Chapter Six
Chance
I spend my day unable to wipe the smile off my face. That kiss with Mia was like fate, a sensation that I’ve never felt with any other woman before. It was more than perfection, more than worlds colliding. It was on par with the adrenaline that pumps through my bones when Constantine and I are working.
That afternoon, I’m taking Constantine back to the stables, where Bobby-Ray is already waiting to pick up on something that he can create a rumor from. I don’t really care about that. I’m too happy to let my mood drop, and I’m fine with it if Bobby-Ray goes around telling everyone on the ranch and in town about my new love.
“You look like yagon’ explode,” Bobby-Ray says as he chews on the end of a long piece of grass. “Your little talk with that girly go well, then?”
“She’s a woman,” I point out gruffly. “Not a girly.”
Bobby-Ray lifts his hands and backs off slightly. “Not meanin’ to offend ya.”
“But yes, it went well,” I change my expression into a smile. “I really like her. You’re welcome to tell everyone that.”
“Ah, naw, you know Bobby-Ray’ll keep ya secrets,” he insists, holding one finger in front of his mouth. I almost laugh at how ridiculous that sounds. Everyone and their mother will know about this before sundown. Probably even earlier.
But I don’t mind. I’m on cloud nine. Mia’s giving me a chance, and I’m going to show her that it’s all worth it. I want to give this my all, and no one is going to get in my way.
“Don’t you have work to do?” I scowl down at Bobby-Ray, who pulls a face as if I haven’t given him enough to talk about. Still, he eventually sighs and turns away, skulking off to pretend like he’s busy.
Everything I do before I head back home for the night is done with a new energy and vigor. As if I have started my life afresh and everything is brand new. Of course, there’s no way to know if this will last, but I truly hope it does.
When I walk back up the porch, whistling, Ma is already there, peeking through the front door and just waiting to ambush me.
“I assume you’ve seen Miss Hurst today,” she says with a wink. “Am I right in thinking she’s the reason for this pleasant mood of yours?”
“Come on, Ma, are you going to ask me every time?” I shake my head, but I’m still smirking. Ma playfully pats me on the arm as she clucks her tongue.
“Next time, you bring her along for dinner, all right?” she insists, and I already know she won’t take no for an answer. I just hope that Mia will be up for it. “Oh, and ask her to bring her daughter. What a fantastic child she is. Great at knitting.”
That gives me an idea for a gift for Ellie next time I’m in town. If she’s creative, maybe she’ll like a whole range of supplies. I could build her a dollhouse outside of the lodge where she can hang out. It must be really boring to sit behind her mom’s desk all day. Even worse if she’s stuck in the room.
I think about offering to teach her to ride on one of our older horses, but I’m sure Mia would want to be there to supervise. A great idea for a weekend, though. There are a few spots on the ranch that would be beyond perfect for a picnic or something. Does Mia even like picnics? I don’t see why she wouldn’t. Everyone does.
“We’re taking it slow, Ma, so I might not bring her over for a while,” I explain, hoping that’ll at least tide her over. She sighs, but she doesn’t push the subject, which makes me hopeful. Still, it’s likely that she’ll bring it up at least once a day until I finally drag poor Mia up here.
Ma will probably invite my siblings, too, to show off the lady on my arm, as she would say. Hopefully it won’t be an interrogation so much as a fun family evening. I can only hope that everyone will behave themselves.
I go through the evening thinking about seeing Mia again tomorrow. I know I need to try not to keep her away from her work, but it’s hard to keep my excitement at bay. She did say we have to take things slow, and I can do that. But now I have a chance. I can see our relationship growing stronger than any I’ve ever had before.
I can see her in my future, a sensation that is almost alien to me. It takes a while to fall asleep, and before long, my alarm is blaring out its morning songs.
Waking up, I peer through the slight opening in the curtains. The sky is already lifting the dark blues of night into morning’s burning orange. I slip out of bed and stretch my body as my mind comes back to life.
Usually, I’d take my time before going out to work. This morning, I’m hoping to catch Mia before the lodge reception opens, breakfast in hand. As long as she doesn’t get up before the sun, I should be somewhat on time.
I leap into the shower, making sure to scrub everything until my skin is about to turn red. A splash of cologne as I get out and a bit of gel in my hair. Got to make sure that I look my best if I’m going to see the prettiest woman around today. I even spend almost twenty minutes ironing my favorite checkered shirt, something that I’m sure I haven’t done in the last year, at least.
Getting ready takes me almost an hour, when I’m normally down for breakfast within fifteen minutes. When I finally decide it’s all good enough, the sun has found its way into the dusty morning sky already. That reminds me that I need to hurry.
I take the stairs two at a time and burst into the kitchen. It’s about time for Ma to get up, make her own food, and head out to check on the dairy cows. I can already hear her shuffling from her room to the bathroom to wash her face. A few years ago, Dad would have followed her, grumbling about having to go upstairs.
Sometimes, she still makes two mugs of coffee in the morning. One for her, one for him. I shake my head clear, not wanting to be weighed down by my thoughts today. Instead, I make my way into the kitchen and start up a batch of bacon.
I’m not the greatest cook in the world, but since I’ve been making my own breakfast for a while, it’s at least passable. As they say, it’s the thought that counts in any case. I decide that I’ll make enough for myself and Ma, too. Mornings can be hard for her, and I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.
She shuffles into the kitchen after a while, sniffing at the air. “You’re not gonna burn the house down, are ya?”
I chuckle as I take the already slightly-too-crispy bacon off the stove. “Not this time. Not looking to sleep in the stables. Constantine takes up too much space.”
