His Ranch, His Rules Read online

  I grabbed the stack of magazines and threw them in the trash. There sat my pink and purple vibrator. Lovingly placing it into the interior zippered pocket, I pulled the zipper shut, tucking my dear friend safely out of sight. That drawer was empty. Time for the bottom drawer.

  I pulled at the handle, revealing brightly colored boxes of tampons and pads that had gone unused that month. From all the stress of losing my job at the Vet and Pet Spa, I hadn’t gotten my period yet. I threw them all into my bag, box after box. My hand swiped at the drawer to be sure I had gotten everything. There was a clanking sound and I bent down to investigate. In the back of the drawer were five forgotten airplane-size bottles of liquor I had hidden ages ago after one of my benders that had led to Regina telling me off.

  My hand shot away as if I had touched something hot. Craving welled in my belly, saliva pooling in my mouth. The sight of the brown whiskey in those little black-labeled bottles was making me feel lightheaded.

  There was a soft knock at the door.

  “Hang on,” I called, my stomach tightening in knots. Finding one of the emptier tampon boxes in the duffle, I threw the bottles into the box. They landed with a clank. I tucked the cardboard tab into the top flap of the box, throwing it into the duffle and pulling the zipper, hard. In my haste, it went off the tracks. I tugged harder, and the zipper popped off in my fingers, the bag only halfway closed. “Damn it!” I murmured.

  “Come in,” I called. My hands were shaking but I didn’t know if it was a product of the liquor I had discovered, or the fact that I was going to face her as my roommate for the last time. This was where Regina and I would say our goodbyes. It was kind of her to wake up so early.

  “Hello.” She peered around the frame of the opened door. Her wide eyes took in the almost empty room. “That was fast,” she said as she tiptoed into the room. Hovering by the bed and looking uncomfortable, she tried to smile at me.

  Seeing my best friend of so many years acting as if she was standing before a stranger broke my heart.

  I burst out into big, ugly sobs that racked my whole body, collapsing onto the bed with a thump.

  “Gina.” My nickname for my best friend came naturally to me. “I’m so sorry!” I wailed. “About everything I’ve put you through. You were nothing but a good friend to me and I took advantage of that. Letting my breakup turn into a crazy drinking binge and you left to bear the brunt. I am so, so sorry. Can you forgive me?” I sobbed.

  Tears sprang into my friend’s eyes as she sat down next to me on the bed, wrapping her arms around me.

  “Oh, Georgia, I’m sorry too. I felt so bad about kicking you out, but I didn’t know what else to do—”

  “No, no. It was my fault,” I sniffled, wiping my nose on the end of my towel. “I gave you no other choice. Besides, I haven’t had a drink since that night. It was a real wakeup call. I’m glad you did what you did.”

  “Not a single drink?” she asked with a hopeful lilt in her voice.

  “Not one.” The little airplane bottles in my bag danced in my mind.

  We sat quietly for a moment, collecting ourselves. A strange mixture of hope and regret gnawed at my insides.

  The silence became weird. “So, ranch life, huh?” Regina finally asked me.

  “Yeah, I guess so. It will be interesting to say the least.”

  “And Ted is picking you up in a few minutes? It’s all so sudden.”

  “I know. I just finished packing. He should be here any second.” The silence spread between us, neither of us knowing what to say. I longed for things to be like they used to between me and Gina.

  Maye that is why I blurted out, “You want to hear a secret?”

  Her eyes glittered. She always loved to catch wind of a juicy bit of gossip.

  “Ted said his cousins are…” I wiggled my eyebrows, “spanking men.”

  Her brow furrowed. “You mean like, sex stuff?”

  “Yes. I guess. If not sex stuff maybe just a crazy inbred habit they have.”

  The sparkle returned, Gina putting her hand delicately to her mouth, covering a giggle. “I think I have heard a rumor about that… but I had no idea it was all four of them?”

  “From what Ted said, yes. Let me see if I can remember all the names of the spanko brothers. Brody—he runs the ranch—Travis, Hayes, and Colton.”

  “Mmm, mmm, mmm, spanking cowboys. Sounds hot. I might need to find myself a job on the ranch. Surely all those cowboys need a good nurse.”

