Just out of spite.
And that’s good because I don’t know what we would do without him.
“So, are you all going to rag on me all day, or are we gonna get some work done?” I ask.
“We’ve been working since before the sun came up,” Dad reminds me. “Miles and Sarah were here, too, before school, to watch this baby be born.”
“I’ll see them this afternoon. They’ll be back out here to watch her.” My siblings all love the animals. It’s in our blood. “Where was Troy? Is he sick?”
“Stayed in town with a friend last night,” Dad says. “He’ll be mad that he missed it.”
“There will be plenty more,” Josh says.
“Where are your kids?” I ask him. “I haven’t seen Kim and Mike in a while.”
“Kim was here with the others,” Josh replies. “Mike stayed at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, keeping Gram company.”
I nod and look down at the new foal, just getting her feet under her. We lost my grandpa last year, and none of us have fully recovered from the loss, the kids have taken turns staying with Gram, adamant that she shouldn’t be alone.
I don’t know if any of us will ever get over the loss of Gramps.
“I’ll have all the kids come hang out with me at my place this weekend. We’ll have some fun.”
“They’ll like that,” Dad says. “Now, let’s get the fence mended.”
We all saddle our horses. Magic’s been mine for as long as I can remember. She’s the love of my life.
“Hey, baby girl,” I croon to her as I saddle her up. “How’s my girl?”
She sniffs my hand, hoping for an apple or some carrots.
“I know what you want.” I pull some baby carrots out of my pocket and offer them to her.
Before long, we’re out in the pastures, riding along the fence line to check for holes. We have several hundred head of cattle that we don’t want getting loose.
Rounding up a herd from where they’re not supposed to be isn’t easy.
As we come over a hill and gaze down on the meadow below, we see several animals down and plenty of blood.
“Son of a bitch,” I mutter as Dad and Josh break off into a run.
The wolves are back.
Chapter 6
~Remi~
“It’s just paperwork, nothing to be nervous about,” I mutter to myself as I ride through town on my way to Little Deli. I came to town and hooked up to my campsite again, got the van all settled and ready to go, and then grabbed my bike and took off. The leaves are changing here as fall settles in, and there’s a bite to the air that wasn’t there just a week ago.
It’s fascinating. And so different from southern California.
I kind of love it.
But before long, I’ll need a heavier coat if I’m going to continue riding my bike around town. And once it snows, I’ll just have to drive the van. It’ll be a pain in the ass to hook and unhook from the campsite every time, but there’s really no other choice.
I’m not going to buy a car. That would be silly.
I set the bike against the wall outside the deli and then push inside. Annie glances up from behind the counter and sends me a welcome smile.
“Hi, Remi.”
“Hey there. I hope this is a good time to stop by.”
“It’s a great time. We’re through the morning rush, and things should be relatively quiet until lunch. There are just a couple of forms to fill out, and I need a copy of your driver’s license.”
“No problem.”
The business side of things takes less than ten minutes. When Annie tucks what she needs into a folder and turns back to me, I sniff the air.
“Do I smell peanut butter cookies?”
“Bars,” she says with a grin. “They just came out of the oven. Would you like one?”
“Heck yes, I’d love one.” I follow her back into the kitchen. There’s a big doorway and a window so she can always keep tabs on what’s happening in the front of the restaurant.
“Do you do all of the baking yourself?”
“My mom helps me sometimes,” Annie replies and cuts into the bars. “She likes the early morning work.”
“Seth told me that she opened this place.”
“Seth King?”
I nod and bite into the bar and then blink in surprise. It’s not too sweet. It’s the perfect balance of salty and sweet and doesn’t make my teeth hurt.
I could eat the whole pan.
“Yeah,” I say after I swallow. “He’s a new friend of mine.”
“And a nice guy,” Annie replies. “Not to mention, pretty damn handsome, just like his daddy and uncle.”
“There is that. Does he look like them?”
“Carbon copy,” she confirms.
“The Kings must have an excellent gene pool.”
Annie laughs and sets the cut bars on a long, thin metal tray and then walks out to the glass counter to slide them in for display.
“You’re not wrong,” she says. “Anyway, yes, Mama opened this place in the early eighties. I practically grew up here. I sat in here and watched her bake or helped her with the soups and breads. I hated going to school because that meant I couldn’t be in here with her.”
“It’s in your blood.”
She turns a surprised look my way and then nods slowly. “Yes, I suppose so. I hadn’t thought of it that way before. Anyway, she comes in a few days a week to help me with the baking, or she gets the soups simmering for me.”
“Does she miss working?”
“Oh, yes.” Annie laughs and nods at a young woman who walks through the door and claims a table to set up her computer. “She’d still work every day if she could. But she’s older now and had a health scare last year. My dad is pretty good about keeping her reined in and makes sure she doesn’t overdo it. Hey there, Renee, what can I get you?”
“Just a cup of that corn chowder and an iced tea,” Renee says with a smile.
I watch Annie get the order together and take Renee’s money. The transaction is quick and friendly and looks pretty easy to me.
