Only You (Wild Creek Ranch Series Book 4)

Chapter Two

Four Years Later

Sawyer was extremely excited as he walked over to their huge horse training pen. Last year, after passing out, he had been very busy with their family businesses. Russell and Rowland left for Las Vegas to handle their flagship hotel, The Imperial. River had left for Huntsville, Alabama, where her mom's parents lived. The other brothers helped with their family businesses, too.

With their joint efforts today, they were the biggest dairy producers in the vicinity. They were also into horse rearing and sales. Rex, Rhett, along with their dad, Keith Wilson, trained the horses thoroughly before selling. His dad, Kevin Wilson, had just retired from the manual work and preferred the accounts work instead. Their dad's youngest brothers, uncle Kendrick and uncle Kennedy, looked into the animal husbandry part of their business and into the packaging of dairy products. Uncle Kendrick's wife, aunt Helen, was a vet and she kept a check upon all the animals on their farm and ranch. Their sons, Ryan and Ryder, four years younger than Sawyer, just came home a year back after graduating from school and helped too. While Ryder was studying finance, Ryan was into the undergraduate program in Animal Nutrition at a reputed college in Great Falls nearby.

Uncle Kennedy, the youngest, was quite cool and ran The Imperial in Las Vegas for which he and uncle Kendrick traveled a lot to Las Vegas. He's helped by Russell and Rowland, who had permanently shifted there. Uncle Kennedy's wife, aunt Charlotte, was a fashion designer and ran a small boutique at the Fordsville market place. Their children, Raine and Ronald, were the babies of the family, being nine years younger than Sawyer and were adored by all. They studied in Helena and came home only on holidays.

Sawyer was about to finish his training when he heard a car pulling up in front of the main house. He knew she was here. She had graduated from school and had returned home forever. Sawyer sighed, remembering the last four years. He had avoided her purposely, not coming home when she was there.

Last year, however, things were different, as Renée didn't come home for her Christmas holidays and spent time with her best friend at her house. He hadn't seen her for so long. She was seventeen already, with her eighteenth birthday coming up in a few months. He wondered whether she remembered her confession that evening four years back. He hadn't been able to forget it.

Maybe she had moved on with so many good-looking guys falling for her killer looks. He had heard tales from Ryder about her being the heartthrob of their school. Although Ryder assured everyone that Renée wasn't interested in any of them yet Sawyer couldn't stop feeling jealous. He seethed with fury and wanted to really go to her school and teach every one of them a lesson.

Renée climbed down from the car and looked around at her home, Wild Creek Ranch. At last she was back, but where was he? She hadn't seen him for the last four years. Her heart started beating faster and faster as she neared the house. What would she do when she saw him? What would she say? She hadn't forgotten him, even after so many years. The love that she felt for him had grown stronger and deeper with each passing day. He lived in every cell of her body. She wouldn't be able to survive a single day without thinking about him.

The sound of grunts and shouts from the training pen floated through the air. Renée could recognize that voice anywhere. It was Sawyer's. She heard it every day in her dreams. Curiosity got the better of her and she couldn't control herself. She wanted to see him so badly.

Walking around the house, she took baby steps towards the backside, all the way towards the training pens, her heart hammering in her chest. She could distinctly make out Sawyer's ripped body riding a wild chestnut stallion. Her eyes hungrily took in his shirtless body, glistening with sweat as he worked with the magnificent animal, looking equally magnificent himself. His muscles rippled as he effortlessly tamed the wild creature.

Renée couldn't move, seeing him after so many years, looking more gorgeous than ever. She wanted to hug him and tell him that although she'd grown up and matured; she hadn't stopped loving him even for a day. He was wrong, after all! She could see that he had grown and matured. His body had filled up so deliciously. She wondered if he found anyone yet. At twenty-three, he might have a girlfriend already.

Suddenly, he looked at her, and Renée froze. She had to get away. She couldn't face him. Even after so many years, he affected her so much, she couldn't say a thing in front of him. Seeing him had brought back memories of the rejection that she had gone through four years back.

'Run, Renée, he's not yours and never will be,' her inner voice reasoned.

She whirled around and ran back towards the house, not even stopping once to look back.

Her beauty had him dumbfounded. He had known that she had grown up, but he had no idea that she looked like an angel fallen from heaven. The way she stood watching him from far away bowled him over. It just proved that nothing had changed between them. She might have missed him, just as he had missed her. Sawyer sighed, knowing that he could not fight the feelings he felt for her for long. With her now permanently living here with him under one roof, he couldn't escape from facing his feelings for her. Would he ever be able to tell her how much he loved her?

He sighed again and handed Chester to a ranch hand. Picking up his shirt, he wore it and walked back towards the house. He went inside and saw how excited everyone was, but where was Renée? He picked up an apple and walked towards his room at the back of the house, looking out for Renée. Her room was at the far end of the corridor. With River leaving home, Renée would be all alone in her room.

He fought to control his urge to go to her room. Finally, his mind won over his heart and he went to take a cold shower. He would immerse himself in work at the dairy farm throughout the day and come home late at night when everyone was fast asleep. That was the only way to avoid Renée. He wouldn't go against the family that meant everything to him.

As he finished getting ready for work, he opened his door and saw her, but before he could speak, she rushed towards the kitchen as if eager to avoid him. Sawyer felt hurt. After so many years, would it hurt her to say a simple hello to him?

The whole day, Sawyer didn't return home. He overworked himself and later, when he was too tired to continue, he rode Challenger towards the same spot where Renée had confessed her love for him. Sawyer loved this place and whenever he was free, he spent his time here, lying in the meadows and staring at the sky.

He thought about how his life would have been if he hadn't been an orphan and belonged to a respectable and normal family instead. Then he wouldn't have been indebted to the Wilsons. He would have been free to love Renée. He would have been free to marry her. These thoughts and the fact that she stood at this very spot and confessed her love for him comforted him.

A shadow fell across his face as he lay down, closing his eyes with exhaustion. Opening his eyes instantly to see who had disrupted his peace, he was shocked to see Renée standing right beside him.

"Ren?" He mumbled as if in a trance. Was she really here or was he day dreaming like he usually did?

"What are you doing here?" whispered Renée, kneeling down beside him.

Sawyer sat up immediately, a deep color flushing his cheeks. "Just resting before going home. What are you doing here?"

"I was just strolling around when I saw Challenger," she lied with a fake smile.

"You've grown up, Ren." His eyes scanned her face minutely. She looked more beautiful from so close. He could watch her the whole day and the entire night. He tried to memorize every minute detail on her face.

"So have you," she whispered back.

"Sit with me for a while." He forgot his resolutions, his plan to avoid her, to discourage her, and to ignore her. This time, his heart won over his mind. Renée looked at him in disbelief.

"Are you sure you want to be with me?"

"I've always wanted to be with you," sighed Sawyer.