Chapter 3
NAOMI OFTEN SPENT weeks at a time on-site at clients’ farms, usually camping out in a tiny RV trailer she could pull behind her SUV or staying in a guest house if they had one, but for the Faithful Hearts Ranch she intended to book a room at a cheap motel in town.
It was too cold to camp in January and Holger had disclosed their mission to help law-breakers serve out their community service working the farm.
What a noble cause, she thought, but she sure didn’t want to live with potential throat-slitters, thieves, and con men.
She’d had an incident two years ago with someone trying to bust down her bedroom door and she would probably forever after sleep with her phone next to her bed and a knife under her pillow.
She called for a reservation at the Mountain Motor Lodge as soon as Holger called her back.
Naomi ended the call with the lodge, jotting down her confirmation number on a sticky note she slapped onto her laptop.
The woman on the other end of the line had assured her the heater in her room worked fine, but Naomi wasn’t taking any chances.
She packed an extra blanket, her favorite travel mug, and a thermos she could fill with coffee.
Montana in January was no joke; she’d learned to be prepared for anything.
Anything, including working with a ranch full of troubled men trying to rebuild their lives.
Naomi stared out the window of her home office, her mind drifting to Holger’s voice on the phone earlier—steady, kind, a little weathered by years of work and worry.
She could tell he meant well, that this wasn’t just some vanity project for him, and that made her want to help.
But she couldn’t shake the unease that tugged at her, the memory of that desperate night two years ago creeping back into her thoughts.
She shook it off and focused on the practicalities.
The Faithful Hearts Ranch had caught her attention for several reasons.
From her talk with Holger, it seemed like they were willing to try bold, innovative methods to keep their operation afloat.
That was the kind of client she liked—people who were unafraid to do things differently.
She flipped open her planner and started sketching out ideas for their initial consultation: composting strategies, rotational grazing tweaks, and maybe even some solar-powered water pumps.
As she scribbled, her phone buzzed. It was a text from her brother, Ethan.
YOU’RE REALLY GOING TO MONTANA? DON’T YOU THINK YOU’RE BITING OFF TOO MUCH WITH THIS ONE? BE CAREFUL.
Naomi sighed. Ethan had been overprotective ever since the incident, but she couldn’t fault him for worrying. She texted back a quick reassurance.
I’LL BE FINE. I’M STAYING AT A LODGE. TALK SOON.
Still, Ethan’s concern lingered in her mind. Was she being too reckless? Maybe. But the alternative was staying in her comfort zone, which had never been her style. She finished her tea and closed her laptop, determined to get an early start on January second.
***
The Mountain Motor Lodge was exactly what she expected—clean but basic, with a no-frills vibe that suited her just fine.
She parked her SUV in front of her room, unloaded her bags, and glanced around at the quiet parking lot.
There was only one other vehicle—a beat-up old pickup with Montana plates.
After double-checking the locks on her door, Naomi spread out her maps and notes on the little desk by the window.
She was in her element, analyzing the ranch’s layout and brainstorming solutions for the issues Holger had described: soil erosion, inefficient irrigation, and an over-reliance on fossil fuels.
Hours passed, and she only realized it was dinnertime when her stomach growled.
She reached for her phone to order some takeout, then decided she should call the ranch first to confirm the arrival time tomorrow.
Holger answered the phone.
“You made it? No trouble with slippery roads?”
“No, it was an easy drive. I’ve been to most parts of Montana. I’m sure I’ll find your ranch easily tomorrow. Is nine in the morning too early?”
The pleasant laughter on the other end of the line made her smile.
“Too early? Ms. Foster, we get up before the stars tuck themselves in. You can’t be too early. In fact, if you get here at seven you can have a big farm-style breakfast with us.”
“Oh, thank you, but, uh, I know you have a full house … I, I don’t want to intrude.”
“No, no intrusion at all. You come at seven. That’s settled. The milk truck should have come and gone by then and we’ll all be in the ranch house. Park by the barn and come to the front door. I’ll have one of the hands shovel a path.”
She finished that call and then ordered take-out for her dinner. She bolted her door as soon as the pizza guy left. She ate two slices and put the rest in the room’s fridge for tomorrow’s supper.
Breakfast with a houseful of convicts seemed risky, but she’d heard a woman’s voice in the background. Perhaps it wasn’t as dangerous as she feared.
