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Chapter 152: A Plan
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2022-10-20 14:18:05Related chapters
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 153: Heading to New York
Chapter 153: Heading to New YorkAfter he left Mountain Vista, Hunter headed back the way he'd come, pulling off at the Airport Inn on 4th Avenue. The hotel was a plain but serviceable place to stay, its main appeal being that it was located less than a mile from the airport. Hunter's first flight left at 6:00 the following morning, which was why he'd decided to stay in town overnight. Well, that and he'd wanted to take the opportunity to see his grandfather. As he carried his small duffel bag into the spartan but clean king room, he was once again grateful for how lucid his grandfather had been. The visit had gone immensely better than he'd expected. Now if only things went as well when he saw Poppy. He'd considered calling her, telling her he was on his way, but he'd decided against it. The things he needed to say to her, she deserved to hear in person.He spent another restless night and was up before his alarm sounded. He showered, shaved and trimmed his facial hair, an
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 154: Surprises of All Kinds
Chapter 154: Surprises of All KindsA cool gust chilled Poppy as she headed back to the apartment. Shifting a mesh shopping bag over her left shoulder, she closed the flowy beige cardigan more tightly around herself. Her shift at Cuppa Joe's had seemed long today, and she was tired. The thought of resting her feet on her coffee table and watching something mindless on television was tremendously appealing.Necessity had required a stop by the market on her way home from work. Since her departure from Slade & Howell, she'd put herself on a strict budget. The bunch of sunflowers in her bag alongside a few grocery items was an extravagant treat.She crossed at the corner with a dozen other pedestrians, each preoccupied with his or her own thoughts. In her own mind, she pictured the steps of her first-floor walk-up. "Thank God it's the first floor," she muttered to herself.Halfway down the block, she gazed up toward her brownstone apartment building and saw a familiar figure standi
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 155: Words
Chapter 155: WordsPoppy squeezed her eyes shut against the emotions that swept over her. Steeling herself, she turned to face him. "What am I supposed to do with that?" Her tone was biting.His eyes widened, and he looked like she'd punched him in the gut. "I just…wanted to tell you.""Words, Hunter. Just...words." Thinking of all she'd been through in the last several months, she shook her head. "Maybe in the movies that makes everything okay. But this is real life."Her heart pounded in her chest. I have to do it. He deserves to know. "You mentioned that I didn't win. Well, I didn't exactly walk away empty-handed."Feeling like she was in a warped dream, she opened the oatmeal-colored cardigan and slipped it off. She'd recently had to give up her favorite Levis in favor of maternity jeans with a wide stretchy waist. Hunter's jaw went slack as he took in the four-month baby bump just noticeable beneath her long white three-quarter-sleeve t-shirt."How did… When did…"
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 156: Hormones
Chapter 156: HormonesShe leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him, devouring his lips with surprising intensity. Emboldened, Hunter wrapped one arm around her waist, using his left hand to cup her ass and press her against his erection, his lips matching the heat of her kiss. He was breathless when she broke their connection. "Come with me." She took his hand and led him to a narrow stairway he hadn't noticed when he'd first entered the apartment. At the top of the stairs was a low-ceilinged loft that was the bedroom. A Bohemian quilt in a bright turquoise and orange pattern covered her low full-size bed. Beside the bed was a tiny square table of wood, and completing the space was a small matching wardrobe. Breathlessly, Poppy pushed up on her toes and kissed him with the same fervor she'd had downstairs. Without breaking the kiss, she shed the cardigan, dropping it on the floor before she started tugging his shirttail out of the waist of his jeans. Only when she had to
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 157: Pizza
Chapter 157: PizzaAlthough he knew that New York is supposed to be the 'city that doesn't sleep,' Hunter was mildly surprised that the sidewalks were nearly as busy at eight o'clock at night as they had been in the afternoon. After they'd dressed in Poppy's loft bedroom, they'd left the apartment heading in the same direction from which Poppy had come after work. Hunter was just as glad they didn't run into Roxy on their way out. While the man had been nice enough, Hunter couldn't shake the feeling that the drag queen had been more than ready and willing to kick his ass. But according to Poppy, at that time of the evening, Roxy's workday was just beginning.A few blocks from the apartment, Poppy waved toward the front window of a trendy-looking coffee shop. The door was propped open in the cool fall evening, and the place seemed busy. An acoustic guitar duo occupied stools on a tiny stage in the corner and music filtered out onto the sidewalk. "This is where I work," she told
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 158: Now What?
Chapter 158: Now What?After Hunter paid their bill, they headed out into the night. Poppy turned to him. "I kind of wanted to take you on a little tour but to tell you the truth, I'm a bit tired."He smiled down at her. "We have time. You've been on your feet all day. Let's save the tour for tomorrow."Poppy nodded, slipping her hand into his as they walked up the sidewalk toward her apartment. She smiled up at him, and he raised her hand to his lips, brushing them against her knuckles. She felt a pang in her chest. This was Hunter, the man she'd fallen for those months ago. The father of her child. The man she thought she might never see again. She watched her feet as they walked. So now what? Now that we've sorted out the misunderstanding that tore us apart, what happens next? Eventually, he goes back to Idaho. And I have another job interview tomorrow. How do we move forward?Glancing up at him, she decided to push those thoughts away for another time.Back at the
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 159: The Appointment
Chapter 159: The AppointmentAfter they finished breakfast, Poppy took Hunter to see some of the popular Manhattan tourist sites. They hit Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and they even managed to ride the elevators up to the observation deck at the Empire State Building. At 11:15, they entered the clinic's tiny waiting room. While Poppy signed in, Hunter found two empty chairs against the wall. A few of the other seats were taken by women in various stages of pregnancy and the loved ones who had come with them. Waiting to be called, Poppy watched Hunter out of the corner of her eye as his knees restlessly bounced. When she reached out and gently placed her hand on his thigh, he froze."Sorry. Guess I'm a little nervous.""Poppy?" A pretty young Hispanic woman in pink scrubs stood in the waiting room doorway.Poppy stood and looked at Hunter, who exhaled heavily and pushed himself to his feet. He followed Poppy through the door and waited awkwardly as she submitted to a che
Last Updated : 2022-10-20Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 160: The Afternoon
Chapter 160: The AfternoonPeering into the narrow full-length mirror on her wardrobe door, she frowned. The black knit skirt looked okay, but there was no way to tuck in the white blouse she planned on wearing. She'd just have to leave it untucked and top off the outfit with a long black cardigan. That looked okay, she supposed, but there was no hiding the pregnancy now. Sighing deeply, she wondered if that would keep this new company from hiring her. Her next thought was wondering whether she cared. She had no interest in working for an insurance company. She tried to tell herself that business was business, the particulars didn't really matter. Except that they did. She hated the insurance industry. But she was desperate to find a full-time job. One that would provide benefits now that she was about to be a single mother. She thought of Hunter, currently downstairs. Undoubtedly, he'd insist on paying child support on a regular basis. She'd never ask, but she knew him
Last Updated : 2022-10-20
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