Chapter 3
Our trail ride went great. Rio was better behaved then Dimitri's mount who was an experienced working horse. My three year old showed a considerable interest in the cattle and Dimitri made a comment that I should start teaching him to work cattle. The young stallion certainly had the mind for it. I was convinced he was too smart for his own good. Just a week earlier I had to install a latch halfway down his stall door so he would stop letting himself and the thirteen other horses in his barn out for a walk. He also had a habit of pushing me down when he knew I wasn't paying attention.
By the time we got back to the barns it was starting to get dark and both the horses were extremely sweaty from the work. We hosed them down and walked them in the indoor until they were completely cool. I didn't want to take any chances with Rio after what happened in Oklahoma. I know I was being a little paranoid and was extremely grateful to Dimitri for humoring me without a word. Like my uncle, he truly understood. All the men on the Bar 3, who I had come to consider family, truly understood why I was so hurt. Knowing that they didn't think I was just over reacting had helped me mend.
One thing that struck me as amazingly different in Montana was the stars. In Oklahoma I had lived 'in the middle of nowhere' and compared to town the stars from my place had been amazing. But not even that could top the view from the Bar 3. It was spectacular and breath taking. I felt like I could reach up and touch the moon. In the months spent on the ranch I had come to know the beauty of the land. Some of it was simply because when it came right down to it I was a country girl at heart. The only way I was ever leaving the ranch would be kicking an screaming or in a coffin. It was home like no place had ever been home to me.
"Penny for your thoughts," Dimitri mused as we leaned against the front bumper of his truck.
My mind had been a million miles away. I turned my head to look at him. His face was cast in shadow under his black Stetson hat. I was hit again with just how pleasing to the eye he was handsome just wasn't a strong enough word.
"God seems so close here. You're very fortunate to have grown up here," I told him.
He turned his gaze on me. I felt him smile more then I saw it.
"Why do you think I came back? I loved college and the rodeo and the traveling, but I was homesick for wide open range and my mountains," he said quietly gazing towards the mountains.
We fell back into silence, both our minds millions of miles away at that point. I don't know how long we stood there just enjoying the peace and contentment only a beautiful and satisfying day can bring.
Eventually we headed for the house. The evenings were cooler and a chilly breeze had started to come off the mountains. Both of us were a little chilled. Dimitri built up a fire in the living room and looked through the DVD s in the cabinet. I warmed up bowls of beef soup, made cornbread, and some hot chocolate. Never in my life had I heard of cowboys that didn't drink coffee, but no one on the Bar 3 particularly cared for the stuff. There was always some around and occasionally some one would sit and have a cup, but not often. We were an odd bunch to be together.
Dimitri chose 8 Seconds and another movie. I had poured the pop corn into a big white plastic bowl so we both settled in on the couch to watch. Baxter, who had followed along with us on our trail ride, flopped on the wood floor in front of the fireplace and was snoring up a storm exhausted from his trip. As I began to warm up a little bit I began to feel pretty sleepy myself. I was still having trouble adjusting to the downright warm days and way cooler nights. It had my internal temperature all mixed up.
I was curled up on two sections of the couch with my toes tucked under Dimitri's butt where they were toasty and warm. I made it through the first movie and halfway through the second before I was out like a light. The next thing I knew I was deep asleep. Very vaguely I remembered a blanket being tossed over me and hearing Dimitri clean up the dishes. Baxter curled up next to me at some point. Dimitri finally shook me halfway awake around midnight and carried me to my own bed.
)))
The rest of the weekend was great. I don't think I spent more then ten hours inside. By the time Monday morning came around I was sun kissed and full of energy. Dimitri let me drive to school. He dozed all the way into town. I stopped his truck in front of the school and let it idling while he slid out of truck and shook himself awake. I impulsively hugged his waist as we passed each other. He was to sleepy to resist.
"Smile. It's Monday," I told him.
He smiled a cynical smile and ruffled my hair and lean down to look me in the eyes.
"I hate Mondays." he said.
I rolled my eyes and headed for school. Before going in the doors I turned and waved at him. He revved the engine playfully then drove off. I laughed and pulled the metal doors open. Not ten steps down the hall Jamie Long latched onto me and tugged me with her to her locker. I was used to the treatment. She meant well, but she was a gossiper and honestly believed she was doing everyone a favor by spreading their business to anyone that wanted to listen.
"So who's the lucky cowboy?" she asked eagerly.
I was not only extremely confused, but also instantly on guard. Anything I said to her would be known by the entire town of Cherry Knob, Montana by the end of the school day.
"What lucky cowboy?" I asked carefully.
