Chapter Three
Mia
The moment I saw Chance, my heart had fallen right to my feet. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a man that was just that beautiful. The strongest jaw and shoulders I’ve ever seen. I went weak in the knees the second I saw him interact with Ellie.
But none of that matters. I’m here to work and to provide a good place for my daughter to grow up, not to fall at the feet of some hazel-eyed cowboy. For the rest of my first day, I shove him to the back of my mind. I meet his mother, Maggie, and I see where he got his nose from. She explains everything to me in a sing-song voice that reminds me of lullabies, bouncing her round body from one spot to the next with inhuman energy.
The lodge itself is fairly big. There are around thirty rooms and fifteen self-service cottages. Maggie takes me through each one, explaining their quirks, benefits, and what guests are most likely to complain about.
The restaurant sits at the center in a dusty courtyard dressed up as a desert oasis, around which the lodge itself curves like a half-moon. Below its deck, which looks out into the far distance, is a swimming pool surrounded by chairs and umbrellas.
All of this is surrounded by a low, white picket fence, ending in the front gate, where the stone path turns to earth. Little veins of dust paths lead from there up to the stables, across to the parking area and the main house, and farther down to where guests are taken on various tours of the ranch. It takes hours for Maggie to show all of it to me.
By the time I get to bed, I’m exhausted but happy. It looks like this lodge will keep me busy and be a safe place for both Ellie and me. There’s a school in town where she can start after the summer. I might have finally gotten my lucky break after all.
The only problem is that cowboy with the smile that refuses to leave my thoughts as my head hits the pillow. By morning, he’s still haunting me. My heart insists that I need to go up to the main house and pretend that I need something just so I can see him.
Fortunately for me, my brain is far more rational. I get myself ready for the morning shift as the sun begins to rise, and I’m standing behind my desk fifteen minutes early with a bright expression on my face.
“Good morning, sir. How may I help you?” I make sure to stand up straight as I speak to the guest who has just appeared from his room. He’s dressed incredibly inappropriately for a ranch. Judging by that suit, he probably spends most of his time in a corporate office.
“Wife and kids want to go for a horse ride,” he answers, checking the watch on his arm as if he’s late for something. “I’ve got a... commitment in town. Can you keep them busy?”
“Of course, sir. Have you booked a particular time?” I ask, pretending that I’m not judging him with my entire being.
“I don’t know, she did. Like, ten? Whatever, just make it happen.” He waves me off and leaves, probably already heading to a car he’s booked for the day. I hope he’s more attentive to his mistress.
As the day grows warmer, more people appear from their rooms, heading for the restaurant for breakfast. I spot a woman with three children at one point and make a note of their faces. I’m sure they’re the corporate man’s family. She looks tired, as if they’d been arguing the night before.
I wouldn’t want to be that woman, left on a weekend getaway by a husband who couldn’t care less. Sure, Chance doesn’t seem like he’s that type of guy, but I’m not taking the risk. I have been burned before—much too often to ever trust a man again. Let alone a man with a smile that tells me all I need to know about his hidden charms.
Ellie’s had breakfast in the room. It’s just before ten when she bounds up to me at the desk with a bored look on her face.
“Where’s the cowboy, Mommy?” She pouts in such a way that it makes her cheeks look swollen.
I sigh, shaking my head. “He’s working, sweetheart. Don’t you have some coloring things in the room? Mommy’s working right now, too.”
Before she can lodge another complaint, the wife and her three children approach the desk. She seems a bit nervous and unsure of herself.
“Uh, I think my husband made a booking for a horse riding lesson,” she says to me in a voice that’s almost like a gossiping whisper. “Mrs. Darling.”
I check my schedule. He didn’t. At least, no one else has booked the slot, either. Mrs. Darling is lucky. Or perhaps she isn’t. This doesn’t seem like it’s a relaxing weekend away for her. I give her and the kids a once-over.
“Of course,” I say as I scribble her name into the schedule, hoping this favor won’t come to haunt me later. I make an extra note to add it to their bill.
“If you would please follow me.”
“I want to go, Mommy!” Ellie insists from behind me, and I blush quickly. I know the consequences if she’d ever made a peep while being with me at work before. I remember asking Maggie about it, and she said not to worry, but I still do.
“Okay, sweetheart, but you need to let Mommy talk to the people, and don’t wander too far,” I warn, and Ellie gives me her most polite nod. I smile apologetically at Mrs. Darling, but it seems like she didn’t even notice Ellie piping up.
Outside, the air is fresh, and a swift breeze lifts my already untidy hair out of my eyes. It helps with the heat, but I still find myself sweating somewhat by the time we approach the stables.
In one of the paddocks behind the stables, I catch a glimpse of a massive palomino stallion ridden by a cowboy whose silhouette is difficult to mistake. In my mind, I shake my head at myself and try to regain some of my focus.
One of the guides Maggie had introduced me to, Julio, stands at the entrance to the stables, waving at us as we approach.
“I didn’t know I had riders booked this morning,” he says as he reaches out a hand to greet Mrs. Darling. “No problem, though. Our horses are ready for you.”
Mrs. Darling looks at me uncertainly. “You’re sure all of this is safe for my kids?”
“Julio’s an expert at what he does, ma’am,” I answer, my head already moving to that paddock again. “I assure you, you will all have a fantastic time.”
“Can I ride too, Mommy?” Ellie tugs at my pants, but I take her hand and stand fast.
“Maybe in my free time,” I reply sadly. “I can’t let you go alone, sweetheart.”
