by Liz Isaacson
Hound finished and jumped back into the truck just as Scarlett came around the back of the house, Gramps on her arm. Hudson hurried forward to help her, and he steadied Gramps on the uneven lawn. He helped the older man into the truck, telling Hound to get in the back, and held the door for Scarlett too.
Once everyone was in, he said, “Are you going to direct me there?” he asked, backing out of the driveway.
“Yes,” Scarlett said, a definite clip to her voice. The tension in the truck could’ve been cut with a butter knife, and Hound leaned his head over the seat and put it between Scarlett and her grandfather.
“I’m sorry,” Gramps said. “I just don’t like doctors.” He reached up to pat Hound’s head, and the golden retriever seemed to be in bliss. Hudson turned his head away from them as he smiled, grateful once more for his dog.
“You know, Hound’s great company,” he said. “He was all I had left after my marriage ended.”
“He’s a good dog,” Gramps said.
“I’m sure he’d love to stay with you sometime,” Hudson said. “I bet they’d let you take him into the doctor’s office too.”
“You think so?” Scarlett asked, and Hudson looked at her.
“I have a service animal vest in the back,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t ask him why in front of Gramps. “They usually don’t ask any questions when he wears that.”
She directed him left and right and they pulled up to the office only a few minutes late. Hudson busied himself with putting the vest on Hound and attached a leash to his collar. Then he handed the leash to Gramps, and said, “Go on, Hound.”
Scarlett linked her arm through Gramps’s, and they went into the office together. A few minutes later, she texted with a simple Thank you, Hudson.
He waited in the shade, playing a game on his phone, and when Scarlett came out of the building with Gramps, it was clear she’d been crying. He jumped to his feet and tucked his phone in his back pocket.
“Hey,” he said, drawing her into a hug. He was somewhat surprised she let him, but she did, and she held onto him for a few seconds. Then she pulled away and swiped at her face.
“Let’s go to lunch,” she said in a falsely bright voice. “Gramps says he’s tired, and I said we could drive him and Hound back to the ranch first.” Their eyes met, and so much was said in just a moment. No words.
Hudson liked that, and he nodded before helping everyone up into the truck. It was twenty minutes back to the ranch, but he didn’t care. Once Gramps was settled in his recliner, Hound on the floor at his feet, Hudson went back to the truck with Scarlett, glad for air conditioning.
“This is a nice truck,” she said as she buckled her seatbelt.
“I bought it when I sold the shop,” he said. “The camper shell too. That’s where I’ve lived for the past year.”
Scarlett turned toward him. “Really?”
“It’s not bad,” he said. “It has a shower and a two-burner stove. A microwave. A bed. I even have a TV.” Hudson made it sound better than it was. “I don’t mind a small house. It’s the…loneliness that was hard to contend with.”
“Ah, loneliness. We’re well-acquainted.”
Hudson smiled and asked, “Where do you want to go to lunch?”
“There’s a great Mexican place on Palm Street,” she said.
“I think I know it,” he said, making a turn as they came out of the canyon.
She ran her fingers through her hair and adjusted her sunglasses. “I have a few people who’ve already applied for jobs around the ranch,” she said. “I was wondering if you’d help me with the interviews. I’ve been at Last Chance for a couple of weeks, but you grew up on a horse ranch.”
“Sure,” he said. “Just tell me when.”
“I haven’t set any of them up yet,” she said. “But I’d like to start as soon as possible. When Forever Friends come to the ranch, I’m going to need to show them that I have the manpower to take on more animals.”
“You already have over one hundred,” he said. “How many do you think you can handle?”
“I have no idea.” She sighed and combed through her hair again. He really wanted to do that, maybe right before he kissed her. He tamed his fantasies and made another turn, the Mexican restaurant coming into view further down the road.
“There’s probably regulations for things like that,” he said.
“Probably.” A moment later, she pulled out her phone and started tapping.
He parked and looked at her. “You’re looking it up right now, aren’t you?”