She gave me a 'yeah right' look and closed her locker. I slowly pushed myself away from the wall of lockers I had slouched against. It seemed that no matter how determined I was I wasn't going to have a good day. We started down the hall toward my locker. Got to love a tiny school.
"The one you completely blew Bobby Jo off for," she said impatiently.
I frowned. What the heck was she talking about? Someone should inform her it wasn't nice to play confuse the blond even though I wasn't blond. I didn't see where the sport was in that. It was too easy. Especially on a Monday morning.
"Sorry if I sound completely ignorant, but I really don't know what you're talking about." I said so innocently
I received a chilling stare.
"You and some cowboy went flying out of here on Friday without even looking back," she reminded me.
My eyebrows furrowed. I did not go flying out of anywhere Friday with any cowboy... except Dimitri. I frowned harder. It wasn't like I blew off a date with Bobby Jo for a date with Dimitri. I just wanted to go home. With Dimitri, People are stupid. And you know the saying "You Can't Fix Stupid".
"I went home and rode my horse with Dimitri," I offered.
"Trudie Jones said he was 'a drool worthy hottie'," she informed me, complete with airborne quotation marks and wink.
I grinned. So Dimitri was good looking cowboy. More importantly he actually had a brain in his head. He was very capable of intelligent conversation and actually listened when someone spoke to him. He was also a very good cook. That man was going to make someone a very good husband. That thought made me frown to myself.
"He's a friend of mine. Nothing more," I said firmly, slamming my locker to punctuate the statement.
"Then why did you two peel out of here like hell was after you?" Jamie asked with confusion clear on her pretty face.
I laughed.
"It was the first time I was going to take my three year old to ride outside the arena. I was excited. He did very well by the way," I told her, a bit exasperated.
"Then why does he have a pet name for you?"
I stared at her. I had absolutely no idea how she got hold of information like that. It was like she had hidden cameras all over. I shuddered at the thought. As for her question, I had no idea why he had a pet name for me. It seemed to have stemmed from one time when he told me I sure was a piece of work, but that I was a sweet piece of work. From then on out I had been deemed 'sweet britches'. I really didn't want to ask. Whatever floats his boat.
"It's a long story and it's none of your business. He's a friend of mine. He's also way to old for me to be dating him and neither of us would be looking for a dating relationship if we were closer in age," I said slowly and firmly, hoping she would get the point.
She didn't.
"I like your sweatshirt. Where'd you get it?"
I nearly growled. My good mood was completely gone. Poof. Out the window. It wasn't coming back. That in itself made me grumpy.
"A friend gave it to me. Are you done prying yet? It's really starting to test my patience," I snapped. "It's my business. Not yours."
Janie shrank back from my hard tone. She nodded. I turned on my heel and headed for the library to find some peace and quiet. I may be brunette, but I've been told more then once I have a redhead's temper. I even get a bit of a lift to my voice when I get mad. It comes from my mother who grew up with a mother that comes straight from Ireland.
The rest of my day went along the same lines. By lunch time I was ready to knock somebody's block in. I know it wasn't the right thing to do, but at that moment it would sure make me feel better. I stalked over to Bobby Jo's table at lunch. His group of friends stared at me a little apprehensively. I had no idea that I looked ready to kill.
"I need to talk to you," I told him, my tone clipped.
No one ever accused me of not getting straight to the heart of things. Luckily he realized I meant I needed to talk to him right then and he followed me away from prying ears. I turned to face him when we were by the cafeteria doors and out of the sight of most of the students.
"What is going on?" I demanded immediately.
He looked extremely confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Janie accosted me first thing this morning, something about blowing you off for a completely drool worthy cowboy, and the rest of my day hasn't been much better. What is going on?"
He had the grace to look sheepish.
"She wanted to know why you weren't at the party with me Saturday after the rodeo. I was still upset that you didn't even listen to me," he offered, rubbing the back of his neck.
Understanding dawned on me. I felt the anger leave me. I sighed and met Bobby Jo's gaze.
"I'm going to be completely frank with you," I warned. "Dimitri Belikov is a very good friend of mine, not to mention the fact that his father owns the ranch where I live and my uncle works for. There is nothing else there. I'm very sorry I've been rude to you. I'm not looking for a boyfriend or a dating situation right now. Guys don't tend to like the time my horses take. It wouldn't be fair to you or me. On the other hand, no one can never have enough friends."
He quietly looked at me and let that information absorb. I met his warm brown gaze evenly. After a few seconds he smiled.
"Has anyone ever told you you're pretty amazing?" he asked with a laugh.
I sighed and blew a few strands of hair off my forehead.
"So I've been told, so I've been told." the last part came out in a whisper.
