Instead, he found the parking lot nearly empty of the ATVs and Jeeps used for day-to-day business—where was everyone? He was later than usual, sure. He thought everyone would expect it after his long drive. Still, Ash felt deflated walking into the big empty room. His bootsteps echoed off the poured cement floor, and Gunnar and Rowdy’s offices were dark.
But with a start, Ash realized the room wasn’t as empty as he’d thought.
“There’s a dead tree in the creek, up by the gorge,” a voice said, coming from a girl behind a desk. Ash didn’t see her when he walked in; her face was half hidden by her large computer screen, which held her full attention.
He immediately recognized the yellow waves of her hair.
“You need to go clear it,” she continued, still not looking at him. “It’s blocking the drinking water for the herd. If you don’t know where it is, I’ll get you a map.”
Ash was stunned—the beautiful Bo Peep was sitting behind the desk of the ranch office!
Because she wasn’t looking up, the girl couldn’t see his delight and surprise, or the frown that quickly followed. Ash expected to at least find Gunnar and Rowdy in the ranch office to greet him on his first official morning, maybe even Gray. He didn’t need a hero’s welcome, but a welcome of any kind to his new position would have been nice.
After all, Ash didn’t have to come back to West Ranch. He could have stayed in Michigan, or anywhere in the world, for that matter. With his degree, experience, and the West name, he had job offers and ranches vying for his attention.
“You know, there’s livestock to manage right here in Michigan,” his friend Erik mentioned one day while at the lake. “It would be great to have you nearby.”
“Don’t think I’m not tempted,” Ash said, but knew he’d never not go back to Wyoming when his visit was over.
Now, a dark cloud passed through his fragile heart as he gazed at the nearly empty room—the indoor picnic tables were abandoned, and the food tables were being cleared by the kitchen staff. His brothers were nowhere to be seen and a girl who wouldn’t even look at him was barking orders, like he was a day hand.
She obviously didn’t know who he was.
“Oh, I know where it is, Bo Peep, but what makes you think I’m going to do that thankless task?” Ash asked, sounding petulant and prickly, even to his own ears.
The girl paused only a moment from clacking on her computer keyboard, then kept working. Her head was down, and she refused to give him the courtesy of a glance, but couldn’t completely hide the smile playing on the corner of her mouth.
“Bosses orders. You’re the last ranch hand to arrive. Rowdy said latecomer gets the muddy creek. Oh, and he wanted me to tell you work starts at seven, not mid-morning.”
Ranch hand! Ash thought. She doesn’t know that I’m the boss. One of them, anyway.
The girl swiveled in her chair, then stood quickly and walked towards a filing cabinet. She couldn’t see Ash’s jaw drop as he took her in.
He knew better… he knew not to judge a girl by her curves and golden hair. His brothers and sisters-in-law had drilled that into him. And yet, the way she floated with a carefree walk made him forget everything else.
Ash stood still, trying to breathe her in. She smelled like fresh air and wild clover.
“Plenty of hands looking for work this summer,” she said, finally turning towards him. “I wouldn’t be late again if I were… you. It’s you.”
The girl froze where she stood and looked mutely at Ash’s eyes—when her own eyes glazed over and began to flutter heavily. In a flash, Ash saw her knees buckle just slightly and he knew she was about to fall.
“Whoa,” he yelled, lurching forward to close the gap, catching her in his arms. Ash wrapped both hands around her torso and waist and pulled her tight to him, allowing time for her limp body to recover. He could feel her long legs trying to get purchase on the pine floor, but didn’t want to let go too soon.
The girl moaned a little and shook her head. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck like a life support ring, and gripped him tightly. Anyone walking into the office would see their embrace and think they were dancing, or sharing a lover’s first kiss—two things Ash silently added to his summer wish list.
“Hey there,” he crooned softly. “You okay?” His hands, he realized, were resting on the bare skin on her back, under the soft cotton of her shirt. Quickly forgotten was the anger he’d felt towards his family at not welcoming him today, and the growing impatience at the way this mysterious girl had bossed him around.
