by Luna Starr
“Roberta Flack?”
Tom nodded and looked at me oddly. “Yeah. You know… “Killing me Softly,” “The Closer I Get to You,” “The First Time Ever.”
I held up my hand. “I know who she is. My grandma used to listen to her, and my mom, and… Of course, I know who she is.”
“Point for you, Posh.”
I smiled in spite of myself. Because there was something about Tom that was softening me, something that was drawing me to him. And I didn’t like it. Not one bit. I’d have to fight whatever blossoming feelings these were because Tom was trouble. As far as men went, he was probably the last one I should have anything to do with. Tom was absolutely a flirt and a player was just a hop, skip and a jump away.
After the shit storm that had been my life lately, there was no way I was signing myself up to get played. Yeah, Tom was a big, red, blaring no way.
“Bob get your butt down from there and come on,” he insisted as Bob thumped her tail hard against the bed, staring at him with defiance. Tom walked over and grabbed her by the collar, but she must have weighed a ton, because they got into a tug of war that made me lose control of myself and break down into a fit of laughter. They just looked so ridiculous! Tom set his shoulders and tugged harder until she begrudgingly slid off the bed.
I stifled my laugh and bent down to scratch her between her ears. “She’s welcome anytime. Sorry I took over your space, Bob. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Don’t be sorry at all,” Tom said as he looked me up and down and then seemed to remember himself and looked me in the eyes. Asshole. “And the bed is mighty comfortable.”
It must have been the way he said it—how he looked me dead in the eyes, and then licked his lips. Because suddenly my cheeks were on fire. And I was convinced I was blushing. Tom had slept in my bed. God knew what else he’d done in it. And although I really didn’t want to admit it to myself, I did want to know what else he’d done.
“That’s good,” I answered as I dropped my attention to the floor because I couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. “I think I’ll head out, too, and give Aria that much deserved turn out.” My voice was high pitched and nervous. I hated the way it sounded.
Tom didn’t say anything but just held the door open for me, allowing me to go first. He quickly caught up to me with Bob trudging along behind us.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he offered.
“You didn’t,” I said even though it was a lie.
“Your cheeks went a pretty convincing shade of pink as soon as I mentioned the bed,” he argued. Then he shrugged. “I was being honest. It is super comfortable.”
I cleared my throat and shoved my hands into my pockets so he wouldn’t see them shaking. I didn’t know what to say so I didn’t say anything at all.
“I made Brady a promise,” Tom continued.
“About what?” I kept my eyes on the ground.
“That I wouldn’t try to have sex with you.”
And that did it. I stopped walking because my feet suddenly stopped functioning. My knees started to feel wobbly. And my heart was pounding through my chest.
“How… how did that even come up?” I managed.
Tom shrugged. “He saw me checking you out.” Then he reached over and nudged my upper arm. “I’m not trying to make you even more uncomfortable, Posh, but you have probably… the best ass in all of Colorado Springs.”
“Oh my God,” I grumbled as I shook my head. “Skip Scary Spice. Your new nickname is Oversexed Spice.”
He chuckled as I glanced up at him and then immediately regretted it because he was smiling down at me and his smile was charming enough to make me want to crawl under the nearest rock and die.
“So, if you aren’t trying to make me uncomfortable, then why are you telling me this?”
“Because I don’t want you to worry that I’m going to try to get you into bed,” he responded as he gripped me by the arm and pulled me into him, wrapping his arm around me like I was his younger, much shorter friend. “Because I’m not. Orders from the man.”
“Okay,” I answered, not really sure what else to say.
“So that means you and I can be good buddies,” he continued as he reached over and gave me a pretend noogie on top of my head like we were twelve years old.
“That sounds good,” I answered with a laugh as I backed out of his hold.
“Wanna chase a cow some time?” He grinned. “Do a little cutting? Jenny is one heck of a cuttin’ horse.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know about that. I’m not big on corporal punishment.”