  “Are you into that kind of thing?” I asked shyly. I would never confess my own sudden interest in the lifestyle.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never met a man like that. But… I do have the entire Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy hidden away in the back of my bookcase. Right behind my Gillian Flynn collection.”

  “Really?” I laughed, secretly relieved I wasn’t the only one with kinky fantasies.

  “Really. I would love to have Christian Grey as my boss. Wouldn’t you?”

  I’d heard of the storyline—just like every other woman on the planet—but I hadn’t read the books. “I haven’t read the books,” I admitted, too shy to add that I had found some sexy internet reading of my own.

  “Speaking of bosses, what did you tell Schnitzel’s?”

  “I told them how grateful I was for the job but that I had found work in my field, then I apologized profusely for the short notice. But Ted said Brody needed someone this week, so it was now or never. They were sad to see me go but understood. The owner’s daughter is Darlene’s new tech—that’s how I found the job in the first place. And as a bonus, they let me keep the uniform.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Well, at least you have that hot to trot Halloween costume. You can pull a lot of guys wearing that booby top and lederhosen.”

  “You can have it. It would look better on you anyway—the green and gold with your red hair. I have no need for pulling guys. I’m done with dating.”

  “Well, overall, it’s going to be quite the adventure. But maybe that’s just what you need right now. To get over…” Her words trailed off, her gaze leaving mine. The hot-guy-turned-jerk-boyfriend elephant in the room sat between us.

  “Him?”

  “Yes—he who shall not be named,” Regina laughed. It felt so good to have this moment—us sitting on my bed again, chatting and laughing like the old times.

  “I’m going to see you at the wedding, right?” I asked.

  “Of course. Only three months left. I love fall weddings. Ted and Kaley are literally the cutest couple ever. I can’t wait.”

  “Tell me about it. Hanging out with them made me twice as lovesick. Kaley is a great girl. And lucky for me she doesn’t have a jealous bone in her body. Some of Ted’s other girlfriends weren’t too happy when Ted finally told them the ‘G’ that they heard so much about was a Georgia—not a George.”

  “I know. Remember that one—what was her name?”

  “Penelope. She kept texting me, hands off my man. I wonder if she’ll be at the wedding?”

  “I think you’re they only one with an ex at the wedding. Too bad you met Jake through Ted.” Gina clapped her hands, bouncing up and down on the bed. “But, oooh—and I’ll get to meet all of those delicious cowboy brothers at the wedding, right? They are Ted’s cousins after all.”

  “True. They should all be going.”

  “Yummy,” she said, licking her lips. “Hey—how are you getting to the wedding? You won’t have a car. Oh, my gosh—you are going to be arriving with four cowboys as your date. Jake is going to be so jealous.”

  The question tumbled from my lips, “Gina, are you sure Jake will be at the wedding?”

  Regina looked sorry for me. “Most likely. He and Ted are still on that rec league together. If he is, at least you’ll have your new coworkers to distract you.”

  When the ranch job had become unavailable the first time, I had taken to fantasizing about meeting Brody at the wedding. Maybe getting up to some naughty shenanigans around
him and his brothers… just to see how they would react. But the thought that I might see Jake at the wedding always crushed my fantasies, leaving me an anxious mess. I hadn’t the guts to ask Ted if Jake had RSVPed yet.

  And how would I get from Wyoming to Boise for the downtown hotel wedding? It hadn’t crossed my mind yet, I’d been so overwhelmed by packing. Would they let me tag along? Or would I be flying on my own? And if so, who would take me to the airport? Maybe Brody would let me borrow a horse. My anxious thoughts were interrupted by a honking out front.

  I stood up. “Ted’s here. I have to go.”

  Regina stood, smoothing her skirt. A sadness washed over her face as she looked around the room, my belongings packed. “Let me help you carry this stuff to the car.”

  I grabbed her into my arms, squeezing her into a big hug. “Thanks again, Gina. For everything.”

  “This is going to be a good move for you, Georgia. I can feel it. And save one of those cowboys for me.”

