Montana Wild

by Hall, Roni

  Kevin almost chuckled until he realized his friend was dead serious.

  Chapter 11

  The outfitters had transported everyone’s vehicles to the final camp this morning. Handshakes, slaps on the back, and good-byes were exchanged. Kevin and Jamie collected their gear and loaded it into the back of his truck where Ben was waiting for Kevin.

  “Change in plans, Ben. Jamie’s coming home with us.” Kevin winked at Jamie. “I’ve talked so much about the ranch, she begged me to see it.” She punched Kevin’s arm.

  “I didn’t beg, that sounds bad. I pleaded. Does that sound less desperate?” Wide-eyed, she looked at Ben.

  “No, that sounds just as bad.” Ben laughed. “But I know Kevin, and he was probably the one doing the begging.”

  “Ha. There! Ben, you’re obviously a very insightful man.” Jamie squeezed his arm. He opened the truck door and Jamie climbed inside between the two. I hope I know what I’m doing. Jamie unconsciously held her breath as her impromptu adventure went into overtime.

  Not wanting to miss any details of the beauty that surrounded her, Jamie was reluctant to even blink. The views from the river were picturesque, but the truck ride provided her with vistas from a different perspective. At times the road was covered by a canopy of trees, but then the ceiling would break open and they were only feet away from a mountain cliff which provided spectacular panoramas. The conversation flowed naturally and she felt at ease as they replayed the past four days, with Ben and Kevin interjecting details of the different players to spice up the trip’s events.

  The conversation led to Rick and Roseanne.

  “She was the best. I’ve never seen two people more in love.” Ben started laughing. “And a tough cookie too. She let Rick know all decisions were 50/50.”

  The conversation took a somber turn as Kevin reminisced.

  “Until she got sick. Then she called the shots. Roseanne made him promise not to mourn her but to celebrate life with their son. Rick’s been strong, but sometimes when Tommy’s not around, he breaks down. They are as close as any father and son I’ve ever seen and if there was any silver lining to this story, that's it.” The drive continued in silence for a few miles.

  Sitting in the front seat between the two, Jamie savored the closeness of Kevin. Without being obvious, she studied the details of his sinewy forearms and hands while he drove. Sitting so near, his strength, his manliness was undeniable, yet he had a gentle side. She had witnessed this when he interacted with Tommy. Hiatus, she reminded herself, but sitting so close sure wasn’t making it easy. The three-hour ride flew by, and soon Kevin told her that they were getting close.

  “Home sweet home.” He turned into a private drive lined on both sides with rows of majestic pines. An open, thick-log gate announced the entrance to his ranch.

  A rustic two-story log cabin with a fieldstone chimney and wraparound covered porch captured Jamie’s attention. Nestled between mature pines that seemed to stand guard, the stately home looked to be fairly new construction. The gravel drive passed the main house and led to a large open area bordered on one side by eight small cabins and a variety of out buildings on the other. At the far end were several barns and stables, all facing the open courtyard.

  As the truck drove in, a few men appeared out of the nearest barn to greet them. Ben informed Jamie that these were Kevin’s ranch hands who kept the ranch running while he was away. Kevin introduced Jamie and after a few moments they returned to their work.

  “C’mon, Jamie, I’ll show you around.”

  She followed Kevin into the main house that opened into the kitchen/dining area of a great room with vaulted ceilings supported by huge wood beams. On the far side of the room, a stone fireplace from floor to ceiling invited her to sit in to the warm-brown leather furniture. To the right of the kitchen, a baby grand piano beckoned her into a side entertainment area that housed a sound system with hundreds of CDs against the wall. The décor was rustic and uncluttered but exuded warmth and a masculine hominess. Jamie found herself pleasantly surprised as she toured the great room, taking it all in.

  He guided her through the master bedroom suite and the two guest bedrooms upstairs. Proudly he mentioned that he’d personally made his king-size rustic bed out of hand-sawn timber from his own land. The décor and warmth was the same throughout the whole house.

