here we are.
Closing out the app, I bring up Millie’s number and shoot her a text.
Me: You’re up early! I didn’t know you were spending the weekend at the ranch. How big is it, anyway? I haven’t even seen those mountains, and I spent all week there!
I sip my coffee as I see the three dots start to dance on the screen, indicating that Millie is typing out a response.
Millie: I bunked with Brady last night! Girl, you should come out here today! Come now. It’s a big day on the ranch that you shouldn’t miss. I can show you around, including where I took that pic. Wear clothes that can get super jacked up and come on!
I’d planned to get some chores done today. Groceries, cleaning, all the things that I haven’t had a chance to do since I’ve been working two jobs. I haven’t even seen Roger all week, and I should look in on him.
But I really do love the ranch, and I’m curious to see more of it. I really want to see where she took that photo.
When I don’t answer right away, Millie sends another message.
Millie: Get your ass out here, Montgomery.
That makes me laugh, so I stand and wiggle out of the blanket as I reply.
Me: I’ll be there in an hour.
It takes less than that for me to dress in old jeans and old sneakers, along with a Nash concert T-shirt, and drive Remington’s Suburban out to the ranch.
At first, I hated this huge SUV. It’s ginormous. Parking it is a bitch, even with all the cameras and sensors on it.
But there was a day during the week when another storm blew through, making the roads icy, and I felt completely safe in the big vehicle with the kids. Much safer than I would have felt in either the loaner or even my car.
I hate to admit that Grumpy was right, but he was. This is the safer choice if I’m going to be driving his children around, and I won’t argue about it again.
Even though I like arguing with Remington. It’s just so… easy. And, if I’m being honest with myself, it’s sexy. Remington Wild is maybe the sexiest man I’ve ever met, and I guess that means that I like broody men because I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen him smile. Of course, he always aims them at the kids. I don’t know what I’d do if he ever smiled directly at me. Probably strip naked and beg, which isn’t exactly normal for me.
He makes me feel things that are purely unprofessional.
Millie’s waiting for me when I pull up in front of the main farmhouse, and she grins when I get out of the car.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she says as she wraps her arms around me and gives me a hug. “You can watch us brand and castrate the calves.”
“I’m not branding or castrating anything ,” I stress. “I’m not a cowboy. You can’t make me do it. Maybe I’ll just go back home.”
“Don’t worry, city girl,” she says with a laugh. “You don’t have to. I want to show you around the ranch a little, and you can just watch what we do when everyone else gets here. All the families from the neighboring ranches come to help each other out.”
“Even the Lexington family?”
That makes her stop in her tracks, and she narrows her eyes at me. “No. They’re not included. Don’t say that name on this ranch. I’m pretty easygoing about it, but if my dad or brothers hear it, they might become homicidal.”
“Wow, that’s some rivalry y’all have going there.”
“You have no idea. Anyway, everyone’s already out getting set up for later. Neighbors will start arriving within the hour. If you’d like, you’re welcome to hang out with my mom and some of the other women in the food tent.”
“That’s not sexist at all.”
That makes Millie laugh again. “I know, right? But people have to eat, and there’s always some good food that’s prepared in that tent. However, if you want to watch the branding, you’re welcome to do that, too.”
“Let’s see how it goes,” I reply. “I don’t know if I want to watch baby animals be tortured.”
“It’s not torture.” Millie’s voice is calm and patient as she leads me to the Jeep, and we hop in. “They need to be branded so we know who’s who in case a fence fails. They need vaccinations so they don’t get sick, and the boys have to be castrated. It just is what it is, and they’ll be fine.”
“Says the girl who grew up on a cattle ranch.”
Millie grins and drives right on the fields, no roads, as she takes me on a tour of the place.
“We won’t be able to cover everything in an hour,” she says. “There’s a lot of land here. But I’ll show you my favorite spot, where I took that picture this morning. By the way, I love your T-shirt. Nash is my favorite band. Were you lucky enough to see them in concert?”
“I—” I sigh and then just nod. “Yeah, I have.”
“That’s awesome. ”
It only takes about ten minutes before Millie stops and cuts the engine of the Jeep. My stomach is a little jittery from all the bumps and being jostled around, but when I see the mountains, I feel my jaw drop.
“Holy shit, Mill.”
“I know.” Her voice is hushed as we simply stand here and take it all in.
The mountains seem to be layered, one behind the next, reaching up into the sky with jagged peaks that still have plenty of snow on them.
“Does the snow ever melt all the way up there?” I wonder.
“By July, most of the snow will be gone,” she replies. “And then in September, it’ll be back.”
