This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
Melanie propped her elbows on the fence panel and stared at the three cows in the pen. The field lab up in Montrose embodied every dream she’d ever had for her and her son. She could leave the impersonal, demanding research position she’d held for the last six years and work outdoors, on a schedule of her own. Live in a small community where maybe she and Jason could build a home.
She shielded her eyes against the rays of brilliant sunshine as they dipped in and out of darkening clouds. Late afternoon came quickly in the high country as she struggled with her decision. When she’d called to reschedule her interview, the secretary switched her to the last spot available for interviews. More than enough time to rent a car and make her appointment. And she still could, except for that little repair invoice.
An outrageous dollar amount she couldn’t begin to consider shouldering.
Her meager savings allowed them a cushion for emergencies. Not a catastrophe like this. Melanie hung her head and kicked the ground.
Lord? There’s a big hitch in our plans. Talking to God was easy. She dug the toe of her sneaker into the grass patch surrounding the fence post. It was listening for the answer that got her every time.
The buzz of a four-wheeler echoed in the distance. Hank drove across a field with Jason clutched behind him. The pair rode along the fence line, Jason squealing at every bump. Melanie relaxed. Jason would love it here while she worked off her debt. She couldn’t argue the fact that the great outdoors commanded his attention. Her nerves stopped their riotous zing and she blew a sigh. Funny, Gabe hadn’t even asked her if she could cook.
The sweet scent of pine tinged the air as birds offered their individual tunes. Melanie closed her eyes as she tilted her face to the warm summer sun.
There were no guarantees in life. Maybe she’d get the job; maybe she wouldn’t. Either way, if she left now, she’d be paying off a repair bill on an old truck for months to come.
Lord, why did you fill me with hope only to tear it away?
The four-wheeler angled around the field once more. She opened her eyes to see Hank looking like Evel Knievel and Jason sporting a smile a mile wide. Melanie shook her head.
At least she’d tasted the dream of a new job and a lighter work schedule. That taste had made her realize she never wanted to go back. Lucky her.
A door slammed in the distance and Gabe followed the walkway toward her. She tried not to look too obvious as she stared like a schoolgirl.
His button-down shirt fit his shoulders, the sleeves rolled to the elbow. Tan arms matched his suntanned face. Faded blue jeans cinched at the hip with a worn leather belt.
Tall and strong.
An incredible smile…
Melanie blinked and turned away. No need to romanticize the man, especially since she’d be working for him.
He jingled a set of keys at her. “Let’s get you a truck and you can be off first thing in the morning.”
He stood before her all tall and dark and cowboy, looking almost afraid…of her? She had a feeling disappointing women wasn’t Gabe’s strong suit. Accepting disappointment wasn’t exactly high on her list either.
“I’ll do the barbecue.” The words tumbled out. “I mean, yes, I’ll organize the barbecue for you in exchange for repairs on my truck. That is, if the offer is still open.”
Gabe pushed back his hat and rubbed his forehead. “You’re the answer to my prayer. We planned the auction and barbecue for the Fourth of July weekend. That’s less than three weeks, and I’ll help anyway I can.”
“Just three weeks, right? That’s all the time I have.” He had to understand she couldn’t give any more. “This picnic and the repairs to my truck will be done in three weeks?”
He gave a quick nod, his root-beer-colored eyes sparkling.
“And you said there were some ladies to help me out with the planning?” Melanie rushed to confirm.
Gabe tilted his head, and she received the full brunt of his excitement. His grin deepened the dimple in his cheek and added a boyish charm she could only stare at.
“From church. The ladies will point you in the right direction. As a matter of fact, we can talk to them Sunday after the service. They’ll love meeting you.” He indicated the path up to the ranch house. “Let’s go get a key to the cabin before it rains.”
Before it rains. Famous last words.
Rain blew sideways, pelting them like BBs as they stood on the porch of cabin number one. Melanie shifted beside him and clutched her duffel so her rain slicker covered most of the bags. Jason huddled up against the wall.
Gabe stuck the key into the lock, jiggled the knob and shoved the door open. “Here we are. Sorry things might be a little dusty. We haven’t had anyone live here this season.”
He stepped through the threshold and stomped his boots on the mat. Melanie piled in behind him, Jason on her heels. She set her bags down on the floor beside the table and glanced around at the knotty pine cabinets lining the wall of the small galley kitchen and a window with white panes set over the sink. A peal of thunder shook the ground as rain battered the pines outside the window.
