Chapter One
~Big Sky, Montana~
Hope looked at her place and thought that it was the perfect place to start a life. It was a Wildlife Reservation/ Veterinarian Clinic and it already had all of the wildlife and had all the equipment that she would need. All she needed now were employees and that would come in time. She had Rachel and some volunteers from the high school that was near here. Hope already put up an ad for work and hoped that people would start to come and ask about employment or to see the park.
"I finally did it, I finally finished my dream. Well at least the biggest one." Hope said smiling.
Hope knew that her family was not happy that she decided to move to Montana but she had to do her own thing. Her parents told her that it was a mistake but if it was then it was her mistake to make not theirs. She loved her parents but it was her time to be on her own and try to do what she wanted and so far it has gone real good. She had to take out some loans to do it but she hoped to be able to pay them off when the business started to pick up.
"What do you think of it?" Rachel asked coming up beside Hope.
"I think it is beautiful and that we will have a lot of business." Hope said smiling at her friend.
"I think so too, come on we need to go to the grocery store and stock up." Rachel said.
"Yes and I want to stop by these two breeders that I looked up, well three breeders." Hope said smiling.
"Of course. You found two German Shepherd breeders?" Rachel asked smiling at her friend.
"Yes, it wasn't too hard to find them. I have enough money left over for them and everything else. I also want to look at a Doberman breeder just to ask some questions." Hope said.
Rachel laughed and they got into their car and left to head off to the grocery store. Hope thought of her friend Rachel, Rachel had come with her from Arizona cause it was both of their dreams to live here. Though it was her dream to open the Wildlife Reservation/ Veterinarian Clinic, Rachel was behind her the whole way. She couldn't imagine her life without Rachel and the support she gave. Rachel was the one that helped Hope get on with her plan and not let her parents talk her out of it. She smiled she was glad that her friend was with her in this. When they got to the Grocery store they got out and went into and decided what they would need.
"We probably should have made a list." Rachel said laughing.
"Well probably, but I am pretty sure we can do it without it." Hope said chuckling.
"Well I guess we will need things for breakfast." Rachel said.
Hope nodded and they decided to get some cereal, oatmeal, and jelly. They also got bread and lunchmeat and cheese and all the condiments needed. Soon all they needed was the dog supplies and food, they soon got that and were up at the register waiting to pay for their things.
"I'll pay for this." Rachel said smiling.
"Thanks." Hope said chuckling.
Hope looked over and saw that a fire truck just came in and parked at the side of the Grocery store. She was caught by one of them; he was gorgeous, tall and broad shouldered. His face looked like it was carved of stone except for a few scars, and one bad burn scar that covered one side of his jaw and down his neck. The thing that lightened up his face were his eyes, they were a soft grey, warm. Hope blushed when he caught her looking at him; she quickly looked away and quickly left when they finished paying.
"What was that all about?" Rachel asked teasingly.
"Nothing something just caught my eye." Hope said blushing still.
"Oh, something not someone?" Rachel teased.
"Shut up." Hope said scowling and getting in the car after putting the groceries in the back.
Rachel chuckled and got in the car and they drove away and left to go see the breeders. When they got there Hope got over her embarrassment because she was far away from that man. She smiled when she saw the puppies and grew excited when she saw a solid black puppy.
"Hello, you must be, Hope." The woman said smiling.
"Yes I am." Hope said smiling.
"Well this is the litter. They are nine weeks old, and need to be potty trained, well the black one is almost potty trained." The woman said.
"Is the black one a male?" Hope asked.
"Yes, he is. He will be pretty big. Oh, by the way my name is Linda." Linda said.
"Nice to meet you, Linda. Can I hold the black one?" Hope asked smiling.
"Of course. Here you go." Linda said picking him up and handing him to Hope.
Hope smiled and laughed as the dog licked at her face, she knew that this was the dog for her.
"How much is he?" Hope said nuzzling the puppy.
"Well he is $400, the rest are $600. He is less just because not all people will go for the big dog and he will be big." Linda said hoping that she would make the sell.
"I'll take him. Has he had all his shots?" Hope asked.
"Yes, we do that when they get to the right age, there is only one shot he needs and he cannot get that until he is 6 months old." Linda said.
"Alright." Hope said.
Linda went into the house and got the paperwork and then brought it back out. Hope signed everything and gave the woman the money and then took the paper work that she needed and the cage that the woman provided and then got in the car and left.
"Well I got my first puppy and his name shall be Shadow." Hope said smiling.
Rachel smiled she liked the dog and thought that he would be a good guard dog. They got to the second and Hope chose a female that was brown and black but pretty big and she named her Bella. They left and got to the final breeder and she got out and asked some questions about the Doberman. She wanted to know if it would be good with other pets, and people. She ended up getting a male Doberman.
"Oh, just going to ask question's huh?" Rachel said laughing.
"Shut up, its not my fault that they were so cute. And the man said that the dogs would be fine with each other if they grew up together. And he would be good with people who are invited into the house and not a danger to those he protects." Hope said smiling.
"I know it was a good idea to get them when they are all young." Rachel said.
Hope sighed and they got home and put all the groceries away and got the dogs settled in their beds before they decided to go and watch some T.V.
"Well today was a good day, you got your dogs and we got the kitchen stocked." Rachel said.
"Yea today was a good day." Hope said sighing.
"What happened today at the grocery store?" Rachel asked.
"Nothing someone just caught my eye." Hope said.
"Oh who?" Rachel asked curious.
"Just a Firefighter that came into the store." Hope said hoping Rachel would leave it alone.
"Why?" Rachel asked.
"I don't know he just looked like I don't know a god. But the only flaw that I saw was a couple of scars on his face and a bad burn scar on one side of his jaw and neck. He was tall and broad shouldered, and his face looked like it was sculpted from stone. But his eyes were so soft and warm, they were a light mixed with a dark grey." Hope said smiling.
"And let me guess he caught you staring and you looked away embarrassed and that was why you blushed." Rachel said.
"Yes, but he was good looking, but someone like him wouldn't like someone like me." Hope said sighing.
"What do you mean someone like you?" Rachel asked.
"Well I am a little overweight and I have boyish features." Hope said.
"No you do not. You are beautiful." Rachel said.
"Oh, really well I didn't know you went that way Rachel." Hope said smirking.
"Oh shut up." Rachel said scowling though you could see that she was laughing on the inside.
"Well come on lets go check on all the animals and make sure they are settled in and everything is alright." Hope said.
They made there rounds and found that nothing was wrong so they decided to head back in. They sat on the couch for a while before they made dinner and then headed to bed for the night. The puppies slept in their cages inside Hope's room as they settled in for the night. Though that night Hope dreamed about the sexy firefighter that she saw today. She dreamt that he was interested in her and that he tired everything to make their time perfect. She dreamt that he was a perfect guy for her but she knew that guys like that did not go for girls like her.