Montana Wild (8 page)

“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.

The ride to town took about fifteen minutes along dirt roads, then a two-lane highway. It was a cute, quaint town and after Jamie completed her shopping Kevin showed her the Wild Boar Bar, his favorite hangout.

“Kevin, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

His eyes narrowed and he held his breath. “Okay, shoot.”

“I want to help out at the ranch. I know I won’t be around long, but I can’t do nothing all day while everyone else is working. There must be some way I can help out.” She looked at Kevin seriously.

“Thank you, but that’s not necessary.”

“No, I mean it. I cannot sit around all day and do nothing. I want to earn my keep. Surely you could teach me something so that I’ll be useful? Plus it will make my ranch experience real.”

Kevin was silent for a minute and met her eyes. “You got beat up pretty good by those rapids, or did you forget that?”

“I told you, my back is fine. I hardly feel it. I need to be useful. I’m teachable. Please, give me something to do.” Her gaze along with her determination never wavered.

“All right, I’ll find you something, but nothing too hard. Do you like horses?”

“I love horses but to be honest, I’ve never been close to one, never ridden one. But I could learn, I’m a quick study.” Jamie found herself getting excited.

“I’ll start you in the barn, slowly.”

“Okay, anything. Could I maybe learn to ride, do you think?”

“Let’s see, we live at a ranch with lots of horses. Yes, I think we could manage that.” Kevin laughed. “But we need to do more shopping. You can’t work in a barn and ride horses with running shoes.” He offered his hand and pulled her up from her seat. “You need boots, woman! And I know just the place.”

Chapter 12

As usual, the mess hall was alive with hungry men and lively conversations. Jamie found a couple of familiar faces from yesterday and joined them for lunch. She chatted easily with the guys until one by one they excused themselves to go back to work. Kevin made his way over to her table accompanied by a rugged-faced, serious looking man in his late fifties.

“Jamie, this is Hector. Hector, Jamie.”

Jamie stood up and offered her hand to Hector who look surprised, but shook it firmly.

“Hector oversees the main barn. He’s got a sixth sense with horses, almost a horse whisperer.” Hector looked embarrassed at the voiced admiration as Kevin put one hand on Hector’s shoulder.

“I’ve asked Hector to start you in the barn. He’ll teach you all about horses, and believe me, you couldn’t have a better teacher. He’ll start you slow and we’ll see how it goes.”

“Sounds perfect.” Jamie was thrilled to have something to do. “Can I start today?” She searched Hector’s face for an answer.

“If you’re ready.” His English had a thick Hispanic accent but was easily understandable. Jamie detected some hesitancy in his response.
He probably thinks I can’t handle it, but I’ll prove him wrong.

One last time Kevin asked Jamie, “You sure about this? I repeat, it will be dirty work.”

Without hesitation, she nodded.

“All right then, I’ll leave you two to work out the details.” And with that, Kevin left.

“I need to change my shoes, but other than that I’m ready. Can I meet you in the barn in a few minutes?”

“If you think you are ready for this,
sí
.”

Jamie nodded firmly to Hector and ran to her cabin to change into her new boots.
I can’t believe I’ve got frickin’ cowboy boots and am going to work in a horse barn. Who am I and what did I do with Jamie?

The barn had a distinct smell, a mixture of animal, manure, and hay that was not necessarily unpleasant but certainly new to her repertoire of odors. The main barn was large with stalls lining both sides, each housing one horse.

Hector appeared from one of the stalls and Jamie walked over to him as he asked, “Do you have any experience with horses?”

For a quick minute she thought about lying. “No.”

He looked down and let out a sigh. “First, let me tell you about horses.”

Starting with the basics, he slowly detailed safety measures and protocol when handling the large mammals. Appreciating the protection of her new boots as she felt the crunch of hay underneath them, she followed Hector around the different stalls as he gave a short synopsis of each horse’s personality and traits. Near the rear of the barn and housed in a double-sized stall stood a powerfully built large stallion.

“This is
Jack. Stay away from him. Only Kevin rides him. Jack is unpredictable and powerful, and he’s thrown riders. Kevin won’t chance anyone getting hurt so no one’s allowed near except him and me.”

In awe of the stallion’s size and build, Jamie stared at the majestic creature. His mahogany brown coat glistened even in the barn’s compromised lighting.

“He’s beautiful,” Jamie whispered, captured by the stallion’s deep-brown eyes which seemed to penetrate hers. “He doesn’t seem mean.”

