The Unwanted Runaway

Intrigued By The Stranger

Denton’s POV

As I answer my cell, I carefully balance against the rustic wooden pole and railing, my irritation, palpable but contained. Specially now that I see those Kevin who’s been blowing up my phone . Kevin is one of our trusted ranch hands who has been diligently working alongside me on our family ranch. He also happens to be a bull rider, determined to make his mark and travel the rodeo circuit.

"Hello, Kevin," I greet him with a serious tone, acknowledging the importance of his call.

"Denton, I've been trying to reach you all day," Kevin exclaims with a sense of urgency.

I reply with a knowing chuckle, "Well, I'm finally outside Dukes, so you've caught me at the right time. What's the news?"

Kevin's voice turns grave as he shares, "I've made it onto the circuit, my friend. They want me to leave first thing tomorrow morning and fly out to Colorado."

My heart swells with pride for Kevin's accomplishment. "Congratulations, my friend! We'll definitely miss you at the ranch, but you have a dream to chase and I have no doubt you'll succeed."

Kevin's relief is evident in his voice as he responds, "Thank you, Denton. I just wanted to inform you, but I also have to break the news that two of our ranch hands, Frank and Vic, will be joining me. That means we'll be short three hands for a while."

I let out a quiet curse, already thinking about how to handle the increased workload without compromising on the ranch's quality. "I'll speak to my father and Evan immediately to see if we can find suitable replacements. We recently landed some new contracts with ranchers down south and in the Midwest, so we'll have to act fast."

"Sorry about this, Denton," Kevin apologizes, knowing how particular I am about our team. "But Frank retired from the rodeo circuit too early and his knowledge is invaluable to me. And Vic, well, he's been my best friend since we were young boys. Where I go, he goes."

I can't help but laugh at Kevin's loyalty and the predicament it has put us in. "I have a feeling Jason, Frank's son ,is not going to be happy about this. But we'll make it work. And who knows, maybe we'll find some new ranch hands who can ride a bull and crack a joke like you, Kevin."

Our laughter fills the line, a reminder of the camaraderie and humor that keeps us going in the hectic world of ranching.

As I finished up my call with Kevin, I heard the door behind me open and close. Someone was behind me, and I could feel my stress levels rising. A tap on my shoulder confirmed my suspicion - it was the same curvy, clumsy woman from earlier. I was agitated, wondering why she was bothering me again. I turned around and made eye contact, and I could see the loneliness and fear in her eyes. She asked me where the nearest gas station was, and I could tell she was hesitant to speak again, so I decided to be polite and introduce myself.

"It's Denton, ma'am," I said, trying to be helpful. "The nearest gas station is about 3 miles straight ahead. I'll point you in the right direction." She gathered her luggage and began walking, and I could see the dark clouds rolling in. It was going to start raining soon.

As Evan, EJ, and Carter, walked out of Dukes .I couldn't help but notice the woman again. "Man, she's really having a rough day," Carter commented, and the rest of us agreed. "That waiter was so rude to her at the bar," Evan said . I shook my head “The poor girl, looks like she's running away from something." Carter added, "I noticed the engagement ring on her finger. Maybe she's escaping from an ex or something."

I told the guys how she had tapped me on the shoulder earlier, asking for directions. "The nearest gas station is quite a walk from here, and with the rain coming down, she'll get soaked," Evan said. EJ chimed in, "We should give her a ride, Dad. It's the right thing to do." Evan agreed, but Carter had a valid point - she might not feel comfortable riding with a group of men and a kid.

I tried to lighten the mood by jokingly saying, "Just show her your badge, Carter. Tell her you're a sheriff." But Carter responded, "It's not that simple, Denton. I don't want to scare the poor woman. She already looks frightened enough." As we pulled up next to her, the rain started to pour harder. EJ rolled down his window and shouted, "Hey, Lady!" to get her attention.

In my head, I was thinking, "Great, now I have to worry about giving this woman a ride somewhere. I just wanted to go home and relax." My day was fun with the guys, fishing and all, but I couldn't wait to get home. I had promised Sarah I would be home early tonight so we could spend some quality time together, just the two of us. Seth was going to be with his dad, so it was the perfect opportunity for a surprise dinner.

As Evan and Carter helped the woman with her luggage, I sat in the passenger seat, feeling exhausted after a long day of fishing with the guys. I watched the young lady in the truck's mirrors and initially, she agitated me. But now, I couldn't help but feel intrigued by her. She wasn't my type, but there was something about her that drew my attention. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I was with Sarah and I needed to focus on her. I shouldn't be thinking about other women and definitely not with my crotch. I made a mental note to forget about making dinner for Sarah and just take her straight to bed to relieve my aches.

As we drove towards the gas station, the woman, Anna, seemed relaxed as she chatted with EJ about his 10th birthday party that’s happening tomorrow . Her happy tone of voice made me smile. Evan noticed and asked me what was making me smile. I realized I had forgotten to tell him about Kevin's phone call. Kevin, Frank, and Vic were heading to Colorado as Kevin had made it into the rodeo circuit. This meant we were short three ranch hands, and my dad would not be happy about it. But at least Kevin was living his dream.

Evan reminded me that we would all have to pitch in and pick up the slack until we found more ranch hands. I knew it wouldn't be hard to find help during the summer months, but it might be a challenge during October. Most of the time, we just hired drifters who only have experience working working on farms and ranches. Who prefer to work a little while one place then drift to the next .We even have young high school in college age guys .looking for a summer job. Plus, we have a lot of our family like cousins , uncles and such working on the ranch to help out as well at Sun Creek Ranch . It is definitely Family owned family run operated. with the way we do things.

As we pulled into the gas station, I observed Anna stepping out of the truck and making her way towards the convenience store. I followed her inside and grabbed some beer and red licorice, thinking about how James had devoured most of it during our fishing trip earlier. I couldn't wait to open a cold one once I got home - it was long overdue.

While standing in line behind Anna, I noticed the items she had in her hands - a soda pop, peanuts, and gum. As the cashier rang up her total, I could see Anna's face flush with embarrassment as she realized she didn't have enough money. After a brief hesitation, she decided to put some items back. I briefly considered buying them for her, but ultimately decided against it. As she left the store, I completed my own purchase and thanked the cashier for wishing me a good day.

As I exited the store and made my way back to Evan's truck, I noticed him and Carter deeply engrossed in a conversation. EJ was excitedly telling Anna about his little sister Lily and his mom Mia, and how they weren't allowed to join the boys on their fishing trip as it was EJ's early birthday gift from his dad. Curious, I asked Evan and Carter about their discussion. Evan then suggested that we offer Anna a position on the ranch, with room and board. However, he mentioned that we would need to discuss it with our parents and his wife, Mia.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for Anna - her black-and-white checkered Vans were soaked from the rain, and her ripped skinny jeans and grunge band t-shirt gave off the impression that she had been on the road for a while. "She definitely looks like a city girl," I thought to myself. "But that doesn't mean she couldn't handle ranch work."

I expressed some doubts about Anna's abilities, but both Evan and I knew that we desperately needed the extra help. Carter reminded us that we shouldn't judge Anna's capabilities before giving her a chance. Perhaps she would surprise us. We agreed to discuss the possibility with our parents and Evan's wife, with the plan for Anna to stay with Carter for the night and then join us after EJ's birthday party tomorrow, where she could meet the rest of the family.

Turning to me, Evan said, "Technically, it's your side of the ranch that needs the help. Let's start by giving Anna a few weeks to see if she can handle Jason's workload. We're already behind, so it's worth a shot." I nodded in agreement and replied, "Let's talk to Mom and Dad first and take it from there."