Begin Again Page 5

  I grabbed the application for the post office position and walked through the glass door where a cluster of papers hung on a bulletin board on the wall. Deciding it wouldn’t hurt to look, I went up to it. Some flyers were for lost animals. There were a few announcing the summer festival, which reminded me that I was supposed to be making pies. I scanned over a few more ads before one captured my attention. It was for immediate hire, three days a week, afternoons. I thought it over. It seemed like something I could do. I skimmed through some less important details and right to what it all entailed: Outside work. Good with animals. That’s all that was said.

  I bit my lip. Was I good with animals? I was good with my cat, but he pretty much took care of himself. I lifted the post office application in front of me and stared back and forth between the two. One was the more mature decision, and the other, for fun. Mature? Fun? Josh would’ve laughed if he were there with me. I always did this—overthought everything.

  I sighed. Everything I did, everything I looked at or thought about, reminded me of him. I couldn’t see that changing. At least not anytime soon. I loved him.

  With not much time left before I’d be out of a second job, I grabbed the flyer off the board and took both home with me. Whichever one gave me the job first was the one I’d take. I just hoped it was the outdoors one. If not, I’d have to make the girls’ dance lessons in the late evening or weekends.

  ***

  Showered, shaved, and makeup free, I got dressed and headed to what could possibly be my new job. I picked fun, deciding not to even fill out the application for the post office or calling about the other position. Karen’s words about me living my life because that’s what Josh would have wanted kept nagging at me in the back of my mind. So I was doing this for him…and a little for me, too.

  I didn’t own a car. When I moved back from the city, knowing I was home for good, I sold it to pay a few months’ rent and for the renovations the landlord did for my dance floor and ballerina barre. Besides, the town was small and, if I wanted to, I could walk everywhere. But the address given for the outside job was just a little over a half mile. Hence, my bike.

  I hopped on and pedaled down the street. Nerves ate at me.

  The directions said to turn down Vine Street and the place would be the last lane on the left. As best as I could manage, I veered around potholes. With any luck, I’d get there with tires that weren’t punctured.

  A lake was off to my left and I wondered if the people I’d hopefully be working for owned it. It stretched on a ways and I spotted the dock. It took me back to younger years when I was a little more carefree.

  The ranch came into view. I stopped and enjoyed its beauty. It was breathtaking. There were animals of all varieties and every group had its place. Whoever owned this ranch took care of it.

  A yellow house with a porch that wrapped just the front stood off to the side. It had a welcoming atmosphere. I couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting to work here.

  The sound of hooves smacking dirt had me looking to my left. I brought my hand up to shield the sun from my eyes. A big brown horse, its shiny coat glistening, galloped free, sending a flock of birds shooting to the sky in search of another resting place. I laughed in delight at the beauty of it all.

  “Wow,” I whispered.

  A door slammed shut and I faced in the direction of the sound. Someone was on the porch, their shirtless back to me. After getting off my bike, I walked the rest of the short distance.

  “Hello,” I said, waiting for the man to turn around. He was wrapping a water hose around its reel, and I could see the muscles twist and pull in his back. When he finally turned around, I couldn’t believe who I was seeing.

  “Maggie?” His eyes flitted to the bike nestled at my side, and his brows knitted in confusion. I’m sure my expression read the same.

  He was the last person I expected to see.

  My mind snapped to alert. “Uh, hi.” I inwardly groaned at my lack of ease.

  “Everything alright?” he asked before turning to grab a white hand towel off an old rocking chair to wipe at his forehead. My eyes immediately wandered over his bronzed chest and down his abs to where his happy trail disappeared into his light-colored jeans. They were dirty and had a few holes in them.

  He tossed the towel over his shoulder and came down off the porch and up to me. His brows were drawn together, his mouth a straight line, serious and full of concern, but he had an easy walk.

  “Maggie?” he asked again. His brows were still snapped together in what must have been a signature scowl of his. It was the same look magazines tried desperately to capture and only a few men could pull off without appearing gruff.

  Oh. Right. He asked a question. “I…this is the ranch you work at?” The thought didn’t even enter my mind when I saw the ad yesterday.

  “Yeah, I work here.” Crap. “What brings you by?”

  “Uh…” I looked off to the side, then back at him, wondering if I should say anything. He probably thought I was there to talk about what happened yesterday. “There was a job for this place listed back in town. I thought I’d check it out.” His eyes bored into mine. He was the most intense man I’d ever met. I felt trapped underneath his gaze. “You know what? This probably isn’t for me anyway. I should go.”

  Eager to leave, I flipped my bike around, nearly causing me to fall, and started walking down the dirt lane. My steps were fast and sure. How on earth did I manage to pick the same ranch his father owned?

  “Hey, Maggie.” His voice had me rooted to the ground. I didn’t turn around, but I heard steady footfalls as he jogged up behind me. “Where are you goin’?”

  I bit my lip and shut my eyes. I could almost hear the wheels turning in my head and feared he could sense my trepidation of the possibility of working alongside him. But maybe we wouldn’t be working together. He was a capable man. He probably did all the heavy-duty work for his father, and so we’d barely see each other. Right? Plus, I really needed the money.

