Chapter One #2
“Five? As in, five in the morning?” she asked, a note of incredulity in her voice.
Suppressing a playful grin, he clarified, “Yes, ma’am.”
She exhaled a soft sigh, accepting his terms. “I’ll see you Monday morning, Mr. Harrison.”
“Just make sure you wear the proper clothing and be careful where you step,” he said again.
“I know how to walk in heels, Mr. Harrison,” she said and immediately stepped on the edge of a cow patty.
Seth did all he could not to laugh, but cleared his throat when she said, “You’d better not have a grin on your face, Mr. Harrison.” Without even looking at him.
“Yes, ma’am.” He knew she could hear the laughter in his voice. “I’ll see you then. You’ll need a jacket too. It’s still cool here in April.”
He watched as she nodded and stood beside the SUV, removed her shoe, and wiped it on the grass, then gracefully climbed back into her SUV. The engine roared to life, and with a final, lingering wave, she drove away.
As soon as the silhouette of her vehicle faded into the morning haze, Seth laughed.
“Hey, boss! Who was that? She was gorgeous,” called out Red, one of the ranch hands, his voice echoing off the barn walls.
“That was the photographer I mentioned to you,” Seth replied, his tone a mix of reluctant admiration and dawning apprehension.
Red’s brow furrowed, “I thought you said it was a man. You said his name was Ryan.”
Seth’s jaw tightened as he corrected him, “Well, I was mistaken. Her name is Ryan.” The implications of that realization settled heavily on him; this was clearly going to be a problem.
“Well, she can follow me anywhere,” Red quipped with an easy laugh as he jogged into the barn.
“Someone find Elsie. She got out again, and clean up the mess, please.”
Seth grumbled, his voice low and weary, “Yeah, it’s going to be a problem.” With that, he reentered the barn and returned to his work, the events of the encounter swirling in his mind like unsettled dust in the early morning light.
****
Ryan navigated her car along the winding road back toward the B and B, then went on to the cabin where she was staying.
As she eased into a parking spot, her eyes caught sight of the cabin door nearest to hers, left invitingly open.
A very pretty woman with her blonde hair up in a ponytail stepped onto the porch, smiling at her.
Ryan pulled her SUV to a stop and stepped out, making her way across the gravel path to join the woman, who stood waiting with an easy smile.
“Hi, I’m Ryan Carroll,” she said as she smiled at the woman.
The woman put her hand out and they shook. “Alyssa West. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too. Are you here alone?”
“Yes. I’m from Arizona. A friend of mine stayed here last year and I just needed to get away for a while. How about you?”
“I’m alone. I’m from Valencia, California and here to take photos of Beckett Feed for Western Living magazine out of Los Angelas.”
“Oh, that sounds exciting.”
Ryan chuckled lightly, shaking her head. “The man I have to follow around is drop-dead gorgeous. But he doesn’t seem too pleased with me. He told me to dress appropriately Monday.” Her tone turned exasperated as she confided, “He also mentioned he was expecting a man.”
“I’m sure most people would expect that with a name like Ryan.” Alyssa grinned.
“True. Well, I’m going to change and head to town. I need to buy a jacket and maybe some flannel shirts. I can’t believe it’s so cold. My boss told me to pack warm clothes, but I didn’t expect the weather to be this chilly. I’m sure Monday is going to be a full day.”
“Maybe we could grab dinner one evening?”
“That sounds wonderful,” Ryan agreed, her mind already drifting to the thought of shedding her clothes after a long day. “Mr. Harrison said they started at five in the mornings, even though it was still dark. He made it clear I need to be there by eight,” Ryan said, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Oh, wow. I’d hate to be up that early, especially when I’m on vacation,” Alyssa remarked.
Ryan laughed softly. “I’m definitely not up at five a.m. ever.”
“Same here,” Alyssa agreed, then said, “I’ll let you get on with your day.”
“Do you have plans for dinner, this evening, Alyssa?”
“No, I don’t. I’m kind of just winging it.”
“I’m sure I won’t be in the mood to venture out again once I get back from town, even if it’s just to the main house for dinner.
I read that they will deliver dinner to the cabin guests.
We could have dinner in my cabin, if you’d like?
” Ryan admitted, groaning at the mere thought of another drive.
After flying from Valencia, California, to Kalispell, then having to drive to Clifton had left her weary and now she had to head into town.