  * * *

  Ted and I had decided to make a little road trip out of the drop-off. We would drive seven of the eight hours, stopping and spending the evening at the closest city by the ranch. After a night in a hotel—separate rooms of course—the next day we were going to spend the day in the Grand Teton National Forest, ‘breaking me into nature,’ as Ted put it.

  We would then get to CLAS just in time for dinner. Ted was planning on leaving after dinner, driving halfway, grabbing a hotel, then being home by lunch on the third day.

  Ted and I talked nonstop the whole ride—that’s how it had always been between us. The time flew by, easing the nervous butterflies in my tummy.

  As we pulled into the hotel parking lot, there was strange squeal coming from under the hood of Ted’s car. “Darn drive belt,” he said, as the car slowly stopped on its own. “It’s been squealing for months, but never like this. I’ve been so busy with wedding stuff I never took it in.” He gave me an apologetic glance. “Sorry, G, looks like I’ve got to get her towed to the shop. Hopefully this won’t put too big a crimp in our plans.”

  We got settled into the hotel and Ted went off to find a shop to fix the Volkswagen. I fell face down onto the hotel bed and was only woken up by the phone on the nightstand ringing in the morning.

  “Hello?” I whispered into the phone, picking at the lumpy mascara on my lashes. I must have been completely drained to fall asleep like that.

  “Hey, G. Rise and shine!”

  “How’s the car?”

  “Looks like the Grand Tetons are out. We can just hang around and explore the city together while they work on the car. It was the drive belt, like I suspected.”

  “Can they fix it today?”

  “Yes, but we might not be getting out of here till later than we planned. How about some breakfast?”

  “Sure, I’m starving.” The grumbling in my stomach reminded me that my last meal had been the breakfast smoothie I’d had yesterday.

  “Meet me in the lobby.”

  “Alright. See you.”

  “Bye.”

  The day was spent hanging around the city, mostly eating and checking Ted’s phone for calls from the auto shop. I was really starting to get worried when the sun had set, we’d eaten dinner, and still we hadn’t heard from them. Finally, at eight o’clock, the phone rang.

  We walked over to get Ted’s car, then hightailed it to make the final hour trip to the ranch.

  I grew quiet as we rode, the reality of my choices setting in.

  Reading my silence, Ted’s eyes cut to me. “You okay, G?”

  I nodded.

  Ted spoke softly. “You’re going to do great, kiddo.”

  I looked down at my hands, my fingers intertwined and worrying back and forth. When I spoke, my voice was scarcely a whisper, but Ted heard me. “What if I don’t? What if I mess up?”

  “You interned on Maggie’s farm every summer, G. And you did fantastic work. To this day, Maggie still raves about you and swears she would hire you if she could afford to. A ranch can’t be much different than a farm.” He patted my leg reassuringly. “I wouldn’t have recommended Brody to you if you weren’t the best at what you do.”

  His green eyes flashed teasingly. Smiling, he said his old familiar phrase, “Come on, Georgia State—give me some sunshine,” reaching out and squeezing my knee in the way he knew I hated and was sure to get me laughing and begging him to stop.

  “Georgia is not the sunshine state, it’s the peach state,” I gasped. “Ugh, Ted, stop it. You know I hate being tickled. I’m going to pee my pants right here on your precious leather seats if you don’t stop. I’ll do it, I swear.”

  Instantly, his hand drew back, both of us laughing. “That’s all I wanted, G. Just to see you smile.”

  It was almost enough to melt the ball of ice that had formed in my stomach. Almost.

  * * *

  The sun had set before we hit the road, and now the inky sky was dotted with thousands of stars.

  The headlights shown on a blue and white sign. Clean Living and Sunshine—ten miles on the right. Prickles of heat dotted the back of my neck and my face. Knots cramped my stomach. The gravel road appeared on the right. Ted turned the car driving us underneath a large sign declaring Welcome to CLAS Ranch. We bumped down the long drive until we came to a gravel parking lot. One street light stood tall, a dim yellow light illuminating a few other sedans that were parked there. Ted pulled his car into an empty spot. All I could see other than the sky were a few dim lights from scattered buildings.

  We got out of the Volkswagen. “It’s so dark out here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many stars,” I breathed reverently.

