Poked

by Naomi Niles

  “And Melissa can come out to the ranch any time she wants, as well,” I said. “Same goes for you two, by the way.”

  “I’ve been itching to ride since we moved, so we'll take you up on that one of these days,” Greg replied. “See you soon, Chance. And it was great to meet you, Mackenzie.”

  “It was lovely to meet you too,” Mackenzie said.

  We walked out of their house, and then Mackenzie and Cassie started to talk.

  “Well hey there, Cassie,” Mackenzie said with a big smile on her face. “You are so pretty, you know that?”

  Cassie smiled shyly. “You're really pretty too. Are you daddy's friend?”

  Mackenzie laughed. “Yes. Your daddy and I are friends.”

  “Do you wanna come to our house? I can show you my dolls,” Cassie said.

  “Why, that would be lovely!”

  “We got horses too! Daddy can ride a horse; he's real good at riding horses. And I'm gonna get a pony for Christmas, then I'll be able to ride a horse too! Can you ride horses?”

  “It's been many years, but I used to ride when I was a little girl.”

  “Did you?” I asked, interrupting their conversation.

  “I did, yeah. We had an uncle who had a small bit of land outside of town, and he had two old horses that my brother and I used to ride every once in a while.”

  “Well, like my lil' pumpkin said, you should come out to the ranch sometime. I've got plenty of horses. We can take a ride around the ranch, I can give you the grand tour.”

  “That would be lovely.”

  “Well... seeing as it's the weekend, what are you doing later?”

  “I have to spend some time with my family – you know, since my dad isn't doing too well at the moment. But, tomorrow might be good. Do you have any free time tomorrow?”

  “Even if I didn’t, I'd gladly make time. How about lunch on the ranch? We can do some riding in the morning, and then fix up something nice to eat. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds perfect,” she replied with a smile that made me want to kiss her all over again.

  I couldn't help smiling too – I was really looking forward to this.

  “Great! I can pick you up around nine in the morning if that works for you. The ranch can be a lil' tricky to find if you don't know the way.”

  “Nine sounds good,” she agreed.

  “So, we'll call it a date, huh?”

  She laughed. “Yes, we will. And no interrupting phone calls or excessive charges on someone else's card this time, right?”

  I chuckled. “Nope, none of that.”

  “What are you guys talking about?” Cassie asked.

  I ruffled her hair and grinned. “Mackenzie is gonna come over to the ranch tomorrow. That's what we're talking about.”

  Cassie beamed out an ear-to-ear smile. “Yay! I like Mackenzie! Do you wanna play with my dolls tomorrow, Mackenzie?”

  “That would be fun, Cassie. I'm looking forward to seeing your dolls,” she replied.

  “All right, well it's a date then. Let me take you back to your car now.”

  We drove back to the parking lot where Mackenzie had left her car. We kissed briefly as we parted – not too passionately, as I didn't want to do that in front of Cassie – and then I drove away, feeling like a million bucks.

  The Next Day

  As I pulled up outside Mackenzie's house, I glanced in my rear-view mirror to check my reflection. I ran my fingers through my hair and checked my face from either side. Convinced that I was looking as put together as possible, I was about to get out and walk to her door when she came out wearing a checked shirt, a pair of jeans that showed off the delicious curves of her legs, thighs and hips, and a pair of boots. A shiver of excitement tore through me as she sashayed toward me in those form-fitting jeans.

  I got out of the truck, walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for her, as a good gentleman should. As she reached me, she leaned forward and gave me a peck on the cheek. I pushed the door shut before she could move to get in the truck and backed her up against the door, pressing my lips firmly to hers. The kiss turned from a greeting kiss into a full-on make-out session. Even though we were both feeling the addictive high of kissing so passionately, her front lawn wasn't the place for such things. She did have neighbors, and we weren't a couple of teenagers, even if we did kinda feel that way.

