Page 10 of Falling For Her Cowboy (Silver Creek Ranch #9)

Chapter Six

R idge was running a little behind, but he’d still be on time for picking up Melah.

He’d run the stool samples to the clinic so they could be sent out.

He didn’t feel like keeping cow dung in his fridge until the morning, so he drove up to the clinic.

It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d done it but he truly wanted to get the samples processed because it was important.

He stepped out of his house and shut the door behind him.

Being a vet was not for the weary. After a few hours of playing in cow shit, he’d needed another shower.

He jogged down the steps to his pickup truck.

He slid into it and hit the start button.

The engine roared to life. He threw the vehicle into reverse and turned it around .

The drive to the women’s bunkhouse wouldn’t take him long. He glanced over at the time on the truck’s computer screen: fifteen minutes to spare. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He didn’t know why, but he was anxious to see Melah again.

Her questions earlier about his career choices touched him. It allowed him to think of all the hard work he’d had to put in to get to where he was today. Not many had a story like he did. There were so many men and women who came out of the military lost and broken with no options in life.

He’d trained hard in the Navy and given his all.

When he’d received his discharge papers, he’d been excited to go home so he could start veterinarian school where he’d had to train just as hard as in the Navy.

He’d graduated at the top of his class. He’d even had luck in obtaining a job before he’d finished school, thanks to Dr. Turner.

Not a day went by where he wasn’t thankful for all the opportunities he’d had in life.

That was why the Silver Creek Ranch was so important to his family. They may not be able to help all of the soldiers who came home lost and broken, but those they had were changed for the better. Ridge ensured he worked side by side with the men and women who came to the ranch .

The house came into view. There were cars and trucks parked in the lot near it. Not all of the hands stayed on the ranch. Most found rented housing in town. He drove up to the house and parked near the door. It was an old barn his father had converted years ago.

He shut the engine off and got out of the truck. The door opened, and Aimee stepped out.

“Hey, Aimee. How are you?” He ambled over to where she stood. There was only a couple of stairs and the doorway.

“I’m good. I hear you are getting Melah off the ranch.”

She attempted a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. He stiffened at the warning that burned bright in them.

“Yeah. She was trying to pay me for coming to see her horse last night.” He stopped a few feet away from her.

He read the warning loud and clear. She’d been here for a short while, and he’d spoken with her several times. She was definitely a momma bear type person, and her hackles were raised.

“She kept insisting, so I told her she could just buy me something to eat. ”

“So this is payment for Daisy and nothing else?” She arched an eyebrow at him.

He frowned at her expression. What was she trying to hint at?

“Nothing else.” He raised his hands to show his palms.

She studied him for a minute, giving him a nod. She glanced over at the door then glanced back his way.

“Listen, I don’t know much about her, but she’s been through some things. She has nightmares. Bad ones. The woman barely sleeps. Just be careful with her.”

Ridge ran a hand along his face. He hated to think that something had happened to Melah.

Even though he couldn’t say he was surprised.

Most of the soldiers who came here had interesting backgrounds to say the least. He remembered how she’d acted when he’d startled her in the barn.

Had she had a weapon on her, she definitely would have pulled a gun on him.

“I hear you, Aimee. We are just grabbing a bite to eat. Nothing else,” he repeated.

The door opened, and Melah exited the house. The air inside Ridge’s lungs escaped him as if someone had slammed something against his stomach.

He’d thought she had been beautiful in her jammies and the silk cap that had covered her head last night, or earlier that day when she was riding the horse wrangling cattle.

This Melah was a fucking knockout.

Her dark hair was left hanging down with soft curls on the ends. She had even put on light makeup and gloss on her lips. She was dressed in a soft cream shirt, jeans that looked as if she had to be poured into them, and sandals.

“Hey, guys.” Melah glanced between them with a curious expression. “Everything good out here?”

“Yeah, of course. I was out here busting Ridge’s balls. Giving him the ol’ ‘we girls stick together so he better be a gentleman’ chat.” Aimee grinned, and again, the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Ridge heard the warning again. She was Air Force, and he didn’t want to get on her bad side. He appreciated how Aimee was willing to stick up for Melah, but he was the last person who’d try to harm her.

