216 Rancher Way Read online

  She starts asking me all kinds of questions about my job and how I take care of the animals. She’s so bubbly and talkative. I could listen to her ramble on all day.

  “Your cattle really respond to you,” she says as she raises her eyes, thinking. “The Cattle Whisperer. That’s what I’ll call you.”

  I don’t have the heart to tell her that it’s really lame.

  “When did you start liking animals?” she asks. “When did you realize you had a connection with them?”

  “I tried to stay away from home as much as I could when I was a kid,” I tell her. “My mother died during childbirth and my Dad was a mean, violent drunk. I don’t want to get into it too much, but I always hung out with the animals at my neighbor’s farm. I’d sneak in there and sit with them, reading books for hours. It’s the only place I felt safe. It was the only place I was happy.”

  She’s not scribbling anymore. She’s staring at me, looking like she might start crying.

  “It’s okay.” I put my hand on hers and she doesn’t flinch or try to move it away. “It was a long time ago.”

  “Did you have friends at school at least?”

  I shake my head as I pull my hand back. “I got kicked out of school for getting into too many fights. People were always antagonizing me. It was a small town and they all knew about my father. I learned early on that it was best to keep to myself.”

  “That’s horrible, Butch. That’s why you’re always alone?”

  “It’s just easier that way,” I say with a shrug. “It’s okay.”

  But seeing her face as she watches me with pity, I start to realize it’s not okay. I’ve been closed up for so long that I didn’t realize I needed more. That I wanted more.

  It didn’t take long being with Daisy for all of that to come flooding out. I guess she really is the one.

  “I’m so sorry, Butch. I was quick to judge. Everyone in town was. No wonder you keep to yourself.”

  “It’s okay,” I say as I take another sip of my milkshake. “I’m sorry if I ruined the date.”

  This time she puts her hand on mine. “You didn’t.”

  There’s a comfortable silence as we sit back and reflect. After a while, her lips curl up into a big grin.

  “What are you grinning about?” I ask.

  Her lips part and she flashes those beautiful white teeth. “You said this was a date.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  She puts her notepad and pen away. “Okay. It is now.”

  We get our plates and we chat about all kinds of things as we eat. She tells me about her newspaper and the people that work there.

  I can’t get enough of her. I never want this meal to end.

  She can’t believe it when I tell her that I’ve never been to Kissme Bay.

  “You’ve lived here for eight years and you’ve never been?!”

  I shake my head.

  “You’ve never been to the Holiday Arcade and Bar?”

  “Nope.”

  “The Reef Beach Bar?”

  “Nope.”

  “Frenchies Ferris Wheel?!”

  “I’ve never been near the place.”

  “That’s gotta change,” she says as she bites a French fry in half. “We’re going to the fair tonight.”

  Normally, I would never agree to that. It’s going to be a beautiful summer night and it’s going to be packed with half the town and tons of tourists. But I can’t say no to her.

  I don’t want to.

  I want to spend every second I can with her.

  She’s already gotten under my skin. I’m already obsessing about her.

  I know that if I’m home alone tonight, I’ll be driving myself crazy, wondering where she is, who she’s talking to. I want her to be mine. I want her all to myself.

  “Okay,” I say as we lock eyes on each other. “It’s a date.”

  Chapter Four

  Daisy

  I swing by the office before our date to make sure everything is right with the paper before it goes off to the printers.

  Glory is putting the finishing touches on it, moving some ads around like it’s a puzzle.

  “Albino calf,” she says with a laugh. “Riveting stuff.”

  “Shut up,” I say with a grin. “It’s better than your story on page three about Mr. Willis getting stung by a bee.”

  “It stung his nipple!” she says. “When have you ever heard about someone getting stung in the nipple?”

  “Never and I would’ve liked to have kept it that way. So would our readers, I bet.”

  “Well, there’s not much else happening in this town,” she says with a shrug. “Until that raccoon stars in the Pulp Fiction sequel, this is all we have.”

  We fix up the rest of the paper and send it off. As a Cherry Falls Gazette tradition, we take out the bottle of gin from Mr. Pierce’s desk and pour out two shots. Every time we send out an issue, we have one.

  “Ugh, that’s gross,” I say after we down it. “I hate gin.”

  “So gross,” she says with her tongue out and her nose scrunched up. “Hey, is that a new skirt?”

  I do a little spin to show it off. “On sale. Only thirty bucks!”

  “You’re looking cute! Where are you off to tonight?”

  “Kissme Bay,” I say as my heart starts doing little flips. I still can’t believe I have another date with Butch. Lunch was really fun, but it was still just lunch. This is a real date. At night. At Kissme Bay. With the hottest guy in Cherry Falls. I’m freaking out!

  “A date?” Glory asks with her eyebrows in the air. “With who?”

  “Butch Steele.”

  She pushes me like Elaine from Seinfeld, nearly sending me onto my ass. “No way!”

  “It’s true,” I say with a grin. “I met him for the albino calf story and he agreed to let me do a feature on him.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  “I thought we could start doing a feature on a resident each week. What do you think?”