But why did she faint?
“Oh… wow…” With effort, she found her strength and began to pull away. “I thought I was over the altitude sickness, but I guess not. Rowdy and Gunnar warned me against making sudden moves.”
The girl laughed a little as Ash led her to an office chair, then dashed to the refrigerator to retrieve two bottles of water.
“Sip one, and I’ll hold the other on the back of your neck.”
She looked up skeptically, but reached behind her head to pull her locks over one shoulder. Dipping her head like a delicate gazelle, she offered her neck to Ash while gazing up with soft suede-brown eyes.
Ash’s hand shook as he placed the water bottle on her flawless skin. When she moaned again, Ash thought it might be his turn to lose his footing and fall to the floor.
“Second time you saved me,” she said, “I guess I should know your name.”
His mouth was dry. When he did speak, he purposely withheld his last name. She followed suit.
“Ash.”
“I’m Sassy.”
“Hi Sassy,” he recovered as she straightened her torso and inhaled deeply.
“Well, I guess the dead tree it is,” he fumbled, “if you’re okay alone, I’d better be going.”
“Want some help? I’ve been staring at this computer screen too long and could use some fresh air.”
She smiled at him, and it was the loveliest thing he’d ever seen—prettier even than a Lake Michigan sunset, or the blue of Lake Charlevoix sparkling like diamonds in the sun. Prettier than the waterfalls in the deep gorge just outside of West Gorge, or the fluttering aspen leaves in September.
“It’s going to be a muddy mess, but come along if you want…” Ash managed to say, in a voice that sounded like he was an adolescent again. But Sassy was such a surprise, and he desperately wanted to be next to her, and to talk with her. If only he trusted his own abilities. Could he drive the ATV without crashing into a boulder? Could he operate the chainsaw without cutting off his own limbs?
“Great,” Sassy said, standing slowly to gather her sunglasses and work gloves. “Rowdy told me to take breaks from the spreadsheets and tag along here and there, to get to know the operations of the ranch. I’ve gone on a few outings but the creek is new to me.”
So is this feeling. Ash could feel a herd of butterflies stampeding wildly in his stomach.
“As long as I’m spending the summer on a Wyoming ranch,” Sassy said, slipping her arm through his, “I might as well learn to be a cowgirl.”
Chapter 8
“An electrical storm swept through Chicago once, when I was an intern. One minute, the sky was blue and cloudless. The next—it was dark as night. A wind blew down the street by the hospital like it was shot out of a cannon, and shook the building. The street lights were going sideways, like this.”
Kat West flattened her hand to show her husband, Gunnar, the position of the lights. They were sitting on the deck of the ranch house eating their lunch, facing the gorge and enjoying the sunshine.
Gunnar took a sip of his iced tea as he listened.
“Needless to say,” she went on, “the storm hit hard, complete with sheets of rain, flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder.”
“Wow,” he said. “That’s a lot of weather adjectives.”
“Oh yeah, all the adjectives. But then the power went out, which completely overwhelmed the generators. In the doctor�
�s lounge, anyway. We were pretty low priority as far as emergency power went.”
“Uh huh,” Gunnar stayed with the story, though he had no idea where it was going.
“For five whole minutes, I sat in the dark,” Kat said. “I’d been checking my email at a desk in the lounge, so I just waited there. Then the lights came back on, and I put my hands on the keyboard once again… and then…”
“And then?”
“Yep,” she said theatrically, “a surge of electricity zapped my hands, and the computer started smoking!”
“Holy smokes,” Gunnar said, “a power surge? You mean to tell me the hospital didn’t have surge protectors on their shared computers?”
“I’m sure they do now,” Kat said.
“Wow, now I won’t be able to sleep tonight until I check all our surge protectors on the ranch,” Gunnar said, shaking his head, “and don’t take this wrong, Kat… but how did we get here, conversationally speaking? Weren’t we talking about the summer ranch hands Rowdy and I hired?”
