Page 19 of Unexpected Temptation

I t was quick work when they both carried in the groceries and put them away.

Jaylen folded and slid the last paper sack under the sink before he turned to her.

“How would you like to see the rest of the ranch?”

“I would love it,” Amelia exclaimed.

“Good, let’s bring in your things, and you can unpack tonight. I want you to see it during the day. I would like us to find that jacket. The breeze is chilly up here.”

He wrapped his arms around her and bent to kiss her forehead. Amelia stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and tried to deepen the kiss.

Jaylen jerked his head up after a long, heated moment and stared down at the woman who had already conquered his heart.

“If we keep this up, nothing’s going to get done.”

Amelia giggled but took a step back.

Stopping was the last thing he wanted to do, but it still wasn’t the right time.

“You’re right,” she murmured unhappily and followed him out the back door.

It took a few trips to get the suitcases, boxes, and bags of new clothes in. She found the coat and snipped the tags off before sliding it on.

After everything was in piles on top and around the bed, he pulled her along outside. They stopped and said hello to Princess and the other horses in the barn closest to the cabin before they walked a path through a stand of trees.

It took ten minutes. Longer than she thought it would, because the path hadn’t been in a straight line but curved like a snake the whole way, and Jaylen had taken the time to point out things to her. Amelia gasped when they hit the other side.

It was like an entirely different place.

There were three massive barns scattered around.

All looked brand new. Further away was a long, low building that resembled a motel, but the doors were farther apart.

Next to that was a smaller barn, she couldn’t guess what it was for.

Men and horses were scattered about, and the noise level was louder than where the cabin stood.

Jaylen watched her expression and chuckled.

“I guess you didn’t expect this?”

“No, it’s so much more than I expected.” She looked up at him in amazement. “How did I not hear any of this? We’re not even a quarter of a mile away, are we?”

“It has something to do with the grove of trees between us and the fact that the wind is usually going away from us. It makes a big difference. I can definitely hear this at the cabin when the wind is up and coming my way.”

“You’ve done all of this in the short time you’ve been home from the military?”

“Yeah, a great uncle owned it. His health was failing, and he couldn’t be this far from the hospital. Sadly, he only lasted a few weeks after he sold.”

Jaylen looked around the place. He wished his uncle had lived long enough to see it.

At least Jaylen had been able to make the last days of his life as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

He’d put him in the best retirement home he found within driving range and had visited him every day.

He’d been there with his family when he’d taken his last breath, so he had never been alone.

“When I bought the place, it had the cabin and a dilapidated barn. The first thing I did was take the barn down and build a new one. I brought in a few horses and started training.”

“How did you learn to do that?” Amelia asked as her eyes darted from one thing to another, trying to take it all in.

“I grew up on a ranch in western Texas.”

“Is your family still there?”

“No, my dad passed away a while ago, and I was already in the military so I couldn’t help my mom or sisters with the ranch. Mom decided to sell it and move her and the girls closer to me here in Utah.”

“How close do they live?”

“They’re about a three-hour drive from here.

I try to see them a couple of times a year.

They’ve been up here a few times. There’s not enough space for them to stay for long, and I can’t be away from the ranch for long periods.

I’m looking forward to building a big enough house for several bedrooms. A few for guests and the rest for our children. ”

Amelia slid her gaze up to his to catch him smiling down at her.

“Going a little fast again?” Amelia asked with a smirk on her face.

Jaylen shrugged and pulled her closer to him with his arm around her shoulders.

“Maybe, but I’m pretty confident we’ll work out.”

Amelia snorted. She stiffened, and a whimper escaped when she caught sight of Wolf walking their way.

“Easy, Sweetheart. He won’t hurt you.”

Jaylen gave the beast a sit command and then grabbed her hand.

“Here, let him smell your hand.”

She tried to pull away. “Oh , God, I’m going to have my hand ripped off,” she whimpered under her breath.

Jaylen bit back his chuckle. “Don’t worry, Sweetheart. I won’t let you go, and I definitely won’t let him rip your hand off.”

“I know I must look like a wuss, but I’ve really never petted a dog in my life.”

Wolf sniffed her for a moment, then swiped his tongue over her fingers.

“Yuk!” she said and chuckled.

Jaylen released her and laughed when she held her hand out in front of her face with a disgusted look on her face.

“Just wipe your hand on your jeans.”

Amelia scrunched up her nose and wiped the drool away from her fingers.

“We’ll spend more time with him so you can get used to him.”

She didn’t want to think about that yet. She was still terrified of the dog, and she didn’t know how she’d be able to get over it.

He showed her how to pet the dog, which was pretty much the same as a horse, and she’d done that numerous times.

“He’s so soft,” she whispered in surprise.

“When he gets to know you, he’ll want to snuggle with you.”

Her startled eyes shot to him. “You’re kidding?”

“Nope, the beast loves to cuddle with the humans. I think it has to do with him being rescued from an animal shelter. He hadn’t had a lot of attention or affection, so now he craves it.”

Amelia stared down at Wolf and continued to comb her fingers through the dog’s hair.

“I know how he feels,” she whispered.

Jaylen’s hand rested on her back and moved in a soothing manner.

He had many questions, but it was the wrong time and place. Several of his hands had noticed him and were waving him over. He gripped the back of her neck to get her attention.

“I want to talk about this later. Right now, I think I have to deal with some questions.”

He grasped her hand tightly in his and smiled.

“Let’s get over there. I want everybody to meet you.”

Amelia nervously peeked up at him as they walked.

“What are you going to tell them about us?”

“How we came to meet is none of their business. I will introduce you as my close friend.”

Amelia laughed. “Girlfriend sounds very adolescent, doesn’t it?”

“Yup, and I’m way too old for that. I wish I could introduce you as my fiancée, but I know you’re not ready for that.”

Amelia shook her head. “You’re right. It is too soon.”

Jaylen bent and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“I know, Sweetheart.”

Amelia cleared her throat and pointed to the long building.

“Is that where they sleep?”

“It’s a bit more than that. Each is like a small apartment.

It features a living area, bedroom, bathroom, and a small kitchenette, allowing them to prepare their own meals.

There are four that are larger because families live there.

We might actually have to build more. A few of our guys are in serious relationships. ”

“Families?”

“Yes, we have four guys who are married or living with a woman, and one of the couples has a small child, and another one is pregnant.”

Amelia looked around and couldn’t see any of the women. Jaylen pointed to the building next to it.

“That’s the chow barn. We serve three meals a day for everyone. Three of the women help out there as a job to make extra money. The fourth one has the child, so she doesn’t have much time.”

They spent an hour walking around and introducing Amelia to everyone. Jaylen fielded question after question. Amelia was impressed with his knowledge and all he’d accomplished in a short amount of time.

The few women they met along the way were very sweet and kind to Amelia. Amelia fell in love with the little two-year-old boy. She wondered how the mom dealt with that big ball of energy every day, and then hoped she’d get the chance to know firsthand with her very own little boy.

Amelia commented on how nice everything was.

“I tried to make the place as appealing as possible. For the animals and people. I want everyone to enjoy living here. It’s hard to find people who like this kind of life. When you find them, you want to do what you need to keep them happy.”

“That makes sense,” Amelia said and nodded.