by Bella Jewel
Ranch.
His nickname is Ranch.
I think my heart just exploded a little. This adorable man is everything you’d wish for in a grandfather, not to mention he’s dashingly handsome. I stand and walk over, extending my hand. He takes it with a smile.
“Pleased to meet you, Ranch. I’m Lei.”
“You’re the one he’s been talkin’ about. I can see why he’s fond of you.”
I smile, my heart doing a funny little flip flop.
“He’s probably told you about my incredible riding skills on Porky.”
Ranch chuckles. “They’ve all told me about that.”
“Well, Ranch,” I say with a grin, “I guess you’ll just have to come and see for yourself.”
“Lookin’ forward to it, darlin’.”
He releases my hand and I finish up my breakfast before going back to the cabin and getting changed for our big hike. We all meet at the base of the mountain, just past the river, and when I look up at the thick trees and steep climb, my tummy does a little flip flop.
“This is a very bad idea,” I mutter to myself, staring over at the group of men who have a big stack of bags, one each for us, ready to go.
Kara already has hers on, Grace is pretending she can’t get it on and is receiving help from Lake, and Maria is already bouncing around, ready for the climb. Emily isn’t here, she decided to give it a miss stating she was too old to climb mountains. I wish I could agree and use the same excuse, but alas, I can’t. They already think I’m a joke, imagine not being able to climb this damn mountain on top of that.
Rhett walks over to me with a pack in his hand, the pack looks heavier than me and really uncomfortable.
“Here, put this on. It’ll balance you out and it has everything you’ll need.”
“Balance me out?” I scoff. “I look like I’ll fall down the damned mountain with that thing on.”
He grins. “You won’t, I’ll be right behind you.”
I mutter something under my breath and then let him put the pack on. It’s not as heavy as it looks, and it sits well on my shoulders. He’s right, it does feel like it’s actually balancing me out a little. I look up at the path again and ask, “How long is this hike exactly?”
“Four hours, give or take.”
I spin around, the pack moving too quickly and taking me off guard. I trip and fall backward, landing with a thump in the dirt, thankfully the pack catches my fall. I then proceed to lie on the ground, arms and legs flailing around everywhere like a turtle as I try very hard to get back up, but the pack is throwing me off and I can’t get my body to do what I want.
Rhett, trying very hard not to laugh, leans down and takes my hand, pulling me up to my feet once more. I dust myself off and then, in an exasperated tone, I ask, “Four hours?”
“Yep, but it’s mostly an easy climb. It’s long, but it’s steady. You’ll be fine, we’ll stop a lot and the view from the top is fuckin’ perfect. We’ve got everything we need to stay up there, if everyone wants to, otherwise we’ll come back down.”
I blink, shaking my head. “Stay ... up there?”
“Trust me, when you see the river up there, and how beautiful it is, you’ll never want to leave.”
I doubt that, but I don’t argue with him. After all, he knows this land better than I do.
“Let’s go,” Enzo calls. “Single file, one man, one woman where possible. You need to stop you yell out.”
“Are there snakes up there?” Grace asks.
“Plenty. Stay close.”
Snakes?
Snakes?
I want to cry, but instead I suck it up. I take a deep breath, and I get hiking because I promised myself when I came on this little adventure that I’d not let anything get in the way of me enjoying it one hundred percent and I don’t plan on letting that stop now. So, if it means I have to hike up a snake infested mountain, then so be it.
So be it.
The first hour of the hike is surprisingly easy. I am shocked by how much fitter I am than I thought. We stop for a drink and a snack at a beautiful lookout, and I find myself a spot on a rock overlooking it and stare out at the land that stretches on for miles and miles. Nobody around. Nothing to be seen. It’s pure perfection.
Just the way you want it.
“You like this view, the one at the top will be even better,” Rhett tells me, sitting down beside me.
“I can only imagine.”
I take a long deep breath in, and then exhale slowly. This really is good for the soul.
“No snakes yet,” Rhett tells me, and I give him a sideways glare.
“Don’t say that word and ruin my peace.”
“You scared of snakes?”
“Deathly terrified, yes. I actually pass out, which wouldn’t be a good look on a hill.”
“Pass out?” he asks, shocked, his brows raised, his eyes wide.
“Yes,” I admit, sheepishly. “When I was a kid, I found one in my toybox at my grandpa’s house, he always left it out on the porch for us. I will never forget when I found it, I was so afraid that I had nightmares for months. Ever since then, if I see one and I feel like I can’t get away from it, I just faint like a true damsel in distress.”
Rhett nods, a slight grin on his face. “I’ll take note of that.”
“If I fall down, just let me go. It’ll be the best thing for everyone.”
Rhett grins now, and it makes my heart sing.
“Let’s go, we’re nearly halfway.”
I get to my feet.
And we keep going.
With every step, I pray for no snakes.
C’mon, good lord, be kind to me.
6
Rhett is right, the top is spectacular. I expected it to be this giant mountain top with just a sheer cliff edge that you could look down from, but it’s not. It’s like we have walked into a whole different world. Up here, the land also stretches for miles, only it’s cooler and far more spread out. There is one huge river that is shallow but stretches quite a distance both sides of us. You can see the stones beneath the crystal-clear water. In the background are some pine trees, which really give it such an incredible look.