“Were we?”
“Yes,” he said, “there’s the three fellas from Dirk Trainor’s old ranch, they know what they’re doing.”
“Uh huh,” Kat nodded.
“And there’s Freda Lang, plus Wayne, Red and Jackie’s nephew,” Gunnar continued.
“Wayne’s all grown up. He’s been working at Red’s BBQ empire, but wants to see what the big deal is with ranching, right?”
“That’s right,” Gunnar said. “And then there’s Sassy.”
They were silent for several seconds.
“Ah yes, Sassy.”
Kat sounded like she tasted something bad. “That’s how we got here, conversationally. When I met her at the ranch office and shook her hand, I felt that same electrical power surge as the one in Chicago.”
“Well, she is from the Midwest, come to think of it.”
“There’s something about her I don’t like, Gunnar.”
“She’s smart. Always on time or early,” he said, “and that’s good. She’s helping us wrangle some of the financial loose ends of ranch business.”
“Okay.”
“Sassy doesn’t mind hard work or getting her hands dirty, even though she’s…”
“She’s what?” Kat knew the answer, but wanted to hear Gunnar say it.
Her husband seemed to choke on his words, and Kat secretly enjoyed watching him squirm a little.
“Well, she’s awfully… she looks… she doesn’t look like a typical ranch hand, I guess.”
“She’s gorgeous,” Kat offered, and Gunnar shrugged in agreement.
“Sassy isn’t the first woman we’ve hired on the ranch, but she’s the most…”
Gunnar stumbled again.
Curvy? Smoking hot? Beautiful? Kat wondered what he was trying not to say.
“Qualified,” he said at last. “She recently graduated with a degree in business and accounting, with a minor in livestock management, same as Ash.”
“Ash!” Kat exclaimed. “That’s another thing. What kind of influence will she have on Ash, young and vulnerable as he is?”
Gunnar laughed a low rumble and took Kat’s hand.
“Sassy is young and vulnerable, too. Besides, mama bear, it’s not for us to control.”
“Maybe he won’t notice her,” Kat said, hopefully.
Just then, they turned to the sound of an ATV roaring across the sagebrush, between the ranch house and the gorge. The ATV was heading towards the creek.
The loud laughter of two people trying to be heard above the engine traveled up the cliff to where Kat and Gunnar could hear. The driver was tall, with dark hair. The passenger held one hand on her cowboy hat, with golden blond tresses flying around her face.
It was Ash and Sassy, no doubt.
“I think that four-wheel-drive has sailed,” Gunnar said.
Chapter 9
West Ranch hadn’t been looking for summer office help. Rowdy made that clear to Sassy in their first email exchange, back in the spring. But she was persistent. To his credit, Rowdy emailed her back every time.
“Send your resume and we’ll keep it on file,” he told her.
Like a dog with a bone, she sent Rowdy a note every few days, hoping to wear him down. “I need work experience more than money. Maybe you would consider a low-paid internship,” she countered. “I can help manage the office, and shadow the hands when possible. I have a fancy new degree and zero ranch experience.”
“Here at West Ranch, we believe men and women should be paid fairly for their work, so I can’t agree to those terms,” Rowdy replied.
“Another reason to join the team. Your work ethic is refreshing,” Sassy countered, trying a little flattery.
“Other ranches might be hiring, I can put in a good word,” he’d offered.
“But West Ranch is the biggest and the best, and I’d rather not settle.”
At last, Rowdy relented and offered her a summer position in the office. “We do have a few loose ends that need tying up. Our on-site bookkeeper left suddenly for a family emergency. I’ve been picking up the slack, but numbers aren’t my strong suit—forgive the pun. Perhaps you can help us out, and I can get back on the range.”
“That sounds perfect,” Sassy told Rowdy with great relief. She’d been trying to keep the desperation from her tone, not wanting to tell him, or anybody, her real reason for coming to West Ranch.
Not yet.