Ellie pouts, but she doesn’t argue. Julio leads the group of guests into the stables, with one of the kids loudly complaining about the smell. I turn toward the paddock. I know that I should be getting back to work. Yet my feet carry me past the stables to where I had seen Chance. There are several paddocks behind the stables, some used for the guests and some for those working on the ranch. A few have grass that is surprisingly lush, though these seem to be used mostly for teaching guests to ride.
Ellie walks along without complaint, staring at everything that surrounds us. She hasn’t been out of the city often in her short life, and I almost feel guilty about it. This must be an incredible experience for her.
As soon as the blocky, red-bricked buildings of the stables pass by us, I see Chance and his stallion in the biggest paddock, one of those with a floor of sand and earth. My breath is immediately blown away by the way that they move together. I’m in awe of the fact that the horse’s legs don’t break when he dips so low to the ground, when he turns so tightly at Chance’s slightest touch.
Chance’s body dances along with the stallion’s movements as if they were born from the same soul. I watch as he arches and cranes his back, leaning from one side to the other to keep his balance.
It is impossible to tear my eyes off of him. It’s as if I am watching something primal that draws me in against the advice of every rational cell in my body.
“Cowboy man!” Ellie giggles beside me when I hold a finger over my mouth to shush her. I don’t want him to notice us.
I know that I cannot fall for him. The last man I was with abandoned me with our child, and the men before him weren’t any good either. I’m not sure whether it’s because I have bad taste or because all men are really the same.
Either way, I need to step away, no matter how difficult it is. My life is about me and Ellie, and no man can ever come in the middle of that again. It doesn’t matter that the focus on his face pulls me closer as if it was made just for me. Or that I can see the muscles in his shoulders move beneath that shirt.
I can’t do this. If I stand here any longer, my defenses will crack. I spin on my heel, about to walk away, back to the lodge where I can take my mind off him.
“Mia?” I hear his voice behind me and freeze. I’d hoped I could get away without being seen, but it looks like that’s not going to happen.
It seems so loud when I hear his feet land on the ground along with my heart beating in my ears. I try to convince my legs to run, but they won’t move. If I speak to him, it might be over. There might be no turning back from that.
I have to get control of myself. A beautiful cowboy may just hide the snake beneath. When I turn around again, I have my professional smile on my face, ready to defend my own heart against itself.
“Chance, oh, sorry, I just brought a few guests around to the stable,” I say, pointing behind me. It’s a lame excuse. There would have been no reason for me to walk this far around. I have to add something.
“Ellie wanted to see the horses.” That might be even worse, but it’s all I have.
“This is Constantine,” Chance says to Ellie, patting the shoulder of the stallion he’d been riding. He’s easily over sixteen hands, maybe close to seventeen. I don’t remember where I learned about horse heights, or how I know that, but I do.
“Whoa!” Ellie claps her hands together and steps closer to the fence. “So big!”
“Careful now, little lady,” Chance continues as he tips his hat down at her and steps between Constantine and the fence. “He doesn’t always know his strength.”
My heart skips another beat. Ellie’s never gotten along with strange men, but she’s beaming up at Chance as if she’s known him her whole life. For his part, Chance doesn’t seem annoyed by her, or like he’s just talking to her to get to me. It’s a wholesome moment that threatens to tear down every wall I’ve built.
But I’m careful. I don’t trust easily, and Chance isn’t going to get past my defenses so easily.
“We should probably get going, Ellie,” I insist, reaching for her hand again. “There are guests waiting for us.”
“They can handle another few minutes.” Before I can argue, Chance has heaved himself up and over the fence in one fluid movement to land in front of me. “Look, Mia, I don’t know what has you in such tight knots, but I’m not going to bite—unless you ask me to, of course.”
As he’s speaking, he takes his hat off and holds it over his chest. Somehow, the small beads of sweat running down his forehead only make him more alluring.
I cross my arms and take a step back. “Mr. Woods, I am here to work. I’m not sure what kind of a woman you think I am.”
“Definitely the kind that enjoys a good cup of coffee.” His answer is instant, and his eyes never waver from mine. “Am I wrong?”
He isn’t, but I’m not going to let him win this conversation. “I’m not sure why that would matter to you.”
“Well,” Chance says with a smirk that makes me want to either slap or kiss him, “I really like coffee myself, and the lodge’s restaurant makes it well. I figured I’d ask if you’d join me for a cup. Depending on when your shift is over, of course. Wouldn’t want to make people wait for too long.”
Immediately, my ready-made answer jumps out of my throat. “I don’t date.”
“I didn’t ask you on a date, ma’am,” Chance reminds me with a wink. “I asked you to test out the restaurant’s coffee in my presence. There’s a pretty big difference.”
Maybe the signs of flirting that I’m seeing are all in my head. Chance doesn’t look like he’s got any nefarious agendas under that thick hair of his. At the same time, the more charming a man, the more dangerous.
Still, I could use a friend on the ranch. Just a casual co-worker whom I can wave to and have coffee with. That’s all this is if I don’t let it be more. Chance seems easy enough to talk to, and Ellie likes him.
I’ve wanted to try out the restaurant and stop hiding with the food in my room, anyway. Maybe it’ll help my confidence if Chance is there, too.
“All right then, mister,” I say strictly, trying not to poke at him with one finger. “Morning shift ends at two, so I’ll take you up on your offer. Just this once. And you better not try anything funny.”
“That’s too bad. I’m hilarious.” Chance grins, and I can see that he’s struggling not to laugh at his own joke. “Either way, nothing to worry about. We’ll be there as colleagues, perhaps friends.”
“Okay, but I really have to go now.”
I march off, almost dragging Ellie after me by her hand. I take a deep breath as we walk. There’s nothing wrong with being friends with a handsome cowboy, is there? I just have to stop myself from falling deeply and madly in love with him. Piece of cake.