Chapter 12
Small Town USA
Callie
Floating on air after my interview, I get back to Lizzie’s in time for her to offer me dinner of the best meatloaf I’ve ever had. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever had meatloaf, but it was the best either way.
“I’m going to head up and change then go over to Waylon’s,” I tell Lizzie and Mr. Cox as I carry my plate into the kitchen and rinse it in the sink.
“Leave it, I will take care of it. You can’t go to Waylon’s tonight.”
“Why not?” I ask as I walk back into the room.
“Closed on Mondays, Sundays too.” Well, there goes my plans.
“Nevermind then, I’ll just read. Thanks for talking to Vickie. Pete was so incredibly nice, and I can start next week.”
“That's amazing. I’m working on finding out anything about apartments,” she tells me, pride in her face at my, very small, accomplishment.
“Pete has an apartment above the feed store, remember Lizzie? That Tara girl lived there?” Mr. Cox adds to the conversation. He’s a man of few words but his words always bring value.
“That’s right! Callie, it would be perfect.” She looks so happy with this development. Score one for Mr. Cox. “I’ll ask Vickie about that, too.”
“Thank you, Lizzie, Mr. Cox. You guys have been so wonderful.”
“You can call me Bud.”
“Thank you, Bud.” He just inclines his head. He reminds me of Duke.
Upstairs, I decide to text Duke and Cash to tell them both I got the job.
I got the job *dancing* I can start next week!
Cowboy Cash
Congratulations darlin’. Can’t say I’m not as pleased as possible you’re staying. I want more days like today.
He is always the sweetest. He isn’t making it easy to decide what to do. Now that I’ve punched a few things off my list, my mind drifts back to my dilemma with Cash and Duke.
I had a job interview today. I got the job. I start next week. I guess I decided to stay.
Grumpy Not-Cowboy
They would have been stupid not to hire you. Congratulations, Sunshine.
If I don’t respond, my friend Cash is over, so I don’t want to be rude.
I don’t respond to him. My mood immediately deflates.
Oh shit, I think this just got a lot more complicated.
Bzzzzzz
My phone buzzing on my nightstand wakes me up. Glancing at the clock, I see it’s three in the morning.
Cowboy Cash
You’re so pretty.
Are you drunk? It’s the middle of the night.
Cowboy Cash
Oh fuck. I actually sent that?
Yes
Cowboy Cash
Can I unsend it?
No
Cowboy Cash
May as well go all in then. I can’t stop thinking about you, baby. Your mouth pressed against mine. All I’ve been thinking about since lunch is pressing my lips against your skin. All your skin. Tasting you and feeling you on my tongue.
I visited my best friend tonight, and while he droned on about his bar and his dogs, and some girl he likes, all I could think about was your mouth. And how it would feel.
And you smell so good.
Go to sleep, Cash.
Cowboy Cash
Goodnight, Hurricane.
Rolling my eyes at his middle of the night confessions, I roll back over, cuddling under the blankets. Duke is his best friend? It seems fate isn’t done toying with me yet.
And am I ‘Hurricane’? Why?
Too many unanswered questions tonight. I fall back to sleep smiling at his texts.
The sun the next morning is warm, streaming through my window. After getting dressed in an old Reba concert tee, skinny jeans, and hiking boots, I wrap my hair on top of my head, spray on some perfume, and hop down the stairs to breakfast.
Yesterday, Cash mentioned he had a slow day today since moving the cattle is done, and most of the mamas are being left to hang out with the calves and do their own thing. His ranch hands handle the heavy work and he’s practicing for the rodeo season. So, I have a plan.
“Good morning, Lizzie!” I greet the older woman warmly as I sweep into the dining room. I’ve just been here a week and already have strong maternal feelings toward the kindly woman.
“Hi, Callie! Don’t you look cute today. What are you up to?
” She smiles, setting a coffee cup in front of me, filling it to the brim before sliding the cream pot toward me.
The last few days, it’s been almost entirely just me and her in the little bed and breakfast. We have gotten into a somewhat comfortable routine.
“So, I was thinking. I saw Cash yesterday and he mentioned things being a little slow up at the ranch.” At the mention of her nephew, her eyes fill with love. “I was hoping to drop by, sort of a surprise, you know? Except I have no idea where the ranch is.”
“Oh, that’s easy.” She carries on with far, albeit easy, directions up to Colter Ranch. It’s about a twenty-minute drive but relatively straight forward.
