ANNA
“We’re here,” Charlie said as he parked the truck and opened his door.
Charlie got out of the truck and walked around to open the door for her, but she wouldn’t let him.
She jumped out of the truck before he could make it around.
Deep down, she knew she should be grateful, but he seemed to have a knack for triggering her temper.
At first, she was hyper-focused on her situation, her safety.
But then she was distracted by the land itself.
In the distance, she could see the jagged outline of hills against the Milky Way.
She could picture how it would look in the daylight. “Beautiful,” she muttered.
“Huh?” Charlie had been unhitching her rental car from his truck but was momentarily distracted by her quiet appreciation of his ranch.
Charlie sighed deeply. “Look. I understand you have to be careful. You don’t know me, and you’re on my turf.
But I hope you’ll keep two things in mind.
First, I have a comfortable guest room that locks from the inside.
Second, if I meant to hurt you, wouldn’t I have done it already?
Why would I need to wait until you were in my house? ”
She wanted to slap him. “You aren’t doing yourself any favors with that argument, you know,” she said.
“Just makes you seem more creepy.” The truth was, he didn’t seem creepy at all.
He seemed like a perfect gentleman, even if he was about as grumpy as they came.
She wasn’t sensing anything weird from him.
In fact, what she was sensing was that her presence here annoyed him more than anything, which probably meant he didn’t actually want her here, which also probably meant none of this was part of any kind of nefarious plan.
Charlie gave her a look that made his irritation about as undeniable as it could get.
Anna had read the situation correctly. “Oh, fine,” she finally said. “Show me to your lockable guest room.”
He pulled her luggage out of the trunk and said, “Follow me.”
What Anna expected to see as she walked from her rental car to his house was a run-down old ranch with zero charm.
While the ranch was certainly old and arguably run-down, it was not at all lacking in charm.
Everywhere Anna glanced, she saw the silhouette of a property dripping with appeal—the distant hills, the wooden fences, the perfect amount of foliage, which would give color to the landscape when the sun was out.
His house was small but comfortable. Even without a woman’s touch, it had a certain appeal.
It was simple, minimalist. She loved it as soon as she stepped across the threshold.
The focus of the main room was a large fireplace that appeared to have been recently used.
There were embers still glowing from whatever fire had been crackling inside it earlier that day.
As simple as the place was, Anna felt like she could spend a year here and still not be tired of it.
“This way.” Charlie gestured toward a short hallway with three doors.
“Here’s the bathroom.” He opened one of the doors and switched on the light inside to reveal a small room with a sink, toilet, and clawfoot bathtub.
The ceiling and all the walls were finished with cedar, which gave the place a pleasant scent and a warm glow. “Sorry, there’s only one.”
Anna didn’t want to express how impressed she was, so she opted to shrug and nod her silent acceptance.
Charlie shook his head and set her luggage down just inside the door.
The way the light hit his face, Anna could see his strong jaw, light stubble, and the slight crease between his eyebrows, which she assumed he got from scowling all the time.
“This is the spare room.” He opened another door to reveal a cozy bedroom with a double bed in one corner, a wooden dresser, and one nightstand with a small reading lamp.
“I need to put fresh sheets on the bed. I wasn’t expecting guests. ”
As he went to retrieve linens and an extra pillow, she realized how much she was putting him out.
His insistence that she return with him was not done for his sake at all.
The alternative was leaving her on the side of the road, knowing no one would come to pick her up, and he certainly could have done that.
But he hadn’t. Regardless, Anna had her own pride to worry about, so as he walked past her with a stack of sheets in his arms, all she could do was mutter, “Thanks.”
He didn’t respond, choosing instead to make the bed in silence while Anna watched.
And watch she did. She couldn’t help herself.
He really was the most attractive man she’d ever met.
There was something so effortless about him, something so easy.
He had perfect posture without trying, and the kind of muscle one got from real, hard work rather than weeks at the gym.
Without the hat he wore when he was outside, she could see that his head was full of thick, auburn curls.
For some unfathomable reason, she had a powerful urge to run her fingers through them.
When he was finished making the bed, which looked so inviting Anna had to resist the urge to leap into it before he’d even left the room, he pointed out the lock on the inside of the door. “Will this make you feel safer?” he asked.
Again, she shrugged. “It’s better than nothing.”
He shook his head and went back into the hall to open the linen closet again. “Towels, if you decide to take a shower.”
She scoffed. “Yeah, right. As if I would.”
“I don’t expect you to,” he said, “but I thought I’d offer the option anyway. There’s also a lock on the bathroom door. You honestly won’t need to use either of them if you don’t want to. I go to bed early and sleep like a baby every night. You won’t see me again until morning.”
“Oh.” Anna felt her smile drop. Why was she suddenly disappointed? Shouldn’t this be the ideal situation, considering? But he was already saying good night to her, and she didn’t want to hear it. She wanted to stay up and stare at him longer. Also, why hadn’t she noticed how tall he was before?
“You understand this is my home, right?” he said, narrowing his eyes at her. “I’m trusting you not to burn it to the ground in the middle of the night.”
“Well…” She gave him a mischievous smile. “I guess you’re betting I’m not a pyromaniac, and I’m betting you’re not a psychotic creep. Hopefully, we’re both right.”
Anna woke the next morning fully intending to lie to her host. The truth was that she’d never slept better than she had in that spare room.
The bed was soft, the fresh sheets cool to the touch.
The whole house smelled so good, and the lighting was warm in every room.