Her hazel eyes—more green than brown—met his, and the guilt was right there in them. “Maybe.” She pushed her phone against her chest, and Hudson maybe let his gaze linger there for a moment too long.
Embarrassed, he yanked his attention away and out the front windshield. “Should we go in?”
“Yes.” She got out of the truck, and he met her at the front of it. “I couldn’t find anything about how many animals per acre I can have.”
Hudson chuckled and said, “Well, no one can ever say you’re not thorough.”
She laughed too, and Hudson slipped his hand into hers as they went inside, his nerves firing in such a way to remind him that he was on a date. His first date in over a decade.
Could it be his last first date?
He shook the thought out of his head as they walked to their table. He’d always thought a little too far ahead, and he was determined not to do that here.
Scarlett was beautiful, yes. Capable, definitely. Strong-willed and smart. She wouldn’t be rushed, and Hudson didn’t even want to rush her.
Now that he was older, he knew how to savor every moment, and that was what he wanted to do with Scarlett Adams. And if he could enjoy chips and salsa at the same time? Well, that was a win-win in Hudson’s book.
Chapter 7
Evening once again found Scarlett visiting with the animals as the sun went down. This time, it was the potbellied pigs, which was fine. Sure, they smelled a little worse than the llamas or the horses, but they also seemed a bit more joyful.
She smiled at the two who’d flopped on the ground a few feet from her, and said, “And then we went to the automotive store and got all the parts he needed for a couple of the cars in the yard. He’s going to fix those up and sell them.”
She’d told them all about the date at Beanie’s, and how charming Hudson could be. He’d also shared several personal things with her, and she appreciated his maturity and wisdom. He hadn’t expounded on why he didn’t talk to two of his brothers, and he didn’t seem keen on driving the twenty minutes to his family’s horse ranch.
There was definitely a story there, but she didn’t want to press him for details. He’d share when he was ready—same as her. She didn’t need him asking her all kinds of questions she didn’t want to answer.
“Then we went to his buddy’s scrap metal facility, and we got all the pieces he needs to fix Prime.” She fell silent again, more memories of her childhood filtering through her mind. She loved that robot, and she loved this ranch, and as she stood there, she realized she’d do whatever she could to preserve it.
Why? ran through her mind, and she didn’t have an answer. She had no children to pass the ranch to, and none of her siblings seemed all that interested in even visiting Last Chance Ranch. But she couldn’t just let the place go. What would happen to all the animals?
But the real question was: What would happen to her?
“Anyway, I have a couple of interviews with people tomorrow,” she said. “I’m going to get someone dedicated to you guys. To Piggy Paradise.” Right now, she fed them and Adele cleaned out their stalls every so often. Since it was summer, the pigs didn’t really live inside all that much, but she knew there was more someone could be doing for them. It wasn’t just enough to keep them alive.
She left them there before dusk started to settle, and her phone rang. Her heart thumped, and her mind screamed at her to get it because it could get
Jewel Nightingale.
Sure enough, it was, and Scarlett paused on the north side of the hay barn, apparently a conversation with Jewel too hard to do while walking. “Hello?” she asked as if she didn’t know who was on the other end of the line.
“Scarlett,” Jewel said like they were long-lost friends who hadn’t seen each other in years. “I’m so glad I got you this time.”
“Yeah,” Scarlett said with a laugh. “We’ve been playing phone tag a little.”
“Just a little. Listen.” She drew in a deep breath. “I’m intrigued by your ranch, and I want to come see it.”
“Really?” Scarlett pressed her eyes closed and wished she could suck that word back into her throat. “I mean—”
“I just need a couple of weeks to get my team together. A couple of them are on vacation. Then we’ll come up and see what you’ve got. We always want to partner with local farms and ranches to help as many animals as possible. I’m sure you know we’re close to having California be a no-kill state for dogs, and we couldn’t do it without farms like yours.”
“Great,” Scarlett said. “When can you come?”
