Chapter 16
TRAVELING BACK TO Montana the next day was out of the question. Naomi’s insurance adjuster couldn’t come out until late in the afternoon. They had most of the day to figure out what they could do while they waited.
“Sure. Let’s go.” He seemed eager to see it, which pleased her.
They got in her SUV and laughed in unison as they both adjusted their seats for differing leg lengths. She hadn’t realized how far back Trent had moved the driver’s seat yesterday.
“What’s the address? I’ll look it up online and read the specs as you drive.”
She told him and before they were a mile away from Ethan’s he was reading aloud: “Small barn, Quonset hut, loafing sheds, two corrals … equipment storage shed. Hmm, the house looks iffy. The picture shows a one-story blue structure. Looks like it’s been added onto.”
“Oh, I don’t care so much about the house. It’s the land that intrigues me.”
“Uh-huh, yeah, I can see that. Looks like there’s plenty of grazing land and some to farm. I see a lot of barbed wire fencing around the house. But you were right, it looks pretty run down.”
She sensed the hesitation in his voice. “Well, that’s why I need your opinion. I showed the listing to Dad and Ethan last month. They were divided on it. The farm’s been for sale for a year. I think I could get it for a lot less than the listing. And then I could buy the adjacent acreage, too.”
Trent looked up from his phone and stayed quiet the rest of the trip, which ended up being a little longer as she drove slowly down dirt two-tracks that no city girl would have taken.
“There it is,” Naomi whispered as she turned up a gravel road marked with a sign indicating there’d be no county plowing on the private lane.
“You’ve got neighbors across the way, but you’d need a tractor or plow first thing,” Trent commented. “There’s not much snow now. The wind’s swept it away, but if you get a storm …”
“I know, I know. I can drive a tractor.”
She pulled up and stopped the car by a set of frozen tire tracks.
Trent stared out. The house was as pictured: a dump. But the land stretched out. There was a line of wind turbines along the far property line with a background of low mountains.
Trent stepped out of the SUV, pressing his boots against the brittle ground, and took a deep breath of the invigorating Wyoming air. Naomi followed, pulling her coat tighter as the wind nipped at her cheeks. She stood beside him, her eyes scanning the property with hope and apprehension.
“It’s got potential,” Trent said, his tone cautious but not dismissive.
Naomi grinned and boldly nudged his arm. “Potential is good. Let’s walk around.”
They made their way toward the house, their boots leaving faint impressions in the frost-dusted frozen dirt. Up close, the house was even more dilapidated than it appeared in the photos. Shingles were missing, the paint was peeling, and one of the front steps sagged precariously.
Trent peeked through a window, cupping his hands around his face to block the glare. “Looks like a raccoon condo in there. You’d need to gut it. Might be easier to just tear it down and start fresh.”
Naomi laughed, stepping beside him to peer through another window. “Maybe. But I’m not here for the house. Besides, it’s better than my RV trailer now. What do you think about the barn?” She pointed to the weathered structure behind the house, its roof a patchwork of metal sheets.
Trent squinted at it. “Barn’s better than the house, but it’ll need work. You’ve got good bones here, though. Plenty of space for hay storage, and the stalls look sturdy enough for a few head of cattle or horses.”
They wandered toward the corrals, their boots crunching on the frozen grass. The fencing was rough but functional, and Trent tested a post with a firm shake.
“This’ll hold for now,” he said, nodding. “You’d need to replace some of the barbed wire, but that’s easy enough. What’s the water situation like?”
Naomi gestured toward a small pond just visible beyond the barn. “There’s a natural spring that feeds into that. And according to the listing, there’s a well, too.”
“Good. Water’s everything out here.”
They walked the property line, pausing to look up at the wind turbines spinning lazily in the distance.
The low snow-clad mountains beyond were beautiful, the view as picturesque as a postcard.
Turning back toward the house they could see two propane tanks with solar panels propped over them like shed roofs.
Naomi stopped and turned to face him. “So, what do you think? Could this be a working ranch?”
Trent met her gaze, his brown eyes serious.
“Yeah. It would take a lot of work, but you could make something of it. Grazing’s decent, and you’ve got enough flat land to grow a good crop of hay or alfalfa or whatever you, the expert, think would be best. With the right equipment and some grit, you could turn this into a solid operation. ”
Her smile widened. “That’s exactly what I thought.”
They headed back toward the house, their steps slower now as they talked about possibilities—rotational grazing, rebuilding the barn, even Trent’s idea of starting a small herd.
As they approached the SUV, Trent paused, his eyes fixed on the house. “You know, Naomi, if you do buy this place, you won’t just be fixing up a ranch. You’ll be putting down roots.”
She glanced at him, her smile softening. “Maybe it’s time for that.”
Just then, a loud rustling sound came from inside the barn. Naomi froze, her hand instinctively reaching for Trent’s arm.
“What was that?” she whispered.
Trent motioned for her to stay back and cautiously approached the building. The sound grew louder—a mix of scratching and thuds.
As he reached the corner of the barn a stray goat bolted out, nearly knocking Trent over.
Naomi burst out laughing as the goat stopped a few feet away, staring at them as if they were intruders on his property.
“Well,” Trent said, brushing off his coat, “looks like you’ve already got your first livestock.”
Naomi laughed. “I guess that’s a sign, huh?”
