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2024-10-29 19:42:56The anger of the late afternoon rain matched Everest Camara's mood. Given that the sky has opened up just about the start of her emotional state, she was inclined to think Earth was in support of her.
The last thought drew a recumbent sigh out of her glistening lips. If only it could help her.She stared hard at the cold cup of water within her fingers' reach with unseeing eyes. Since she had received the news, her mood had become unbalanced. It was a wonder she had even managed to drive herself home in one piece.Thinking about the news again, the emotional onslaught washed over her anew. A hole was forming in her heart, a hole yearning to be filled by revenge. The feeling of being taken for a fool and cheated had ebbed on the drive home. Now what filled her very pores was quaking anger and thirst for vengeance.Garth Rementer was a premium jerk and asshole. His architecture firm, Arnex, couldn't have made it to where it was currently without her, and he knew it. She had been the one with him right from the beginning. They had both passed through the proverbial thick and the metaphoric thin together.They both knew what she had gone through, all she had sacrificed to make the national contract awarded to them. The contract has been Arnex's ticket to stardom. After seeing his works, more affluent clients had come their way. The museum, the government and private individuals. And now he didn't think of all this, he didn't think twice before he chucked her out.She clutched hard at the styrofoam and the thin cup collapsed in her fist, flooding her hand and the lily glazed-tile countertop with ice-cold waterLay off my ass.She knew it was because of her rejection and subsequent reproval he had wanted to be rid of her. And she knew he knew she knew. All because of something they could have resolved.She should have insisted on partnership right from the start. Right from when she had bagged them the first contract.The surge of depressing thoughts was getting heavier. Enough to break Everest's emotional dam. All the tears she had not shed in the office burst through now. Anger and hurt married in a quick ceremony in her heart, her stomach, her head, her soul. Her tears became a flood.Everest Camara sat alone on an IKEA kitchen stool in her house and cried like she hadn't for aeons. Her shoulders shook convulsively as she relived all she had been through. All her efforts gone down to the sewage, just like that.Fuck Rementer!After a while of cathartic sobbing, she pulled out a bunch of Kleenex from the box and blew her nose noisily. She tore some more and blew her nose, then more for her eyes. Her body managed to calm after some seconds of nose-blowing and eyes scrubbing.Everest, you shouldn't cry, she told herself. That's what he wants you to do.Trying to think less depressing thoughts, she lifted herself wearily off the stool and went to toss the cup in the bin. Then she slid open the fridge sidebar and grabbed a bottle of cold water.Her red-rimmed eyes flickered around the brightly lit room. She had to do something to get her mind off this. Something. Anything.Happy thoughts.Downing the water, she made for the gas stove. She could start cooking dinner now, maybe. Cooking did always make her feel better.She didn't have to look around much before she decided on what to cook. There was a bag of unopened tagliatelle on the edge of the kitchen counter. She had forgotten to put it away while unpacking her shopping yesterday.She could make a vegetable stir-fry.While she waited for the pasta to boil, she cupped her chin and thought long term, well not very long.She just knew she had to find something to do to take her mind off the unfortunate episode. Sure, she was going to deal with Garth, that bastard, later. But in the meantime, she had to come up with something. She couldn't sit at home moping, and she had a strong feeling inside her she wasn't ready to go on a job hunt just yet.After all those two years of working tirelessly and for nothing, this hiatus was probably a hint for her to pick up something new for a while.Maybe she wouldn't even have to hunt for a job anymore. Mostly dedicating her time to Arnex, she hadn't even had that much time to try out things or even spend her salary to her heart's desires. Her thought had been to accumulate her work leave for, at most, five years then take a well-deserved break, but oh well.Since working at Arnex she hadn't even had time to go vacating. Something she had usually spent all of her university holidays doing.A light went off in her mind. Of course, vacation!That was the temporary solution to her problems. She could go away to a place where no one knew her for a few months and use the time to refresh her mind and get back her bearings.Her accumulated salary sure could take care of any trip anywhere. She sat up straighter as she let ideas run through