Right Here Waiting Read online

  With the economic hardships this nation has faced, your parents were forced to either close the ranch and sell it, or turn it into a guest ranch. Lucky for all of us who work here they chose the latter.”

  In the last few letters she received from home, not once did her parents mention to her about converting the place into a guest ranch. She could see why her parents made the choice they did though.

  Her parents put their all into this ranch. They worked hard to get it built up to what it was today. “They hired on all these extra staff workers, but not an activities director?”

  “Oh, they hired one.”

  “Where is he or she right now?”

  “She quit and walked off the job two days ago.”

  “Why did she quit?”

  “She claimed she couldn’t work with a man like Blade.”

  Her heart went out to the girl. She didn’t know how she was going to work with a man like Blade. She only knew she needed to. “Isn’t anything being done to find a new one?”

  “The office has an ad running in the Boise newspaper, but so far nothing has come of it.”

  So now she was stuck with the job. She could only hope for a miracle. She might be able to pull together a couple of activities, but no more. As much as she hated to admit it, she would probably have to have Blade help her just to pull it off.

  * * *

  Dinner on the ranch was served at precisely seven in the evening. Blade would be eating in the house with her and Martha. The rest of the staff ate their dinner in the dining hall with the guests. She now understood why Martha needed an assistant cook.

  She saw Blade come in about forty minutes ago. He’d gone upstairs to shower and change into some clean clothes which he kept in the bedroom he slept in. He would always be like a member of the family. She couldn’t explain why, but when she saw Blade her heart beat a little faster and it was almost as if she were happy to see him.

  Don’t be a fool, she scolded herself. He already hurt her once, but now she was older, she would not allow herself to be entertained with childish fantasies. He wouldn’t be any more interested in her today than he was back then. He probably still viewed her as just a child.

  Supper consisted of roast beef, baby potatoes, green beans, and a salad. Over all it was delicious. She couldn’t recall the last time she had eaten a home cooked meal.

  It would have been before she left the ranch. Her life in New York City was so rushed there was no time to cook. Her meals centered around take out from the deli around the corner and food delivered in, rather it be at her penthouse apartment or her spacious office at work.

  “This is delicious, Martha,” she commented.

  Blade only nodded his agreement. He hadn’t said one word to her since he sat down at the supper table. She wondered if he still planned on helping her get settled into her cabin, which would be her home for the next year of her life.

  The thought made her shudder. As much as she loved being here and seeing Martha again, she longed to be back in her apartment in the city that never sleeps.

  It took some time to adjust to city life, but before she knew it, she was making friends and hanging out with the locals.

  Of course she made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, but she learned from them quickly. Being alone in New York City at such a young age helped her grow and mature into the woman she was today. She was a successful, career oriented woman.

  “Thank you dear for your kind words,” Martha said, folding her napkin in her lap. “But as you know, I can’t take all the credit. At least half, if not more goes to Allison.”

  Allison was Martha’s assistant cook. She met Allison when the young girl came up to the main house to help Martha prepare supper. She seemed like a very nice girl and appeared to be shy.

  When Martha brought out the decadent chocolate cake for dessert, she knew she needed to show some willpower, especially after eating all those peanut butter cookies earlier. She declined dessert apologizing as she patted her stomach, and asked to be excused from the table.

  Blade looked up at her. The way he was looking at her, it was as if he could see into her very soul. She froze, not knowing what to say. Was something wrong?

  “Meet me in the living room in twenty minutes so we can get started,” he said after a long, awkward moment of silence.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. After assuring him she would, she escaped to the comfort and safety of her childhood bedroom. It was converted into her mother’s sewing room after she left home. How was she ever going to be able to work comfortably alongside this man when she despised him so much over the years?

  She glanced in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, but it would have to wait until she could find her hairbrush. A shopping trip is in order, she thought as she dug through the only suitcase she brought with her. It was filled with designer clothing, none of which was suitable for ranch work. At last she found her hairbrush at the very bottom.

  She pulled out the pins holding her hair up, which begun to slip throughout the course of the day, leaving her hair in disarray. Her long, brunet colored hair spilled down across her shoulders.

  She began piling her hair up on top of her head in a French twist same as she styled it that morning before leaving the hotel she spent the night in, but she changed her mind and let it fall back down. She fished out a hairband from her suitcase, and when she found it, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail instead as she always did when she was a teenager. Much more suitable for ranch life, she thought as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. If only she could say the same for her clothes.

  She wore a light gray designer business skirt, matching jacket and a white silk button up blouse. What looked good on her back in New York City, now looked out of place here in Idaho. But what could she do? She would have to wait until she could go shopping for more comfortable ranch attire.

  Twenty minutes later as she told Blade she would be, she stood downstairs in the living room with her suitcase waiting for him. Before she turned to look, she knew he entered the room. She could feel his powerful presence all around her.

  “I’ll take that for you,” he said, reaching for her suitcase.

