Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Been there, done that. Never again.
I waited, growing impatient as the travelers seemed to be done coming through the door. I patted my pockets, cursing under my breath when I realized I had left my phone in the car. I needed to call Rachel and make sure I had the right flight number and check on how Tyler was doing. He’d rolled his tractor on his farm this morning and had been in pretty bad shape. Rachel was with him and had left me a message to call for a car service, but when I had contacted them, they had no one to go into Calgary. The other company I called wanted almost double the cost, and it simply wasn’t in the budget. I decided to do it myself. I wasn’t big on this project Rachel was taking on, but if it helped save the ranch, I had to be cooperative at least.
I headed to the truck and got my phone, then went back to the terminal. I wasn’t prepared for the pretty woman and her words.
I certainly had zero idea that the Sam Rachel talked about was a woman.
That woman, in particular. The one with the pretty smile. She spelled trouble with a capital T.
It wasn’t fucking happening.
I stewed all the way back to the ranch and headed into the small town that was close instead of going home. I hit the bar and ordered a scotch and a cold beer. I flung the shot back fast, feeling the heat of the liquor as it hit the back of my throat and trailed down. I shut my eyes and took in a deep breath. I wondered for a moment what Sammy was doing. No doubt, she got a hotel room or was on her way back to wherever she came from. She could talk to Rachel when she got home. I’d pay for her inconvenience myself. Then we’d move on to another solution.
“Another?” the bartender, Rick, asked.
“No, thanks. Gimme a burger, though. Fries.”
“Coming up.”
I calmed down as I ate. I sent Rachel a message asking about Tyler, not mentioning the woman. She replied and said he was in surgery. Her next line made me grimace.
Rachel: Be nice to Sammy. We need her.
Had she always said Sammy? I was sure I only heard Sam. I shook my head. It didn’t matter. She was gone, and I would face Rachel’s ire once she found out what had happened.
I didn’t reply.
I did my best to put Sammy out of my mind. How pretty she was. Her lovely voice when she spoke—low and well modulated, almost sultry. The unexpected warmth in my chest when I looked at her. Her beautiful smile that lit a room. How much I had wanted to cover her hand with mine when she touched me. How much I wanted her to touch me again. Simply recalling her closeness made my body tighten with desire. I forced all the thoughts out of my head. Instead, I thought about the repairs needed on the barn. What assistance I could give Tyler and his family to help out. Who I could spare on the ranch to make sure their farm was managed. I pulled out the little notebook and pencil stub I kept in my back pocket and jotted down ideas as I ate. It gave me focus.
Feeling more normal, I paid my bill and headed to the truck. I drove out to the ranch, smiling as I always did at the sight of the entrance. The huge willow trees on either side of the gate stood tall and full, constantly swaying in the air. The sign had been made by my grandfather and still hung there today—a testament to his workmanship. I pulled up to the house, cutting the engine and climbing from the truck. I headed up the steps, stopping in bewilderment at the sight of a large suitcase sitting on the porch by the door.
Who did that belong to?
I got my answer when the screen door opened, and the woman I now knew as Sammy walked out, holding a glass of water. She sipped it, looking at me calmly.
“Took you long enough.”
“What the hell are you doing here? How did you get in?”
“Rachel told me there was a key in the flowerpot.”
“You spoke to my sister?”
“Yes.”
“I told you to leave.”
She flashed me a smile. It was still beautiful, but this time, it was wide, dangerous, and somewhat scary. She set down her water and held up a file she took from her bag. “I have a contract, Mr. Adler. Signed by your sister and you. I’m not going anywhere.”
I gaped at her.
“I told Rachel there was a mix-up with a car and I got myself here. I also said you were out. She told me how to get in and which room was mine.” She smiled. “I didn’t mention what really happened.”