by Hope Ford
I’m almost offended until I realize he doesn’t know anything about me. “I’m not embarrassed. There is nothing embarrassing about ranching. I was raised on a ranch, and I know the work that goes into it.”
He smiles and leans toward me. “That’s good, sweetheart. Because I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”
Another nickname. Honey yesterday, sweetheart today. But I still smile because just hearing it causes goosebumps on my arms. I clasp my hands together. “You were looking forward to going over numbers all day?”
He shakes his head. “No, I was looking forward to seeing you all day.” He reaches into his front pocket and takes out a piece of paper. He unfolds it and hands it to me. “It’s everything I need for the ranch. It has the amounts we normally pay, how much we need and how often. Can you match those prices?”
I scan the paper, and because I have a lot of the costs memorized I’m able to answer him with confidence. “These prices are higher than what we charge. We can beat those.”
“Great. You have my business then.”
“Just like that?”
He shrugs. “Just like that. Now we can have dinner.”
“Actually,” I interrupt him, “if that’s all the business we have to discuss, I can go and let you...”
“No way, Millie. I came prepared so we wouldn’t have to talk business. I want to get to know you.”
As soon as he says it, the server appears. “Sorry about that. We’re filling up fast. Have y’all decided what you want to have?”
Austin looks at me and darn it, that look he’s given me is causing me to feel all kinds of things. “I’ll take the Cobb salad with grilled chicken and dressing on the side. And a slice of your apple cinnamon Blaze cake.”
Austin’s smile gets even bigger when I order the cake, and I smile back. He orders a steak and potato before the server leaves with the promise to be back as soon as the food is ready.
“Now,” Austin says and leans across the table, “if I go wash my hands, are you going to be here when I get back?”
I nod, and he starts to scoot out of the booth. But he stops as he stands up, and I have to lift my head to look up at him. He leans in real close, and he may be dirty, but damn the man smells good. “Promise me. Promise you’ll be here when I get out, sugar.”
And I answer without even thinking about it. “I promise.”
He looks like he wants to kiss me. It would take each of us moving our faces two inches to make it happen, and I swear I can almost imagine exactly how his lips are going to feel on mine. I hold my breath, waiting. “I want to kiss you, Millie. But our first kiss is not going to happen with half the town watching. I’ll be right back.”
And with that bombshell, he raises up, winks, and walks toward the back of the restaurant. A few minutes later, I remember to breathe.
Austin
Sugar. So far that’s the winner. That’s the one that brings her smile full force and makes her eyes dilate. She liked it when I called her sugar, and I know I’m going to have to stop myself from calling her that twenty more times tonight just because I want to see her reaction.
I wash my hands quickly and go back to the booth. She’s sitting right where I left her, and when I sit down, I can’t resist. I lean over and pick up her hand that’s resting on the table. “I’m back.”
Startled, she tries to pull back, but I don’t let her go. “Can I hold your hand? It was either that or I was going to sit down next to you and put my arm around you. I figure you’d be more comfortable with this.”
She stops pulling, and her hand wraps around mine. Whether she realizes she did it or not, I take advantage and tighten my hold on her. “So how was your day?”
She is staring at our hands. Mine is engulfing her smaller one, and it brings out all kinds of protective thoughts inside my head. She stutters when she looks up at me. “Uh, it was fine. Busy. The store was busy.”
“So, tell me about Mike, the manager. I had the feeling that he liked you. Is there something going on there?”
She starts to snort and catches herself before shaking her head. “We used to date.”
I can feel my chest tighten, but I make sure not to put any more pressure on her hand. “So you must have broken it off because it was pretty obvious he still has feelings for you.”
She frowns. “Actually, I did break it off with him. He was dating me to get the manager’s job while he was sleeping with someone else.”
Surprised and a little pissed off, I grit my teeth before asking her, “Your dad doesn’t seem like the type to be okay with that.”