her mind. She could go somewhere sunny and get a tan. Or go somewhere with turquoise-blue waters, pebbly beaches and wooden beach houses.She sighed in pleasure at her thoughts. Or a small modern lake house that watched over a still, clear lake. Or maybe somewhere really cold. She could spend all month skiing and extreme sporting.Anywhere she went, she'd gain tranquillity. Her mind would lay off her plight. She wouldn't have the time to think about Garth, that bastard, and the way he had treated her. All the . . .Realising the downslide of her thoughts, she shook her head vehemently as though she could physically clear them away and stood up abruptly. Fresh years stung the back of her bloated eyelids and she concentrated hard on keeping them in check.The tagliatelle boiling over served as a distraction as she went to get it strained.That's why you need that vacation as soon as possible, she thought to herself.As she retrieved veggies to wash and chop from the fridge, she started to think of where she could go. Sure, she had a lot of ideas in her mind, but she couldn't decide on one. All she knew for sure was that it had to be somewhere far from the hustle and bustle of the city.She made for the fridge to get frozen tomatoes, and just like that, she saw where to go. Why, it was right there in front of her staring at her in the form of a magnetic sticker on her refrigerator.Lucerne-Alpane County.She had gotten that sticker from a watch-and-learn at a fair and she remembered googling the place on her arrival home and being impressed.Lucerne-Alpane County was a small town down south pictorially known for its alfalfa shrubs that had given the town part of its name. If her memory still served, it had tons of horses to practice riding, beautiful lakes and rivers to tent by, plantations and most of all, amiable people who were always open to tourists. Or so her search had said.Just the place she needed.A feeling of euphoria overcame her, almost choking her with the pleasant opportunities that ran amuck in her mind's eye.So, to Lucerne-Alpane County then.Related chapters
The Rancher's Heart 1. The Landlady
It was bleeding hot when Everest stepped out of Lucerne-Alpane train station. The time was just a little past one, according to the station clock, and she was tired from the long flight and train ride.She cursed lightly as the sun rays touched her skin, heating it up. She shielded her face with a hand and dragged her large suitcase with the other.Looking around to see people in baseball caps and sunhats, she wished she had had the foresight to get one too. Not that she was entirely at fault, it had been raining like Noah's prophecy where she came from.Now, where was that landlady woman? She squinted and looked around the dusty landscape. The front of Lucerne-Alpane train station was a dry, desert-sque piece of land, barren of vegetation and moisture. Tiny knock-up kiosks littered the area, most of them announcing their services in garish Day-Glo.None of the women she saw resembled the landlady or dressed the way she had been expecting. She had seen the woman's profile picture on
The Rancher's Heart 2. A Windstorm and a House on the Other End of Town
"Mhmm," the woman hummed in reply, turning the truck down a sharp curve on the road.They had been coasting by open field plantations and farms but had now come unto civilization. The orange dirt roads gave way to dark tarmac and the greenery was replaced with buildings and cars. And the noise. Clearly, they were in town now.She watched as people milled and bustled about the town. It was way different yet so similar to the city. Minus the highrises and skyscrapers.They passed by restaurants, gated office buildings and computer villages as Bonnie Casss briefed her about the small town of Lucerne-Alpane. A valley land and the third largest town in the county. Population of roughly three thousand eight hundred people. Three elementary schools, two high schools, a polytechnic, college of education and a few other educational establishments. Famous for the occupation of animal husbandry with the largest animal farm being the ranch down her rent house side. It also boasted of interestin
The Rancher's Heart 3. The Kid in the Barn
A few hours later found Everest Camara standing back to admire her handiwork in the bedroom. She had just unpacked and put away the last item in her suitcase.The bedroom was wallpapered in a designy warm blue that reminded Everest of a calm sea in a feel-good fairy tale novel.To her pleasure, the queen-sized bed was four-poster and had curtains, a tester, and a colourful hand-woven quilt rug at the foot. It has always been a childhood fantasy of hers to sleep in a four-poster bed, like all those storybook princesses. She had laid the clean bed sheet and spread she had found folded on top of the bare bed and was delighted that the colours matched those in her fantasy.There was even a huge chandelier shaped like a reindeer's complex horns. Or was it an antler? Or a moose? Anyhoo. It hung just ahead of the bed and Everest knew if she angled the curtains, she'd be able to see it while on the bed. The closet was also large, almost walk-in size and the ornate drawers were beautiful. Ther