  I reopened the door with a smile and helped her in. Once she was comfortably seated and safely strapped into my truck, I made my way to my side.

  “It's a beautiful day,” I said. “Perfect for riding out on the ranch.”

  “That's what I thought as soon as I woke up,” she replied. “And I'm very excited to see this ranch of yours.”

  “It's beautiful. My family has owned the land for generations.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yeah, we're old blood here in Nashville. My ancestors were some of the first settlers out here in the eighteenth century.”

  “Oh wow! And I thought my family had been here a long time because my great-grandfather moved here from Florida.”

  “Four generations is a lot,” I commented with a laugh. “We can both safely say we're old-school Nashville people.”

  “I guess we can. I have to ask, how do you manage to run the radio station while owning a ranch? I mean, doesn't the ranch keep you busy enough?”

  “Oh, it keeps me plenty busy all right,” I replied. “But I have an amazing foreman who helps out with the place. His name is Andy. You'll meet him when we get there. He was like a second father to me when I was growing up – and since my dad passed around eight years ago, he's been pretty much like a dad. Without him and my ranch hands, I don't think I could handle the place. It's a real handful. But like I said, it's in my blood, it really is, and I wouldn't trade that land for all the world. Even though there are those who are doing their damnedest to get me to.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  I sighed. “I think I may have mentioned it after our disaster of a first date how Circle B Beef Corporation is trying to take my land, right?”

  She giggled a bit before responding. “Yeah, you did.”

  “They're getting more and more desperate to get their dirty ol' paws on my land. It's part of some mega feedlot plan they've devised for the area. Two ranchers in the area have already signed the contracts and sold out, but I refuse to. That land is my daughter's birthright, and I sure as hell ain't gonna sell her out. Especially not to some big, nasty corporation who’s just gonna demolish everything there, everything that my father and grandfather and their ancestors before them built with their bare hands. No ma’am. It ain't gonna happen – no matter how low those bastards stoop in their effort to run me off my own land.”

  “Have they tried anything else with your horses?”

  “Not yet. I've got my ranch hands patrolling the place throughout the night in shifts. They're gonna need to hire some damn ninjas to sneak past my boys if they plan to try anything else like that. But one of them – a slimy Yankee bastard called Duvalle – he showed up at my ranch, made some thinly-veiled threats, and pretty much threatened the safety of my daughter.”

  “Good Lord! Can't you take 'em to court over something like that?” she asked.

  “There isn't enough in what he said to make a case, I don’t think. And my gut tells me it's exactly what they'd want. It might have been some strategizing on their part to get me into a legal tussle with 'em. Those guys are huge, and they have access to the best lawyers money can buy. They'd bury me if it came to court, so it's something I'd like to avoid.”

  “But they threatened your daughter!”

  “And I sure as hell won't stand for that. But without any hard proof that they did threaten her safety, legally I don’t have a leg to stand on. All I can do right now is make sure I keep a real close eye on her. My foreman, Andy, heard that snake making those threats. He had his revolver out and pointed at the bastard. Told Duvalle straight up that if he t
ried anything with Cassie, he'd put a bullet in his skull. I was about to say the same thing, but legally, it's better that I didn't. But I think it did at least give Duvalle a bit of a scare. Andy was dead serious. He told Duvalle, he's an old guy, and it wouldn't matter much to him to go to jail if it meant taking a snake like Duvalle out,” I chuckled a little as I told Mackenzie. Andy was an ornery sort if you messed with him. “Still, with Andy’s threat of harm or not, I know they're gonna try something else. They have it in their head to get this mega feedlot going, and I'm standing in their way. And with these huge corporations, once they want something, they usually get it one way or another.”

  “Yeah... it's sad that's the way of the modern world. It's like that in the music business as well,” she commented. “But I'm sure you know that, being in the radio business.”

  “I do, I do...but perhaps not as well as someone like you, an actual artist,” I added.

