Arya
“Wow, this log cabin is really beautiful.” I looked around. “Do you stay here often?”
Chet nodded. “I wouldn’t say super often, but I like to stay here as much as I can. In fact, all of my brothers do.”
“I can see why. It’s beautiful.” I looked out the window at the mountains. “The view is magnificent.”
“It is,” he agreed. “We’re hoping to build more cabins like this along the creek for the resort.”
“I think I heard Olivia saying something about that. For tourists?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “I’m not really cool with it, but what are you going to do?”
“If you’re not cool with it, then…”
“We need the money.” He grimaced. “I mean, we’re doing okay, but we’re not making as much money from on crops as we need to keep the ranch going.”
“I guess it’s quite expensive, huh?”
“You can say that again. So we’re investing and getting a loan, hopefully. I guess Beau’s the one taking care of that.”
“You sound… angry, almost,” I said carefully, not wanting to upset him.
“I guess. I just feel helpless, you know? I’m not the oldest. I’m not the second oldest. I don’t really have much of a say in what happens.”
“But don’t you all have an equal say?”
“I mean, yeah, there are seven brothers, and we all have a vote, along with my mom and my dad, of course, but really it’s up to Beau and Austin. They’re the ones in charge. They make most of the decisions.”
“But Wyatt, he’s buying those horses, right?”
“Yeah, he is.”
“I mean, that’s good, don’t you think?”
“Wyatt’s a good kid, and I think he can make a real success of horse breeding or whatever it is he’s doing.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just frustrated.”
“Why?” I walked up and touched him lightly on the shoulder. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s got you so upset? It can’t just be because Beau and Austin are the oldest.”
“I guess I just feel like I don’t have any real input. I’m not doing anything. I’m just following orders. And I’m not a follower. I’m a leader. I was born to lead and, well, I’m not getting to do it here.”
“Do you want to leave Horseshoe Ranch?” Suddenly, it hit me. “Are you not happy here?”
He stared at me for a few seconds, the light in his eyes dimming. “Sounds sacrilegious when you say it.”
“You don’t want to be here.”
He let out a long sigh. “I had an opportunity to buy a smaller ranch, something that I could run and maintain, but, I mean, I can’t do that, obviously.”
“Why? Money?”
“No, I have money. We all have a trust fund, but I just wouldn’t feel right leaving the family to do this, you know?”
“But is it your dream?”
“My dream is for Horseshoe Ranch to be around for many generations. I want my kids to see where I grew up, where their grandparents grew up, and where their great-great-grandparents grew up. I want my grandkids to sit on my knee at that rocking chair in the living room, you know?”
“I get it. It’s a family legacy.”
“Exactly. And if I have to stay here and just follow orders, then that’s what I’ll do.” He looked around. “I guess I should fix the roof.”
“You’re a good guy, Chet.”
“Really? Do you really think I’m a good guy, Arya, or are you just saying that to try and make me feel better about my situation?”
“Maybe both.” I laughed. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, you can just sit pretty and—” he paused. “Sorry, is that not PC?”
“You can call me pretty if you want,” I said.
“Can I call you beautiful?”
“Only if you think it’s true,” I said shyly. He burst out laughing. “Hey, why are you laughing?”
“Because that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“What is?”
“That I should only call you beautiful if I think it’s true. Arya, you crazy girl, you’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen in my life. Hands down.”
“You’re just saying that.” I could feel myself blushing.
“Trust me,” he said softly, “I don’t ‘just say’ anything.” We stared at each other for a few seconds.
Chet thought I was gorgeous. He thought I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life. I didn’t believe him, of course. He had to have seen much more beautiful women than me, but his words made me feel warm inside and special and…
“So I was thinking,” I said quickly, wanting to change the subject. “Have you ever heard of goat yoga?”
“Can’t say that I have. Why?”
“I was thinking, if this was going to be a resort and you really wanted to attract people and bring in large crowds, maybe you could have goat yoga. I noticed that near the stables, there was a barn you weren’t really using, and it has a really cool view of the mountains and the forest. And I was just thinking, how cool would it be to…” I stopped. “Sorry, I’m talking too fast, aren’t I?”
“No, continue.”
“Well, I was just thinking perhaps that could be like a yoga room, an outside yoga room. And if you had goats, well, that would just make it even more special. That would really bring in the crowds. I hear millennials love goat yoga. They’d spend a shit ton of money and…”
“And we need a shit ton of money.” He grinned. “That’s a great idea. Thank you, Arya.”
I blushed at his compliment. “I just want to help.”
“So you’re really into yoga, huh?”
“I mean, I enjoy it. It helps me relax and it makes me more flexible.”
“Flexible?” He raised an eyebrow and took step towards me. “Exactly how much more flexible?”
“I don’t know an exact percentage.” I took a step back. He was starting to come a little bit closer.
“So, maybe I’ll suggest it to the family when we get back.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
“And maybe…” he paused.
“Yeah?”
“You could teach the class.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“We’re going to need a yoga instructor to teach the class, right? And if you know yoga that well, you could do it.”
“Oh, but I’ve never taught before.”
“Would you like to teach though, Arya?” he said.
“You’re just saying that because you feel bad I don’t have a job,” I said.
“Trust me, that’s not why I’m saying it. This is for the business. You want to help Horseshoe Ranch, right?”
“Of course, I want to help Horseshoe Ranch. I want to help all of you. I…” I took a deep breath. “I’d have to get certified if I were going to teach the class. I wouldn’t feel right until I got certified.”
“How much does the certification cost?” he asked quietly.
“I don’t know. I’d have to check it out.”
“Maybe we can do that when we get back. Maybe we can fund it.”
“No, you can’t fund my education—”
“Arya,” he grabbed my hands and pulled me towards him, “you need to stop objecting to everything I suggest.”
“I’m not objecting. I…”
“You’re what?”
He was standing so close now. Too close. I swallowed hard, not even remembering what I’d just been talking about. “What are you doing, Chet?”
“What do you think?” he said.
And then he pressed his lips against mine and I melted into him. He kissed me hard, and I felt my entire body trembling as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I could feel the length of his hard body against mine, and it felt absolutely amazing. I never wanted him to let me go. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and I sucked on it gently. He pulled back gruffly and stared down at me.
“What are you trying to do to me, woman?”
“What do you mean?” I said breathlessly, staring up at him.
“You know you’re making me hard as hell, right?”
“What?” I giggled, giving him my most innocent gaze.
“I think you know it’s exactly what you’re doing, Arya.” He gave my ass a gentle squeeze. “I want you so badly.”
“Chet… we can,” I suggested, not believing how bold I was being.
“We can, but we’re not going to do it just yet,” he replied.
“I know you want me as badly as I want you, but you know what?”
“No, what?” I said softly.
“When the moment comes, I’m not going to act until you beg me to. You got that?”
“Yes,” I said, a shiver running down my spine.