by Misty Malone
“Mainly for safety. Dad’s always been adamant about safety on the ranch. I’m being trained to be the foreman, and I guess I understand now why he’s always been like that. Safety is important.”
“But rules for safety? What can happen? I mean, it’s just a ranch.”
“That’s the point, Mindy. It’s a ranch, and a ranch can be a very dangerous place if you aren’t careful.”
She wrinkled her nose as she looked at him, a doubtful expression on her face. “Seriously? You’re worried about safety out here? I’m honestly looking forward to being out here for the peace and quiet. I need that right now. But one of the reasons I’m so excited about being here is because it’s just a ranch, with wide open spaces and no one to bother you. I mean, if I can survive the rat race of a big city, where people would just as soon run you over as step around you, I think I can handle this.” Before he could say anything in retaliation, she changed the subject. “How long do I have before dinner—I mean, supper?”
“Supper’s at 6:00, and that’s one of the things Dad’s pretty strict about. I’m sure he’ll explain it at supper, but for now, just remember to be there by six.”
“Okay, will do. Should I dress for dinner?”
“No, we’re not formal around here. Jeans or whatever you’re wearing for the day will be fine for supper,” he said, emphasizing the last word. “After all, it’s just a ranch,” he added with a grin.
His comment went unnoticed by Mindy, who simply nodded before disappearing toward the bathroom off of her bedroom. He went downstairs to find his dad. He thought maybe he better mention her comments about safety. He was sure his dad would want to stress the importance of safety to her once he knew that was her attitude. It would be best for him to set her straight right from the start.
* * *
Mindy stood in the shower, letting the hot water that was running over her relax her. She’d been anxious to come to The Circle S ranch for some rest and relaxation, but she’d been nervous about arriving. She wasn’t sure what kind of reception she’d get. She knew Max and Helen would be gracious, but she wasn’t sure what to expect from Garrett.
She thought back to her younger years and visits she’d made to the ranch. Her parents had been good friends with Max and Helen when she was growing up, but she hadn’t been to the ranch all that often. Sometimes they would meet at their house in town instead of the ranch, or other times they’d meet at a restaurant and share a meal. The times she had been at the ranch, she’d never been able to capture Garrett’s attention, or at least in the way she would have liked. He always treated her like a pest.
His parents would tell him to take her outside, or to see the animals, and he dutifully did as asked, but he never seemed to want to spend time with her. She always wondered why. The last few times she’d seen him, she’d tried her best to get a conversation going with him. They were teenagers, although he always treated her as a child. She never could figure out why. She always assumed he had a girlfriend, and that’s why he didn’t want to spend any time with her.
It wouldn’t have surprised her to find out he did have a girlfriend. After all, he was big, and muscular, and extremely good looking. Even back in high school he was six feet tall, maybe a little over, and muscular. He grew up working on the ranch, which explained his muscular physique. But he was also very good looking. His dark brown, almost black hair was thick and had enough curl to look natural and in place no matter what he was doing. It didn’t matter if it was windy, or if he was working and covered with sweat; his hair always looked good.
What always captured her attention, though, was his smile and his eyes. They were so genuine. He didn’t pretend. If he was happy or pleased, you could see that in his eyes and his smile. If he was upset, you could see that just as easily. Regardless which it was, whatever he was feeling, you knew it. His eyes seemed to bore right through you, but when he was talking to you, his attention was on you, not on something he’d done earlier in the day, or something he would be doing later. You had his full attention.
The reception she’d gotten from him at the airport was surprising, but she couldn’t have dreamed of anything better. She’d convinced herself not to expect much, but if he was at least civil, maybe in time she could get him to notice her as something more than just a pest. With a lot of luck, maybe they could eventually even become friends. But to her delight, he seemed happy to see her. When he gave her a hug at the airport, she wasn’t sure her knees would hold her up. It was wonderful.
Even as she thought back to that wonderful moment, she had a stern talk with herself. Don’t make too much of it. He was probably just being a gracious host. He’d been handsome back when she saw him last, but now he was just plain hot. He probably had a girlfriend somewhere, she reminded herself. She’d just have to give it some time and see what happened.
As happy as she was about how he’d treated her, it was also a little upsetting. She came here to get away from everything in her life and start over. Other than her parents, she wanted a complete break. She had to get her life back in order, and feel like she was in control of it again. She knew that would be easier if she didn’t have a man in her life, at least until she got her feet planted firmly back on the ground. While she’d very much like to get to know Garrett as a friend, partially to prove to herself that he could see her as a friend, she decided for now, anyway, it couldn’t be anything more than that.
With that resolve, she finished her shower and got dressed. She kept an eye on the time, as punctuality had always been important to her. She put a minimal amount of makeup on, dried her hair quickly, and went downstairs. Helen was going past the stairs as she was descending, and invited her out onto the pool deck to sit down a few minutes until supper was ready.
“I was going to offer to help with supper,” Mindy said, “but I am rather anxious to see the pool. I remembered you had one, but I couldn’t remember what it looked like.”
