HAPPY *LATE* BIRTHDAY EVA. YOU'RE THE BEST FRIEND I'VE EVER HAD. THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR ME. LOVE YOU ALWAYS.
Meet me underneath that big Montana sky
Mikael Mikaelson stands in the doorway, watching the dark-haired man working at his desk. He can see how hard he's concentrating on his project, still he lightly raps on the door.
"Now there's a man after my own heart," the enters Damon's office, and takes a seat. "I do like to see my employees working hard."
"Yes, sir, how can I help you, Mr. Mikaelson," he pauses his work and gives his full attention to the older man.
"Have you looked at the email I sent you?"
"You send me many emails, which one are you referring to?"
"The one about the Whispering Pines Guest Ranch in Montana," Mikael makes himself comfortable in his chair.
"I did read it but I have to ask, what is it about the place that has you so interested?" Damon leans back in his own.
"I saw an ad for the ranch and did a little research online," he stands up and approaches Damon, "It's sitting in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by lakes, forest land, opportunity and I want it."
"What if the owner doesn't want to sell?" Damon walks him to the door and crooks his finger to his secretary to join him.
"That's where you come in, it's your job to convince that person."
"I guess I'm going to Montana," Damon chuckles.
"You are indeed because you're my best asset when it comes to acquisitions," Mikael nods, stepping aside for Vicky to pass. "I'll talk to you soon," he adds and leaves the office, snapping the door closed behind him.
"Vicky, I want you to find out all you can about the Whispering Pines Guest Ranch, it's somewhere in Montana. The owner, financial status and the like."
"I'll get right on it, boss," she pauses in the doorway, "Anything else?"
"No, thanks Vick," Damon closes the door behind her...
"Good morning!" Elena greets Sheila even more exuberantly than normal.
"You're in a happy mood this morning," the older woman observes while stirring her muffin batter.
"It's a gorgeous day isn't it," Elena walks over to the sink and glances outside before reaching into the cupboard to grab herself a cup.
"It really is," Sheila agrees before turning her attention back to her baking.
Bonnie pads into the kitchen with her hair sticking up at odd angles and rubs her eyes. "Morning grams, Elena," she pulls out a chair and sits down, and lays her head on the table, her eyes falling closed almost immediately.
"How about breakfast?" Sheila gives her a nudge.
Bonnie raises an eyelid, quickly perking up at that and soon her grams is sliding a stack of pancakes with butter and hot syrup in front of her. "You make the best pancakes in the world," she mumbles through a mouthful of them.
"Well, Elena's aren't too bad either," Sheila winks at her then reaches for a silicone mitt to pull a pan of peaches and cream muffins out of the oven.
"Bonnie is right," Elena fills her coffee cup and sits down with her laptop at the table to look at her email and the reservation list. She owns the Spirited Sky Guest Ranch, inheriting it after her parents died unexpectedly. "We have 6 families arriving tomorrow. Are those cabins ready?" she looks up at Sheila.
"Yes, the girls finished cleaning the last one yester..." her voice trails off when the handyman Enzo enters through the kitchen door.
"Morning," Bonnie perks right up before spearing another pancake with her fork.
"Morning," he kisses his girlfriend on the cheek.
"Last night's storm took out a section of fence again, it took us a while to get the horses settled."
"Did we lose any?" Elena gets up and fills a coffee mug for him.
"Three, but we rounded them up," he takes a long swallow then sits down beside Bonnie, smiling when Sheila hands him a stack of pancakes. "Looks delicious," he slathers them with butter and syrup then takes a mouthful.
Elena smiles when Sheila reaches for the carafe, refills everyone's mug then sits down to eat while her muffins are baking.
"Thanks..." she nods and clicks on an email. "Huh?" Elena mumbles under her breath.
"Something wrong?"
"No, just an email from someone named Damon Salvatore. It says the corporation he represents is interested in investing in the ranch."
"Is it legit?" Enzo glances quickly at Bonnie.
"I don't know. I guess I'd have to do a little digging myself. But if he is on the up and up, we could really use a cash infusion. Mortgage, fencing, plumbing, remodeling. There's so much to do."
"Don't get your hopes up, Elena," he cautions before putting the last bite of pancakes in his mouth.
Damon looks up when he hears the rap on his door before it opens and Vicky comes in carrying a file.
"What do you have for me?" he gives her his full attention.
"Here's what I could pull so far. It's a family business built in the 1940's. The current owner, Elena Gilbert inherited the place when her parents died."
"What else do you have?" He tents his fingers.
"She's several months behind on the mortgage. The loan manager at the local bank, Tobias Fell, gave me the details, he's quite eager to get the property off of his hands."
"Sounds like a fairly easy acquisition. Can you please book me on a flight to Gallatin, Montana?"
"The closest airport is in Bozeman. You'll have to rent a car, it's about a 30-minute drive from there to Gallatin county."