  “You can stay in one of the upstairs bedrooms, or you can stay in one of the guest cabins. I’ll show you one.”

  Jamie followed Kevin outside and past the main house. The individual guest cabins along the main drive were not much bigger than a single room. Kevin opened the door of the third one.

  “Most of these are occupied by the ranch hands that stay here. But I have a couple of empty ones. They’re pretty modest, as you can see.”

  Jamie entered an intimate one-room cabin that housed an old iron double bed, dresser, and small table with two chairs. At the back of the room a doorway led to a small bathroom with an old-fashioned claw-foot tub.

  “This is perfect! I’m not used to much space, you know. This is so cute and cozy, Kevin. I’ll stay here if you don’t mind. This way I’ll stay out of your hair.”

  “Don’t worry about being in my way, honest. But wherever you’re most comfortable, the choice is yours. Let’s get your things.” They went out to the truck and unloaded her single bag. As they did so, Jamie remembered that she hadn’t packed much for everyday living.

  “Kevin, is there a town nearby? I need to get a few things, I packed pretty light. And maybe a laundry?”

  “Sure, we have plenty of washer/dryers here you can use. Tomorrow we can go into town for shopping. In fact, we should get you in to see the town doc to check out that nasty bruise on your back and make sure you don’t have any broken ribs.”

  “No need for that. It looks worse than it feels. Most of the pain has subsided. If I had cracked some ribs, I’d be feeling it,” Jamie reassured him.

  “I don’t know about that. Doc wanted you to get it checked out. Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, for now, but if anything changes with that, let me know.”

  “I will.”

  “Consuelo oversees all the housekeeping chores around here and I’ll ask her to make sure you have everything you need. She cooks for the ranch hands, three meals a day, Monday thru Friday, in the mess hall. On the weekends they’re on their own, but there’s always food and leftovers in the fridge and they’re there for the taking. You’re welcome to help yourself to any food anytime, or any of Consuelo’s meals. She’s an amazing cook, especially if you like Tex-Mex. Not to mention she’s a real sweetheart. All the guys love her. C’mon, I’ll show you the mess hall and introduce you.”

  They exited Jamie’s cabin and made their way across the open dirt yard to another outbuilding, resembling a small pole barn. But make no mistake, this was no barn. As soon as she neared the building she could smell aromas of something wonderful cooking.

  The door opened into a single, sizable room which was all kitchen, again rustic but homey. It consisted of a commercial sized stove, two refrigerators, one freezer, two dishwashers, and large sink. Two long wood harvest tables surrounded by benches were on the other side of the room. At the oversized sink with her back to them, a pleasantly plump Hispanic woman with salt-and-pepper hair washed vegetables. Turning toward the door, her weathered face broke into a huge grin.

  “Kevin!” She opened her arms, and Kevin walked into her welcoming embrace, planting a big kiss on her cheek.

  “Consuelo, how are you? I trust the boys haven’t given you too much trouble since I’ve been gone?”

  “No, no, the boys have been good.” Speaking with a thick Hispanic accent, she smiled warmly as she caught sight of Jamie.

  “Consuelo, I want you to meet Jamie. She’s going to stay with us fo
r a while. Jamie, this is Consuelo, the one who holds all us men together.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Consuelo.” Jamie made her way toward her with her arm outstretched to shake her hand but was surprised when Consuelo hugged her instead. She enveloped Jamie into her soft outstretched arms and pulled her in close. Jamie caught the smell of garlic and onions as she hugged her but it was not unpleasant.

  “Jamie, so good to meet you. I see I need to fatten her up a bit, huh, Kevin?”

  “Yeah, make sure she eats, Consuelo. Okay? Also could you see that Jamie has everything she needs in the Little Pine Cabin?”

  “Sí, I’ll take care of her. It’ll be nice to have a lady around here for a change.” She smiled again, eyes bright and twinkling.

  Jamie found it easy to see why everyone loved her. She could feel the love in this lady. They left Consuelo to her cooking and exited the mess hall.