“Maria insisted she has supper under control tonight,” Helen said. “I went in to help, and she chased me out of her kitchen. She said I should use this time to show our guest around, and I think that’s a wonderful idea. Let me show you where we keep the towels for the pool. I take it you found everything you need for a shower?”
“Yes, I did. Thank you. My room is gorgeous.”
“I’m glad you like it. If there’s anything you want that you don’t see, please ask one of us. We’re not real formal around here, so just speak up. Don’t be shy.”
“Thank you, Helen. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you letting me stay here.”
“You’re welcome here as long as you’d like to stay. Your mom said you kind of need some time to unwind a bit. Hopefully this will give you that opportunity.”
“I think it will. I had a bad experience and I’m having a little trouble getting past it. I think my life just got too hectic. When Mom suggested I see if I could stay here a little while, it sounded perfect. I think I need somewhere quiet and peaceful. Hopefully this will be just what I need.”
“I hope so. It’s usually pretty quiet and peaceful here. It has its moments, though,” she said with a bit of a chuckle. “I guess the trick is to not dwell on those moments, but concentrate on the quiet and peaceful times.”
Mindy wondered about her comment, but didn’t say anything. She couldn’t imagine life being hectic on a ranch, but as she thought about it, she had to admit that hectic was a relative term. To people who haven’t lived in a big, busy city, hectic probably meant something entirely different than it did to her. All she knew is she’d definitely lived hectic, and had no plans on going back to it ever again.
Helen was telling her a little about the house and where things were kept, when Max and Garrett walked around the side of the house and joined them on the pool deck. “Is Maria ready for us?” Helen asked her husband.
“She said she needs a few minutes yet, so we came out to join you two. Did you get Mindy settled in?”
“I think s
o. I was just telling her where things are.”
“Don’t be afraid to ask,” Max said, looking at Mindy. “We’re laid back out here, so don’t be shy.”
“That’s what I told her,” Helen said with a smile.
Garrett watched her looking at the pool, and her eyes seemed to sparkle. “Do you like to swim, Mindy?”
“I love to, Garrett. How about you?”
“I’ve always loved to swim. Maybe we can go in after supper, unless you’re too tired. Traveling can wear you out.”
“Actually, I think I’d like that. I was cooped up on that plane for so long, a good swim sounds nice.”
“After our supper digests, then, we’ll spend some time in the pool. We took the afternoon off from the ranch to go get you, so now I feel like I have all this pent up energy I need to work off, too. A swim sounds great.”
“I’m sorry you had to take the afternoon off just for me. I could have taken a cab.”
“That didn’t quite come out the way I meant it,” Garrett said. “We could have sent one of the hands in to pick you up, too, but we all wanted to go meet you at the airport. We chose to take the afternoon off, Mindy. It was our choice, so you don’t have anything to apologize for.”
Maria appeared in the doorway and summoned them to supper before she had a chance to respond. Garrett immediately stood and offered his hand to Mindy, who was relaxing on one of the lounge chairs. She took his hand and allowed him to help her up, and felt his hand on her back as he led her into the house and on to the dining room. He’d done that at the airport, as well. It wasn’t something she was used to, but she liked it, although she didn’t know why. It wasn’t a big thing, but it felt good to her. It somehow felt right.
He casually held her chair for her when they got to the table, and it seemed to her to be a very natural thing for him. That was odd, because she never saw men doing that, although she noticed that Max did the same for Helen, and again, it seemed so natural, she knew it had to be a routine thing for them. She assumed it was just one of the differences between the big city, and life out here in the west, on a ranch. She was sure she’d find other differences, as well.
Chapter Two
Once everyone’s plate was full and they started eating, Max cleared his throat. “Mindy, while we eat, if it’s okay, I thought I’d go over a few things you need to be aware of while you’re staying here at the ranch.”
“Sure.”
“Like I said, we’re pretty laid back out here, but there are a few things I insist on. Safety is at the top of that list. There are a lot of things that can be dangerous out here, so I have a few rules that everyone who lives or stays here has to abide by. I know your mother said you like to take walks to get away from people, and that helps you relax.”
“It does. I love to walk, and I’m anxious to go exploring here because it’s so pretty.”
“It is pretty, and it can be very relaxing,” he agreed. “But until you’ve been here longer and I know you’re familiar with the ranch, you need to stay within a certain area.” He saw the disappointment on her face, and tried to reassure her. “You’ll have plenty of room to walk, but for the time being I want you to stay out of the woods. You can go in any direction from the house, but when you come to a woods, turn around.”
“But I love to walk in parks because of the trees.”
“There’s a big difference between walking in a public park and walking through woods on a ranch,” Max explained. “A woods doesn’t have paths to walk on and it’s easy to get turned around. You don’t have to be too concerned about the animals you may encounter in a park, either.”
That got her attention. “What are you saying? There are dangerous animals in the woods around here?”
“There could be. As a rule, they don’t come close to the house or barn, though, where there are a lot of people and activity going on. They stay further out on the ranch, but they like the woods, so if you stay between the house and any woods, you shouldn’t have to worry.”
She nodded, obviously a little shaken. “Okay.”
