Thunder Mountain Ranch

by McCarthy, G. L.

  “You two really out do yourselves when it comes to feeding the masses. You must spend a fortune on food!” Alex was impressed at the first class meals prepared three times a day.

  “We have a great kitchen staff that out does itself at every meal. We’re very lucky to have them.” Dawson was proud to sing the phrases of his staff as he had hand picked everyone.

  “Well, send my compliments to the chef. This prime rib is outstanding. I’ll need to clean the whole barn tomorrow to work off theses calories.”

  “Wait until you see the dessert bar. It’s quite the hit with the kids as well as the adults.” Jessie hoped Alex was going to save some room, even if it was only for jello.

  “Dessert bar! Oh no, I really will need to work my bum off tomorrow. Sam, how do you stay so slim with all this great food?” She really did want to know Sam’s secret.

  “Ha, ha. If you take over doing all my chores I won’t be slim for long.” Sam gave Alex a slight nudge and winked at her cousin who was smiling at them both from across the table.

  “Oh, so that’s the secret  great to know. I may be able to hold my current weight during my stay and if I’m lucky lose a pound or two.” Alex nudged Sam back, and started on her corn cob.

  “Trust me, there’s enough work for both of you, so eat up and make sure you hit the dessert bar. You’ll need the energy tomorrow when I have you painting the tack shed.” Dawson had a sly grin on his face and he wasn’t kidding about the painting.

  “Paint the tack shed? I love painting.” Alex really did love physical work over paperwork.

  Sam looked at Alex and shook her head. Painting was a lot of hard work, because of all the prep that needed to be done.

  “Okay, do you want to paint or scrape?” Sam hated scraping. It was dirty work and not as fulfilling as slapping on paint.

  “Scraping. You can get all sweaty and dirty and it really burns the calories.” She looked at Sam and figured it didn’t matter to her which chore she did.

  “You’ve got a deal. What time do you want to start?” Sam was thrilled with Alex’s choice.

  “Crack of dawn. I can get in a couple of hours before breakfast, and that way I won’t feel guilty eating those great potatoes. Plus, my metabolism should be in high gear by then.” She smiled at Dawson who was staring back at her in awe.

  “I’ll make sure to have everything you need in the barn, so you can start whenever you wake up.” Dawson wondered if she wanted a full time job. He could use another employee who had the same work ethic as Sam.

  “Great. Dessert bar here I come.” Alex knew she was going to have fun here. She’d work on the tack shed and then spend some time taking the basket weaving class. She wouldn’t have any trouble sleeping and could eat whatever she wanted, woo-hoo!

  “I think we need to take her temperature. She must have gotten too much sun this morning during the ride.” Sam reached up and put her hand against Alex’s forehead.

  “Ha, ha. I just like physical work. I’m not saying as my life’s work, but for right now it sounds great.” Having Sam’s hand on her forehead sent a shiver down Alex’s neck and back.

  “Okay, leave her alone. Alex was always there to pitch in when work needed to be done. She’s never been afraid of getting dirty or breaking a nail. That’s one of the things I love about her.” Jessie didn’t want anyone picking on Alex, not even her cousin.

  “Thank you, Jessie.” Alex smiled and gave her best friend a wink.

  “I can’t believe she’s real. Where have you been hiding her all this time?” Sam remembered Jessie only mentioning her a couple of times.

  “I haven’t been hiding her, just waiting for the right moment to show her off.” And Jessie knew she had a lot more to share.

  “All right, enough about me. Is anybody else going to join me at the dessert bar?” With a wide smile Alex looked at her dinner companions for conformation.

  “Sure, if I’m painting the tack shed I’ll be sure to burn off the extra calories.” Avoiding the dessert bar was something Sam had managed to do, until tonight.

  “Excellent. Jessie, Dawson, coming?” Alex looked at them both as they shook their heads.

  “I see, we won’t be getting any help from them tomorrow. Okay, Sam, it looks like just you and me. Let’s go.” Alex got up as she patted Sam on the shoulder.

