by Piper Rayne
“The McKlintocks own the farm?” I asked as I met up with the doctor and we moved toward the barn.
She nodded.
“Mrs. McKlintock, Mason’s mother, runs the house and Mason, the farm, along with his foreman and a number of farm hands. Mr. McKlintock, Mason’s father, passed three years back. So, it’s all pretty much fallen to Mason.”
“Does he have a family?” I asked, naturally curious.
“No, as far as I know Mason’s single. Running this farm takes up most of his waking hours, I’m sure. I don’t know when he’d find the time … although I’m sure having a family to pass the farm down to is important to him.”
I could imagine it was a huge responsibility to run a place such as this, and the fact that he’d recently lost his father and was taking care of his mother, made me inclined to think I’d like Mason McKlintock.
“Come on, Charming, just eat a little bit. It’ll make you feel better, promise.”
We walked in to hear the sound of a man cooing those words to a large and very pregnant cow, and my heart melted just a little.
“Charming being stubborn again?” Dr. Garcia asked, causing the man to come up from his crouch and turn toward us.
He stood, and just seemed to keep right on standing.
Tall, with a trimmed beard, longish reddish-brown hair, and a tanned face, Mason McKlintock was the quintessential cowboy.
“Always, Doc, you know that,” he said, his voice deep and gravelly, and when the white of his teeth shown when he smiled, I felt a dip and sizzle deep in my belly.
Well, butter my biscuits … Mason McKlintock must be Cherry Springs best-kept secret, because I’ve only been in his presence two seconds and I’m ready to offer myself up as tribute to be the woman who would give him those babies to carry on his legacy.
Chapter Three
I followed behind and listened closely while Mason and the doc spoke about the cows who were ready to calf, a horse who needed to be reshoed, and a problem Mason had been having in the hen house.
I’d pulled out my phone and used the notes app to take everything down. I knew I’d have a hard time remembering everything they were talking about … I was too excited and too worried about everything I didn’t know. Luckily, they didn’t seem to think my aggressive note taking was weird.
In fact, it was almost like they’d forgotten I existed all together.
I hadn’t seen Mason so much as crack a smile since that first moment. He was extremely serious, a little gruff, and definitely all business.
“Well, you know it can be hard to pinpoint these things, but I’d guess Charming will need to be moved to the calving box in about six hours or so, and then you’ll have another six to twelve hours of labor before she delivers. I have to head back to town for a couple surgeries, but I’ll be back in plenty of time for the calving. I’d like to leave Rebecca here, just to keep an eye on things and be here in case you need anything, if that works for you.”
I glanced up at my name to find Mason watching me quietly.
I gave what I hoped was a smile of reassurance and tried not to flinch when he gave a small sigh in response.
Jeez, way to make a girl feel confident…
The morning was rapidly heating up and I wasn’t sure if it was the humidity or Mason’s gaze that had sweat beading up on my back and starting to trickle south.
“Of course, Doc, whatever you think is best,” Mason finally replied.
“Perfect. Becs, you have my number if you need anything,” she said as she started back toward her car.
I shuffled quickly behind her and whispered hurriedly, “Are you sure leaving me on my own is the best idea? What if something happens?”
“If anything happens, call me and I’ll be back here before you know it. We really just need a presence here to give Mason piece of mind and so that you can contact me if anything comes up. It’ll be fine, I promise. And Mason is one of our best clients, so it’s a good idea for you to get to know each other.”
I bit my lower lip and nodded, then glanced over my shoulder to see Mason had moved on and was no longer paying attention to us.
“I just don’t want to mess anything up,” I admitted, figuring it was best to be completely honest with my new boss.
“You won’t,” Dr. Garcia assured me with a grin before opening her door. “Explore the farm and get to know the animals. Have fun. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I stood there and watched until she’d driven out of sight and then turned to walk back toward the barn.
I glanced inside to see one of the farm hands rubbing Charming’s side and speaking to her in hushed tones, but there was no sign of Mason. Unsure of where I should be and hopeful I didn’t get in anyone’s way, I walked back out of the barn and around the side to where the goats, alpacas, and sheep were grazing.
Propping my foot up on the fence, I leaned forward on my forearms and watched the animals with my lips curved up.
They were so peaceful. Just chewing happily and moving the occasional step as they enjoyed the fresh air and sun beaming down on them.
“You like animals…”
Not sure if it was a question or a statement, I glanced up to see Mason heading toward me, the cap on his head tilted back so he could get sun on his face.
“Yes, I do. Very much,” I replied, giving him an answer regardless. “I haven’t been around farm animals much though, mostly just domestic animals.”
He nodded and paused next to me.
“I’m Becs,” I said, probably unnecessarily since Dr. Garcia had introduced us, but it felt like something needed to be said.
“I know who you are.”
“You do?” I asked with surprise. I was one-thousand percent sure I would remember if we had ever met. “Did you go to Cherry Springs High?”
High school would be the only place I could think of where he could have known me without me knowing him. Not only was it years ago, but high school had been a miserable experience for me, and I’d worked hard to keep my head down and be as invisible as possible.
