SECOND CHANCES AT MG RANCH (3 page)

She had a lot of living to do and she sure didn’t need some smarty pants cowboy complicating things along the way, even if he was the sexiest cowboy she had ever laid eyes on.

She shoved the pillow down over her head with a loud groan, trying to smother out the rampant thoughts threatening to take over her mind and body.  A while later she finally drifted off into a quite peaceful slumber.

Chapter 3

Loren had been tossing and turning
for what seemed like ages.  She covered her head with the feather pillow that she had been snuggled up to, but it would not drown out the loud grinding noise that was coming from outside.

What could
that crazy man be doing to make such a racket at seven in the morning?  Loren had never been an early riser, if it could be prevented.  And she had never really understood why some people thought it necessary to get up with the
chickens
, so to speak.

After what seemed like forever, she had come to the conclusion that Sam was not going to stop whatever he was doing
that was making that god awful noise. She pushed back the covers with a little more force than needed and leapt from the bed.

Throwing on her clothes in a rush; she was quickly dressed and heading down the stairs at a faster than normal pace.
  If she was lucky, she wouldn’t fall and break her neck.

Within minutes she had made her way into the kitchen.  It was rather small.  A bar separated the kitchen from the dining area.

Loren wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, but she did like her caffeine. She opened up the fridge expecting to at least find a soda, but instead she found a few cold beers and not much of anything else.

“Typical man,” she muttered, on her way out the back door.

The barn smelled of horses and hay. It was a smell that always brought her comfort. The barn was of good size, with four stalls, a tack room, feed room and a washbasin for bathing the horses, a workshop, and the small living quarters that Sam now occupied due to her arrival at the ranch.

T
he grinding noise sounded like it was coming from the workshop at the far end of the barn, so she pointed herself in that direction, mentally preparing her mind for the confrontation that was sure to come.

“Good morning, Dakota,” Loren said, as she paused at his stall door and caressed his nose before proceeding to the workshop.
  The horse responded by nuzzling her hand, hoping to find a special treat.

A
pples had always been his favorite.  Loren scolded her own actions for not bringing one, but then she remembered that there had not been one at the house to bring.

Just as she turned to continue her trek towards the workshop, the grinding noise had stopped.
  Sam had exited the workshop and was walking towards her, looking just as handsome today as he had the day before.  Even though he seemed a little arrogant, there was something that she liked about him.  She just couldn’t put her finger on it yet.

“Good morning, Miss Randolph.”
He stopped about an arm’s length from her.

“Good morning, Sam.
  I can call you Sam, can’t I? And please call me Loren.  I’m not really one for all that formal talk anyway,” she rattled on, not even pausing to take a breath in between each sentence.

“Yes, of course.
  Did you sleep well?” he asked.

He could not seem to get last night’s image of her out of his mind. He had not slept well, but he didn’t want her to know that or he might have to explain why.
  Sam wasn’t even sure that he could explain it to himself.

“Yes, I did and thank you for a
sking,” he lied.

She had slept well after she had finally stopped day-dreaming about him.
  That was information best kept to one’s own self.

“Did you find everything to your liking up at the house?”

“Pretty much, but do you think we could do something about food and drink around here.  Surely you don’t expect me to live on beer alone,” Loren answered him, with a sassy smile.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking a little embarrassed.
  “I don’t cook much, so there has never been much need for groceries.  I was thinking that we could ride into town later today to pick up a few things, if you can make do until then.”

“I
’m sure I can manage,” Loren replied, turning back to her horse to give him another quick rub on the nose.

Not really knowing what else to say, they both stood in silence for a moment.
  It was very unusual for Loren to be at a loss for words, even with a mere stranger.

It reminded her of when all her school friends used to tease her, saying that she would talk to a brick wall, if it would talk back.
  She couldn’t help that she liked to talk.  She actually viewed it as special talent. So what was wrong with her now?  Why was her mind suddenly a blank?  It was like the word part of her brain had totally shut down with no warning.

Sam shuffled his feet in the dirt that served as the barn floor
.  “I thought we could start the day off with a morning ride.”  He paused before speaking again as if he were waiting for her reaction.  “Of course that is if you are up to it after being out so late yesterday.”

How did he know how late she had been out, since he hadn’t returned until late himself?  “I am always up to riding,” she said turning back to face him.

He seemed to be soaking her up with eyes.  They mirrored the color of the deep blue ocean this morning.

