Trusting Her Rancher Boss (Mountainbrook Ranch Book 1)

by Holly May

  “Ranch is just past these trees.”

  The trees cleared to reveal an open twelve-acre field where most of the cattle roamed. Occasionally, they were let free to wander the rest of the land. That would be a job to start later. At least Rachel’s arrival had given an interesting change of pace. He spent so long at the ranch he sometimes forgot the world outside of it.

  He guided Honor toward the stables, bypassing the two groups of cattle they’d rounded up last week. The ranch sat sheltered between the sparse trees dappled in sunlight. Five other horses moved restlessly in their stalls as he led Honor to hers.

  He dismounted and held out his arms to help Rachel. She tentatively moved her leg, but he noticed no expressions of pain and after swinging her leg over, she wavered before slumping against him.

  This close, he could smell her, so clean with a hint of a floral aroma. She pulled her other foot from the stirrup and steadied herself. He moved his arms, one hand catching her wrist and stopped. His touch had lingered on her long enough, and he released her as if it burned him.

  Wanting to cover the severity of his reaction, he said, “You did well.”

  It’d been intriguing to see she was afraid of horses, an unknown fear within his world, which only enhanced his curiosity.

  Rachel’s throat worked as she swallowed. “It wasn’t so bad. Riding a horse by myself though, that’s another matter.”

  He nodded brusquely. “How’s your leg?”

  “It’s fine. I think it’s just bruised. You really have a doctor out here?”

  “Only on weekends for my father’s physiotherapy. His knee never recovered from being immobile for months. The doctor’s a family friend, does what he can, and in return we let his son keep a position at the ranch when we open for work.”

  Information she’d likely glean upon entering the ranch. He couldn’t predict what his father would say to her, despite her trespassing tendencies. He felt a pang of regret at the distance between them but knew not to linger on it.

  “I’m so sorry about your father.”

  The compassion in her voice pulled at something within him. “He’s alive, and for a long time I worried he wouldn’t make it. But he’s a resilient guy. Takes a lot to bring him down.”

  A moment of silence drifted between them, broken only by the gentle whinnies from the horses.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to look around,” she suggested.

  “To take photos of the ranch? Sorry darl, I can’t let you do that.”

  Was that a hint of a blush staining her cheeks? He found it hard to avert his attention from her. Thankfully, she turned to observe the cattle. Denying her intentions for photos was a means of protection, and Mountainbrook was private for a reason although he knew that wouldn’t last.

  His father intended on converting it to a dude ranch, catering to tourists who wanted a working experience amongst the alpine wilderness. It was an abrupt change, but one that had to be done for his father’s stability. All ventures comprised ambiguity. He had faith that it wouldn’t fail.

  Jared led Honor to her stall and shut her in, securing the metal gate. As she did every morning, she went right for the hay. He couldn’t help but smile. Having her by his side for years on end had provoked a fond attachment. He knew her routine, just as she knew his. It was a comfort in itself.

  The click of a camera jarred him from his thoughts.

  He looked toward Rachel and saw the lens pointed straight at him, an intrusion for privacy he’d long taken for granted. She lowered the camera, eyes wide in shock. Feeling tension in his face, he realized he was scowling and immediately relaxed, not wanting to give the impression he hated having her there. Still, her bold behavior was stimulating.

  And some obscure part of him enjoyed the disparity.

  She winced. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. It’s a touching shot of you both.”

  “No harm done, but I like my privacy.” He strode away from the stalls.

  Could he believe her story? Exclusive photos of Mountainbrook would draw a high price in town and he was well aware she could sell them. Even so, a photo of him and the horses could appear to be from anywhere. It was nothing to get concerned over.

  Maybe I’m overreacting.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ve deleted it.”

  He took her for her word. “Thanks. So, tell me about your photography and how you ended up here.”

  She seemed surprised. “I guess we have time for the long version, huh.”

  “Yep.”

  Rachel followed him and they stood overlooking the forest. “After working as a florist for a while, I had a crisis of faith and wanted to aim for my dream. I took photography classes, spent two years creating an online portfolio and sent some to agencies, but few showed an interest. Some photographers resort to selling their images online, but I decided to run a blog.”

  He raised an eyebrow, astonished to hear that she wasn’t professional. But then, she’d trespassed, and he was blind to her capabilities.

  “The blog is your source of income?” he wondered.

  Her resolute determination explained why she’d made a reckless decision. And he’d taken many risks to make his way to the top of the chain as a reputable CEO in New York. The similarities between them brought a sense of discomfort. He couldn’t allow himself to relate to her because he needed to maintain distance, but despite his reluctance, he felt compassion for her. She looked genuinely embarrassed about everything.

  “Yeah,” she said. “But I didn’t mean to go this far.”

  The assurance in her voice was familiar. He’d achieved his own dream, far beyond what he’d imagined yet it all came crashing down when he returned to the ranch and let a modicum of vulnerability claim him. Now he was left with a residual pain that not even consistent hours working the pastures could ease.

  All because my heart was broken.

  “Didn’t plan on trespassing?” he noted, eager to steer back on course.

  Rachel shook her head. “I didn’t count on getting caught.”