“Is all of this for me?” Ma says after she gives me a quick shove and a shake of her head. “You know I’ve been watching my weight. Or have I forgotten some kind of special day?”
She takes two mugs out of the cupboard, then sighs and puts one back. “One day, I swear I’ll remember.”
“No need to rush it,” I answer, not wanting this cloud to get darker. “Anyway, no, I figured Mia might appreciate something to eat before she gets to work.”
“Really? You’ve never done that for a filly before.” Ma winks at me, mischief in her eyes. “You really like this one, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” I answer honestly as I start packing food into containers. “She’s different. I think she’s gotten her heart broken a lot, but I’m not going to do that.”
Ma changes her joking demeanor quickly, placing a tender hand on my shoulder. “If that’s how you feel, then nothing can get in your way, son. I’ll be standing right here, cheering you on.”
I wrap her up in a hug before I finish my packing and point to what’s been left over. “For you, if you’re hungry. I’ll be back for lunch. Maybe Mia will come with me.”
“Oh dear, you’re already taking her away from work,” Mom laughs as I start grabbing containers and get ready to leave. “Better not get bad reviews because of that.”
I shake my head. I don’t think I’ve been keeping Mia busy more than necessary. The lodge is running more smoothly than it has in years. She’s clearly dedicated enough to her job. I just have to hope that she’ll like it enough to stay here.
Heading out of the house carrying all of the food containers, I start whistling into the bright morning. As I walk, I spot a green station wagon driving past the parking area and straight to the lodge. I don’t recognize it, so it’s definitely not family or a regular guest, or even someone who’s given a cursory glance to the rules.
All of this is odd. I spot Bobby-Ray walking past to the stables and motion him over.
“You recognize that?” I ask, pointing down at the car. Whoever is sitting in it hasn’t decided to get out yet. Bobby-Ray peers at it as if he’s deep in thought before he finally shrugs and spits on the ground.
“Gotta go tell ‘em he can’t park there,” he says, marching off again. I’m wondering where that nonchalant attitude comes from. Normally, Bobby-Ray enjoys nothing more than a good piece of gossip or speculation.
I’m too curious about this car to go after him and ask what’s the matter, however. Something inside me decides that I don’t want whoever is in the vehicle to notice me. There’s just a funny feeling right at the core of my stomach that doesn’t quite like the situation. I stay back, watching until a man gets out and slams the door behind him.
Even this far away, I can see that he’s not in a great mood. He’s arguing with one of the ranch hands who happens to have been walking past the lodge. Is this the trouble that Mia has been talking about? A man from her past coming to haunt her?
I’m not sure. It could just be a guy who’s upset at the service he received or something. But I don’t recognize the car at all. He starts marching in the direction of the lodge after yelling at the ranch hand. Time for me to move closer. I’m careful but hurrying. If he really is here to harass Mia, I don’t want her to have to deal with it all alone.
Luckily, there are other workers in the lodge. They’ll definitely come to her rescue if it’s necessary, even though I think I should be the one to do it. I realize that I’m clutching the food too tightly in my hands when one of the containers’ lids pops off.
Quickly, I work on fixing it while I’m moving. I miss the moment where the guy walks into the lodge. Mia shouldn’t be at reception yet. There’s still at least half an hour before her shift starts. Maybe we can resolve this situation before she ever knows about it.
I walk into the ranch hand, Mike, who’d already met the man.
“Did he tell you who he was?” I ask, staring over Mike’s shoulder at the lodge entrance.
“Nah.” Mike shrugs, even though he looks fairly angry. “Just yelled that he had to see Mia. Told ‘em she wasn’t here yet, but the man has no ears. Doesn’t listen.”
That confirms my suspicions for me. Whoever this guy is, he’s definitely up to no good. I don’t even answer Mike, instead rushing forward to try and get to the lodge before Mia shows up at reception. If I can get rid of this guy, then she doesn’t even have to know that he was here.
I speed up my walking, hoping that I’m not too late. The containers of food shake in my arms. Some of it is probably ruined, but that’s not what’s important right now. As I walk up to the door, I can hear him yelling in the lobby.
“Mia! Get out here, I know you’re there!” he shouts. I can see him through one of the windows on the side of the door. He’s a fairly sizeable guy, nearly as tall as I am with sandy hair, but I can’t see his face from this angle.
I’m about to walk in and confront him when a frazzled Mia comes out from the back office. As soon as she looks at him, her face turns pale and her eyes wide. She definitely knows this guy. Who is he?
My blood is boiling, but I stand still. If it looks like things will start getting physical, I’ll step in. I’m fairly sure that Mia wouldn’t be happy with me if I interrupted now, especially if this is something she doesn’t want me to know about.
“Brian…” The name comes through Mia’s lips in a tight announcement of horror and surprise. “You’re… How did you find me?”
“Who cares, Mia? It doesn’t matter,” Brian replies with a growling snap, and the muscles in my legs tense. I am ready to move any second. “Where is she?”
Mia stands her ground, her eyes quickly turning from surprise to fury. “You’re not supposed to be here. You can leave by yourself, or I can have security drag you out. It’s your choice.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Brian steps forward, and Mia takes a step back, but she picks up the landline phone on the desk in front of her. “You know you’re the one in the wrong here.”
“What are you talking about?” Mia’s voice is even, but I can see the tension in her body. “Look, I don’t have time for this. Get out.”
“I have a right to see my daughter!” Brian yells, his fists tight at his sides as his spittle flies through the air in front of her. “Bring her to me!”
His daughter? This is Ellie’s father? What’s going on?
THE END OF BOOK ONE
The series continues with A COWBOY’S PROMISE BOOK TWO.
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