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Chapter 135: Life Goes On
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Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 136: Lunch and Revelations
Chapter 136: Lunch and RevelationsFifteen minutes later, the pair were seated at a table in a cafe across the street. Poppy used a wooden stirrer to add a bit of sugar to her raspberry tea. She'd purchased a small salad, but she wasn't interested in eating.Across the table, Dana took a bite of her ham and caramelized onion quiche. "This is so good." She looked up at Poppy. "I'll start by telling you what I know, then you can tell me what you know. First of all, they used you."Poppy's jaw dropped. Dana nodded knowingly."When they picked you for this assignment, it was because of your resemblance to Hunter McFall's deceased wife. I heard them say it, and I have a copy of the dossier they had a private investigator put together.""Are you serious?" Poppy whispered, glancing around cautiously.Dana forked another bite of quiche into her mouth and nodded again. "As a heart attack. And that's not all. You asked about the environmental impact study. Well, there are two version
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 137: Connecting the Dots
Chapter 137: Connecting the DotsBack at her apartment, Poppy sat at her tiny kitchen counter and pored over the documents from Dana's flash drive. Among the nearly fifty items were emails, internal memos, permits, survey results, twin environmental reports, and a confidential file on Hunter McFall. Poppy sighed heavily as she scrolled through the information Slade's investigator had gathered on the rancher. There was a birth certificate showing the date and location of his birth, a photo from his high school yearbook, a marriage license, a death certificate for Tara Olsen McFall, and a wedding photo from the local newspaper. Poppy blinked as she recognized the same image she'd found in Hunter's desk drawer, her stomach knotting up with regret as she stared into his eyes. She shook her head and scrolled further, finding a couple dozen more recent photos that appeared to have been taken without Hunter's knowledge, images of him getting in and out of the black Expedition somewhere
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 138: Late Night Thoughts
Chapter 138: Late Night ThoughtsIn the weeks after Poppy left Idaho, Hunter threw himself into ranch work with unwavering gusto. He was up before dawn, working calls to markets in the east, distributors who were only too happy to purchase McFall beef. Normally, it was the business end of things that Hunter hated, but for now, he was glad for something to do when his dreams wouldn't let him sleep.If he allowed his thoughts to stray, inevitably he saw himself looming over Poppy, accusing her of swindling him out of his land, telling her he didn't love her. Lying to her, really. Because he'd loved her then, and damn it, he loved her now. That was the kind of fool he was. Which was why it was better to keep himself busy.In addition to managing McFall Beef business, he'd spent time shoring up the fences for summer grazing. And he'd been hands-on when it came to moving the cattle. In fact, he'd intentionally moved the herd to the far side of the newly marked-out access road. If a
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 139: Go Time
Chapter 139: Go TimeIn the ladies' room mirror at Slade & Howell, Poppy mentally took inventory. Hair in a neat, professional updo? Check. And for once, her red locks had been cooperative. Scarlett Sin lipstick? She rested her palms on the sink, leaned toward the mirror, and pursed her lips. Check. Although in contrast, her face looked pale. It couldn't be helped. Her nerves were getting the best of her, and she'd even thrown up before she'd left home. Power outfit in place? She scanned the white blouse and black pencil skirt, then all the way down to her black Jimmy Choos. Cow poo shoes. She blinked hard. Stop it. Don't go there. Power outfit? Check. She felt her bile rising again and swallowed against it. The time had come."This is it," she told her reflection. Then she turned on her designer heel and marched out of the restroom.In the two weeks since she'd been back from Idaho, Poppy had mined the information Dana had given her for every ounce of gold.
