A Beautiful Ranch

by Malone, Misty

  That was a memory from a long time ago, but she'd never forgotten it. Although she'd been upset because he made her sit down there instead of being up in Daphne's room with the other girls, having fun, she never could quite forget how she'd felt when he made her stay there. She'd been upset, but at the same time, she'd seemed to crave the attention he was giving her. Her mother loved her, she was sure, but she never showed her much attention. It had been a totally new experience for her, and while she hadn't exactly been happy about missing out on the fun her friends were apparently having, hearing all their laughter, she'd somehow felt special. She'd never forgotten that special feeling, even now, years later.

  As a matter of fact, looking at the picture again, those feelings of being special had been rekindled since she'd been here. Knowing Dalton's been looking out for her had brought all those feelings back, and she didn't think she could deny them any longer. The picture pointed out to her how much she liked, even craved, the feeling she got knowing he cared enough to watch out for her.

  The other smaller configurations on her canvas were easily deciphered as she looked at them, as well. One was of her standing at her easel painting her first work here. She was eating a huge power bar and drinking from what looked like a gallon container of water. She laughed at the drawing knowing that when she let her mind and hands wander like that, she got what was foremost in her mind. In this case, it pointed out how much it meant to her that he gave her the power bars and water so she would eat and drink while she painted. It again showed he cared.

  There was a smaller picture of her getting out of the pool. She was wrapped in what looked to be a soft, fluffy blanket from a king-sized bed. A couple of days ago, she'd gone out to take a dip in the pool, and had taken a towel from her room to dry off. He had joined her at the pool and brought two big fluffy beach towels, telling her that towel would be much nicer when she got out. He went on to tell her where the beach towels were and to get one whenever she wanted to go swimming. That had obviously earned a special place in her heart, as well, looking at the sketch and how big she'd made the towel.

  The picture of the fox needed no interpretation. She'd been painting several days ago and saw what she was pretty sure was a fox. She watched it for several minutes, thinking it was actually a very pretty animal. But as she watched it, she became concerned. It just wasn't acting right. Then it started coming closer. As she watched, it came closer, then turned and left. But it kept coming back, coming closer each time. She wasn't sure if she should leave or be concerned, so she did as Dalton kept reminding her to do. She called and asked him about it. She hated to bother him while he was working, but he had repeatedly told her to call him if anything came up, so she did.

  She told him what her concern was, and he asked several questions. He told her to stay where she was, but not to encourage the fox, and if it came too close, to try to chase it away with noise or a long stick, but stay far enough back that it couldn't get too close to her. He said he'd be there shortly. And he was; just in time. After talking to him, she looked around and found a long stick. Just as the fox was coming too close for comfort, she got the stick and was nervously watching, ready to use it if necessary, when she heard Dalton coming up to them. He and Midnight got there and scared the fox enough that he started to back off. She heaved a sigh of relief and dropped the stick.

  Dalton slid down off Midnight and went to her, wrapping his arms around her. "Are you okay, Lilly? You're shaking."

  "I'm okay now. Thank you for coming. I was afraid he was getting too close."

  "He was," Dalton agreed. "A fox should never want to get that close to people. Something's wrong with him, I'm sure. He probably has rabies."

  "Rabies, seriously?"

  "Seriously. A fox will normally do anything he can to stay away from people. The fact that he was coming closer tells me something's not right." Once he'd taken her in his arms and was sure she was okay, Dalton's eyes had never left the fox. "I've been watching him since I got here and now I know for sure. He's staggering a bit, and that proves my theory. That fox has rabies, and I think you need to look in the other direction and cover your ears for a few minutes." He left her and went to his horse.

  "Why; what are you—" She saw him take the rifle from the back of his horse and knew exactly what he meant. "No, Dalton, don't kill it. Look how pretty he is. Can't you just scare him so he leaves?"

  "I'm sorry, Lilly, but no, I can't. I raise animals on my ranch, and I'm as fond of animals as you or the next person. But if I simply scare that fox away from here, it will go back in the woods where it will very likely infect another animal. Rabies can be passed from animal to animal, and the sicker they get, the stranger they act. That fox could attack a rabbit and miss it, but infect it in the process. The rabbit could pass it on to who knows how many other rabbits. It could also attack other animals; larger animals it wouldn't normally attack when healthy. It could attack and infect a deer, who would go on to infect how many others. Even if an animal it attacked killed the fox, if something ate that fox it could get rabies. So no, Lilly, I'm sorry, but anytime you see a wild animal you suspect of having rabies you need to let me know. That animal needs to be killed and disposed of properly to stop the rabies from spreading."

  Lilly looked at the fox, which looked so sad, and started crying. Dalton came to her and held her to his chest. "I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to do this, either, but the animal's sick."

  She looked up at the fox again and finally admitted, "It does look sick, and kind of sad."

  She was surprised that Dalton didn't laugh at her. Instead, he tightened his hold on her against his chest and agreed. "It is sad, because it's sick. There's nothing we can do to make it better, so the best thing we can do is see to it he doesn't suffer any more, or make any other animals sick."

