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Chapter 26: A Few Answers
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Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 27: Exhausted
Chapter 27: ExhaustedBack in her room, Jenny felt like she'd been run over by a train. Opening up about her situation had been emotionally exhausting. At the same time, it felt good to have told Cole about Slater. It wasn't much, but it felt as though she'd released a little of the darkness. Carefully, she hung her dress in the closet, lightly fingering the fabric with its purple flowers. Before, she'd never have considered wearing a dress from WalMart. But it was pretty, and she'd felt pretty in it. Her gaze fell on the boots Cole had surprised her with. She absolutely adored them, and he'd seemed pleased that she did.Dinner had turned out perfectly, as though she'd made chicken piccata every week of her life. She'd like to do that again and knew that there were plenty of other recipes she'd memorized, some for cakes in particular. Sitting down to a meal she'd prepared had seemed like such a normal moment, one that she relished.Her thoughts drifted back to Cole, and she
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 28: Foresight
Chapter 28: ForesightWhen Cole and Jenny had headed upstairs for the night, he'd seen her to her room before continuing on to his own. He'd started to close his door, then thought better of it. The night's revelations had been emotionally draining. As he glanced at the cot he'd yet to put away, he knew there was a better than even chance Jenny would want to sleep there tonight. In the bathroom, he dropped his shirt in the hamper and splashed cold water on his face. Truth be told, talking about his time overseas stirred up feelings he found troubling. In the mirror, he met his own dark eyes. He knew he was lucky. Luckier than a lot of others who went home maimed and broken. But a year of living in near-constant fear took its toll. He couldn't imagine the demons Jenny harbored. He works for the guy who's been keeping me. She'd been someone's captive. For two years. Two fucking years. That meant she'd been taken when she was eighteen or so.Taken from where? From whom?
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 29: More Than Bad Dreams
Chapter 29: More Than Bad DreamsJenny's heart pounded as Victor leaned over her, his thin lips twisted in an abomination of a smile. "You didn't really think I'd let my lucky charm get away from me, did you, pet?"His face morphed and stretched as though in a funhouse mirror. Slater appeared over Victor's shoulder, and the scent of salami washed over her in waves."The retard cunt won't say a thing." His laughter rang out, sharp and mean.Rough hands reached for her, and Jenny scuttled backward like a crab, slamming into the wall behind her. The hands grabbed her upper arms, gripping her tightly as the glowing orange circle came closer. She felt its heat and struggled to pull away. "You see, pet," Victor leered, wielding the electric brander, "you need to remember that you belong to me. This will serve as your reminder." It seemed to Cole that he'd just drifted off to sleep when he was jolted out of bed by a blood-curdling scream. Clad only in grey boxer briefs, he bounded
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 30: After Effects
Chapter 30: After EffectsThe rising sun was already casting a pink glow across the eastern sky when Cole woke up the following morning. He stretched and groaned softly, feeling drained from the previous night's ordeal. Rolling over, he peered off the right side of the bed. Jenny lay curled with her back against the side of his mattress. Even in sleep, her jaw seemed tense, and she tightly clutched the edge of the quilt to her chin.If he was tired from last night's tirade, she must be exhausted, he mused. Carefully, he slid out of bed, collected the clothes he needed for the day, and headed into the bathroom.Twenty minutes later, a cup of coffee in hand, he trudged to the barn through the early morning chill and set about his chores. As he did so, he considered the events of the night before. In their conversations, limited as they were, Jenny had given him just enough information to tell him that she'd experienced unimaginable trauma. He supposed that lifting the curtain ev
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 31: A Surprise in the Barn
Chapter 31: A Surprise in the BarnAn eternity later, Jenny returned downstairs, completely dressed this time in jeans and a t-shirt, her new boots on her feet. She'd even taken a moment to brush her hair and pull it into a ponytail, and she had her whiteboard in her hand. Cole beamed at her. "Hey there, just in time. Have a seat and I'll bring it to the table."Beside her glass, he'd placed a bottle of ibuprofen tablets. "I thought they might help," he shrugged.When he got up for seconds, Jenny had made barely a dent in the spaghetti on her plate. "Not a spaghetti fan?" he asked lightly as he returned to his seat.Her eyes widened. It's good, she wrote quickly. For emphasis, she took another small bite.He smiled at her sympathetically. "Eat as much as you like," he told her. "But I'd recommend a couple of those pain relievers. I know when I'm saddle-sore, they're just the thing."Jenny nodded, popping open the bottle and shaking a pair of brown tablets into her hand. A
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 32: Someone Had to Pay
Chapter 32: Someone Had to PayVictor Sorkin's grey eyes narrowed as he listened to Slater's story for perhaps the fifth time since Slater and Wilcox had returned to the compound without his pet. To the man's credit, his story never wavered. He was entirely certain about the timeline of events from beginning to end.As Slater had known he would, Victor had made the phone call to the arms dealer in the hotel in San Francisco."Tell me, Mr. Smith," he'd purred, rolling his eyes at the ludicrous moniker, "how did you enjoy my pet?""She was fine," the man had replied. "But I could see why you needed a break from all the talking. The only time she shut up was when my cock was in her mouth."Victor had frowned. "She talked too much?""I now know more about reality television than I ever wanted to know. But she was sweet, and she gave great head, so…" The man had trailed off. "I was sorry your men had to pick her up early. I was looking forward to another go."Breathing in slowly to
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 33: Riding
Chapter 33: RidingAfter he'd finished working his first horse the following morning, Cole returned to the barn and found Jenny sitting cross-legged beside the box of kittens in the empty stall. He leaned against the stall door and she flashed him a sunny smile."How are the kitties this morning?"She gave him a thumbs-up.Cole nodded. "Good. How are the names coming along?"Jenny reached for the board beside her and quickly scribbled.Cocoa. She pointed to the tiny calico furball. Dusty was white and grey. For Inky, she indicated the black one with the white nose. Snowball was, of course, all white. And the grey one that looked like its mother was Arabella."Cocoa, Dusty, Inky, Snowball, and Arabella. And you're sure Arabella's a girl?"Jenny's eyes widened, and she looked into the box uncertainly.Cole had to laugh. He opened the stall and went inside. "It's easy enough to check," he said, squatting beside her. He reached into the box and gently picked up the tiny grey fu
Redheads & Ranchers Chapter 34: Shopping List
Chapter 34: Shopping ListOver the next week, Jenny loved the time she spent in the ring with Dahlia. Cole proved a patient teacher, not that she was surprised. His gentle manner and easy smile chased away any anxiety she might have felt. He also invited her into his office off the den where he showed her how to use his computer to pull up the live feed from the barn any time she liked. She could even zoom in on the kittens to see how they were getting along, which pleased her beyond measure. She adored helping Cole with his work, too. Anything to help her feel less like a burden and more like she was pulling her own weight. In the back of her mind, she hoped that she'd be able to repay Cole for the things he'd bought for her.She abandoned the cot and returned to her own room, falling into bed at the end of each day with a satisfying weariness borne out of the physical activity required to keep a ranch operating smoothly. Her dreams were of the riding skills Cole was teachin
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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