  The dessert bar was amazing with a variety of treats. There were several kinds of muffins, pies, cakes, cookies, cheesecakes, ice cream, frozen yogurt and jello. The kids were making sundaes of every description. The adults went for a variety of desserts. There was pie which could be heated by a small microwave and then topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, plus several different cheesecakes with different flavors of toppings. Making a decision was going to be tough, until Alex saw the large chocolate chip cookies. The staff was microwaving them and handing out large glasses of milk. Sam was getting a big piece of chocolate cake and milk. As both headed back to the table Alex’s cookie plate was still warm and the chips were slightly melted. She could hardly wait to take that first bite. No guilt tonight. She planned on working every calorie off by breakfast.

  Jessie and Dawson were having coffee and smiled wide as they watched the two women returning with their treats.

  “Did you get what you wanted?” Dawson was sure they must have.

  “Hmmm, you bet. I love warm chocolate chip cookies and milk.” Alex dug in the second she sat down.

  “Those are my favorites too. I have to be careful not to over do. Especially considering I won’t be helping with the painting.” Looking at Alex, Jessie gave her a smile and remembered the times the two had shared that same treat at her place.

  “Especially right out of the oven. The best.” Alex smiled back at Jessie and figured she was thinking back to all the times they had made cookies on rainy days when they couldn’t ride.

  “Well ladies, I need to get back to the office and do some paperwork. You enjoy your dessert and I’ll see you in the morning.” Dawson took the last gulp of coffee and stood up.

  “I’m right behind you, sweetie. I need to get some work done too.” Jessie reached for Dawson’s hand as she rose and gave a wink to the two women savoring every bite of their dessert.

  “Work. Right. See you both sometime tomorrow morning.” Knowing full well what work they had in mind, Alex waved at her friends.

  “Do you two think we’re really fooled by that line?” Sam was smiling at her cousin, but speaking softly so they couldn’t hear what she was saying.

  Alex tried to suppress a laugh while drinking her milk. It almost came out her nose. As she started to cough, Sam patted her on the back.

  “Are you okay? I guess I should be more careful when I speak the truth.” She hadn’t realized Alex was drinking.

  “I’m fine, it just struck me funny. I was always aware of that look that would pass between the two of them. They always thought they were so discreet. I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who’s picked up on it.” Alex cleared her throat and downed the last of her milk.

  Looking at Sam, who was just finishing her last bite of cake, Alex was about to ask her if she wanted to take that walk now. Just then Sam looked at her watch and beat her to it.

  “Are you up for a walk around the place? I can show you where all the tools are, just in case you beat me up tomorrow morning.” Showing Alex the barn made it sound like more of a work thing, than a getting her alone thing.

  “Great. I wanted a walk before I turned in.” Standing up, Alex had a giddy feeling like the one you get on a first date.

  As they walked outside the moon was over three quarters full and should be full while Alex was visiting. She remembered the moonlight rides she and Jessie had taken and how romantic it was. Would she be able to take one with Sam and would it be just two friends, as it was with Jessie, or more? Only time would tell.

  Walking towards the barn Sam pointed out the different buildings. A group of families were hanging out by the fire and the sound o
f laughter could be heard. Others were taking walks and possibly looking for a place to be alone. Watching the couples made Alex sad as this is what she would have loved to have done with Dez, but getting her to go anywhere would have taken an act of congress. Suddenly tears came to her eyes as she remembered her disappointment and loss of what could have been. Seeing Alex looking down out of the corner of her eye Sam turned to see why she had suddenly become so quiet. The tears were shining in the moonlight as they rolled down her face. Deciding to let her be alone with her thoughts Sam walked ahead to open the barn door. Walking towards the back Sam didn’t see Alex wiping the tears away.

  “This is where Dawson keeps all his tools.” Opening a large metal cabinet Sam pointed out the scrapers and wire brushes for the job.

