Forever Dreams (Montana Brides, Book 1)

Chapter Two

Gracie smiled at the shiny blue bags stacked on the back seat of the pickup. She'd only found a handful of clothes in Walmart. But in the space of one short hour, Sandra Lee's Fashion Boutique had become her favorite store.

They'd come across the store by accident. Gracie called it fate. From the moment she'd seen the color-coded racks of clothes designed for women under five-foot-two, she'd known they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

"I think I've fallen in love."

Trent choked back a laugh as he turned onto the highway. "It's just as well Caitlin's not around to hear you say that. So the dreamy expression on your face means you're happy?"

"I'm so happy I could kiss the person who shoved my suitcases on a plane going to Budapest. If they hadn't messed up majorly and you hadn't suggested Walmart, then I might never have discovered Sandra Lee's."

"I take it you're planning a return trip into town?"

"At least one." Gracie reached for the catalog she'd left beside her carry-on. "I can even shop online."

"Why do I get the feeling you're about to max out your credit card?"

Gracie smiled at the worried look on Trent's face. "You don't know how hard it is to find clothes that fit me. Nothing needed to be shortened, tweaked or tailored. Ruby even said she'd call me when their next shipment arrives."

"Ruby?"

"The sales assistant. Ruby Monroe. She moved to Bozeman to be closer to her boyfriend and when they broke up, she decided to stay."

"You talked about Ruby's boyfriend while you were trying on clothes?"

"Ex-boyfriend and it's called multitasking. It's something women are good at." Gracie didn't need to see his raised eyebrows to know he didn't believe her. "It's true. Wait until you see me on the ranch."

That earned her a moment of silence. "Have you ever worked on a ranch before?"

She glanced at Trent, not sure how much his mom had told him about her. The only thing she knew about a ranch was to close the gates and watch where you put your feet. Most people probably wouldn't be too impressed with her limited work experience, but Trent wasn't most people. At least she hoped he wasn't.

"I've fed baby lambs from a bottle and watched sheep being sheared. Does that count?"

"It would if we raised sheep. We've got two and a half thousand heifers and not one sheep in sight." A frown slid across his face. "I thought New Zealand had more cattle than people."

"We do, but there's not much need for cows in the city, except on the supermarket shelves. I've taken my class to visit farms around Wellington, but we've only gone to see the animals and not help with anything else."

"Do you know what you've signed up for, Gracie?"

He sounded worried, and maybe disappointed, so she tried to make him smile. "Early mornings, late nights and lots of hay?"

Trent shook his head. "I hope you're ready for a steep learning curve?"

Gracie didn't think anything could be as bad as what she'd been through in the last year. "Ready and willing, boss."

Trent looked straight ahead and Gracie closed her eyes. After the constant drone of the airplane and a whirlwind shopping spree, her energy levels had dipped to zero.

Right about now, Trent was probably cursing his mom and Gerald. She didn't mind what chores she did as long as she got a few hours sleep tonight. Tomorrow would be soon enough to rethink the plans she'd made for Bozeman. Plans that involved more than teaching and a ranch vacation.