“Ah.” She exhaled and sighed. “Let me call you back on that, okay? I’m not in the office right now, and I need to put together a team. I just wanted to touch base and find out what kind of animals you have.”
“Let’s see,” Scarlett said. “I’ve got horses, llamas, and potbellied pigs. I’ve got dogs and cats and goats. I’ve got a couple of sheep and some cattle.”
“No birds?”
“No birds.” She wanted to add thank goodness, because birds seriously freaked her out. But she bit back the words. Someone like Jewel probably wouldn’t appreciate it, as she ran an organization committed to saving all animals, including birds.
“What kind of buildings do you have?” she asked next, and Scarlett realized how woefully unprepared she was for Forever Friends to come visit Last Chance Ranch.
Her mind spun back to the time she’d toured one of their facilities in Utah. “Let’s see, we’ve got barns and outdoor enclosures for the bigger animals. Stalls for the horses and cows for when it rains. Same for the pigs, llamas, and goats. The dogs and cats have an indoor facility with separate enclosures. They have air conditioning.”
“Any cabins or administration buildings?”
“We have sixteen cabins,” she said. “The homestead. And a group of buildings that could probably be administration buildings, but they’re empty right now.”
“I think I know your ranch,” Jewel said next, her voice thoughtful. “I think we’ve been up there before.”
Scarlett couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not. All she could say was, “Oh.”
Something scratched on Jewel’s end of the line and she said something in a muffled voice, obviously not to Scarlett. “Okay,” she said, distracted now. “I have to go, but I’ll call you back in a couple of days to set up a date, okay?”
“Okay,” Scarlett said, and the call ended.
She turned in a full circle, finally settling on the idea to walk straight north to the buildings she hadn’t paid much attention to. She hadn’t given them a second thought, because the buildings were empty, and she had plenty of other priorities at the ranch.
“I need a couple of weeks, at least,” she whispered. “Okay, Lord? If I have a couple of weeks, I can get all the trash off the ranch, and Jewel won’t have to know what this place looked like when I showed up.”
Pure exhaustion kept her from going into the buildings. She wasn’t afraid, exactly, but she also wasn’t stupid, and she couldn’t remember what was inside the buildings. She needed to come back when she was fresh, with a notebook and a pen so she could take notes of what the facilities were like and what they needed to be presentable to Jewel and her team.
Just the word team sent a flicker of fear through her. Not only would she have to impress Jewel, but others as well.
Oh, she had so much work to do. Tomorrow. She would start tomorrow.
Tomorrow came, and so did the first man she was interviewing. “His name is Carson Chatworth,” she said, reading off her phone. “He said he’s worked on a Montana ranch for his whole life.”
Adele sat on her right and Hudson on her left. Scarlett was still nervous. She hadn’t ever interviewed or hired someone before. Her assistant at the marketing firm had been appointed to her, and she was used to trying to impress her bosses not be impressed by anyone.
She adjusted the notebook in front of her, but honestly, if this Carson guy walked in and didn’t creep her out, Scarlett would hire him.
She’d gone through one of the buildings that morning, and it was really just like Gramps’s cabin. She supposed it could be used for a center for volunteers. Training sessions. Check-ins. That kind of thing. Yes, she’d also spent a couple of hours on the Forever Friends website last night, making notes of all the things they did, and writing down facilities they needed to do them.
And Last Chance Ranch would definitely need a place to handle volunteers. And adoptions. And a veterinary clinic.
But this guy—Carson—wasn’t a vet.
A knock sounded on the door, and Scarlett practically threw her chair into the wall behind her as she stood up. “I’ll get it.” She left Hudson and Adele at the kitchen table and went to answer the door.
Carson Chatworth stood on the porch, and he certainly looked like a cowboy. Big, black hat. Blue checkered shirt. Jeans. Boots. He could show up on a Hollywood set right now and get every western role available.
With those stormy gray eyes and neatly trimmed beard, he was quite handsome. “Hello,” he said, flashing a dazzling smile at her. “I’m Carson Chatworth.” He extended his hand for her to shake, and she pumped it a couple of times, noting that there were no butterflies when he touched her the way there were when Hudson did.
