I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS. THEY BELONG TO THE CW NETWORK. THIS IS A WORK OF FANFICTION BY OMEGABEAST.

Catherine hovered behind a chair and braced herself for the bone-crushing blow sure to come. His steps drew closer, followed by a string of expletives. In his inebriated state, he became a monster, an abuser, and this time it was worse. Much worse. Suddenly, he was upon her. He hand snatched her up by the hair and flung her against the wall. She had taken so many beatings, cried too many tears, until she had become immune to it all. Scrambling to her feet, she moved swiftly across the room, hoping to reach the door, her gateway to freedom. The time had come to be strong and walk away. His type of love was sadistic and cruel. Cold, empty eyes met hers from across the room as he calculated his next move. Her eyes looked from Gabe to the door. Freedom was only a few feet away, if she could make it. Reaching deep within herself, mustering every drop of courage she possessed, she took off in a dead run. Out the front door and down the sidewalk, she ran. Barefoot, bloody, and bruised, she ran. Years of enduring beatings from Gabe, and finally she was free.

…

Catherine pulled her baseball cap over her eyes and lowered her head as she disembarked the bus in Sicily Island, La. Although, her efforts were in vain, due to the nonexistent customers at the gas station. After being on the run for months, moving from shelter to shelter, old habits didn't die so easily. She surveyed her surroundings, which wasn't much. A grocery store, bank, and pharmacy looked to be it for the small town. A loud growl sounded from her stomach, reminding her food was needed after two days of nothing, but bread and water. With her book bag on her back, she hurried through the doors of the gas station. A shaggy-haired teenager sat behind the counter, engrossed in a comic book.

"Excuse me. Can you point me in the direction of the Keller Ranch?" She asked.

He looked up from reading and gave her a once over, before speaking. "Hang a right at the stop light. Follow the road about five miles to the outskirts of town. Hang another right after you pass the white church and you'll run right into it," he stated, before lowering his eyes back to the comic book, effectively dismissing her.

She looked down at the flip flops on her feet and released a sigh. Walking was not an option and even if public transportation had been available, she couldn't afford it. After glancing at her shoes again, she resigned herself to the only mode of transportation she had, her feet. "Ma'am, are you walking?" The young clerk asked just as she reached the door and touched the handle.

She peered over her shoulder at him. "Yes," she muttered, wondering at his sudden case of inquisitiveness.

Her intense gaze obviously embarrassed him, assuming from the sudden flood of color to his cheeks.

"I...I ask because the foreman for the ranch just pulled up," he stammered.

Catherine couldn't contain her smile. "I am and you just made my day. What's your name?"

"Kade with a K."

"Thank you so much, Kade. I owe you one."

He smiled briefly before looking away. Catherine chuckled to herself as she exited the store. Kade was shy.

A massive white dually truck sat in the parking lot. Upon further examination, it appeared the truck was empty. She spun around, with the intention of finding the missing driver, and slammed into a hard chest. A hand reached out and steadied her balance. Slowly looking up, she met brown eyes behind a pair of spectacles.

"Whoa there, little lady."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were behind me," she said, embarrassed by her actions.

"It's all right. I don't think the collision caused any damage. I think it's safe to say we don't need to get our insurance companies involved.

Catherine rewarded him with a smile knowing he was attempting to add a dose of humor to the situation.

"Are you the foreman for Keller Ranch?"

"I am. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I'm Catherine. William Keller hired me to be the new cook for the ranch. I'm to report to his brother, Vincent. Only problem is, I rode the bus here and I don't have a ride out to the ranch."

"Say no more. I'm JT and I'd be happy to give you a ride. I'm headed that way as soon I fill up. You go ahead and hop in the truck and I'll top off."

"Thank you," a grateful Catherine said.

"The pleasure is mine ma'am," he said, tipping his Stetson.

