"But you have work to do tomorrow," she said, as much as a question as a statement.
"It'll be okay tomorrow. We're at a place where I can let Clay and the men handle things for a morning at least. Tomorrow we're going to get the new cattle I bought at the auction yesterday, and I'm going to give them a day or two to settle in before we start branding them and our new calves. We'll probably start that Wednesday. We'll be real busy then, every one of us, but tomorrow I could spare a little time."
"Oh, Dalton, thank you. I know you're busy on the ranch. I can't believe you'd do that for me," she said, reaching up to give him a kiss.
He leaned down to make her task easier, taking her in his arms while he kissed her. "Lilly, I told you I want you happy here. You are such a talented artist; I don't want to stifle that. I saw your eyes when you first saw the view from that knoll, but if there's somewhere else you've seen that you'd rather paint, we can go there today and tomorrow."
"Thank you, but that spot is perfect. I loved it."
"Then let's get a move on so you have lots of time while the sun's still high in the sky. You get your painting supplies; I'll get the picnic and blanket and my rifle, just in case we have some unwanted visitors."
Her smile temporarily left as she asked, "Like a rabid fox?"
"Yes, like a rabid fox. Or a mountain lion or a couple wolves that get too suspicious. Unless they're sick, I usually just shoot once or twice in the air to scare them off."
"Oh, good. That makes me feel better," she said as she hurried off to her room.
Half an hour later as he helped her carry her things from the Gator to her chosen spot to work, he surprised her yet again. "Now, honey, I know you said you sometimes get in a zone when you're working and you lose touch with the world around you. That thought bothers me more than you know. It's just not safe out here to ignore your surroundings for that long at a time. But I get why and how it happens, and for today I want you to feel free to do that. I'm here and I'll be your eyes and ears in this area. If there's any danger around, I'll spot it and get your attention if I need to. So you feel free to paint with abandon, or do whatever your work demands of you."
She put her paints down by her easel and turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He leaned down and kissed her, a passionate kiss that was returned with every bit as much passion. "What was that for," he asked. "Not that I'm complaining one bit," he added with a smile.
"Because you get me. No one ever has, but you seem to somehow understand what I'm saying. If I say something to someone else about zoning out or something, they think I'm crazy. But you seem to understand. Either that or you're just accepting what I'm saying without question to appease me."
He gave her a whimsical, but challenging look. "Which do you think it is?"
She sighed. "Since I've been back here, I've seen how much you notice about me. Frankly, it's shocked me several times. You've picked up on small things I do or say, and you don't forget them. I mean, it's like you somehow digest it and then file it away in that filing cabinet mind of yours, never to be forgotten. It's amazing sometimes."
"Is that good or bad?"
"Both," she answered quickly. "It's great how you pick up on little things I say, like when I told you about the lady who used to live beside us that had a green thumb and had the prettiest blue asters in her front yard. We were talking about the lady, not her flowers. I just mentioned them as I thought of them. I was shocked three days later when the flower shop delivered a bouquet of flowers with blue asters. That was really sweet."
"I could see the asters were a memory from years ago, and you smiled as you thought of them. I hoped you'd smile again when you got some of your own. And you did, and that smile was beautiful."
"Things like that are so sweet. You seem to pick up on all those little things I say. But it could be bad, too."
"How's that?"
"I just know some day I'm going to say some little thing that you're going to pick up on and it'll get me in trouble."
"Could be. Just don't do anything that'll get you in trouble and you won't have to worry about having to hide it." He gave her a little kiss on her cheek. "Back to what you said, though, I do think I'm starting to understand you a little better. I've watched you a few times while you're working, and I can see the deep concentration. And you don't seem to stop and think as much when you're like that. It seems like your work just flows through your hands and onto the canvas. It's as if nothing's happening around you. Nothing distracts you. It's neat to see you like that, but also scary. I'll watch out for you today, but I'm still thinking about a long-term solution. I need to find a way that you can work how you work best, without me worrying so much about you."
"I'm still not used to having someone care, or worry about me like that. It's kind of a nice feeling knowing you're there, watching out for me."
"I'm glad, because I know I couldn't stop watching out for you. Now, enough talk. You paint; I'll guard." He gave her one more quick kiss on the top of her head and turned her around so she was facing her easel. He went under a nearby tree and watched. He watched out for any problems, but found it hard to concentrate on anything other than her. She really was extremely pretty and extremely talented, both of which were quite evident to him at the moment.
He let her paint uninterrupted, except for an occasional reminder to drink some water. He loved to watch her paint. It still seemed so odd to watch her canvas as she painted. It looked like nothing special for so long, until right at the end, when she somehow brought it all together into a magnificent work of art. Every time he'd sneak a quick peek at it during the day, he'd shake his head. He obviously couldn't see the whole picture like she could.
He let her paint until seven o'clock, when he asked, "Getting hungry yet, or do you want to keep going a little longer?"