“One other thing I should mention now, while we’re talking about taking walks. I understand you’re planning on getting a car while you’re here, and that’s fine. The only thing I ask is if you go anywhere, either for a walk or if you drive somewhere, we eat supper at 6:00. If we’re busy outside we may be a little late, but generally supper is at 6:00. I ask that you be here then, or let one of us know ahead of time that you won’t be here.”
She looked confused. “You want me to tell you when I’m going anywhere?”
“Not necessarily, no, but I do want to know if you’re not going to be here for supper. Again, it’s a safety thing. If you’re here, I know you’re okay. If you’re not here, but you tell me in advance you’ll be gone, I won’t worry about you. If you’re not here at supper time and you haven’t told me you’ll be gone somewhere, we’ll be worried, and we’ll all go out looking for you.”
“But why; where would you look?”
“The why is easy. If you’re not here we’ll go looking for you to make sure you’re not hurt somewhere. You could have tripped or fallen and twisted an ankle, or fallen down a creek bed, or any number of other things. So if you’re not here when we’re ready to eat, we’ll all be out looking for you. That includes not only us, but also the ranch hands. If someone could be hurt on our ranch somewhere, we’ll be out looking for them, no matter who it is.”
“So that’s why it’s important to be here at 6:00?”
“Absolutely. As far as where we’ll look, that leads me to my next rule. I don’t care if you go walking on the ranch, but I do ask that you simply let one of us know when you go somewhere, and which direction you’re heading in. If Garrett and I are both out, Helen or Maria should be around. If you can’t find any of them, go to the bunkhouse kitchen. The cook’s almost always in there. Just tell them you’re going for a walk, and which direction you’re heading. Then if something happens we’ll have an idea where to start looking.”
“Oh. Okay, I guess that does make sense.”
“It’s just to be sure everyone’s safe. I’ll ask the same thing if you’re going to swim. You’re welcome to swim anytime, but I want to make sure you’re safe. I like to see two people swimming together, but at least please let Helen or Maria or someone know you’re going to the pool.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m a good swimmer. I was on the swim team in college.”
“That’s good to know, but if you’re an experienced swimmer I’m sure you know it’s possible to get cramps in your legs while you’re swimming. That’s why we like to know if you’re going out.”
“So someone will come out and babysit me while I swim?”
Max couldn’t stop his frown, but quickly recovered. “No, of course not. If someone knows you’re out there, though, they will glance out every so often to be sure you’re okay, or come running quickly if they hear you yell.”
After a few moments of thought, Mindy agreed. “Okay, I guess that makes sense, too. Anything else?”
“Only one other thing I can think of right now. You have a cell phone, I take it?”
“Yes, of course.”
“The other thing I would ask is that you write your number down for us so we have it, and then keep your phone charged and take it with you anytime you venture out on the ranch.”
“Why?”
“So if we need to get in touch with you we can. If you get distracted and you’re not here at 6:00, the first thing we’ll do is try to call you. Hopefully you’ll answer and tell us everything’s fine, that you just lost track of the time. We’ll have another little talk when you get back then, because being here at 6:00 is very important to me. But in the meantime, it will have saved a lot of worry on our part, and we won’t get all the men out there looking for you.”
“Again, that makes sense. Okay, I’ll try to remember to take it with me, especially if I go out in the afternoon.”
&nbs
p; “Make sure you take it with you no matter when you go out,” he corrected. “Occasionally something will happen and we’ll want to get in touch with you.”
“What do you mean something will happen?”
“Oh, like maybe we’ll have a bunch of cattle that are out. We may want to call you and let you know so you can watch for them.”
Her eyes were growing while he was talking. “That can happen? What do I do then?”
“It doesn’t happen very often, but it does every now and then, if someone accidentally lets a gate open, or something knocks down a portion of a fence. As far as what you should do if it happens, the only time you need to do anything is if you’re out taking a walk and some cattle are out and could be in the area you’re in. That’s why I’d want to be able to call you. If it does happen, you just need to be aware of it. If you’re close to the house and barns, come back inside until we get them rounded back up.”
“What if I’m too far away?”
“There are lots of trees here and there, especially along the creeks. If you’re close to a tree you can climb, climb up in it and wait until we have them back in the pasture. You don’t have to go up real high, but if you’re up off the ground you don’t have to worry about them. If they do come around the tree you’re in, they’ll probably go right past you without even noticing you. Let them pass without seeing you, and you’ll be fine.”
“Okay,” she said a bit hesitantly.
“I didn’t mean to scare you, Mindy. That probably won’t ever happen. But it could, which is why I want to be able to reach you by phone. This is a working ranch, and you never know what might happen. That’s why I take so many precautions. That way we’re ready for anything.” He chuckled as he added, “Or at least we try to be. Better safe than sorry.”
“All right,” she said, relaxing a bit. “Anything else?”
“I’m sure other things will come to mind from time to time and I’ll tell you about them then, but for now, those are the main things I insist on. Those are things that I’ve been insistent on from the first day this ranch was my responsibility. Ask Garrett; he can tell you. He grew up here.”
