On His Ranch by Dinah McLeod

Chapter 10

His skin, flushed with warmth from having come just moments ago, went cold. He grabbed hold of Piper and moved her to the floor, sitting up and pulling his jeans up even as his ears perked.

“Ch—”

“Shh,” he ordered in a harsh whisper. His head cocked toward the door and he had just stood, righting his clothing, when he heard it again. He swore as he rethreaded his belt through the loops. It wasn’t a human sound, but one that meant trouble nonetheless. “Get dressed, then go up to the house. You stay put, no matter what.” He cut her a look. “Understood?”

“What’s going on? Do you know what’s going on? I—”

“Piper.”

She flinched at the severity in his voice. But there was no help for it. She had to learn that sometimes, he wouldn’t be able to give her the explanations she wanted, at least not in the heat of the moment.

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

“Good.” He found his hat and set it atop his head before racing for the barn door.

Senior was standing a few yards from the barn and lifted his hand in acknowledgement.

Chase strode toward him, trying to school his expression so that his grandfather didn’t see how hard his blood was pumping.

“Did you hear it?”

“Yep. Any ideas?”

“I’m thinkin’ one of the horses.”

Chase nodded briskly and as one they began heading for the pen they kept the horses in. As soon as they arrived it was evident something was wrong. The pen was open, but it was more than that. Each one had been trained so well from birth that none of them would wander off the property. Both Chase and Senior had let it slip their mind once or twice and none of the horses had gone more than a couple of feet, looking for richer land to graze.

But what was in front of them now was something else entirely. All of the horses were out and clearly agitated. A couple were galloping away, while others uttered frenzied neighs, their ears back, eyes wide and frightened.

“Somethin’ sure spooked ‘em good.”

Chase grunted his agreement, his gaze moving side to side as he tried to assess the situation. “We better act quick,” he said a moment later. “Before this gets too out of hand. By my count, three took off. I’ll go huntin’ those and you can handle things here.” Without waiting for an answer, he began to move swiftly toward one of the running horses.

It was a long afternoon. The sun was bright and it was especially hot out. By his reckoning, it was a good bit of time before he was able to find and subdue each horse. He was hungry to boot, but he knew it would be a good bit longer before he’d be able to satisfy his stomach.

“You OK?” Chase asked as he approached Senior who was padlocking the pen.

His grandfather turned toward him and cringed. “Looks like one got ya.”

He reached up to caress his cheek. It was tender to the touch, and he knew a good size bruise would be there by morning. “Nah, nothin’ like that. He just tricked me and let me think he had cooled off, then he tossed me.”

“I thought I trained you better’n that.” Senior clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t let ‘em trick you.”

Chase didn’t miss the sympathy in his brusque voice and he grinned. “Yep. That hasn’t happened in a few decades.”

“I bet you won’t let it happen for a few more.”

“You got that right. Well, what’s the damage here?”

Senior’s gaze moved to the pen, and he seemed to be counting. “With the three you brought back, we’re short one stallion.”

“Which one?”

He got a somber look for his answer.

“Which one?” he pressed.

“Sterling.”

“Shit.” His hands balled into fists at his sides.

“Yep. I reckon that’s about the size of it.”

He swore again and spit on the ground. “Damn it all to hell.”

Sterling was one of the six prize stallions they had right now, and the only one who had already been bought. They were supposed to deliver him to his new owner next week. Not only did they need the money for new equipment, their reputation as one of the best stallion breeders was on the line. His grandfather gave him time to mull it over and process. His presence was comforting, not pressing, as Chase decided what to do.

“Whoever it was couldn’a taken him off the ranch. He wouldn’t go willingly with anyone we didn’ give him to.”

Senior grunted his agreement. “Which means?”

“He’s around here somewhere.” His mind raced, wondering where to begin as he tried to track a runaway stallion across two hundred acres. “I’ll go back out and try’n find ‘im.”

“Alright. Maybe you ought to go up to the house first and—”

“No time,” he said.

“You won’t be much use to anybody if this heat and hunger get the better of ya.”

“There’s no tellin’ where he is, or if whoever was after the horses is still there tryin’ some other trick.” Chase knew the firm line of his mouth mirrored the one his grandfather wore.

“Here.” He handed Chase a rucksack he’d been wearing. “It’s only got two bottles of water and a coupla apples, but I reckon it’s better’n nothin’.”

“Thanks.”

“Your… lady went inside. You want to say goodbye, at least?”

He arched an eyebrow. Senior had never seemed to take much notice of the women he brought to the ranch, not that there had been a single one in the past year. He certainly never commented on them.

“She might worry,” Senior noted.

“Well, she’ll have to get used to it if she’s going to stick around, I reckon.”

His grandfather shrugged. “Suit yourself. Good luck.”