***
Trent had spent the week between Christmas and New Year’s listening to Sophie and Taylor gush about that wedding they went to.
Jackson was so handsome … Sophie had never seen him smile so much …
The bride was beyond beautiful … The dress was exquisite …
and on and on. More than once one of the guys, even Holger, who was always polite and respectful around his wife, tried to change the subject, cutting off Sophie mid-sentence at times, to talk about other things, like fallow fields and crop rotation.
Trent had read the farm magazines and the book, cover to cover, and amazed Holger with questions and comments.
So much so that Holger said, “You know, Trent, you might be interested in this woman we’ve hired to give us some advice.
She’s coming tomorrow morning. Why don’t you stick around after breakfast and listen in on our discussion? ”
The other guys at the dinner table twisted their heads from Holger to Trent.
“Sure,” Trent said, “as long as it doesn’t involve any talk about weddings, I’m in.”
“What about me?” Colton asked. “You’ll want me around, too, right? To learn all this stuff since I’m your foreman.”
“Yeah, you too,” Holger nodded. He glanced at the other men.
Levi had his gaze on the potatoes now, but Mason and Wyatt seemed interested.
“I guess you all can stick around and see what she says. It may mean more work for you.” He tapped his fingers on the table and huffed a laugh.
“Or not.” He stared a moment longer at Wyatt then turned to Trent.
“With all your reading on the subject lately, I might be giving you a nod if this Naomi Foster starts spewing technical stuff. That’ll mean I need you to translate. ”
“Sure thing, Mr. Olsen. You got it.” Trent kept his smirking under control. He knew Colton wasn’t pleased that Holger had asked Trent to join them first.
The next morning, Trent rose early as usual. A wordless Levi came down a few minutes after him and got right to the task.
Trent liked milking the cows and the quiet time it gave him to think.
He’d spent most of his adult years rustling cattle, riding herd, castrating calves, and doing predictable cowboy things like grooming horses and mending fences.
But tending a few cows and the land … that was becoming more and more appealing.
He was interested in the idea of sitting in on a meeting with someone as experienced as Naomi Foster; he was more than intrigued and genuinely curious about what this expert might have to say about the future of farming—but mostly he wanted to see what she looked like.
When he and Levi finished with the cows and got to the ranch house, Colton was in the kitchen, arms crossed and looking smug, as if trying to reassert himself as top dog after Holger.
Levi stood quietly at the corner of the room, eyes fixed downward, while Mason and Wyatt joked about who might be “voluntold” for the extra work Naomi was bound to suggest.
Taylor, Mason, and Sophie bustled in and out of the kitchen, setting up the dining room.
“All right, all right,” Holger said, clapping his hands. “Wash up and get seated in the living room. Naomi’s supposed to be here by seven.”
At 7:02, headlights flashed across the window as an SUV pulled into the driveway. Sophie peered through the curtain. “There she is.”
A moment later, there was a firm knock at the door. Sophie opened it, greeting Naomi with a warm smile. “Welcome, welcome! You must be freezing. Come in.”
Naomi Foster stepped inside, brushing snowflakes off her shoulders.
Sophie fussed over taking her coat. She was taller than Trent expected, her presence commanding without being overbearing.
Her long brown hair was neatly tied back, and her green eyes scanned the room with sharp curiosity.
She had sounded pretty on the phone … and she was.
She carried a messenger bag over one shoulder and a clipboard in one hand, giving the impression that she was both prepared and unflappable.
“Good morning,” she said, her voice steady but friendly. “It’s nice to meet you all.” She offered a quick handshake to Holger before turning her attention to the rest of the room.
Trent was the first to stand. “Trent Castleberry,” he said, extending his hand. “I’ve been doing some reading on sustainable practices. Looking forward to hearing what you’ve got to share.”
Her grip was firm, her expression appraising and slightly surprised. “Good to meet you, Trent. I hope you’ll find the conversation useful.”
Colton quickly stepped forward, cutting in. “Colton James. I’m the foreman here. Any changes you’re thinking of making? I’ll be the one to implement them.”
Naomi’s polite smile didn’t waver, but her eyes flicked toward Holger, who seemed to suppress a chuckle. “I’ll be working with everyone,” she said diplomatically. “It’s a team effort.”