Otherwise, it’s just random boulders and you can see the mountain itself continues higher beyond those trees. It’s almost as if you could just go for days and days. I suppose on a property like this, you could. This ranch is huge, and I have no doubt there are parts of it that are entirely untouched. I put my pack down, take off my boots, and then walk over to the water, putting my feet in.
It’s cold, but so incredibly refreshing. I end up sitting down, not caring that I’m wet, and I let the water trickle over me. It’s the most incredible, pristine place I’ve ever been to in my life and Rhett was right, what you see up here is most certainly worth that hike. It’s not like we were going directly uphill anyway, a good majority of it was flat.
This is heaven.
“How god damned perfect is this place,” Kara says, sitting down beside me, emerging herself into the water, too. “It’s absolutely spectacular. You need to marry Rhett so I can come here whenever I want. I need that. I’ll probably put a cabin up here and never leave.”
I laugh. “While I like your idea, I’m not certain Rhett will go for it.”
“Honey, that man is so into you it’s making me jealous. I told them we’re camping up here, because you’re going to make a move on that fine ass cowboy and get the most out of our money and time here.”
I blink at her, then look to make sure no one is listening. “I’m not going to make a move. God, can you imagine if he rejects me and I’m stuck up here with no way out? I don’t think so.”
“Trust me, you’re going to. He’s the perfect man to take your virginity, babe. He’s hot, he would fuck like a god damned rabbit, and the man is so damned fine that even if he was a dud in bed, it wouldn’t matter because you’d get that body all up in your space for an entire night. Tell me that doesn’t sound good ...”
<
br /> It sounds good.
God, it sounds amazing.
I exhale. “So we’re staying here?”
“Way to change the subject,” she laughs, “but yes, we’re staying. Everyone quickly agreed, I was coming to ask you but I’m fairly certain you’re going to say yes. They have tents, the guys are going to pitch them now. Then we’re going to light fires and do all the awesome things. I can’t wait.”
I must admit, that does sound really, really good.
“I hope we get to pitch our own tent; I’ve always wanted to do one,” I say, excitedly.
It’s not something I’ve done before, but I want the whole experience.
“Let’s go and find out.”
We both stand and walk over to the group of guys who are all discussing the tent situation. Enzo is directing, his hands waving around as he talks. Rhett is standing, arms crossed, and when we approach, his eyes move to mine.
“We’re here to help,” I say. “Just tell us what you need.”
“You two ladies can lay out the tents, side by side. We’ve got enough for four in each, you girls can stay together. Put yours over there, furthest away from the water.”
We do as we’re instructed, taking the tent bag which is remarkably small, and was attached to the tops of the guys hiking bags. God they must be strong, carrying all of this as if it weighs nothing. I don’t even know what’s in our bags, I only took the water from the side, but I’d guess we’ve got some sort of sleeping gear in each. Very well packed, I must say.
Kara and I lay out our tent, and then laugh and talk the entire time we set it up. It’s actually super easy and we move quickly onto the next one.
It only takes us just over half an hour to set them all up. Rhett tells us that our sleeping bags are in our packs, as well as any other clothes and items we might need. Kara and I take ours to our tent and unravel the sleeping bags, which have an built-in pillow that kind of inflates when you roll them out. Genius. We have just a basic pair of clothes to change into, some food, drinks, a flashlight, bug spray, and a couple of other basics.
This is basic living, but I’m down for it. I’m more than down for it.
When we’re done, we decide to go for a bit of a walk just to look around. Grace and Maria are already down to their bras and panties, splashing around in the water like a couple of show ponies as some of the guys sit on the ground, cigarettes in hand, watching them. They’re men, they’re going to enjoy the show and those girls know it. Oh, do they know it. They’re making every second of it count.
“God, I wish I had that confidence to just prance around like that,” Kara says, watching the two of them. “They’re not shy, that’s for sure.”
What a way to be, indeed.
I take out my notepad and walk over to a stranded log by the river. I sit down and begin writing, I haven’t had the chance since I’ve been here but this seems to be the place and I sure as hell have plenty of inspiration. In fact, Rhett is in front of me right now, throwing a line into the water, shirtless. I can’t help it, my hand moves without thought.
As Emelia watches him, she knows she should look away, but her eyes are fixed to the incredible man standing shirtless in the knee-deep water, his muscles flexing as he throws his line, pulling it back as it hits the crystal clear perfection. She can’t help but notice the way his back muscles move and flex, the way his face is scrunched with a look of concentration. She knows he is barely aware of her existence, and yet, she finds herself scarily drawn to the mountain man.
I bite my lip, watching as Rhett turns to face me, throwing his line in a different direction. From the front, he’s even more incredible. His beard, his rugged features, his strong body. He’s every woman’s fantasy, and the best part is he doesn’t use it to his advantage, he’s so genuine. The best kind of man there is. I keep writing.
