Switched Hearts: A Western Historical Romance Novel

by Ava Winters

  “Midnight and a new horse, Apache,” Stefan responded.

  He began to tell her the hard time a yearling had given him. Amanda tried to focus on what he was saying, but she couldn’t get that kiss he’d just given her out of her mind.

  What did it mean? For all of her enjoying other men in Albertson and flirting with them, she had never been kissed. She wanted to interrupt him and just ask. But for the first time, she didn’t feel very confident in herself.

  What if he had kissed her because she had basically just thrown herself at him when she had first seen him? What if it hadn’t meant to him what it did to her?

  But she also knew that something had changed between them.

  “Tell me about your life before you came to Thunder Valley Ranch,” Amanda invited him when he finally stopped talking.

  Stefan he looked at her in surprise and didn’t answer for a long time. They continued to walk slowly and Stefan still held her hand, but she could feel the tenseness in his grip. She had just about decided to ask another question about the horses, but then Stefan began to talk.

  “I guess that I might as well tell you about my past. I was an orphan. I was raised in an orphanage. I don’t know why my parents didn’t want to raise me, although I suspect that my mother wasn’t married. When I was eight, a family in Kentucky took me in, Jim and Patsy Powell. That was where I learned how to work with horses and train them.”

  “Were they good to you, this family who took you in?” Amanda asked.

  Stefan shrugged. “They took me in mainly to help them around their farm. They never adopted me. They raised horses for riding and also trained them to pull buggies and such. They didn’t have money to hire men to work for them, so I guess taking in a young boy was the next best thing.”

  Amanda was silent for a moment. She marveled at how different her life was from Stefan’s. She had been born in an affluent family. Her every need had been met and she’d had all the love she needed from her father, her nanny, Hannah, and from Luisa.

  “What I did learn about horses helped me get this job on Thunder Valley Ranch, so I’m not too upset about the family. I’m no longer in touch with them though.”

  “Tell me about the woman you loved.”

  Stefan glanced at her with surprise.

  “I know that there was someone else,” Amanda said softly. “Someone who hurt you. I can tell. Tell me.”

  Stefan sighed and they stopped walking near some shade trees. She sat under one of them, but he stayed standing.

  “I guess it won’t hurt to tell you. When I was twenty, I left the Powell’s farm and found a job as a stable hand at a Thoroughbred barn in Kentucky. After I had been there a few years, the owner recognized my talent with horses and trained me to work with the racers. The owner had a daughter, Elaine Johnson, who showed an interest in me. At first I ignored her. After all, why would she be interested in me? She was also quite a few years younger than me, only seventeen. I was just a horse trainer. But I soon realized that she was really interested. She didn’t seem to care that I worked for her father. We began to spend a lot of time together. Her father didn’t seem against our friendship. Eventually, we became a couple and spent all our free time together that we could. One night, I got up the courage to ask her to marry me. I fully expected her to say yes.”

  “But she didn’t,” Amanda said softly when Stefan stopped his story.

  “No, she confessed to me that she was actually in love with another man. She was spending time with me to try to make him jealous. She liked me and she considered me a good friend, but she would never be interested in me, in that way.” Stefan grinned at her wryly. “I didn’t have any idea that she was using me.”

  “I’m sorry that you had to go through that.” Again Amanda thought about the way she had flirted with any man who showed the least bit of interest in her. She was glad that she had never encouraged the flirting to go beyond anything more than that. In fact, she was beginning to see her life in Albertson as something that had happened so long ago, another lifetime. She felt like she was a different person than she had been even a few weeks ago. Was it because she was pretending to be Luisa? Or was she changing for the better?

  Stefan shrugged. “I left the job soon after that and eventually ended up here. The last I heard, she had married the man she was trying to make jealous by seeing me.”

  Stefan reached out a hand and grasped hers again, pulling her to her feet, abruptly ending the conversation. “I’m afraid that I need to get back.”

  “Alright,” Amanda answered, feeling sad that their time together was going to end for now.

  “I do have some news about Gladiator,” Stefan said as they walked back to the barns.

  “How is he doing?” Amanda asked. “I haven’t been seen him for a few days.”

  “That’s because I moved him to his own field with some other horses. He has seemed to relax now that he can spend his days outside. He is doing much better.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Amanda responded. Stefan continued to talk about some of the things he and Ian were trying with the horse to help him be more comfortable around people. But her thoughts were on what Stefan had told her about Elaine Johnson.