Guilt shines on her face. “He doesn’t know. My dad is wanting – no needing – to take time off. He wants to retire, and I don’t want to mess that up for him. I can handle Mike.”
I want to ask her more about it. Actually, I want to go to the co-op and punch this Mike in the face, but it’s obvious that Millie is done talking about it. Especially when she asks me about my ranch.
The server brings our food, and I reluctantly let go of Millie’s hand. I tell her about the ranch and that I’d like her to come see it sometime.
We laugh and talk, and I’ve never been as captivated and comfortable with a woman in my life. Maybe it’s the fact that she knows all about ranching. Maybe it’s the fact that with each passing minute, I want her even more. But whatever it is, I wish this night would never end.
When they bring the ticket and we’ve both eaten a piece of cake, I walk to the cashier holding Millie’s hand. I’m just not ready to let her go yet.
I ignore the stares we get from people. I can feel Millie tense beside me, but I hope it’s only because she doesn’t like being the center of attention and not because she doesn’t want to be seen with me. “Are you parked at the co-op?”
She looks up at me. “I am. Thank you for dinner. I had a really good time.”
“Me too, sugar. Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”
She tries to stop me. “No, I’m sure you’re parked around back. I can walk by myself. Whiskey Run is pretty safe.”
I give her hand a tug and wrap my arm around her shoulder. “I’m walking you to your car.”
She’s fidgeting, but I act like I don’t notice. We walk in silence down the block to the back of the co-op. She points to a full-size truck. “That’s mine.”
“A truck? I’m liking you more and more, little Millie.” She tenses beside me. “What? What’s wrong?”
She pulls from my arms and smiles up at me. “There’s nothing little about me.”
I put my hands on her shoulders to stop her. I can’t stop myself. I settle her against the side of the truck and lean into her. Our bodies are pressed together, and because I don’t want to have this conversation twice, I want to make sure I have her full attention.
“I thought I would need to wait to have this discussion when you knew me a little better, but I’m just going to put it out there. You wanted that cake yesterday and didn’t order it. I’m not positive, but I would guess it’s because something that little shit Mike said to you or something. But here’s the facts. I like you. I like everything about you. I like the way you fill out a pair of blue jeans. I like the feel of your curvy body pressed against mine.” I lean farther into her so she can feel exactly how my body reacts hers being so close. “And I like the way you moan and lick your lips when you eat that apple cake. So no more worrying about your diet, or skipping treats or none of that. I like you just the way you are.”
Her mouth is open in awe, and I know I surprised her. Well, it’s about to be an even bigger surprise because I can’t stop myself now. “I want to kiss you, Millie.”
She doesn’t say no. In fact, her tongue pokes out between her lips as if she can’t wait for it. I lean down and wrap my hand around the back of her neck. “Tell me yes, sugar.”
She says yes. It’s barely a whisper, but it’s a yes. I press my lips into hers, and all conscious thought leaves me. Her lips are warm and soft. The kiss goes
from zero to a thousand fireworks going off in my head. When her hands slide up my chest and she grips the front of my shirt, I know without a doubt I could lose control so easily with her. Her legs part, and I move one of mine between her thighs. I lift it just a little, and when I make contact with the hot heat between her legs, she moans loudly, and I force myself to pull away with a groan. Too much more of that, and I’ll have her in the cab of her truck.
“Go out with me,” I demand. “Let me take you on a proper date.”
She blinks and stares up at me. Her mouth is glistening, wet from the kiss we shared, and I want to run my tongue across her plump lips. She shakes her head as if she’s been in a daze before finally answering me. “It’s not a good idea. You’re doing business with my dad.”
I put my hands on each side of her face. “I’m not like Mike. I wouldn’t date you to get something from your dad. And I sure as hell wouldn’t cheat on you.”
In that instant, she realizes she still has my shirt in her hands, and she lets go quickly. “Men are not always faithful, Austin. I know that.”
“If you were mine—fuck baby, even if you aren’t mine, I can’t imagine looking at another woman.”