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 140: Prospectus
Chapter 140: ProspectusWhile the men paged through the booklets, Poppy advanced to the next slide in her little presentation. It was the artist's rendering of the Boxroot Mountain project. "This is utter bullshit," Slade growled, tossing the booklet onto the table in disgust. "That's exactly what I've been saying," Poppy agreed. "It was a bullshit mission you sent me on. You had no intention of ever paying Hunter McFall for that land. You knew when you purchased the mountain property that you wouldn't have access to the land. You'd need to acquire land for the road. And lucky enough for you, you had a man on the inside of Idaho government. Your buddy and fraternity brother, Chad Crandle."Slade didn't bother to answer, so Poppy forged ahead. "It was Crandle who worked out the details of the eminent domain so you could take McFall's land with the taxpayers of Idaho picking up the tab. And it was Crandle who helped you doctor the environmental impact study. If you look at
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 141: Non-Negotiable Terms
Chapter 141: Non-Negotiable TermsWith another glare at Poppy, Slade stalked back to his seat and snatched up the booklet. Behind her, Poppy heard Howell flipping through the pages.Slade squinted at the print on the page and looked back at her, wide-eyed. "You've got to be shitting me.""Nope. Not shitting you. I'm serious as fuck."Benjamin Howell cleared his throat. "This is absurd. You can't possibly think we'd ever agree to this.""It's a difficult decision, I know." Poppy's voice dripped with mock sympathy. "But these are my terms. The alternative gets very messy.""What are you planning to do, march into the Idaho governor's office with your little booklet? You have no proof, you have no evidence, you have nothing a court will believe." Slade sat back and folded his arms across his chest.Poppy held up the flash drive Dana had given her. "I have all the documentation for every charge I've laid out. Including the phony environmental report.""Suppose you don't leave
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 142: We Did It
Chapter 142: We Did ItAfter Slade signed the contract, he stormed out of his office. Howell signed as well and nodded grimly to Poppy before he left. With trembling hands, she packed up her materials and, head held high, she walked out of the offices of Slade & Howell for the last time. She made it all the way to the ladies' room before she retched again.Trading her high heels for ballet flats, she opted to walk the ten blocks to her apartment rather than take the subway. The day was hot, but she craved the outdoor air. After the intensity in Slade's office, the city felt dreamlike, as though she were floating through jello. In her mind, the reality was jarring. She'd just quit her job. And she had no source of income. Sure, she had about six months of income saved up, but would she be able to secure another job before that money ran out?Had she made a mistake?She shook her head. It was no mistake. She'd done what she'd needed to do to be able to look herself in the eye
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 143: A Visit Home
Chapter 143: A Visit HomeClutching the handle of her rolling bag, Poppy clipped past the security checkpoint at the McGhee Tyson Airport. Just beyond the secure area, she saw her parents waiting for her, huge smiles on their faces. Hanner and Jourand Chastain had been college sweethearts, and they'd been married for thirty-two years. When Poppy had called them early that morning to say she'd be arriving by dinnertime, they hadn't hesitated."We'll pick you up, hon," her mother had said. "Your dad can leave the office early."Truthfully, it had been over a year since Poppy had come back to visit. She'd been so busy working to build her career, she hadn't taken the time. As she approached the handsome middle-aged couple, she sighed deeply. Now her career was in shambles. Her life was in shambles. She wanted to crawl into her childhood bed and sleep for a week."Hey there, gorgeous," her father said, wrapping her in a big embrace. Hanner Chastain, the owner of his own accounti
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Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 220: Epilogue
Chapter 220: Epilogue"And the award for best picture of the year goes to…The King of Iron Rise!" Anna's heart momentarily stopped, and the world around her shifted into slow motion. She turned to her left where Angus beamed at her, his azure eyes sparkling, before he pressed a warm kiss to her lips. "We did it, love."Through ears that pounded in rhythm with her pulse, all sound was muffled as she watched him step into the aisle, button his black tuxedo jacket, and make his way up the steps to the stage where a woman in a glittery silver gown stood holding a golden statuette. The woman handed the award to Angus and murmured words of congratulations before stepping back out of the spotlight that illuminated the lone microphone in the center of the stage. As the applause died down, Angus gazed down at the trophy in his hands and shook his head in disbelief. "Och, aye, and it's a hell of a thing," he sighed, and applause broke out again. Anna clapped too as a tear ran down her
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 219: Near Aspen
Chapter 219: Near AspenRight arm resting on the back of the low tan leather couch, Angus glanced over his shoulder and out the window of the Gulfstream 100. Heading west, they were chasing the sunset, and far below, the agricultural land of the plains states spread out like a patchwork quilt in the late afternoon light. Anna's soft sigh drew his attention back inside the cabin of the leased private jet Cooper had procured for Angus's trip to Florida. The pilot had been more than happy to wait at the airport in Orlando. Because either way, Angus would be returning to Colorado.He looked down at Anna, fast asleep with her head resting on a pillow in his lap. When she'd crashed nearly as soon as the jet was in the air, the lone flight attendant had helpfully produced the pillow and a blanket. Since then, Anna hadn't so much as stirred.She must have been done in, he mused, thinking of his own emotional exhaustion over the past weeks since they'd been apart.Angus closed his eyes a
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 218: Unexpected Guest