“I’d love that. I don’t know anyone here yet. I can’t wait to head into town. I hear they have amazing little shops.”
“I saw them when I drove through.”
“What’s the town look like?”
Ryan laughed. “So quaint. I really can’t wait to explore it.”
“Me too. How about we meet up at six at your cabin?”
“I’d love it. For now, I am going to change into jeans and a sweater, then head to town. Once you get here this evening, we’ll look at the menus and decide on something. I’d ask you to go but I just want to get there, get what I need and back to the cabin.”
“That’s fine. I’m too tired to go anyway. Have a nice day, Ryan. I’ll see you later.” Alyssa returned to inside of her cabin.
Ryan took a moment to look around, a soft smile playing on her lips as she soaked in the beauty of the surroundings.
The landscape was enchanting, a delicate interplay of sunlight bouncing through the huge trees surrounding the cabins.
Though she longed to linger on the porch, Ryan valued the solitude afforded by her rustic cabin.
After Ryan entered her own cabin, she closed the door, locked it, and kicked off her shoes, feeling the cool floor beneath her feet.
She removed her blouse from her skirt, unbuttoning it as if shedding the day’s constraints.
Grabbing her shoes, she made her way to the bedroom.
Once she changed into comfortable clothes, she sighed as she headed back outside to her vehicle.
When she got back, she would get in that tub and hope it eased some of the tension in her shoulders.
The trip to town had been quick once she found The Western Wear store where she was able to buy everything she needed and some she didn’t, then headed back to her cabin to soak. When she got back and unpacked her new clothes, she realized she forgot to buy cowboy boots.
“Well, you’re not going back out today. It will have to wait. I’m not going out tomorrow either. I am just too tired. Mr. Harrison will have to get over it.”
Inside the spacious bathroom, she turned on the water and waited as steam began to fill the air.
Ryan unpinned her hair from its bun, pinned it up on top of her head, then stepped into the large, inviting clawfoot jacuzzi tub and pressed the button for the jets.
A low groan of relief escaped her lips as the warm, bubbling water enveloped her.
“Oh, that feels so good,” she murmured, the soothing rush of hot water washing away the fatigue of the flight and long drive.
Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes.
A smile lifted her lips when Seth Harrison appeared in her mind.
That was one good-looking man. He was very tall.
Even in her four-inch heels, making her five foot nine, he was taller.
Probably a foot taller than her five foot five and his body looked like he was in terrific shape.
His jeans fit him well, very well. His dark hair touched the collar of his T-shirt, but she noticed some gray in his scruff and at his temples.
His eyes were beautiful, a deep moss green, and he had great lips.
The thing she always noticed on a man first, was his lips.
Sexy lips. A bowed upper lip and full bottom lip.
His lips looked so good that she wanted to kiss him.
That shocked her because she preferred a man in a suit and tie.
“I bet that cowboy could change your mind.” She sighed.
She had to spend the day following him around. How in the hell was she going to do that and not drool? Of course, he could be married or engaged or involved. That was one step she’d never take. She wouldn’t want another woman coming on to her man, so she wouldn’t make a move on another woman’s man.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Ryan. He could be nothing more than a fling, if he wasn’t with anyone. He lives in Montana; you live in California.”
She sat up quickly. She shouldn’t be even thinking like this.
She just met the man, and she was already thinking about him.
She hadn’t had sex in so long that she couldn’t remember the last time.
Ryan shook her head. It had to have been with Shawn.
God, what a mistake he was. They met at the magazine where they both worked.
He was a journalist, and they worked together on an article and ended up in bed.
She wasn’t proud of that, but she swore she was in love but that ended quickly when she caught him in bed with another photographer.
When she broke up with him, she made sure to avoid him as much as possible.
Even though they rarely worked together, it was a possibility they could.
She got so mad with him one time that she told him he was terrible in bed.
He sure didn’t float her boat, as her mother loved to say.
At six o’clock, a knock sounded on her door, and she opened it to see Alyssa standing there.
“Hey, come in.” Ryan opened the door wider for her and she stepped inside.
“Oh, this cabin is cute. I thought they’d all look alike.”
“This is a two bedroom. It was the only one they had left, so I had to take it.”
“I have just the one bedroom. Of course, that’s all I need.” Alyssa smiled.