by Nia Aria
“You’d think I was nine months pregnant,” she laughs as her husband helps me with my bags.
“Don’t care that you are only four months along, angel. You’re not lifting a thing. Doc said to take it easy,” he tells her sternly.
They are so cute together, I think to myself. I hope that one day I meet a man who will cherish me the way that Ridge loves Ashlynn. I’m tired of being a twenty-year-old virgin. A twenty-year-old virgin who’s never been kissed. Kind of hard to form lasting relationships when you bounce around from town to town as much as my family did.
Ashlynn and I are the same height, but she’s teeny tiny except for her basketball-sized baby bump. I am Italian, so I have a little bit more meat on my bones. It doesn’t matter how much I work out at the gym or run. These curves ain’t going nowhere.
“Thank you both so much for this opportunity, and thank you, Ridge, for bringing my things in,” I tell them.
“No problem, welcome to Colton Creek. When I get on the road, I will call one of my brothers and ask them to pick up your things from here and take you down to the cabin a little later. I ran by there and opened the windows earlier this morning to air it out a bit,” he tells me.
“Lips, baby,” he tells Ashlynn as he leans over and thoroughly kisses his wife as he lays his hand protectively on her belly. My cheeks warm, and I start to look away from their intimate moment, but by then, he’s waving goodbye and is out the front door.
“Sorry about that,” she laughs. “That man is insatiable,”
I sigh and think that maybe one day, I too will have a fairytale of my own.
“That is such a sweet story!” I tell Ashlynn as we are standing in the kitchen talking as we prepare dinner for the ranch hands and other family members. Time is flying by, and It’s lovely to have someone my age to speak with for a change. Most of my conversations take place with the seniors at my nonna’s care facility. Ashlynn is telling me about how she answered an online ad for the chef’s position and wound up falling in love with Ridge.
“How did you know he was the one?” I ask her, hoping to get a few pointers.
“Oh, when you know, you know. That’s what all the Colton men believe as well. Their dad met their mom on a Thursday, and they married on that Sunday. They have been married thirty-seven years, and they still have that same deep love for each other. It’s so sweet. It is true though, when I first met Ridge, I felt an unexplainable connection with him. They are also all... um uh… extremely determined when they see something they want.”
Just as I am about to respond to her, the front door opens and in walks what I would consider to be the epitome of a cowboy. From the top of his dark Stetson hat, down to his Lucchese full quill ostrich boots. I know my boots, and I am positive those are Lucchese. I’ve drooled over that brand since I was a little girl, but we could never afford them.
This must be one of Ridge’s brothers because the resemblance is uncanny. He is absolutely gorgeous. That’s the only word I can muster up as I stare at him, and he stares right back at me.
Ashlynn starts waving her hand in front of my face, and I finally blink and look her way.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry,” I tell her.
“No need to be sorry, sweetheart. What’s your name, tiny?” he asks as he takes my hand in his, and I feel a shiver run through my body. His voice is low and sexy, and it has a little drawl to it that is doing something to my core. I feel warm all over.
I hope to God I’m not drooling and that I don’t stutter. I look at him and then down at my feet and reply, “I’m Jasmine. Um, I’m the new sous-chef. Today is my first day,”
“How old are you, Jasmine?” he asks, and I look up at him and realize how tall he is. Not quite as tall as Ridge, but he’s at least 6’3, a full foot taller than me, and he has the broadest shoulders I’ve ever seen. He looks like an NFL linebacker. He probably has my 130 pound self-beat by well over 130 pounds of pure muscle. He makes me feel so little.
“Gauge! You’re not supposed to ask a woman her age!” Ashlynn scolds.
“It’s ok, I don’t mind…um I’m twenty, why, h-how old are you?” I manage to get out.
“I’m thirty-five, tiny, but that doesn’t matter. You don’t have a car?” he asks me
“Uh, no, but I don’t mind walking. Keeps me in shape,” I say with a shy smile.
“I’ll fix that. We can’t have you walking all over the ranch. I want you safe,” he tells me like it’s no big deal.
“Where is she staying?” Gauge directs at Ashlynn, yet his eyes still never leave mine. They remind me of a lion in the jungle tracking its prey.
“Oh! We planned on letting her use one of the single cabins, the one close to the bunkhouse. Isn’t that a fantastic idea? Her bags are over by the door. I was going to ask you or Gunnar to run her down there in a little bit since Ridge has to see to that horse that’s in labor,” Ashlynn tells him.
“Bull. Fucking. Shit. No way in hell is she staying over by that bunkhouse. Too many ranch hands get drunk and like to hang out front. They’d lose their minds over this little bit. She can stay with me, I’ve got four extra bedrooms in that 7,000 square foot house, and it’s just me. She’ll be safer that way.”
“I don’t want to impose. I don’t mind—" I start to say but am abruptly interrupted by this beautiful man.
“You’re not imposing, baby, I insist. Ashlynn, call me when y’all are done for the day and I’ll drive back up and get her.” He then bends down, grabs my bags, walks out the door, and starts loading them into his colossal grey truck.
Ashlynn yells out after him from the front door, “What about dinner? Are you guys going to stay and eat with us?”
“Nope, we have plans.” And with that, he’s in his truck, and I hear the diesel engine roar to life.
“Is he always this bossy?” I ask Ashlynn, still visibly flustered by that insanely hot man.
“Oh, you have no idea. When a Colton man finds his woman, it’s a done deal. Good luck, girlfriend, you’re going to need it.”
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