“We’re not punishing them, silly,” he responded with a shake of his head. “They have to be rounded up. They have to be branded. Sometimes, they need vet care. We’re a working ranch, in case you haven’t noticed, Posh.”
“And sometimes you eat them.”
“That’s right. Sometimes we do.” Then he held his hands up on either side of his face as his mouth dropped open into a perfect circle. “Oh no. Tell me you’re not a vegetarian?”
“No,” I answered with a laugh. “I’m not, but I also don’t know if I could get acquainted with a cow and then wind up eating her.”
“Don’t get acquainted.” He winked at me. “It’s that easy.”
My stomach flip-flopped and I stared at those blue eyes, all the while wondering why I was upset that he’d agreed to keep his hands off me.
Chapter Four
Summer
After I took Aria out for a quick ride and then put her back, I headed to my cabin to get ready for dinner. All the while, I tried not to look for Tom.
Yes, he was nice, funny, sexy, boyishly charming and, overall, completely delicious, but he also wasn’t my type at all. Not that I had a type, given that I was a virgin. But, regardless, I wasn’t here for any kind of romance. My head, not to mention my heart, definitely didn’t need that kind of complication.
I still had a half hour before dinner, so I unpacked and tried not to think about how dismal and small the closet was, because there was no use comparing what was to what used to be. Sometimes, I still struggled with it, though, and I guessed it was okay to have a bad day every now and again. I just had to keep them to a minimum because there was no use in feeling sorry for myself. Because where did that get me? Nowhere.
Maybe with the waitressing job and all the work around here, I wouldn’t have time to be sad about what my life had become. Well, if I got the waitressing job. Fingers crossed.
At the bottom of my suitcase was a photo of my dad and me. I picked it up and my hands shook as I swallowed down the tears. I was about five when the photo was taken and I was sitting on his lap as he read a book to me.
I wanted to put the photo on the nightstand next to the bed, but my hands started to shake and the tears streamed down my face which meant I wasn’t ready. Not yet. I put the photo back in the suitcase, zipped it up and shoved it under the bed. There were so many questions I still had. So many unanswered questions…
I took my makeup bag into the bathroom and turned around once just to prove that it was possible. Yes, the bathroom was that small. My elbow banged into the wall and I sighed, then set my bag on the shelf above the sink and stared at my reflection. I barely recognized the stranger staring back at me, her face tear-stained, her eyes red. My platinum blond highlights had completely grown out, leaving my hair its usual shade of strawberry blond. All my layers that used to frame my face were way past my shoulders now. The dark circles under my eyes had faded a bit, but I could still see them, reminding me of so much turmoil and lost sleep. I sighed and stripped, then turned on the shower, bracing myself for the hard spray emitting from the shower-head.
I stepped beneath the water and it cut into my skin like sharp, cold needles. Seconds later, the water turned warm, then hot, but I didn’t care. I was lost in my thoughts and couldn’t even say I felt the water.
I wanted to be shiny and new again. I wanted to put the past behind me and face
the future with excitement. But, so far, that excitement eluded me. Instead, I just felt nervous. Nervous about starting a new life, nervous about working, nervous about a pair of jaw-dropping blue eyes.
After I rubbed my moisturizer in, I opted not to put a single bit of makeup on—not even lip gloss. This was a ranch, for hell’s sake. They’d probably fall off their chairs laughing if I came to dinner wearing earrings, let alone makeup. But my hands hesitated before taking my diamond studs from my ears. They were the last piece of jewelry I had and the only thing—other than Aria—from before... Before my mother’s swan dive off the sanity cliff, before the allegations about Dad, before the nightmare began.
With teary eyes, I found the strength to take the diamonds from my ears and I opened the medicine cabinet and set them on a shelf so I wouldn’t have to see them every day.
Tucking my hair into a ponytail, I headed up to the main house, more than a little unsure about this “family style” thing. My family never did anything family style. I was lucky to see Mother once a day—
“Stop it, Summer. No more remembering the shitty. This is new, this is fresh, this is not Connecticut,” I said to myself, feeling like I needed to hear the words out loud.