  She realized that Stefan could have been describing her, as she had been in Albertson. Again, she saw a side to herself that she didn’t like. She hated hearing about Stefan’s past girlfriend and how it had ended up.

  Although she had to also admit that she was glad that he hadn’t married Elaine. She would have never met him if he had. She loved the time she had been able to spend with him. And he seemed to also enjoy being around her.

  She wasn’t sure what was going to happen between them when her month-long visit was up, but she knew that she would always treasure this time she had with him on the Thunder Valley Ranch.

  One of the things she admired about Stefan was that, once he allowed himself to relax around her, he had totally accepted her, and she liked the feeling. She knew that he still thought she was Luisa, the daughter of a horse trainer and companion to Miss Amanda. She’d kept her past from him, but, most of what Stefan saw of her, was totally who she was.

  Then a strong thought seemed to hit her right in her chest. She knew that she needed to tell Stefan who she really was. She needed to stop this charade she was playing. It was time to be honest and do the right thing. But would Stefan still accept her for who she really was, once he knew the truth?

  Chapter 20

  It took Amanda almost a week to muster enough courage to talk to Luisa about being honest with Stefan and Ian. She continued to spend time with Stefan and recognized that she was falling deeply in love with him.

  He had never tried to kiss her again, but he held her hand quite often. He began to open up more , sharing memories of his years in the orphanage and then on the Powell farm.

  She knew that Luisa was also continuing to develop strong feelings for Ian. At first, she was concerned because of her memories of Ian when he visited her ranch so long ago. But as Luisa told her different things about Ian, she realized that he had changed, just like she had. She was very happy for her friend.

  One evening, the girls were reading in their room. Luisa gave a sad sigh, and Amanda looked up from her book. “We only have less than a week left,” Luisa said.

  “I was just thinking about that. I have to admit that I’m not ready to go home,” Amanda responded.

  Luisa just shook her head, but Amanda knew that her friend agreed.

  It was Amanda’s turn to sigh. “I think that we need to tell Stefan and Ian that you are me, and I am you. We need to tell them as soon as possible, before our relationships go any further with them.”

  “I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Luisa said and Amanda could see the relief on her friend’s face. “I am beginning to feel awful at all the lies I’ve had to tell. I have to admit that I’m dreading that conversation though.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it. I am the one that came up wit
h this crazy plan,” Amanda began to say.

  Luisa covered Amanda’s hand with one of her own. “It was a crazy plan, but it made it possible for me to get to know Ian.”

  “And I’ve been able to get to know Stefan. I didn’t ever think that I’d find someone like him. He is so different from the men I know in Albertson. But since I’m the one who came up with this crazy plan, even though it actually worked, I should be the one to talk to Stefan first. I’ll make sure that you are not to be blamed for any of this,” Amanda said.

  Luisa shrugged. “I could have told you no, Amanda. Even though I didn’t realize it, I was excited to live a life that isn’t my own, at least for a while. It’s been kind of fun wearing your fancy dresses and being treated almost like royalty by the McAdams’ staff.”

  “I’ll talk to Stefan tomorrow. We have been taking a walk around the ranch, or the barns and tracks, every afternoon during his break. I’ll tell him then.”

  “How do you think he will respond?” Luisa asked with concern. “Do you think that he will understand why we did what we did, at least eventually?”

  “I’m not sure,” Amanda said slowly. She actually had a sick feeling whenever she thought of what his reaction could be. “I guess I just need to hope for the best.”

  “After you talk to Stefan, then I will tell Ian,” Luisa promised.

  “I think that we both should talk to Ian, together. I don’t want you to take the brunt of Ian’s anger if he gets upset.”

  “As you have noticed, Ian is different than he was when he visited your ranch four years ago. He’s changed, grown up I guess.”

  “He still lets his father dictate what he should do with his life,” Amanda retorted, but she tried to keep her voice calm.

  “That hasn’t been much of a problem lately,” Luisa said. “In fact, I’ve actually been having a few … interesting conversations with Mr. McAdams during dinner. I think that he actually likes me.”

  Amanda didn’t ask Luisa any more questions. She still didn’t like the man and didn’t want to talk about him. Instead, she began to take her dress off and put on her nightgown. She wasn’t looking forward to telling Stefan about what she did, but she had just promised Luisa that she would do so tomorrow and she wasn’t going to go back on her word.

  Luisa fell asleep almost the minute her head hit the pillow, but Amanda tossed and turned most of the night. She spent most of it trying to think of the best words she could use to explain everything to Stefan.