  Think of the girls.

  A smile eventually teased the corners of my mouth, and I looked back at him, feeling completely silly. “I have no idea.”

  He assessed me where I stood. Is he checking me out? Or is he sizing me up for the position? I hadn’t known him for long, but the latter seemed more likely.

  He didn’t gaze at me long, and I was relieved.

  “Well, the ranch is back this way.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “You’re going in the wrong direction. Plus, word on the street is that you’re looking for new work.”

  That’s right. Marybeth’s. I did tell him that. Too late to back out now. “That’s true. Your father around?”

  “In a manner of speaking.”

  “I don’t know what that means.” I laughed. “Anyway, he’ll probably take one look at me, laugh, and send me home. So, really—”

  “No, he won’t,” he said emphatically, his confidence leaving me with questions.

  “How do you know?”

  “I know him pretty well. I think you’re exactly what he’s looking for.” The last part sounded so personal, and when my eyes shot to his, he held my gaze.

  My cheeks heated. “Oh, I doubt that. Compared to you, I’ve got nothing going for me.” I didn’t mean to gaze at his chest. What was wrong with me? It was that kiss. I thought about it all night after I went to bed. It was mind-blowing. His lips were soft and for a brief second, I’d found myself enjoying it.

  When he crossed his arms, the lines and ridges of his muscles magnified.

  Wanting to put us back on neutral ground, I laughed, not able to believe the show of insecurity I had around this man.

  “I don’t know about that.” He finally smiled, melting away the tension. “Looks like you’re cutting sleeves here.” I didn’t know what he meant by that comment either until he reached out and touched my bicep, careful not to linger for long.

  I laughed and smiled shyly at him.

  “Come on.” He nodded tow
ard the house. “I’ll get you something to drink and show you around.”

  “You really think he’ll hire me?” I asked, hopeful, as we went up the porch. There was a hint of desperation to my voice and I prayed he didn’t notice.

  “I do,” he said, holding the door open and allowing me to pass by.

  My worries were put on the back burner as I looked around. It was a typical farmhouse, outdated and in need of repairs. I didn’t know if his father didn’t have the necessary funds or if he just didn’t care. But I loved it. It had its charms that only older homes had. The papered walls were tinged yellow, though once white, with small purple flowers. The place smelled of cedar, musty paper, and spring. The windows were open, reflecting beautiful rays of the sun, and panels of sheer lace danced around each one. The wooden floors, beaten and battered, were original, and an old-fashioned pellet stove sat in the middle of the living room. I loved how at ease I felt there. Like it was home.

  Luke went straight to the kitchen with me trailing behind him. He reached in the fridge, took out a cold bottle of water, and handed it to me.

  I smiled and took a big gulp, a drop of water spilling down the side of my chin. I didn’t realize I was so thirsty.

  “Thanks for the water,” I said, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

  “You’re welcome,” he drawled, leaning up against the beige counter and crossing his ankles. He folded his arms at his chest, and it made me slightly more comfortable with the fact he wasn’t wearing a shirt. But with his brown ball cap, snug jeans, and cowboy boots, he looked the part of a true rancher.

  He kept looking away, as if uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure when his father would be back, but I hoped it was soon.

  “So,” I said, putting down my bottled water before shoving my hands in the back of my shorts pockets, “if I get hired, what would I be doing? You know?”

  “Have you done anything like this before?”

  Darn. He would ask that question first.

  I shook my head. “Just a teacher of ballet and a waitress all of my life.” The admission had me feeling slightly embarrassed. Here was a guy who did hard labor and saved lives for a living. What I did for income didn’t even come close to his jobs.

  “You say that like you’re ashamed.”

  I looked down at the floor and studied my boots before looking back at him. “I was just thinking how that must sound to you. What you do is important.”

  “Do you like what you do?”

  I seriously thought about his question. “Yeah, I do.”

  “Then it’s important.” He smiled and dimples formed on his cheeks. It further softened his boyish features, taking away from that sexy scowl of his. “Ready for me to show you around?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Alright, follow me.”

  ***

  Luke

  I had no business hiring her. We’d have to work together from time to time and that wasn’t a way to keep an eye out while still creating distance. You broke the barriers of distance when you kissed her in front of the entire town.

  It was a surefire way to shoot myself in the foot. She hadn’t brought it up again, and I wouldn’t either.

  Neale would get it when I saw him next. I knew it was he who’d made the ad. He didn’t trust that I had everything handled.

  Heck, maybe I didn’t.

  I laughed to myself as I watched her go ahead of me. She looked as though she was ready to go horseback riding or to a country music concert. She had on a brown pair of cowgirl boots that lengthened her dancer’s legs. Despite myself, I followed them up to her dark jean shorts and white cotton T-shirt. Her hair was left flowing as it usually was, and I found myself wondering what it would feel like to run my hands through it. What impressed me was she didn’t have an ounce of makeup on. It showed me that, while she liked to look nice, she wasn’t afraid to get a little dirty—she came prepared to work.

