Kindle Edition
Amazon
Category:
Holidays
ISBN-10: 1729147267
Type: Fiction
Pages: 71
Copyright: October 22, 2018
ISBN-13: 9781729147269
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
Desperate former foster kid, Simone Allen, is sleeping in her car and barely surviving.
Beau Hadley is a rich kid. Brought up by loving parents on the Silver Shoe Ranch, he’s never wanted for anything. When their worlds collide, sparks fly, despite Simone being forbidden fruit.
Can these two make their love work? Or are the obstacles in their way insurmountable? Will Simone simply walk away, or will she fight for her man?
Author's Promise: This is a heartwarming Christmas novella with a happily ever after ending and no cliffhangers. It is a clean and wholesome story with nothing more than hugs, kisses, and holding hands
Excerpt
Chapter One
Simone Allen woke to loud tapping on her car window.
“You can’t sleep here, lady,” the cop yelled through the closed window.
She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and slowly sat up. Despite the blanket covering her, she was chilled to the bone.
Glancing around, she remembered where she was – about eight hours out of Grand Falls, Montana.
The cop stood his ground, continuing to stare through the window at her, indicating for Simone to wind it down.
She was stiff from too many nights sleeping on the back seat of her old jalopy. She was beyond hungry; she hadn’t eaten much for days, and only had a few measly dollars left. Maybe enough to buy breakfast?
She wasn’t convinced.
Once that was done, she was dead broke. She had enough gas to get to her destination, but if the job didn’t work out, she had no idea how she’d get back home.
But then again, where was home? She’d been roaming for months. With no work, nowhere to live, and very little money, she’d lived the life of a ghost.
She wanted it to end.
Finding that advertisement was like discovering a gold mine. The newspaper was months old when she came across it, but she still gave it a shot.
She’d sent off her application using the local post office as her address. With only limited experience, she applied to be the new cook at the Silver Shoe Ranch in Grand Falls, Montana.
She’d had to stay put until she got the response, but it was worth the wait.
Many days of driving, and no money for hotels if she wanted to eat at all, Simone set out on her great adventure.
And now she was only hours away from learning her fate.
“Sorry, Officer,” she said. “I was afraid I’d fall asleep at the wheel, so pulled to the side for a nap.”
He nodded but didn’t speak.
“I must have been more tired than I realized.” She looked at her watch. “I’ve been asleep for about six hours.”
He straightened up. “It’s alright, Ma’am. Just be on your way and we’ll forget about it.” He started to walk away but she called him back.
“Wait!” she shouted to his retreating back. “Where can I get some food? Cheap.”
His eyes burned into her, and she swore he could read her mind. “Two blocks down and turn left. The little church there runs meals three times a day. Everyone is welcome.”
She felt the heat creep up her face. She’d been through some hard times in her life, but she’d never been quite this desperate.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, suddenly aware of just how low she’d fallen.
He tipped his hat and walked away having no idea how much that meal was going to mean to her.
* * *
Simone braced herself against the cold Montana weather.
When she answered that advertisement, she had no idea what she would be getting into.
The little information she knew was gleaned from the letter she received from Vern Hadley, the ranch owner. She knew she was going to be the new ranch cook since their cook of more than twenty years was retiring.
But he didn’t say how many she’d be cooking for. She wondered how big his family was – three or four kids and his wife, perhaps? She shivered, not necessarily because of the cold, but wondering if she would stack up to their expectations.
There were going to be very big shoes to fill.
She was worried too, because she’d agreed to a trial period, not a solid job. And she really needed something more secure. She was done with a life of roaming; she was ready to settle down in one place.
She didn’t have such a cold location in mind, though.
Upmost in her mind was ensuring she worked hard and secured the position permanently.
Mr Hadley’s letter said their current cook, Mrs Simpson, would be there long enough to teach her the ropes, and then she would be gone. Three to four weeks, or perhaps a little longer.
She gulped in the cold air. How hard could it be? She’d been cooking since she was a teenager. She’d even helped out in the kitchen at the local hotel.
Simone stood on the porch rubbing her hands together and praying for someone to rescue her from the harsh weather. She lifted her icy cold hand, poised to knock once more.
“Well hello there.” She felt the warmth of a roaring fire ooze out the front door, and longed to be next to it. “You must be Simone Allen?”
She nodded, her voice momentarily lost.
The man was around six foot – tall, dark and handsome, and most likely her boss.