“No, I was homeschooled,” Mason said softly. “My parents needed me here to work.”
“That must have been hard … Were there other kids around?” I asked, thinking how lonely it would be to stay on the farm twenty-four seven with no one else around.
“No, but I played travel ball, so I made friends that way. That’s how I came to know Gabe Lewis and most of the guys I hang out with.”
“Oh, that makes sense. I don’t recall seeing you at the bar though,” I said, and I was pretty sure I would have remembered.
“I don’t get into town much,” Mason said, taking his hat off and running his hand through his hair. “I’ll go to the occasional barn burner and stuff like that. I saw you at a couple of the Lewis weddings. Gabe told me you worked at the bar.”
Shock and pleasure coursed through me over the fact that he’d asked about me. It made me wonder why he never introduced himself and what planet I’d been on that I hadn’t homed in on him right away.
“Oh,” I managed, unsure of what to say next.
“You’re pretty hard to miss,” he said with a light chuckle. “You’ve always got a smile on your face and are surrounded by people. That’s why I never worked up the nerve to go up to you at the weddings. You seemed to be having a good time and I didn’t want to make things awkward.”
I looked up at him, surprised to see an embarrassed expression on his face.
“You wanted to talk to me?” I asked, a lump forming in my throat.
He dipped his chin and put his hat back on his head.
“Wow … well, I wish you would have,” I said, thinking of the last wedding I’d been to. I’d hung out with my friends but had spent most of my time eating cake and wishing I had someone to dance with. “I bet you can two-step with the best of them.”
“You’d win that bet,” Mason said, gifting me with a grin just for me.
Boy, this man was potent. Like gaso
line mixed with a flaming-hot match.
Chapter Four
“I hope I’m not taking up too much of your time…”
Mason had spent the better part of the morning showing me around and answering my many, many questions about life on a farm. He’d been gracious, friendly, and seemed to get increasingly more handsome with each passing second.
“Not at all. I’m pretty much running my day just like any other, I simply have the added bonus of having you with me for company.”
Yes, that’s the sound of my heart skipping a beat.
“Oh, thanks. I really do appreciate you taking the time. Learning about this stuff in class is nothing like being here in person and seeing it for myself.”
Mason nodded and shot me a quick look.
“I hope you don’t think I’m being too forward, but I’d love it if you’d have lunch with me. I have the perfect spot…”
I looked at him in surprise. The day had been going great and I definitely felt a spark with Mason the likes of which I’d never felt for anyone else, but I was a bit jaded by nature. And all of his time and attention seemed too good to be true. I mean, I could see him taking the time out as a farmer with a vet tech, but to think he’d be interested in me as a woman? It seemed far-fetched.
“Oh, uh, yes … thank you. I didn’t even think of packing a lunch,” I admitted, watching him warily. “But I don’t want to hog all of your time…”
Mason grinned broadly and said, “We all take a lunch here, so it’s no problem. I’ll just run and grab a few things and meet you back here.”
“Okay, I’ll go check in on Charming.”
A few minutes later I stepped back out of the barn to see Mason waiting next to a John Deere Gator, which was kind of like a cross between a golf cart and a four-wheeler. I’d driven four-wheelers, of course, but never been in anything as fancy as that machine.
“Nice ride,” I said as I approached.
“Thanks, I’ve only had her a few weeks, but she’s already made things much easier.”
As I climbed into the passenger seat, I noticed a picnic basket secured in the back, along with a blanket roll and a small cooler.
The man had seriously thought this through.
“Mason?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you know I’d be coming here today? I mean, did Dr. Garcia tell you she was bringing me along?” I asked, utterly curious about how this was all playing out.
Mason looked sheepish as we drove off and took a few seconds before answering.
“Actually, when Doc asked me if I minded her bringing you along, I was floored. I had no idea you’d become a vet tech and the fact that she was asking to bring you to the farm was like a gift I didn’t know I could get.”
“Really?” I asked, wondering if I’d actually hit my head back in the barn and was lying in a coma because, honestly, guys did not look at me the way Mason was looking at me. All nervous and in awe, like I was something precious to be won.
“Yeah, and I may have asked her to leave you here for the day … to give us the chance to get to know each other.” Mason glanced over at me and spoke in a rush. “And I hope I’m not completely freaking you out. I know it may seem like I’m coming on strong, but when I say I don’t have a lot of opportunities to get out and meet people or spend time on those who interest me, it’s completely true. Now, I don’t want to scare you off with that either, make you think I’m unavailable. I’ve hired more help around the farm to free up some time and I really do want to commit time to getting to know you, taking you out, and seeing if there’s something between us that could grow into more.”
I stared at him. Blinked. And stared some more.
“You set all of this up so you could get to know me better?” I asked, incredulous.
“I did. It was too good an opportunity to pass up,” Mason admitted. “I had my ma put together the food and Doc leave you behind so I could plan out this picnic, and Henry, my foreman, watching Charming and the rest so we could have a quick escape.”