“I’ll be fine. This is just grabbing something to eat. I haven’t really explored the town much, so it would be nice to know where there’s good food when I don’t want to eat here on the ranch.”

“And not eat Ms. Bee’s cooking?” Aimee gasped.

“You know what I mean. That woman has to take a break sometime.” Melah chuckled. She draped her purse strap on her shoulder and came down to stand next to him. She tilted her head back and smiled. “Are you ready for me to treat you?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded to Aimee and rested his hand on the small of Melah’s back and guided her to the passenger door of his vehicle. He opened it and assisted her inside. Once she was secured, he closed the door and walked around the front of the truck.

Aimee still watched him from the stairs. She slowly gave him a nod, then went back inside the building.

He slid into the driver’s seat and eyed Melah. The scent of her perfume filled the cab. He didn’t know what she wore, but he liked it. It was floral with a hint of warmth and honey.

“I hope Aimee wasn’t too hard on you,” Melah said.

“Nothing I can’t handle.” He chuckled. He started the truck and guided them down the main road of the ranch. It was still quite warm outside, and the sun as still shining. They rolled the windows down to allow fresh air to blow inside . “It’s nice that you two look out for one another.”

“Yeah. It’s only the two of us at the moment, so us girls gotta stick together.”

“You haven’t had any issues with anyone on the ranch, have you?

” He stiffened slightly. He quickly glanced over at her.

Unprofessional conduct would not be tolerated at the Silver Creek.

His father and Buck didn’t play those types of games.

All were welcomed on the ranch, but if someone treated any of the women inappropriately, it would be dealt with.

“Of course not. Everyone has been cool and welcoming,” she said.

“Good. If you do run into any issues, don’t hesitate to say something.”

Melah nodded at him and turned to stare out of her window.

He switched the radio on, and country music blared out of the speaker. He fumbled to lower the volume. “Shit.”

“Someone was jamming.” Melah giggled. She tucked her dark thick hair behind her ear.

He rolled his eyes at her. They arrived at the main highway. He brought his truck to a stop before turning onto the road. It wouldn’t take long for them to get into town from the ranch.

“Guilty. Some days I like to roll with the windows down with the music on full blast to unwind,” he admitted.

The last few days had been rough with the on calls blowing up.

After he’d dropped the samples off at the clinic, he’d rolled the windows down, cranked the music up, and jammed all the way home.

“Ain’t nothing wrong with that. I do my best singing in the car.”

“You sing?”

“You know what a screeching banshee sounds like?” Melah arched an eyebrow. Her plump lips were curved up slightly.

The need to find out if they were as soft as they looked weighed heavy on him. He wanted to pull the truck over and bring her into his arms so he could taste them, but Aimee’s warning surfaced.

She has nightmares. Bad ones.

What nightmares did she have? What had happened to her? Was that the reason she always appeared guarded? Someone like Melah shouldn’t have to suffer alone. She was a good woman with a big heart. He had learned that just by being in her presence for a short while .

“I can’t say that I do.” He tore his gaze from her and put it back on the road. It wouldn’t look good for him if he ran them off the road because he couldn’t stop staring at the exquisite woman beside him.

“Well, you would if you listened to me sing.”

They shared a laugh. He loved to hear the sound of her laughing and made a note to try his best to do what he needed in order to hear it again.

“So where are we going?” she asked. “I tried to search for the different restaurants in town.”

“It’s not that many in Ironhaven. If you want more options we’d have to go a town over, but Ironhaven does have some great options. I figured we’d stop at Sunrise Kitchen. They have some really nice food and just opened a few months ago.”

“Oh, I didn’t see that online.” She pulled her cellphone from her purse and swiped at the screen.

“It’s new. The owner is the granddaughter of one of my clients. She moved here last year and finally opened her diner.”

“Found it. Oh, the menu looks good. I am famished and I’m going to warn you. I like to eat,” she said with a wide grin.

She patted her stomach, and Ridge couldn’t help but watch her hand. His gaze slid down even farther and stopped at her thick thighs. The fantasy of her soft, bare thighs came to mind. He tore his eyes away and met her gaze.

“Me, too.”