  “You don’t have to. I can carry it myself.” She hated the idea of him helping her with anything. She wanted to prove to him and everyone else around here she was still capable of pulling her own weight. Living in the big city all these years hadn’t turned her into some helpless woman who couldn’t take care of herself.

  “I insist.” He smiled and made another attempt to take it from her.

  Reluctantly she handed it over to him. When she did, he asked, “is this all you brought with you?” He arched one eyebrow, seeming genuinely surprised.

  “I thought it was all I was going to need. I planned on only staying long enough to sell this place and put the past behind me.”

  “Oh yeah – you didn’t realize you would be stuck here on the ranch for a whole year.” The way he said it made her feel guilty.

  “No I didn’t,” she said, swallowing the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. “I need to drive into Boise tomorrow to buy some new clothes. Clothing that will be much more comfortable and suitable for life here in Hidden Oaks.”

  “Not in your car, you won’t be,” he stated matter of factually.

  What did he mean? Did he think her parents’ will gave him the right to boss her around? She’d drive her car anywhere she felt like it and whenever she pleased rather he liked it or not. “Excuse me. Who do you think you are to tell me I can’t drive my own car tomorrow? You aren’t my boss and you sure as hell aren’t my father, so don’t be trying to take his place now that he’s gone. I may be stuck here with you, as you so elegantly put it, but you’re not and never will be my keeper.”

  “I took a look at it before dinner,” he said calmly. “Your transmission is going out in it and it needs to be replaced before you can drive it anywhere. I think we can spare one of the men for a couple of hours in the morn
ing while he drives your car into Boise to the shop to be fixed. I can take you there in my truck so you can do some shopping and he can ride back home with us.”

  Anger boiled up inside her. She took a couple of deep breaths before she spoke, but it didn’t do much good. She still felt her temper flaring up. Blade affected her this way whenever she was around him since that day in the barn. “Did I ask you to take a look at my car?” How was she ever going to be able to survive her time here on the ranch? To make matters worse, as mad as she was at Blade, she still felt the strongest desire stirring inside to kiss him. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

  “No you didn’t. Martha did. She must have thought she was doing you a favor you would appreciate. She still cares about you as much as she always has. She devoted her entire life to caring for you. She always thought the world of you, even after you ran off to get away from all of us and your life here on the ranch.”

  “Oh – “She didn’t know what else to say. She knew he was right and it didn’t make things any better. In fact, she felt worse than she already did. How could she make it up to Martha? Martha not once complained about her leaving and she never thought about how much her departure affected the older woman, but apparently it caused the woman strife.

  “Follow me,” he said curtly when she remained silent. He began walking towards the door. She normally didn’t take orders from anyone, especially from a man as arrogant as Blade, but she followed him anyway.

  As they stepped outside, she inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the cool evening air. She was assaulted with a strong scent of hay and straw. It smelled better than all the exhaust fumes she breathed on a daily basis back home.

  They walked along the stone path which wasn’t there before she left. A melancholy feeling washed over her. Her parents were gone, and nothing of her childhood home looked the same.

  “The old saying, you can never go home again, it must be true,” she said in a soft voice, breaking the silence between them.

  Blade stopped walking and turned to face her. He set her suitcase down beside him. “What do you mean? You’re here now, and if I had my way, you’d stay here forever.”

  “You’re right, but nothing looks familiar to me. It doesn’t feel the same.” What had she been expecting? She should have known things would be different, but in her mind’s eye, she saw the ranch as it always was when she was younger. The reality of the situation with all the changes overwhelmed her.

  “Why did you leave?” he asked, startling her out of her thoughts.

  She was at a loss for words. It was one question she hoped she would never have to answer, especially to him. Should she tell him how much he hurt her in the past? Deep in thought, she bit her lip, nearly drawing blood. What should she say?

  “Well – “ he prompted her for an answer. He wasn’t letting her off the hook. He never did.

  She cleared her throat. “I think we both know why I left. There’s no need for me to elaborate.” Why was it so hard for her to tell him the truth?

  “No, you’re wrong. I don’t know why you felt the need to leave the only home you ever knew. Please tell me? Help me to understand why you left.”

  He was going to make her tell him. She felt trapped. She breathed in deeply before she spoke. “Do you remember the day in the barn when you yelled at me?”

  “Yes.” He winced and she knew he remembered the day as clearly as she did. The day played over and over in her head since the moment it happened. “Why did you have to bring it up?” He sounded as if he regretted his actions in the past, but did he really?

  “Because your rejection and your words cut deeper than you will ever know.” She turned and looked away from him so he wouldn’t see the tears now running down her cheeks.

  “Look at me,” he demanded as he took her by the shoulders and forced her to turn around and face him. “Do you think I purposely set out to hurt you?”

  “I don’t know, you tell me. If so, you did one hell of a damn job of it.” She studied the expression on his face; searching for clues that would tell her if he was being honest with her or not at the moment, but found none.

