Chapter 11
Zane
I jump start the UTV with ease, then slide in next to Sadie. Because I’m so big, I take up most of the seat. I don’t mean to, but our legs touch, even though I try to be polite and keep my thighs as close together as possible. No easy feat when you’re six foot five.
“This is the barn and stables,” I say, waving my hand toward the outbuildings. “Bailey spends most of her time here when she’s not over at her property, as you probably already know.”
“Can we pet the horses?” she asks softly. “I never had any pets growing up. Mindy is my first cat. I got her four years ago. I find cats are a little easier and less needy than dogs.”
“Clearly you haven’t met Maisie,” I mutter. “Let’s head inside.”
Go figure she’s a cat person. Not that I’ve got anything against cats, but there are dog people, and then there are cat people. Though her tone changes when she talks about her cat. It’s warm and buttery. Like she’s speaking about her firstborn. Pets do that to you.
“Wow, this really is something out of a storybook,” she says, looking toward the huge stable.
“Well, we don’t overwork our horses, we’re not into manual labor, but they enjoy it. My horse, Zeus, he’s a beast. Kinda like the pack leader.”
“He sounds fantastic. I’m a little scared of horses because I’ve never ridden one, but I’ve always wanted to.”
I blanch. “You never rode a horse growin’ up in Colorado?”
She shakes her head. “I was too chicken.”
“My sister was the same, but once she was up in a saddle, there was no stopping her. Since then, she’s brought every waif and stray home since she was old enough to walk,” I say. “Never grew out of it.”
“Walking all those dogs must be hard work on top of studying, and helping out at the Lodge.”
“Trust me, Iz has it handled. We call her Hurricane Isabelle at home.”
She laughs. “I can imagine.”
We climb off the bike and head inside. I don’t miss the way she hops over each puddle on the floor, avoiding the latest dollop of horse manure.
We clean twice daily, but you can’t always predict when Pepper, Stormy, Sugar, Delilah, Louis, or my horse, Zeus, is gonna drop one.
Plus Dad’s horse Butterscotch often rests here in between the farm and the lodge when they stop by.
“Your shoes won’t cut it around here,” I tell her.
“I know, I forgot to borrow some from Bailey.” She winces, scraping poop off her heel as I try not to laugh.
“Just mind your step.”
“Wow,” Sadie mouths as I turn my head. She’s in awe, her eyes round as she takes in the stables. “Now this is awesome.”
Pride fills my chest. I’ve worked hard on the barn and stables, it’s my pride and joy other than the tree farm.
We’re closest to Pepper, so I reach my hand into her stable and pet her nose. “She’s almost five, and one of the sweetest horses I’ve ever owned.”
“She’s beautiful, look at her mane.” Sadie hugs herself, a little afraid, but excited like a child. She’s quite adorable, and I find myself staring at her in wonder.
“She’s an American Quarter Horse. Pepper loves the walking trails. You can pet her if you want, she’s friendly,” I say.
Sadie bites down on her bottom lip and the gesture makes my dick twitch. Holy shit.
I mean, she’s an attractive woman, there’s no doubt about it, but my body’s response isn’t what a boss should be doing. My eyes trail down her back to her ass, where her pants hug her perky butt. Eyes up, asshole.
“Which one is Zeus?” she asks.
I nod over to the far wall. “The stable made for a king. He’s a thoroughbred.”
“I’ll bet he knows it with a name like Zeus,” she laughs.
I smirk. “He’s a big boy.”
We head his way, but Sadie lets out a cry as I turn and grab her arm before she slides over. “Okay, I’m officially banning those damn heels.”
Our touch is electric. She hangs onto me for dear life, then composes herself with a deep breath. “Thank you. I’m sorry. These were the closest thing I had to enclosed shoes. I didn’t have time to shop for snow boots.”
“We’ll remedy that,” I mutter.
We pass by the other horses. Sugar and Delilah. The other two, Stormy and Louis, are over at Bailey’s because she and Jed are farriering their hooves after the trail ride.
“Sugar,” I say. “And Delilah, they’re both sweet like their names, and kids love them.”
“They’re gorgeous!”
One thing about her? I can tell she isn’t lying when it comes to the animals. Sadie is in complete awe.
“And this is Zeus.” I pat his head as he shakes his head.
“Wow, he is impressive.”
“The other horses, Stormy and Louis, are out on a trail hike with Bailey. You can meet them another time.”
“Oh, you still go out in winter?”
I glance at her. “Of course, the farm never stops. The trails are less crowded this time of year, and the horses are more comfortable in a colder climate.”
She nods as we turn to leave. “It’s a really nice place,” she says, tucking her hair behind her ears. “No wonder Bailey never wants to leave.”
I smile to myself. Why would anyone want to leave Alpine Falls? It’s a magical place, especially this time of year.
We hop back on the UTV and I continue on our journey.
“Next is the lodge, a big income earner for the farm and runs year round, as well as the cottages dotted around the property with views of the lake. While we’re decently staffed, there will be times you may need to go over and help with housekeeping, or the main desk.