  He held her while she drew strength from his strong arms, and when she was ready, he helped her turn away and cover her ears. He shot the fox with one shot, then took a thick pair of gloves from his saddlebag and a burlap bag and gathered it up. He made sure she was okay before taking the dead fox to be disposed of safely.

  He'd come out to get her a little before time to go in for supper that evening, saying he wanted to make sure she was okay. Once again, his thoughtfulness was very much appreciated, as reflected in her sketching.

  The last small portion of her painting related to a day she and Daphne had taken the day and gone shopping. It was a picture of a shoe with ice cream dripping on it. While they were shopping, she'd found a fantastic pair of shoes that she had to have. Afterwards, they stopped and got some ice cream and ate it while Daphne filled her in on what all their friends have been doing. It was a day she had thoroughly enjoyed.

  Now, looking at the canvas, things were much clearer to her. The paintings she'd done since she'd been here had been by far the best work she'd ever done. She knew the curator at the gallery she sold her work at would love them. And she was convinced now that her work was good here because she was happy here. She loved spending time with Daphne again. But even more so, she felt so safe and secure and cared for whenever she was around Dalton. She knew if she stayed here, her level of work would stay high, but she had to find a way to get Dalton to notice her, or to see her as more than just a house guest. Being so close to him all the time, knowing he didn't feel the same way she did was horrible.

  She had just made that decision when she heard a horse approaching. She looked up to see Dalton. Her heart skipped a beat, but then she saw the angry look on his face. "Hi, Dalton. What's wrong?"

  "I went to the house to find you so we could talk, but guess what? You were nowhere to be found. I went up to the deck off my bedroom, where I can see all the way around the ranch, but I couldn't find you anywhere. It was ten minutes before supper time, so I assumed you'd be there then. But I was wrong again. So I got Midnight and set out looking, as did most of my men. A couple of them had dates and went in to town, but the rest of them are all spending their time tonight searc
hing for you."

  He took his phone out and started punching buttons. She started to explain, but he held his hand up, stopping her. "I need to let the men know you've been found."

  As soon as he put his phone away, she tried again, "Dalton, I'm sorry. I came here because I knew I wouldn't—"

  "Because you knew you wouldn't be seen from the house, which is what you were told; to be sure you could always be seen from the house?"

  "No," she said, louder than she'd meant to. She couldn't help it, she was angry now and her temper was about to take over. "I came here because I knew I wouldn't get lost. Daphne and I came here often, so I knew exactly where the house was from here. I was heeding your warning not to get lost."

  "How about heeding my orders? I told you, when I told you your rules initially, that you were to stay within sight of the house."

  "Your orders? Orders? And for your information, buster, you told me to stay within sight of the house so I wouldn't get lost. I did remember that, so I came here, knowing I wouldn't get lost."

  "I also told you when supper is and to tell me if you weren't going to be there, but you ignored that rule, too. Coupled with the fact that by ignoring the sight of the house rule you couldn't be seen from the house, I sent my men out on a search mission. I had no idea where you could be or what could have happened to you, which is exactly what the rules were intended to avoid."

  "Well, I knew exactly where I was, so you didn't have to worry. But back up a minute. Heed your orders? Did you really say I was to heed your orders?"

  "Yes, I did. And right now I'm telling you to gather up your things and get back to the house."

  "I know. It's supper time."

  "Yes, it is, but supper can wait a bit. We're going to have a talk first, in my office."

  "In your office? You're not planning on ordering me to sit on the couch and watch you work for an hour, are you?"

  He paused and studied her a bit. "I see you remember that night, huh?"

  "Yeah, I remember it."

  "Then you of all people should know when I make rules, I expect them to be followed. Get your things gathered up and I'll take you back to the house."

  She instantly looked over at Midnight, and he remembered her trepidation with animals. After a moment he said, "You used to not mind them if you were riding with someone else. I'll keep you safe." He'd gotten off his horse to help her with her things, and for the first time he glanced at her painting. He'd been a huge fan of her work since she'd gotten here, marveling at each piece of art. He looked at this one and his eyes grew. He cocked his head and looked at it again before she tried to grab it off the easel. He caught her hand and held it mid-air. "Not yet, I'm still looking." He looked out at the view in front of them and back to the painting. "What is it," he asked simply.

  "It's not a scenery," she said bluntly as she reached for it with her other hand.

  He caught that hand as well. "I could tell that much. But what is it? This isn't like anything I've seen you paint before. What happened?"

  She looked at his steadfast eyes and knew he wouldn't give up without some kind of explanation, so she sighed and thought a moment. "Sometimes I feel very confused or lost, or have some kind of problem, and I take a small canvas and just paint. I let my mind wander and my hands paint. I find I paint my true feelings. Then I just have to interpret what I've painted, and I have my solution."

  He looked from her back to the painting. He focused on her again, and simultaneously let her hands free while gathering her in against his chest. "Lilly, if you had questions or a problem, why didn't you come to me? We could have talked about it, and maybe I can help."

  Lilly was stunned, and speechless. Her problem was getting him to see her as more than a house guest, and here he was, holding her in his arms, offering to help if she had a problem. Now she was really confused.