  “Why don’t I just show you what I wanted to do to you back then, but could not?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Her words were cut off as his lips came down hard and claimed hers. Every nerve in her body came to life and all time and space seemed to come to a standstill. It was just her and Blade. Was she dreaming? No, this was real and she was fully awake. This should not be happening, her mind was shouting through the foggy state she was in, but it was. She knew she should stop it, but she lingered in the sensations coursing through her veins. She was like a drug addict. The longer the kiss lasted, the more of Blade she craved. As her senses took over her actions once again, she pushed and fought free from him.

  “Why in the hell did you kiss me?” she demanded. She felt anger rare up from within her, but it wasn’t entirely at him. She was upset with herself. She wasn’t quite sure why. All she knew was she felt like lashing out at someone. It might as well be Blade.

  “Because I wanted to. Don’t bother telling me you didn’t want me to kiss you because I won’t believe you. You wanted it just as much as I did. I felt how your body responded as I held you in my arms and kissed you.”

  “You’re so full of yourself and so arrogant,” she shouted, stomping the ground in frustration.

  “Why can’t you just admit you feel the same way I do?” he challenged.

  “It would be a lie. I hate you. Besides, all you feel for me is lust.” As she said the words, she knew they weren’t true, but she couldn’t help it. She allowed herself to look up at him and she instantly regretted it.

  Anger flashed in his eyes, just as it did a long time ago on that day in the barn. She braced herself for the blow she could feel coming, but to her surprise it never did. Instead he turned, picked up her suitcase and started walking again.

  A part of her wished he would have shouted something. She hated the silence between them. It was worse than if he did explode in anger.

  In the distance ahead she could see the cabins dotting the east pasture. As soon as they reached the first row of cabins, a door flew open.

  A blond headed woman came running out and latched herself onto Blade. “I missed you today,” she cooed as she traced a red painted fingernail back and forth along his jawline. “When are you planning to take me out again?”

  “I’m sure it will be soon,” was Blade’s response.

  So that’s was how it was. He kissed her while he had this other woman under his spell. She wondered how many other women were on his list of conquests. If he thought he could add her to the list of women he already added, he was sadly mistaken.

  She waited until the blond girl went back inside her cabin before she spoke. “Will you please show me to my new home? I’m very tired.”

  Without answering her question he started walking again. When he reached the cabin she would be calling home for the next year or so, he fished in his pocket for the key. When he got the door open, he carried her suitcase inside and set it down. With a tip of his cowboy hat in parting, he was gone.

  She looked around the quaint little cabin. She could fit the entire place inside her penthouse apartment back in New York and still have plenty of living space leftover. The cabin was rustic with a homey feel to it.

  She let out a long sigh and was getting ready to pick up her suitcase when she heard a knock at the door. She hoped whoever was there would go away soon. She was not in the mood for visitors.

  By the time she reached what she thought was the bedroom door, the knock grew louder and more persistent. Whoever was on the other side was determined for her to open it for them.

  Maybe it’s one of the guests, she thought. Maybe someone witnessed her arrival and come to welcome her to the ranch. I can always fake a headache, she thought with a small smile as she made her way over to the door and opened it.

  CH
APTER THREE

  The person on the other side of the door turned out to be Blade. He was the last person she wanted to see. After an awkward moment of silence, he finally spoke. “I’m not going to apologize for the kiss we shared tonight, but I do promise to try not to lay a finger on you if you let me help you get settled in.”

  She backed away in a silent invitation for him to come inside. He took it without saying a word. When he was inside the cabin and the door was closed behind him, she began to wonder if she made the right decision inviting him in like this.

  The cabin seemed much smaller with him in it. Every nerve in her body began to tingle with awareness of his presence. Her throat suddenly felt very dry, as if she’d been walking through the Sahara Dessert with a mouthful of cotton. She did her best to find her voice, but it didn’t seem to want to come. Finely, after clearing her throat, she said, “You really don’t have to help me if you don’t want to. I can manage the task on my own.”

  “No, it’s alright. I want to help you.” His voice came out sounding huskier than usual. She wondered if he knew it. She certainly picked up on it.

  She felt a strong desire to pull him into her arms, and not just kiss him, but to have her way with him as well. She fought it. The last thing she wanted was to end up one of those women on his list, and later discarded when he got tired of her.

  She walked over and picked up her suitcase. She went over and laced her fingers around what she thought was the doorway to the bedroom.

  “It’s just a closet, the bedroom’s this way,” he said as he crossed the floor to another door on the other side of the room.

  She followed him with her suitcase. When she entered behind him, and spotted the large queen-sized bed, she knew she must be crazy. She had to be to even go within five feet of a bed with him.

  Just as well, she walked over to the bed and hoisted her suitcase up on it before she opened it. “Turn around and look the other way,” she ordered.

  “What in heaven’s name for?” He sounded irritated and put off by her request.

  “Just do it.” She felt a little embarrassed.