“Come on in,” she said. “I’m Scarlett Adams. I’ve got my associates with me today.” She pointed to Hudson. “Hudson Flannigan. And Adele Woodruff.”
“Hello,” he said, his smile perfectly in place. He shook Hudson’s hand and then Adele’s while Scarlett took her chair between them.
“So,” Scarlett said with an exhale. “You worked a ranch in Montana?”
“I owned the ranch,” he said, and Adele scoffed to her right. Scarlett looked at her and she folded her arms.
So she didn’t like this guy. Scarlett wondered why not. He was perfect, and if he’d owned a ranch, Scarlett wanted him here for more than his expertise with horses.
“Why don’t you own it now?” Hudson asked, his voice perfectly even.
“I had to sell it,” he said. “And I’m looking for a new place to be.”
Hudson shifted, and Scarlett realized that he understood Carson’s statement, probably on a deeper level than she knew. She thought of his truck and camper shell, which she still hadn’t gotten a tour of, despite his promise to do so.
“Mostly horses?” Scarlett asked.
“Horses, cattle, whatever,” he said. “I can clean stalls and do ranch maintenance. I can fix fences, and feed animals, and assess their needs. I know agriculture issues and have managed the farming aspect on a working cattle ranch.”
“Finances?” Scarlett asked, scribbling the things he’d said.
“I had an accountant,” he said. “But I knew what was going on. We met regularly, and I could definitely do that too.” He flashed another smile. “Whatever you need.”
Scarlett needed a lot, but she didn’t need to consult with Hudson and Adele on this guy. “Great.” She reached across the table and shook his hand again. “You’re hired. Adele, will you take him over to the Community and let him pick out a cabin?”
Adele kicked her under the table, causing Scarlett to look at her. “What?”
Adele gave one quick shake of her head, but Scarlett had another interview in fifteen minutes. And she wanted Hudson there. Adele had been here for moral support. Carson stood up and Scarlett did too.
�
�Adele will take you over,” she said. “I’m assuming you need somewhere to live? We have cabins on-site, and that’s part of your pay.”
“Sounds great,” he said, glancing at Adele.
Adele glared at Scarlett as she led the way to the front door, finally tearing her gaze when she had to leave the house.
“What’s with her?” Hudson asked, and Scarlett shook her head.
“I don’t know. She probably didn’t like his shirt or something.” She’d find out later, because there had definitely been something between Carson and Adele.
Just like there was between Scarlett and Hudson, as the fireworks popped through her when he leaned closer and asked, “Want to order pizza tonight and hang out with me and Hound?”
Chapter 8
Hudson felt like he’d fallen into a dream. No, his house wasn’t very big, but he’d never cared about the mansion overlooking the ocean the way Jan had. In fact, he didn’t even own this cabin, and that was just fine with him.
He was tired at the end of the night, because he worked. That felt good. He’d been loaning Hound to Gramps to help him sleep, but he had the dog with him that night as he waited for the pizza to arrive.
Oh, and Scarlett. He was waiting for her to arrive too.
He moved the stack of napkins slightly, thinking both should be here already. Just then, he heard her voice say, “No, I got it. Thanks.”
In the next moment, Scarlett opened the door and said, “Knock, knock.” She came in carrying the two boxes of pizza, and Hudson sprang forward.
“Let me take them.”
But she maneuvered past him, that sexy smile on her face. “I got it.”
Hudson went out on the porch to pay for the food, but the guy was already back in his car, backing back onto the dirt road. “Did you pay him?”
“Yep.”
“Scarlett.” Hudson went back inside the cabin and closed the door. “You didn’t need to pay him.”
“Oh, I have an account with Pie Squared. It’s fine.”
Hudson made a mental note of that, and next time he ran down to town, he’d be settling that account. He knew he had more money that Scarlett did, but he pushed his annoyance down. He could take care of the bill later, and she was here now.