“There is nothing better than starting my day with my horse,” she added, tearing her gaze away from his.
  She felt like she was going to get lost in them if she didn’t break eye contact with him immediately.

Sam could think of a few things that would be better.
  Like making love to her first thing in the morning.  Now, that would make for a good day.

He had started his day with an early morning ride for as long as he could remember and it would probably never be any different as long as he was able
to do so.

“Well, let’s get going then,
” he said.  “I have already fed them some oats, so all we need to do is get them saddled.  Are you ready?”

“Sure, let’s go,” she answered.
  “Do you want to race to see which of us can saddle our horse the fastest?”

“Okay, but I will give you a head start,” he said with a chuckle, feeling very much like a kid
again.  He hadn’t laughed very much in a long time and it actually felt good.

He very rarely
even saw anyone, other than when he took the necessary trips into town, and he didn’t do any entertaining at the ranch.  He hadn’t even dated in years. Actually he hadn’t even been on what he would consider a real date since Stephanie had left town.

Sam spent most of his time trying to avoid people, rather than making friends.
  He liked his solitude, so having Loren around was going to throw a kink into things.

Hopefully, after a few days she would do her own thing and he could go back to doing his, which included riding his horse, taking care of the ranch in general, and making log furniture in his spare time and just plain being alone.

Hopefully they wouldn’t even see each other very much, except maybe in passing and that would probably be best since he kept having unwanted romantic thoughts about her.

“I don’t need a head start because I have been saddling my own horse for years now and could probably do it with my eyes closed,” Loren said with a smug look.

Why did men always think they could saddle a horse better and faster than a woman could?  Well, she would show him, or at least she hoped that she would.

Sam looked at her with one of those heart-stopping smiles, which he seemed to carry around in his pocket, ready for the using.
  “Go!” he said.

On Loren’s way to the tack room, out of the corner of her eye, she just happen to get a glimpse of Sam’s saddle sitting on the
barn floor beside his horses stall, with the saddle blanket thrown over it. The bridle was hanging on a hook beside it.

“Wait a minute that is
totally not fair.”

“What’s not fair about it?”
he asked.  “You said that you didn’t need a head start.”

“I didn’t realize that you already had your horse gear out and ready either,” she commented.

“You are the one, who jumped into,
want to race
, without assessing the situation first,” he said, smiling.

Ooh, how she would like to slap that silly grin off his face as he stood there looking at her like he had just won the Kentucky Derby or something.

Stomping off, Loren went to retrieve her horse tack.  He sure did get under her skin for some reason, and she had not one clue why.  She had thought that him hanging around the ranch might be kind of fun, like a harmless adventure, but now she wasn’t so sure.  It might even turn out to be the most miserable few months of her life, so maybe she would just have to figure out a way to get back at him. Maybe even find a way to make him just as miserable as he made her.

Loren had no idea how miserable she made Sam feel already.
  Just the way she looked at him with those innocent blue eyes and the way that her long blonde mane flowed down her back.  He would love to run the silky strands through his calloused hands.  And oh, lord!  The way she moistened her lips out of habit.

Innocence flow
ed all around her, just as it had last night. He doubted that she had ever even been with a man, and he wasn’t going to be the one to steal that sweet, sweet innocence.  It just wouldn’t be right.

If his guess was correct, Loren
had no idea of the effect that she was having on him.  And he had to keep it that way, before he did something stupid, like roughly take her in his arms and taste those sweet lips of honey.

He had to stop thinking of her
in this way.  She sure was a sassy little thing, and it just stirred his attraction to her even more.

Loren had her horse saddled in record time, even though he had gotten the jump on her.
  He quickly realized that she was no rookie when it came to horses.  Just maybe she would prove to be a challenge after all.  He just had to be careful, so that no one got hurt.

Leading the horses out of the barn, they both mounted up with the ease of an experienced rider.
  It was going to be a beautiful day.  They pointed their horses East, with Sam leading the way.

“Your land borders the National Forest, so from time to time; you may see wild animals on your land.
  Mostly deer, but occasionally you may see a bear or even a cougar.  Just remember to be careful and be mindful of your surroundings at all times when out by yourself.  And remember that they are usually more afraid of you then you are of them. Promise me that you won’t take any chances.”

Chapter 4

“Do you think we might see something today?”  You could hear the excitement in Loren’s voice as she spoke.

“Probably not, but you never know,” Sam said.
  They followed a trail that bordered a small creek, with Loren moving in the lead position.

