Page 5 of Belonging to the Rancher

“No, I’ve got a little stop to make.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see.” Pulling out of the local supermarket’s parking lot, he drove onto the main street, then took two lefts and a right, before he headed up to the old barn owned by a guy called Mitchell.

Parking the car, he climbed out and rounded the vehicle to help Clarissa. He grabbed her hips and couldn’t help but notice how full and ripe they were. For a brief second, he imagined her on her knees before him as he pounded inside her, filling up her nice, tight cunt.

This was not the time nor the place to be getting aroused, so he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, and instead took her hand. She made no move to pull away.

Mitchell came out of his cabin and walked up to him, shaking his hand. “Good to see you, Axe.”

He didn’t say anything. He sensed Clarissa’s curiosity, but he ignored it and followed Mitchell back inside the cabin, and that was where he heard them. Mitchell had called him last week, said he found two little pups dumped on the side of the road. He knew the shelters were full to capacity.

Before he hired Clarissa, Axe had said goodbye to his dog, Gus, who had been his companion for seventeen years. It was a long time for a dog to live, and he’d not been any pedigree breed, but a mongrel. A mongrel Axe had loved.

Now, he stepped up to the two pups that had been placed in the main living room. The moment he saw them, he knew they were a mixed breed. Their features would become clear as they grew up, but there was no way he could allow them to go into the shelter.

“Oh, my, they are so adorable. Can I touch them?” Clarissa asked.

“Yes, of course,” Mitchell said.

Clarissa stepped over the small baby fence Mitchell had used. Axe had already made the decision to keep them, but watching her with them, he knew he wasn’t going to let her go without them.

She stroked both of the pups, lifted each one in turn, and kissed the backs of their heads.

“I’ll keep them safe,” Axe said.

Just as he was going to keep Clarissa safe.

Chapter Three

Several Weeks Later

Clarissa had never owned a dog or a cat in her life. She loved them, but there was no time or extra money for a pet. Her mother had said if they were ever able to afford one, she’d get one. Then her mother had gotten sick, and the money was used for medical bills. If it hadn’t been for her father arranging brilliant health care, Clarissa would have been swamped with bills.

Axe knew about owning dogs. For the first time in their working life, he had taken the time to show her pictures and videos of Gus. She wished she had met the crazy little dog. She had a feeling Axe missed his dog.

He took the lead in helping her take care of the two pups, but it was hard work. Axe told her the key was to set boundaries, and he also showed her how to train them. After picking up the two pups, they had to go to the pet store, where they stocked up on treats and food. The next stop was the vet, and then back home. They had been given their immunizations, and the vet had said they were perfectly healthy.

They kept barking throughout the night, but Axe was insistent that they not attend to them. Before bed, he always took them out, giving them a toilet break, and attending to their needs.

The first week, Clarissa didn’t think she would ever sleep again. Slowly, the pups realized they would be attended to in the morning, and they began to sleep through the night, and through the day as well. They were active but very sleepy. Axe would take them with him for several hours, out onto the ranch to deal with the cattle, or whatever work he had. When he brought them home, they would enjoy some breakfast and sleep.

After breakfast, she would take care of them, do the housework, attend to the garden patch, and then train the pups. For several weeks this was their routine.

Late one night, Clarissa tossed and turned. The pups were silent, but there were times, like tonight, when she was sure she heard them whimpering. Shoving the blanket off her body, she wrapped a robe around herself and then opened the door, listening. There was no sound.

She couldn’t sleep and instead of staying in her bedroom, she decided to go and make herself some vanilla milk to calm her mind. She tiptoed downstairs, and the pups didn’t even stir. Clarissa glanced over at them and saw Dolly and Susie were fast asleep and Axe had put a small blanket on each pup. To most people, Axe came across as this cold, heartless, mean person, but she knew there was so much more to him than met the eye.

Moving into the kitchen, she grabbed a saucepan out of the cupboard, followed by a mug. She poured some milk into a mug and then tipped it into the pan. Placing it on the heat, she grabbed some vanilla and added just a smidge, as well as a spoonful of sugar. Her mother would make her this whenever she was unsettled and it helped. She placed it on the stove and turned the heat on, waiting for it to warm up.

The sound of a creaking floorboard had her gasping, and she turned to see Axe in the kitchen doorway.

She’d pressed a hand to her chest. “You startled me.”

“Can’t sleep?”

She shook her head. “Do you want a drink?”

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