  She was small and couldn’t do a lot of heavy lifting, which was what I really needed. But I could do the heavy work and she could take care of the little things that were tedious. We’d be a team. It would save me a lot of time.

  Now you’re just reaching.

  She looked back over her shoulder at me, a soft smile on her lips. The soft breeze blew a few strands of her hair against her face, and I swore I could love this woman.

  I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “It’s just up here to your right.” I pointed. I was taking her to the stalls first. Ladies liked horses, right? And I knew she’d love Cowboy. It was a jerk move, but if she got cold feet about working with me, Cowboy would surely fix that.

  “Wait right here,” I told her. “I’ve got to open the door.” I’d closed it earlier so the ducks would stay out. Having just cleaned the stalls and the walkway, I wasn’t fixing to do it again.

  I grabbed the door and pushed it open. It was heavy and didn’t open easily—another task that needed attention.

  “This here, as you can see, is the horses’ stable.”

  She walked past me, and her perfume wafted through the air. She smelled like honeysuckle and a hint of cherry. If I had to guess what her scent would be, that would be it.

  I followed her.

  “Oh, wow. Beautiful horse,” she said as she walked straight to Cowboy. “Boy or girl?”

  “Boy. So he might feel a little emasculated by that term.”

  Her hands stroked Cowboy’s head before running down the front of his muzzle.

  “Sorry boy. What’s his name?” she asked. Cowboy started to nibble at her hands, and she laughed. Her laugh was a shot of endorphins to my system.

  I reached out and petted him, too, careful not to touch her. “Cowboy.”

  She looked at me, continuing to stroke his mane. “Cowboy,” she said, testing the name on her lips. “I like it.”

  “I think he secretly likes it, too.”

  She laughed. “It suits him. What’s the name of the one I saw running just a while ago? The brown one?”

  “Ah, that’d be Penelope. She’s got more energy than this guy.” Cowboy neighed. “Don’t get soft on me now,” I told him.

  “Well, she’s beautiful, too.”

  “I’m glad you like her.” I loved how this girl always had a smile on her face. It was refreshing.

  The rest of the tour was done in a rush. The more time I spent around her, the more I could see her there forever.

  I showed her all the animals, the chicken coops, where the food was kept, who got what, and told her what times she’d be needed, being that the exact hours weren’t listed in the ad. She grasped it all, not asking me to repeat anything.

  “Are you sure he wouldn’t need someone in the mornings?” she asked as we walked back to the house.

  I lifted my hat enough to scratch the top of my head. “I think he’d feel like you were doing enough,” I said, glancing over at her before she grabbed her bike and released the kickstand.

  “I’m not so sure about that. It’s just you and him? I mean, if he hires me, I’d be happy to come in some mornings.”

  She’d done great today—didn’t complain about any of the tasks mentioned to her. It was time to ease her worry. I felt like a prick for not mentioning it this long.

  “You got the job.”

  Her brows creased and her mouth thinned. “You can’t hire me.” She laughed. “Your dad would kick your butt. He hasn’t even seen me yet.”

  God, I loved that smile.

  I removed my hat and shook it once, nervous for the first time in a long time. I was thirty years old and felt like I was on my first date. “You might hate me after this”—I winced as I smiled up at her—“but it’s just me here.”

  Her smile slowly fell before reappearing. “What?”

  “I own this ranch. Just recently, though. It was my father’s. I’m sorry, that was stupid of me not to tell you in the beginning. I just—”

  “No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Though, if I knew you were the boss, I wou
ld have faked all of my experience I have with ranch work,” she teased.

  I didn’t know what I was expecting, maybe her to go stomping off down the lane. Slap me, even. I’d have deserved it. But, no, she wasn’t that kind of girl.

  I smiled. “You’ll be just fine, Maggie.”

  She smiled back and bit her lip. Her brows creased. “So…last night you said you worked on your father’s ranch and now you said it was your father’s. Is he…?”

  “He’s right over there.” I pointed to the big magnolia tree with the single stone.

  “Oh, Luke, I’m so sorry. Was it recent?”

  “About two weeks ago. And I know he’d be fine with you working here if he were alive. Again, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I lead you to believe...”

  “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

  God, I’m an idiot. “Well, anyway, thanks. I guess talking about it, let alone accepting it, is harder than I thought.”

  She nodded. “I can get that. So who was your father? If you don’t mind my asking.”

  It shocked me she’d forgotten, but it had been a while.

  “Jim Easton.”

  “Jim Easton…Jimmy?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, that’s what everyone called him.”

  A sound of disbelief escaped her and she gazed around the ranch, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I didn’t remember this place. My parents would buy eggs from here at least twice a month when I was just a little girl. It’s changed a lot since then, a lot bigger, but your dad and mom would sometimes bring me out to play with the animals. I loved it.”

  “I remember,” I said before I could take it back.

  Her eyes searched my face. “Oh.” She looked down the front of me, and my stomach muscles tightened. “That’s why you seemed familiar to me. You’d be helping your mom with her chores. I only ever got to sneak a glance at you here and there. Haven’t seen you since. Well, until recently.”