"You're the best, Vick, thank you."
"And you remember that," she teases and leaves the office to make Damon's travel arrangements.
"Elena, I was planning to ride the line this morning," Enzo remarks, "I'm taking a group of kids along, we can stop along the way, there's one section of fence I want to check."
"That sounds good," Elena agrees, "I'm going to help Sheila get that brisket in the smoker and then we're going to make a huge pot of baked beans so we can eat around the campfire tonight. We're supposed to be getting a delivery of buns this afternoon. And I need to go over the books again to see if I can squeeze some cash somewhere."
"Somehow, it'll work out, Elena. I feel it."
"I hope you're right. Tobias Fell has been riding my ass incessantly."
"He is an ass," Enzo empties his coffee cup. "Where's Bonnie?"
"She's taking the younger kids on a nature hike. I'm sure they'll come back with bouquets of wildflowers," Elena smiles.
"One of these days, I hope we have our own little one."
"You haven't asked her yet?" Elena shoots him a look.
"I'm waiting for the right moment."
"That's what all the guys say," she laughs, and refills her mug, her eyes snapping to the door when it swings open, revealing Sheila.
"You ready to start on that brisket. It'll need to smoke for eight hours at a minimum."
"I'll leave you ladies to the cooking, I need to get to the stables, the kids are no doubt waiting for me," Enzo tips his cowboy hat and leaves through the kitchen door.
It's mid-afternoon but Damon doesn't see much beyond the headlights from opposing traffic. Along the way the Rocky Mountains loom on either side of the highway. Ragged peaks of deep browns and purples are striking against the blue sky. Only when the highway starts its ascent does he realize the sheer size of these monoliths. As he continues, the road leads into the pine forests, a myriad mountain lakes and streams.
When he reaches the Gallatin city limits, he pulls into a gas station to fill up, get something to drink and ask directions to the ranch...
"Hello," Luke Parker blows out a puff of smoke as he considers the stranger.
"You work here?"
"Yep, just stepped out for a cigarette break," he explains. "Tourism is big business here, where you headed?"
"I have a reservation at the Whispering Pines Ranch, you know where it is?" Damon pulls the nozzle out of the pump and starts to fill his rental car.
"Follow this road out of town for about five miles, make a left turn at the 4-way and then you'll see a sign directing you to the ranch."
"Nice place?" Damon's curious.
"You must've thought so if you booked a reservation?" Luke drops his cigarette butt and stomps it out.
"Yeah, the pictures looked nice but what about word of mouth?"
"Never heard any complaints," Luke mentions over his shoulder before going back inside the minimart.
"Thanks," Damon hangs the nozzle back on the pump then follows Luke inside to pay for his gas. After picking up an energy drink, he steps on the gas pedal and extends his arm at Luke when he pokes his head out of the door.
He slowly climbs the mountain road that's supposed to lead to the ranch, it seems almost impossible to reach the top. He wonders if he took a wrong turn when rocks and deep potholes shake his SUV. Pulling to the side of the road, he steps out to look around. The fresh clean mountain air enters his lungs, invigorating him as he scans the incredible view. Granite peaks rise from the ground as if they're reaching for the sky - the peaks of the Rockies sculpted by the raindrops of eons. Sighing at the pristine beauty, he walks into the tree cover a short distance to relieve himself then turns around and drives back, now noticing that he missed the ranch sign the first time.
The road is deeply covered with huge pines and baby aspen trees. A short while later the ranch appears. He stops in front of the big log building. It's built into a steep hillside and fits beautifully into the local vernacular. The stone foundation grounds the structure while the wood siding suggests a rustic style and gives it a timeless and very charming look.
He walks backwards for a few steps to eye it more closely. Large wooden decks, patios and balconies extend the indoor spaces outdoors and add depth and detail to the overall design of the building. All of the details help the house blend in and allow it to better take advantage of the panoramic views over the mountains surrounding it.
"I can see why Mr. Mikaelson wants this place," Damon mutters under his breath, his head snaps to the side when he hears a voice.
"Can I help you?" a brunette approaches him.
"Yeah, I think you can," he extends his hand. "I'm Damon Salvatore, I have a reservation."
"Yes, you're from the investment firm."
"That's me," he smiles.
"I'm Elena Gilbert, I own the place. Why don't we go inside, get you checked in then I can show you around?"
"Sounds great," Damon opens the trunk, pulls out a suitcase and follows Elena up the stairs and into the building.
Walking behind the desk, Elena hands him a room key. "I know it's not a fancy key card but I want to keep this place the way my parents left it. Just last week all our guests got together around the campfire. We had a singalong, smoked brisket and beans. It was amazing."
"Sounds like it," Damon hands her his Visa and after signing the receipt, Elena steps out from behind the desk and leads him upstairs to his room. She unlocks the door and steps aside, allowing him to enter. It's a rustic style room with a horse painted headboard. He looks up at the chandelier, it's cowboys roping horses. The quilt on the bed is neutral with western style plaid and plain throw pillows and there's even a fireplace in his room.
