“I wouldn’t see how beef cattle could survive out here. Or any cattle for that matter.”
“Where’d you say you were from?”
“Houston.”
“Well then you should know the story of the longhorns. They are a hearty bunch. I swear, they can live off nothin’ for a hell of a long time. The Youngs have some great pasture land they cultivated over the years to be able to run the cattle on.”
“Interesting.”
“If you want to know ranch life, go stay out at their place.”
“I think I will.”
“Stay away from Jeff though. Talk to the other boys. They love the women, they do.”
“Great. A bunch of bachelors, huh?”
“Yep, except for the one now. But a pretty woman like you should be able to get information out of them easy enough.”
“Thank you for the compliment, George.”
George shrugged and grinned a wide tobacco stuffed grin. “Just sayin’.”
They pulled into the parking lot in front of the surveyor’s office. George came around to open her door as she grabbed her briefcase and purse from the floor. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome, ma’am. I’ll get things together and have the report for you by five tomorrow evenin’ if that works for you.”
“Perfect. I’m going to check out Thunder Ridge on the computer in my hotel room. I’ll probably be stayin’ out there by tomorrow evening so if you could, call my cell and leave me a message when it’s ready.”
“Sure.” He tipped his hat. “Talk to you tomorrow then.”
After a quick nod to George, she walked to her car and hit the key fob in her hand to open the back. She slipped her things into the trunk, then slammed the lid closed.
“Now for some dinner.” The diner sat across the street from the surveyor’s office. “Great. Maybe I can find out some information from the waitress at the diner. They usually love to talk and if she’s relation to the owner’s wife, she’d probably be more than willing to chat with me if I tell her I’m thinking of stay out there.”
The bell over the door tinkled as she pushed it open. The place seemed quiet. Great. Much easier to talk.
“Take a seat anywhere.”
“Thank you.”
She found a booth near the back.
“What can I get you to drink?”
“Um, how about a Coke?”
“Sure. The menu is by the napkins there. We have meatloaf on special today with mashed potatoes, green beans and fresh bread.”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful. I’ll take it.”
“I’ll be right back with your drink.” The waitress walked away as Terri studied her. Dark hair pulled back in a tight bun at the back of her head made her features sharp. Long straight nose and high cheekbones spoke of a Native American heritage somewhere down the lineage. The woman was stunning.
When she returned a few moments later with her drink, Terri asked, “Might you be Ann?”
“Yes’m. What can I do for you?”
“My name is Terri Kennedy and I’d like to know about Thunder Ridge Guest Ranch. Can you help me?”
“Certainly, sweetie. My sister and her husband own the place. You won’t find a better time if you’re lookin’ for some real cowboyin’ and ranch life.”
“Great.”
“You ain’t from around here, huh?”
“How can you tell?”
“The clothes for one. You dress like a city girl, but you have a Texas accent.”
“You caught me. I’m from Houston. I’m here on a little business, but I wanted some authentic cowboy exposure.”
“You ain’t gettin’ it in Houston?”
“I live in the city. There are a few ranches around, but I wanted to see what the Hill Country cowboy ranches are like.”
“You’ll get in out there for sure.”
“Sounds like a great recommendation.”
The bell dinged behind the counter. “Be right back. Your dinner is ready.”
Terri sipped on her Coke while she waited for Ann to bring back her plate. There were a few other patrons in the place, but they all looked like they belonged there. Wow, did she feel out of place.
“Here ya go.”
“Looks fabulous, Ann. Thank you. Do you run this place all by yourself?”
“For the most part. I have a couple of girls who help during the rushes and the cook, but otherwise, it’s mostly me. I worked the late shift today so I could be at my nephew’s weddin’ this afternoon.”
“Oh, yes. George told me one of the boys out there got married today.”
“George?”
Shit. I need to keep my big mouth shut if I plan to pass this off as a simple trip and not arouse suspicion. “Yes.”
“Scott? The land guy?”
“He helped me out on the back road. I got stuck. He must have been out there doing some surveying or something.”
“Seems we’ve had quite of bit of city folk gettin’ stuck out on the back roads. Runnin’ out of gas and such.” Ann’s eyes narrowed and her lips firmed into a straight line.
“Oh?” She needed to be careful or her cover would be blown before she got started.
“Yeah. It’s how Joel met his bride. She ran out of gas back there near their ranch.”
“How utterly romantic. The cowboy rides away with the girl on the back of his horse.”
“Hey, Annie? Can we get some more coffee?”
“Hold your drawers on, Mick. I’ll be right there.” She glanced down at Terri with a smile. “Enjoy your dinner. I’ll check on you in a bit. Holler if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The meatloaf melted on her tongue. She’d never tasted anything so good in her entire life. Within minutes, she’s wolfed down her entire dinner and licked the fork clean.
“You must have been hungry,” Ann said, bringing her another Coke.
“Apparently. You’d think I was starving or something, but you made the best meatloaf I’ve ever tasted.”
“Thank you. My cook does most of the meal prep, but I still do a few things myself. The meatloaf is one of them.”
“It’s fabulous.”
