He was giving Zander a chance to explain which most men wouldn’t. Any other man would have punched first, asked questions second – if at all.
Embarrassed, Zander stepped back from Stefanie – now he knew for sure who she was – with his hands raised palms out. “I... I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to flirt. I’m just trying to help.”
“Well, I can see how it would be confusing on her availability.” Drake approached Stefanie and took her left hand in his. “Stef, you promised you’d start wearing the ring. I didn’t buy that huge rock for you to leave it by the sink.” He spoke to her with deference as if she were the most precious thing to him.
Stefanie rolled her eyes, but nodded. “I know. Do you think I can get a plain band for working around here, though? I’m scared I’m going to lose that ring.” She scrunched her lips to the side.
“Of course. Whatever you want.” Drake leaned forward and kissed his wife’s forehead. He glanced toward the other woman Zander wasn’t ready to acknowledge as Hannah. “Hannah, did you need anything else before I let the rest of the hands in? I heard the bell, but I wanted to make sure before we converged on you.”
“I’m good. Thanks, Drake. Zander here has been helping me.” She didn’t look directly at Zander nor did she point out that they’d had a very to the point conversation.
How did he look to her now? Like he was the type to move from woman to woman probably. Great. She was exactly the one he wanted, and could even admit to a strong attraction to her and he had just pushed himself backward on his path to getting her affections.
Why hadn’t she been available? She’d claimed she wasn’t available. That was disturbing and more than a little worrisome. Did that mean she was already taken? Had he gotten there too late? Had he lost his chances with her and the family?
Zander smiled and nodded his head as he followed Drake from the kitchen and onto the veranda-style deck. A good number of the crew was already out there waiting. The setting could have been at a popular restaurant as the white tables and metal chairs overlooked a quaintly arranged garden and lawn. The house settled in sight but as if it too had grown from the ground and belonged there with the mountains in the distance as its backdrop.
Long shadows stretched the fields around them from the tree covered hills rising from the edges of the property and a soft breeze carried with it the promise of a warm evening. The western side of the state favored the scent of pine and alfalfa while Zander’s side of the state bore a subtler flavor in the air of wheat and sun.
As the men lined up to go through the buffet of delicious smelling food, Zander shuffled along with his plate, scooping from the dishes and arranging the food as he went. The golden gravy had to have been created by a magician as it had been sitting out for a while and no congealing had taken place.
As getting through the line took time, Zander continued studying his surroundings. He’d been behind the barn for the most part, getting acquainted with the tools and tasks they’d be expected to perform on a daily basis.
The house had no rundown look to it. Nathan had described Bella Acres with fondness and an aching longing, but he’d described a falling apart porch, trim that hadn’t been replaced in years, broken and cracked windows, peeling paint on everything, and a general desiccation of a well-loved ranch.
Drake had done wonders with the place and Zander could see how Drake and Stefanie were the better option for the home to so many people. Only three people lived there, but according to Nathan, everyone gathered at Bella Acres often because it was like the Montana Trails’ home base of sorts.
How long had Nathan been away? He’d never given a date or any real indication of time. Sure, he’d been with Zander at the ranch for a year now, but how long before that? His description of Hannah’s personality had been way off. Somehow Nathan had mixed up his sisters. While that change had been more in Zander’s favor than he’d wanted, at least in the long term since he was attracted to the real Hannah and not the sister-in-law he’d thought, it still put a twist into his plans.
A woman who was shy and waiting for love, waiting for her turn to get married and settle down had been the foundation in Zander’s plan to woo and marry her within six weeks.
Her determined declaration that she wasn’t interested or available complicated things. Especially, if what she said was the truth.
He needed more time to consider the situation. Calling and discussing things with Nathan was out of the question. Nathan had no idea Zander was there at his home. That was a secret Zander planned on keeping to himself for as long as possible.
Through the line, Zander grabbed a glass of lemon water with utensils and a napkin. Sitting at a side table, he dug into his dinner on his plate, taking bites of chicken and mashed potatoes in turn. As the complementary tastes astounded his taste buds, Zander slowed down to enjoy the meal more.
He’d met Hannah and she was nothing like Nathan had described. Add to that the lack of information on Hannah’s talent in the kitchen and Nathan might have been gone longer than Zander had assumed.
The cell phone he kept in his back pocket buzzed against his rear hip. The only calls he got to that number were from his foreman and only in an emergency. Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Zander stood, tucking his napkin beneath his plate and nodding at the other hand who had claimed a spot at the table. “I’ll be back, can you make sure no one moves my plate?”
The hand nodded as he tore into the white flesh of the chicken. If anyone was going to take Zander’s plate, it was probably going to be that guy.
Zander stood, leaving his plate in the care of a man who hadn’t brought a napkin or a drink with him to the table. Stepping around to the side of the barn, Zander kept the volume of his voice low.
Putting on his boss hat after trying to adapt to the employee role was a bit of a switch.
“Tommy, how goes it?” He stared off into the fading light as the sun dipped below the ridge. The colors astounded the mind, but Zander didn’t have time to dwell on the beauty of the place.
