8. Ronnie
Ronnie
The butterflies in my stomach this morning only have to do with starting my new job.
They have nothing to do with some wild hope in my heart that I'll get to see Flint on my first day.
That would be crazy. Especially since I'm carrying his baby, and I still haven't decided how I'm going to tell him.
I’m planning on telling him. I would never keep a man from his baby. But I'm also not sure that I'm ready to have that conversation yet.
I put my hand on my stomach. Soon, I promise myself as a bout of nausea surges Fortunately, I don't start dry heaving. With the twins, I experienced morning sickness very early in the pregnancy and throughout my first trimester. After that, it was non-stop heartburn. I’m really not looking forward to that again.
I pull Reba into a stop in front of an old rusty looking barn. It’s the one I got an email from the ranch about. I almost deleted the acceptance email when I first got it because there’s no first name on the messages. It just reads Valor Ranch.
I try to remember if Mira ever told me who’s in charge here. I know it’s not Cord, but maybe he knows. I should have called her before I came all of this way. I’ve managed to talk with her a couple of times but both times one of us was rushing off the phone before we could have a deep discussion.
“You’re going to find a way,” I repeat my grandmother’s words to myself.
A better life for my babies is waiting on the other side of this day.
The cabin that comes with room and board will give me more space to raise the boys and their new sibling.
Plus, Courage County has an excellent public education system, which is important since the boys will be starting school in the fall.
My eyes tear up at the thought, and I have to blink.
There are certain things I can't think about right now when all of these hormones are surging through my body.
With a deep breath, I walk up the tiny, covered porch and twist the door handle. I’m surprised to find that what looks like an old barn from the outside has actually been converted into an office.
My sneakers scuff the hardwood floors as I take my first steps inside. Overhead, two large ceiling fans rotate and six metal filing cabinets are against one wall. There’s a pair of legs sticking out from under an antique desk.
“Excuse me,” I call.
There's a loud thump from the underside of the desk, swear words, and then there’s Flint. My traitorous heart skips a beat, and my mouth goes dry.
His eyes light up the moment he sees me. Excitement flickers on his face, like a kid seeing gifts under the tree and I am Christmas morning. “Veronica, how did you…I kept looking…and now you’re here.”
“I’m here to start my new job,” I tell him, my heart pounding. He just said he was looking for me. He was looking for me! Wait, engage professional mode first. Giddy, happy feelings can be indulged later.
“Bronco didn’t mention hiring anyone.”
“I’m the new ranch manager.”
“There’s been a misunderstanding. I already hired a guy.”
I put my hands on my hips, prepared to fight for this job. My boys need the stability this is going to bring. My baby needs it. “Well, you call him up and tell him the position has already been filled.”
“I’m not going to—wait, Ronnie isn’t short for Veronica, is it?”
I realize it at the same time he does. I’m used to people being surprised when I show up for an interview or for the first day on a new job. But seeing Flint again has scrambled my brain. I explain, “My father didn't have a son, so he gave me his name, Ronald Davis Hunter.”
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but definitely not the grin that spreads across his face. He gets to his feet, charging across the room to hold out his hand. “Welcome to your new job at Valor Ranch.”
I take his hand, feeling his strong fingers wrap around mine. It sends tingles down my arm, and I’m instantly thinking about the motel and how I’m pregnant. I need to tell him before I lose my nerve. “About last month—“
“Those were the best nights of my life,” Flint interrupts.
I pull my hand from his, swallowing hard. I'm not about to admit that it was the same for me. Nothing good will come from focusing on the things we can't be. “Well, now we're co-workers.”
He does his best to hide the disappointment in his expression but not before I see it. He jams his hands into his pockets and says, “Officially, you're my boss. And you know how I like taking orders from you.”
I remember the way he looked at me when I defeated that guy at pool. There was nothing but admiration in his gaze. Still, some men need to be in charge at work. “Is this going to be a problem?”
He gives me one of his flirty grins, the kind that makes my breath catch in my throat.
“Your job will never be in jeopardy because of me. But if you want to harass me, I won’t object.
You can even grab a handful of the good stuff whenever you want.
” He pats his jean-clad ass. The same ass that had my fingernail marks last month.