“Thanks, Lizzie. Don’t warn him!” I tell her as I gulp down my coffee and head out the door. I have a to-go coffee for him and a bag of pastries from Lizzie’s kitchen she insisted I bring.
“You shouldn’t show up empty handed, especially not first thing in the morning.”
Carefully putting my treats on the empty passenger seat, I set off on my adventure. It’s early, eight thirty, so I should be there by nine. Considering the night he had, I’m hoping he’s not hungover but also not already out and about for the day.
Pulling into the open gates, under the huge wooden arch reading Colter Ranch with its bucking horses, I am, again, reminded of being on a movie set except this movie is less small-town-romance and more dude-ranch. I rumble over metal grates; I assume to keep the cows from escaping.
I follow the dirt track, taking the left fork as instructed by Lizzie, and pull up outside a large white farmhouse nestled amongst some trees.
Cash’s giant truck sits parked alongside a few other pickups in the dirt lot.
I can just see a stable off in the distance, about a football field away, and a barn out back.
It’s the most perfect setting to live a life.
Are you lonely up here?
Walking up the front steps, bag and coffee in hand, I ring the doorbell.
I hear it ring through the house and I wait. I don’t hear any noise or dogs from the other side of the door. I give a light tap. Still nothing.
I’m about to give up, sad my plan failed, when I hear a noise around the side of the house. Walking around the back, I see a man, short and stocky, in an outfit that matches what I generally see Cash wearing, hat, boots, tight jeans. He’s carrying some sort of mechanical implements.
Seeing me standing there, my food in hand, he startles, dropping one or two things through his loaded hands.
“Shit,” he mumbles.
I put my things down, carefully, and jog over. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” I tell him, kneeling to pick things up and try to find a place to put them so they won’t fall again.
“S’kay. You didn’t scare me. I just wasn’t expecting to see a woman standing there. You got a delivery or something?”
“I was just looking for Cash. I rang the bell…” I trail off as he watches me.
Nodding once, he eyes me suspiciously. “Cash?” He thinks for a second before deciding on something. “He’s up at the stables.” He inclines his head in the direction of the building I saw earlier.
“Great, thanks!” I give him a giant smile which seems to relax his face a little before he goes back about his business.
Trudging across the land toward his barn, I realize it’s further than I thought. I’m huffing a little before I reach the doorway, but I can hear voices, or at least, a voice, inside as I approach.
“Daisy, I tell ya what, I’m the biggest idiot God put in Montana.” Silence.
“Don’t look at me like that. I barely even remember texting her in the middle of the night, but my confessions are right there—in black and white. I’m an ass.”
I peek around the corner and see him talking to his dun mare. He rubs her down with a brush, making small circles across her haunches, his hand laying lightly on her shoulder while he tells her all his problems. It instantly makes me feel like I need to comfort him for his nighttime commentary.
I giggle at his words, and he spins around so fast he loses his footing and lands against the wall of the stall, sliding down to sit on his butt, a stunned look on his face.
“I brought breakfast.” I hold up the bag and the coffee. He sits in the hay and blinks at me a few times before a huge grin spreads across his face. “It seems scaring the men on this ranch is my plan for the day.” I let out a self-deprecating laugh.
I see the open curiosity on his face and decide to relieve him of it.
I wave a hand in the general direction of the house.
“I went up to the house first, but you weren’t there, obviously,” I grin at his position on the ground, “and ran into some man coming out of the shed. I startled him too; he dropped his tools.”
“Sonny. I’ll hear about ‘random women just showing up at the ranch’ from him later,” he adds with a chuckle.
“Doesn’t happen often?” I ask, exposing my own curiosity.
“Not usually. I mean…there’ve been women at the ranch, but never uninvited.”
I’m immediately concerned I’ve made a huge misstep in this plan. “Oh, I didn’t realize. I can go?” I ask, wincing a little in embarrassment.
“Hell no, woman,” he says, panic in his voice as he hauls himself up off the ground. “Best thing that’s happened to me is you showing up to my barn. Put your stuff down on the table and come meet Daisy.”
Wandering over to her, now empty-handed, he gives me a peppermint from his pocket. “It’s her favorite.”
I hold it out in my open palm and her giant mouth gobbles it up, making me laugh. She brings her face close to mine at the sound, her hot hay-breath blowing on my hair. I run a hand up her huge snout and she presses against it. Her skin is warm and her fur is so soft.
“She’s beautiful, Cash.”