“You know talking to yourself is a sure sign that you’re going crazy?”
I swung around as my heart leapt into my throat. “Jesus, Tom! You scared the crap out of me!”
“Sorry.” Tom stepped in line with me and we walked to the house together. I searched for a way to explain my mumbling but then I just gave up because there was no explaining anything without having to explain everything. And there was no way I was doing that.
“Are you getting settled in?”
We climbed the porch stairs and he held the front door open for me. “I think so.”
Neither of us said anything more as we walked in. He led me down the hallway, through the living room and into the kitchen. Almost immediately, I was greeted by a short, plump, elderly woman with blonde hair that curled around her ears, and bright brown eyes. She was wearing a red apron and was standing at the stove, already handing each one of us a mounded plate of food.
“Hi, honey!” she beamed at me. “You must be Summer. I’m Rue. Head and only cook here, for twenty years.”
“Hi, Rue,” I said, immediately feeling drawn toward her. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too, babygirl,” she answered as she smiled at me. “You are just beautiful,” she said with a huge smile as she faced Tom. “You watch yourself around him because he’s trouble,” she teased. But even though her words might have said otherwise, I could tell by the way she looked at him that she was fond of Tom.
“Stop scaring the prey, Rue,” he answered with that lopsided grin of his. Rue threw her head back and laughed heartily. Then she turned to take stock of the dining table which was just behind her.
“Hmm,” she said as she pointed out two empty seats. “You both can take a seat over there.”
I nodded and smiled at the other people at the table as Tom led me to my seat. My mouth was already watering at the delicious smells in the air. I couldn’t even remember how long it had been since I’d had a real home-cooked meal.
I took my seat and Tom sat down next to me as he turned to face the other three people at the table. “Has everyone had a chance to meet our newest recruit?” he asked as Rue took her seat beside Brady.
“No,” I started as the other men said the same.
“On the far side of the table is Elliot,” Tom started. I smiled at the youngish guy with the mop of orange hair and matching freckles. “Next to him is Ned.” Ned nodded at me. He must have been in his eighties, he had such deeply etched wrinkles. “Ned and Elliot help with the horses. Then you remember Brady,” Tom continued as I smiled at the man in question. “And that brings us to Rue.”
“Nice to meet you all,” I said as I glanced down at my plate which looked more like Thanksgiving dinner than a random night in the middle of the week dinner. “You eat like this every night?” I asked.
“Pretty much,” Rue answered.
“Rue is a pain in the rear but she can cook,” Brady grumbled although a smile turned up the ends of his lips.
“Shut up, you old fool,” Rue responded with a little fake swat to his face. “You know you need me.”
He waved a dismissive hand at her. “I guess.” Then he looked at me and winked. “She keeps this place going, and she cooks all the meals for our guests, too so I ‘spose it’s true—I do need her.”
“Well, everything smells wonderful.” I settled my napkin into place and then eyed the food on my plate, beyond eager to dig in.
Rue bowed her head and the men took their hats off. Brady quickly blessed the food and you could have knocked me over with a feather because I hadn’t been expecting this. Why? I wasn’t really sure. Maybe because we’d never bothered to say grace when I was growing up so I wasn’t used to it?
“So, Summer, what do you think of the ranch?” Ned asked.
“I think it’s great,” I answered with a smile. I noticed that Elliott didn’t look up from his food once. Maybe he was shy.
“And is the cabin to your liking?” Rue asked.
“The cabin is great.” I looked at Brady then. “Thank you.” Then I swung my gaze to Tom. “And I’m sorry about kicking you and Bob out.”
He shrugged. “As long as you don’t mind Bob coming to visit every now and again, we’re doing just fine in the apartment.”
“You met Bob, huh?” Rue asked. “She’s a sweet little thing.”