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
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 217: Fight For Her
Chapter 217: Fight For HerGlancing around the restaurant, Angus released a satisfied sigh. They'd done it. He'd done it. Filming was finished. All around him, the cast and crew celebrated the end of shooting, congratulating one another and laughing together at story after story, some tales old, others new to this project.When he'd asked his assistant Cooper to secure a restaurant for the get-together, the young man had raised an eyebrow, but to his credit, he'd carried out the task professionally and without question. It was costing Angus a pretty penny to rent out the high-end Aspen bistro for the evening but treating everyone to a wrap party was the right thing to do. They'd all worked hard, and most of the cast had done so without pay, agreeing to share in the profits from future ticket sales instead. Something that never failed to produce a pang in his stomach when he thought about it. Because suppose no one wanted to pay to watch his gamble? What then?"A toast to our
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 216: Devastated
Chapter 216: DevastatedBeneath the canopy that shaded the production equipment, Angus peered at the digital screen. His actors were in place, and the natural light of the early morning was just about to peak. Nodding with satisfaction, he called out, "Action!"He watched as the scene came to life, an almost exact replica of what he'd envisioned weeks ago in his cabin at Sweetwater Ranch. But even now, the thought of his time in Wyoming was a gut-punch. Shaking off the memory, he focused on what was happening on-camera. It was good, but even so, he had them do a second take before they lost the light.While he was busy working, Angus was able to push off his devastation at having lost Anna and all that he'd imagined for their future. In quiet moments, though, images came rushing back to him.Anna's grey eyes alight with laughter, her cheeks pinkened in an endearing blush, Anna naked in the moonlight, lovingly gazing down at him. Before he'd left the ranch early with a week to
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 215: Florida
Chapter 215: FloridaAlone in her new room, Anna listened again to the voicemail message Angus left. He said the baby wasn't his. She rolled her eyes. Well, of course, he said that. What else would he say? He wanted things to be just the way they'd been before he'd gone to Colorado. Only things hadn't really been the way she'd thought they were at all, had they?A glance at her bedside clock showed that it was 8:30pm. Which meant that at Sweetwater Ranch, it was only 6:30. Dinnertime. She wondered vaguely what they'd have that night. Probably steaks on the grill, she thought with a nagging sense of longing.Here at Horse Heaven, most of the employees lived in their own apartments away from the ranch. Only she and Janine, the owner of the facility, lived on the property, and after the first night, when her new boss had taken her to a local bar-be-que place for dinner, Anna was on her own for meals. She looked across the room at the tiny kitchenette. It was old and outdated
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 214: Angus Returns to Sweetwater Ranch
Chapter 214: Angus Returns to Sweetwater RanchA relaxed half-smile played across Angus's lips as he neared Sweetwater Ranch. He'd headed to Colorado to nail down the details of his film set, but he was coming back with so much more than that. He couldn't stop thinking about the elevated clearing. Perched on the hillside overlooking the valley, he'd defy anyone to find a more beautiful view. On his laptop, he had the initial plans and an artist's rendering of a beautiful, luxurious log home. But with the proceeds from the sale of his Malibu home, he'd be more than able to build anything he could imagine. Anything he and Anna could imagine. In his mind's eye, he didn't see himself living in that idyllic setting alone. The view reminded him of that first day she'd taken him riding, of the view of the ranch from the trail that overlooked the ranch. Everywhere Angus looked, he saw Anna, and he thought of how she'd love the valley and the foothills, and how not far from where he
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 213: Whirlwind
Chapter 213: WhirlwindThe following twenty-four hours were a whirlwind. After accepting the job at the ranch outside Orlando, Anna purchased a one-way ticket to Florida, then began packing what she thought she'd need for an extended stay in the Sunshine State, figuring that the work would be basically the same as she generally did at home. There's simply be a need for fewer coats and jackets.A few hours later, Andy, Simone, the baby, and the elder Graves returned to the ranch in a caravan, with Andy, for once in his life, driving below the speed limit, the better to care for his new family. Anna met them in the lobby. "There's my new nephew!" She stepped closer to Simone, who cradled the infant in her arms. "How ya doing, young Jacob? Welcome to the world."She smiled warmly at Simone. "He's absolutely beautiful.""I know," her sister-in-law sniffed. "I just can't believe he's ours.""Here," Teresa said, "Andy, carry the baby. We'll get all your things. Simone, hon, just
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 212: Nightmare
Chapter 212: NightmareAnna's mind raced. This is Alanna Powell. How did I not recognize her? Thinking back to what Angus had told her about his former fiancée, Anna realized he'd been generous in his description. The woman was a nightmare. "Well, I must. Again, you don't have a reservation. And Angus isn't even here. He left to check on the set for his movie. He won't be back until late tomorrow.""Perfect," the woman beamed. "I'll surprise him when he gets back."Shaking her head, Anna set down her basket on the counter. "I can't let you into his cabin. Besides," she put her hands on her hips, "Angus said that you're his former fiancée. He broke off the engagement months ago.""Well, that's what he would say, isn't it?" the woman snipped. She took a step closer to Anna."I recognize you, you know." Her tone shifted, her words as sharp as daggers. "I saw you with Angus on the news, with all that forest fire nonsense." She leaned toward Anna, her expression shifting f
