Page 16 of Heal Me
Chapter Five
Ric was getting a kick out of Kate’s reaction to his secrecy. They were on Hamilton land now, traveling over a narrow dirt road as the sun was setting. The pinks, purples, and orange hues in the sky provide a romantic backdrop for the mountains in the distance.
He’d loved working for the Hamiltons, especially because they’d let him use their horses whenever he’d wanted to. Emily had always been thrilled when she could go with him to the horse farm to ride. He’d learned to rope on some of the finest Quarter horses in Colorado and had a pile of rodeo trophies in a storage unit out by the highway.
“Are you going to tell me what that smile is about?”
Kate’s question drew Ric out of his memories. “I used to spend as much time here as I could when we were kids. Riding, roping, barrel racing: you name it we did it, or tried to anyway. I can ride broncs, but I’m not as good at it as Tyler is. Emily used to be great at barrel racing and a fair roper, too.”
“I’d love to see you rope. I love riding, but I’ve never roped,” she said.
Ric said, “I’d be happy to teach you.” He could think of a lot of things he’d like to do with her and ropes. “We’d have to start out with easy stuff and work our way up from there.”
“Sounds like fun. And I’ll teach you to hang-glide in return.”
Ric stared at her for a moment. “You hang-glide?”
She nodded and glanced his way. “Oh, yeah. I love it. Rock climbing, cliff diving, and kayaking, too.”
He’d obviously misjudged Kate. Apparently, she was a risk-taker and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “I never would’ve guessed that about you.”
Kate laughed. “I hide my impulsive nature when I’m at work, but I’m a true weekend warrior. I always have been. When other girls were too afraid to go on rollercoasters, I was the first one in line to get on the biggest, baddest coasters. I love amusement parks.”
“Me, too,” Ric said. “Looks like we have a lot in common.”
“Looks like.”
Ric had her take the next right and, they soon pulled up in front of a small cabin. Smoke curled from the little chimney and light shone in the windows.
“Who lives here?” she asked.
“No one. All of this land belongs to the Hamiltons. Us kids used to come here to hang out.”
“What are we doing here?”
“Stay right there.” Ric got out and came around to her side, where he opened the door. Holding out a hand to her, he said, “We’re having dinner.”
The curiosity in her eyes made him smile. He knew that she didn’t need his help getting out of the truck, but it was the gentlemanly thing to do and it gave him an excuse to touch her.
“I hope you’re hungry,” he said and motioned for her to precede him into the cabin.
*****
Kate didn’t know what to expect when she entered the cabin, but it wasn’t what she found. A fire burned in the hearth and two kerosene lamps provided warmth and lighting. She felt like she’d stepped back in time as she looked around at the rustic furnishings. A small table with a red-and-white checkered table cloth covered a small, square table. Three chairs were situated around it.
An old rocking chair sat in one corner, while in another corner, stood a narrow bed with an old fashioned wrought iron bedstead. A beautiful calico red, blue, and gold patchwork quilt covered it and a couple of open-faced cupboards took up the last corner.
Kate turned her gaze on Ric. “This is so charming. I can’t believe you did this.” It was one of the most romantic things a man had ever done for her.
His warm smile captivated her. “I’m glad you like it. We used to stay here when we were kids and people still use it sometimes. Have a seat.” His crutches made it a little awkward, but he pulled out one of the chairs for her.
Kate sat and watched as he sat in another chair. He reached under the table and pulled out a large picnic basket. She’d been looking around at the quaint furnishings too much to have noticed it before.
From the basket he removed a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses and several covered platters. She watched in amazement as he uncovered roasted chicken, Chantilly potatoes, and steamed broccoli. Fresh baked rolls were wrapped up in aluminum foil and he’d also packed condiments.
She laughed with delight. “Well, Mr. Stanford, you certainly go all out when you’re trying to impress a woman.”
“I don’t do anything halfway.” He was glad that he’d achieved his objective. “When I’m on a mission, I don’t quit until I’ve succeeded.”