She looked at her watch, and he had to chuckle at the surprised look on her face. "I had no idea it was that late," she said honestly. "That explains why it's started looking a little different to me. The sun's starting to sink more than I realized, and it puts a different shine on it." She looked out at the valley again, and he could tell she was studying it, and comparing it with her painting. "Yeah, I think I better stop for tonight, or my depth will be wrong. Especially when you're looking into a valley, the sun makes a huge difference."
"Okay," he said with a smile, not understanding much of what she was saying. "You're the artist, you know what's best. We'll come out again tomorrow. Do you think one more day out here will get it to the point you can finish it from the photos?"
"I think so, yeah."
They sat down on the blanket he had laid out under the tree and had a very leisurely, very peaceful picnic, mixed in with several very leisurely, very peaceful kisses and special little passionate moments. When the sun got a little lower in the sky and it started to cool off, he had yet one more surprise for her. He brought out jackets for them to wear as they loaded up the Gator and he took them to one more spot close by. He laid the blanket back down on the ground and pulled out another one to wrap around them while they watched the sun set over a lake in the distance.
"Dalton, that's beautiful," she said, keeping her eyes glued to the sunset.
"I thought you'd like it," he said simply, pulling her a little closer. He waited until the sun had completely set before heading her back toward the Gator to go home.
The next day, they went back out right after breakfast, which he insisted she eat. He took a picnic lunch, telling her they had to be back for supper, as he had to check on his new cattle and make sure everything was ready for branding the next day. She agreed, knowing he, the ranch owner, was being very generous to give up a full day for her to paint.
Painting went well, and by four o'clock she surprised him by saying she could finish it at home from photos now. They went back and he had time to examine his new cattle before supper.
That night at supper, it was Lilly's turn to surprise Dalton. After he and Clay had finished
discussing the day and their plans for the next day, Lilly asked him a question. "I know you said you're going to be branding tomorrow. Can I watch?"
He turned to look at her closely. She was serious. "This is the first time you asked about watching something on the ranch."
"I know. I've been very curious, but I've been afraid to ask. You said not to bother your men because a ranch is a busy place, and I can easily see that. But sometimes I just want to watch what you guys are doing. Maybe I'll be able to understand more about the ranch and how it works."
"And that's something you want to know; how the ranch operates?"
"Absolutely," she said. "I don't want to get in your way, but I'd love to watch some of the things you guys do."
That was like music to Dalton's ears. When he found out she was afraid of horses, he'd assumed she wasn't interested in much that goes on around the ranch. He never expected her to take an active part in it, but for some reason it was important to him that she be at least a little interested. He reached over to take her hand in his. "Let me give this a little thought. Branding is a dangerous thing and we all have to be very careful and focused while we're working. But let me consider a couple ideas I have."
Later that evening, he found her going over her hundreds of pictures she'd printed off. She had a good digital camera with several lenses. She'd take lots of pictures, but only print ones that seemed special to her. "Got a minute?" he asked.
"Of course," she said, going to him where he stood in the door.
"Let's go downstairs and talk. If we stay up here in your bedroom, I'm going to want to do more than talk. I have a lot of respect for you and I'm determined not to give in, but you're making it harder and harder."
She smiled at him. "Thank you for not laughing at me for wanting to wait until I'm married."
"I would never laugh at you or anyone else for that. I have a lot of respect for you. I'm proud of you."
"You told Daphne one time you expected her to be a good example for me. She was the reason I was able to wait when we were in high school and everybody else seemed to be trying sex. She encouraged me to wait, and now that I'm a little older, I'm glad she did. I want it to be special on my wedding night."
"That's good to hear," Dalton said. He invited her to sit down with him on the couch in his living room. "I gave your request some thought. I think I have a solution. I have a large truck I use to haul hay and feed to various pastures, and it sits out there fairly close to the barnyard and pasture we'll be working in. How about if you watch from that truck? You should be able to see well from there, but the cattle and my men won't get distracted by seeing you. Would you be okay with watching it from there?"
"Absolutely," she said quickly with a big smile. "I've never seen anything like branding. I'm excited to see how a ranch works, but I don't want to be in your way."
"Honey, it's not so much that you'll be in the way if you're down there tomorrow, it's more a safety factor. My men and I have to concentrate totally on what we're doing. A pretty young lady standing around would likely get someone's attention, and even losing your concentration momentarily could be bad."
"I don't want that to happen, Dalton."
"I know. Now, there are a couple things I need to warn you about. Do you know what branding is?"
"Sort of. You put some kind of mark, like a tattoo on the animals so everyone knows they belong on this ranch."
"Yep, they're branded with our ranch's mark. That stays with them, so if our cattle and the neighbor's cattle all get out, or they get mixed together, we know quickly whose is whose. But, it also tells who raised it when they go to market. We have a reputation for having good, healthy cattle. When they go to market, people who buy cattle soon learn whose beef they like and whose they'd rather skip next time. With the brand, no one can claim their scrawny, sick cattle are some of ours."
"What a good idea!"