  “Oh, great. I won’t have to bother anyone in the morning. Is there any particular spot he wants me to start on first?” Still trying to pull it together, Alex turned her head so Sam couldn’t see her wiping the last of the tears away.

  “You may want to start on the west side since it will be shaded from the sun. Then work your way around to the east side which should be in the shade by the end of the day. But he doesn’t expect you to do the whole thing in one day.” Sam knew just moving the ladder around was a tedious job.

  “That’s true. I should have one side done by lunch then you can have something to paint in the afternoon, while I work on the east side.” Having someone to talk to while working was great, that is if you didn’t have a radio to listen to.

  “That sounds like a plan. I have to take care of the livestock in the morning and other chores, so after lunch I’ll come over and help.” Whatever Alex did was less work for her and she greatly appreciated it.

  “Are you up for a little more of a walk or do you want to hit the sack?” Sam wasn’t ready to end the day just yet.

  “Absolutely. I need to walk off a little of that fantastic meal I devoured.” Looking at Sam helped her forget about what had been and gave her hope of what could be.

  “Great. Once around the ranch and then off to bed with you. Dawn comes quickly around here, or at least that’s the way it seems.” Sam needed to get to bed too.

  “Perfect. You can give me a quick lesson on the ranch.” Thinking back to her history lesson of Taylorwood and Cyn, she hoped all was well back home.

  “Well, I can tell you what I know, but Jessie would be the one to get the whole story.”

  The temperature was beginning to drop, but it was still a beautiful evening as Sam told Alex a little bit about the guest ranch. The ranch was named Thunder Mountain after the large rock formation at the top of the mountain range just west of them. During thunderstorms shadowy figures would be seen dancing on the mountain from the lighting flashes and some say strange noises would come screaming down from the ridges which led the local Indians to believe the mountain was haunted by evil spirits. Although Sam had never seen or heard either, she wasn’t discounting the stories, but then she had never been in that part of the valley during a thunderstorm. It was stuff that made great ghost stories on dark and stormy nights.

  As they approached Alex’s casita neither Alex or Sam was ready to end this first day, but tomorrow was going to be very busy not to mention exhausting and they needed their sleep. Alex thanked Sam for the short history lesson and gave her a friendly hug. It caught Sam completely off guard, otherwise she would have hugged her back tighter and a little longer. Walking away Sam hoped Alex didn’t think she wasn’t interested. She was very interestedvery interested indeed.

  Chapter 4

  Alex awoke, five minutes before her alarm was set to go off, to the distant sound of a howling coyote. She didn’t feel tired as she still hadn’t adjusted to the time difference. Jumping in the shower, the hot water felt comforting and she wondered what this new day would bring besides a lot of tired muscles. Brushing her teeth and trying to do something with her hair was the next chore. Putting it in a ponytail seemed to be the easiest thing she could think of and it would keep it out of her face. She put on her old pair of jeans, which she brought just in case she wanted to get really dirty, pulled on her lucky sweatshirt and muckers, and grabbed a jacket. It was going to be a little chilly until the sun came up.

  Walking out of her casita she spotted something moving fast across the grounds. A large roadrunner stopped and looked to see who had just entered its territory and then continued on its way. Very few lights were on as she approached the barn. Some of the other guests were early risers too. Looking towards the dining hall, she could see some activity probably the kitchen staff getting ready to serve coffee and rolls to those who needed a little something before breakfast. She figured she would get set up and then check and see if the coffee was ready.

  As she entered the barn it was obvious Dawson had made a stop before turning in for the night. A brand new wire brush and scraper were set out. There was also a note laying with the tools telling her not to over do it on the first day and to be careful on the ladder. Alex figured Jessie must have had something to do with the “not to over do it” part, as she had watched her moving slowly on more than one occasion after a hard day’s work. Alex put the scraper in her back pocket and headed out to see where the ladder had been set up.

