Chapter One
This section of road leading through the wilds of Montana was precarious, narrowing significantly as it meandered through the wild mountain ranges of Montana. The strains of some sad and sorry country song played through the radio of my Ford Focus hire car. I scoffed at the tune, but it was to be expected, given my current location.
Being the avid independent traveler I was, I was on my way to a ranch stay in the middle of nowhere, USA, and there was no reason for my visit other than to explore off the beaten track. Sure, I loved to see the big cities and landmarks that everyone all over the world heard about. But my favorite part about traveling was getting to know the locals and getting involved in the cultures.
Recently, I’d come from visiting yurts and drinking horse milk with the people of the steppe in Mongolia and a trek up to Kathmandu in Nepal. Last year, I’d leased out a cottage in the Welsh countryside for five months and used it as a base to explore the entirety of the UK and some of Europe. In the past few years, I’d visited South East Asia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific, too.
Now I wanted to experience life on an American cattle ranch. I’d found a property nestled amongst the foothills of the mountains. The place looked spectacular in the photographs, and I couldn’t wait to see if it was as beautiful in person.
Having had enough of this dreary country music, I pressed the tune button on the radio in search of some rock or RnB. I hit on another country channel, then another one before I landed on a church service, but still no fun music. I dared to take my eyes off the road for what I thought was only a moment to glance down at the radio.
When I heard a siren behind me, I snapped my eyes back up and peered through the rearview mirror at a police car bearing down on me. I sat ramrod straight. “Shit!” I hissed as I pulled to the side of the road.
The huge black four-by-four pulled in behind me and the door swung open. I leaned against the steering wheel and buried my face in my arms and swore to myself I would never try to tune the radio whilst driving ever again.
A knock on my window made me jump out of my skin. I lifted my blue eyes to a handsome cop who was sporting a wide-brimmed hat and a uniform consisting of a brown, button-down shirt and tan pants that clung tightly to his trim hips. The sun glinted off the star on his chest as I lowered my window. “Hello, officer.”
“Ma’am.” He gave me a single nod and a stern look. “Are you aware you were driving on the wrong side of the road?”
I widened my eyes. “I was what?”
He drew his lips into a thin line. “Do you have your license and registration handy?”
Digging through my bag, I produced my international driver’s license and the hire car form.
“Thank you.” He took it from me and inspected both items. “You’re from Australia?”
“Yep.”
“What brings you to Montana?”
“A holiday. I mean vacation.”
“Here?” The officer glanced around with his eyebrows drawn together.
With a nod, I wrung my hands on the steering wheel. “I like to visit places off the beaten track. I’m so sorry for driving on the wrong side of the road. In Australia, we drive on the left and it’s so hard to train my brain to do otherwise. I thought I was doing well, but…”
The cop interrupted me. “Okay, I’ll let you off with a warning. But remember, in the U.S. we drive on the right-hand side.” He handed back my documents. “Oh, and ahhh… keep your eyes on the road.”
“But I was—”
“I saw you messing around with your radio.” He jabbed his finger in its direction.
Shit, I thought and cringed. “It’s because I hate country music.”
He chuckled. “You’re in Montana and you hate country music? I’m sure you’ll get along fine here.” His sarcasm was biting. “Try 105.2. It plays a variety. But make sure you tune it before you drive off again.”
“Yes, officer,” I grumbled.
He tipped his hat towards me. “Have a nice day, ma’am.”
“Sure.”
I waited for him to drive off in his proverbial monster truck before I tuned the radio. Once I’d found the station he mentioned, I continued on my way. Thankfully, it wasn’t much further to my accommodation, though I almost drove past the entrance to Misty River Ranch. Slamming on the breaks, I reversed before turning onto a dirt track. The scent of pine in the mountain air greeted me as I maneuvered the vehicle up an incline to a house surrounded by pine trees. Beyond the pines, I spotted an open, grassy expanse that led right up to the base of some impressive mountains.
The house itself was as incredible as its surroundings. Made of stone and logs, and painted black, it stood out from the environment, yet at the same time, it was perfectly suited to it.
I stepped out of my car and took a few moments to breathe in the fresh air, admire the view of the surrounding forest, and enjoy the sound of birds singing. Cattle mooing and horses neighing further off as the cool breeze rustled the leaves on the trees.
“Welcome to heaven, Sarah,” I muttered to myself.