Simone shook her head against the thought.
“Come in, come in out of the cold.” He motioned her inside. “You must be freezing in that flimsy get-up.”
He wasn’t wrong, but she had nothing warmer.
“We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow.
She continued to rub her hands together. “I made better time than I’d expected.” She had no intentions of telling him she’d run out of money. She had to arrive early or not eat for another day. Maybe two.
Unless she found another church or soup kitchen along the way. She wasn’t willing to risk it.
She had a death grip on her overnight bag. Practically everything she owned was in it. More importantly, the brooch her mother had given her when she was ten was in that bag.
He nodded and led her into the living room where several people, men, sat around the fire.
“I’m Hank Hadley, by the way,” he said, stretching his hand toward her.
She shook his hand, then studied the cozy room with its roaring fire, and comfy looking chairs. It seemed like a real friendly place. Then she noticed the three men staring at her. Looking her up and down, assessing everything about her.
“Your hands are freezing,” he said, as if he was telling her something new. “This is my father Vern, and my brothers Nash and Beau.”
She approached each one and shook their proffered hands, keeping a tight grip on the bag. “I’m very pleased to meet you all,” she said quietly.
“Honestly, Hank,” Beau said. “You didn’t think to take the lady’s luggage?” He was up in a flash and snatched it up from her. She kept a close eye on it. “If you’ll follow me, Ma’am,”
“Simone,” she said, slightly shaken that her possessions had been whisked away.
He frowned. “If you’ll follow me, Ma’am, er, Simone, I’ll show you to your room.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly, a little overwhelmed by it all.
He pushed the door open with his foot and motioned for her to go first. “It’s not much,” he said. “But it’s comfortable, and warm. We look after our staff here at Silver Shoe Ranch.”
She looked around, mouth agape. It was better than some of the hotel rooms she’d seen when she worked part-time as a cleaner, way back when she was at high school.
The double bed had an ornate bedhead, and the comforter looked cozy enough she wanted to lay down on it right then and there.
There was a leather chair in the corner, and a small writing desk opposite the bed. A small wardrobe stood next to it.
He placed her bag in a corner, then proceeded to close the curtains. “Make sure you keep these closed overnight, and while you’re dressing. Always while you’re dressing. We have cowboys on this ranch. Lots of them, and they don’t often get to see a pretty lady.”
He grinned, and it changed his entire face.
“I,” Simone wasn’t sure what to say at that precise moment. His words had really taken her aback.
“Follow me and I’ll show you the bathroom.” She worried if she’d remember where everything was, but it seemed easy enough.
They were on their way back to the living room when he declared. “Where are my manners? I didn’t even give you time to take the weight off your feet. I do apologize Ma’am. Er, Simone.”
Mrs Simpson was handing out hot beverages and offered Simone a warm drink. “Hot chocolate or tea? We don’t do coffee at this hour of the night.”
Simone laughed. “Who doesn’t drink coffee at night?”
All eyes turned to her. “It’s a tradition,” Beau told her. “It’s early to bed, early to rise. You’ve never worked on a ranch before, have you?”
Was he mocking her? Because it sure felt like he was. Four sets of eyes were suddenly staring at her. She wanted to shrink into the floor boards.
“Don’t mind this lot,” Mrs Simpson said. “They just ain’t used to a refined lady such as yourself.” She put her arm around Simone and walked her to the kitchen. “Now’s a good as time as any to check out the kitchen.”
The entire house was surprisingly warm. After the freezing temperatures she’d endured over the past days, she fully expected it to be cold inside.
Once they reached the kitchen, Mrs Simpson turned to her. “A couple of things you need to know; breakfast is at 5:30.”
Simone swallowed. “5:30 AM? In the morning?” She must have heard wrong.
Mrs Simpson laughed. “You’ve definitely never worked on a ranch before. Have you worked as a cook?” She looked sternly at the younger woman. “I mean, ever?”
Simone took a deep breath, certain she was about to be told to hightail it out of there. “No Ma’am,” she said softly. “Apart from a part-time job in the hotel kitchen when I was at high school, this will be my first time.”
The older woman laughed. “This could be interesting.”
Simone frowned.
“My dear girl, you obviously have no idea what you’re getting into. Vern didn’t tell you?”
Now Simone was really worried. She’d driven the past four days to get here, sleeping in her car because she didn’t have money for a motel room if she wanted to eat. And now it appeared as though she was about to be sacked.
Before she even started.
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