“Hey, Alex. I just wanted to touch base with you about some issues coming up this week. Also, a few of the buyers wanted to come in three weeks to check the horses, but they wanted to see you.” Tommy was upbeat but to the point. He was one of the best foremen Zander had ever watched work at Silver Spoons Ranch – either for him or for his father.
And Tommy called him Alex – the name his father had chosen for him to go by since Zander was the third in a line of Alexanders. His father, Alexander the Second, went by Al. His father, the first, went by Alex. Zander’s father had wanted that tradition carried forward as well, calling Zander Alex from the time he was a small child.
It had stuck until Zander had decided to branch out in search of the family he wanted. Things were changing and Zander had to make sure they changed the direction he wanted and not the direction someone else did.
He kicked the dirt at his feet. “Well, let them know it’s six weeks or I’ll look elsewhere for buyers. I’m selling to them as a favor. I can still go to auction.” He wasn’t going to cut his time at Bella Acres unless the world fell down around him. “I’m going to need every minute I can get here.”
“I understand, sir. With the new hires we’ve topped one-hundred-twenty-one. I’ve accepted Nathan as my second and I appreciate the suggestion. He seems to be steady and the men follow his direction well. I’ll call you Friday with an update.” Tommy didn’t voice his misgivings again about the time frame or about Zander being gone. He had spoken his mind when Zander had brought it up, concerned that it was the middle of the high season and Tommy needed Zander there. “There is that other matter we need to discuss about the gelding...”
Once Zander had said it was the only time to get hired on at a small ranch like Bella Acres and he’d explained his goal, Tommy had nodded and agreed, offering to give references to help. Tommy had been with the family long enough, he thought of Zander as a son. The feeling was mutual. Tommy also constantly prodded Zander
to find a wife. Since that was the goal of this trip, Tommy didn’t argue with its necessity. He wanted Zander married and more Strong generations reared at the ranch.
He sucked up his opposition to Zander’s ways to get it done which was a good thing. Zander had a specific goal to win Hannah’s heart before he left to go back to his life. The new developments would create a harder task and Zander needed every moment he could grasp.
Hopefully, Hannah’s determined disinterest dissolved under his courting her. Zander needed her to go along with him and fall hard and fast.
So far, Zander wasn’t starting out well.
Chapter 5
Hannah
Cleaning up was Hannah’s least favorite part, but she almost didn’t care that night. The faster the night went by the better. Picking up the mess and taking care of the kitchen was guaranteed to pass time. She really didn’t want to go into the house only to sit around talking with Stefanie while the letter acted like the Tell-Tale Heart and mocked her from her room. At least out in the bunkhouse, she had a distraction and no letter under the same roof to dwell on.
She dipped her hands into the hot soapy water and claimed one of the large pans she’d used to braise the chicken. The dishwasher hummed beside her filled with dinner plates and other smaller items. Cleaning the large pans by hand was faster than waiting for the load in the washer to finish.
Stefanie had opted not to go inside either, choosing instead to stay with Hannah and clean. She leaned close to Hannah’s right side, wiping a wet large platter with the dishcloth in her hands. “The new hand is pretty good looking.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Hannah and straightened, waiting for a reaction.
Hannah sighed, but didn’t let the not-so-subtle hint rile her. “He sure is, and he’s pining for you. Want me to set something up there?” Her teasing tone wasn’t as strong as it should’ve been. There was more than a little jealousy that once again Hannah had been looked over – even though she’d said she wasn’t interested, that didn’t mean he had to give up so fast. Why couldn’t he have put forth a little more effort?
Maybe that’s what she was looking for in the love department, someone who wouldn’t give up at the slightest hint of trouble, or even at the worst storm of their lives. Maybe she needed consistency and determination. Maybe... maybe she needed someone to be interested first.
Nathan had run from the family after giving everything he had in himself to give to his wife, Emma. She’d... died and he’d left. He had emptied so much of himself into fighting her illness, fighting the impending loss that she accepted but he wouldn’t, he had nothing left to give his family. He didn’t even have enough to grieve properly.
As he’d ridden away on his horse, Hannah’s heart had shattered into so many pieces, she’d promised not to look for a love that was so strong it ripped one’s soul from their body with the loss.
Hannah needed someone who wasn’t going anywhere. Whose loyalty was stronger and more lasting than even grief. True, Nathan hadn’t left the person he’d fallen in love with, but what would he have done if Emma had been able to have children and Emma had died? What then? Would Nathan have abandoned them, like he’d abandoned Hannah and Stefanie?
She’d always thought Nate was a different type of man, until he’d left. Now, Hannah wasn’t sure there was that type of man anywhere.
Stefanie finished drying the last dish Hannah had placed in the racks and set it to the side. She thrust her hand on her hip and tilted her head toward Hannah. “You’re not going to find happiness sitting here upset with Nate and holding a grudge, Hannah. No one can make you happy. You have to choose to be that way on your own, you know? You have to take the steps to be happy. Waiting for someone else to come along and fix everything is a long time to be miserable, because no one can fix that but you.”
