I'm sorry for not getting another chapter up sooner. I've had some family issues and I also had to put my dog down today. Safe to say it hasn't been the best week.
You will be meeting a new character in this chapter. I felt like I had to give Cassie a beau, the picture on the side is of Clint. I hope you enjoy! Please comment and vote!
Copyright © 2012 misscowgirlup22
Chapter 4
A light streaming through Anna's window woke her up the next morning. Looking at her alarm clock she realized that it was half past seven in the morning. She never slept in that late during the week. She must really have been exhausted the night before.
Grudgingly she got out of bed and went to go take a shower in the bathroom across the hall. Afterwards she felt rejuvenated and ready to take on the world. She made it down stairs at a quarter past eight and much too her surprise both Cassie and Brent were in the kitchen eating breakfast.
"Good morning, I'm glad you're awake. I didn't want to wake you up because I figured you'd still be tired from yesterday." Cassie said.
"Thanks I was, but nothing that a good night's sleep couldn't fix." Anna inhaled and hit with the mouthwatering aromas of whatever they were eating. "Wow, something smells delicious."
Brent looked up from his paper. "There are some fresh cinnamon rolls in the kitchen. Feel free to help yourself."
"Okay." Anna made her way to the kitchen and as she was about to grab a plate when she realized she had no clue where they were.
Brent had been watching her and realized that she had no clue where anything was in the kitchen. "The plates are in the cabinet above the sink to the right and the glassed are to the right. You'll find silver wear in the draw to the right of the sink."
She smiled at him. "Thanks." He just shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal.
Anna walked back to the table with a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee."
Brent stood from the table and pushed his chair in. "I'm going to go and start working. I'll see you two later."
Anna thought that it was odd that right after she had sat down Brent had left. Hmm, he invited her here, yet he doesn't want to spend time with her, how peculiar.
Something on Anna's face must have given away what she was thinking because Cassie spoke up. "Don't worry he's not that comfortable around females he's not related to, just give him some time, I'm sure he'll warm up to you."
"You're probably right." Anna looked around and then back at Cassie. "I was wondering if you could show me around the ranch. I'd really like to get to know this place."
As soon as Anna said that Cassie's eyes lit up. "I was hoping you would ask me to show you around." She looked at Anna who was still eating and spoke again. "We can go once you're finished eating."
Quickly Anna ate the rest of her cinnamon roll and then washed it down with the last of her coffee. She put her dishes in the dishwasher and then followed Cassie outside.
It took Anna a few seconds for her eyes to readjust too the brightness of the sun. The ranch was just as beautiful during the day as it was the night. As she was looking around she noticed things that she hadn't seen the night before. About two hundred yards away from the house, to the right there was a huge barn that must hold at least twenty or more horses. Across from the barn there were multiple corrals, all ranging in size.
The ranch was huge, it was over seven acres and she knew it to be true because as far as she could she it was rolling hills and mountains. No other buildings really except for the four nice bunkhouses to the right of the barn.
Anna looked over at the barn and saw all the horses eating their breakfasts of oats. Growing up on her parent's farm she'd loved going out and spending time with the horses.
"Hey, Cassie can we go over and see the horses?" Anna wanted go and meet them so bad, that she was shaking with anticipation.
"Of course, but I'm going to warn you know." Cassie said as they began their walk over to the barn."
"Warn me about what?" Anna was confused, why would Cassie need to warn her about something.
Cassie looked back over at Anna. "Well, Brent's horse, Maverick is not very friendly and he has a temper, he dislikes everyone that's not Brent."
Anna thought that Cassie comment was comical. "So he's just like your brother." She let out a laugh. "No wonder why they get along so well."
Cassie bumped Anna's shoulder playfully. "Come on he's not that bad. Just wait and he'll warm up to you."
When they entered the barn Cassie directed Anna over to her horse. He was a light brown American quarter horse. "This is my baby, Murphy."
Anna was loving being in the barn. She rubbed Murphy on the nose, he leaned his head into Anna's touch. She smiled at Murphy. "You're a sweet boy aren't you?"
He neighed loudly when Cassie began to give him a good rub. "He is, anytime you pet him or give him a good rub he's your best friend." Once again Murphy neighed and nodded his head as if he agreed with Cassie. "You'll also find that most of the horses on the ranch are either American paints or American quarter horses."
Anna smiled at Cassie. "That's great; my favorite breed is the quarter horse."
