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Chapter 112: Hand-Picked
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Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 113: Calf Season
Chapter 113: Calf SeasonHunter pressed his palm against the flank of the red and white heifer. The calf inside squirmed fitfully, and the cow gave a low moan."Not much longer, girl." He patted her affectionately. "By tonight, I imagine." He slipped out the gate of the calving pen and closed it behind himself. Rolly had moved the cow into the barn before he'd gone home for dinner."Reckon there'll be a new little'un by morning," he'd told Hunter. "I'll be back directly to check on her."Hearing the crunch of a vehicle coming up the gravel drive, Hunter's thoughts immediately moved to other things.Poppy.The sinking sun painted the sky in a riot of pastels as he headed out of the barn. Poppy was just stepping out of the car. With images from the previous night playing in his mind, he crossed to her and helped her retrieve her bag from the back of the car."Hey there," he said softly."Hey there yourself. How was the rest of your day?" She peered up at him, her eyes soft an
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 114: The Nickel Tour
Chapter 114: The Nickel TourAs they left the barn, Hunter grabbed the bag they'd left out front and together, they headed to the house. While Poppy was familiar with the office at the end of the house, she'd never been inside the residence. Crossing the wide covered front porch, she half expected to walk through the front doorway of the log home and find herself in the middle of a movie western. So when the foyer opened onto a cavernous living room complete with a massive stone fireplace and ceilings two stories high, she was pleasantly surprised.Glancing around, she saw a staircase to the left that led to the second-floor gallery surrounding the living room on three sides. The fourth wall directly opposite the entryway was comprised of floor-to-ceiling windows facing the mountains to the east.A huge red Persian rug larger than her entire apartment was bordered by an enormous dark leather sofa and a few coordinating chairs. A colossal black iron and glass chandelier hung from
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 115: Pride and Joy
Chapter 115: Pride and JoyDinner was an intimate affair in the huge ranch house kitchen. While Hunter grilled a pair of sirloins on the luxury gas range, Poppy sat at the enormous dark granite-topped island sipping a glass of merlot and taking in the view. Hunter had told her that extensive renovations had been done to the original house and clearly, they had included the kitchen, which was tricked out with high-end restaurant-quality stainless steel appliances. Breathing in the tantalizing aroma of grilled beef, she sipped again and sighed contentedly. "That smells amazing!"Hunter looked up at her and grinned. "Only the best from McFall Ranch."Poppy's eyes widened. "These steaks come from here?"His eyes sparkled with amusement. "Did you think I'd serve you beef from somewhere else?""I don't know," she laughed. "I guess I didn't think about it."He plated the steaks and set them on the island. "We have contracts with some of the most exclusive restaurants on the east co
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 116: In the Barn
Chapter 116: In the BarnWhen they'd finished eating, they worked together to clean up the kitchen. That's when Poppy remembered about the cow out in the barn."Oh, do you think she'd done it yet?""Who's done what?" Hunter asked as he took the dried plate from her hands and returned it to its place in the cupboard."The cow. Has she had her baby yet?"He laughed lightly. "Oh. I don't know. Would you like to go see?""Yes! Please!" Hand in hand, they walked across the yard to the barn. Inside, Rolly stood with his back to the barn door, his foot resting on the bottom rail of the calving pen."How's she doing, Rolly," Hunter asked."Aw, she's getting there. Won't be long now." He turned, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw Poppy. He nodded his head and touched the brim of his hat. "Howdy, Ms. Poppy.""Hello. I wanted to see if the calf was here yet.""I'd say you're right on time." He turned back to the heifer, which rested on her belly, legs folded beneath her, on
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 117: Hunter's Bedroom
Chapter 117: Hunter's BedroomBeside the fireplace in Hunter's bedroom, Poppy stared into the flames and sighed contentedly. After they'd returned to the house, they'd headed upstairs and taken advantage of the huge master shower, spending some time sensually washing one another. While she'd quickly dried her hair, Hunter had built a fire and arranged a blanket and some pillows in front of the huge stone fireplace. When she'd emerged wearing only the flannel shirt from the mountain cabin, he'd given a low whistle."Hot damn.""Hot damn yourself," she'd returned, scanning him from the top of his still-damp hair to his bare toes and everywhere in between. He'd slipped on a pair of jeans but hadn't bothered with a shirt. Which suited her just fine. She liked everything about his physical presence. His square jaw defined by his neatly trimmed dark beard, his broad shoulders and muscular chest with its smattering of dark hair. The thicker happy trail that carved a path down his de