The Rancher's Heart 4. A Rude Encounter
Everest didn't expect the trek from her picket gate to the rancher's own to be so long. She had trekked just a few feet along the road before coming across the abandoned house beside hers. She could barely see the house except for the top of its old shingled roof and three bucket chimneys jutting out at different angles. Tall, wispy perennial grass sprang high in dense masses all over the property, covering the whole house up behind it.The house must have been about two stories though, for the roof looked way taller than hers.After spaning the overgrown expanse, she didn't come upon the rancher's residence at once. Rather, the road took a gentle dip downhill and then she could see a white picket fence stretch on and on for a distance. Kissing the fence was a wide expanse of freshly mown grass.The piece of grassland stretched on and on for a range, rising and dropping in match to the topography. Then Everest could see a tall two-storey in the distance. Two chimneys stuck out of its
The Rancher's Heart 5. Just a Bloody Tourist
"What are you thinking?"Mentor's eyebrows puckered in a frown. He stopped staring into space to glance at the guy on the other side of the table. "Sorry?"Fabian stopped wiping at the table with a rag and flicked his long black hair out of his face. "What you thinking, boss man?""Hmmm," Mentor said absent-mindedly, shrugging. "Nothing much."It was Fabian's turn to hum in disbelief. But the guy didn't want to push it. So he went back to wiping at the table. "As I was saying, she said I had to get my ass home by twelve on weekends. Like, who does that? Is she seriously going to stay up all night waiting for me?"Mentor's mouth bent in a smug smile. "Dude, given your indiscriminately wild nature, I'd say your mother being autocracy is the best for you."The guy smiled, dropping the rag on the table. "Not you too, boss. Come on, she's making it hell for me."Mentor picked his own rag to give the table one last wipe. "I have a feeling she's going to stop doing that the day you start sho
The Rancher's Heart 6. About a Wife
Mentor was already settled in bed. He picked up his phone from the nightstand and found Shilla's number.After three rings, the call was picked. A baby voice came over the line."Heyyo?"His eyebrow quirked and he smiled. That had to be Dexter, his two-year-old nephew. "Hi, Dexter. It's Uncle Mentor. Can you give the phone to your mommy?""I don't have a uncle," the boy protested rather loudly.A chuckle broke from his lips. "Yes, you do, sonny. I'm Mommy's brother."The boy didn't reply to this and all Mentor heard was heavy breathing on the line. He started to wonder if he should cut the call or try calling his brother-in-law and he settled for the former, the latter being something he didn't look forward to doing.As luck would have it, Shilla's voice came in the background. He heard her asking her son who he was speaking to. The boy blew a loud raspberry and giggled, and then Shilla's voice was speaking on the phone."Oh my God, Mentor. Sorry about that." She chuckled. "I can har
The Rancher's Heart 7. Moonglow
If this wasn't pure bliss then Everest didn't know what it was. Lounging in a cold and calm lake on a cool night, all alone and with nothing to disturb you.Despite the frigid cold in the air, the pale white full moon shone down in all its glory. Its multiple bursts of reflections on the repose lake shimmered and sparkled like a thousand white jewels on the sleeping water.Although it was yet to rain for the season, the fresh, earthy scent that came with rain permeated the air like an air freshener. Everest could see the bright, translucent beads of moisture that the early late-night dew had formed on the blades of grass about the lake.Daring to explore beyond her backyard had been worth it after all. The landlady hadn't mentioned anything about a lake being on her property, so when she had found it in all of its restful glory, she had been astonished.It turned out the picturesque prairie that stretched on at the back of her house had an ending after all. She had just finished her s
The Rancher's Heart 8. Market Heat