Wood finish was everywhere, giving the house the feel of a cabin.
She took a moment to look around for her host, but he seemed to be nowhere inside.
The sight of a small array of breakfast foods laid out on the dining room table with a note made her chuckle.
It read, Help yourself. I’ll bill you later.
She could almost see her irritated host writing it out for her.
So, he wasn’t a bad person necessarily, just unpleasant.
If she was going to take a shower at any point, she figured now was the time.
She was so used to showering every morning that she could barely stand the thought of not doing so now, no matter how awkward her situation may seem.
Anyway, if he’d wanted to hurt her, he probably would have done it already.
The hot water soothed her aching muscles.
All that stress had taken its toll on her body, so she let herself relax a little.
Afterward, she dressed, did her hair, and poked her head out of the bathroom to see if her host had come back yet.
He hadn’t. So, she helped herself to breakfast and stepped outside to look for Charlie.
His truck was parked in the driveway, though not in the position it had been parked in last night.
Had he gone out and come back? Possibly.
She wandered around his property looking for him, but she couldn’t help noticing how the property looked even better in the daylight.
It was ridiculously gorgeous, with tall grasses being blown by gusts of wind, crooked wooden fenceposts, and a weathered red barn.
There was even a spot where the fence was broken in exactly the way it was on the cover of the book.
She could almost picture the movie poster now.
This place was borderline perfect. Too bad the owner was a massive wet blanket, and she could already hear his no ringing in her ears. There wasn’t a chance he’d agree to it.
She finally found him buried in the hood of her rental car.
It was barely ten in the morning, and he was already working on her car.
Didn’t he have other things to do? It was impossible to resist watching him for a little while.
He worked in silence, which she found quite attractive for some reason.
When he finally slammed her hood closed and stood up, she jumped, scared he would realize how long she’d been watching him. Immediately, she started walking toward him, as though that was what she’d been doing all along.
“Up already?” he said, his question dripping with sarcasm.
“I showered and had breakfast first, thank you very much.” She tried to smile and charm him as she added, “And thank you, sincerely, for helping me and for breakfast.”
“Not a problem.” He was wiping grease off his hands with a towel, which he then shoved into his deep pockets. “I was about to test your new starter.”
“You had the part on hand?” She found that hard to believe, but had to ask anyway.
He shrugged. “I went into town to buy one this morning. Don’t worry—”
“You’ll bill me later,” she said, cutting in. “I get it.”
“I was going to say I’ll vouch for you if the rental company tries to deny this happened.
But I can do that by billing you if you like.
” He took a breath, and before she could respond, he added, “Yeah, I think that’s what I’ll do.
Paper trails are always best.” Now that she was within arm’s reach, Charlie offered her the car key. “Care to test my work?”
She took the key from him without another word.
He was clearly in a mood, and she didn’t feel like humoring it right now.
Once in the driver’s seat, she turned the key, and the engine immediately started.
There wasn’t even a hiccup. She hopped back out of the car and thanked her host. Even if he was in a sour mood, she couldn’t deny he’d done her a massive favor by taking her in for the night and fixing her car for her.
“I should thank you again,” she said. “You didn’t have to do any of this for me. ”
“Yes, I did,” he said. “Wouldn’t have lifted a finger otherwise.”
She couldn’t tell whether he was serious, but there was a momentary twinkle in his eye that led her to believe he wasn’t. “Well, thanks anyway,” she said.
He gestured for her to follow him and headed back to the house. “I’ll draw up a receipt for the cost along with my contact information. I’ll be a witness to your situation if the rental company gives you trouble.”
Anna followed without any complaints. He really was going above and beyond, and she felt she owed him some kindness, even if he was unlikely to return the favor. “This really is a beautiful ranch,” she said. “Has it been in your family long?”
Charlie grunted in the affirmative. “Though how much longer it’ll stay in the family is in question. My father left a financial mess for me to clean up, and I’m not sure I can. So, don’t hate me for the bill.”
“Oh, no. I don’t expect you to pay for anything.
I really am grateful.” She paused a moment because she was sure he would refuse her if she made an offer.
But if he really was in danger of losing his ranch, maybe he’d be more open-minded than he would have been otherwise.
Maybe he’d see her offer for the win it was.
“I may be able to help, if you’re open to it,” she said, banishing all timidity from her tone.
He scoffed. “How so?”
“Your property is gorgeous,” she said as they walked the steps to his front porch. “I wasn’t kidding about that. And it’s a perfect match for the story the studio is looking to tell. I’m scouting for the town, but also the ranch that will feature in the movie. I could offer you a—”
“No.” He cut in before she could finish.
Anna cocked her head and watched him open the door for her. “Are you sure? The amount would be substantial. Don’t you want to know what it is?”
He shook his head and gestured for her to go inside. “You should pack your things while I write up your invoice. You’ll want to get on the road soon.”
She passed through the door and turned back to him in disbelief. “You just told me you’re in danger of losing your ranch. You won’t even entertain an offer to save it?”
Charlie said nothing in response as he walked to his kitchen table and sat down to handwrite a note on a pad of paper. All Anna could do was accept his invoice and thank him for his trouble. He hadn’t even acknowledged her question.
That was how Anna learned just how stubborn the rancher who had rescued her really was.
He only said no once, and there was no further discussion once he’d made up his mind.
She knew better than to press the subject.
Even if she didn’t, the scowl on his face would stop her dead in her tracks.
Instead, she gathered her things, thanked him again, and headed out to see the town of Denson Oaks at last.