They had not ridden very far when they came upon a fallen tree. Loren thought that she could probably ride under it, but it would probably be safer to ride around it.

She kicked her horse, guiding him to her right, down the creek bank and into the creek to pass around the tree.  With one foot in the water, Dakota suddenly stopped as if he didn’t want to go any further into the water.  He suddenly jerked his head and completely turned himself around, facing back the way they had come.  He made it very clear that he was not interested in moving in any direction but straight back to the barn.  She fought with the reins to keep him from bolting into a run.

Looking at Sam, she said, “I am sorry, I don’t know what is wrong with him.
  He has been very well trained and doesn’t usually act this way.”

“Maybe he is just a little barn sour,” Sam replied.

Loren glared at him with eyes full of daggers.  “How dare you say that about my horse when you don’t even know him?  I can promise you that he is
not
barn sour!  It is obvious that something or someone is spooking him.”

“
Well, I don’t see anything or anyone, so let me go first and see if that will help,” Sam offered in a softer tone, hoping to smooth her ruffled feathers a bit.

He urged
Kate, his chestnut colored horse around Loren and her horse in an attempt to get them all back in motion.  Maybe Dakota was just a little uneasy being in unfamiliar territory.

At the water’s edge, even Kate seemed a little spooked at stepping off into the rocky creek bed.
  Scanning the bank for snakes, Sam urged his horse to continue on into the water and around the tree.

“Follow me,” he said
, looking back at Loren over his shoulder.

No matter how hard Loren tried to get Dakota to move forward, he just plain out refused.
  Something had him spooked that was for sure.

“Come on Dakota,” she pleaded, turning his head in the direction of the water again and kicking him for what seemed like the mill
ionth time to urge him forward.  “You are embarrassing me,” she hissed between clinched teeth.

Sam had ridden just a short distance ahead before stopping to look back in an attempt to check on Loren’s progress.
  In that moment, he realized what was causing the horses to be unsettled.

“Loren, come on.
I am waiting on you.” Sam called out to her in a voice that he hoped sounded calm.  He didn’t want to cause her to panic.  That would only make matters worse.

“
Go on ahead, I will catch up,” she called back to him.  The sound of her voice revealed that she was becoming agitated with her horse and his refusal to move forward into the creek and around the tree.

“
Nonsense, I am going to wait for you,” he insisted.

It was
hard for him to just sit there, trying to remain calm while she worked with her horse, but he knew that if he caused any excitement at all, it could possibly cause the current situation to take a turn for the worst.  And that was not a chance that he was willing to take.

Sam didn’t pray very often, but at that
very moment he asked God to keep her safe.  “Please don’t let this happen; not now; not here with me,” he prayed out loud.

What would he tell Josh and Amy?
  They would never forgive him if something happened to her.  Why hadn’t he thought to carry his rifle?

Loren’s emotions were running wild, which she knew was not good.   
If Dakota picked up on them she would never get him around that tree, and then she would look even more stupid than she already did.

“Trust me,” she whispered to her horse
, and as if he understood he finally moved forward.  Dakota moved cautiously as he made his way around the treetop hanging in the edge of the water.

His
ears were still laid back as they slowly made progress to where Sam waited.  Whatever was spooking him must be close by.

The look of relief on Sam’s face when she finally reached him was a little puzzling to her.
  He could see the question in her eyes.

“Turn around and look,” he said pointing
back in the direction she had just come from.

She could not believe her eyes.
  Perched on top of the fallen tree was the most magnificent Mountain Lion that she had ever seen. Well, the only one that she had ever seen in person, other than at the Atlanta Zoo.  All of her other wild animal encounters could be credited to Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel.

It was truly amazing.
  Where the heck was a camera, when you needed one?  She definitely had not expected this.

“It is beautiful,” she said looking back at Sam in awe.
  “I thought you said we probably wouldn’t see anything today.”  She knew that she was rambling, but she couldn’t help it.  This was probably the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her.

The cat was huge, probably weighing about two hundred and fifty pounds.
  His fur was a rich caramel color and he was sleek and shiny. His big dark brown eyes were staring back at her.  It was like he was trying to figure out her next move before making his.

“Don’t get too excited just yet,”
Sam said.  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the cat jumped to the ground and began to trot slowly towards them.  The closer it got, the bigger it looked in size. The cat continued to growl and hiss at them, then it crouched low to the ground, as if it meant to pounce on the rear end of her horse as it come up behind her.

