by Chant, Zoe
“Carla Jenkins, I sure am glad to meet you. My name is Diego Ramirez, and if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife, it would make me happier than words can say. I believe we are very well-suited to one another. You might not think so yet, but if you give me a chance, I’ll prove it to you. We were meant to spend our lives together.”
She liked that, he could tell. Her cheeks had gone slightly pink, and a smile was threatening to erupt, though she was biting down on her lower lip to hold it back. “Well,” she said, “let’s see how the rest of the afternoon goes first.”
Diego had to laugh. “Sounds like a fair compromise to me.” He took Carla’s luggage from her and led the way to his truck. “We’ve got a couple of hours to drive before we reach my ranch. I hope you don’t mind.”
Carla shook her head. “No, I expected that. You said in your email that you lived in the middle of nowhere.”
“I know it’s not what you’re used to – ” Diego said, remembering his worries from earlier. Could a woman from New York City really be content to live on his boring little farm?
But before he could even finish his sentence, Carla waved her hand, cutting him off. “You’re right, it’s not what I’m used to. But it’s what I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl. I’ve lived in New York my whole life; I’ve had plenty of time to get tired of it. I’m here because I wanted to turn over a new leaf, start a whole new life.”
She hesitated and glanced up at him out of the corner of her eyes. “I was pretty lonely back there. I don’t have much to go back to. I know that things are going to be different here, and I won’t know what I’m doing at first. But if you’re willing to teach, I’m willing to learn.”
Diego’s bear rumbled in contentment. Of course his mate would be a hard worker, curious and eager, just like himself. Why else would they have been destined for one another? He had to trust the mate sense; it wouldn’t lead him wrong.
He placed Carla’s luggage in the backseat of the truck and then walked around to open the door for her, but she was just standing there with her eyes closed, taking deep, slow breaths. He watched her quietly; her face was full of awe and reverence, like a child confronting a piece of beautiful art for the first time. When her eyes opened again, she met his gaze immediately, and he knew she was as drawn to him as he was to her.
“This is all such a change!” she said, but her voice was bright and excited. “It even smells different here. Like sage, and salt, and dust – not dirt, but clean dust. I’m probably not making any sense.”
“You are,” Diego said softly. “That’s the Great Basin you’re smelling. It’s a desert, just not the sort with dunes and cacti like in the movies. I remember the first time I smelled it too.”
“Aren’t you from here? I’d assumed you’d grown up nearby.” Carla finally noticed that he was holding the truck door open for her and sat down in the passenger seat. Diego closed the door behind her, careful not to catch her in it, and then walked around and climbed in himself. He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot before he answered.
“No. Actually, I only moved here a few months ago myself. I’ve spent my whole life moving here and there, working for whoever would hire me, going wherever the jobs were. It felt like every year I was in a new town, learning new faces, adjusting to a new environment. It was hard, and the only thing that kept me going was a promise I’d made to myself when I was just a kid.”
He risked a glance at her, wondering if she would laugh at him. It was hard to say these things out loud; he wasn’t the kind of guy who dumped his secrets on people he’d just met. But this was his mate. She needed to know who he was, and where he’d come from. Still, if she looked bored or skeptical, he’d stop. But when he met her gaze, he found that she had turned in her seat to face him, and her eyes were wide with sympathy.
“What was the promise?”
Diego’s heart squeezed his chest, and he had to clear his throat before he could speak. “That someday I’d have a home all of my own, one I’d never have to leave.... It’s the only thing I’ve wanted, my whole life.”
“What about your parents? Didn’t you have a home there?”
“My parents love me, and they’re good people, they’ve given me whatever they could, but they’ve never had a lot of money. They work on farms, and that also means moving. They’re always following whatever needs harvesting or planting, so they’ve never had a permanent home either. I guess that’s why it was so important to me.”
Diego looked out at the highway. There wasn’t much traffic at this time of day, but it was easier than meeting Carla’s gaze. “I dedicated myself to earning the money I’d need, and saving everything I earned. It was hard when my friends would splurge on vacations or new cars or expensive electronics, and I was stuck eating my macaroni and cheese, but I knew it would be worth it.
“And finally last year, I had enough. I bought myself my own ranch.” As always happened whenever he mentioned his ranch, Diego felt a swell of pride, and didn’t bother to hide his grin. “It’s wonderful. The land is beautiful, and there’s plenty of room for the cattle to roam. There’s everything they need – a creek to provide water, gentle rolling hills without too much elevation, even a few spots of actual old forest.”
He loved to talk about his ranch, and he let himself continue. “Wait until you see it in the spring, when all the flowers are blooming and the baby animals have come out – or during a thunderstorm! Out here you can see the storms coming for miles, you can see the clouds and lightening while they’re still too far away to hear the thunder or even feel the wind. It’s better than a movie. Trust me, you’ve never seen anything like it.”
Suddenly Diego realized that he was rambling. His mate probably thought he sounded like a tourism brochure or, worse, a teenager writing bad poetry. “I mean, it’s not that special. It’s just rain. Of course you’ve seen that before.”