  She hadn't found any words yet when he continued. "We'll talk about your problem when we get back to the house. If you share it with me, I may be able to help."

  Still shocked, Lilly managed to squeak out a few words. "You'd try to help?"

  He looked surprised, but also a bit hurt. "Lilly, of course I'd help. Let's get your things together and get back to the house. I'll help you up onto Midnight and I'll be right behind you, holding you while we go back to the barn. You'll be fine."

  Lilly was liking what she heard, until he finished his thought. "Then when we get home, we'll talk about your problem, right after we talk about you disappearing on me and ignoring your rules."

  She felt some of the anger coming back at the mention of rules, but he was being so caring to her while they got ready to go, she wasn't even sure how she felt. Then he lifted her up onto Midnight's back, reassuring her all the while, and quickly mounted behind her. His strong arm held her gently about her waist the entire trip back, which had a very calming effect on her. She had let go of the angry feeling by the time they'd reached the barn.

  Once there, Dalton jumped down and lifted her down. The anger returned when he told her, "I'm going to ask one of the men to brush Midnight down for me so we can talk. Go on into my office and wait for me. You have some explaining to do, young lady." She stood there staring at him. "Go on, you heard me. Go to my office and wait for me. I'll be in shortly. Then we'll have our talk, and I need some answers. Then we'll talk about your problem and see if we can come up with some answers for you, too."

  She turned and started walking toward the house, still confused. Was he mad at her, or did he want to help with her problem? She also had to decide what to tell him her problem was. She couldn't very well say, 'Well, you see, Dalton, I've fallen in love with you and you don't seem to even notice me. What can I do?'

  ***

  Dalton led Midnight to the barn, hoping to find one of the men back from his search. To his surprise he found Clay. "I thought you had a date tonight."

  "I did. But when I got your message to all the guys asking anyone still there to help look for Lilly, I couldn't just ignore it."

  "Clay, you know once you're off the clock you don't have to come back. What's the real reason; do you still have feelings for her?"

  "I do, but not the kind of feelings you're asking about. I like her, she's a good lady. But I know her heart's with you, not me. I also know that you're interested in her, as well, but you haven't allowed yourself to act on that. I didn't know it was because you thought she and I had something going or I would have set you straight sooner. But now that you know, I hope the two of you can get together. I can't think of two better people, and I hope it works out well for both of you."

  "Thank you. But what about your date?"

  "It turns out this may have been for the best. I called her and said I'd be a little late, and apologized. She had a fit. She didn't even ask why I would be late; just complained that now she wouldn't get to try the new restaurant in town. I assured her we'd go there some other time, but that didn't help. She told me to rethink whatever I'm doing, and be there on time or don't bother coming. I kind of like the side of her she lets people see most, but I don't care at all for this side of her. So if that's what she's really like, I'm glad I found out now, before I got too close to her."

  "I'm sorry to hear that."

  "Well, better to know now. Where's Lilly?"

  "I sent her to the house to wait for me. I told her she's got some explaining to do."

  "She does, but listen to her and hear what she's saying, my friend. Then don't be so harsh that you scare her away."

  "I hear you, but you know me. I can't just let it go. I've always felt you should start the way you intend to continue. I will keep in mind what you're saying, though. Thanks."

  With that, Dalton squared his shoulders and headed for the house.

  Inside, Lilly was sitting on the couch, waiting for him. Sitting on the couch brought back memories. She'd been so upset with him that night. But what she remembered most from that night was that he didn't give up.

  She'd never had to deal with
anything like that before. Her mother never really said or did much about what she did, and the couple times she'd told her she was grounded, it was only until Lilly had somewhere she wanted to go and complained. Her mother always gave in and let her go. She'd fully expected Dalton to do the same thing. But he didn't. Instead, every time she complained he'd start her hour over. When she'd complain about that, he told her she could count on him being consistent, so she may as well just resign herself to the fact that she would be spending the next hour in his office, hopefully realizing that when he made rules, he expected them to be followed.

  Remembering those words made her think. He was still consistent. But the more she thought about that, the less she disliked it. He was in fact very consistent. He consistently helped her take her things out to wherever she was painting. He consistently had some power bars or trail mix or something ready for her to take with her in the mornings. He consistently told her how impressed he was with her paintings. He consistently waited to eat supper until she had cleaned up and was ready to eat. He consistently made sure she was included in their conversations. She realized his consistency was one of the reasons she'd fallen in love with him.

  Lilly heard the front door open and close, followed by footsteps heading in her direction. Dalton was about to the office when she realized she didn't have any idea what she was going to tell him when he asked what problem she had that he was going to try to help her solve. Panic set in quickly.

  Chapter Six

  Lilly had a look of panic on her face as Dalton walked into his office. He wasn't quite sure why she had that look, but he didn't like it. He hoped she realized she was in trouble, but he didn't want her to be panicky about it. She was sitting on the couch, and he went over and sat down beside her. "Okay, young lady, I'd like to hear why you disregarded my rules today. You were not within sight of the house, and you did not return for supper, nor did you tell me in advance you wouldn't be here. I'm ready to hear why."