“Wow.” In front of the mountains is a valley that cradles thousands of evergreen trees of all shapes and sizes. They’re so majestic, so beautiful , that all I can do is stare in complete wonder.
“I’ve always come here,” Millie says and crosses her arms over her chest. “Most of us do, actually, because it’s not far from home, yet it’s probably the most beautiful view in Montana. When we need some time away, this is where you’ll find most of us. I think we should add a bench here so we can sit for a while, but so far, I’ve been outvoted.”
“You can just sit on the ground.”
And so, I do, just sit on the ground and lean back on my hands so I can look up at those incredible mountains.
“How could you stand moving away from this?” I ask. “You left this for town.”
“I wanted to be closer to work,” Millie says as she sits next to me. “And I needed something of my own. This is my home— it’s in my blood—but it’s Remington’s now. And I’m not a kid anymore, so it was time to do something else. But I love coming out to the ranch sometimes to just be. It’s my happy place. Oh, look!”
Millie points to the trees, and right before us, a doe walks out of the brush, with two tiny spotted fawns following behind her. They’re so small.
“Those are early babies,” Millie whispers. “And so sweet.”
The mom’s ears twitch, and she sees us watching her. She doesn’t run away; she simply continues to walk, with her babies following close behind.
“I get it,” I whisper when the deer wander out of sight. “I totally get it.”
“Erin!” Johnny comes running from the temporary fence where he is watching the men set up for the upcoming work. He comes to an abrupt stop right in front of me and smiles up, showing off his teeth, and the gap where he obviously just lost one. “You’re here!”
“I am.” I sense Remington walk up to us, but I keep my eyes on the boy and ignore the goose bumps that just rolled over my body. “Something’s different about you. Hmm.”
Johnny’s so excited, he’s practically vibrating.
“Don’t tell me,” I murmur, rubbing my chin as if I’m thinking really hard. “Did you get a haircut?”
“No!”
“New boots?”
“These are really old.” He widens his lips and pushes his tongue through the hole in his teeth.
“Well, look at that. You finally lost that stubborn tooth.”
“This morning,” he says with a nod. “Tonight, the tooth fairy will come. I hope I get a million dollars.”
“Wow, that’s one rich tooth fairy.” I turn to Remington now and wink at him. “I hope it’s okay that Millie invited me to come out and watch.”
“I don’t mind,” Rem says simply. If I’m not mistaken, his eyes warm when he looks at me, as if he’s actually happy to see me. “Do you want to come help?”
I eye the pen where a whole bunch of black calves are gathered, and I wince.
“Can I just watch for now?”
“Sure, Doc,” he says and pats my shoulder. “You can watch.”
Rem strides over to the pen, and Johnny runs after him, ready to jump in to help.
“That’s the food tent,” Millie says, pointing to the left.
“That’s more than a tent .”
It’s a white event tent, the kind you rent for weddings, with screened-in walls to keep the bugs out. There are about a dozen tables set up with chairs for workers to sit and eat, and on one end is a huge makeshift kitchen area, complete with a generator for powering everything.
“This wasn’t here on Friday.”
“We got everything ready to go yesterday,” Millie says as she walks with me to the tent. “About forty people come to help, and no one leaves hungry, let me tell you. Tonight, once all the work is done, we’ll have chili and cornbread and then s’mores around the bonfire. You have to stay for that.”
For a brief moment, I think of all the things I should be doing at home today and then cast those thoughts aside.
I want to be here. This is absolutely fascinating, and the air already vibrates with energy.
“I’ll stay,” I agree with a nod, and then smile back at Joy when she waves for me to come inside the tent.
“I’ll see you a little later. I’m in charge of vaccinations,” Millie says as she hurries over to the cows.
“Erin, welcome,” Joy says as she holds the screen aside for me. “If we didn’t have the screens, we’d be overrun with flies and bees. Now, you have a choice. You can help cook.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Or?”
“Or you can help cook.”
I laugh and follow Joy to the kitchen area. “As luck would have it, I’m pretty decent in the kitchen. I’m especially good with a knife. What can I do?”
Joy starts to give orders, and the day flies by.
There’s so much commotion with all the kids and people bustling about. They come into the tent to grab a snack and a drink, and then they’re off again to do whatever it is that they’re doing in that temporary pen.
The calves cry and make noise, and it makes me cringe, but Joy is awesome about patting my shoulder and telling me that everything is going as it should.
By the end of the day, we’re a sweaty, tired bunch of people, but I think I had one of the best days of my life.
