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He takes my hand again and its warmth startles me. “It’s the least I can do, after you saved my life.”
I contemplate his offer. Ranger squeezes his grip ever so slightly, his blue gaze direct.
“It’s just a week Darcy. Then I’ll head on to the next place.”
I’m not sure if it’s the closeness of this man’s body to my own or the very real need for help, but I find myself agreeing to his proposal.
“Okay, yes. A week. I’d be most grateful, Mr. McLeod.”
Ranger smiles and I know I’ve made the right decision. And it’s not just because his smile makes my insides turn to mush, but it’s because I reallydoneed someone to help get things back to working order. The tractor is a problem for future months, but the daily weeding and threshing has been made nearly impossible without functioning tools.
After all, I’m the only person at the farm at the moment, and I honestly can’t even remember the last time someone offered to help. I’m weary to my very bones, and a week of someone like Ranger helping me out is bound to make a difference.
Abashed from our conversation, I finish my breakfast quietly and quickly. In a way, it’s as if I want to prove to Ranger that I not only know what I’m doing, but that I have just as much get up and go as him.
For the rest of the morning, we fall into an easy rhythm: Ranger fixes posts, realigns doors, and tinkers with tractor, as I feed the animals, repair the hole in the chicken coop, and weed the garden.
Around noon, I go into the kitchen to prepare lunch. It’s been a productive day, and it’s thanks in a big part to my new guest. With his steady pace of work, I also feel more motivated to accomplish my own tasks. I smile as I watch Ranger through the kitchen window, tinkering with the tractor. He’s shirtless and his chest glistens in the hot noontime sun, showing off solid pecs, six pack abs, and a delineated “V” leading to …
Stop,Darcy,I warn myself.Your guestis gorgeous but that doesn’t mean you should be ogling him like a girl at a candy store.
My daytime fantasy is interrupted by the roar of the tractor coming to life.He fixed it!I throw up the window and shout my excitement across the yard. Ranger smiles and raises his arms in victory, echoing my cheer.
As he goes back to tinkering with the machine, I close the window and watch him. I am grateful Ranger’s fixed the tractor, but a small part of me is sad that day one of our week together is almost over. I try to reason that it’s just because my guest is handy, and that he knows exactly what needs to be fixed.That’s all, nothingmore, I tell myself as I try to push away errant thoughts.It’s just business, and nothing personal.
But of course, I know that’s not true. After just one day together, I’m starting toneedRanger, and it’s kind of scary. I guess I’ve been alone for so long that I forgot what it was like to have company, much less a handsome man who knows his way around a farm.
I go back to making sandwiches, determined not to think too much about our limited time together because there are other, more pressing, issues at hand. The McLaughlins want to take over my farm, but with Ranger’s help, maybe I can hold them off for a little while longer.
4
RANGER
I’ve only been at the Fields Farm for a few days, but it feels like a lifetime. I manage to keep myself busy improving the property in all the little ways I can think of, and Darcy does the same.
At first, she was shy about her list of tasks, but her reluctance has disappeared now that she realizes how much I reallycanhelp. Already the little house and even the yard look better. I let Darcy maintain control of the crop and vegetable gardens, but I help with all the other things, including managing the animals, tools, and the land.
We’re also slowly getting used to each other. Sometimes the sweet girl seems to forget that I’m also living her house, and on more than one occasion, she’s stripped to her bra and panties right in the hallway after getting muddy from being out in the field. The first time, I could see her through the screen door in the yard, and it was nice to appreciate her beautiful figure without disruption. The next time, however, I’d gone into the house for some water and startled her in the hallway.
“Ranger!” she nearly screamed. “Oh sweet baby Jesus.” She ran half naked up the stairs and I couldn’t help but laugh until my sides ached at her hasty retreat. The mishap made for a very bashful lunch together, with Darcy wearing a flannel on top of her regular tank top despite the heat.
We eat every meal together, sometimes talking, other times just sitting together in easy silence. Always the food is delicious, fresh, and well-made. It’s obvious to me that Darcy is a woman of many talents, and I grow more and more curious to learn her full story, not just the story relayed to me by my brothers.
At tonight’s dinner, our fourth one together, Darcy surprises me with a five-berry pie for dessert. The steak, potatoes, and pea tendrils have all been cooked to perfection. We’re both enjoying fresh water and Darcy has thoughtfully placed the port out for me to enjoy later.
“I guess I was too little to understand when my mother passed.” Darcy is telling me about her life, and I listen quietly while sipping at my alcohol. “I was about six, and Pa handled it best he could, but I think it hurt a lot more than he ever let on. I mean, I was really happy as a kid, given everything. But sometimes,” Darcy pauses, her voice wavering slightly. “Sometimes I would catch him touching her few pieces of jewelry, or staring at the picture of her he kept in his shirt pocket.”
“I’m so sorry, Darcy.” And I genuinely mean it. It pains me to know that the beautiful, strong young woman sitting across from me has already experienced so much pain in her young life. I’m surprised by my emotions and try to reel them in.
“Well, we made things work, me and Pa. I had so many chores, good lord.” Darcy laughs, relaxing into her chair. “Pa didn’t have a lick of sense when it came to raising little girls, so he dressed me like an itty-bitty farmhand. Loose overalls, his old flannels that’d been shrunk in the wash.” Darcy shakes her head. “They were always way too big for me, those shirts. Now they barely fit, I’m so big.”
I look at Darcy.She’s got that part right, I think in admiration. Her body is full and womanly and altogether delectable. Every time I see her – in a nightgown, overalls or leggings – it makes me burn inside.This woman’s fucking gorgeous,I muse.
“You’re beautiful, sweetheart. Don’t ever let a soul tell you otherwise.” My declaration comes out more fervently than I intend, and Darcy blushes a charming pink across her cheeks.
“Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I appreciate the compliment.”
We eat some more of our dinner, each of us a little embarrassed but I’m also pleased by my outburst.Facts are facts, I tell myself in an attempt to hide my growing affection for Darcy.