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 118: Progress Check and Harassment
Chapter 118: Progress Check and Harassment Distant music filtered into Hunter's consciousness and, eyes still closed, he shifted to reach toward his bedside table."I'm sorry, it's work." Poppy's voice was husky from sleep, and he smiled to himself at the sexy lilt. He heard her clear her throat. "Hello? Yes, just a moment."Soft lips touched his as she leaned over him. Her hair tickled his face. "I'll take it out on the veranda. Go back to sleep. It's barely six o'clock."In spite of her admonition, Hunter turned onto his side, curling his left arm beneath his pillow as he watched her slip out of bed. In the grey half-light of early morning, she was silhouetted against the French doors, and he appreciated the curve of her hips, the space between her thighs, the jiggle of her full breasts, their points sharp in the morning chill. The sight reminded him of the previous night, of her perfect body glowing in the firelight. And that had only been the first time they'd made lov
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 119: A Mistake
Chapter 119: A MistakeRonald Slade replaced the phone receiver on its base and looked to his partner who stood across the office leaning against the floor to ceiling window that overlooked Manhattan's upper east side. In his blue slim-fit suit with his shoulder resting against the glass and his ankles crossed above expensive Italian loafers, Benjamin Howell looked more like a male model than the cut-throat real estate developer Slade knew him to be.The fact of the matter was that the two were peas in a pod. They'd connected in business school at Wharton and formed a tight partnership, with Howell as the handsome face of the company. Slade was more cut out for working behind the scenes, which suited him just fine.Howell scowled at him. "That was a mistake, you know. Telling her to fuck him. That's going to come back and bite you on the ass."Slade waved him off. "It won't, and I'll tell you why. That girl is so happy to have a big assignment like the Boxroot Mountain deal, sh
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 120: My Office is Your Office
Chapter 120: My Office is Your OfficeHunter waved his arm with a flourish. "My office is your office. You can use my desk if you like." He indicated the heavy wood workspace.Poppy shook her head. "I'm comfortable at the conference table if that's okay. I can plug in my laptop and spread out all my stuff. It will be perfect."He smiled affectionately and pressed a light kiss to her lips. "Wherever you're happy." He headed to the door."Rolly and I are heading out with the boys to the north pasture. But I'll be back in time for lunch. Maybe we can take a little picnic and ride up into the mountains."Poppy's grin was languid and sexy. "I love riding in the mountains with you."He had to laugh. "I'll try not to get us stuck this time. And maybe we'll head into town for dinner.""That sounds great. I'll work on getting my projects up to speed, and I'll be ready.""It's a date, then." He pulled her in for one last kiss and headed toward the door, grabbing his hat on the way
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Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 220: Epilogue
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Chapter 218: Unexpected GuestA week and a half after the beach fiasco, Anna was grateful for a set routine. If she wasn't happy, exactly, at least she felt settled. She'd decided she'd try to fly home to Wyoming for Thanksgiving, and while the holiday was still weeks away, she wanted to touch base with Janine to give her plenty of notice. Being able to cross off the days on her calendar until she went home to visit lifted her spirits somewhat.It was mid-afternoon when she finished leading her final session for the day, so she decided to pop in to have a chat with Janine. On her way into the ranch office, she passed a shiny black SUV parked in front.Maybe Janine has found a big donor, Anna thought hopefully. The ranch can use so many upgrades.She pushed open the door and entered the empty office. Janine wasn't at her desk, but the door that led to the rest of the house was ajar, and Anna heard low voices.She rapped on the doorframe. "Hello? Janine?""Anna?" came Janine's vo
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Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 215: Florida
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Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 213: Whirlwind
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Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 212: Nightmare
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