  “Sure, whatever,” she says with a dismissive wave. “Tell me more about this Butch Steele situation. He’s so hot, but mean.”

  “He’s not,” I say, feeling a new protective harshness to my tone. “He’s sweet and caring. He’s just had a rough road. People need to give him a chance. Why are you smiling?”

  “You like him.”

  “No,” I quickly say. “It’s just a story.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “It’s true! It’s just a story for the newspaper.”

  “It’s a story all right,” she says with a grin, “and I want to hear it tomorrow. Every steamy detail.”

  I huff out a breath and she just laughs harder.

  “It’s not like that!”

  She lets out a knowing grin as she leaves.

  “It’s not!”

  Is it?

  I pull into the parking lot on the edge of Kissme Bay and walk over to Books By the Bay where we agreed to meet.

  I smile when I see Butch browsing the books. He’s already got three in his hand. I love a guy who reads, but what’s even better is a hot guy who reads.

  “Hello,” I say with a shy smile as I walk up to him. He holds his breath as he looks me up and down like he’s admiring a work of art. This skirt was worth every penny.

  I can see the desire in his blue eyes that look brighter than ever now that he’s not wearing his old baseball hat. His brown hair is styled to the side nicely and he’s wearing brown shorts with an army green shirt that’s hanging loose around his hard body. It looks like a new stylish outfit and it’s leaving me wondering if he went shopping for it after our lunch.

  He even has new white shoes on that brings it all together. It’s making me feel really special that he would go shopping for me.

  Maybe he’s not so uncivilized after all. He’s doing pretty good so far.

  “Do you mind if I keep looking around?” he asks as we wander around the tables of books set up outside. “I’m running low on my reading materia
l at home.”

  “Not at all,” I say as I start to look around at all of the titles. “How many books do you read?”

  “Usually about four.”

  “Four books a month?!”

  “Four a week,” he says with a smile. “I’m not big into TV. I like reading a lot better. It’s easier to bring a book into the pasture than it is to drag a big TV along.”

  With those muscles, I bet he could do it.

  We start browsing the books on the tables and I have one eye on the spines and one eye on him. He’s so gorgeous. Those arms… my God…

  I love how his forehead crinkles up whenever he picks up a book and reads the back. We separate as we wander around, looking at the books, but really I put some distance between us so I can watch him without being so obvious about it.

  I keep wondering what’s going on in his mind. I’m so fascinated by him. I want to know everything about him.

  He ends up grabbing a few more books and I pick out one. He plucks it out of my hands when we’re in line waiting to pay.

  “Hey! I’m going to pay for that!”

  He shakes his head and grins at me. “You paid for lunch. I’m paying for everything tonight.”

  “The newspaper paid for lunch,” I remind him. “It was a work interview.”

  “It was a date,” he corrects in a firm tone.

  My cheeks start to heat up again. “Okay, it was a date.”

  He pays for my book and we head back to where his motorcycle is parked to put them in his bag.

  “You look incredible,” he says when we’re ready to head back onto the dock where all of the action is. “I’m really happy you walked onto my ranch today.”

  “Really? So am I.”

  He slides his hand into mine and our fingers entwine as we start walking back.

  It’s a gorgeous evening. The sun is starting to set and the warm air is bringing the salty ocean smell wafting over us. Kids are full of excitement around us as they head to the arcade and Ferris wheel. Couples are hand-in-hand, just like us, as they walk along the docks, falling deeper in love.

  “What do you want to do first?” he asks as he looks around at all of the people.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, hoping that he is. I have to remember that this man is not used to crowds. He’s not used to any of this.

  “I’m great,” he says with a genuine smile on his face. “I feel like I can do anything when I’m with you.”

  “Really?”

  He smiles and I pull his hand closer, holding it with two hands.

  “I really like you, Daisy. That’s not something I’ve ever said to a girl before. I always thought it would be impossible to open up to a girl, but with you, it’s easy.”

  That look he gives me nearly has me melting into a puddle.

  “I want to go on the Ferris wheel,” I tell him. I want him to kiss me and up there with the view of the ocean, the sunset, and the town is the perfect place for a first kiss.

  I take him over and we hop into a cabin. Three kids try to hop in with us but Butch holds up a hand, causing them to stop short.

  “Take the next one,” he grunts.

  I grin as he closes the door. I guess his gruffness comes in handy sometimes.

  It’s a gorgeous view as we slowly rise while the wheel begins to turn. We’re sitting across from each other and I can’t take my eyes off of Butch. He’s sitting there with his arms splayed out on the seat with the breeze blowing through his hair and making his shirt dance around him. The ocean is behind him and the sky is a gorgeous mix of pinks and purples. He’s stunning. Whatever happens, I’ll remember this mental picture forever.

  As we get to the top, I hop over and sit beside him. His arm falls onto my shoulders and he looks down at me with a killer smile.

  It gets me every time that smile. I know he doesn’t break it out for a lot of people, if anyone, so I feel honored whenever he bestows it on me.

  It’s quiet up here away from the sounds of the boardwalk down below. I like his energy. It’s soothing. It’s nice and calm. I like that he doesn’t have to talk every few seconds and he can just let us enjoy the peacefulness of the moment.