“No, I didn’t say he’s mean.” Hector softened his sternness. “Jack is not mean. But for some reason he does not like some people, and Kevin is very cautious with who he lets near him. He doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Hector walked away from Jack but Jamie lingered for a moment. Looking Jack in the eye, she whispered, “Hey, Jack.” Did she imagine it or did the stallion actually soften his gaze on her? She turned her body to leave but kept her eyes on him as she stepped away.

As promised, Hector started Jamie on the easy, unskilled chores with tack supplies, at the same time teaching her how to move the horses when necessary from stall to stall. Hector left her to the assigned chores but stayed near. While she was with the horses she spoke to them like they were girlfriends, chatting away while getting brave enough to stroke their necks and face. So enthralled was she with the horses, Hector had to remind her to break to the drink station which was outside the barns to keep the staff hydrated. When given the opportunity for a clear view, Jamie glanced at Jack who still seemed to have his gaze fixed on her.

Four hours later, Hector informed Jamie that her shift was over. Earlier, she had planned to go for a jog after her shift but that quickly changed. She was too tired.

The next morning she managed to make it to the mess hall for her cup of tea before reporting to the barn by 7a.m. She learned that the mess hall was only open for coffee at that time. Everyone stopped for breakfast from 9-9:30.

As one of the worker bees now, she found herself a little less chatty as she sat down at the breakfast table. After a couple of hours of barn work, she was so hungry she needed her mouth for chewing rather than talking. But as her stomach filled, she could afford the luxury of conversation. The thirty-minute breakfast period seemed like three minutes.

Dutifully, she was back to the barn working after breakfast. Jamie hadn’t had much exposure to animals in her life but she quickly found herself enamored with the horses. Ironically, the horse that fascinated her most was the one she was warned to stay clear of. Ignoring those instructions, Jamie made a habit of visiting Jack several times a day. Without exception, he stood in the back of the stall with his eyes on hers.

For the next few days, Jamie worked in the tack room, assisted Hector and helped feed the horses all the while becoming more comfortable with them. While tending to her chores she tried to forge a relationship with each horse, talking to them, stroking their heads, necks, and sides. As she passed Jack numerous times a day, she longed to touch him and began leaving him a small treat on his ledge. He never approached her but when she returned later it would be gone.

“Hey, Jack, c’mon boy. I brought you a snack. It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.”

Staring at her, he never drew near. She wanted him to trust her. Somehow she knew that Jack and she would get along.
Am I so naïve? Don’t kid myself into thinking I am a horse whisperer too!
But the thought continued to nag her. She never entered Jack’s stall but she continued to visit him, providing soft conversation and of course, a treat. “You and I will be friends,” she murmured to him one afternoon and damn if he didn’t nod at her!

Kevin sat at his piano staring at the keys. The ranch was running smoothly and it was time to focus on composing again. Music helped fill a void in his life that the ranch alone couldn’t, but he was beginning to realize it did not fill the emptiness. He needed someone
to seal that hole.

After college, Kevin had landed in Boston for a couple of years. He’d gotten involved with Vanessa, a wonderful woman who worked for the same logistics company. Young and successful, they’d had a great time traveling and seeing the world. Problems had arisen when she spoke of commitment and settling down. Kevin liked her a lot, but he didn’t love her. At least, not the forever kind of love. He just didn’t feel it and he had been honest with her.

“I want to be your forever man Vanessa, I do, but I don’t feel it. I care for you deeply but I would be lying if I told you I loved you.”

Head down, she hadn’t flinched. After what seemed an eternity, she’d brought her eyes brimming with tears to meet his. She might as well have twisted a dagger into his gut. Wanting to reach out to hold her and tell her everything was okay, he’d summoned the strength not to. It would have been cruel and dishonest. Knowing he would never feel for her what she wanted, what she needed, he’d taken two steps toward her and kissed her smooth forehead. Meeting her gaze, he broke away quickly, not able to bear the hurt he had inflicted. Without another word, he’d walked out the door and out of her life. Putting in his notice at work, he’d packed his car and headed west.

He knew he was running and felt like a coward but swore to himself he would never again hurt someone like that. Since then he had been up front and open with women, always letting them know from day one he was and would remain a bachelor.

At least, that was what he’d thought. Until now.

During quiet times, Jamie more than once stopped and wondered what she was doing at a working ranch.
This is crazy, how long should I stay? How did this happen?
Just when her head felt ready to explode from questions she couldn’t answer, she distracted herself to relish the experience that was a 180 degree turnaround from her past life.
Don’t overthink it, at least not now. Just enjoy the ride.
Enjoy not having to look over your shoulder.
It’s about time something good happened.