  “Yeah. Getting a big record deal is a real dual-edged blade. On the one hand, you do get the full support of a huge company, you get to record with the best producers and get tours and shows organized with the biggest names, but on the other hand, you lose a lot of your creative freedom, and often they craft you into what they think will sell, rather than allow you to be the artist you need to be and make the music you wanna make.”

  “I hear ya. What about small indie labels?” I asked.

  “They're better for artistic integrity, sure, but the distribution and money are lacking. It's a tough choice to make.”

  “I imagine it is. Especially to someone who has the talent to get that big record label.” I smiled over at her then nodded back toward the road ahead of us. “Look down there,” I said as we crested a rise in the road, and then started going down the hill. Spread out across the landscape in its green, beautiful splendor, was my ranch.

  “That's it,” I commented. “That's home. That's where my heart is. And you're about to understand why!”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mackenzie

  Chance's ranch was gorgeous, it really was. The land was green and lush and spread across rolling hills with clusters of trees dotting the landscape and a creek that sparkled in the sun winding a lazy passage across the ranch.

  “It's home. Everything you see before you and beyond,” he said, smiling proudly as we drove through the front gates.

  A number of cattle were grazing contently in one of the pastures, watched over by a ranch hand mounted on a horse. He looked up as we rolled by and waved. Chance rolled down his window and hollered a greeting at the young man.

  “He's a good kid, that one,” he remarked to me. “Only twenty-one, but he's got the work ethic of someone twice his age. All my boys here are like family; I'd trust 'em all with my life.”

  “It's great to have such a close relationship with the people you work with,” I said. “In today's world, that's kind of a rarity.”

  “Well, this ranch, this is a throwback to yesteryear. Sure, I like my technology and such, but ‘round here we do things the old way. Always have, always will.”

  “Good. There ain't enough traditional values in the way people act and live these days. I'm glad to see that someone, at least, is sticking to the way our parents did things.”

  “I’m doing my best! I mean, certain change is good, don't get me wrong – society wouldn't make progress without it, and some of the movers and shakers who got things to change, well, it was sorely needed. But good old-fashioned family values, integrity, and hard work, those things...they don't need changing.”

  “Agreed,” I replied with a smile.

  It seemed that Chance was a thinker, and perhaps more open-minded than people gave him credit for, despite his very traditional man's man, cowboy persona. I liked that about him...very much.

  We rounded a bend in the dirt road, going around a cluster of trees, and then I was treated to the sight of Chance's beautiful farm house. It simply oozed traditional charm.

  “Wow!” I exclaimed. “That is a stunning house.”

  “Damn straight,” he said. “That was built in the time of the Civil War. A few years before it broke out, actually.”

  “So it really is a piece of history,” I remarked.

  “Yes, it is, and it's been the only home I've ever known. These walls are full of memories, not just my own, but memories that go back many generations. There's a lot of happiness in those walls – pain and sorrow too, but more happiness and triumph than bad, I believe.”

  We pulled up outside the house, and Chance killed the motor. He hurried out of the truck, dashing around to the passenger side to open the door for me and help me out.

  “You really are a gentleman, aren't you?” I said.

  “Like I said, while some change is good for society, there are also some things that I don't think should change. I was raised to be a gentleman, and so a gentleman I shall be. And you bet that I'm raising my lil' Cassie to be a decent Southern lady as well.”

  “That's good,” I said. “She really is lucky to have a father like you.”

  “Come on in,” he said. “Let's go inside and have some coffee and a snack. You like fresh cornbread? I baked some earlier.”

  I laughed. “You?! You're into baking? That's something I really didn't expect to hear, Chance.”

  He chuckled, and I almost thought I saw the hint of a blush reddening his cheeks.

  “Well, after Joanna passed, I had to learn to make a few things. I have a housekeeper who usually makes food for Cassie and me, but she's not here all the time, so when she isn't, I do know how to rustle up a few easy meals. And cornbread was always a favorite of mine since I was a boy, so, of course, it was one of the first things I learned how to make.”

