Chapter Four
Chance
I watch Mia walk away with a song in my heart. I could tell that she was holding back, that she’s careful, but I can handle that. After all, I’m nothing if not patient. There’s a lot I need to do before two. Constantine isn’t impressed that I cut training short, but I’ll make it up to him later. I give him a quick brush-down and freshen up his stall, but I let him out into the paddock to hang out. The ranch hands will bring him back in if necessary. It’s the least I can do.
As I walk back through the stables, ignoring the whistles from the hands and their unnecessary commentary, I realize I smell awful.
I can’t go have coffee in this state, even if it is just as friends. Mia probably already knows that I’m hoping for more, and, quite frankly, by the state of the blush on her face, she does too. She might deny it vehemently, and I’m not going to push my luck, but I could already see she feels more for me than she’s letting on.
Heading back up to the main house, I have to fight my feet not to run. It doesn’t take much time for me to realize that I haven’t been this excited about a possible relationship in a very, very long while. Most of them, at least for the last few years, have ended quickly or never got serious at all.
Women mostly wanted my parents’ money or the ranch—or just wanted my body for a few days. A lot of them were guests in the lodge, here for a weekend and gone again. Mia doesn’t seem like the type who would want a simple fling, but I get the feeling that convincing her to give me a chance might take a while.
Hopping up the main house steps, I spot Ma on the corner of the porch. She’s looking at me like she already knows what’s going on.
“You’re early,” she points out with a chuckle. “Did ya run out of work to do?”
“Come on, Ma,” I complain, knowing that she’s just trying to grind my gears.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve seen the way you look at her already.” Ma nods wisely before returning to her knitting. “You be careful. I can tell she does good work, and I don’t want to lose her too quickly.”
“I promise I’ll be a gentleman,” I insist, even bowing to emphasize my point. “I’m not going to break her heart or push her too hard.”
“That’s my boy.” Ma smiles to herself, and I make my way inside.
The house is probably too big for the two of us. Five bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living rooms, and more. It sprawls across the top of the ranch like a guardian, looking over everything happening below. When my siblings were still living here, it was full of life and often felt cramped.
After they left and Pa passed away, it started seeming like everything was that much emptier. Now I often think it might be better for Ma and me to each take a cottage down by the lodge just to abate the loneliness. She’d never agree to that, however. She wouldn’t leave the house that my grandfather built, that she spent years living in with the love of her life.
Perhaps neither would I. This place would be perfect to raise my own family in. I sigh as I run my hand over the spot on the stair railing where I once broke a vase. It left a mark, but Pa never yelled at me for it. I pull myself out of my thoughts and back to the present. I have to get ready.
A quick shower isn’t going to be enough for this. I have to be thorough. To smell nice and look presentable. I wonder if I should put on my town-suit, but I decide against it. If I put in too much effort, Mia will be scared off for sure.
Once I’m dressed, I give myself a pep talk in the mirror before I head downstairs.
Ma is still outside, hanging out on her rocking chair on the porch, and she spots me walking past before I can think of a way to avoid her. It’s no use trying to get past it.
“Well, well, look at you!” she says proudly, though there’s a definite hint of mockery in her tone. “I had no idea you could clean up like that.”
“Haven’t had a reason yet, Ma,” I answer playfully, even offering her a pose. Ma scoffs and waves at me with a knitting needle for daring to joke back. “Better not break her heart, boy. She’s a good ‘un.”
“You warned me already,” I point out, reminded of our earlier conversation. “‘Sides, she said this wasn’t a date. We’re just having coffee as friends.”
Before Ma can say anything else, I’m already hurrying down the stairs. If I don’t get moving now, she’s going to tease me until I decide not to go at all.
I start marching down to the lodge. The more I walk, the more excited I am, and whatever nerves had settled in my bones disappear. I wonder how it would be to be the one to hold her, to speak with her when I wake up every morning.
By the time I get to the reception area, I’m ready for anything. I’m about to throw Mia over the back of my horse and ride into the sunset. Outwardly, of course, I keep my face calm and open.
Casey, one of the other receptionists, is already behind the counter. That makes me think that I’m probably already late. “She’s getting ready,” Casey says to me, flipping through the magazine in front of her. She’s about ten years older than me, married with no children, and fairly pleasant, but she’s never bothered to talk to me too much. From what I can gather, she has a husband who’s jealous of whoever she pays attention to.
“Thanks,” I answer, tipping my hat politely before I sit down on one of the leather chairs in the corner.
I stare up at one of the ceiling fans, wondering why it’s even there. It’s barely capable of creating a breeze. I make a note in my head to install an air conditioner next week.
“Sorry I’m late.” Mia appears in the entrance, hair falling loose from her ponytail, her yellow sundress making her look like she’s walked out of a painting.. I’m already wondering what it would be like to greet her like that every night, landing a kiss on her forehead and hugging her until she relaxes.
Some part of me doesn’t think it’s possible for her to relax, though. Even if I’ve only known her a short time, it’s clear she barely ever stops to take a breath.
I glance behind her and arch a brow. “Is Ellie with you?”
“Actually, your mother offered to watch her,” Mia says with a quick smile as she wipes her hands on her dress. “She should be fine up there, right?”
I almost laugh at the question, but I nod as I get up out of the chair. “‘Course. Ma’s great with kids. Only problem is that she might feed her too much.”
“That’s fine, means she’ll be good and tired when she comes home,” Mia answers as she walks up and reaches out an awkward hand to shake mine. I want to ask her how long it’s been since she’s been on a date just because of that, but I swallow my words.