  “If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to take a hot bath, now that I’ve seen that beautiful old tub. It’s been a while since I’ve touched hot water. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. The mountain streams were pretty refreshing!” She laughed.

  “Good idea. Take a hot bath, get settled. We’ll eat in the mess hall today with the guys, if you don’t mind.”

  “Are you kidding? With the aromas coming out of that kitchen? You couldn’t drag me anywhere else.”

  “I’ll knock on your door in a couple of hours or so. Get some rest.” Kevin walked her back to her cabin and then headed off.

  Jamie loved her comfy little cabin and headed straight into the bathroom to run the water for a hot bath. Oh, this is going to feel so good. There were a couple of fluffy towels already waiting so she closed the door to the bath and climbed into the hot tub.

  Rewarming the water a couple of times to extend her soak, she became drowsy and lost track of time. Scrubbing herself squeaky clean, she reluctantly emerged from the tub.

  As she re-entered the bedroom, there was evidence that someone had been there. Across the bed was a beautiful handmade quilt, a fluffy long terry-cloth robe and a basket with soaps, lotions, and a hairdryer. On the small table sat a pot of hot tea and cookies. Touched by the kindness after she had barely been here an hour, her eyes misted. It had been a long time since she had been pampered.

  “I could get used to this,” she giggled. Melting into the velvety soft robe, she helped herself to the thoughtful snack. This all made her feel a tad too drowsy so she made her way to the bed, pulled the colorful quilt over her and drifted off to sleep. Ever present on her mind, she dreamt of her interaction with Roseanne. According to her, Jamie had a full life awaiting her and she woke in a tranquil state. I hope you’re right, Roseanne.

  Hearing horses outside, she got up from the feather bed and dressed. On the rafting trips, cell phone reception had been non-existent and she had not spoken to her best friend, Noah, in days. Neither had much family and they’d vowed long ago to keep track of each other. Wanting to fill him in on the impulsive extension of her trip, she called him. He was elated to hear about her visit to the ranch and wanted more details. Like a big brother he wasn’t crazy about her being in New York by herself and he worried about her. Voicing frustration about his road trip to advance his singing career, things were going okay, but nothing spectacular. Hearing his voice was like chicken soup for her soul. He was all she had now. Jamie’s other friends had left her because of Derrick’s antics but Noah was the one faithful ally that Derrick couldn’t bully away. Leaving Derrick would have been impossible without him. He’d been her backbone when she had none. He was her rock. I miss him.

  There was a knock on the door and she opened it to find Kevin, looking clean-shaven and smelling of aftershave. Trying to be subtle, she inhaled his scent to appreciate the total package. She’d thought he was hot from day one but now . . . whoa!

  “Ready to eat?” he asked, and escorted her across the yard.

  Kevin opened the door to the mess hall, which was alive with conversation and laughter. Feeling a little shy as she entered the room full of men who obviously knew each other well, she felt like the odd man out, but the feeling did not last long.

  “Everyone, this is Jamie, if you haven’t met her already. Jamie, this is everybody.” And he waved his hand around the room.

  In unison, the crowd greeted Jamie. Consuelo came over and hugged her.

  “Consuelo, thank you so much for the tea and basket of bath goodies. You’re too kind.” Jamie hugged her back.

  “You can thank Kevin, it was all his idea.” Consuelo nodded her head toward Kevin who blushed at her tattling.

  “Come, eat.” She urged her and gently pushed Jamie toward the food. “It’s buffet-style here. Help yourself.” She handed Jamie a plate.

  Ben appeared out of nowhere and put the squeeze on Jamie’s shoulders. “Don’t feel you have to hang with that guy.” Ben jerked his head toward Kevin and winked at Jamie. “You can sit with me.”

