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Chapter 143: A Visit Home
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Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 144: Holy Shit!
Chapter 144: Holy Shit!It was noon the following day before Poppy finally rolled out of bed. She felt vaguely guilty for having slept so late. But there was nowhere she had to be, so why not take advantage of it while she could? She'd be starting morning shifts at the coffee shop soon enough.Barefoot and wearing the oversized Columbia T-shirt she'd slept in the night before, she stood staring into the refrigerator. Being that it was afternoon, she couldn't decide if she wanted breakfast or lunch. Maybe a quick omelet, she considered. She had eggs, and there was ham and cheese in the drawer and an onion behind the sour cream…Suddenly, her stomach roiled. Slamming the refrigerator door, she made it into the bathroom just in time. Roxy's words floated back to her. "Maybe you're knocked up." "No," she said aloud. "No, no, no, no, no."Mentally, she counted the days since her last period. Shit! I haven't had my period since before I went to Idaho. Nixing the idea of e
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 145: Ranch Life
Chapter 145: Ranch Life"D'ya think we ought to move the critters?" Gazing out over the pasture, Rolly chewed on a long piece of grass.Hunter shrugged back his annoyance. Of course, they needed to move the herd. The cattle had devoured nearly every blade of grass in the north-western section of the ranch. Hunter had been determined to leave the animals on the property the state had taken and not move them until someone showed up and demanded that he do so. And maybe not even then, he was spoiling for a fight anyway.Except that no one had come to tell him to move the cattle. No one had even come to straighten up the markers the herd had trampled. In fact, he hadn't seen anyone over there since that first day, and that had been weeks ago.It struck him as odd. They'd been in such an all-fired hurry to take his land. And now? He shook his head in disgust. It didn't matter. The land was theirs. And he had to move the herd to better grazing. It might be time to take them up
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 146: You've Got Yourself a Mountain
Chapter 146: You've Got Yourself a MountainLate one August afternoon, Hunter and Rolly were working in the barn when Hunter's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and frowned slightly. Why would the sheriff be calling?"Hey, Bill," he answered cautiously."Hey there, Hunter. I hate to bother you, but I'm out here by your gate. Mind letting me in?"Hunter glanced at Rolly, who watched him curiously. "Uh, yeah, sure, I'll be right out there." He disconnected and nodded to Rolly. "Bill Albright's out at the gate.""Want me to go let'im in?"Hunter shook his head. "Nah, I'll do it myself." He handed Rolly the tool he'd been using and grabbed a set of keys from a hook on the wall. Just outside the barn, he climbed onto a four-wheel ATV and fired it up. A few minutes later, he slid open the gate and watched Bill drive his SUV cruiser through. The sheriff buzzed down his window. "Like I said, I'm sorry to bother you. Is there someplace we could talk?"Frowning, Hunter hooked a
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 147: Alone
Chapter 147: AloneBy mid-September, Poppy still had no good news on the job front. She'd been on another couple of interviews but hadn't landed a new position. Strangely, at least to her, she didn't feel panicked. Not yet, anyway. She was earning enough at the coffee shop that by being very frugal, she didn't have to dip into her savings. She sighed heavily. She'd need to live on savings once the baby came and she was out of commission for a while. As for what she'd do for childcare, she had no clue.She'd finally worked up the nerve to tell her parents about the baby. After an interminable moment of shocked silence, to their credit, they'd been extremely supportive. Again, her father had mentioned the idea of coming back to Tennessee and living with them until she found a job. But Poppy knew she was too independent to rely on her parents.Her mother was already making plans to come to New York shortly before her due date. Poppy figured she'd need help at that time anyway,
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 148: Meeting In Town
Chapter 148: Meeting In TownHunter closed his eyes against the torrents of scalding water streaming from his rain shower head. It had been a long day herding the cattle on the mountain, and he'd made it longer by refusing to stay at the cabin. He'd given the privilege to Rolly, who normally bedded down where the younger hands did, in the bunkhouse. Instead, Hunter had stubbornly chosen to make the long ride back down to the house. His excuse had been that he had a meeting in town, which was technically true. But he was reasonably certain Rolly knew better.Memories of Poppy in the mountain cabin were too strong, too painful. Not that coming back home was any better. There in the shower, when he closed his eyes he could see the soft curves of her gorgeous body, could feel her taut nipples against his own flesh, could recall how it was to press her against that tile wall with hot water streaming over both of them as he took her again and again.His cock hardened with the memory
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 149: Starla
Chapter 149: StarlaNot ready to head back to the ranch, Hunter drove the quarter mile from the diner to the North Star. He felt a twinge of nerves as he did. The last time he'd been there, he'd been with her. Up to now, being in a noisy, crowded bar was something he just didn't think he could stomach. For now, though, he craved human contact, craved to be where other people were, even if he didn't particularly feel like speaking to them, just some noise to drown out the desolate silence of his soul.The parking lot in front of the North Star was reasonably full for 8:00 on a Wednesday night, which Hunter took as a good sign. Several of the folks from the meeting had also come for a drink. Maybe he could just slip in and find a quiet place at the end of the bar where he could have a quick drink and not garner unwanted attention.As he approached the door, he heard Bon Jovi singing about bad medicine. Again, that boded well. He wanted to be a fly on the wall and forget about th
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 150: Realization
Chapter 150: Realization Later that night, Hunter sat on his front porch and stared out at the darkness. He'd considered heading to his office but remembered the cabin model and thought better of it. Out on the porch, the evening was cool, even for early fall, but he didn't feel the chill. Of course, he might chalk that up to the bourbon he'd downed since he'd gotten home. But the truth was, since Starla's revelation, he'd felt mostly numb. He'd had it wrong. Had it wrong the whole time. Poppy had been telling the truth. If he'd taken the time to listen to her, let her explain… But of course, he hadn't. He'd just assumed, completely flown off the handle, and made her leave.As he had a thousand times since that awful day, he wondered what she was doing at that exact moment. Before tonight, he'd frowned to himself and chased the thought away like an unwanted stray. But now, he allowed himself to go down that path. Was she looking up at the sky and thinking about him?He s
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 151: Wisdom From Rolly
Chapter 151: Wisdom From RollyHunter watched as the young man headed down the trail. He figured he should go help them, maybe spell Hoyt and give him a chance to get some more sleep. But he was drawn to the cabin.Maybe it was a sense of wanting to punish himself, some masochistic urge to beat himself up over the way he'd treated Poppy, the way he'd just assumed that she'd played him. But whatever it was, he was helpless to stop himself from going up the front steps and entering the cabin.Rolly's pack was neatly stowed in the corner, but beyond that, there was precious little to differentiate the cabin from the way it had been that stormy night. As he stood in the doorway, in his mind's eye he saw Poppy, her red hair soaked from the rain, dressed in that ratty old flannel shirt as she wrapped him in a dry blanket. He'd been cold that night, soaked to the skin, as close to hypothermia as he'd ever been. And she'd used her body to warm his. Standing there now on the chilled aut
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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