She shakes her head. “What is it with you? Honey, sweetheart, sugar, baby, little Millie. You like nicknames or what?”
“I like watching your face light up when I call you a different name. So far, I think you like sugar and little Millie the best.”
She laughs and tries to slap me on the chest, but I grab her hand instead and hold it tight. “Go out with me.”
It’s on the tip of her tongue to say no, and I take a deep breath. I don’t think I can let her walk away if she says no. “Maybe,” she draws out. “Let me think about it.”
I kiss her quickly and pull away. “I’m not giving up on you, Millie. Now get in your truck and be safe on your way home. If I don’t let you leave now, I’m going to try to talk you into all kinds of things that I don’t think you’re ready for.”
She’s about to ask me what things, and I swear if I put a voice to the things I’ve thought about doing to her, there’s no way she’s going home alone tonight. Instead of asking, though, she climbs up into her truck. “Bye, Austin. Thank you.”
She puts the truck into gear and pulls out of the parking lot. I stand and watch until the lights are gone in the distance. It isn’t until I get into my own truck that I realize I didn’t get her number. I’ll have to call the co-op tomorrow because even though I just met her, I don’t want to miss even one day of talking to her.
4
Millie
Two days. It’s been two days since my dinner with Austin, and I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him. I keep waiting for him to show up or to at least call, but he doesn’t.
Alan, one of the delivery drivers for the co-op, interrupts my thoughts with a knock on my open door. “Hey, boss lady! The shipment for the Yates ranch came in. You want me to deliver it before I do the others?”
At the same time, the phone on my desk starts to ring. Making a quick decision, I tell Alan, “No. This first one I’m going to take. Load it in my truck.”
I wait for a questioning look or some kind of curiosity, but Alan never gives it. He just nods. “You got it.” I guess it helps that I’ve been working at the co-op since I was young. I’ve done every job here and am always pitching in to help out.
The phone rings again, and I notice it’s on my line instead of the store’s line. “This is Millie. How can I help you?”
A shrill voice comes over the line. “Millie? Is this Millie Ogle?” the woman asks.
“Yes, this is Millie Ogle.”
“Do you know an Austin Yates?”
I sit up in my chair. “Yes, I know Austin.”
The woman lets out a deep sigh. “Well, thank you sweet baby Jesus, I found you. My name is Carrie.”
“Uh...” I start, confused and a little unsure with where this conversation is going.
“So, yesterday morning Austin got thrown from his horse.”
“Oh my God, what? Is he okay?” I’m already standing up and gathering things together before I stop myself. “Is. He. Okay?” I ask again.
“Yes, yes... he’s fine. He’s stubborn as a mule. Has a concussion, banged up his knee and broke a rib or two, but he’ll live. That is if I don’t kill him first.”
I fall back in my seat. “Okay... so does he need anything?” There’s a gazillion questions I want to be asking her. Like who is she? Austin made it seem like there wasn’t a woman in the picture, but who is this that’s calling me? Better yet, why is she calling me?
“Does he need anything?” she spits out. “Yeah, he’s going to need a new housekeeper if he keeps running his mouth like he is. Look, he was in the hospital, and it seems he didn’t have a phone, and apparently I’m going to lose my job if I don’t call you. You work for a family for twenty years and you’d think you’d get a little respect. He just wanted you to know why he hasn’t called you. But I’m calling you for help. His foreman—heck, all the cowboys are going to walk out of here unless someone can calm him down. He’s been a bear.”
“Okay. And you think I can calm him? You do know I just met him a couple days ago.”
“Honey, it’s worth a shot. I’ve never seen him so upset, wanting to make sure you weren’t mad at him. I swear he would’ve called himself, but I’m pretty sure his vision’s still blurry even if he won’t admit it. He’s going to do permanent damage to that hard head of his if he doesn’t listen to what the doctors are telling him.”
“Okay, I’m coming. I mean, I’ll give it a shot. I have his order too, so I’ll bring that with me.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon. Thanks, Millie. I’m gonna owe you one.”