Mainly, I need help runnin’ the farm because I can’t be in ten places at once,” I say.
“I don’t know how much Iz told you about the position, but it isn’t just sittin’ at the desk taking money for trees.
Sometimes you’ll have to accompany the customers out into the field, because if I know one thing about the people of Alpine Falls and surrounds, it’s that they love to pick their tree. It’s a tradition around here.”
“Aren’t people cutting it a little close? I mean, it’s not that long until Christmas.”
“We supply to neighboring towns like Silver Pines and Snowy Valley, the locals, and then there’s the tourists on vacation who may need a tree for the holidays.
Here at Lawless Tree Farms, we’ve developed something unique to the area; regenerating trees.
We try to pot as many trees as we can so they can be replanted year after year. ”
I like how her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Wow, that’s really cool. I read on the website all about your recycling concept. That’s really awesome.” She gives me a thumbs up, which I blink at. It doesn’t appear that she’s making fun of me or our farm, but I don’t know what to make of her.
I still feel guilty about making her cry.
Does she really care about Christmas trees?
I mean, she said she loved Christmas, but what does that really mean in the grand scheme of things?
Hell, will she even survive out here in the wilderness?
Now I’m beginning to wonder if Iz has got this all completely wrong.
She’s cute as a button, but that doesn’t mean she’s Lawless material.
“Our farm is unique and diverse. Our newest concept that me and Dad developed is regeneration. Grandpa wasn’t thrilled about it, but we allow families to bring back their potted tree each year for replanting, rather than cutting them at the root, we maintain the roots and bulb.
Of course, the family plays a part in making sure their tree is well watered and pruned, and properly cared for in the meantime.
We’re innovators in the field. Our farm has been around for three generations.
I’ll pass it down to my children… someday. ”
And why did I just say that?
“Oh, you have kids?”
I swallow, not meaning to divulge private information about myself.
Something about this chick makes me a little wary.
I don’t know if it’s the fact she’s a New Yorker and probably thinks she knows everything, or that she’s Bailey’s best friend.
I dig Bailey, but I also know she’s not exactly the most reliable reference.
Of course she’s gonna say good things about her best friend.
I cough into my fist. “Uh, no. I just meant…someday.”
“Well, they would certainly have a lot of room to run around out here,” she goes on pleasantly. “When my parents moved back to Colorado a few years ago, they said it was the best thing they ever did escaping the city.”
I glance sideways at her. “And you didn’t?”
She shrugs. “I’m used to the city now.”
“What do you like about it?” I wonder. “Smog. Traffic. Honking horns. Everyone racing around like lunatics. Not to mention the crime. Nobody says good morning in the city, or looks you in the eye. You can still leave your doors unlocked in a town like Alpine Falls.”
She blinks rapidly, taking in my words. Maybe that was a little blunt, but it’s the truth.
I’m not one to mince with words.
“Well, not all of us ‘race around like lunatics’, some of us only go as fast as the subway can carry us.”
“You can walk everywhere in Alpine Falls, no subways in sight.” Well, I’m not trying to be an ass, it’s true. “We might not have the Empire State Building, or fancy skyscrapers, but we’ve got Mountain West Charm, Yellowstone, and bison burgers the size of Buicks.”
She clears her throat then says, “I’m a vegetarian.”
Well, shit.
“Oh.”
“So, no bison burgers for me.”
I frown, thinking fast. “There’s an excellent range of tofu burgers at the Perky Porch Grill, or so I’m told.” You have to cater for everyone now, even the people who eat plants.
I steer to the right, but feel her eyes on me in my periphery. “You’re making that name up.”
“I swear I’m not. I can’t imagine how a tofu burger would taste, but it’s better than eating lettuce leaves.” I shrug.
“Vegetarians eat more than lettuce leaves,” she retorts, her smile a little tight.
Am I getting to her? “There’s a whole world out there involving lentils, beans, vegetables and plant protein.
It’s a miracle. You’d be surprised how giving meat a miss for one meal a week can give your digestive system a rest. Did you know meat stays in your stomach for up to two days? ” She pulls a face.
My sister is always ragging on me about eating less red meat and lowering my cholesterol, but it all sounds a little New Age to me. I’m a meat and three veg kinda guy, proud of it. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“No problem. It’s never too late to think about your internal organs and how hard they’re working to keep that big ol’ heart pumping.” She thumps her own chest with a fist, her smile gleeful.
Is she for real?
“Right,” I mutter. “I’ll show you around the lodge, then we’ll finish back at the farm.”
“Okay-dokay.”
Does she have to be so damn perky?
I don’t get what she’s got to be so happy about.
There’s barely any tofu in this town, she can’t ride a horse and doesn’t know anything about Christmas tree farms. She might wear that Lawless Christmas sweater like no one’s business, but I feel like she may have lost her marbles, not just her mittens, somewhere between here and New York.
When you couple that with chastising me about my meat eating habits and a mini lecture on lentils, I know this is going to be one long ass season.
“Oh, you know how to operate a snowmobile, right?”
I can play with her just a little bit.