Melanie shivered beside him. “Are you sure we aren’t putting you out by staying here?”
No better place on the ranch for their guests than the log cabins tucked up in the pines away from the house. Both houses. “The cabins are for the summer help. Their families visit when they can. Since the drought last couple years, we’ve cut back operations. We won’t be needing it.”
Jason dropped his bags at the door and raced through the two-bedroom cabin, poking into every nook and cranny. “Look, Mom. We each have a bed.” He cannonballed onto the mattress.
A gust of wind blew rain across the threshold. Melanie stepped back and closed the door behind her. “Jason, why don’t you unpack?”
“I get this room.” He rolled off the bed, grabbed his pack and unzipped the top. Turning it over, he dumped the contents out on the bed.
A mountain of video game cards poured out of the bag, followed by a pair of jeans and socks. Gabe chuckled at the necessities of life. “Hey, Bud, sure you have everything?”
Jason picked up his game unit and waved it in the air. “This is all I need.”
Melanie rolled her eyes. “Thanks for taking care of my truck. Sorry we disrupted your schedule.”
“Not a problem.” He opened the utility closet door and switched on the furnace. Five metal clicks confirmed the unit operational. Seconds later, air blew up beside him from the floor vent. “Meals are part of the deal, too.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“There is nothing funny about how Grace Davidson views hospitality.” He opened the linen closet and checked the towels and blankets. “Dinner is at six o’clock. Don’t be late or the cook will have your hide.”
“Oh no, we couldn’t. You’ve already done so much for us.”
Her blue gaze darted about the room before landing on him. She shifted her weight as if she’d had enough for one day. He couldn’t blame her. His family was a bit overpowering at times. “If you’re up to it, you can go in and argue. But I’ll warn you, my mother drops the biggest guilt bombs you’ve ever seen.”
Gabe backed up toward the door and reached for the knob. “That clock in the kitchen tells the right time, and the stove runs on propane. If you need anything, give a holler.” Before she could respond, he made his escape, closing the door behind him.
Out on the porch, the wind continued to blow. He pulled his hat in place and stepped out from under the eave. Rain poured from the heavens. He followed the well-worn path from the cabin to the ranch house. The small stream coursing through the ruts would wick into the ground by morning.
Melanie agreeing to coordinate the barbecue was a blessing, but the added distraction of their guests threw his entire schedule off. Gabe turned at the fence corner and walked toward the office door.
Gabe had ideas and plans for the ranch operation. He had the tools and knowledge to trim time and cost; he just needed to convince his dad the changes were viable. Too often it seemed like Dad expected him to run cattle and keep tally of the stock on a wallboard in the barn much like his grandpa had.
The Fourth of July auction would make or break him. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand and make this stock sale the best of the summer. The best ever.
When he reached the deck off the office, he stomped on the worn doormat and glanced over his shoulder at the green roof of the cabin poking through the trees. On top of all the headaches screaming for attention, a new distraction now resided in a cabin out the office back door.
Lord, grant me strength.
The next morning, Jason sat in the back seat of the pickup, his arms dangling over the front seat. “I’m lost. Do you ever get lost driving into town?”
“Been driving down this road all my life.” Gabe held the steering wheel with one hand as they rounded a corner. “Don’t think there’s anything to forget.”
“I don’t think I’d find my way back.”
Melanie had to agree. They’d turned and twisted up and down so many little roads before hitting the main highway, she didn’t have a clue how to get back. She shifted in her seat and nodded at him. “I think that’s why Gabe came with us today.”
After the torrential rain the night before, the sky ahead of them shone crystal blue. Melanie tensed as Gabe hit a few ruts and puddles, his truck occasionally skidding. Gabe didn’t look rattled. The county roads still spooked her.
Gabe downshifted down after hitting a deeper pothole. “No sense in an instant replay of yesterday.”
“Thanks.” She pried her hand off the dashboard.
He chuckled. “So where do you want to stop first?”
“We need Coco Snaps and milk.” Jason started the list. “Miss Grace cooks really good. I don’t think Mom has to cook any meat or vegetables.”
“Jason Hunter.” Melanie couldn’t believe her ears. “Remember your manners.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Gabe turned down the main street of town. “My mom will be feeding him every chance she gets.”
“But still.” She shot Jason a warning look. “I guess we do need to stop at the grocery store.”
Gabe pulled into a space down a side road. He slipped out of the truck, circled around to her side and opened the door before she had her seat belt off. Unaccustomed to the courtesy, Melanie stared at him.