I clear my throat and gesture to the desk. “You need a different hinge for that.”
He grabs up a handful of hardware and holds it out to me. “This is what I’m working with. It’s an old desk, great wood. Not unlike—“
I pluck two pieces from his hand. “Let’s use this set, and everything will attach just fine. Got a screwdriver for me?”
He passes me one and within three minutes, I have the desk finished and all the hinges attached so it’ll be easy to use. There was nothing more my dad loved than puttering around his workshop, and I loved hanging out with him. “Should be good as new now.”
He pats the desk, admiration evident on his face.
It doesn’t make me feel warm and gooey inside.
I won’t let it. “We have a laptop. It’s old, but it’s what we’ve been using.
Bronco and I thought the manager might need newer equipment.
But we figured you’d order what you need when you got here and expense it to the ranch. ”
“Okay, show me what you’re working with right now, and I’ll let you know about upgrades we’ll need,” I answer.
Flint talks me through the basics, hovering over me the entire time as he shows me which programs the ranch uses and which icons to click.
It’s hard not to be distracted by him the entire time.
He smells so good, and his breath is hot on my neck.
I glance up and suddenly realize that I’d only have to angle my head and our lips would connect.
I see his eyes darken as he realizes it at the same moment I do.
“A tour,” I blurt out. “Can you give me a tour of the farm, so I know what to expect here every day?”
He steps back, the spell between us broken. “Yeah, a tour, Sounds like a great idea.”
The tour of the ranch takes us a little over an hour. Flint is patient especially when I explain that I've never worked on a farm, but I know how to run a business efficiently. The look he gives me tells me he remembers exactly how efficient I can be.
I point to the stable. “I don't think I've seen that yet.”
The stable has a symphony all its own. Soft nickers, quiet munching, and clacking hoof steps. An earthy mixture of fresh hay and feed greet my nose with something distinctly more pungent underneath that.
“That’s Princess in that stall. She’s an older mare and gentle as they come. Do you want to give her a rub? Reach over the gate. Yeah, just like that. Go slow. You never want to spook a horse.”
“Her fur is so silky,” I murmur as the magnificent mare stares at me, letting me touch her. The boys would love getting to meet her. I wonder if Flint will let them when they come to live here.
“It’s not fur. It’s her coat. That’s what it’s called,” he explains. Just like with the game of pool, his explanation is quick and without arrogance. “And you can touch her here, too. This is her mane.”
“It isn’t like human hair,” I murmur, keeping my voice low because Flint’s voice is low. I thought this would feel more like a shampoo commercial, but her mane is waxy and coarse.
He chuckles. “No, it’s not like human hair. She needs a good washing. One of the ranch hands will get her sorted out soon enough.”
“I can’t believe you get to work here every day,” I murmur as I peek into an unused stall. It smells earthy and dusty, and it’s a lot bigger than I would have thought it was. Flint explained earlier that I can think of each stall almost as the horse’s bedroom.
He comes up beside me, tugging me deeper into the darkened stall. He presses me up against the wood, and I let out a little whimper when he does. All day I’ve been thinking about him, about his body, about the noises he made when he came in the motel.
“I’ve missed you,” I admit because I know he can’t see my expression and somehow, the admission feels like it’s safer in the dark.
It’s the only invitation he needs. He drops his head and fuses our lips together. This kiss is even better than I remember, filled with every bit of longing and need I’ve felt over the past month.
I clutch the material of his flannel, yanking him close because I need my hands all over him. I need to touch him and know that this is real and not just one of the dreams that wakes me up at three in the morning and leaves me crying.
It's not until there's the soft whine from one of the horses that reality comes crashing back. I push against Flint, and he only moves back a few inches like his body won’t let him go further away.
“This can’t happen,” I tell him.
He makes a soft growl. I’ve never heard a noise like that from him, and it makes my panties a little bit damp. “Don't tell me what we shared was a mistake.”
I think of our baby, safe and warm in my stomach. My hand starts to drift, but I catch myself. There's no bump, nothing visible to let the world know that I'm carrying the next miracle.
I clear my throat. “It could never be a mistake. But I'm supposed to have room and board. This is meant to be my fresh start. Not just for me, but for my kids and my grandmother. There’s more than me to think about here.”