Page 6 of The Rancher's Wedding Deception

Seeing this, Hale knew from experience that the couple would be lost in their own world for a while. His attention then shifted back to the resumé still on his desk, and his jaw clenched.

One week, maybe two weeks tops.

He'd give this girl that long before the reality of hard work would make her quit, and good fucking riddance after that.

Present Time

EVERWIND, WYOMING

Orange. Brown. Red.

There's just really no other scent in the world like the early cozy days of fall, with its many warm shades painting its own fragrance.

The crisp dark green scent of pines and the rich earthy tones of cedarwood and damp soil. The aroma of wild herbs and the hint of freshness that always accompanies morning rain showers. If I could just mix it all and bottle everything up, I could have in my hands the next Chanel No. 5,au naturel.

A smile touches my lips at the thought.

There's nothing—-just nothing at all I find more intoxicating than the scents of this season, and oh my dearest Autumn...

You gladden my heart, you truly do.

It's already been years, but I still feel like pinching myself every time I think of how God has chosen to turn my life around.

After getting kicked out of Grace, and later on using up all of my savings after staying in a motel butnotbeing able to find work, I tried calling and messaging every person I was once "close" to.

Surely, oh surely,I remember thinking that time.

Surelythere'd be just one person who would be willing to help me out?

But reality exposed my naïvete, and I realized too late that being "close" to someone always came with an expiration date. And the lower you are in the social hierarchy, the sooner such closeness decays, for good.

Those days still make my heart ache when I remember them, and it aches even more when I remember crying at the bus stop while terror ate me alive. My future used to be unexciting but safe, and I just didn't know how to handle a future that was suddenly blank and bleak.

Even worse was how I suddenly hadn't been able to get rid of Henry's words out of my mind.I told you, didn't I? You're helpless without me. You're too stupid to live alone. You won't be able to make it without me.

I hadn't spoken to Henry since my first and last visit to him in the prison. I had never told anyone this - and still haven't - but Henry had asked me that time to sell myself to his former boss...in exchange for having his name cleared and all of his debts paid off.

It's time to get real, kid. He'll take care of you at least. But out there in the real world? They're going to eat you alive. You're going to get yourself raped. Kidnapped. Sold. You gotta choose the devil you know. Has no one ever told you that?

BOB.

As in, Big Old Bub.

That was the name of the devil Henry and I know.

And at that time, just realizing that I was actually considering swallowing my pride and asking for help from BOB had me sobbing uncontrollably.

Why am I so stupid?

Why am I so weak?

Why? Why? Why?

I remember looking around wildly about me, hoping even when there was nothing and no one to hope for.

And that was when I saw it.

Hello, Friend.