And before I can say anything else, she’s already hung up.
I grab my purse from the desk drawer and walk out the back of the store to my truck. Everything’s already loaded, and I holler thanks to Alan before getting in and pulling out. I go by my house first. It’s a little two-bedroom house that sits on the edge of my dad’s ranch. I pack just a few things and then jump into the truck and head toward Jasper and the Yates Ranch. I’m crazy. This is probably the craziest thing I’ve ever done. It’s almost a thirty-minute drive, and I try to take that time to plan what I’m going to do, but instead all I can think about is that kiss we shared the other night.
When I pull in to the long driveway, I slow down to take it all in. My father’s ranch is nice. It’s small and well maintained. But this place is something else. There are multiple huge buildings, including a huge two-story house with a big wraparound porch. The view from here is magnificent. It’s almost like you can reach out and touch the Jasper Mountains.
Seeing the way he lives just makes me realize exactly how different we are. I make a decision, right then and there, that I’m going to drop off the order, make sure Austin’s okay, and get the heck back to my side of town.
A few cowboys spot me pulling in, and I recognize Austin immediately. I barely get stopped next to the huge metal barn before he breaks away from the group. He’s limping, holding his side. His hat is down low on his face, and he’s squinting. No doubt the afternoon sun is hurting his head.
I take a deep breath and open the door and jump down from my seat. Holding my hand up to shade my eyes, I look at him smiling back at me. “Hey, Austin. I heard you had a run-in with a horse.”
He waves his hand. “I’m fine. Better now that you’re here.”
“I have your order. Let me know where you want it, and I’ll unload it.”
“Carter!” he hollers and instantly winces. Even yelling is hurting his head. “Can you unload this?” he asks the man as he comes walking up to us.
“Sure thing, boss,” the man named Carter says as he stops beside us. “So you must be Millie?”
I look between Austin and the man named Carter, a little surprised that he knows my name. “I am. I’m from the Whiskey Run Farmers Co-Op.” I hold my hand out
to him, and I swear I hear Austin growl. He must really be hurting. Carter squeezes my hand and smiles at me.
“And she’s taken,” Austin snarls.
My eyes snap to Austin, and a tremble shoots down my back. His heated glance is trained on me, and my nipples harden at the rough sound of his voice. “I, uh...”
Carter laughs. “Trust me. I could have guessed that for how much you talked about her today.” He rolls his eyes and walks to the bed of my truck. “I hope since you’re here you can get him inside where he’s supposed to be.”
“Really, Carter. This is my ranch. It’s my name on the gate at the end of the driveway... I’m pretty sure if I want to stand outside on my ranch I can do it.”
Obviously, Austin is not a good patient. I point to the load in my truck. “Carter, do you want my help unloading...”
“You’re not unloading shit. I’ll be damned if I’m going to have my woman unload my order...”
The way he says “my woman” sends a little thrill through me, but his words still agitate me. I cock my hip out and put my hand on it. “I’ll have you know that I can do anything a man can. As a matter of fact, I can usually do it better.” I turn to Carter. “No offense, Carter.”
Carter hollers from the back of my truck, “None taken.”
When I turn back around, Austin is standing toe to toe with me. He puts one hand on my cheek and the other one at my waist. “I have no doubt about that. The fact is, I don’t want you to. Not when you’ve got me right here to share the load.”
“Austin, you’re hurting. You hide it well, but I can see it on your face. You can’t be lifting things. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to be resting your ribs and sitting in a dark room for your concussion.”
Carter walks by with a load in his hands. “Good luck with that. I’ve tried all morning to get him inside.”
I shake my head. I had a clear plan in my head. I was going to be in and out. But now I can see that I may really be needed here. He’s obviously not taking care of himself. Austin’s hand moves around my back and pulls me in. His cheek is resting against the top of my head, and I swear I hear him sniffing. “Are you smelling me?”