Emelia watches as the sun bounces off his chest as he throws the line out once more. The rugged features on his face almost framed by the perfect sceneries. She shifts on the log, her eyes never leaving him. His beard is thick and strong, his body made for working. The kind of frame only found out in the fields, amongst horses and cattle, working the land. That isn’t the kind of body made in a gym, that’s the kind of body created by a real man at work. Emelia can’t help but wonder what that body would feel like against hers ....
“Hey.”
I scream and slam my notepad shut, looking up to see Kara standing beside me, her eyes narrowed.
“What were you writing there? You are blushing so hard. It was a sec scene, wasn’t it?”
I snort. “No. What. Why.”
She looks over to Rhett in the water and then her grin widens. “Never mind, I can guess. Oh yes, I can guess alright.”
“Stop,” I say, standing. “I was just deep in concentration is all.”
“Sure you were.”
I nudge her with my shoulder, my eyes never leaving Rhett.
It’s going to be a great night, I can just feel it.
“TELL US A STORY,” GRACE pleads later that night as she sits in between Dante and Elias, a grin on her face that tells us she’s completely happy right about now.
Maria sits beside Enzo, who gets a grin when Grace mentions the telling of a story.
“I actually have a good story, a real one, too,” Enzo tells Grace, then looks to the rest of the group. “You want to hear it?”
Maria claps, nodding her head.
Enzo begins.
“Years ago, back before our time, our ancestors worked this land and they put their blood sweat and tears into doing so. One cold night, an argument broke out between two of the local ranchers, their cattle was coming onto our land, and it wasn’t goin’ down well. It was during a barn dance that it broke out, and the two men got into one hell of a brawl, clearing out the dance quickly, so quickly people didn’t even take their things. Everyone went home, and the fight was broken up, but the very next day a local found the two of them hanging in the barn, their lifeless bodies strung up to the rafters.”
I gasp, pressing a hand over my mouth.
“Someone killed them?” Grace asks, shuffling closer to Elias as if she’s terrified when we all know she isn’t.
“That’s the thing, there was no evidence around them, and the local sheriffs couldn’t figure out who did it, or why. The two men were both dead, which means they didn’t do it to each other, and to onlookers it seemed as if it were a suicide. After that, the barn was never used again, and a local Indian tribe warned that the place would be cursed. You see, the land was once theirs and many battles followed on these beautiful grounds. The barn was locked up and never used again ... that is, until a bunch of teens went in there years later, a dare if you will ...”
“What happened?” Maria asks, her eyes wide.
“They were all found the next day ... dead. Nobody had any answers, and nobody could figure out who or what killed them. After that, the barn became somewhat of an attraction, cursed as it was. Rhett’s great, great grandfather blocked the property off and left the barn out there, untouched, but occasionally teens would manage to get through and find their way in ...”
“And?” I ask, unable to help myself.
“Only two lots of teens got in there over the years, and both lots were found dead the next morning. It’s said to be cursed, or perhaps someone watches over it and waits for someone to go in there, either way, nobody has been in there since, nobody has even dared to burn it down incase the curse follows them ...”
“So it’s still there?” Grace breathes.
Enzo nods. “It’s still there, but we stay the fuck away from it.”
“When was the last time someone died in there?” Maria asks.
“Long before our time, if there was someone watching and murdering people, he’s now dead but there is no way in fuck we’ll ever go anywhere near it. In all the years I’ve had the ranch, or lived on the ranch, nobody has ever entered that barn,” Rhett tells her. “Eerie fuckin’ place it is.
”
My curiosity burns, and I know, I just know, that if I were a teen I would have totally gone into that barn. I was one of those children, always needed answers, always loving the unknown. The idea of a murder barn completely fascinates me, and yet it’s utterly terrifying at the same time.
I’m the crazy person who would go in there.
“Is it bad I kind of want to see it?” Grace asks, giving a nervous smile.
“No,” I say, “because I kind of want to as well.”
Rhett shakes his head. “Women, you’re all fuckin’ crazy.”
“Maybe, but you can’t deny that it’s fascinating,” I point out.
We talk for a little bit more about the barn, and then, busting to pee, I take my flashlight and head to a nearby bush to relieve myself. I flash the light around first, making sure I’m safe, and then I squat down. It’s only when I squat that I hear a rustling in the bush I’m currently using to shield me from everyone’s view. That’s when I hear the distinct hissing sound coming from deep within the bush.
I turn around and shine my flashlight toward it only to see the head of a snake peering out at me. Screaming, I topple backward, pants around my ankles, flashlight flying out of my head. Whipping my head back and forth, I scurry backward trying to get as far away from the bush as I can but not having a single damned clue where the snake is.
The very thought of that does it.
My world goes dark.
“Hey!”
It takes me a minute to come back to the land of the living, and when I do, I’m in Rhett’s arms and he’s carrying me toward camp. His big strides bounce my body as he moves, and I quickly recall the snake and the fact that I passed out with my pants down.
I reach for my pants, realizing they’re firmly up.
Oh god.
He pulled my pants up.
He pulled my fucking pants up.
Oh god.
I want to die.