“Why’d you open the door?” Jason pushed against the back door and hopped out. “Was the lock stuck?”
Gabe held the door. “A lady never opens her own door.”
“Mom always opens her own door, even when she’s sick.”
Uncomfortable being the topic of discussion, Melanie grabbed her purse and angled out of the cab. “I’m made of sturdy stuff.”
Gabe closed the door behind her and indicated the sidewalk. “Bud, a man’s got certain obligations, and showing respect to a lady is the biggest one.”
“I don’t see why it’s a big deal.” Jason frowned and jammed his hands in his pockets. “It’s not like she broke her arm or anything.”
Gabe ruffled Jason’s hair. “We have a long way to go, don’t we?”
Melanie snapped to attention. Her mind whirled around their conversation even as her heart beat faster. Just because Gabe Davidson demonstrated common courtesy and a more-than-capable attitude was no reason to start fantasizing about the man. Hadn’t she learned anything from past experience? Her fists tightened as she listened to Jason and Gabe discuss the finer points of good manners. She shook her head. Get a life.
Her world of plant and insect research offered few choices of husbandry options beyond the realm of livestock genetics. Professors, over quiet dinners and coffee, enjoyed her quick mind and attention to detail but drew the line when invited to soccer games and school conferences. The other researchers in her department viewed the world through mugs of beer and late-night parties. They hadn’t a clue as to what parental responsibility entailed. And she’d never been interested in the singles scene. Not many choices left, were there?
“After you.” Jason giggled as he held open the door to the grocery store.
Gabe rolled his eyes. “Yep, a long way to go.”
Melanie cringed, not sure if Gabe made a habit of instilling etiquette in young boys, or if she’d just been insulted.
They ran through the store grabbing the essentials, Gabe taking them down each aisle to make sure nothing was forgotten. When they reached the cashier, Gabe inched the lid off a canister while Melanie unloaded the cart.
He handed Jason a strip of meat. “Here, try this.”
Jason scrunched his nose. “What is it?”
“Elk jerky. Best you’ll ever taste.”
“Eww.” Jason backed up.
Gabe tore off a piece with his teeth. He chewed a couple times and swallowed. “Have you ever tried it?”
Jason eyed the strip. “No.”
“Do I look like I’m going to die?”
Jason giggled. “No.”
“Well?” Gabe pointed the jerky expectantly toward Jason.
Melanie held her breath. Jason stared at Gabe as if he’d just offered a dose of poison, but took the snack anyway and tore off a bite. By the time all was said and done, Melanie had two bags of groceries, Gabe a dozen strips of jerky with Jason running behind him begging for another piece.
“Let’s get this stuff in the truck. I need to stop by the animal clinic before we leave and Leon’s Hardware for a few parts.” Gabe stuffed the bags in the back of the cab. “Some of the fittings for your truck are easy to find.”
The sun and fresh mountain air had lifted her spirits. Melanie shaded her eyes with her hand. “Remember, three weeks to get my beloved truck as good as new.”
“Promise.” Gabe gave his best Boy Scout pledge.
They rounded the corner of the block. Hoses, rakes and wheelbarrows lined either side of a set of open double doors. A sandwich-board sign sat on the sidewalk and proclaimed Spring Sale—Hurry In. A wooden palette held stacks of fertilizer bags with plastic buckets displayed across the front, two rows deep.
“I love this place.” Melanie listened to the delicate tinkle of wind chimes arranged from the rafters. “Very homey.”
“If Leon doesn’t have it, you don’t need it.” Gabe indicated they enter the store. “So far, he’s proven his motto right.”
“Gabe.” A petite woman in her early twenties with curly brown hair and freckles across her nose stood behind the checkout counter and waved. “You’re early. It’s not Saturday yet.”
“Guests staying at the ranch. Thought maybe they needed to pick up some stuff.” He stepped around the counter and gave her a hug. “Shayna, I want you to meet my friends, Melanie and Jason.”
When Gabe stepped back, Shayna turned around and presented a well-rounded belly. By the looks of it, probably seven months along. Out of habit, Melanie glanced at Shayna’s left hand, surprised to see her ring finger bare.
“Don’t think I’ve met you before. This your first time to Hawk Ridge?” She offered her hand. “Normally I hug everyone, but Buster here—” she ran her hand over the top of her belly “—gets in the way these days.”
“I can imagine.” Melanie liked the bubbly personality, especially remembering how tiring those last few months of pregnancy were. “Like the name—Buster.”
