"I live in Seattle."
He nods. "Nice place, but small town livin' suits me better. Where are you heading?"
"Callaghan Ranch." I don't worry about telling the old guy. He seems harmless enough.
"I know Arthur Callaghan. His family are good people. Well, I won't take up any more of your time. Safe travels and tell Arthur that Lloyd says hello."
"Will do." I wave and walk toward my truck. After filling the tank with gas, I hit the road again.
Turns out, Callaghan Ranch is a few miles down the road. A sign hangs above the entrance road. Green pastures and white fences line the road leading to the large two-story house I see in the distance.
I pull around the circular drive and park my truck. Beyond the house, several yards out, is a roomy stable.
"You must be Easton." I turn at the sound of my name to see an older man sitting in a rocker on the front porch. The man looks to be in his late seventies, is at least six feet tall, and has broad shoulders and a reddish grey beard.
"Yes, sir." I get out of the truck.
"Lev and Summer told us you'd be joining us today." He stands and greets me with a handshake. "Do you do drugs?" His eyes narrow.
I fight a smirk because the look on the old man's face tells me he's dead serious."No, sir."
"Good. Name is Arthur Callaghan. Welcome to Callaghan Ranch." He looks around, standing a little taller. "I'm gettin' ready to head for the co-op for some horse feed, so let me take you to meet Cat. Cat is my granddaughter and she helps me run the place. She′ll get you settled in your room."
I fall in beside him as we head across the property that leads up onto a gravel road. "Cash there—" Arthur points to a brown and white horse "—is our purebred Appaloosa stallion."
"So, you breed and raise horses?" I ask.
"Quarter horses, Mustangs, but we also board horses that belong to outside individuals." Arthur sounds a bit winded from the walk.
"Are you okay?" I ask..
"I'm fine, son. Just a little old age tryin' to kick me in the ass." We walk into the stables. "Cat!" he shouts.
"Back here Daideò!" a woman's voice calls from the back of the building.
"Our guest is here!" Arthur shouts again, but Cat doesn't answer. "I'll be right back," he states and leaves me standing near a stable where a horse decides to take notice of me.
"Hey there." I rub the friendly horse's forehead.
"Grandpa, I'm covered in hay and horse manure." I overhear the woman talking.
"Come on, now. A little dirt hurts nobody," Arthur tells her, and I chuckle.
A few seconds later, a petite woman with a mass of curly red hair walks out of a horse stall beside Arthur, looking down and brushing off her clothes. I admire the curves she's showing in those dirt-stained jeans. I find myself hypnotized by the way her hips sway as she strolls toward me. The blue tank she wears showcases her full breasts and tiny waist. Even the old worn boots on her feet are sexy as hell.
She lifts her head, and a pair of eyes, one blue, one brown—framed by long red lashes—lock with mine. I feel my body sway like the ground fell from under my feet.
What the fuck was that?
Cat stops in front of me. A spattering of reddish freckles decorates the apples of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She's not wearing a smidge of make-up. Everything about this woman is natural and flawless. She is mind-numbingly beautiful.
Cat's face scrunches. "What's wrong with him?"
"Son, are you alright?" Arthur asks, sounding concerned. Quite frankly, so am I.
"I'm fine." I shake off the strange feeling that took control of my body and plaster on a winning smile.
"Meet my granddaughter, Cat. She's the glue holding all this place together these days," Arthur says. He beams with pride when he looks at her, and to me, that says a lot.