  “Trespassers don’t.”

  “My portfolio never got attention from magazines. Anyone can take a professional looking photo, especially with DSLR cameras, and so the new demand is rarity. Blogging was the only option left and I need to elevate myself from the crowd. If that meant scoring exclusive photos, then I was willing to try.”

  Rachel faced him, her blonde hair windswept. Yet he knew innocuous looks could prove deceptive.

  “Coming here was a mistake made out of hopelessness,” she admitted. “I was at rock bottom and didn’t know where to turn or what to believe. I want to make a living doing what I love. And you obviously love what you do.”

  For once, he was at a loss of how to respond. He was proud of his work and how much the ranch had developed, but he wouldn’t call it love. That emotion had died the moment his heart shattered to pieces even when he didn’t think he had anything left within him to be broken.

  Still, he had to give Rachel credit for speaking her mind. Tania had concealed her lies with forced smiles and sugar coated words. It was all too easy to assume Rachel would do the same.

  Tread carefully. I’m starting to like this girl.

  They stopped before the ranch house. A wraparound wooden porch stretched for several feet, the ranch itself a dark glossy brown and the dark red roof a flare of color amongst the shadowed forest. Expansive windows offered a glimpse into the brightly lit interior.

  “It’s beautiful,” Rachel remarked.

  “It’s bigger than it looks. Renovations will expand it a bit.”

  He watched her survey the expanse of land surrounding them.

  “The land’s about two thousand acres,” he added, tilting his Stetson to keep the sun off his eyes. “We keep it tight, less than fifty cattle. Converting to a dude ranch means we’ll have to sell off the stock.”

  “A dude ranch? No women allowed?”

  He smiled, enjoying her sarcasm. “Jus
t a term for a guest ranch. The change won’t happen until late October, until then it’s a working ranch. We hire a handful of locals to help out for a short period. Lessens the load.”

  “I don’t recall seeing any job openings.”

  “We hire the same folk every year. Another reason why my father supports conversion. It’ll open the ranch up to the public.”

  “And you don’t support it?”

  He hesitated, recalling the long, frustrating arguments with his father. It was all they disagreed on, but it was enough to drive a wedge between them. There was a distance that needed to be mended, and he wanted to do that, somehow.

  Not only that, but he needed his dad to see him in a better light after all he’d put him through, and especially after what he’d done in New York with his business dealings. Committing to being a rancher was part of that.

  “It’s a drastic change,” he admitted.

  There were many changes he didn’t like - including the way he felt for Rachel. While he hadn’t shut himself off from conversing with women entirely, the few he’d met never inspired him to open up like this.

  He saw her touch her leg, and after noticing his reaction, she shook her head. “I’m okay. I just have a low pain tolerance.”

  He smiled tightly. If this was her attempt to avoid confrontation with his father by eliciting compassion, it wouldn’t work. He had a duty to fulfill and dealing with trespassers was part of it. Not that they had many, and Rachel was the first he’d personally allowed onto the ranch.

  Jared cleared his throat. “My father’s busy right now. You should come inside, get freshened up, and I’ll fix you something to eat.”

  She glanced down at herself and lightly brushed dirt from her jeans. “Good idea.”

  No, allowing himself to extend this temptation around her was definitely a bad idea.

  Chapter Two

  Rachel splashed her face with water before dabbing herself clean with a blue Egyptian cotton towel. The bathroom was luxurious with a wide cream-colored vanity and marbled floor.

  Sparing a look at her reflection, she remembered she’d gone sans makeup. If she’d known she would be meeting a hot cowboy, she would’ve made an effort. She looked slightly less unkempt now, although her clothes were still streaked with dirt.

  What happens now will make or break me.

  Rachel left the small bathroom and entered the hallway. Jared had shown her through the spacious living room where two hallways branched off, one leading to four large rooms where his father was resting, and the other to all the amenities.

  She passed by a room that was being converted to a massage retreat, finding herself drawn to the cozy, well-appointed lodge. Mountainbrook Ranch was stunning but without meeting the doctor, the amount of time she could stay drew closer to an end.

  And closer to the outcome of her momentary recklessness.

  Rachel entered the living room where Jared awaited her. He’d been pacing as if he couldn’t take the time to relax on one of the wide cream couches.

  The decor was modern with a hint of rustic, the white furnishings and delicate red rugs contrasting with the dark caramel colored wood. The few personal touches were photos adorning the walls displaying Jared and what looked to be his father.

  Something caught her eye. A familiar Bible quote hung on the wall from Proverbs.

  All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

  It pulled at her heart, reminding her how she’d struggled with her faith for the past few weeks and whether she was on the right path. Somehow all this turmoil had led her here.

  Jared appeared at her side, hands on his hips. “My grandfather hung that there. He believed the ranch could be something greater than it was. So he put in all the work he could to make it how you see it today.”

  “He took action,” she said fondly. “I used to read this over and over. I talked about being a photographer for years, but without putting any effort in, I wouldn’t have bothered. I’d be stuck, unhappy with a job that wasn’t for me.”

  “You found your calling. That’s your profit right there.”

  She smiled a little. “Maybe.”

