My Kind Of Country: The Complete Series

by Michelle Thomas

  As he drove, he took in his surroundings. The autumn colors were blazing brightly all around him, the treetops so full of leaves that only a strip of the clear sky above him could be seen. He turned the steering wheel right, then left, then right again, following the twists and turns of the dirt road. Just when he thought he must have made a wrong turn somewhere, the road opened into a gravel clearing and a couple of outbuildings came into view.

  Rustic Acres Ranch had a name that the property was doing a good job of living up to. Rustic was the only way he could describe the plywood and wooden slab construction of the buildings. That being said, the establishment didn’t seem rundown, just a bit primitive.

  He parked his truck beside an older model Ford pickup under a copse of trees. The crunch of gravel seemed to echo in his ears as he climbed out of it and slammed the door. The thought was flitting through his mind that he’d possibly just made the long drive out there for nothing when he heard a loud bang as the screen door to the house smacked shut, and a muffled wave of low music wafted toward him before it closed. He turned abruptly as the melody reached his ears and met the steely gaze of a slender woman who looked even younger than his own thirty years of age.

  “Can I help you?” she called out from the porch, shielding her eyes from the sun. The pink bandana wrapped around her tied-up hair made it impossible for Chad to discern the color of it. Silently, he guessed that she was a blonde, knowing a golden hue would complement the fairness of her skin well. He took a few tentative steps toward her, pulling his hat off his head out of respect as he moved.

  “I’m Chad, ma’am. Chad...Kirkwood.” It had been so long since he’d uttered his own surname it sounded foreign on his lips. A wave of satisfaction washed through him, and he fought to keep the grin from showing on his face. He was himself again, and he could introduce himself as such. As he closed the distance between them with a few hurried steps, he saw her eyebrow arch curiously.

  “Do I know you, Mr. Kirkwood?” Her voice exuded suspicion. Rightly so, he thought to himself. He stuttered out the explanation for his unannounced arrival in hopes of easing her mind a bit.

  “Sorry, I’m not... I mean, I saw your ad posted at the general store in town.” He unfolded the wrinkled piece of paper in his hand and offered it toward her. “You’re looking for some help around here?”

  Chad watched her eye him warily, as though trying to decipher whether he was serious or not. The skepticism she wore was clear enough that it caused him to look down at his dusty jeans and black T-shirt as well, wondering if he looked unacceptable to be seeking out a job. After a moment, the woman took a few steps forward and offered her hand toward him.

  “Sorry,” she offered politely. “You’re just not who I expected to answer that job posting, that’s all.” Before he could ask, she raised her eyes to meet his and smirked. “Students,” she explained. “I thought I’d get a bunch of students.”

  Chad looked at her wryly, taking her hand in his and shaking it gently. “Well, I can be taught, too.”

  As though finally breaking through an unseen exterior, the woman laughed. “I’m sure you can. I’m Katie. Good to meet you, Chad.”

  He knew she was pretty from the moment he laid eyes on her, but until she’d laughed and allowed a genuine smile to cross her face, he’d never realized just how pretty she actually was. A natural kind of beauty, no makeup required. He gave her hand a tender squeeze and released it, shoving his hands back into his pockets. “So, what’s this job entail, Katie? I used to work with my grandfather at his farm when I was younger, but I’m not afraid to admit that it’s been a while since those days.”

  “Is that your way of telling me you’ve got no idea what you’re doing?”

  “Is saying you expected to hire a student your way of saying the pay sucks?”

  Chad stared at Katie unblinking for what seemed like hours. Not wanting to upset her, he decided to take the high ground and try to set the conversation back on more solid ground. “I said I might be a bit rusty. I’ll figure it out.”

  “You don’t even know what you’re figuring out yet.” Katie was obviously quite skilled at the art of arguing. Well, that made two of them.