“Move, move, move
!” Sam shouted at her.

She kicked her horse hard
and caused him to bolt forward, giving Sam just enough room to sandwich his horse in between hers and the cat.  He slapped at the cat with his reins and yelled at it in a very loud voice, hoping to scare it off.

However, t
he cat did not respond in fear.  Its massive paws, with claws bared, slashed out at his horse’s belly and then at its neck.  It appeared to be trying to make contact with the jugular vein in an effort to bring the horse down.

“Run Loren.
  Go as fast as you can and don‘t stop until you are absolutely sure it is safe,” Sam yelled at her.  He meant to protect her, even if it meant his own life.

Loren’s adrenaline was really pumped up by now.
  This was definitely the most exciting and scariest thing that had ever happened to her in her entire life.

“But what about you?” she asked.
  She didn’t want to leave him to fight off the cat by himself.  What if it jumped on him; or even worse killed him?

“Don’t worry about me, I will catch up,” he yelled while
urging Kate to trample on the hissing cat.

“Now get going,” he said smacking her horse hard on its rump
before she could protest again.  This was not a time for negotiations.

Loren rode hard and fast.
  All she could hear was the pounding of Dakota’s hooves as they struck the uneven rocky path.  At the same time she feared for Sam’s safety.  The mere thought of him being eaten alive by a huge cat caused her heart to skip a few beats.

She hadn’t
even realized that she was holding her breath until she heard Sam coming up behind her.  Slowly letting her breath out, she felt relief wash over her at the sight of him coming around the bend.

“Keep going!” Sam yelled.

The trail had ended up ahead and Loren wasn’t sure which way she should go. She slowed her horse and looked all around her.  There was nowhere to go except straight up the side of a mountain.  At least it looked like a mountain to her.  Not being familiar with the area, she was afraid of making the wrong choice.

“Sam, the trail has ended.
  Which way should I go?” she yelled back at him.  Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest she felt for sure that it must be echoing through the woods that surrounded them.

She had come to a complete stop by the time he had reached her.
  He looked around for an alternative route, not wanting to turn around and go back the way they had come.

As much as he hated it, there was no other choice but to turn around.
  If they rode up the mountain ridge, there was the possibility of becoming separated.

He was afraid if they
were separated, Loren would either get lost or the cat would follow her and wait for another opportunity to attack.  It was a chance that he wasn’t willing to take.

“We are going to have to turn around and go back the way we c
ame.”

“What about the mountain lion, did you scare it off?” she asked.

“I think I may have just confused it a little by fighting back.”  His breathing was a little heavy as he paused to take a breath.  “Just as I thought, here it comes again and it seems determined to have one of us for lunch.” he said.

She wasn‘t sure if he had meant that comment to be funny or if he was just trying to make light of their current situation.
  Either way, she wasn’t humored.

“So, what is your plan?
  How do we get past the ferocious beast this time?” Loren asked.

“Stay behind me.
  I am going to run straight at it and try to trample on it.  Maybe that will bide us some time.  But no matter what happens, please don’t fall off your horse.”

“Okay, I am read
y.  Let’s do this!”  Loren sucked in her breath and let it out slowly, waiting to follow Sam’s lead.

Sam took off at a hard run with Loren following close behind.
  The cat was still coming at them, growling and hissing.

Nearing the cat, Sam spurred his horse hard in the ribs to pick up speed.
  Horse and rider collided with the cat, knocking it a flip. Kate’s back hoof struck the cat in the head, causing it to become dazed for a moment.  Luckily, before Loren reached it, the cat jumped up and ran off into the woods.

She kicked Dakota hard causing
him to let out a grunted noise.  She felt bad knowing that his ribs were going to be sore, but she meant to stay close behind Sam.  Hopefully, this time the cat would not continue to follow them.

The fallen tree was now in sight and instead of slowing to coax his horse around it again, Sam leaned low over his saddle and barely cleared the tree.

Loren’s horse was much shorter and cleared it with ease.  Feeling that they had finally reached a safe distance, Sam reined his horse to a stop and turned back to watch Loren as she approached him.

“You okay?” he asked, showing much concern.

“Yeah, I think so.” Her breathing was a little irregular from the hard riding and the excitement that she had just experienced.

Both horses had broken a sweat.
  She looked back to where the trail began and thank goodness, there was no sign of the cat.