“There’s really not much to it,” Annie says after Renee returns to her table. “I just can’t do it all by myself.”
“Well, I’m happy to help,” I reply. “I mean, just being in here and smelling all of the delicious things for half of a day isn’t a hardship. My hips won’t be happy because there’s no way I can resist buying a meal before I leave, but that’s okay. It’s sweater weather. I can hide the extra ten pounds.”
Annie laughs and pats me on the shoulder. “I do like you, Remi. What would you like to take with you today? It’s on me.”
I pat my stomach that’s still full after Seth’s amazing breakfast. But having something for later would be nice.
“You know, that corn chowder sounds great.”
“Would you like some bread to go with it?”
“Absolutely. Let’s live dangerously.”
Whitetail Mountain is a ski resort in the winter and a hub of activities like downhill biking, hiking, and zip-lining in the summer. Most of the activities are closed for the season, but on the weekends, they still run the chairlifts for anyone who wants to ride up and bike down. Or hike up and ride down.
This afternoon, I’m going for the hike-up-and-ride-down choice. It’s quite an elevation gain, but I don’t mind it a bit. The trees up here are turning faster than the ones in town, and the air is cooler. My pace is quick as I climb the trail that leads to the summit.
Halfway up, I stop for a drink of water and gaze down to the town and lake below.
It’s just so…pretty. It looks sleepy and quiet down there. Like something from a Hallmark movie.
I smirk at myself and turn to keep climbing up. The trailhead said this hike is just under five miles, which is a good-sized hike for an afternoon.
An hour later, the building that houses a restaurant, pub, and viewing room comes into view. I can see the top of the chairlift and notice a fe
w people hopping on for the ride down.
I take a few minutes to walk around and take in the mountains that seem to just wrap around and hug me. If I’m not mistaken, I can see into Glacier National Park, Canada, and as far south as Flathead Lake.
It’s a bright bluebird day with the biggest sky I’ve ever seen, and it’s all simply magical.
There’s so much to explore. So much to see. A person could spend their entire life here and never see it all.
I wander inside to buy a candy bar for the ride down, then walk over to the chairlift.
“You’re lucky,” the young man says as I approach. “This is the last chair down for the day.”
“Oh, geez. I didn’t realize it was that late. What time do you stop running them?”
“Five-thirty,” he says. “That way, everyone is down by six, and we all head home.”
“Well, now I know. Thanks.”
I hop on the chair. He lowers the bar in front of me, and I’m off.
The ride is just spectacular. I can watch the town, the lake, and get lost in my thoughts as I leisurely descend the face of the mountain.
When I reach the bottom and am helped off, I decide then and there that this will be a weekly activity for me for as long as they continue running the chairlift.
I could hike back down, but why would anyone do that if they can take that ride?
The drive down to town doesn’t take long, and when I pull into my space at the campsite, I raise a brow when I see Seth sitting on a log, waiting for me.
I park next to him, climb down from the van, and offer him a smile.
He grins back, but there’s something in his eyes that tells me that he had a rough day.
“Wanna talk about it?”
He sighs, stands, and tucks his hands into his pockets. “Not right now.”
“Shit day?”
“Yeah.”
I nod and then gesture for him to follow me. “I have soup from Little Deli in here. Why don’t I heat it up and we can eat together?”
“What kind of soup?”
“Does it matter?” I raise a brow and look back at him.
“Yeah. If it’s tomato, I can’t eat it.”
“Are you allergic to tomatoes?”
“No, I just hate tomato soup.”
I laugh and pull a saucepan out of my cupboard, then set it on the two-burner stove I have.
“Well, it’s not tomato. It’s corn chowder.”
“I’m in,” he says and pulls the door closed behind him. “It’s bigger in here than I expected it to be.”
I follow his gaze, taking in my tiny kitchen and the bed in the back.
“It suits my needs okay.”
“Except when you want a good shower.”
I laugh, then shrug. “I’ve stopped off at gyms here and there to go in and use their shower. I just pay a daily fee. I belong to a national gym that’s really cheap, but they don’t have them up here in the northwest.”
“Almost everything up here is locally owned.” He sits on the edge of the bed. “Are you safe in here? I mean, have you had any issues with creepers?”
I instinctively start to deny it but then stop myself. “Actually, only a couple of times. Mostly, people mind their own business. I have safety features in the van, and I have learned some tricks here and there.”
“Such as?”
“Well, at night, I pull the seatbelts through the door handle, then click them in place. If anyone tries to open the door, they can’t.”
“That’s damn clever.”
“There are lots of little things like that. I watched a lot of videos and read tons of blogs before I decided to go ahead and do this. I’m a woman traveling alone, and I know that there are risks associated with that. Someone once suggested I get a dog, but it’s not fair to leave it in the van for hours on end while I hike through the national parks. Dogs aren’t allowed on the trails.”
“It’s the safest thing,” Seth replies with a nod. “Wildlife might be attracted to the dog, and it puts both of you in danger.”
“Exactly. I’m not willing to do that. To either of us. So, it’s just me.”
