Kentley Montgomery watched in horror as the roof of her house caved in, sparks flying in its wake. “Honey!” Her mastiff had gone back inside to save the teddy bear she wouldn’t sleep without. Kentley had already lost so much to fire when she was little. She couldn’t lose her dog.
“I got her.” A fireman came around the corner, highlighted by the blazes behind him, with Honey in his arms. In the dog’s mouth was the tattered teddy bear.
“Thank you. I owe you everything.” She wrapped trembling arms around the dog after the man set her down and removed his helmet.
“Not a problem, ma’am.” He smiled, the burn scars on his face pulling one side of his mouth into an awkward grin.
“Honey means everything to me.” She gave the fireman an impulsive hug, then stepped back, keeping a restraining hand on her dog’s head. “I’m in your debt.” The nausea in her stomach settled.
Pleasure lit his dark eyes. “Just doing my job. Maybe we could have coffee together sometime.”
Kentley’s smile faded. “That would be nice, but I’m leaving town. I’ve got a job on a ranch in Arkansas. If you’re ever in Misty Hollow, look me up.” What had once looked like a friendly spark in his eyes now seemed darker, harder, and she took another step back regretting her invitation for him to look her up.
He gave a nod, turned, and marched to where the other firemen worked on putting out the inferno that had once been her rental home. Thank goodness, she’d packed her few things in the truck before retiring to bed. Since the house didn’t have a garage or carport, her truck sat safely away from the fire.
“Wait, what’s your name?” She called after the retreating hero who had saved her best friend.
“He’s Ryan Moss,” one of the other firemen said. “Man’s not afraid of a fire, no matter how big the blaze. Got caught once when a beam fell. It’s a wonder he survived. Now, he’s the one who goes where no other firefighter will.”
“Thank you. Is there any need for me to stick around?” Since there’d be no more sleep that night, she might as well start the drive to Misty Hollow.
“Nope. We’ve contacted the owner of the house. Since we have your phone number, we can call you if we have any questions.” He left to join the others.
“Well, girl, let’s go start our new chapter.” When her stint as a bartender hadn’t worked out, due to her recovering from liking the drink too much, she’d applied on a whim for the job as ranch hand. She’d grown up on a horse ranch, so the job seemed perfect for her.
She loaded Honey into the passenger seat of the truck, teddy bear beside her, then climbed into the driver’s seat. With one last look at the place she’d called home for the last six months, she backed away and left Texas in the rearview mirror along with all the honky-tonks that had once lured her.
Good riddance, she whispered. All the bars’ broken promises of helping her forget the childhood spent in one foster home after another. No one had wanted to adopt a frizzy red-haired, freckled-faced child who got into trouble more times than she could count. “That’s all behind us now, isn’t it, Honey?” She reached over and patted the dog. “A whole new life awaits us.”
The dog’s big, soulful eyes turned in her direction.
“I know I’ve failed you before, but I’m one-year sober. We’re good this time. No worries, no troubles…just horses and cowboys.” She laughed and turned her attention back to the road.
The sun hung high in the sky by the time Kentley pulled into the drive of The Rocking W. She let out a low whistle at the sight of the three-story, sprawling main house and the many outbuildings. “Looks successful, doesn’t it, girl? Why don’t you stay in the car while I introduce myself. Sometimes, you scare people.” The dog’s size often caused folks to take a step back until they realized she was as harmless as the stuffed bear next to her.
Her cowboy boots crunched gravel as she made her way to the front door. Before she could knock, a gray-haired woman wearing a frilly yellow apron opened the door. Kentley smiled. “I’m looking for Dylan Wyatt.”
The woman smiled. “I’ll go get him. Hold on for a sec.”
Kentley nodded and stepped to the edge of the porch to study the paddocks stretching down both sides of the drive. A smaller corral sat next to a large red barn. A long building looked like a bunkhouse. Behind that were several tiny houses.
“Ma’am?” A male voice.
She turned and grinned. “Kentley Montgomery reporting for duty.” She thrust out her hand.
He frowned. “You’re a woman.”
“Yep, last I checked.”
“I thought…from your name…”
“Happens a lot. I can do the job, sir.” Please don’t send me away. “I promise you.”
“Well, you’re here now.” He glanced at her truck. “That a horse or a dog?”
Kentley laughed. “A dog.”
He sighed. “We’ll put you in one of the tiny houses. Go get your very large canine and follow me.”