  Shutting his door, Ted came around to my side. “You realize there is a lot more to nature when you get far enough away from all those city lights.” Leaning up against the car, he stood next to me, crossing his arms over his chest. “I used to spend my summers up here when I was a kid—before the high school swim team took up all of my free time. It’s a special place. Kind of like time forgot it—in more way than one.” He elbowed me with a chuckle, making me grateful for the darkness that hid the blush creeping into my cheeks.

  “Why is everything so far away from the parking lot?” I asked, following him to his trunk. Leaning over the now opened trunk, I heaved the duffle with the broken zipper up onto my shoulder.

  “The answer to that question is probably the answer to every question you might have about the ranch—Brody’s rule. Only work vehicles allowed on the property. Helps set the atmosphere for visitors. He’d make them leave their cell phones in their car, too, if he could figure out a way to.”

  “How are we going to get all my stuff up to the women’s bunkhouse?”

  Looking down at his phone, Ted was typing away, the glow of the screen casting a blue shadow on his face. “I’ve got my ways.”

  We stacked the items from the trunk—there wasn’t much, just the duffle, two laundry baskets, and a small TV—next to the tires of his car. Headlights shone over us and there was crunching of gravel. A truck was headed in our direction.

  The truck stopped a few feet from us and the door swung open. A handsome man who looked like he was in his early twenties, a black Stetson hat tipped on his head, slid out of the truck, his boots kicking up dust beneath him. He had one of those smiles on his face that told you this was a guy who smiled a lot—and it was contagious.

  “Well, howdy, y’all. Ted, long time no see, cuz.”

  “Colton! Good to see you, bro.” Ted pulled Colton into a big hug, slapping him on the back as he did. “Colt, meet my dear friend, Georgia. Georgia, this is Colton, the youngest of the Jenkins brood.”

  I was shocked as Colton turned to me with his big grin and swept me up into a great bear hug, my feet dangling. “Oomph!” He placed me back down onto my feet.

  “Any friend of Ted’s is a friend of mine. Welcome to CLAS. Prepare to be schooled,” he said with a hearty laugh, giving my back a slap.

  “Um, ha, ha
,” I laughed nervously, my knees turning to jelly.

  “Just joshing ya. Let me help you get your stuff up to the bunkhouse.” Colton looked over my meager pile of belongings. “Is this all you got? You know Boss Man requires at least a one-year commitment, right?”

  Clearing my throat nervously, I answered, “Yes. This is all of it. My roommate kept most of the furniture,” I lied, “since I wouldn’t be needing it on the ranch.”

  “G here is a minimalist,” Ted said, shooting me a reassuring look.

  “Suit yourself. Less stuff for us to carry, I reckon,” Colton said with his big grin.

  “I reckon so,” I mumbled, following Ted’s lead and hefting my duffle into the bed of the truck. As I did, the side of the duffle slammed into the frame. The quiet night sky was gradually filled with a gentle humming noise. My brow furrowed as I thought about what could be making the sound.

  The answer hit me in my gut. I froze. It was the Jackrabbit 2000. I must have hit the on switch when I plowed the bag into the side of the truck bed!

  My life was over. I was either going to die of embarrassment or die from being eaten by wild coyotes because if either Ted or Colton heard the humming and discovered where it was coming from, I was running off into the dark Wyoming night.

  “You okay?” Ted asked, looking at me curiously. Had he not heard it? Oh, my God—I could breathe again—neither he nor Colton had noticed the noise yet. I coughed loudly, trying to cover up the sound, choking out the words, “The dust—I think it got into my lungs,” between hacks.

  Loading the last laundry basket into the car, Colton gave me a curious stare. “Let’s get her into the truck,” he said, hopping into the driver’s side while I kept up my false charade. Coughing, I squeezed into the center of the bench seat, Ted climbed into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut. I stopped coughing just long enough to see if the vibrations could be heard in the cab of the truck.

  No quiet hum. Sneaking a glance to my right, I tried to read Ted’s face to see if he had any suspicions that I had snuck my giant vibrator into my bag to take with me to the ranch. The serene look on his face told me he had no idea. I was miraculously cured.