Clapping him on the shoulder, Chase took his leave. It was a few minutes before his words reminded him of the thought he’d had in the barn. Huh. Somewhere along the way Piper had gone from a temporary distraction in his mind to something more.

* * *

Piper woke up the next morning and was shocked to see the sun hadn’t risen yet. She had barely slept, tossing and turning most of the night. Senior had told her and Patti what had happened yesterday and that Chase went looking for the missing stallion. She’d stayed up well past dinner to wait on him, but when she’d gone to bed he still hadn’t made it back. She knew it was silly, but not knowing where he was had made it hard to fall asleep and even harder to stay that way.

Chase is a tough guy. He’s been doing this since he was a little kid. He’s just fine, she’d told herself over and over—the same mantra Patti had told her. But it hadn’t helped.

Knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep anymore, she got up and got dressed.

The night hadn’t been a complete waste, at least. Patti had a rare night off and suggested she take her shopping.

“You can’t keep wearin’ the same thing day-in and day-out,” she’d said over Piper’s protests.

“I have other clothes at my apartment. I should just go there and—”

“You think I’ma let you go off and have my son come back to find you missin’ next? No, ma’am.” And then she’d proceeded to laugh as Piper blushed hotly. “C’mon, I’m not gonna take no for an answer.”

In truth, she had felt pleased to be so fussed over, and so she’d finally agreed. It had been a night worth remembering, even though they didn’t do much. Patti had taken her to the local clothing store and when Piper was no help, she’d picked up a couple of things off the racks, ignoring the protests of it being too many or too expensive.

“This trip is on me,” Patti told her firmly. “Do you know how long it’s been since I had a girls’ night? My son was in grade school.”

“But you work too hard to—”

“It’s my money, ain’t it?” The older woman had cut her off. “And I’ll do with it as I see fit.”

It was the first time Piper had seen the family resemblance so clearly in the matriarch. It must have shown on her face, because Patti had softened.

“Senior and Chase take care of everything around the ranch, so I just work for somethin’ to keep me away from Grumpus and Grumpus Junior for a little while. I’ve got a hole burnin’ in my pocket and nothin’ to buy!”

So she’d agreed and allowed herself to be escorted to a changing room where it felt like the options just kept coming, until she begged for a reprieve. But she couldn’t deny it had been great fun. Patti had insisted on seeing everything and had sat in one of the chairs, waiting for Piper to come out.

It was the kindest thing anyone had done for her in a long, long time. She had felt pleased over Patti’s compliments and enjoyed twirling around to show off the outfits, but when she saw herself in the last one, she had fallen into an awed silence.

It was a khaki-green baby doll dress dotted with pink and purple flowers and their leaves in a darker shade of green. The dress itself was unremarkable, she supposed, but when she put it on and looked into the mirror, the Piper looking back at her was one she hardly recognized. And yet…

One that was more like her, her true self, than she’d ever been before. She didn’t know what it was, exactly. Something about the way the dress brought out the green in her eyes and made them shine. Or maybe that was because of the attention Patti had been lavishing on her. Either way, the girl reflected in the mirror was the little girl that had lived deep inside of her, afraid to peek out, for so long.

Chase knew all along, she realized with a start. Knew something I’ve never been able to admit to myself…

“Piper? You done yet? I wanna see.”

The experience of the last two hours had taught her that Patti wouldn’t be put off. She was bound and determined, and Piper would have to comply. Still, she was very shy when she emerged from the dressing room.

Patti just stared at her for several long moments without speaking while Piper felt more embarrassed with each passing second. The matriarch, though not as brusque as the men in the family, didn’t mince words. She usually handed out her pronouncement pretty quickly. The silence put an already nervous Piper on edge.

“Well?” she asked at last.

“It… it suits you,” the older woman decided.

“You think so?”

“Very much. In fact, I bet if we braided your hair, it would look even better.”

Piper flushed with pleasure and moved by the older woman seeming to accept something she couldn’t explain, she grabbed her hand impulsively. “Thank you so much, Patti. I… I have enjoyed getting to know you.”

“Well, I hope to get to know you better still, over time,” the older woman had said with a wink.

Piper had walked away with several new outfits including the baby doll dress and the pair had ended the evening with ice cream sundaes as they chatted like old friends.

The only dim spot on the evening was when they’d arrived home to find Chase still had not returned. Patti and Senior had both turned in almost immediately, but Piper had been so fueled with enthusiasm after the shopping trip she’d waited up, hoping to share it with him. Or, failing that, to at least say goodnight.

But he’s sure to be home by now!The realization and the previous night’s excitement made her scurry to get dressed. She pulled the green dress on, eager to show it to Chase. Patti had thrown in a cute pair of boots, so she put those on, too, instead of the work boots she’d been wearing around the ranch.