What a difference from one year ago, when she was with Derrick when they’d, no,
he’d
had plans to open a club. He’d met her in the middle of her workday, excited to tell her.

“Hey, sweetie, I came up with the perfect name for the club. DJ’s. Get it? DJ’s. Derrick and Jamie. Pretty cool, huh?” Derrick sounded proud of his creative name.

“Derrick, it’s your place, your business, not mine. I told you, I’m not going to work there. I’m not the club type. I’m a nurse and I love my job.”

“You don’t want to now, but eventually you will. And you’ll be hanging there a lot, right?”

No, she was not planning on hanging out there, but not wanting to anger him she hadn’t wanted to say it out loud. He was ugly when he was angry, and he’d been angry a lot lately. Jamie hated the whole idea of the club, mainly because she questioned where he’d gotten the money to fund it but he’d never given her a straight answer. Her gut had told her the money was not legit. The men Derrick associated with scared her, and he scared her now, and she’d carefully planned her exit from it all, including Derrick.

Jack snorted in his stall, bringing her back to the present. In an odd, masochistic way she enjoyed the physical labor that left her so exhausted at night. She no longer suffered with insomnia. In fact, she was grateful for the bodily fatigue that diverted her thoughts away from her loneliness and Derrick issues. No matter what the reason, she was content to be here and let this adventurous chapter in her life play out.
And what about Kevin?
As she was weighing this question in her mind, heading to the mess hall for lunch, she heard a friendly, angelic voice call out her name.

Jamie spun around to see Tommy in a full run toward her. She bolted in his direction and caught him in her outstretched arms.

“Tommy! I’m so happy to see you!” Hugging him, she planted a big kiss on his cheek. He held on tight then started talking a mile a minute.

“So how do you like it here? Have you seen the horses? Have you ridden yet? I can ride. I have my own horse. Do you want me to teach you?” On and on he went.

“Whoa, partner, let her answer a couple of those questions before you go on!”

Turning around to face the deep voice, she found herself greeted with a bear hug by Rick.

“I’m so happy to see both of you!”

“I bet you’re on your way to lunch. Can we join you?” Rick asked.

“Absolutely! Tell me what you two have been up to since I saw you last.”

Tommy proceeded to fill her in on every detail of their extended camping trip after rafting. The three were joined by Ben, and they chatted non-stop over lunch. Kevin joined them for the last few minutes of their lunch break.

“I love seeing you again but I’ve got to get back to my job. How long are you staying?”

Kevin interrupted, “I appreciate your loyalty to your work Jamie, but Rick and Tommy are here for a reason. They’re going to give you your first riding lesson this afternoon.”

Jamie looked from Kevin to Rick to Tommy and back to Kevin incredulously.

“Really? Oh, yes, I’m so ready. Thank you! But what about Hector? Who’ll help him?”

“Don’t worry about Hector. We have plenty of help around here”

“I know how to ride so I can help you Jamie! It’s not so hard. And it’s so much fun!” Tommy’s face lit up with excitement. He loved to ride and it was a known fact that he was talented for his age.

“When do we start?” Jamie asked anxiously.

“Now.” Kevin, Rick, and Tommy chimed together then rose in unison to head out the door.

Kevin assigned Stella, a gentle mare, to Jamie for her first ride. The threesome showed her how to saddle her horse and the basics in controlling Stella with the reins and stirrups. After they mounted their own rides, they rode single file following a trail through tall pine woods and up a mild incline toward the picturesque mountain backdrop. Rick took the lead, followed by Tommy who supplied Jamie with endless tips and guidance. Kevin rode behind Jamie and instructed her as necessary for her to guide Stella properly. As Jamie rode along the mountain trail, pine-scented breezes toying with her hair, she thought she must be an actress playing a role in someone else’s life.
I must be dreaming but I do
not
want to wake up!

The foursome returned the horses to the barn and proceeded to show Jamie how to unsaddle, brush them down, and make sure they had food and water to retire them for the evening. Once that was done, they all headed to the mess hall where the conversations led to talk of going out to the town bar. Rick was interested, it had been quite a while since he’d had a night out and Consuelo offered to watch Tommy for the evening.

Looking forward to an evening out, Jamie showered, put on some clean jeans, a white embroidered gauze top, and of course her boots. Debating for a minute, she decided to apply a little eye makeup, lipstick, and a splash of perfume. Though she labored as a rookie ranch hand by day, she was still a woman. The way she had been working and dressing lately, she didn’t recognize herself when she looked in the mirror. Rick, Ben, and Kevin were standing beside his truck engrossed in their conversation. All talk stopped when Jamie came into sight.