Dalton laughed, and as Lilly thought about it she laughed, as well. "I guess that's why they've been doing it so long, huh?" she asked with a bit of a red face.
"Could be," he answered, giving her a hug and kissing her head. "I love your enthusiasm to learn about what happens on a ranch. If there are other things you want to watch or have explained, ask me. I'll do my best to let you see all you want to, as long as you'll listen to what I say about safety."
"Thank you," she said as she cuddled up beside him. They talked a bit more about what would happen the next day, and he warned her not to roll down the window and yell, or get excited and jump around in the truck and attract attention. He also warned that if they had any problems, she was to stay right there in the truck and not get out, no matter what. If someone got hurt, they would handle it. Her jumping out to help would only cause more problems and add more danger. She assured him she understood.
The next morning, she was downstairs ready for breakfast before he came in from doing chores. He took her in his arms and gave her a kiss. "Good morning," he said as he helped himself to a second kiss, this one longer.
"Good morning to you, cowboy," she said with her arms wrapped around his neck.
Stella cleared her throat, reminding the two young people they weren't entirely alone. Lilly jumped back and removed her arms from around his neck. Dalton chuckled and used his arm around her waist to pull her closer. "Sorry, Stella," he said with a smile.
"Nothing to be sorry about on my account," she said with a genuine smile. "It's about time I see some of that. I thought you two would never get to this point."
Dalton went to his long-time cook and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. "I'm glad you approve, Stella." His cook and housekeeper had been more like a mother to him through several trying times in his life, and he meant that sincerely. Knowing she approved of his relationship with the pretty little lady next to him meant a lot to him.
Clay walked into the kitchen just then. "Holding one lady in your arm, while kissing another one. If that don't beat all!"
They all laughed, and Stella shooed them over to the table to eat. When they went out to the barn afterward, Dalton got Lilly situated in the truck, making sure she had plenty of water, snacks, and binoculars. He quickly reviewed the rules he wanted her to follow, gave her a kiss and said, "Now, remember to stay here until I come get you." She nodded, and he left.
Fifteen minutes later, the men had everything ready to go and they started the branding process. The first couple times Lilly saw a cow being branded it was all she could do to stay in the truck and keep quiet. The cows looked to be in great pain, and she couldn't understand how Dalton, usually so kind and gentle, could do such a thing. But as she bit her fist to keep from crying out, she watched the cows after they'd been branded. For as much as they seemed to hate it at the time, they ran off and within a very short time were acting like nothing had happened. The more she watched the more she was convinced that, although it may not have felt good to them, more of their distress was caused by the stress of not knowing what's going to happen than the act itself. They all recovered quickly, but they sure did fight it beforehand.
She had to smile when it occurred to her that it was similar to the time Dalton spanked her. It hurt terribly at the time, but if she were honest with herself, she had to admit that awful pain hadn't lasted all that long. She'd have to try to remember the cattle and their quick recovery if she ever earned another spanking. She giggled as she wondered what Dalton would think if he knew what she was thinking. She smiled as she watched the recently branded cattle. They seemed fine. That thought was somehow comforting to her. She turned back to the work the men were doing, and watched the proceedings.
At one point, one of the hands got hurt and her first instinct was to open the truck door and run right down there to help, but she caught herself just as she was reaching for the handle. She forced herself to stay where she was and watch, and was glad she did. Dalton was there instantly. He barked a few orders which immediately stopped the assembly line. Other men quickly switched positions and Clay stepped
in and finished branding the two that were already in the first stages of the process. The men all waited while Dalton got the first aid kit, which had been placed close by, and took care of the injured man, who thankfully wasn't injured badly.
Dalton, being every bit the man in charge, checked the man once again for mobility of his hand, and switched a couple men and the jobs they were doing, leaving the injured man with a job that didn't require as much use of his hand. They were soon back in business. Forty-five minutes later, though, Dalton called a halt to the assembly line. Again they finished the ones already in the process of being branded, and Dalton announced they were taking a break. He went immediately to the injured man, as did Clay. They checked him, talked with him, and when Dalton gave him a slap on the back, Lilly assumed the man was okay. Dalton told all his men to be sure to get some water and rest and cool down a few minutes. He grabbed a water for himself and went to check on Lilly.
He opened the passenger's door and climbed up into the truck. "Well, what did you think? Can you see okay from there?"
They talked a few minutes, and Dalton smiled at the enthusiasm she had. She really was enjoying herself.
The rest of the day went pretty much the same way. Lilly stayed in the truck, coming out only for lunch, and watched intently. At lunch she asked all kinds of questions, which the men patiently answered.
Dalton looked over at the very happy, very enthusiastic, very pretty little lady and knew he'd fallen in love. He wasn't sure she returned that love yet, but he felt pretty sure she was getting close, as well. He also knew he'd have to make a few changes around here to make her fall in love with the ranch, as well as him, since they were pretty much a package deal. He wanted some day to marry this little lady, but she had to want not only him, but she had to want to make the ranch her permanent home.
Chapter Ten
A Beautiful Ranch Page 12