  I need someone like that, I realize. I need someone who can bring my wild crazy energy down a few notches.

  “Do you love it up here?” I ask with a smile. “I feel like I might have oversold it and now you’re disappointed that it’s not all I made it out to be.”

  He gives me a sexy look and I swallow hard.

  “I do love it,” he says in a voice that has a grittiness to it that wasn’t there before. His sparkling eyes drop down to my mouth and it starts to water. “I love being here with you.”

  “Are you going to kiss me?” I ask, rambling on nervously as I tend to do. “Because it feels like you are, but if you weren’t planning on it, that’s okay, not that I don’t want that, but—”

  He shuts me up by pressing his lips to mine in a breathtaking kiss. I melt against him. He tastes so good.

  I moan as his tongue slides into my mouth, claiming it as his own. I’m gripping onto his shirt, holding on for dear life as he wraps his big arms around me and kisses me deeper.

  It’s so romantic. It’s so perfect. We pull away and stare at each other for a few seconds before coming back together and kissing once again.

  We spend the rest of the ride like this, kissing passionately and not caring that anyone can see. We only stop when we get to the bottom and the Ferris wheel operator hits the side of our cabin with a broom.

  Butch pulls away from my lips with a growl. I grab onto his arm and pull him out before he bites the guy’s head off.

  “Let’s get some ice cream,” I say as I guide him away. He follows me without a word and the irritation in him just disappears as I hold his hand.

  I like that I can calm him like this. I may be biased, but it seems like we make a good pair.

  We’re walking along the boardwalk when he suddenly squeezes my hand and pulls me into his big body. I gasp as he catches me.

  I tilt my head up as his lips come down. We kiss and kiss as people walk around us, feeling like we’re the only two people here.

  My heart is pounding when we finally pull away. I’m so wet. I’ve never been this turned on before and the night is just beginning. How am I going to last another few hours of this? I’ll be a horny wreck.

  He looks so sexy as he holds me and gazes down into my eyes. Butch is not just wide, he’s tall too. I feel so delicate and breakable in his arms.

  I can tell from the way he’s looking at me that this is not just a story anymore. It’s not just a date either.

  It’s more.

  It’s much much more…

  Chapter Five

  Butch

  “Let’s go in here!” Daisy says as she hurries ahead of me. I don’t let go of her hand. She turns back to me with glossy green eyes that are filled with arousal. Her dark hair is looking wild from my hands sinking into it and her luscious lips are a red strawberry color from the kiss I just laid on her.

  There’s something about this girl that has a grip on me. I’m in falling in love with her.

  She’s sweet, innocent, and lovable, yet wickedly tempting and sensually sexy at the same time. This little beauty has got everything wrapped up in her tight curvy package.

  “I’ve never had my fortune told to me before,” she says as she drags me toward an odd-looking storefront.

  “Madame Lovehart’s Fortune Telling,” I say as I read the brightly painted sign. “That’s what you want to do?”

  “Yes!” she says with excitement on her face.

  I can’t say no to her. She’s already got me wrapped around her little finger.

  We head in and Madame Lovehart brings us to a small table behind a curtain.

  She makes a big scene about pulling a handkerchief off her crystal ball. Daisy and I glance at each other, hiding our smirks as she gazes into it.

  “I can see your future in here,” she says
in a lyrical voice.

  “Oh, really? How much is it going to cost?” I ask with a chuckle.

  “Twenty bucks.”

  I reach into my pocket and drop it on the table. She makes it disappear immediately.

  “Thank you,” Daisy whispers with gratitude on her face.

  I just hope this crazy lady tells my girl what she wants to hear.

  “I see the two of you,” she says as she waves her hand over the crystal ball. “Far off into the future. Together.”

  Daisy and I glance at each other.

  “You have five children.”

  Daisy snorts out a laugh, but my face is still. She’s telling me what I want to hear.

  That would be my perfect future. There’s nothing I want more than to spend the next few decades filling this beautiful woman with my babies. I want to breed her womb until it throws in the towel. I want to see her stomach round with my child and see that motherly look in her eyes as she holds my baby. I want to experience everything with her.

  It’s only been one day together, but I already know. I’m sure of it.

  “Five children?!” Daisy says, staring in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m certain,” Madame Lovehart says in a serious voice. “The crystal ball never lies.”

  We hold hands under the table as Madame Lovehart describes a life that I never thought I’d have, but now I desperately want.

  A life with Daisy. Love, family, children.

  I didn’t grow up in a loving home, but I now know that I can have one. If I work to have it and believe in it, I can do it. We can do it.

  It’s what I want.

  It’s all I’m thinking about as we walk out of there and continue toward the ice cream shop.

  The sky is dark now and the stars are out. There are lights everywhere and happy families wandering around and having fun.

  A vision of us here in twenty years with our five children fills my head. I’m still holding Daisy’s hand. We’re still completely in love.

  It’s something to work towards. Something to aspire to.

  “Come here,” she says as she suddenly pulls my hand. I follow her into a dark alley and she laughs as she wraps her arms around my neck and steps on her toes.