The next two days were pretty uneventful for Everest. She spent time setting up her small rented house properly and of course, keeping up with her friends online.She had been wanting to go into town to check out stuff but had been putting it off to enjoy a few days of quiet she had come here for. Opening the pantry and finding it full of all of a bag of chips and pretty much nothing else had done it for her. She had had no choice but to go into town today.She walked down the piazza and broke into a small laugh on seeing the bustle before her.Finally! It seemed like she had found her way to the market successfully. She dropped into the nearest canopied seat at an open shop to the side and stuffed the map back into her tote bag to wipe the film of perspiration from her hot brow, breathing heavily. The real reason she had been postponing going into town was the absence of transportation. The distance from her side of the town to the umbra was a huge fucking stretch that couldn't be
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The Rancher's Heart 31. Delusional Thoughts
Steering clear of the rancher was going very well, she told herself. Not that she had had her resolve challenged or anything. She hadn't even seen him all day. And most importantly she hadn't thought of him.Evening was almost over, about six hours since she left the pub with her resolution set in plaque and laminated in perspex. She had spent the hours sleeping, and then waking to stream a long movie, while simultaneously on a call with her friends.Now that the movie was done, a complete flop from the last one in the franchise, and her friends were gone, she realized she had nothing much else to do. Partly, she yearned for some hustle and bustle and wished she had picked a house in town. But that thought was only for a moment. Who was she kidding, she wouldn't trade this peace and quiet for something else. She got enough hustle and bustle from the city and her apartment building, which was right in the penumbra of the metropolis. When was the last time she could hear her own breath
The Rancher's Heart 30. A Song and a Dance
As far as virtual assisting went, Mentor sucked at it. He removed his stetson and wiped at his brewing forehead with a palm.Garth's yearly soirée was tonight and he had put off shopping for clothes so long it had become too late. It was kind of nice of Mrs Rosenthal to offer to take his daughter shopping and get him clothes as well. Emphasis on the and.But now it was turning out to be not such a good idea. The duo were calling him for the seventh time since he stepped out of his truck at the ranch. At first, they had wanted to know if they wanted him to shop for his stuff first before Queen's, as if they couldn't make the decision themselves. As if they hadn't already made it.Then Queen had wanted to know if he wanted a tie with little teddy bears on it, said she wanted it for him but Sandy was sure he wouldn't like it so she had called to ask. Soon afterwards they had called about a gift for Garth and a gift for Garth's goats and could she adopt all the baby geese she had seen at
The Rancher's Heart 29. The Rancher's Heart
Exploring the town was something she had always had in the back of her mind to do, but, except for the bookshop she'd been to that other time, she had only been to the town market to get stuff, she hadn't done much of exploring. On account of her little cottage being so far away from town.So, when she had strolled out of her house today and saw that the afternoon sun was mild, she had gone back inside to get her tote bag and made the trek into town.At the moment, she was at a new pub, whose cutthroat-y name glued above the porch less door had given her the first impression that it was going to be lewd, or at least offensive to the feminine senses. But 'Gargly Broad' had turned out to be a mere hoax. The air conditioning that had enveloped her as she had stepped inside had first tugged away the little heat that still clung to her from the trek. Everything was all marble stones and glass. The semi-oval rose-white marble bar extended over the anterior part of the roundish room with g
The Rancher's Heart 28. I Like You a Lot
She had woken up late today. The white rays of the sun were already high in the sky, having swept away the last of dawn.A cup of hot coffee was just the thing to start her day, she thought as she blew on the scalding cup in one hand with her phone in the other hand. Especially after a night spent sleeping in fits and starts.Which made her wonder about the source of her sleeplessness. Everest wondered if he was up already and perhaps regretting yesterday night.A tentative sip of the hot coffee scalded her tongue, but it had worked to get rid of the weird speculations. Why would he regret kissing her? He was a grown man and of his own mind. And she had been made carnally aware that he had enjoyed it just as much as she had. The physical attraction between the two of them was potent enough. He had admitted to it himself and she had acknowledged it by reaching up to kiss him first. A wild move on her part, considering who and where they were, but one she had been glad she made, nevert
The Rancher's Heart 27. Spitball