“Shall we?” I ask, allowing her to walk in front of me toward the restaurant. I watch the way she moves, and I am quickly enthralled. It’s as if she’s constantly fluttering, less like a butterfly and more like a hummingbird.
When we reach the restaurant, it’s fairly busy inside. Tables are strewn across the tile floor haphazardly—Pa always argued it made the place look more cozy. I walk up to Penny, the hostess who’s been working here for longer than I’ve been alive and doing more jobs than I can count on both hands.
“Lots of guests this weekend, huh?” I say, motioning to the tables around us. “I bet the porch is empty either way.”
“In this heat? You bet your bottom dollar,” Penny nods at me, pausing for a moment to glance at Mia, who’s now standing behind me. “Aren’t you the new receptionist? Did Chance already catch you with that ridiculous smile of his?”
“Don’t be silly, Penny,” I say instantly, not wanting to start this out on an uncomfortable note. “We’re just having some coffee as co-workers.”
“Ah, so she’s already rejected you, huh? Smart.” Penny grins to show that she’s joking. Her tone never changes, and new people always take some time to get used to her. Mia, however, laughs at her statement, which makes me relax instantly.
“Anyway,” I say as I pinch the bridge of my nose, “will you take us through to the porch, please? The usual spot.”
“Of course, sir.” Penny bows before she walks off, leading us through the throng of people having lunch to the glass doors heading outside. The air is hot, and I can see the heat waves in the distance. As I predicted, none of the guests are out here, not wanting to deal with the dust and dry air.
Mia blows a bit of hair out of her eye before she sits down without complaint. I turn to Penny.
“Could you bring us each a menu?” I ask politely, but Penny rolls her eyes at me. I know she’s pulling my leg, but I refuse to acknowledge it right now. She saunters back into the restaurant, leaving the door open very slightly. I’m sure she’s trying to listen in, but with all the people inside, that’s more than likely impossible.
“She’s... pleasant,” Mia muses as I pull out a chair for her to take a seat. I make sure that she has the best view, hoping that will encourage her to stay longer. Sitting down beside her, I smile to myself when I realize that she doesn’t pull away when our elbows brush against one another.
“Ah, she doesn’t mean anything by it.” I stretch my legs out under the table and offer Mia a chuckle. “Penny’s a difficult woman, but her heart’s in the right place.”
“Bet she’s been scorned a lot.” By Mia’s tone, I can tell that she relates to that. It makes me wonder about her past, and what made her decide to come work at a lodge in the middle of nowhere. ‘Course, I can’t really phrase it like that unless I want to seem like I’m prying.
I notice Mia’s body language, and I realize that she’s probably permanently uncomfortable with something. One leg is held tightly over the other, her hands restless in her lap, her eyes turned away from me.
“It’s pretty out here,” Mia says, her voice softer than before. “All this fresh air. Really isn’t something you find in the city.”
I look out over the ranch, its flat, dusty surface reaching far out to the horizon. “I’ve lived here my whole life. Honestly don’t get tired of it.”
There’s a small smile playing around the corners of Mia’s mouth when I look back at her.
“When I got the interview, I couldn’t believe it,” she says honestly, even adding a dry laugh to her explanation. “I thought it was too good to be true. A scam or something. I’m glad it wasn’t.”
That makes me want to ask her what happened before she came here, but I stop myself. Instead I nod and offer her a smirk in return.
“Ma saw your resume and decided she didn’t need to look any further,” I point out, remembering the day Ma told me she’d gotten a new receptionist. She’d insisted that I leave the woman alone because she wouldn’t be able to find anyone better if I broke her heart.
“Really?” Mia is clearly surprised at that. One leg drops from the other as she sits forward a bit. “Why? It’s not like I really stand out. Nowhere else would even send me so much as a rejection letter.”
Studying her, I can’t help but find that difficult to believe. “Maybe I’m biased, but they’re a bunch of idiots.”
Mia shrugs at that, her arms now at her sides as she sits up a bit straighter. “I guess I do have a pretty good work ethic.”
“How humble,” I joke and offer her a wink as Penny arrives with the menus. Mia blushes, but she looks away so that Penny can’t see. “Seriously, I don’t know that I’d be able to work with people all day,” I say with a grin and a shake of the head. “Animals are much easier.”
“I don’t think I’d be able to ride a horse like you do, either,” Mia admits, looking at me over the brim of the menu. “I’d probably fall and break my legs the moment he starts jumping around.”
“Honestly, Constantine can be a big softy,” I laugh. “I can teach you to ride in your free time, if you’d like. I’d bet you’d be just as brilliant at it as everything else.”
This time, Mia actually laughs as she shakes her head. It’s an incredible sound that I could spend all my life listening to. As we talk, she loosens up, sitting back in her chair by the time the first coffee comes. We easily finish four mugs each and even have a late lunch. Eventually, the sun starts setting in the distance, coloring the sky in brilliant red and orange. We’ve been sitting ever closer together, and our chairs are now standing against one another. Mia leans slightly toward me as she speaks, her face barely inches away.
I decide to take the opportunity and reach for her, my hand on the back of her neck so that I can pull her in for a kiss.
Instantly, Mia stiffens and sits back. “I... I have to go.”
I watch her jump up from her seat and rush back through the restaurant. I could kick myself. I’d thought that was the perfect romantic moment, but obviously, I’m an idiot. I moved too fast, and I might have scared her off. I sigh as I get up myself, heading to tell Penny to put it all on my tab. Next time, I’ll pick my moment better. I’ll move slower. I need to be a whole lot more patient. Maybe I should let Mia make the first move.
Frustrated, I leave the lodge and head back to the main house, refusing to react to Ma’s teasing.