  “It helped me, too.”

  Rachel stared at him. “Have you always believed?”

  “No, a few things happened in New York that made me reassess myself. My life.” His eyes dimmed.

  Suddenly feeling uncomfortable from getting too personal, she cleared her throat. “Sorry, uh, I shouldn’t keep so much of your time. You’ve got things to do.”

  “Hey, I don’t mind.” Jared looked at her, his face partially concealed by that Stetson. “You said you had a crisis of faith?”

  She nodded. “Christianity has been in my family for generations. I never stopped believing. I just wondered if I was doing the right thing. If this is my true purpose, why wasn’t it working out? Why’d I resort to such stupid decisions? Is this God's plan for me?”

  Questions that weighed on her so heavily, she’d ended up climbing over a fence just to pursue a photo opportunity without a second thought to the consequences.

  But maybe I can make this right.

  Jared paused for a long moment. “We all get tested. Doubts arise. What matters is finding the strength to overcome it.”

  She took that to heart, impressed. “Sounds like you have a lot of inner strength.”

  He laughed. “Don’t get your hopes up. I’m not exactly a stalwart rancher.”

  “I like what I’ve seen.”

  They shared a look. His blue eyes shone, and she couldn’t prevent the smile pulling at her lips.

  “Anyway, I’m starving. Might throw something together for breakfast,” he said.

  “Really? It’s close to brunch.”

  “I’m used to eating late. Don’t need much energy for taking Honor around the land’s borders. We have some cattle out there, have to watch them during rotations.”

  The admiration for his job was visible in his voice, yet something about him made her wonder. Jared had a quiet intensity that implied something deeper. She had a feeling this wasn’t going to be as straightforward as meeting his father and persuading him to drop any charges.

  Jared broke eye contact and headed for the kitchen.

  After following him there, Rachel leaned against the counter. Motion sensor lights illuminated the room and added to the lavish home-style theme. The living room opened out to an impressively sized kitchen with several feet of granite countertops, a gas oven and a massive steel fridge where Jared withdrew a carton of eggs.

  “Feel like something to eat or drink?” he asked. “Wouldn’t be decent of me to refuse you.”

  The grin he shot her way hinted at something else entirely. Was he flirting? She doubted it. Most likely, he was alluding to her momentary lack of civility.

  She hesitated, aware that she had to see her sister Megan. “No, I can’t stay long.”

  “You have somewhere to be?”

  They’d already been more personal than she’d liked and if he was digging for her motives, he’d learn nothing. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m not hungry.”

  He shrugged it off. “Alright. And sorry, it’s not really my business where you’re going.”

  Jared fried the eggs with butter and served them up with thick slices of bacon.

  He led her to the dining room lined with red carpet and took a seat at the table. Rachel couldn’t help but feel like he was softening her up before the meeting with his father and it felt oddly intimate to be sitting down with the man who’d caught her trespassing.

  Rachel disregarded the implication and joined him. After Jared retrieved flatware, he sliced up some bread and gestured to a pot of jam, both positioned in the middle of the table.

  “Homemade from our plum trees at the back,” he said. “My father bakes a loaf every few days, keeps him busy.”

  “It’s just the two of you?”

  “For the past six years. After my dad had his fall, the responsibility
of caring for him and taking up ranch duties was too much for my mom. They’d separated years before and were trying to make it work. After the divorce, she moved back home to Washington.”

  His eyes hinted at a deeper pain and she felt a stab of sympathy. Mountainbrook wasn’t the reclusive paradise she’d assumed it was, but a haven for a hard-working family narrowly holding it together. The strain and tension was visible on his face and she got the impression he was being conversational due to lack of company.

  She leaned forward. “It must get lonely out here. I haven’t seen you in town before. Have you always lived in Sandpoint?”

  Shoveling bread into his mouth, he chewed, his gaze passing over her as if weighing up his options. “I leave the ranch when I have to, but not often. Born and raised in Idaho, but I’ve traveled a lot.”

  Jared finally took off his hat, revealing a gentle mass of dusty brown hair. A few strands fell against his tanned skin, emphasizing his eyes. She didn’t realize she was staring until he looked up at her.

  He held her gaze. He’d made a few meaningful glances at her, but she assumed it was due to the messy state she was in. Yet this was a moment where the prospect of his attraction toward her became tangible. The way his eyes raked over her, gleaming intensely, made her swallow.

  Footsteps echoed in the hallway and she whirled around in time to see Jared’s father emerge. His face was tanned and weathered from age with thinning salt-and-pepper hair. Dressed in blue jeans and a loose gray shirt, he walked with a slight limp.

  Apprehension immediately thickened the room.

  “Hello there. Wasn’t expecting a guest,” he said.

  Jared straightened. “She’s no guest. This is Rachel Mills. I found her near the eastern creek. She fell while taking a photo.”

  His father’s brown eyed gaze moved to her. “You a tourist?”

  Of course her inattentive behavior made her look like one. “No, a local.”

  He caught sight of her camera. “And you trespassed to take a photo?”

  The two men shared a look and she wasn’t oblivious to their disapproval. Maybe she could joke about it later, but disgrace flooded her face.