Chapter Four #3
“What the fuck, Seth? You know better than that,” Cull’s voice rose. “And, no, we do not have something going on. I figured since you’re such a prick to her, I wouldn’t be. I’ll see you later.” Cull strode through the barn and out the doors, his long shadow stretching behind him.
Seth huffed as he heard the vehicle start up and drive off, the sound of gravel crunching under tires fading into the morning air. “Idiot,” he whispered to the empty barn as he chastised himself.
****
Ryan blinked back tears, the hot sting of them burning behind her eyelids.
Why did he hate her? She quickly wiped a stray tear away with the back of her hand when she saw Cull emerge from the shadowy interior of the barn.
He climbed into the vehicle with a creak of worn leather seats and looked at her with concern etched across his face before starting the UTV, its engine rumbling to life.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice gentle against the mechanical growl.
“Yes. I just don’t know why he treats me like that. I never did anything to him.” Her voice cracked slightly on the last word.
Cull chuckled. “You’re here, that’s enough.”
“What do you mean?” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“He’s attracted to you but doesn’t want to be and it pisses him off.” His eyes held hers steadily.
“I don’t think so.” She looked down at her mud-spattered boots.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Ryan, and any red-blooded man would find you attractive.” He backed the vehicle up with ease, gravel crunching beneath the tires, then drove toward the field.
She didn’t know what she could say, the words tangling in her throat. If Seth found her attractive, why treat her like shit?
“Even if he did, he won’t do anything about it. He’s already made that clear.” Her fingers fidgeted with the frayed edge on the hem of her shirt.
“Oh?” Cull’s eyebrow arched with interest.
“He... kissed me but instantly regretted it. He won’t start something he knows will end when I leave.” The memory of Seth’s lips against hers flashed hot in her mind.
“I see.” He nodded his head, his cowboy hat shadowing his face. “I’ve known him a long time and I’ve never seen him treat anyone like that. He’s too scared to get involved with you because you’re not staying here. I can understand that.”
“I’m glad someone does.” She sighed, her breath forming a small cloud in the cool air.
“He asked me if we had something going on,” Cull said with a grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes.
Ryan chuckled. “You should have said yes and really made him mad.”
“No way. I’ve seen him mad. It’s not pretty.”
“I’ll just steer clear of him. Is there a place around here to go for a fun time?” Ryan tucked a strand of windblown hair behind her ear.
“Yeah, Dewey’s Bar here in Clifton. It’s always packed on Friday and Saturday nights.”
“Do you go there?” Ryan asked.
“I haven’t been there in a while.” He adjusted his worn leather gloves.
“I met a woman staying in another cabin at B and B, Alyssa, so I think I’ll see if she wants to go Saturday night.”
“You’ll have a good time when you go. Just go into town and turn right at the blinking light. They always have a good band.”
“I’m going to go. I just hope Alyssa goes with me.” Ryan’s fingers tapped nervously against her camera strap.
“Yeah, it’s best you don’t go alone. You’ll have all those young cowboys in their starched shirts and polished belt buckles after you,” Cull said with a grin.
“Better than the one here,” she muttered, causing Cull to laugh.
Once they reached the field, golden with morning light, Ryan stepped from the UTV and took photos of the guys planting rows of hay with the machine, along with the beautiful mountains in the distance.
The rich scent of freshly turned earth filled her nose as she captured the mechanical precision against nature’s backdrop.
It was fascinating to watch, but she couldn’t get her mind off Seth and what a prick he was this morning, his harsh words still stinging like needles.
“Did Sean show up?”
“Not yet.”
“I bet he panicked when he saw the snow,” Ryan said with a grin.
“Hell, that was nothing. It didn’t even cover gravel. Maybe it was the last hurrah for it.” Cull shook his head. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
As Cull pulled the UTV to a stop, she unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out.
She raised her camera and snapped photos of everything around her.
She even snuck in a few of Cull. She lowered the camera and glanced around.
It was the most gorgeous place she’d ever seen.
Well, okay, maybe not the most gorgeous, but the mountains with their snowcapped peaks and the fields of grass made it one of the prettiest places. She looked at Cull beside her.
“So, this straw is used just for the ranch?”
“It’s hay, not straw, but yes, it’s for the ranch.”
“I never knew there was a difference.” Ryan frowned.
Cull smirked. “Hay is made from the whole plant for nutritional value, which consists of leaves, stems, and seeds. Straw is a byproduct of grain harvesting. It’s made from the stalks left over after the grain’s removed. It’s low in nutrition and is primarily for bedding.”
“I see.” She shook her head. “I never knew.”
“You didn’t need to.” Cull shrugged.
“Let me get a few more shots, then we can go. That wind is cold.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They walked back to the vehicle, climbed in, and once Cull started it, he drove back to the ranch.
At the end of the day as she drove to the cabin along the winding road that kicked up dust in her rearview mirror, she shook her head about Seth.
After getting pictures of the golden wheat, Cull rode her around the property, and it was too beautiful for words. Seth had an exquisite place.
She wanted to get the photos uploaded, send them to Doris, then take a long soak in that deep tub.
She’d look for Alyssa as soon as she arrived at the cabin.
Maybe they could go to the bar Saturday night, lose themselves to the sound of country music and have some fun, and she could get Seth Harrison, with his arrogant stance and those infuriatingly intense eyes, out of her head.
When she pulled up to the cabin, the tires crunching on the gravel, she saw that Alyssa’s cherry-red SUV was there, but when she knocked, the hollow sound echoing in the stillness, she knew Alyssa wasn’t there.