Carla reached out and touched his shoulder. Diego’s bear stirred at the touch, excited by the physical proximity. “I’m sure it’s wonderful,” she said. “The way you talk about it... I can tell that you really love this land just by listening to your voice. Living in the city, I’ve never thought that much about the environment around me, to tell you the truth. Just enough to know if I needed to carry an umbrella, or whether I should wear a heavy sweater or turn on the air-conditioning. I’m looking forward to getting in touch with nature.”
As a human, Diego appreciated her sympathy, but all his bear cared about was being able to feel the heat of her skin, even though it was through the fabric of his shirt. The honeysuckle scent of her hair surrounded him in the close confines of the truck’s cab.
He took his eyes from the highway to look at her. They smiled at one another, and the mix of sexual tension and emotional understanding made him want to pull over right there and kiss her until she was breathless. He wanted to lose himself in her scent, in her taste, in the soft curves of her body, and he wanted to find her and learn everything about her: what she liked in bed, her favorite foods, her childhood home.
He forced himself to give his attention back to the road. It was just the mate sense; there was no need to rush when he already knew they were meant to be together.
“I hope you feel the same way about nature after you’ve actually seen the ranch,” he said. “You might change your mind once you’ve had to deal our bugs.”
Carla laughed. “You really think there’s anything out here that’s worse than New York City’s roaches?” She took her hand back and settled in her seat, then added quietly, “I think I’m going to love it too. Any place that’s earned the devotion of a guy like you has to be special.”
3. Carla
When they reached Diego’s house, Carla was thankful to get out of the truck and stretch her legs. She concentrated on easing the kinks in her muscles for a few moments before finally looking around and taking in her first sight of the place where she would be living from now on.
It had
taken them almost three hours to reach Diego’s ranch from the airport, and it was now late in the day, the sun sinking behind the rippled hills in the west. No, not hills – mountains. Carla had thought that she was coming out to Rocky Mountain territory, but Diego had told her she’d flown over those in the plane, and they were now a whole state behind her to the east.
These ones she was looking at were called the Mormon Mountains, which she’d never even heard of before. It was another reminder of how new she was to this place, and how much of a change she was making, which made her a little nervous. But Diego was a good teacher, able to answer her questions without making her feel stupid, and tell her what she needed to know without sounding like he was lecturing. They’d made a game of it on the drive: Carla pointing out the window at plants and birds and landscape features, and Diego telling her their names and anything else he knew about them.
She walked in a circle, admiring the view. There wasn’t a single human visible except for the two of them, and not even any other buildings or cars. Instead she was surrounded by what looked like prairie meadows, covered in tall grass speckled with little purple flowers, but she knew enough now to identify it as a field of alfalfa. Further away, on the steeper slopes, were thorny bushes, low to the ground and a pale grayish-green, almost silver: sagebrush.
“Should we go inside, or do you want to stay out here until it gets dark?” Diego asked. His voice was flat, but when she turned to him, suddenly shy, she caught a gleam of amusement in his eyes that made her grin. She had an impulse to jump, to spin, to shout out loud – after all, there was no one to see. Well, except for Diego. But she had the feeling that he wouldn’t judge her. He might even join in.
Instead of doing anything so childish, she ran up to him and kissed him. She’d intended only to kiss his cheek, but at the last moment she changed her mind and aimed for his mouth. He was so much taller than her that she had to stand on her toes to reach him, but after a startled gasp Diego’s arms came around her waist, supporting her and pulling her closer.
What had started as a friendly peck quickly became deeper and hotter. Carla felt Diego’s tongue slide against her lips, and after a quick decision, she opened her mouth to let him in. He was so gentle, but she could feel the size of his muscles under her hands, and it was intoxicating, to feel all that power and strength restrained for her sake.
Carla slowly sank back down onto her feet, breaking the kiss. She was breathing hard, and all she could do was stare up at Diego.
He has the most wonderful eyes, she thought. Brown and amber, like buckwheat honey, or antique wood, or an expensive fur coat. I could stare into his eyes for hours.
When had she gotten so romantic? And about a man she’d only just met! But she couldn’t deny the attraction she felt. She’d never been this head-over-heels for any of her old boyfriends.
Diego took his hands off her waist and cleared his throat. “Well, uh, I guess we should go inside.”
Carla nodded, too dazed to do anything more, and followed him to the front door. He opened it without needing to unlock it, and she raised an eyebrow. He caught her look and spread his arms. “Who’s going to break in out here?”
She had to admit that he had a point. She studied the house while he went back to the truck to bring in her luggage. She wasn’t used to being treated so well. How had she found a man who was both handsome and chivalrous? Ranch Romeos must be magic.
The house was clearly new, and had probably been built within the last year. It was small, though it had more than enough room for two people. Once she’d stepped inside, it quickly became very obvious that Diego really hadn’t lived here for long. There was no furniture except for what was absolutely necessary: a refrigerator, a table with only two chairs, and (she peeked through an open door) a bed. There was no art on the walls, no curtains on the windows, and a few of the rooms hadn’t even been painted yet.