Hannah huffed at the prodding. “Yeah, except I’m not miserable,” That was a lie. “And I’m not interested in anyone. Stef, not being interested in any of the cowboys that ride through here isn’t me choosing to be unhappy. It’s me looking out for me. I have other dreams. I don’t want to fall in love. There’s too much involved and I want to focus on other things.” Not that she was close to falling for Zander or anyone else. Plus, Zander wasn’t an option. He’d been more interested in her unavailable sister than in her.
Hannah wasn’t meant to find love and she was just secure enough with herself to be fine with that.
All that aside, that was the closest she’d come to telling Stefanie about her dreams to leave Bella Acres. Stefanie’s potential reaction to the full declaration held Hannah back from any true confessions. If Stefanie didn’t agree with Hannah’s decisions, she wouldn’t support her and she would do everything she could to change Hannah’s mind.
Hannah didn’t need that. She needed to be able to hold on with her tenuous grasp to her dreams. She couldn’t afford to let anyone stomp on them or make them seem smaller than they were. She held off telling Stefanie. She held off telling anyone.
Placing the last pan on the rack, Hannah pulled the plug to the sink and wiped down the backsplash behind the faucet and the counter space. She ignored her sister’s wondering expression and yawned. “It’s been a long day. Thanks for your help. I’m gonna gather eggs and close up the chickens. See you inside.” She offered a tight smile to her sister, but didn’t linger.
Lectures from Stefanie were the last thing that would boost Hannah’s nerves. What if she didn’t get into the school after declaring her independence? She was honestly afraid her determination to set out on her own in search of her own dreams would dim.
Hannah doubted Stefanie even really heard what Hannah had said.
She opened the door, exhaling and then breathing in the crisp cooling off of the summer air. It was still early enough in the season that when the sun went down the temperature cooled dramatically. The early summer evenings were Hannah’s favorite and she had no problem taking her time to get her evening chores done.
Stepping onto the deck, Hannah dismounted the stairs in the direction of the coop. Then she stopped, turning back to the barn. She’d forgotten to return the egg basket to the coop earlier that morning.
Rounding the building, she came up short as she found Zander facing away from her with a cell phone held to his ear. “...cut the deal. I don’t want to mess with her development. If they can’t wait, then they don’t need her. She’s too spirited to push like that.” He waited a moment, leaning his head back and placing his hand on his other hip. “Yes, thank you, Tommy. I’ll check in with you in a few days.”
He hung up the phone, sighing as he turned, tucking the small device into his pant pocket. Glancing up, he paused as he took in her presence. His eyes widened and he watched her as if she’d caught him doing drugs or stealing. After a moment, something shifted in his gaze and he pierced her with conviction. Conviction. What did he have to be so assured about?
She swallowed, taken aback by the look of confidence in his gaze. Hannah motioned over her shoulder. “Um, I forgot the chicken basket... um. Excuse me.” She stepped around him, discomfited by his commanding presence. Why hadn’t she noticed even more of that in the kitchen? He gave orders on the phone like he’d been meant to. Seeing him taking directions from Drake would seem unnatural at this point. Even Drake didn’t have the magnetism exuding from this man.
“Hannah.” Zander inclined his head, taking off his hat and tucking it under his arm.
“Zander.” She avoided his gaze and retrieved the egg basket from the hook just inside the door. She returned on her original path to the coop, sidestepping Zander again as she passed, ignoring him on that route. She wasn’t sure what else to say to him that she hadn’t already said. Plus, she’d been adamant in her refusal to be interested or even available. What more did he want? What more did she want?
He fell into step a couple feet behind her, the rustle of his boots on the medium-length grass mixing with her breathing. Did she turn and talk to him or act like he wasn’t there?
The chicken were just lining up in the run to head into the coop. Hannah paused beside the door and waited, the basket swinging indolently from her fingers.
“Is this your garden?” Zander’s polite tone didn’t bring out the bristling his flirting had. He stepped closer to her, but not enough to invade her space.
She glanced at him quickly for a clue as to what his goal was. She wasn’t going to make it so he could see Stefanie. Hannah wasn’t that type of bridge. He could just forget it.
But there was a sincerity in his face that suggested he really was interested in the answer to his question.
She spoke quietly, suddenly nervous about the topic and sharing too much. “It is now. It was my sister-in-law’s. Before that, my mom’s.”
“Stefanie’s?” Zander lifted a leg and rested his boot on the lower rung of the newer chicken run fence. That fence could support his leg’s weight. The garden fence would have buckled under anything other than a light rain.
Hannah laughed, shaking her head. “No. Stefanie is my sister. Emma was my sister-in-law, but... she’s not anymore.” He’d brought up Stefanie which could mean he was trying to get information about her, or he was trying to be unembarrassed by the incident before dinner.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I should’ve known you were sisters. You look so much alike.” He ignored the sharp look Hannah shot him as she checked for teasing or flirting. Holding his hat still, he ran his empty hand through his hair. Dark wavy curls moved around and then fell under the weight of his thick hair to its original position albeit slightly less pressed against his skull.
Lost Trails Page 3