Kentley whistled, and Honey bounded from the truck’s open window, teddy bear in her mouth. “Heel, Honey.”
A smile teased at her boss’s lips. “Let’s hope the name fits. We’ve a few other new hands waiting out back to be shown around. We’ll join them, then I’ll leave you in the capable hands of Clay Jenkins.”
She followed the man around the corner of the house where four men in boots and cowboy hats waited. Her boss introduced them as Clay Jenkins, Cody Hill, Levi Owens, and Trent Caldwell.
The one named Clay turned, his dark eyes widening at the sight of her. He removed his hat revealing hair the color of ripe wheat.
~
A woman? Clay frowned. Wearing a bright pink hat. What was Dylan thinking? Although, this Kentley Montgomery looked like a spring morning sunrise, a pretty woman would only cause trouble among the hands.
“Montgomery will stay in one of the houses,” Dylan said. “Doesn’t matter which one. This is her sidekick, Honey.”
Clay dropped his gaze to the dog. Massive. “I hope she doesn’t chase livestock.”
“She doesn’t.” Kentley squared her shoulders. “I grew up on a horse ranch, most of the time anyway. Don’t treat me any different than you would one of these men.”
The other three men grinned like fools, reinforcing his fear that this woman would be trouble with a capital T. “Okay. Breakfast is at six, lunch is at noon, and supper is at five. If you’re late, you’ll go hungry. Follow me.”
She had to hurry to keep up with his long strides.
“This is the barn, the bunkhouse you three men will be staying in. On the wall inside, you’ll find the daily chore lists and the ones assigned to you. Montgomery, you’ll stay in house number three. We’ll get the key from Mrs. White, the cook. The boss is married to Dani and has twin sons, Eric and Derrick. Don’t let the boys stop you from doing your jobs. They like to think they’re helping.” He glanced at his watch. “You’ll meet them in fifteen minutes for lunch. Montgomery, if you want to pull your truck around, I’ll meet you at your house with the key. Any questions?”
When none came, he ordered the men to stow their things in the bunkhouse and entered the kitchen. Inside, he grabbed the key to number three off a hook near the door.
“So, the boss hired a woman.” Mrs. White grinned. “About time.”
“You’re a woman.”
“I came with the ranch when he bought it,” she said with a laugh. “The boss didn’t have a choice.”
Clay chuckled and strode back outside as a battered Ford pickup pulled up to number three. He held out the key. “You’ll start work in the morning, so you should have time to get settled in.”
“Thanks.” She took the key. “Don’t worry. I can hold my own.”
“I sure hope so.” He pivoted and marched back to the house as the bell rang, signaling time to eat. “Leave the dog outside.”
“Stay, Honey.” The woman jogged to catch up to him. “Are you the foreman?”
“Nope. Maverick is, but he’s away until tomorrow.”
“What’s he like?”
“A fair man. Married.” He narrowed his eyes at her.
“I’m not here looking for a man.”
He stopped. “Why not? Aren’t most women?”
“I’m not most women.” She planted fists on her thin hips. “Are you a chauvinist, Clay?”
“Of course not.”
“Then don’t say stupid things.” She brushed past him, giving him a hard bump with her shoulder, and yanked open the kitchen door.
Despite Clay’s reservations about having a female ranch hand, he grinned. Montgomery might be fun to work with after all. She sure had spunk. He might as well go along for the ride. The woman might surprise him after all and do the same work as a man.
“So, what’s your specialty?”
“Roping.” She tossed over her shoulder. “I can hogtie and brand a calf in no time flat.”
“We have mostly horses.”
“I can break ‘em.”
“That I’d like to see.” He grinned, picturing her on the back of a bucking bronco.
“Maybe you’ll have the chance.” She faced him. “The boss wouldn’t have hired me if he didn’t like my resume.”
“He didn’t know you were a woman.”
“That shouldn’t matter.” Her hazel eyes flashed.
“Sometimes, the local sheriff deputizes us.”
“So?”
“Sometimes, we volunteer to fight fires.”
“Again, so what? I can do those things.”
“If you two will stop squaring off like a couple of banty roosters, it’s time to eat.” Mrs. White glowered. “Act like the gentleman I know you are, Clay.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He gave a mock bow, waving Montgomery ahead of him. Yep, this tall drink of a redhead was going to be fun.
- Publisher : Winged Publications
- Publication date : July 15, 2024
- Language : English
- Print length : 215 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1962168948
- ISBN-13 : 978-1962168946