“Wow, this may sound sad, but it’s truly the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” I told him softly.
My eyes felt hot with unshed tears and my stomach was slowly rolling over as the pressure of the situation started to hit me. Was Mason looking for a woman to have a serious commitment with? Someone who would help him run this farm and carry on generations of family legacy?
And for some reason, he’d gotten it into his head that me … Becs from the trailer park in Cherry Springs … was the woman who fit the description of what he was looking for.
The man had to be touched…
“Mason,” I began, unsure what to say in this situation.
“Look, I’m sorry if I came on too strong. I told myself I wasn’t going to say anything, that I was just going to let things play out and hopefully you’d be interested in dating a guy like me. I just got excited … and then I didn’t want to keep anything from you, so it all just kind of spilled out. I really didn’t want to stress you out.”
“I … well, I’m completely flattered. But, Mason, I don’t think I’m the person you think I am.”
“You’re Becs. Cherry Springs born and bred. Lived here your whole life, worked at Lewis Bar while you put yourself through vet tech school. You’ve dated some of the guys in town, but nothing serious ever came out of it. You make friends who would stick by you through anything, which shows you’re loyal and you breed loyalty in others. You’re a beautiful woman who’s quick to smile and you love animals.”
“Wow. Okay … maybe you do know a bit about me.”
“And I’d like to get to know more than what’s on the surface … and for you to do the same,” he said as he put the Gator in park. “Look, just give me a few hours. Enjoy lunch, maybe take dip in the pond, and talk. I promise I won’t ask for more than you’re willing to give.”
I looked out over the spot he’d chosen. A medium-sized pond with a deck going out over the water. The sun reflected off the surface and the wind blew the blades of grass and wildflowers around us.
It was beautiful.
“Why not?” I asked as I moved to get out. “Your mom went to the trouble to make our lunch and you planned such a pretty picnic, it would be a shame for it to go to waste.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, Mason. Let’s eat.”
Chapter Five
“Your mother is a goddess,” I managed around a mouthful of some sort of ham and cheese goodness.
It was a picnic fit for a queen. With the delicious sandwiches, fresh fruit, homemade potato salad, fresh bread, and a thermos of sweet tea, it was a better meal than I’d had in ages. Which probably said more about me than Mason and his mother.
It’s time I learned how to cook.
Now that I was a career woman with my thirties quickly approaching, takeout and fast food wasn’t going to cut it anymore.
“Thanks,” Mason said with an easy smile. “You’ll have to try her fried chicken.”
“Mmmm,” I moaned, thinking I was down to eat anything this woman made with her own two hands.
Mason chuckled and said, “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. It’s nice to see a woman who enjoys food as much as I do.”
“Growing up, having food on the table wasn’t a guarantee, so you’ll never see me with food leftover on my plate,” I replied, feeling relaxed and happy sitting in the warmth of the day with delicious food filling my belly. “Especially food this good.”
Mason’s eyes widened a bit and I realized I may have said too much. I didn’t want him to feel sorry for me. Pity was something I refused to accept from anyone.
“Living on a farm meant food was never an issue. We raised it, grew it, and my ma always spent as much time working in the kitchen as my dad and I spent out in the fields.”
“It must have been a nice way to grow up,” I said, trying to picture what it must have been like to live life that way.
It was the complete opposite of my own experien
ce.
“It really was,” Mason replied, leaning back and pushing his legs out in front of him so he was almost laying down. “Oh, I didn’t always appreciate it as a kid, but what kids would? I saw Gabe getting to go to school and hang out with his cousins on the weekends, and it seemed like the only time I got a break was when we were playing ball, but sometimes that still felt like work.”
“You wanted time just to be a kid,” I guessed, realizing how I’d taken my freedom to do just that for granted growing up.
“Yeah, but things were different back then. Times were harder and my dad had no choice but to put me to work. It’ll be different when I have kids. Sure, I’ll teach them all about the farm, but I want my kids to actually have a childhood. I’m lucky to be in a spot where I’ll be able to give them the best of both worlds.”
“I’ve never thought much about having kids, but what you’re describing sounds perfect to me. I can imagine growing up with the animals and spending summers swimming right there in the pond. You have yourself a little slice of paradise here.”
It was so far away from the sparse landscape of the trailer park I’d grown up in. The only colorful flowers there had been the plastic ones pasted to the side of Old. Mrs. Dingle’s double wide.
“I’ve spent many an afternoon cooling off right here. The water is perfect on a day such as this … What do you say? You want to take a dip?”
I looked at Mason in surprise.
“Don’t we have to get back?” I asked, suddenly aware of the way my shirt was sticking to my back.
“I’ve got my radio,” Mason said, gesturing to the walkie he’d laid out on the edge of the blanket. “Henry will call if he needs anything.”
I glanced back over the water, visualizing myself jumping in and imagining the crisp, cool feel of the water surrounding me. I’d never been one to be shy about my body and the thought of stripping down to my underwear was no big deal. Still, Mason was different than the guys I usually spent time with.
Would he be charmed by my lack of self-consciousness, or be turned off by it?