Ryan dug in her bag for a pen, wrote her a note on the back of a receipt and told her to come see her once she arrived home.
Ryan entered her own cabin, locked the door behind her with a click, and made her way to the bathroom with its gleaming fixtures.
That jacuzzi with its promising jets was calling her name and she was still a little sore from all the riding, muscles she didn’t know she had protesting with each step.
Who knew riding a horse would use so many muscles, from her inner thighs to her shoulder blades?
She’d upload the photos after her bath, when her skin was flushed pink and her mind finally clear.
After stepping from the tub, Ryan pulled on an oversized grey T-shirt and soft black lounge pants.
The cotton brushed her ankles as she sank into the sofa, its cushions sighing beneath her weight.
After she made herself a cup of hot tea, she clicked on the TV, and the flickering glow of a black-and-white detective film filled the living room.
Outside, the early evening light filtered through lace curtains.
An hour later, a gentle knock rattled the doorframe. Ryan paused the movie, the screen froze on a shadowy alley, then rose and made her way across the hardwood floor. She unlatched the door to find Alyssa standing on the porch.
“Hi, Alyssa. Come inside.”
“Hey,” Alyssa said with a warm smile. “Thanks.”
“Of course.” Ryan stepped aside, and Alyssa’s boots clicked on the floor as she crossed to the sofa and eased herself down.
“How was your day?” she asked, smoothing her jeans.
“Seth was a real dick today,” Ryan sighed, settling next to her. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Oh no. What did he do?” Alyssa tilted her head, puckering her brows.
Ryan recounted the morning’s tense exchange, Seth’s curt tone, his impatient glances, while Alyssa listened, shaking her head.
“What’s his problem?” she demanded softly.
“Cull thinks Seth’s attracted to me but knows it can’t go anywhere, once I finish the photos, I’ll leave town, and the fact that I might have to come back at harvest time will cause problems,” Ryan explained, wrapping her hands around the mug of tea. Steam rose from the mug.
“That actually makes sense,” Alyssa murmured.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“No, thank you though.”
“Let me show you.” Ryan set her mug on the coffee table and stood, crossing to retrieve her DSLR camera from atop a stack of magazines. She settled back beside Alyssa and flipped through the images until she found one she wanted.
“Oh, my! Who is that?” Alyssa leaned in, eyes wide.
“That’s Cull. His real name is Cullen, but everyone calls him Cull,” Ryan said, rotating the LCD display. “His eyes are this shocking blue. I don’t know how else to describe them. I was walking along the field behind him so he wouldn’t notice me, but I’m going back for better shots.”
She scrolled on. The next image showed Seth standing beneath an oak’s sprawling branches, arms folded across his broad chest, his gaze intent on the fields.
“And this is Seth,” she said, holding the camera toward Alyssa again.
“Good heavens,” Alyssa breathed.
Ryan chuckled, brushing her fingers over the camera’s leather strap. “So, what did you do today?”
Alyssa’s lips curved into a grin. “I took a trail ride with the other guests.”
Ryan’s face lit up. “Cull mentioned a cowboy bar in Clifton. Interested in going Saturday night?”
“I’d love it,” Alyssa said. “I could use some dancing.”
“Or drowning our sorrows in whiskey,” Ryan added with a laugh.
Alyssa’s smile softened. “What about Seth? Aren’t you supposed to work with him?”
“I thought he’d be my guide today, but he bailed, so Cull took me to the field where they have wheat growing.”
“And then what happens once the planting is done? You just leave?” Alyssa pressed.
“Yes,” Ryan said. “I’ll be here for the rest of this month. I’ll miss you when you go.”
Alyssa’s eyes brightened. “I’ll miss you too. I’ll miss the town’s charm, it’s small but full of heart, you know?”
“It’s a great town. I love small towns. Although Valencia isn’t considered small with around sixty-three thousand people, I grew up in Idyllwild, California, nestled in the San Jacinto Mountains.
It has less than four thousand people. I loved the pine-scented air and how everyone knew your name at the general store. ”
“I think Becca told me that Clifton has around fifteen-sixteen hundred,” Alyssa replied.
“Now, that is small town.”
“And filled with some hot cowboys.” Alyssa shook her head, her ponytail swinging. “I never thought I’d say that.”
“Me too.” Ryan laughed, the sound filling the cozy room. “My boss, Doris, loves cowboys, but she’s married to the owner of the magazine and they’re happy. I love her like an aunt. She’s fifty-five and has such a sweet, maternal presence.”
“It’s good you like her.” Alyssa’s brown eyes sparkled in the warm lamplight. “Okay, let’s plan on going to the bar Saturday night. I think we’ll have fun.”
“I’m sure.”
“I think so too. I’m going to head back to my cabin and take a long soak. I’m sure I’ll see you before Saturday.” Ryan got up and walked her to the door.
“I’m not sure if Seth will be showing me around or not, but he trains cutting horses too, so I’m not sure which he’ll be doing.”
“I love watching those horses do that, the way they anticipate the cattle’s movements.”
“How about dinner at the main house tomorrow evening? We can go once I get home tomorrow. Around six?”
“Sounds great. I’ll meet you here tomorrow evening.”
“Okay, Alyssa. Have a nice night.”
“You too. Night.”
Ryan smiled as she closed the door, leaning against it with a sigh of relief. She was hoping she didn’t have to see Seth tomorrow, with that irritating smirk that made her stomach flip despite herself.