Chapter 4
Ricard Sokolov arrived in Steamboat Springs early in the morning on a late April day.
Milena Ivanov had avoided him so far, but he had good intel that she was seen here two weeks ago.
After that the trail went cold. He figured she was still here…
somewhere. He needed to find her and the flash drive she had.
Why her father had her working in his accounting department Ricard didn’t know.
She didn’t need to work. Her father would have provided everything.
Maybe the Pakhan had been suspicious and that was why. Too bad his suspicions were correct.
He’d thought about killing her to get it, but that would just put a bullseye on his back. No, he would continue with their engagement and promise they would marry. Then she’d never steal from him again. She’d be his wife, his property and he could do with her as he wished.
He rode in a black Mercedes sedan driven by, Viktor Kravchenko, who’d been his driver for more than ten years. Viktor knew many secrets and was one of two people who was aware Milena had escaped him. If her father found out she’d run away, then there would be hell to pay for both her and Ricard.
The other man sitting next to him in the back of the Mercedes was Mikhail Brezenoff, Ricard’s bodyguard and second in command.
Milena had tried to befriend him and trick him into helping her.
He’d told Ricard of her plans, but the information hadn’t been soon enough.
She’d escaped with the help of one of the kitchen maids who had also disappeared.
Ricard had an idea who the woman was and he couldn’t get near her, if she was Margareta Popov, as he expected.
She was the sister of his nemesis Alexander Popov.
The brother wanted what Ricard had, all of the north and east side territory back in New York.
Right now Popov had the south and west sides but Ricard’s territory was more lucrative and Alexander wanted it all.
He also wanted Milena or so Ricard had heard.
That would happen over Ricard’s dead body.
She was his and no one would touch her or they would die.
Millie had finished the potato salad. She’d made it in the largest bowl she’d ever seen.
She noticed that all of the pots and pans and serving bowls here were giant sized.
Millie wouldn’t have any idea where to go if she had to replace them.
Good thing most were metal and not likely to be needing replacement anytime soon.
Though she didn’t bring the groceries in, she did help put them away.
She’d snagged seven chickens before the rest were frozen.
She wasn’t planning on fried chicken but had wanted to make baked chicken because that dish would have been easy.
Frying it up was definitely not easy, but Adam said it was their favorite and Millie wanted to make them happy.
Taking two of the largest cast iron Dutch ovens she could find, she placed them on the stove and placed three large spoonful’s of Crisco in them then she put a lid on both of them until she was ready to heat them.
Millie was cleaning up the counter from cutting up the chicken she was preparing to be fried. She used a large cutting board but there is always a mess anyway. Some blood runs off the cutting board to the counter and must be cleaned with bleach.
Adam appeared at the door to the kitchen. He leaned against the frame, arms crossed over his chest, and watched her, a smile on his face.
“You look like the cat that just ate the canary. I know something is up. What is it?”
“Nothing’s up, I just realized what a beautiful woman I married.” He walked over.
He stopped so close she had to crane her neck to look up at him. Millie didn’t move. Her heart beat so hard she thought it would pound a hole in her chest to escape.
But she didn’t want to escape. She was ready for a man…this man. He was the one she’d been waiting for. She didn’t have any idea how she knew this certainty, but she knew it to be the truth.
Adam reached up and released the knot she’d wound her hair into.
The blonde mass of waves fell down past her waist to her hips.
“I haven’t seen you with your hair down.” He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair, separating curls as he went. “It’s beautiful…like liquid gold spilling down your back. I can’t resist its call.”
She was proud of her hair. It was the one thing she refused to change about herself when she was on the run. She wouldn’t dye it or cut it. Instead she wore it twisted in a bun, in braids she wrapped around into a bun on top of her head or hidden under a ball cap.
“Thank you.” She started to pull away.
Adam fisted her hair with his right hand and gently pulled her close, then he released her hair and wrapped his arms around her. “Your hair is so soft and beautiful. Why don’t you wear it down?”
“It gets too hot when I’m cleaning or cooking.
Since you seem to want to spend time with me, why don’t you take me on a horseback ride?
I haven’t been riding for a long time.” That was such a long time ago.