She caressed her belly with love. “Only because he’s ready to bust out. I’m really leaning toward Adam.”
“Dad’s name?”
“Oh, no!” Dimples bracketed a sweet smile. “I just like Adam.”
“This is more baby talk than I need.” Gabe gave Shayna another squeeze. “Bud, how about you and me go over to the parts? We’ve got a list we need to fill.”
His gaze lingered on her as he stepped away from the counter. For a moment, she thought he’d hug her, too. Instead, he motioned for Jason to follow. “Are you going to be okay without us?”
“I think I’ll survive.” Melanie bit the inside of her cheek watching Jason puff up tall beside Gabe.
As they walked off to the back of the store, Shayna leaned over the counter and exhaled. “It’s been a long day.” She looked over her shoulder at the young man stacking a display of windshield wiper fluid in the store window. “Hey, Russ, watch the counter. I’ll be back.”
Russ nodded and went back to work.
“Tough working when we have a sale.” Shayna stretched her back. “All I seem to do is waddle through the store.”
“I remember.” Melanie nodded. She swatted at a couple of tiny black insects. “Especially when all I wanted to do was sleep.”
“Amen. So are you looking for anything in particular?”
Memories of her own pregnancy flooded over Melanie. Luckily she’d finished her last semester of her undergraduate degree while she was pregnant. She couldn’t imagine running across campus with a baby in tow. Tough enough juggling study time in between doctor appointments, work and laundry. Her heart went out to the salesgirl. “Actually, the cabin has all I need and we’re only staying a short while. Maybe a fruit bowl?”
“Right over here.” Shayna turned toward the center aisle.
Melanie waved away a few more pesky gnats. “Gabe said you’d have everything we need, or we didn’t need it.”
“That’s my dad’s motto. He’s pretty proud of knowing what the town needs.” Shayna stopped in front of a display of ceramic bowls. “I’ll let you in on a secret. If he doesn’t have it, he’ll order it and then pretend he found it in the warehouse. It’s a game and everyone knows, so it really isn’t a secret at all.”
“Thanks for the insider tip.” Melanie slapped a gnat on her arm. “Does the store stock plants? I think you’re overwatering.”
Shayna nodded and pointed an aisle over. “We just received a shipment. Noticed they came in kind of buggy. Don’t know what to do about it other than pray they get bought soon.”
“Let me see.” Melanie approached the display of leafy houseplants stacked in the middle of birdbaths, ceramic pots and a water fountain. “The fungus gnats are breeding because of the moisture. Here.” She grabbed a package off the shelf. “Put these yellow sticky tapes around the pots for a couple of days. You should see a big difference.” She dug her finger into the soil. “If you stick raw potato slices in the pot, it’ll help catch them, too.”
“That’s great.” Shayna snagged the package of tapes and tore it open. “What did you say you’re doing here?”
“Normally I work with stuff like this. But for the next three weeks—” she held her arms open to embrace the entire concept “—I’m planning the Fourth of July barbecue at the Davidsons’.”
Shayna laughed so hard, Melanie thought she might go into labor right then. “Don’t understand how he roped you into it and don’t think I want to know. So, Gabe is shirking his responsibilities. Gabe!” She stood on tiptoes and yelled for him again. “Melanie seems like a nice person. Why saddle her with the picnic?”
Gabe and Jason came round the corner. He lifted a brow and winked at Melanie. She couldn’t help it and winked back.
“I’m doing my part for the event, honest. It’s just that Bud and I have this truck to fix, and fence to check, and water to fill, and—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know all about the important stuff.” Shayna waved him away. “Melanie, don’t you worry about the picnic. The ladies at church know how to do it all. I’ll be helping, too.” She grinned and nodded in his direction. “Gabe’s too chicken to work with us on the committee.”
The red infusing his face gave truth to the accusation. “Do tell.” Melanie played along. “Sweet little church ladies?”
He tipped his hat back, eyes opened wide. “Worse than a pack of starved kittens around a bowl of milk.” He shook his finger at her and grinned. “Don’t you let them weasel out of making the best steaks a man’s ever tasted. I’m counting on you to handle this assignment with kid gloves.”
Shayna elbowed her in the ribs. “Stick with me. Gabe will end up getting the glory, but we’ll know who did all the work.”
He offered Melanie a lazy smile. “I always give credit where credit is due. I think this year we’ll have one of the best parties ever. And I’ll make sure everyone knows who was in charge.” He indicated the spare parts in his hands. “Hopefully terms equitable for both parties.”