They continued meeting with the horses. When they came to the last horse Anna took one look at him and it was like love at first sight. He too was a quarter horse like Murphy but he was a dark brown almost black color. "Oh, Cassie what's his name?"
"This is Cupid. He currently isn't paired up with one of the hands."
Anna held out an apple for Cupid that she'd gotten from the pale beside his stall, and then she fed it to him. "You like that boy don't you?" Cupid nodded his head. Anna looked over at Cassie. "Can I ride him? Please." She begged.
"Of course, it seems like he likes you."
She'd only known cupid for a few minutes, but she already loved him. "I'm glad because I like him too."
Cassie looked at Anna before she began to leave the barn. "You two can hang out in here and get to know each other." She pointed to the corral outside the barn where the hands were milling around. "I'm just going to go see if the hands need anything. I'll see you later."
Anna nodded and then turned back to Cupid.
While she was spending time with him she sniffed him and he smelled awful. So she took him over to the area in the barn that was designated for giving the horses baths. "Looks like its bath time Cupid."
*****
The hands were all chatting about the nerd when Cassie got to the corral she looked around, trying to locate a specific person. She glanced over to the far right of the group and spotted him.
Cassie almost started drooling when she saw all six feet of lean muscular male. Which meant only one thing, Clint was waiting for her. She walked over towards him and stealthily poked him in the side.
He yelped when he felt fingers poke him in the side. Turning around he saw Cassie. "Hey." He smiled.
"Hey, you." Cassie quickly looked around to see if she could see Brent around. He didn't approve of the hands being with his sister romantically, so she had to be extremely cautious. "So do you want to go and check the fenced with me?" She asked coyly and winked at him.
"You know I do, but what about your brother?" Clint asked nervously as he looked around, hoping no one was paying attention to them.
"Don't worry. Just meet me out at our tree in an half an hour. I'll have a lunched packed for us."
Clint nodded his head and went back to the corral to hang out with the guys. He really liked Cassie. She was only a couple years younger than him since he was twenty eight. God, he loved her smile and the way she looked at him could turn his legs to mush. He loved the feel of her brown hair in his fingers. The only problem was that he had nothing to offer her. That's why he worked on the ranch. He couldn't give her a home like she deserved.
God, how he wished he could give her everything.
*****
Brent walked into the barn at almost eleven. He was in a foul mood and he had no clue why. It had all started that morning when he saw Anna. She was so nice and he wanted like her, but he'd been hurt so bad a few years ago by the woman he was engaged to. She'd left a void in him and made it hard for him to trust other women.
Two years ago he'd dated Leslie and it'd gotten so serious that he'd proposed to her. Leslie told him yes and everything had been going fine until a week before their wedding.
He found her in a very compromising position with his best hand. He'd fired the hand on the spot, but Leslie well he'd broken of the engagement even though it broke his heart to let her go. She was his heart, his life, his everything.
In his head he knew that all women were not like Leslie, but he just couldn't convince his heart that it was true.
After Brent entered the barn he saw Anna standing with Cupid. She looked beautiful with her hair falling in her face as she worked diligently on saddling Cupid. He felt a pull towards her, almost like he was attracted to her.
No!!! He couldn't be thinking like that. If he opened up to her, and let his guard down, then that would make him vulnerable. He just couldn't open his heart up and take the risk of being hurt again.
Brent crossed over to Anna. "What are you doing?" He snapped.
The look on Anna's face was of pure shock. "I'm just saddling up Cupid here." She smiled at him hoping that it would help take the edge off of his anger. "I thought I'd help him get some exercise."
That smile... No he couldn't think about that. "Who told you could ride him?" His anger was still as venomous as it had been before, so much for hoping one of her famous smiles would work.
Anna was starting to get pissed. He needed to grow up and put on his big boy pants. "Cassie told me I could." She said kindly. Why not kill him with a little kindness, while she was at it.
"You can ride." He laughed harshly.
'Wow, what an ass', she thought. "Yes, I can ride." She was full on pissed now. "Why don't you go back to whatever you were doing and leave me alone."
Brent turned to walk away. No women had ever called him out. "Oh, while you're at it..." he turned back around. "Why don't you grow up and put on your big boy pants." Brent walked away feeling like he'd been put in his place and then some.
Anna walked out of the barn with cupid. She needed a good long hard ride to get that man out of her head. Damn him, damn him, damn him. Why was he being such an ass?
Anna mounted Cupid and took off. She needed time and space to cool off from her run in with Brent.