Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
His arm went around her and he squeezed. “I’m glad you like it. This place meant a lot to me. To be honest … I’d forgotten how much.”
She kept quiet hoping he’d say more, but he didn’t. “Why do I get the feeling there is more to the story than ‘I worked here for a few years.’?”
He chuckled. “Probably because there is. So, how do you like the bunkhouse?”
“It’s really nice, actually. I’d obviously rather be in a cabin with you, but I guess I can deal with it.” She tipped her head back and nipped at his neck. “Not thrilled with the no sex rule.”
“You and me both, sweetheart, but it’s only a week.”
‘Only’ a week turned out to be an eternity.
Their hosts shoo’d them all off to bed at nine, and there was plenty of grumbling about it. “Feel free to stay up,” Ma said. “But morning comes early here and so does the work.”
Some people listened, but the next morning, it was clear to see who hadn’t by the dead-eyed stares and huge yawns. Ally was feeling it a little, thanks to the early hour, but she’d been tired enough to go to bed immediately when she got back to her bunk. Two cups of coffee were enough to get her going.
And there was a lot to do. Hauling feed, mucking out stalls—these were basic chores that didn’t need much teaching, so the guests started there. By noon she was tired, itchy, and starting to feel like this whole marriage rehabilitation thing was a scam to get free labor.
One thing she did like though, was that they never got stuck with a chore for too long. They were constantly switching around, trying new things. If you absolutely hated a job, you could at least be assured that you wouldn’t be doing it long. She was too stubborn to complain, especially in front of Carter, but throughout the day, she heard other people whining about the work or muttering about spending a fortune just to do hard labor.
Sometimes they hunted up Pa and asked (or demanded) better treatment. He didn’t seem to take the requests seriously. “Naw, yer good there. Trust me, you’ll get the hang of it,” he’d say, and then he’d wander off before they could ask again.
One couple left before dinner on the first day, which was a shame because the porterhouse steaks they were served were insanely good. She wasn’t even a huge steak fan, preferring chicken usually, but she cleared her plate and then devoured the strawberry shortcake dessert with its freshly whipped cream.
“I can’t believe I ate all that,” she whispered to Carter, feeling almost embarrassed.
He laughed. “It’s the fresh air and the hard work. Don’t hesitate to ask for seconds if you’re still hungry. Anyway, food tastes better when it feels like you had a hand in creating it.”
“Creating it?” She frowned, tilting her head. “What do you mean?”
“It’s a ranch, sweetheart. Where do you think the meat comes from? And the milk. And the eggs. And the fresh herbs. There’s a huge vegetable garden too.” He tapped his fork against the side of her empty plate, nothing but strawberry juice left. “They don’t produce everything they use, but I can guarantee most of this meal came from right here.”
Her mouth shaped a silent ‘oh’.
“And what they don’t grow here, they can usually trade or buy local. There used to be a ranch/farm co-op, I’m guessing there still is.”
Somehow Allegra hadn’t connected the cows and chickens with the food they were eating. She wasn’t dumb, of course she knew where food came from, but somehow in her head it hadn’t entirely clicked. Or maybe it had just felt like the place was here for guests to play at being cowboys, instead of a real ranch. It gave her a new appreciation for the food. It wasn’t the last revelation of the week.
As Ma had promised, they spent plenty of time together. Probably more than the other couples even, since Carter was fully capable of teaching her everything she needed to know about a ranch, without needing a cowboy assigned to them. In fact, her husband fit in so well with the other cowboys that she began to wonder if she’d ever known him at all.
Sure, he’d told her about his years working on a ranch, and yes, he did show that rough working man attitude sometimes—she adored that side of him. But Carter had always seemed to enjoy the city. Now… seeing him here, it was obvious he was made for this life and he loved it. He had a way of making her love it too, despite herself.
She hadn’t wanted to enjoy the trip. It wasn’t what she was used to, and it certainly wasn’t what she’d expected. There were some definite downsides that took getting used to, like the big metal bell that woke them at five with its loud, echoing clangs, and the way her whole body ached at the end of the day. It was hard work.