  “Well, I ain't about to say no to cornbread and coffee,” I said.

  “Come right this way then,” he said, leading me inside the house.

  I was impressed with how orderly it was, and how well decorated the interior was. There was an equal mix of traditional, old world charm and modern minimalism.

  “Sit down here,” he said, leading me into a large living room with a stone fireplace, a huge TV with a surround sound system, a large coffee table and some big, comfy sofas.

  I settled myself down on the plush leather sofa, and Chance went to the kitchen. He returned after a short while, and set the food and coffee down on the coffee table in front of us, and then sat down next to me, draping an arm over my shoulder. I leaned in and snuggled into him, and we both smiled contentedly.

  “How do you like this sofa?” he asked.

  “It's very comfortable,” I replied.

  “And the leather? Give it a good feel.”

  I ran my hand along the surface of it. “It's very high-quality, from what I can tell.”

  “This is leather from my own herd,” he said. “The quality of our beef and leather is pretty damn legendary in these here parts.”

  “Oh wow. Well, yeah. I have to say, it feels fantastic.”

  I glanced up at the huge TV that was mounted on the wall. Above it, also mounted on the wall, was an old sword.

  “Interesting contrast in décor,” I remarked with a grin. “The old and the new, literally on top of each other.”

  “The TV is mostly for watching football,” he replied. “Go Titans!”

  I laughed.

  “And also for Cassie to watch her movies. As you can imagine, she's crazy about Disney's Frozen.”

  “Like all little girls,” I said. “Heck, even I love Frozen! So, what about the sword? I'm guessing it has some sort of significance too?”

  “You bet it does. That sword belonged to my great-great-grandfather. He’s the man who built this house, and then when the Civil War broke out, he was one of the first to sign up to fight from this area. He ended up being a captain in the Confederate Army. I've got a bunch of his war medals tucked safely away.”

  “You really are a full-blooded Southerner, aren’t ya?”

  “Sure am, and wouldn't change it fo
r the world.”

  I picked up a piece of cornbread and gave it a bite. “Wow. You did a pretty fine job with this cornbread,” I remarked.

  “I ain't the best chef in the world, but I sure ain't the worst neither,” Chance said with a grin.

  I smiled and took a sip of my coffee to wash it down. Just as I sat my mug back on the table in front of us, Cassie came wandering in. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

  “Mackenzie!” she said, running over to me to give me a big hug. “You came to play!”

  “I sure did, honey,” I replied.

  “Do you wanna see my dollies?” she asked immediately.

  “I'd love to.”

  “Take your coffee and go see the dolls,” Chance said grinning. “I'll go get some horses saddled up for us to ride.”

  “That sounds good,” I said.

  Cassie took my hand and led me out of the living room and up the stairs.

  “I'm happy you're here,” she said as we walked. “I like you. You're my friend.”

  “You’re so sweet. I like you too, Cassie. I think you and I are gonna be good friends,” I replied.

  We sat together, and she showed me her favorite toys, and talked about all sorts of things, changing topics every few sentences, as four-year-olds do. After a while, Chance came knocking at the door.

  “Hey, Angel, I'm sorry to break up the party, but Mackenzie and me are gonna ride the horses. But when we come back, she'll play with you some more, all right? Right now, I think it's time for you to get some breakfast; how about that?”

  Little Cassie nodded.

  “Yeah, I'm a lil' hungry, Daddy.”

  “All right, well come on, let's get you settled in the kitchen with Jess while Mackenzie and me are out riding.”

  He picked her up and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, and I followed them into the kitchen where Jess, who I was told was the wife of one of the ranch hands, was waiting to take over.

  “She really is such a lil' cutie-pie,” I said as we headed outside. “What a sweet child.”

  “She sure is,” Chance said. “I'm so proud of her. She loves this place, it’s one reason I have to protect it. This is gonna be hers one day.”