She’d braided her hair and added a little lip gloss before she’d been completely satisfied by her reflection. Piper was practically humming with excitement as she let herself out the door. It had been early when she’d first woken up, but by the time she was descending the stairs, wonderful smells of breakfast had already begun to fill the house.

Her heart stilled in her chest when she saw Chase sitting at the bench on the left side of the table. She was several feet closer before she realized his shoulders were slumped and his hands grasped around a cup.

“Chase?”

He looked up, and she gasped at the bruise across his face and his bleary expression. He turned back to his coffee, lifting it to his lips and drinking deep.

“Oh, my gosh, what happened?” she asked, reaching out for him before she thought better of it. Just before her fingers brushed his face, she pulled her arm back. She wasn’t sure where they stood. Did he want people to know about them? Were they even a them or was what happened yesterday a one-time thing? She’d probably better figure that out before she went touching him in the kitchen in front of his mother. But that didn’t mean she could hide her concern. “Chase?”

He reluctantly put his cup down, which his mother came forward to refill without a word. Then he regaled them with the story of how he had spent the last thirteen hours tracking down the missing stallion.

“At least you found him,” Patti said, the words a sigh of relief.

“Yep.” Chase’s mouth was in a firm line and his eyes were distant. “Then I took him straight over to Buck’s to be checked out.”

“I’m surprised he was up that early.”

“It pays to have friends in high places, I reckon.”

“He was fine?”

“In a manner of speakin’. There was nothing wrong with him physically, but I can’t stop thinkin’ about what had them so spooked. It couldn’t have been just seein’ a stranger, had to be more than that.”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t think on it anymore. All’s well that ends well, hmm?”

“I don’t have that luxury, Ma, you know that.”

“Where’s Senior this morning?” she asked, pushing a plate of corned beef hash with home fries across the table to her son.

“He left as soon as I got back,” Chase said, his fork immediately setting to work. “He took Sterling to be delivered and he’ll take the other horses to auction tonight.”

“Hmm. We’d get more for them if you wait a bit.”

“You don’t think I know that?” he asked as he forked food into his mouth. “We don’t have a choice.”

Piper was quiet as a mouse as she watched this exchange. When it had begun, she had felt uncomfortable at the terse conversation, but she’d soon realized she was practically invisible this morning. Her heart ached as she looked at Chase. He was handsome as ever, of course, but his features were drawn, his eyes tired. She wished she could scoot over next to him on the bench and cuddle him to offer some sort of comfort. The only thing that held her back was not knowing how he’d react. They’d had sex, sure—the best sex she’d ever had, probably better than anyone had ever had—but did that give her the right to comfort him?

“You don’t think it has anythin’ to do with the gunshot a few days back, do you?” Patti inquired, her brows drawn together.

“Don’t know.”

“But what if—”

“Ma.” Chase slid Piper a look then looked back at his mother. Then he went back to eating as though nothing had happened.

Piper’s stomach muscles tightened. It was the first time he’d looked at her and he’d only done it to dismiss her. Whatever was going on, he didn’t want her to know about it. The question was why?

“Why don’t you get a couple hours of sleep? Forgive me for sayin’ so, but you look terrible,” his mother remarked.

Chase barked a laugh before downing his cup in a single swallow. “I’m sure that’s true, but there’s nothin’ to be done for it. I have to get to work. There’s a lot to be done and I’m down a man today.”

“You really need to hire some help. It’s not possible for you two to do everything—”

“Not this again. We have help with some things. Besides which, the way things are goin’ on around here… hard to know who to trust.”

Piper shifted her weight where she stood. Was he talking about her?

“More coffee?”

“Please. I’ma need it.”

“I could help you,” Piper spoke up.

Chase cut her a look as he sipped his refilled cup. When he set it down, he said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why? I’m pretty good at milking cows now.” And other things, her mind whispered.

His expression was skeptical.

“I won’t even spill anything today. Promise.”

“I don’t know, Piper. Why don’t you just—”

“You did say you’re a man down,” Patti pointed out.

Piper hid her smile, grateful for the older woman’s support.

“Alright, alright, you two win,” he grumbled. “While I finish my coffee, why don’t you get changed?”

“Get changed?” she echoed, looking down at her dress. It was the first time he’d even mentioned it.

“It rained last night, so unless you want to ruin those boots, I’d change.”

Hurt that he hadn’t noticed her outfit beyond practicability made her want to snap back, but she stopped herself. He definitely wouldn’t let her help then. “Yes, sir,” she answered instead. “I’ll be right back.”

And she ran for the stairs before he could change his mind.

* * *

Chase was exhausted. So much so that when Piper descended the stairs she looked more ethereal than human with her long blonde hair floating behind her like a soft cloud. “You gonna put that up?” he asked, the words sharp. He saw her flinch, and instantly felt regret, but there was nothing to be done for it. He was beyond tired—so much so that he could hardly be expected to be responsible for his tone.