“Yes, she is,” I answered honestly. “Although she isn’t exactly little.”
Rue laughed and nodded her agreement as Ned faced me curiously. “You’re from Connecticut,” he started.
“Yes,” I replied with a smile, feeling suddenly uncomfortable because all eyes were on me.
“Well, we are glad to have you here through the summer,” Rue finished.
“Thank you,” I answered, relieved she wasn’t further digging into my past. I had to wonder if Liza had told Brady more about me than she’d said she had.
We chatted about mindless stuff for a bit longer and a strange, homey feeling settled over me. Yes, this family style thing was totally new to me but I liked it. Halfway through dinner, Brady wiped his mouth and set his napkin beside his plate. “Summer, I’m not sure how much Liza told you about Springhill and what we do here, so I’ll just start at the beginning and fill you in.”
I set my fork down and folded my hands in my lap. “Okay.”
“We’re just a plain old working ranch. I have a thousand head of cattle and for the last dozen years or so, from spring and going all the way through summer, we’ve allowed people to come visit and help out. They view it as a sort of vacation, if you will.”
That was the strangest vacation I’d ever heard of, but whatever.
“The first group is set to arrive in a week, so you’ve got a lot to do before then. Rue will help show you around the main house and give you your daily chores. I expect you to help her with whatever she needs.”
“Sure.” I’d do whatever I needed to in order to keep this job and a comfortable place for Aria.
Rue walked to the kitchen and scooped another helping of mashed potatoes onto her plate. “Your job won’t be too difficult. Just helping me in the kitchen, cleaning up and keeping people happy. Riding wears them out pretty good, so they don’t usually need much in the evenings after dinner.” She held the plate out to Brady, who took it and then she took Tom’s plate and spooned more of everything onto it. Apparently, he had a big appetite. “And I don’t ever see these two after dinner, so you’re more than welcome to ride that mare of yours tonight after we get this all cleaned up. That is, if you’re not exhausted from all that driving.”
“That would be great, thanks,” I said and meant it.
Brady sipped his beer. “As I was saying, Tom and I will gather the cows in before our guests arrive. Then, next week, we’ll push them out to
the east pasture, and I’ll let the guests help with that one.”
“Do they bring their own horses?” I asked.
Tom coughed. “God, no,” he said around a mouthful of food. “Most of them can barely ride.”
I frowned. “So, you just let beginners come ride your horses?” That was mind-boggling. I wasn’t even sure that Tom could handle Aria, and that was assuming he was a pretty good rider. Putting a beginner on Aria would be like strapping them to a loaded rocket and wishing them luck.
Tom shrugged. “They’re good horses. And we keep an eye on them so no one gets hurt.”
We finished eating and the guys left Rue and me to clean up, letting me get my first taste of how chores worked around here. After dishes, Rue gave me a tour of the house and I was impressed by the sprawling floor plan.
The main floor had a great room that was filled with squishy couches and a giant fireplace. I tried to ignore all the carcasses of deer and creatures nailed to the walls. The rustic look never was a personal favorite of mine, but everything about this place was unquestionably homey.
Rue showed me the three bedrooms downstairs and the four upstairs. There were a mix of twin beds, and bunks, definitely plenty of room for a couple of families. “How long has the ranch been a vacation spot?” I asked.
“Brady had the idea about ten years ago after his father passed away.”
“So, um, you and Brady are…”
She laughed. “Brady and I are old friends who work together.”
I didn’t pry even though I also didn’t totally believe her, but if that was the story she wanted to dish, I wasn’t going to challenge her. It wasn’t my business.
She opened a narrow door to a linen closet and counted the towel sets. “I was surprised when he hired Tom.”
At the thought that I could get some background information on Tom, I was all ears. “How long has he been here?”
“Five years now.” She looked at me intently. “He had a rough go before he got here... and he’s really found himself on the ranch.” I looked away and fidgeted as soon as I thought about my own background. “We all have scars, honey. It’s what makes us who we are.”