Rowdy wouldn’t let her anywhere near the ranch if he knew, she was sure. Now that she was here, she told herself to just be cool, and lay low until the time was right. And for goodness sakes, push any thoughts of that young, handsome Ash into the background.
He’s not making it easy, Sassy thought to herself as he drove the ATV towards the creek.
Every time she was in a little bit of trouble, there he was. Like earlier, when she got up too quickly to walk to the filing cabinets. Sassy figured the worst of the dizziness was past, until she found herself in the very capable arms of the new summer ranch hand.
“This high mountain altitude takes some getting used to,” he said.
Rowdy cautioned Sassy about the same thing a few weeks earlier, when she wondered aloud why she felt glued to her swivel chair.
“My legs feel so heavy, like I can’t stand,” she half laughed, half whined to Rowdy. Instantly, she was sorry to have mentioned any of her body parts—Sassy liked to stay under the radar as much as possible. Her “natural beauty,” as her mama called it, was like a bright lantern she tried to keep doused.
“Takes a while. Drink a lot of water,” Rowdy advised.
Ash was also the one who rescued her the day before, when she was stranded. And all Sassy knew about him was his first name.
Gunnar and Rowdy weren’t any help. Earlier that morning, they simply said one more ranch hand was expected. “We’ll find some thankless job for him, as a welcome,” Gunnar told Rowdy, and the two smiled wicked grins.
What she did know what that he was a lot better looking standing in front of her desk than he appeared on the deserted road. And even more handsome—devastating, really—holding her after catching her. With his arms around her waist, she got the full affect; the kindness and concern in his eyes, the highlights in his dark hair, the dimple that appeared in his cheek when he moved the muscles in his jaw, and even the scent of his morning shower.
He smelled good. But everyone on the ranch did first thing in the morning. Once he started hauling the felled tree from the creek, with the hot sun beating down, that good smell would be gone in no time.
Smiling, Sassy thought back to the day before, when she sat on the trunk of her car and tried not to laugh as Ash shepherded the sheep off the road, so a tow truck could reach her.
“Shoo! Shoo!” he called, trying to gently prod their hind quarters with his makeshift staff from a fallen tree limb.
Maaa maaa, they called back in protest, digging their hooves into the asphalt and gravel.
“Come on boys, work
with me here. The pretty lady has to get to town, and I have to get home.” He sounded so sincere when he spoke, Sassy found herself rooting for him.
Surprisingly, the sheep responded to his heartfelt plea, and so did she. It wasn’t the first time a man had called her pretty, far from it. But it sounded different coming from the mouth of this very young man—it was pure and sweet, as if he’d never said “pretty lady” before in his life.
The way the boy spoke the words sounded just a little bit sacred to Sassy, and something near her heart squeezed tightly.
Once he had the road cleared, Tig’s Tow truck came over the hill. He greeted the driver as an old friend, and gestured to Sassy, who had put clothes on over her bikini. Then he tipped his hat to her and got in his truck to wait and follow. And he was gone.
Until this morning.
Chapter 10
“Are you sure you know where the creek is?”
Sassy turned to talk to Ash as he guided the ATV across West land. She held one hand on the top of her cowgirl hat, while the other held tight to the ATV’s grab bar to steady her on the bumpy ride.
“It’s my first day, but not my first summer at West Ranch,” Ash disclosed, still elusive about who he was. He smiled over at Sassy as she grinned in happiness, at the beautiful sunny day, no doubt. He wanted to keep his identity from her as long as possible so she could form her own opinions of him, separate from the West family.
Sitting so close to Sassy, Ash felt the weight of his name—a name he was still growing into. Sure, he joined the Wests at community events, and took part in board meetings for the foundation. He weighed in on decisions that would affect the family and the growth of the ranch—buy this property or that; donate which acres to the town; where to develop?
But today he understood for the first time the ramifications of being an owner of the ranch—the ranch that happened to hire the prettiest girl in the world as a summer intern.
Sassy Cowgirl Kisses: A Sweet Romance (A West Brothers Romance Book 5) Page 3