"Is it okay?" Elena sets the key down on the beside stand.
"It's perfect. I should've paid attention before I booked a room but do you have Wi-Fi?"
"We do. I'll let you get settled in," Elena nods and leaves the room.
Damon smiles at the sound of her footsteps trotting down the stairs.
"It's really beautiful here," Damon pauses to take a drink of water.
"I wouldn't want to live anywhere else," Elena offers, twisting the lid off of her own bottle.
Dropping it back into her pack, she leads him further up the mountain. The area they begin is rather sloping. The trail is steep and treacherous in spots with a 1700-foot rise in elevation over the 3-mile trek. As they climb, the mountain is covered in Ponderosa and Lodgepole pines. The trees are incredibly high and thick.
The air is fresh and clean; after about a half hour of climbing, Damon hears the sound of a mountain stream tumbling down from the rocks above them. He pulls out his phone and starts to snap pictures. The air smells of moss and soil, and the water itself is cold and crystal clear.
"Is it cold because of the elevation?" Damon asks, looking out over a clumping of rocks with a pair of binoculars, the panorama is spectacular, he sees a moose in the shrubs next to a lake. "Look over there,'' he points and hands her the glasses.
"We have a ton of wildlife around here, mountain lions, bears, deer. My dog Gus has a merry old time with the marmots, and chipmunks and all the creatures that live up here."
"You have a dog?" Damon looks at her curiously.
"Well yeah, I own a ranch. He's black, gray and white. I adopted him from a local shelter... and he owns my heart," Elena smiles, thinking of her angel.
"I'd like to meet him," he stuffs the binoculars in her pack and then they start further up the well-worn trail.
After another half-hour of hiking up the mountain, they finally reached the halfway point. Elena looks over at Damon to see that his shirt had turned from a light gray to a dark gray and that his face is glistening in the rays of sun that had escaped from the hands of a three-story tall green giant. They walk a little more towards a cliff, which is like a rocky natural balcony. As she leads him closer, a strange yet refreshing breeze opens his eyes.
Damon realizes they're standing right next to a gentle beast of a waterfall. The moisture in the air gives him goosebumps and the breeze raises the hairs on his arms like little disciplined soldiers. He's a little hesitant at first to approach, but then sticks out his hand to feel its overpowering force. Even with all the power the water holds, he'll remember it as being gentle, maybe because it's daytime. Darkness always seems to make things seem more intimidating.
"It's simply stunning up here. Do you have a favorite spot, you know the kind of place you escape to think?"
"You're looking at it," Elena runs her hand under the flowing water too.
"So, we should talk. I'm representing my company here, Elena. From what I can see, this property has to be very valuable. I mean, the sheer amount of acreage alone," Damon stares at the grandeur for a moment before turning to her. "I'm here to speak about financing but have you ever considered selling it outright? You would probably never have to work or worry about money again," Damon feels her out.
"I don't know what I'd do with myself if I didn't have this place, it's my whole life, I can't give it up, I won't. I will admit I'm behind in the mortgage but with an infusion of capital, I want to remodel the cabins, some of the older ones are in need of some plumbing. The mortgage can be brought up to date. More cabins and advertising means more customers. There's so many things that need to be done."
Damon smiles, thinking he can use her zeal to his advantage. "Sounds like you have everything figured out?"
"I do, if you can convince your company to invest."
"I'll be sending in some specs later," he confirms and breathes in the fresh mountain air. The summer breeze is refreshing with the scents of fragrant wildflowers and pine trees fill his senses. When he looks at Elena, he notices how her mane of chestnut-colored hair mingles with flecks of golden sunshine.
"Thank you, Damon."
Not realizing he's staring, he quickly blurts out, "no problem," he gives her a twisted grin when she waves a hand in front of his face.
"If we want to get to the summit, we better get a move on."
"Lead the way," Damon extends his arm. Rocks spring up from the ground as if they're reaching for the heavens. Fifteen minutes later, they're standing on the mountain top looking at the landscape spread out all around them. He starts snapping pictures again, making sure to grab a few of Elena too knowing it'll be a long time before he has another afternoon like this.
On their way down the mountain, Damon trails behind her and when she looks over her shoulder and smiles, he finds himself mesmerized...
This is short. It started out as a o/s but I decided to split it.
For purposes of this story, there is an incorporated city of Gallatin, MT. In actuality, it's a county. And I know I said 'South of Santa Fe' would be next but I felt bad about missing Eva's birthday. I got inspired hearing the song, 'Meet Me in Montana' by Marie Osmond and Dan Seals as well as a movie which I will identify at the end of the story.
Be sure to check out Eva's Story too. "Christmas Carol" by siberia21.
Thanks for reading and do let us know what you think.
Have an amazing day.