  As she left the barn she spotted a figure lurking by the tack shed. Thinking it could be Sam getting ready to feed the livestock, she wondered why she didn’t move towards her to say good morning. Suddenly the figure spotted her heading their way and took off running around behind the building. Alex stopped short and then looked around to see if anyone else had witnessed this strange behavior. No one else was in sight. Walking towards the tack shed, she checked the door to make sure it was still locked. The padlock was secure, but she did notice footprints in the damp ground, as if someone had been waiting there. It was probably nothing, but after her recent past she had made it a point to notice things that were out of the ordinary. She would try to remember to show all this to Sam later.

  The smell of coffee suddenly got her attention and she headed off towards the dining hall. When she emerged with coffee in hand, she spotted Sam heading her way.

  “Good morning! You look ready to go to work. You’ve got your coffee and your hair is all pulled back ready for you to get all dirty.” She was even better looking then Sam remembered from yesterday. It had to be the ponytail.

  “You bet, and good morning to you too. You look ready for a full day’s work yourself.” Alex noticed Sam was dressed a little nicer today.

  “Well, don’t let me stop you from your fun. I was just headed in to get coffee myself.” Sam kept walking as she passed Alex, needing her caffeine a.s.a.p.

  “Right, see you later.” Walking back to the shed Alex saw the roadrunner making another pass through the grounds. As he ran by she said her hello, “Beep, Beep.”

  Alex started scraping on the west side. The paint came off very easily from all the sun damage. It was very rewarding to see it fall to the ground. She hoped it all came off this easy. The wire brush would get into the smaller cracks and she should have this side done by lunch. Then she would have someone to talk to by the name of Samantha.

  “Looking good. I just hope it all comes off that easy.” Sam was holding her coffee cup with both hands as she looked at Alex’s work.

  “My thought exactly. I’m not so sure the whole shed will be this easy, but I can hope. Where are you off to now?” What important chore was Alex keeping her from?

  “Feeding the livestock. I can hear their little tummies growling as we speak. I will be over to help as soon as I get my chores done. Have fun.” Sam headed towards the hay barn to get started.

  “Have fun yourself. See you later.” Alex couldn’t help watching her as she walked away. She just hoped no one was watching her watch Sam.

  It was only a few minutes before breakfast was served when Sam came walking over to escort Alex to the wash basin to get cleaned up. Breakfast was as fantastic as it had been the day before. Alex had french t
oast and Sam went for the steak and eggs. Both had coffee and homemade buttermilk biscuits with honey. More time was spent eating than talking, but when they finished Sam stated she would have all her chores done so she could help after lunch. She grabbed another cup of coffee and headed back to work, as did Alex.

  The hours flew by as swiftly as the paint chips fell to the ground. Alex’s mind had drifted over several different topics as she worked rethinking her decision to leave Dez, her problem with Richard, the good times with Cyn, and her near death experience with Sally. As she stood on the ladder brushing off the last little section, she had the feeling she was being watched. It wasn’t an ominous feeling as it had been at Taylorwood, just a feeling that a pair of eyes were looking at her with great interest. As she slowly turned around to scan the grounds, she pretended to be stretching her arms and neck so not to appear obvious in her action. There was no one in sight that seemed interested in her, but then she had never seen Richard Greenway and he definitely had been watching her.

  Alex wondered how much longer before the lunch bell would ring as her stomach was grumbling its displeasure of such a long wait. Sam would be finished soon with her chores and could spend the afternoon helping with the shed. That had been the plan this morning, but there was always the chance of a change. As she descended the ladder the cook must have heard her stomach as the lunch bell rang out loud and clear, “Come and get it.” Alex headed for the wash basin to get cleaned up. As she turned around, wiping her hands off, Sam and one of the other wranglers were heading her way.

  “Good afternoon, Alex. How’s it coming?” Sam asked with a sly smile on her face.

  “Great. If it all comes off as easily as this side did, I will be done in two days.” She wondered what the smile meant  and who was this guy?