…

Vincent removed his Stetson and wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief. He had been mending fences most of the day, a job he abhorred, but with winter around the corner, mending fences would be next to impossible in the frigid weather. He looked across the land he owned. A spread of green meadows, rolling hills, a catfish pond and a meandering scenic lake. The beauty of country life never ceased to amaze him and he was a country boy through and through. A hint of sadness washed over him, reminding him of his loneliness. He had everything he could dream of, but a wife. It wasn't by choice or from a lack of trying. Small towns weren't ideal for meeting new people. Sure, he had dated, but most women detested the idea of ranch life. Even the local girls were looking for a one-way ticket far away from country life. Although, he kept telling himself he was okay with the status quo, in the back of his mind, he longed for a family, one with a wife, and two or three children. For now, he would have to be content with his ranch, the one thing that always brought a smile to his face. It was pointless to covet a life, he would never have. Maybe marriage wasn't in the cards for him. After all, he had his friends and his dog, Zeus.

The sound of an approaching ride brought Vincent out of his musing. He looked up to see one of the hands galloping toward him. "Boss, Sable is in labor. The vet is on his way. I'll finish up here, if you want to go monitor her," the rider said.

"Thank you, Corey, I believe I will," Vincent said, already headed toward his horse.

He untethered his horse from a nearby post and hopped up into the saddle. Resigning himself to the long night ahead, he made a kiss sound and his quarter horse set off in a brisk lope. He reached the stables minutes later. After unsaddling his horse, he brushed him down before heading to the barn to check on Sable.

...

Catherine found herself captivated by the lush, green rolling hills as the Keller Ranch came into view. After crossing over a cattle grid, she looked across the pasture at the cows grazing in the distance. Her eyes flitted back and forth, unable to fully appreciate the picturesque view due to the speed of the truck. She made a mental note to purchase a camera and take some pictures later for a scrapbook. She assumed between preparing the meals, she would have a lot of downtime to explore the stunning countryside. The gravel road winded around and soon she saw a beautiful two-story farmhouse with a wrap-around porch. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Being a city girl she had never seen so much beauty in its natural state.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" JT asked.

Catherine snapped her head around, surprised by JT's voice. She had been so engrossed in the view, she had forgotten about him. "I don't think I've seen anything more enthralling. It must be heaven to wake up every morning to this breathtaking view."

"There's nothing better. It motivates me to get my butt in gear."

JT pulled the truck up to the front of the farmhouse. "I'll go see if Vincent is back from mending fences, if you'll wait here."

"Okay."

She watched JT walk briskly toward the stables and took a deep breath and released it. Freedom was wonderful and she couldn't wait to explore the ranch or just curl up under a tree and read a book, until her eyes grew heavy.

Minutes later, JT emerged from the barn, followed by a tall, handsome guy. One she was sure had been or could be a model. Surely that wasn't Vincent. No man that handsome would work on a ranch voluntarily. She hastily exited the truck and walked around to the side they were approaching.

"Catherine, this is Vincent, the owner of Keller Ranch. Vincent, this is Catherine, your new cook. I'll leave y'all to work out the rest of the details. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance Catherine and I look forward to tasting your cooking soon."

"Nice meeting you, JT, and thanks for the lift."

He tipped his hat and headed for the stables.

Catherine could tell by Vincent's facial expression, his brother hadn't informed him of his new hire. "Your brother didn't tell you he hired me, did he?" She asked hoping he wouldn't send her away.

He raised his hat slightly and scratched his head. "No, I'm afraid he didn't, but I did discuss my need for a cook with him, so I guess he took it upon himself to find me one. Can you cook Mrs.?"

"Chandler, but you can call me Catherine. And it's Miss." She said, remembering belatedly that he had inquired about her cooking skills. "And yes, I can cook."

"I don't mean to be rude, but I have a heifer in stage one of labor and I need to monitor her, until the vet gets here. I will show you the room you'll be sleeping in and the kitchen, but I'm afraid a tour of the whole house will have to wait."

"It's okay. I understand. What time is dinner served?"

"We eat at six o'clock. You can cook whatever you want. We're not picky eaters."

"Thank you, Vincent. I promise you won't be disappointed."

"I'm sure I won't be either. I reckon we'd better get the dime tour over with then."

Catherine nodded and followed him inside.

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