“Do you get lonely?”
I shrug a shoulder and ladle up the soup, offering him a bowl. “It’s been nice to have the quiet. My life was such a zoo for so long, with so many people around, the anonymity is welcome.”
Seth narrows his eyes on me. “Why was it a zoo?”
“You don’t watch a lot of TV, do you?”
“No, no time for that. Are you a movie star?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Definitely not. You know those shows where people have to compete in physically challenging things?”
“Like Survivor?”
I smile. I won season thirty-six.
“Yes, exactly. I’ve done quite a few of those. It’s been my job for the last decade, actually.”
“You’re kidding. You can do that? Just hop from one to the next?”
“Sure. I had an agent who got me booked on them.”
“No wonder you’re in such good shape.”
“Not as good as I used to be,” I admit and take a bite of the soup. “But, that’s okay. I’m not getting any younger. I mean, I’m not old, but it’s harder and harder to keep up with the kids in their early twenties, you know?”
“Oh, yeah. I know.”
“And there’s a lot of politics and kissing ass that’s done. Plus, I dated a producer for a while who is kind of a jerk. It just wasn’t fun anymore. And what’s the point of punishing your body and dealing with all the bullshit of TV and social media if you’re not having fun?”
“I can’t argue with you there.”
“So, I retired. And the calm and peace that I’ve felt since is a surprise. And it’s pretty awesome. Because of the family dynamics I had growing up, I was alone a lot. It doesn’t bother me. So, no. I’m not lonely. I’m having a good time. Meeting cool people, seeing incredible things. And, I have a new job.”
“You must have gone to see Annie today.” He sets his bowl in the sink. He’s close to me now, and I can feel the heat coming off him.
He’s a potent man.
“I did,” I confirm. “I like her a lot. I think it’ll be a fun job.”
“I’m glad.” He leans in and kisses my temple.
“So, what brings you down to town?” I ask and climb up onto the bed to sit with my legs crossed. He follows suit, sitting next to me.
“I had a bad day, and I was thinking about you. So, I came to find you.”
Okay, that might be the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.
“Are you going to beg? Do I get my hiking trip in the spring?”
He laughs and tugs me against him, wrapping an arm around me, and just holds me close.
“No.” He buries his lips in my hair. “This is all I need for now. Some conversation and a hug go a long way.”
I hear the exhaustion in his voice. “What happened, Seth?”
He sighs, kisses me once more, and then pulls away just a bit when I shift so I can look up into his face.
“Wolves,” he says at last. “They’ve been pests on the ranch this year. Today, we discovered a small herd of cows about three miles from the barn that they got to. Killed eight calves.”
“Oh, no.” I take his hand in mine and give his fingers a squeeze.
“It was a bloodbath in that field,” he says softly. “The mama cows were standing over them, crying.”
“Jesus.” I shake my head. “That’s awful.”
“Yeah. Well, we got the fish and wildlife people out there, and then we hunted down a whole pack of wolves.”
“You killed them?”
His eyes are sad as he nods. “Six of them. We tried relocating them in the past, but they just come back. And our livestock isn’t the only herd in the area that’s been targeted. They can be incredibly destructive.”
“I had no idea. I thought they were on the endangered species list.”
“
Not anymore,” Seth says with a sigh. “I don’t like killing animals. I know we talked about hunting up at the chalet. I think that’s different, though. We feed families with that meat and keep the animal population down. But what we had to do today? That’s shitty.”
“I’m sorry.” I lean over and kiss his cheek, then climb into his lap and hug him. “I’m so sorry.”
He loops those strong arms around me and holds on tightly.
“Thanks,” he mutters against my shoulder. “Thanks for being here.”
“There isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be right now.”
Chapter 7
~Seth~
I didn’t realize that we’d fallen asleep on the cozy bed in Remi’s van. One minute, we were just hugging and talking. And the next thing I knew, it was dark, and I could hear an owl outside hooting away.
I check the time, surprised to see that it’s past midnight. We must have slept a good four hours.
Or, I did, at least.
“Go back to sleep,” Remi murmurs next to me.
“I have to go home tonight,” I whisper and kiss her forehead. “I have to be up early so I can help with the ranch.”
She sits up and flips on a light, then blinks at me, her lavender eyes heavy with sleep. “Okay. I don’t remember falling asleep.”
I grin and brush my thumb over her cheek. “Me, either. We were tired. I want to see you tomorrow. Take you out for dinner.”
“Like, on a date?”
“Yes, a date.” But then I remember that I have a bunch of kids coming to my place tomorrow and swear under my breath. “Wait. Tomorrow’s no good.”
“Saturday, then?” she asks without hesitation. She doesn’t look jealous or even curious about what I’m doing tomorrow night, and that’s a breath of fresh air.
The women I’ve dated lately want a play-by-play on my whereabouts. It’s damn annoying.
“Yes, Saturday is great. Pick you up at six?”
“Sure.” She grins and scoots to the edge of the bed. “I’ll walk you out. I have to secure the doors.”
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