Noodles again, Mentor grunted as he heaped hot forkfuls into two bowls. At this rate, the damned thing would be growing on their heads. Mrs Rosenthal usually made enough food to last the weekend on Fridays and stuck them in the freezer. For days when he didn't have the time or pizzazz to cook. Like today.But he had opened the freezer this morning and found it full of all of a suspicious-looking half-pineapple pizza and a pasta take-out. Mrs Rosenthal must have forgotten because why else wouldn't she have stocked the freezer?After setting the table, he went back upstairs to wake Queen up. She had slept like a baby all the way back to the house last night and hadn't even stirred when he brought her up to bed. He, on the other hand, hadn't been so lucky.Flipping on the bedroom light seemed to work, though. She blinked into the light like a startled deer and then started to yawn."Good morning, Daddy," she said in a sleepy voice. The girl made no move to sit up though.He manoeuvred a
The Rancher's Heart 26. He Was Done For
For Mentor, Sunday morning came sporting a semi-hard. Memories of the previous night's aborted passion came cascading over him like a waterfall. He sighed and sat up on the bed, the whispers of a smile on his lips.He wondered if the subject of his thoughts was up already and if she was thinking about him as well. About the previous night's racy adventure. And if, unlike him, she had slept well through the night.Thinking about her didn't help. His bulging erection had gone from semi-hard to solid wood. A cold shower was what he needed right now. He wasn't in much of a hurry to go to the ranch, since it was a weekend he wasn't expected at the ranch at all. He only usually popped in on Saturday or Sunday evenings once in a while.In the adjoining bathroom, he turned the shower on and was gratified at the biting cold water that drummed down his head. He rested one hand against the wall ahead of him, hung his head and stayed still as the frigid water ran over him. The water should subdue
The Rancher's Heart 25. After the First Kiss
The little girl skipped into the room, blissfully unaware of the sexual heat and tension that clogged the kitchen air. She bent to pick up the wretched goat and announced that she thought it wanted to do potty.The father sighed deeply and glared at the despicable animal. "Oh, now the damn bastard is housebroken?" he mumbled beneath his palm."Huh?" said the girl, tilting her head to stare at her dad with a frown. It was as though she had realized something was amiss about him and was trying to place her finger on it."Nothing, baby," he said, slowly turning away from the counter to ask for Everest's permission to use her yard.Everest nodded quickly before their eyes met, knowing she was going to find the same lust and hunger that still clouded hers in them.As the father-daughter duo went out the kitchen backdoor to the back deck, she adjusted her top, wincing as it brushed softly over her still-tingling breasts. Confusion lurked in her mind. She had shared lots of kisses over the y
The Rancher's Heart 24. First Kiss
Being at such a loss for words was something that rarely befell Mentor Gayle Calloway. To tell the truth, he couldn't remember ever being in such a sticky wicket before. He fervently racked his brain for an opening sentence as he followed her into the kitchen.It also didn't help that she was ghostly silent as he rinsed plates and passed them to her to go into the dishwasher. He had a strong feeling she knew she was being watched. He rolled his eyes internally. Yeah, Sherlock.When their fingers touched as he handed her the last plate and she jerked hers back, Mentor breathed a sigh. He waited for her to load up the plates then started."I think it's safe to say that this, um, attraction is mutual." He wiped his hands on a paper towel slowly, a bit nervous. He had never been one to succumb to a bout of jittery nerves, but this was turning out to be an exception. God help him, he wasn't very good at this. And he could feel her gaze turn to him as he spoke so he concentrated on dabbing
The Rancher's Heart 23. The Unannounced Visit
Everest sieved the chicken chops from the lemon marinade she had prepared earlier in the day and dumped them in the sizzling baste in the pan. Then she poured the cut mixture of veggies and sweet pepper from the chopping board into the bowl of broken eggs and tossed a moderate blob of butter and fresh, grated parmesan cheese into the mixture. With one hand she stirred the roasting meat in the pan and reached for the pink electronic whisk with the other."Girl, you're killing me. I can literally smell the food already."She smirked at Jinny's moan."Like you didn't just finish eating for America."Jinny puckered her lips and shut her eyes. She took a deep breath as though trying to bridge the digital space between them to the food. "But I'm still so hungry," she complained."Again, babe?" Jinny's boyfriend and father of her baby said as his muscular arm crossed the camera. "We still got gelato in the fridge.""No, I want Evie's cooking. Babe, she's making fancy frittata again," the preg