“I love someone who appreciates good food.”
“My stomach loves you.” She grabbed her wallet. “Here’s a twenty. Keep the change for such fantastic service and food.” With her purse in hand, she scooted out of the booth. “I’ve got a reservation to make for the ranch tomorrow night.” She hugged Ann. “Thank you again. You’ve been great.”
“You’re very welcome. I hope you come by again before you head for home.”
“Definitely! I wouldn’t miss it.”
Terri pushed open the door, catching the fragrance of lilies hanging in the baskets near the front of the diner. A cool evening breeze had worked its way up, bringing the temperature of the day to a tolerable level. Rain clouds threatened and she knew enough about the weather to know it would storm soon. She loved thunderstorms but getting caught in one in the middle of Texas Hill Country wasn’t a great idea. Flash floods happened regularly although she doubted they had them in town. It was the outlying areas that had to worry more.
She drove her car to the small motel, which wasn’t much, but it was clean and homey. She liked the room with its wrought iron bed, homemade quilt and fantastic lacy curtains. It reminded her of her grandmother.
As she opened the door, the cooler air of the room hit her in the face. Now, the temperature seemed almost cold. She quickly turned the thermostat down. A bath would be nice. Her suitcase lay open on the bed with all of the clothing she’d brought for her two week stay in Bandera. She might have to check out the western wear store in town to see if she could find something not so citified. They had faded jeans these days. Maybe she wouldn’t stick out so much. She glanced at her boots. She needed to go walk in some mud with them or something. Scuff them up a bit so they didn’t look so new.
J
eff’s boots looked well worn.
“What the hell made me think of him? He’s difficult, cranky, egotistical, and he’s going to be a pain in my ass. I just know it.”
She grabbed her pajamas before she headed toward the bathroom for a nice long soak. She’d even found some bubble bath in the bathroom when she’s checked in so she could have bubbles, hot water…ah. Relaxing. She needed it after her week at work, the long trip from Houston to San Antonio in her car and being threatened with jail because of where she stood.
“Enough! I don’t need to think of him. I’m sure I’ll be dealing with him soon enough when I show up at his family’s place. My stay should be interesting.”
Chapter Two
The next morning Terri packed her suitcase, stuffed it into the trunk and headed back out to where she’d been the day before with George. The country was beautiful in the bright sunlight of the fall. Texas junipers dotted the landscape along with a multitude of rocks, brush and flowers. They sure had a different type of shrubbery than she had in Houston.
City blocks with its skyscrapers reaching for the heavens from every angle, left something to be desired most of the time.
She’d grown up in a small suburb of Houston and enjoyed the camaraderie of knowing her neighbors. Her high school had a small class and when she’d gone away to college in Houston, it had been a culture shock. The classes were huge. Teachers didn’t know the students names and the campus stretched for miles.
The many years she’d spent studying for her architecture degree stretched on and on. Oh, she’d made friends, but it wasn’t the same. She really wished some days, she had a close friend to just talk with, call on the phone or have lunch with.
She’d been working freelance for herself since she left her first job out of college two years ago. It was great working for herself, especially when she had a multi-million dollar account hanging in the balance like this one for the developers, but lately her existence seemed lonely, even to her.
At thirty years old, she really needed to quit jumping around so much. Her parents wanted her to settle down and raise a family, but she hadn’t found the guy she wanted to settle down with yet.
She’d had a couple of boyfriends over the years too, but nothing serious. No one could live up to what she had in mind for her forever love. The man she had in mind had dark hair, pretty blue or gray eyes, a kick-ass smile and a killer body. He needed to be the same age as her or a little older. He’d have a great job. Some money saved. Maybe even a retirement plan.
A giggle escaped her mouth. Didn’t she just have it all planned out even though she had no prospects of a boyfriend, much less someone to settle down with.
The gate to Thunder Ridge came into view. She hit the buzzer on the com when she drove up to the stone pillar.
“Can I help you?”
“Terri Kennedy. I’m a guest.”
“Thank you.”
The wrought iron bars slowly slid open. Interesting.
Several longhorn cattle grazed in the distance. A large home could be seen behind the trees as she drove up the long driveway. Several smaller cabins stood to the right when she pulled up in front of a three foot wall that separated the drive from the walkways. “What a cool set of buildings.” A huge barn stood off to the back and she could see several cowboys walking around the corral. It looked like they were about to take a group of guests out on a ride. She’d have to take one while she stayed here. It’d been years since she’d been on a horse.
“Ma’am?”
A gorgeous looking cowboy stopped at her door. Dark hair framed his face and he had the most amazing blue eyes she’d ever seen. They reminded her of crystal blue water like you see in the pictures of the Caribbean. She opened her door. “Hello.”
“Can I help you with your luggage?”
“I only have one suitcase, but if you’d like to grab it out of the back, I’ll get my computer case. Thank you.”
“My pleasure, ma’am.”
“And you are?”
“Joshua, ma’am.”
“Damn you make me feel old with the ma’am stuff.”
He tipped his hat. “Sorry. It’s part of how I was raised, ma’am.”
“Thank God for cowboys,” she murmured.