  “Well, I’ll figure that out, too.” Her expression made it hard for him to know whether she was purposely being argumentative or just showing off her sense of humor, so he flashed a sly grin toward her and added, “You’re the boss. If you tell me to figure it out, I’ll have to.”

  “Hmm, this just might work out.” Katie crossed her arms, grinning back at him.

  Chad had a moment of doubt, wondering what he’d just gotten himself into, but he knew he needed the job if he was going to stay here in Canada for any length of time. The last thing he wanted to do was slink back across the border to Tennessee, back to his life that had just been destroyed, with his tail between his legs and nothing to show for his impromptu disappearance. “So, I’m hired then?”

  “Don’t you even want to negotiate a pay rate? Or hours or something?”

  “Pay me what I’m worth and we’ll call it even. How’s that sound?” He didn’t know why, but he knew he wanted to be here. Working on this farm. Helping this woman.

  “You’re serious.”

  “Dead serious. Is it just you around here? Running this place, I mean?” Chad looked around as though expecting a score of unmentioned workers or family members to emerge from beyond one of the barns or buildings.

  “It’s just me. Well, my son lives here, too, but he’s too young to be expected to help me with most things that need to be done.”

  Chad saw no sign of emotion in her eyes when she said it. No bitterness, and no self-pity. A single mom trying to run a farm practically in the middle of nowhere? There had to be a story there, but his own mother had raised him better than to fish for information that wasn’t his concern. “Give me a chance, Katie. I’ll help you around here with whatever I can.”

  Katie stared at him again for a long moment, and Chad could see it in her emerald eyes that she was searching for confirmation of his sincerity. She exhaled then, jutting her hand out again. Chad wondered if she was making the gesture quickly so that she didn’t have a chance to change her mind. “You’ve got a deal, Chad Kirkwood. Don’t make me regret it.”

  Chad shook her hand as a flood of relief washed over him. For a split second, he’d thought she was going to reject him. “I promise, you won’t regret it, ma’am.”

  “Call me ma’am again and you will be the one regretting it.”

  “Sorry, boss.”

  “That’s better, Chad.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  KATIE

  Katie didn’t know where he’d come from or what his true motives were for showing up at her father’s—her—farm in search of a menial job that he was obviously over-qualified for, but she knew she couldn’t complain. She’d expected to get a bunch of punk high school kids looking for some quick cash that would undoubtedly leave her high and dry in a matter of weeks once they’d accumulated the amount of cash they needed to fund their weekend antics or the nicotine addictions they hid from their parents.

  Then, in strode Chad Kirkwood. He was more than she could have ever expected as a potential employee, at least from her first impression. He was motivated, more than any high school student would be. He seemed reliable. When she’d tested him by requesting that he show up for his first shift tomorrow at the same time the sun was just starting to rise, he’d accepted the challenge without hesitation. He was older than the students she’d expected to employ as well, meaning that perhaps they’d be able to relate to each other better than if she’d employed a kid wanting to constantly complain about his parental issues at home.

  And, of course, she also knew he was lying.

  There was no way Chad Kirkwood was some has-been accounting clerk just looking for a fresh start after his firm had laid him off and hired a newer graduate to replace him for less pay. He was definitely educated, professional, and knew how to be polit
e yet assertive with people—she’d give him that. However, she just didn’t buy his concocted story of wanting to renew his sense of self and his connection with the natural world by honing the skills his grandfather had taught him as a young boy.

  “You’re an accountant?” Katie had asked him, her disbelief etched on her face.

  “Don’t let the jeans and T-shirt fool you, ma’am. I’m purely dressed for the job I’m applying for.” He shrugged off her questioning glare, his expression revealing nothing. It was his eyes, though, that gave him away; his gaze flitted anywhere but toward her when he said it.

  “Don’t you want something a little more, I don’t know, suited to your abilities? I don’t mean that rudely, it’s just that you’re obviously capable of so much more than being the muscle and brawn I need around here to toss hay bales and work your fingers to the bone, day in and day out.” She knew she sounded like she was trying to deter him from wanting to work for her at all, and perhaps she was. She hadn’t even technically hired him yet, and already she felt guilty for being unable to provide him with the kind of occupation he would be best utilized in.