It was a nice house, but it wasn’t a home. Not yet. Carla let herself imagine what she would do with the place, after she and Diego agreed that she’d definitely be staying. She’d paint the kitchen walls pale blue – a cool color to help with the heat of cooking – and put in tiles on the counter and behind the sink. The living room would be a dark green, the color of the tall trees she’d seen on the drive here; pinyon pines, Diego had called them.
And the bedroom... what would she do with that? Heat rose in her cheeks as she thought about it, and she couldn’t keep herself from glancing over her shoulder at Diego. He was watching her without a word, but from his expression, he felt the same urgent passion that she did.
Carla pressed her legs together to quiet the throbbing between her thighs. “It’s a nice place.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“It looks new. Did you build it?”
“Not personally, though I lent a hand with the construction. The previous owners didn’t actually live on their land. They were from a city on the coast – I can’t remember which. Seattle, maybe, or Portland.” Diego took a few steps closer to her, and reached out and took her hand. His thumb rubbed across the back of her hand, and she wanted to take that thumb and put it in her mouth, suck hard on it.
He tugged on her hand, pulling her with him – but, to her disappointment, toward the kitchen instead of the bedroom.
She shook her head. Get ahold of yourself, Carla!, she thought, and forced herself to pay attention to what Diego was saying.
“You must be hungry, after that long flight. Can I cook you something?”
Carla took a seat at the table and stopped herself from saying what she most wanted had nothing to do with food. Sure, she was attracted to Diego, but she needed to get to know him better before she jumped into bed with him. “That’s a good idea,” she said. “I’d appreciate it.”
Diego opened the refrigerator and examined its contents with a frown. “I forgot to pick up groceries. I’m sorry that I don’t have much to offer you – ”
“Whatever you have is fine!” Carla didn’t want him to think that she was high-maintenance. This meal was sort of like their first date after all, even if the knowledge that they’d already agreed to marry was lurking in the back of her mind – and surely Diego’s too. She should try harder to make a good impression. “I’m not a picky eater.”
“How do you feel about breakfast for dinner?” Diego asked, coming up with a carton of eggs in one hand and a loaf of bread in the other.
Carla smiled. “That sounds wonderful.”
Diego wouldn’t let her help him cook, but insisted that she stay in her seat. They talked while he whisked the eggs and toasted the bread, then flipped open cabinets and yanked out drawers to find plates and utensils, butter, jam, salt, and cheese. She’d expected only fried eggs, or maybe scrambled, but when he slid her plate to her across the table, she instead found a gorgeous-looking french omelet.
Diego noticed her look of surprise and grinned, one corner of his mouth turning up in a boyishly handsome expression. “Ain’t what you thought a country boy like me could make?”
“I – oh, no – it’s just – ” Carla looked down to hide her embarrassment. The omelet was a creamy pale yellow, sprinkled with some green herb she didn’t recognize. She picked up her fork and knife to cut off a bite, and a soft white cheese oozed out of the slice. “I don’t even know how to cook like this! It looks amazing.”
“It tastes even better,” Diego said. “Go on, start eating. Don’t wait for me.”
Carla was glad that he’d given her permission, because she wasn’t sure how long she could have resisted the delicious smells rising off her plate. She placed the first bite in her mouth while Diego dished up his own serving, then sat in the only other chair. Carla’s eyes fell closed to focus on the tastes. Rich butter, tart goat cheese, the grassy hint of the herbs... the whole thing was light and airy and melted in her mouth, and she melted with it, sinking into her chair.
“Here, have this with it,” Diego said. She opened her eyes again to find him hold
ing out a piece of toast, thickly spread with a dark red jam. “They go better together.”
After that omelet, she was willing to eat anything he offered, so Carla grabbed it and took a big bite without even asking what it was. The bread was thick, obviously from a bakery instead of mass-produced, but it was the jam that made her groan in pleasure. The flavor was intense, the perfect contrast to the mildness of the omelet, and was sweet and sharp and full of tiny seeds that crunched between her teeth.
“Oh my god,” she said. “This is incredible!”
“Wild strawberry jam. My neighbors gave it to me as a housewarming gift, but it’s so good I’m gonna have to find a way to get more from them.”
“You absolutely have to do that,” Carla agreed. “I want to eat this every day for the rest of my life.”
“I’d like to watch that,” Diego said with a shy smile. Carla swallowed, realizing that she’d been stuffing her face and talking with her mouth full – not at all the sort of first date manners she should have shown. It didn’t look like Diego minded though; he was leaning in toward her, his own dinner forgotten in front of him. He reached out and brushed away a drop of jam from the corner of her mouth. Carla blushed, but then he licked his thumb clean, and the heat in her face was for an entirely different reason.
They made small talk while they ate the rest of the food, but Carla had a hard time keeping her mind on the conversation. It didn’t matter anyway; the real conversation was the one going on without words, the one between their bodies, as their eyes locked and they slowly moved closer and closer together. All of Carla’s nervousness was entirely forgotten.
She’d been so uncertain of if she was doing the right thing, leaving the city she knew for a man she’d never met, agreeing to marry him based on a few emails – but now that she was here, she couldn’t imagine ever leaving again. She felt more comfortable with him than with people she’d known for years.