  Kevin fixed his plate and followed them as Ben made more introductions around the table. He told humorous stories about the different characters sitting there and the guys all pitched in to make the stories a little juicier, making her laugh until her belly ached. As Kevin had mentioned previously, Ben was known for his wit, and she now understood why. Kevin caught her eye across the table and winked which set off Jamie's spinal tremors. Stop! The guys lingered at the table longer than usual, probably because of all the hilarious stories that Ben was dragging up for Jamie.

  After dinner, Jamie and Kevin joined the ranch hands around the campfire, but it wasn’t long until Jamie felt the effects of the lengthy day and fatigue set in. The feather bed called to her and she was anxious to answer. As she readied for bed, she noticed three missed calls on her cell. A sickening wave of nausea washed over her and her stomach dropped as she recognized the number. Chill, you’re in Montana. Still, dread filled her and her hand shook as she released the phone. Oh God . . . it’s starting again. When he can’t find me, maybe he’ll let it go . . . maybe. She could only hope.

  The little cabin was lit with bright morning sunlight when Jamie opened her eyes. As she peeked through the curtains she saw men already at work, leading horses from the one area to another, driving tractors laden with hay. Everyone was on task. Jamie looked at the clock. Not even 9 a.m. She got up, changed, and followed the culinary-scented trail to the mess hall. To her surprise, the building was empty of ranch hands but full of wonderful aromas — bacon frying, coffee brewing, and flapjacks on the grill. In the midst of it all stood Consuelo, who turned and greeted her.

  “Good morning, Jamie! Did you sleep well?”

  “Good morning, Consuelo. Yes I did, thank you. Could you direct me to a kettle for water and some tea?”

  “Sí, my dear, I can do that for you.”

  “No Señora, I can make my own. Just show me where everything is. You’ve got your hands full already.”

  “Here’s the kettle. The water’s already hot, and tea bags are in that cupboard.” Consuelo pointed to an upper cupboard to Jamie’s right.

  As she made her tea, she began to hear voices getting louder and louder. The mess hall door opened and the ranch hands filed in en masse. Each one greeted Jamie by name, but it was obvious that food was their top priority. Kevin queued up with the rest of them and surprise registered on his face when he saw her.

  “I thought you’d still be sleeping.”

  “And miss a minute of the action around here? You weren’t lying when you said the day starts early.” Jamie answered.

  “I told you the truth. Most of the guys have already put in a couple of hours of hard physical work. They’re past hungry. Don’t stand in their way, I warn you.” He laughed. “Speaking of healthy appetites, I’m going to get some grub. Did you eat yet?”

  “No, but I’m good for now. You go ahead.” She waved
her hand toward the buffet. She felt out of place but once again, Ben came to her rescue.

  “Good morning, pretty lady!” Ben came from behind and squeezed her shoulder with one hand and had a plateful of food in his other. “Come sit with me and tell me how you’re adjusting to this male madness so far.” Jamie gladly followed Ben to his seat and they chatted while he ate. Her appetite began to stir but she felt guilty about eating when she hadn’t done any physical labor.

  “You better eat soon or there may not be anything left. These guys are animals when it comes to food.” He laughed.

  Jamie took Ben’s words to heart and got up to fix herself a plate.

  “You call that breakfast?” Ben exclaimed. “That’s not enough to keep a bird going for a day.”

  “I don’t quite match up to the physical labor you guys put out,” Jamie defended herself.

  “Don’t listen to this guy.” Kevin sat down next to her with a cup of coffee, touching shoulders for a microsecond.

  Did he do that deliberately?

  “What does he know about real physical labor?” Kevin elbowed Ben.

  “Hey, I represent that remark!” Ben squeaked, and they all laughed.

  “Jamie, did you still want to go into town this morning?” Kevin asked.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “We’ll leave about 9:45.” Kevin rose from his seat. “I have a couple of things to do before then. I’ll meet you by the truck.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Jamie returned to her cabin and wrote out a shopping list. Looking out her window and seeing the hands at work made her think. She didn’t feel right eating three meals a day free with no contribution and she loathed being inactive. With list in hand, she left to meet Kevin.