“Yeah,” Trent said, chuckling. “A stubborn, head-butting sign. This place could be a farm or a ranch or both.”
They stood there watching the goat, the question of whether this would be a good decision momentarily forgotten by the absurdity of the moment. The goat bleated once, as if to say Howdy, neighbor, then wandered off in the direction of the nearest farm.
“Shall I tackle him? He’d make a good landscaper. Heaven knows this place is going to need a good mowing come spring,” he teased, flashing a grin as he unexpectedly hip-checked her.
***
Inwardly Naomi was ecstatic. Her fantasy could be a reality. She had one more question to ask Trent, but she’d leave it for another time. His rather intimate action pushed all thoughts out of her mind. She returned the hip bump.
He looked down at her and lifted one hand to stroke loose tendrils of hair behind her ear, his touch surprisingly gentle as he turned to face her.
“Naomi?” He smoothed back more wind-loosened strands, clearing her vision so she had no excuse but to see the honesty in his eyes.
“Yeah?” Her knees went wobbly.
“This.”
He put both hands on her upper arms, bent his head over hers, blurred out the faded barns, the blue house, and the retreating goat, and laid the most luxurious kiss on her lips.
“Was that okay?” He stepped back an inch and scanned her face. “I’m sorry. That was presumptuous of me … but I couldn’t resist.”
He took his hands away, and she exhaled, but her heart was still racing. It felt as if all the oxygen had disappeared from the earth. It was more than okay, but she squeaked out, “Yeah, sure, thanks.” Thanks? She was speechless.
“You’re thanking me?” He grinned at her and moved back into her space.
She found her voice. “It was nice … We’re grown-ups. Usually, there’s a date first, but I get this is a unique situation.”
“I feel like four hours in the car was our first date. This morning … a breakfast date … then your father chaperoned us on that doctor’s appointment,” he laughed, “and now … here we are house-hunting.” He waved an arm out to encompass the land and buildings.
Naomi giggled. “You’re right.” She stepped a smidge closer, shivering. “Our relationship is on the fast track in some ways. I feel like I’ve known you all my life.”
“Me, too. So … let me ask you outright. May I kiss you again?”
She nodded.
He kissed her.
She kissed him back. Now she was lost in his kiss. She sank into his arms, his face, his hands. When their lips parted, they stared at one another a moment longer.
“Did you plan that?” Naomi asked.
Trent shook his head. “Man plans and God laughs. I think that was God laughing.”
She nodded in silence.
“Well, no sense in standing out here in the cold,” Trent said and motioned toward the car.
Cold? She was running a fever now. But she said, “Okay.”
It took at least five miles of driving before she trusted herself to speak again, going back to the original subject.
“Well, I’m going to give myself a few more days to think it through, make a list of questions, and then, when I come home after my stint at the Olsens’ farm, I’m going to have the listing agent give me a tour of the place and then make an offer. ”
Trent nodded. “I know nothing about real estate deals, but I’ve heard you offer low and work your way up.”
Naomi chuckled. “That’s the plan. I’m thinking I’ll offer twenty percent under asking. But I’ll take whatever they counter at. If it works out, I’ll be a homeowner with acreage. Scary, but exciting.”
Trent glanced at her, his deep brown eyes steady. “You sure don’t seem scared of hard work. I don’t know that much about you, but what I know so far is that if anyone can make it happen, it’s you.”
Her cheeks warmed at his praise. “Thanks. But even with hard work, I can’t do it all alone.
That property’s going to need serious attention, especially if I want to grow produce and add animals eventually.
I’ve been researching raising goats for milk and chickens for eggs, but upon our recent introduction to that unruly animal I might rethink that. ”
“Animals are a big commitment,” Trent said, his tone thoughtful. “Fencing, shelters, feeding schedules—not to mention the care they’ll need if they get sick.”
Naomi nodded, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “Exactly. That’s why I’m not rushing into it. I want to start small, focus on the produce first, and see where it goes.”
“Smart move,” Trent said. He leaned back in his seat, his long legs stretching out. “But even a produce farm can be a handful. You’ll need someone who knows a thing or two about managing that kind of workload. Maybe someone who’s worked at a small farm like Faithful Hearts Ranch.”
Naomi glanced at him. “Someone like you?”
Trent’s lips curved into a wry smile. “Maybe. I’ve got the time, and I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty. Plus, I’m guessing you’d want someone dependable. Someone you could trust.”
Her heart skipped a beat at his words. Was he serious? That kiss meant something more than simple attraction.
“Trent, are you saying you’d consider helping out if I go through with this?”
He shrugged in a positive way, a glimmer of something deeper in his gaze.
“I’ve got nothing tying me down, and I like the idea of helping build something from the ground up.
If you’re open to it, that is. I’d work for room, board, and, say, five percent of profits.
Naomi … I really want to get to know you. ”
Naomi swallowed hard, the mix of excitement and nerves making her pulse race. “I … um, I’d have to think about how I’d make that work, but … yeah, I’d be open to it.”
“All right then,” he said, his voice calm, but his smile revealing a load of satisfaction. “Of course, there’s that old saying: Man plans and God laughs.”
She lowered her chin and raised an eyebrow. “I like it when God laughs.”
They drove the rest of the way in comfortable silence, the possibilities stretching before Naomi like the open road. She tried not to grip the steering wheel too hard, but her pounding heart was doing its own kind of steering.