  “No offense taken, ma’am. In fact, with all due respect, I’m quite content with my decision to want to work in such a position, so please don’t pay the thought any mind. In fact, the idea of being your muscle and brawn, as you say, sounds quite appealing. Chivalrous, even.” He smirked at her, but she visibly tensed under his gaze.

  “Chivalrous? I think you’re confusing me with a damsel in distress, Mr. Kirkwood, and that’s the farthest thing from the truth.” Katie tried to maintain her carefree visage, but the clipped tone of her voice shone through. “And please, don’t call me ma’am.”

  “I’ll refrain from calling you ma’am if you’ll stop calling me Mr. Kirkwood.”

  Once again, a palpable silence fell between them. Katie recognized stubbornness when she saw it, and she didn’t quite like having it ricocheted back at her. However, she also respected his polite assertiveness, a skill she deemed hard to find in today’s not-so-tactful society. Therefore, she nodded silently, coming to an unspoken mutual agreement with him.

  “Also,” Chad added, “I apologize if I’ve offended you. In no way was that my intention. My sense of humor obviously leaves something to be desired.”

  Not wanting to discuss it further, she dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand. “Don’t worry about it. It looks like I’ll have plenty of time to get used to your warped sense of humor, anyway. If you actually want the job, that is.” It was the last chance she was going to give him to back out.

  He nodded. “I do, Katie.”

  With that, she held out her hand. “I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, then.” He took her hand in his and shook it again, this time with a little more fervor.

  “Great. Thank you. I mean that.”

  “We’ll see if you’re still thanking me tomorrow after ten or twelve hours of being outside.” She smirked, amused. She was exaggerating a little bit, but even then, Chad didn’t seem hesitant. Instead, he merely nodded in approval, grinning back at her.

  “I’d better get back to work, though,” Katie added. “I have to have the horses fed before I pick up my son from the bus. It was good to meet you, Chad.”

  “If you’d like, I can help you with the horses now.”

  His offer halted her, and she tried to recover from her obvious misgivings. “It’s all right. Thank you, but I’ll be fine by myself.” Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than for Chad to leave her alone with only her thoughts to keep her company. He must have recognized that, because he took a step back toward his truck.

  “Okay. You have a good evening, Katie. See you in the morning.”

  She nodded tersely. “Definitely. You, too.” She offered him a small wave as she watched him head back to his truck, the gravel crunching loudly under his boots as he went. She headed back toward the barn, stopping just inside the open sliding door to peer out. Hidden in the shadows of the barn interior, she watched as he started his truck and headed back out the laneway. When he stole one last glance in the direction she’d headed, Katie ducked back further into the shadows to avoid being seen. She watched the dust rise up in billowing clouds as his truck disappeared, wondering less about Chad’s true identity and more about what she’d just gotten herself into.

  ***

  That evening, Katie tucked Mason into bed, pulling his Ninja Turtles comforter up under his chin.

  “I’ll help you put the dishes away.”

  Katie laughed, shaking her head at his determination to stay awake past his bedtime. “Nice try, but thank you for the offer. You’re a sweetheart.”

  “You’ll do it by yourself?”

  “Of course. Then I’m going to go to bed, too, munchkin.”

  “Can I help pick up the eggs in the chicken coop tomorrow?”

  She suppressed a smile. Since they’d formally moved into the farmhouse three months ago, Mason’s favorite way of helping was to collect the eggs from the chicken coop. He didn’t know it, but Katie collected the bulk of them in the mornings after he’d already left for school, leaving only a basketful for him to find when he got off the bus in the late afternoon. But, nevertheless, he loved doing it. “Of course. I’ll make sure our new helper doesn’t collect them before you get home.”