The peace was shattered when I heard the barks of a couple of dogs, including the baying of a hound echoing from the house. A tall, broad man with a big bushy beard stepped out onto the verandah. “Can I help you?”
“Hi, I’m Sarah Mitchell. I booked your cabin for three months,” I said as I approached with some caution.
“Right, the Australian. Great to meet you, Miss Mitchell, my name’s Boone.” He came down and I marveled at how his hand completely swallowed my own as he shook it. “I hope you had a good trip.”
The collection of tribal bracelets jangled on my wrist as we released one another’s hands. “Thanks. It was a long one, but beautiful all the same. I drove from Seattle.”
Boone’s eyes widened. “Wow, you must be exhausted. Do you feel like eating dinner later?”
“Definitely.” I glanced at the two dogs who were circling around me and sniffing my legs.
“Miss Mitchell?” Another handsome man made his way down the stairs from the porch and approached us. This guy had a five o’clock shadow and his hair was shaved close to his scalp. “Axton Powell. I believe we spoke via email.”
“Oh, yes, of course. Hi, it’s great to meet you.” I nodded at them both.
“Well, I guess this is where I leave you for now. The B&B portion of our property is Axton’s brainchild.” Boone jabbed a thumb in the other man’s direction. “It was nice to meet you. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Okay, see you.”
Boone whistled at the dogs and went back to the house.
Axton waved his hand. “Let me show you to the guest cabin.”
“Thank you. I’ll grab my things.” I opened the trunk of my car and began to gather my luggage.
Axton jumped to my aid. “Here, let me help you with those.”
He took my old-fashioned, hard, beige suitcase and my Mickey Mouse tote bag while I carried my cardigan and purse, then he led me around the side of the main house.
I slowed my pace when the red log guest cabin came into view. “Wow, it’s beautiful.”
We went inside and I realized it was spread across two levels. We stood in a tiny living area with an L-shaped couch, a timber armchair, a small coffee table, and a stone fireplace. To our right was a four-person dining setting and a cute kitchen with a breakfast bar built-in under a loft.
Axton set the bags down and pointed to the loft. “That’s the bedroom right up there.”
“I love this. It’s adorable.”
My stomach flipped when Axton flashed me a charming smile. “Thanks. I put a lot of work into this place, so I’m glad you like it.”
“I totally want to sign the guest book already.”
Axton paused. “I don’t actually have one.”
My mouth dropped open. “Why not?”
“You’re our first guest. I only got the website and the social media page up and running a week before you messaged me.”
“Am I your guinea pig, then?” With a smile, I tucked my hands into the back pockets of my jeans.
“Yeah,” Axton said with a nervous grimace.
I didn’t want him to feel embarrassed or self-conscious. “I don’t mind. As long as I’m allowed to properly experience life here. I am, right?”
“Sure. Have you ever ridden a horse?”
Shaking my head, I said, “Not a horse, but I’ve been led up the Himalayas on a mule.”
It was Axton’s turn to be surprised. “Well, okay then. Similar thing, I guess. I’ll test you out on Captain. If you do well, you can come out and round up some stock with us.”
“That sounds like fun. I’m so up for that.” I bounced on the balls of my feet.
Axton chuckled in good humor. “Okay. Well, I’ll let you get settled. Dinner will be at six on the dot.”
“I’ll be there.” I gave him a small wave and as he exited the building I crept over to the door and peered out the glass panel, staring at the way he walked with a perfect posture, his shoulders pulled back and his head held high. I checked out his denim-clad arse and began to feel flushed.
With a shake of my head, chiding myself for being so shallow, I picked up my luggage. As I climbed the small staircase to the first floor and found my way to the bed, I admired the timber logs that made up the cabin and the double bed that was positioned diagonally from where the pitched ceiling met the wall. The blanket on the bed was red, which complimented the red tinge the timber was stained with.
With a sigh of relief at having arrived safely at my destination, I dropped my luggage onto the floor in a heap and sank onto the bed. My body was screaming at me to lay down, but I resisted. My plan was to have a shower, then head over to the main house for dinner. If I crashed now, I’d never get up again.
I glanced at the time on my phone. It was only 4 p.m., which meant I had plenty of time to kill before dinner.
As I stepped into the shower, I wondered what they might serve tonight. I also wondered how good at cooking Axton and Boone were instead of thinking about how hot they were.