I love the sense of community out on the ranch. It kind of reminds me of my big, loud family back home in Seattle, and that makes me a tiny bit homesick.
Before I know it, everyone has finished with the calves, as they’re being led out of the pen and off to the pasture to be reunited with their mamas, and all the hard-working people make their way to the tent to load up on hearty chili and cornbread.
As tired as everyone obviously is, there’s so much laughter and camaraderie that it makes me smile. I even know some of the people here from the coffee shop, and that makes me feel like I’m part of something.
Like I belong to this community. And I have to blink to keep tears from sneaking into my eyes.
“Let me get this straight,” a man named Leonard says after sampling his chili. “You make a damn good coffee and you cook? Where have you been all my life?”
“She’s too young for you, Leonard,” Rem’s dad, John, says as he joins us and fills a bowl with chili as the other man laughs and walks away. “What did you think of all the commotion today, Erin?”
“I think that what you have out here is incredibly special, Mr. Wild.”
John’s face softens, and he nods. “I do, too. You’re welcome here anytime, whether you’re working or not.”
“Thank you.”
I don’t know why that makes me a little emotional. Maybe because John reminds me of my dad a little. I mean, they look nothing alike, but they both have such an incredible work ethic, and they obviously love and protect their families. I can’t help but think of my father and the other men in my family.
“Let’s go sit by the bonfire,” Millie says as she joins us. She gives her dad a hug before leading me over to where the fire is already burning as the sun sets behind the mountains. There’s a big s’mores station set up with all the fixings and sticks to use to roast the marshmallows.
I see Holly struggling to get a marshmallow on her stick, so I step in to help her.
“Hey there, beautiful girl. I haven’t seen you hardly at all today.”
“I was working hard,” she informs me as she watches me wiggle the puffy marshmallow onto a stick for her. “I’m extra hungry.”
“I bet you are. Did you get some chili?”
“Yeah, but now I want this.”
“I get it, trust me. Come on, I’ll help you if you want.”
“Yeah!” Holly bounces on her toes. “Let’s do it!”
“Hey, can I come?” Millie asks, laughing as she tags along. We find a spot on some logs-turned-stools near the fire and sit down. I immediately help Holly put her marshmallow into the fire.
“It’s really warm,” she says. I have my arms around her, helping her hold on to the stick.
“Yeah, you need to be mindful of the fire, okay? We can always get more marshmallows, but we can’t get any more Hollys.”
The little girl giggles and then gasps when her marshmallow catches on fire. I help her blow it out, and then we build her treat.
“I’m gonna go eat with Johnny,” she announces and hurries off. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.” I grin after her and then get to work on my own s’more. I look around for Millie and discover she’s wandered off to talk to a couple of guys on the other side of the fire, so I sit on my stool and layer my chocolate and graham crackers, along with the burned-to-a-crisp marshmallow.
“So, you’re one of those kinds of people, huh?”
I turn as Remington sits on the stool next to mine. “What kind is that?”
“The kind that burns the fuck out of their marshmallow.”
“It’s delicious.” I take a bite and moan in happiness, not oblivious to the way Remington sets his jaw in reaction. “See? Delicious.”
His eyes have dropped to my lips, and before I know it, he’s reached up and is wiping some chocolate from the corner of my mouth.
And there’s that tingle again, the one that seems to pop up whenever I’m close to this man. He’s just so… fuckinghellhot.
“What did you think of today?” he asks. He doesn’t take his eyes off me, and I love the way the fire is reflected in those hazel eyes, lighting up the gold flecks that live in there.
“It was fun. Interesting. Hard work.”
His lips tip up on one side. “It’s all of that. I’m sorry that you gave up your day off to be here.”
“I’m not sorry.” I take another bite and close my eyes when all that gooey, melty sugar hits my system. “I liked being in the kitchen with your mom. She’s a hoot, and she’s so proud of you and your family. I got to meet all of your brothers and your dad, too. And I got to see some of the actual work that goes into this place. It’s so beautiful here, Remington. I didn’t know that a place could be so gorgeous, and that’s kind of saying a lot because I’ve been to a lot of beautiful places.”
“Where was your favorite place to visit?”
“Before I came here? Iceland. But now it’s here. I could be here in Bitterroot Valley for the rest of my days and never get tired of it. I knew the second I landed here that this was where I was supposed to be.”
“How did you know?” He asks as he makes his own s’more.
I lick my lips, thinking it over. “It was deep down, in my gut. In my heart. It was like the universe was welcoming me home, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged. Does that sound silly?”
“No.” He shakes his head and looks into the fire. “It doesn’t sound silly at all. When you’re home, you’re home.”