“Sure. I can.”

His eyes flickered over her outfit. It didn’t look quite as nice as what she’d been wearing earlier, but it made a lot more sense for the work they’d be doing. He thanked his mother for breakfast and left by way of the side door, Piper following close behind.

“We’ll start with the milking first. Then I have to prune some trees, then there’s a tractor I have to take a look at. It keeps stalling. With any luck, that’ll all get done quickly and we can move on to preppin’ fields.”

“Prepping?” she echoed.

“It’ll be time to plant soon.” He cast an appraising eye at the sky. “It’d be a good day for it.”

“Wow, that’s a lot,” Piper remarked, hurrying to keep up with his pace.

Chase chuckled. “That’s not even half the list.”

“Maybe your mom has a point. Maybe…”

He looked over his shoulder, giving her a warning look. Like the good girl she was, she fell silent and they walked in peaceful quiet the rest of the way.

There was no time for lessons this time, and they hardly spoke at all as they took their stools and pails and set to work. One hour turned into two as they worked, moving from one cow to the next. Chase settled into the familiar routine and before too long he could feel the tense muscles of his shoulders relax. The milking was going faster than usual.

Maybe Piper was right. Maybe she really can be of help.

“This pail’s full,” Piper announced.

“Good job,” he remarked, and he really was impressed. He was rewarded by a bright smile. “Carry it carefully over the bench and switch it out for an empty pail.” He paused long enough to point her to the bench he meant.

“I’ll be very careful,” she promised. “I know you don’t have time in your schedule for spanking.”

He chuckled. “I bet I could squeeze it in.”

Piper’s smile widened. “See? That wasn’t so hard. You need to lighten up once in a while.”

He snorted. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be a hard-ass today. There’s a lot goin’ on.”

“I know,” she soothed. “A lot I can’t understand. I get it. I’m just saying, we’ve gotten a lot done already, you can afford to take a break.”

He dismissed that idea with a firm shake of his head. “Nope. No breaks. We work until lunchtime.”

She considered this. “But what if we could make work fun?” Her reply to herself was immediate and eager. “Milking contest!”

“‘Scuse me? What the hell is that?”

But his gruff question did not dampen her enthusiasm. “Whoever gets the most the fastest wins!”

Chase cocked his head and considered her. She really was unlike any girl he’d ever met. There was no way it was an act. Her enthusiasm was in every line of her glowing face. “Don’t you think you’re at a bit of a disadvantage? Since I’ve been doin’ it for years?”

“My hands are smaller,” she put in eagerly.

Chase couldn’t help but chuckle. “You really don’t understand how this works. Alright, since you’re so set on it. What do I get when I win?”

Piper’s smile grew until it was impossibly bright. “You won’t. But if I win, you take a break.”

“If we take breaks, we’ll be working until well past sundown to get everythin’ done,” he warned.

“A break, just one. And besides…” She dropped her eyes, suddenly bashful. “I don’t mind.”

He let out a long sigh, not sure who he was more frustrated with—her, or himself. Because he knew he was going to give in, even though he knew full well what Senior would have to say about it if he were here. “Alright. And if I win?”

Her smile dimmed for a moment as she considered his question. “I don’t know. What do you want?”

What did he want? That was easy, he didn’t have to think about it. He wanted everything. He wanted to savor the taste of her, to use his tongue, his fingers, and fuck yes, his cock, to tease every part of her. Didn’t seem fair to make that the prize of a milk-collecting competition, especially one she had no chance of winning.

“Chase?”

His cock throbbed. There was no way she could know how sexy she was. It was funny—he’d never gone for understated, innocently sexy, but now he wondered if he’d ever be turned on by anything else. “You.” It was a harsh whisper of desperate need.

“What?” She laughed, the sound so free and giddy that he wanted to pin her to the floor and have his way with her then and there.

“I want you.” He pinned her with a stare, not wanting his sincerity in doubt.

“A kiss,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him. “If you win.”

“Playin’ hard to get?” he asked. “Don’t forget, I was there when you squirted all over my cock yesterday, so you can’t pretend you didn’t enjoy yourself.”

“A kiss,” she persisted, her lips curved into a soft smile.

“Alright, have it your way.” A kiss is the start to havin’ her on her knees, beggin’ Daddy to fuck her again. Besides which, even as tired as he was, it was hard to resist the excitement in her eyes.

“What should we do for our break?” she asked with a giggle.

“You won’t have to worry about that, little girl,” he told her as he moved his own stool to the next stall.

“You don’t know that.”

“Sure I do.” He sat down and tipped her a wink. “I never make bets I can’t win.”