“Ma’am?”
“Oh, nothing.” Joshua put her suitcase near the door of the car as she grabbed her briefcase and computer bag from the backseat. “Can you tell me where to check-in?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take you in there.”
“Thank you.”
She followed the gorgeous cowboy up the walkway to the side door made of wood. The damn thing must weigh a ton. He pushed it open and preceded her inside. “Follow me.” They walked through what appeared to be a huge dining room with several wooden picnic type tables and one huge table at the front of the room. A staircase sat to the back leading up to what she assumed would be the guestrooms in the main lodge. This is where George said they had ghosts. She looked around quickly, but didn’t see anything. Stupid. Like they show themselves in the daytime!
“Ma?” Joshua yelled. “I have a guest with me.”
“I’m in the office.”
“Follow me, please.” He led her around the coffee station, through a large archway and into the hallway where she could see an office to the back of the room. “Here you go.”
“Thank you, Joshua. I think I can handle it from here.”
“All right. This is my mother, Nina. She handles the guest registration.” Joshua set her suitcase against the wall.
“Terri Kennedy,” she said, holding out her hand to shake Nina’s.
“It’s nice to meet you, Terri. Welcome to Thunder Ridge.” Nina glanced at the card on her desk. “I have you in one of the outside guest cabins for a two week stay. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“Great. I just need your credit card and we’ll get your key.” Nina glanced at Josh. “You can go back to work now, son. I can show Terri where she’ll be stayin’.”
“Uh, sure.” Josh looked back as he walked down the hall and ran into the doorframe.
She giggled as he turned beet red.
“He’s a good man. You seemed to have turned his head.”
“Apparently.”
“What are you hoping to accomplish while you stay here, Terri?”
Shit! Did she somehow find out about what I’m really doing here? “Just some hometown cowboying and ranch life.”
“You have a Texas accent. Where are you from?”
“Houston.”
“They don’t have dude ranches there?”
“Well yes, but I wanted to come out to Hill Country and snoop around a bit. I’d love to talk to some of your sons about the cowboy way of life. I hear you have nine?”
“Ah yes, my sons. I’m sure they’d love to spend time with you. A pretty woman always gets their attention. They enjoy talkin’ about ranch life.”
“Perfect. I need to make some notes on different things about the ranch too. The soil, the water, the plants…you know.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Um, I’m a conservationist.”
“We have some very interestin’ things on our land. I’m sure you’d love to explore. I could probably even convince one of the boys to take you out ridin’ if you like to ride, so they could show you around the property.”
“Absolutely, Nina. Thank you.”
“We’ll let you get settled in your room. Lunch is at twelve-thirty and dinner is at six. We ring the dinner bell outside and inside so you should hear it anywhere you are.” Nina handed her the copy of her receipt and her key. “Follow me. I’ll show you where your room is.”
She followed Nina out the main doors and to the left. Two small cabins set off a little ways from the main lodge, each with two doors on them.
“Each cabin has two separate rooms that are connected by a door, but it will be locked between you and any other guests who might rent the room across from you. It’s empty at the mom
ent.” They reached the door to the cabin. “I hope you’ll be comfortable.”
“I’m sure I will. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. See you at lunch.”
Terri opened the door so she could wheel her suitcase inside. Glad she packed light, she hoped they had laundry facilities or she’d be without clean clothes within a few days. The double-sized bed took up most of the middle of the room with its wooden headboard. The patchwork quilt was beautiful. Small bedside tables graced each side of the bed and a small doorway to the left looked like the bathroom. She’d have to check it out in a minute. Against the wall sat a small couch which looked like it might pull out into a bed too. The whole room would probably sleep four adults comfortably. A small window looked out over the front yard of the main lodge and the swimming pool. If the pool was heated, she might partake of the water. She’d have to ask.
The clouds overhead promised cooler weather than the day before. Fall in the Hill Country could be unpredictable with rain or cold temperatures. The high today called for the seventies, which suited her just fine.
She quickly put her clothes in the wooden dresser against the wall, noting which ones needed washing. The more casual clothes she’s brought would probably suit out here better than anything else she had. She might get away with not being called a city girl.
The lunch bell clanged in the distance, calling her to the main lodge. She sucked in a ragged breath and blew it out on a sigh. It was now or never.
She crossed the yard with slow, deliberate steps. Would he be in there eating? She didn’t know whether the family ate with the guests or not. She hoped he wouldn’t be because he would totally blow her cover if he saw her.
When she opened the door, she was met with utter chaos or what looked to be a chaotic area. A bunch of guests had gathered in the room formerly empty. Probably thirty people stood in line to get their lunch from the five people serving over the hot plates. She swallowed hard looking toward the gathering of people as she slowly made her way toward the back of the line.
“I just love it here, don’t you?” an older woman asked her friend standing in front of Terri.
“Oh yes. It’s fabulous! Everyone is so nice. The cowboys are sweet as can be, but then again, it could be because we’re old ladies. They were definitely taught their manners by their momma.”
Healing a Cowboy's Heart (Cowboy Dreamin' 2) Page 2