  She couldn’t come up with the best way to tell him. Every idea she had always ended up with Stefan walking away in anger in her mind. She was finally able to fall asleep in the early morning hours.

  When she woke up, she could tell by the light in the room that it was most likely mid-morning. Luisa had already left for the day.

  She quickly dressed and knew that she had probably missed breakfast. Hunger made her go to the kitchen to get a roll or something to eat from the cook to tide her over until the next meal.

  Usually, she would go to watch Stefan work with the Thoroughbreds, but this morning, she sat on the porch of the house and continued to think about the best way to tell Stefan the truth. She finally came up with two different ways to tell him, but neither of them continued to end well in her mind.

  She finally decided that she might as well get the conversation over with, even though it wasn’t time for their daily walk yet. Maybe he would be willing to take his break early.

  As she began to stand up, the front screen door opened and Mr. McAdams stepped outside. He paused as he looked around. Amanda watched as he gazed slowly at Thunder Valley Ranch. Pride etched his face. To her, he seemed to feel powerful as he looked at his creations.

  She had to admit to herself that this ranch was beautiful. It was well cared for and it was obvious that it raised successful Thoroughbreds.

  She wondered if she should speak up and let Mr. McAdams know that she was also on the porch, but something made her stay silent and just continue to watch him. She knew the moment Mr.

  McAdams realized that he wasn’t alone on the porch, and he slowly turned. Amanda waited for him to greet her, but he just looked at her for a moment and then walked down the porch stairs. A few seconds later, he disappeared around the corner of the house.

  Amanda gave a small shake of her head, but she wasn’t surprised that he didn’t even greet her or acknowledge her presence.

  She knew it was because, in his eyes, she was only a servant, someone who didn’t need a greeting from him. She didn’t really care that he hadn’t acknowledged her, but she was upset for Luisa’s sake. Did her friend really want a man like Mr. McAdams to be her father-in-law?

  She knew that the moment Mr. McAdams knew about her scheme, and that Luisa was really a servant and not the daughter of a successful Thoroughbred owner, they would both be sent back to Whispering Horse Ranch.

  He would never allow his son to marry Luisa, no matter how much they loved each other. She had to admit that part of her was glad that Luisa would never have to put up with a man like Mr. McAdams as a father-in-law.

  No one should have to be treated like he had acted towards her just moments ago. But she also hurt for her friend’s sake.

  Shaking her head, Amanda stood and made her way to the barn where she knew Stefan would most likely be working. It took longer to find him that morning.

  When she finally did, he was in a paddock working with another horse and a jockey. She watched him work with the horse and the young man. It was something she had begun to enjoy. She could tell by his body language and voice as he talked to the horse, that he thoroughly enjoyed his job.

  The jockey showed great respect for Stefan as he explained something to him. She had never seen anyone have so much joy from doing what he loved. She knew that this was one thing she was going to miss when she went home.

  When Stefan finally saw her, he gave her a big grin. Something in her heart clenched and she again dreaded the conversation she was about to have with him. She almost wished that she had asked Luisa to come with her.

  Maybe between the two of them, they would be able to help Stefan understand why they’d switched places. But then she shook her head. She was the one who’d started this, and so it was up to her to own up to it.

  Stefan continued to work with the horse and jockey for a few more minutes before the young man mounted the horse and moved him towards the racing tracks. Stefan took off his gloves and shoved them into the pockets of his trousers as he walked towards her.

  “Hello,” Stefan said. “I missed seeing you at breakfast this morning.”

  Amanda smiled. “I slept in. I didn’t sleep very well last night.” She nodded to the horse. “He seems to enjoy working with you.”

  Stefan looked in that direction. “Jerry is a good jockey and works well with the horses. That particular horse has good lines. I can already tell that the two of them will do well together.”

  Amanda didn’t question his words. She could see the same as she watched Jerry with the horse. She took a deep breath for courage. “I need to talk to you. When will be a good time?”

  Stefan jumped over the fence and landed next to her. “I’ve got some time now.” He reached for her hand. By silent mutual agreement, they walked away from the barns and towards the hills in the distance. As they walked, Amanda stayed silent, enjoying the feel of her hand in his.

  “So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Stefan asked and Amanda knew that she had been silent too long. “Is something wrong?”

  Amanda stopped walking. By this time, they had made it to where a group of rocks clustered together. Oak trees grew around them. She sat down on one of the rocks. Stefan didn’t sit, but he stood by her, one foot propped on the rock she sat on.