  At the mention of Chad, Mason sat up straight in bed, all the tucked-in corners of the blankets instantly loosening again. “I can show him how to do it?”

  “You’re such a big help around here, Mason, so I’m sure you could show him how to run the place.” Katie leaned over and kissed his nose tenderly. “But right now, it’s time for bed.”

  Reluctantly, he wriggled back under the covers, and once again Katie went through the process of tucking him in tightly. As she got up from the bed and stooped to turn the bedside lamp off, Mason’s tiny voice pierced the sudden darkness of the room.

  “Dad didn’t call tonight.” He sounded dejected, and each word broke Katie’s heart. She squeezed her eyes shut, sending a silent prayer upward that the lights were off and she didn’t have to hide the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

  “He must have been real busy, Mase. Maybe tomorrow night.” Her voice cracked as she spoke.

  “Okay.”

  Katie bent down and kissed her son’s forehead, the only light in the room coming from the partially opened bedroom door. “Goodnight, Mr. Mase. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Ms. Mom.”

  Katie smiled at the familiar words they’d said to each other every night since Mason had learned to talk. The bed squeaked under his weight as he rolled over to face the wall, his stuffed dog tucked under his arm. Katie silently left the room, and she made her exit as their Labrador retriever, Cash, trudged by her, taking his nightly post dozing soundly beside her son’s bed. She left the door open a crack in case Mason needed her throughout the night.

  The lights in the kitchen seemed harsh in contrast to the darkness of the bedroom. As she stood at the kitchen table, Katie pressed her palms against the tabletop and let her head bow, exhaling a defeated sigh.

  Damn you, Jay, for what you’re doing to Mason. For what you’ve done to us. As quickly as the venomous thoughts crossed in her mind, they were wiped out by more volatile realizations, ones that caused the tears brimming on her lower eyelids to spill over.

  Blame him all you want, Katie, but he’s not the one who destroyed our family. You did. Losing all resolve, just as she had almost every night since Jay had been gone, Katie sat down at the kitchen table, held her head in her hands, and cried by herself as a sad country song crooned quietly from the radio tucked in the window sill.

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAD

  The sun was casting long shadows across the dirt road when Chad turned on to it, heading toward Rustic Acres the next morning. He rubbed his eyes again, hoping he looked more awake than he was. With the nearest motel being almost an hour’s drive away, he was thankful his disposable
cell phone had an alarm on it. Lord knows he needed it after lying awake most of the night, revisiting his conversation with Katie over and over in his head.

  The woman lived out in the middle of nowhere with only her son to keep her company while she single-handedly ran a small farm. It was no easy task for a family, let alone a lone woman. He’d fought the urge to ask where the boy’s father was, knowing damn well it was none of his business. She was his boss, nothing more, and she owed him no explanation.

  The outbuildings came into view and Chad wielded his truck into the same spot under the tree he’d parked the day before. If he was lucky, the shade from it would aid in keeping the truck’s interior at a decent temperature throughout the day.

  There was no one about, and an eerie calm had settled like a thick fog. Unsure of the proper protocol when one worked in close proximity of their boss’s house, Chad crossed the porch and sheepishly knocked on the door. When the door flew open, he looked down into the wide eyes of a little boy with glasses and a shaggy mop of blond hair.

  “Hey, little man. Is your mom here?” Chad shoved his hands in his pockets, stealing a glance beyond the boy, but saw no one else in the kitchen.

  “She’s feeding Cash. That’s our dog.” The boy stared unblinking at him. Almost as an afterthought, he added, “He’s not a mean dog, don’t worry.”

  Chad smiled crookedly at the boy, dramatically wiping his brow as though relieved. “Whew. That’s good. Do you play fetch with him?” Chad bent down at the doorway, resting his elbows on his knees.

  “He’s horrible at fetch. Cash’ll chase after a stick if you throw it, but he never brings it back. Do you have a dog, Mister?”

  “Chad. Call me Chad, little man.”

  “I’m Mason, not Little Man.”