Another lifetime. When life was simple and my father was my hero.
Not the man who sold me to the highest bidder.
Adam ran a finger along her jaw and then cupped it, tilting her head until she looked at him. “Millie. Are you all right? You suddenly looked sad and then angry. Is there something wrong?”
“No. I’m fine. I need to be back in time to cook dinner but a nice two-hour ride sounds like fun. What do you think? Can you take off from the ranch?”
“Yes. I’ll just let Benjamin know where we’re going.
You shouldn’t ever take off without someone knowing where you’re headed.
It’s too easy to get lost in the mountains or to forget about the time.
” Then he grinned. “And I won’t be taking off from the ranch.
We’ll always be on the ranch property, and we’ll look for strays at the same time. ”
She tilted her head and furrowed her brows. “Strays?”
He laughed. “I guess you didn’t live on a ranch before coming here. Strays are cows that have wandered off from the rest of the herd. We find them and herd them back with the other cows.”
“As long as we get to ride and are back in two hours, I’m game.” She looked down at the summer dress with an apron that she wore. “Let me change my clothes.”
“I don’t suppose you have any riding boots in your magic suitcases do you?”
She shook her head. “No, but I have some winter boots with a heel that isn’t too high. Do you want to come look?”
Adam nodded and followed her upstairs to her bedroom.
Millie walked to the closet and pulled out her winter boots.
“Even though it’s early spring, it’s really warm today and those would be much too warm. Why don’t you try on Mom’s cowboy boots? Maybe some of her clothes will fit you and we’ll get lucky and her shoes will, too.”
“I’ll try them on and if I can wear them, I will. Otherwise I’ll wear the winter boots with light socks.”
“Fine. Why don’t you meet me out in the barn?”
“Okay. I’ll be just a few minutes.” Millie quickly donned jeans, a shirtwaist blouse and his mother’s boots, which fit Millie like they were made for her. Then she ran out of the bedroom and outside to the barn on the east side of the yard.
While she walked to the biggest building on the property she also noticed the bunkhouse, which was a one-story building with wood siding that blended with the surrounding forest. As did all the buildings except for the big house which was made of roughhewn logs.
That’s what the Sullivan’s called it—the big house.
She’d only been there a few days and already she was catching onto some of their nicknames for things.
When she got to the barn she found Adam outside one of the stalls. She walked up to him and saw he was petting the most beautiful, pure white horse. Millie knew a little about horses from her younger years, but couldn’t see the animal well enough to determine if it was a stallion or a mare.
Adam smiled when she approached. “Millie, this is Lightning. He’s the fastest of our horses.
I’ll be riding him today. I’ve got a pretty little mare for you.
She needs to be ridden. She had a colt about four months ago and hasn’t been out of the stall much since.
Some time with her and Star in the corral but that’s about it. ”
She looked at the stalls around her. “Where is she?”
“Two stalls behind you on your left.”
She sauntered over to the horses stall and saw a gorgeous paint horse. She was brown and white with a white star on her forehead. “What is her name?”
“She’s Venus. That’s why we named her colt, Star.”
Beside Venus was her baby. The colt was feisty and playful.
Apparently he liked tug-o-war, because the first thing he did was try to take the riding gloves Millie held.
She laughed. “I guess if I don’t want to lose these, I better put them in a safe place.
” After placing the gloves in the right back pocket of her jeans, she reached out to pet the youngster.
He butted her hand with his nose and she scratched him behind his ears.
“He loves that. If you keep that up, you’ll be his friend for life.”
“Then I guess I’ll keep it up.” She laughed again when he moved closer to her so she’d scratch his neck and back. “You’re a greedy little thing.” She finally stopped giving him attention and turned hers toward Adam. “What do you want me to do?”
“Do you know how to saddle a horse?”
She nodded. “It’s been many years but with a little supervision, I think I could do it again. Of course, that was a youth’s saddle. I’m not sure I can lift a full-sized saddle onto the horse’s back.”
“I’ll do that for you, and you can do the rest. Will that work?”
“Yes. Perfectly. And you can check to make sure everything is tight.”
“Deal. Let’s go.”
Once the horses were saddled, they led them out of the barn and then mounted.