Castle Chasing Hope

1. Auflage 2024
ISBN: 978-1-967731-00-8
Verlag: In The Air Publishing
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 292 Seiten

A man looking toward the future and a woman without a past.

Matt Henney is a man with no place of his own, but buying into his best friends' ranch feels as if he's finally come home. He might now be broke, but he's looking forward to planting roots for the first time in his life and ditching the open road. Signing the contract that makes him a third owner of the Waters Ranch near the remote canyons in Utah brings him a peace that has eluded him.

Hope Whitfield is desperate. She's on a mission to find out who Hope is and who Hope can be. With no memory of who she once was, all she wants is to live on the land she inherited and keep her head above water. Living on the remote property in Utah seems like a dream come true. The land is hers, and she'll do whatever she has to do to keep it.

For Hope, plans rarely go her way. She desperately needs her job at the Waters Ranch, but every day that passes, she fears it will be her last. Then along comes Matt, who has patience with her limitations and is the friendly face she needs to get through each day. But trouble is following Hope; trouble she can't remember. There is a killer out there, and Hope is the only link. Hope and Matt will need to learn to trust each other in order to stop a killer. And to find a love that neither of them was searching for.

Chasing Hope is a standalone title, around 75,000 words. Hope and Matt will forever hold a place in my storytelling heart. Their story wouldn't be kept inside, and I'm pleased to share it with you. Please note this is an open-door romance. I hope you enjoy.' - Lizzy Castle.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Castle, Elizabeth

Leseproben

Chapter Two

Hope wandered into the barn after leaving her boss’s office. Jeremy Waters had told her this was her last chance. She either pulled her weight or she was fired. When she realized she wasn’t fired, at least not yet, she promised him she’d work harder. She couldn’t say she felt relieved that he was giving her one last chance; she had no illusions that she could do this job any better than the others. But at least she would have another couple of days’ wages under her belt before he fired her.

Hope inhaled the familiar scent of the barn. In her eyes, the horses were beautiful animals. The horses that made the Waters Ranch home were working horses, not the purebreds she knew she had grown up around. These horses were meant to take travelers up the long trails that wound into the nearby canyons. Some could herd cattle, some could pull wagons, and others were saddle horses. She saw two new horses out in the smaller corral. She took a step closer to examine the larger of the animals. This one was a beautiful black stud. He no doubt cost a fortune and would sire magnificent horses one day.

A large man emerged from one of the stalls. “Hope, right?”

She nodded and tucked her hands into her pockets. She tried not to stare. Matt had taken the time to shave. The smooth lines of his jaw revealed chiseled cheekbones that framed a handsome face. He’d pulled his hair back into a ponytail. It should have looked feminine, but it did quite the opposite. “Mr. Henney, correct?”

“Just Matt. I don’t stand on formality. Ever worked in a barn or with animals?”

Hope wanted to say yes, but honesty prevented her. While she had recollections of being inside a barn, she had no memory of ever cleaning one or taking care of the animals that called it home. “No. But just show me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

Matt jerked his head and headed outside. “Figured we’d start with the goats. There’s a shovel over there, and a wheel barrel. Just fill it up, wheel it over to the trailer, and dump it to be hauled out for fertilizer. All there is to it.”

Hope was almost relieved when he went back inside. The goats were in the pasture, but the pen they slept in was where Matt had left her. She smiled at the goats as they bleated and romped around the grass. Some played while others grazed. She couldn’t recall goats in her past, but they couldn’t be so different from the horses, just smaller.

She pulled on the too-big work gloves left on the wheelbarrow. She grabbed the shovel. It was heavy, but not as heavy as she feared. She got to work. Filling the wheelbarrow was easy enough. She had to work to keep her arms steady and had to use both hands to keep the shovel from tipping, but she got the hang of it. She hummed a tune in her head as she worked.

She’d been out there more than an hour when Matt approached. She tensed. Then she was startled when he pushed a large cowboy hat onto her head and handed her a bottle of water.

“Take a break. You’re going to need a hat to work outside. And make sure you’re carrying water with you. At least you’re smart enough to wear sleeves and pants. But your face is getting burned. Sunscreen is a must for someone so fair.”

Hope drained the bottle, not realizing how thirsty she was. She didn’t own a hat, though she did have a mostly empty bottle of sunscreen somewhere. She let him take the empty bottle from her. “I didn’t know I was going to be working outside. I’ll be better prepared tomorrow.”

Matt glanced around the yard. “Looks good. The goats are friendly, so go ahead into the pasture when you’ve finished emptying the wheelbarrow.”

Hope realized he wasn’t going back inside. She didn’t want him watching her struggle with the bulk of the wheelbarrow. She struggled to remember if she’d ever used one. Certainly, she’d seen one used. Pulling up the oversized gloves on her hands, she reached for the handles. Matt quickly jumped behind her when she would have dumped it over. She felt tears sting her eyes. She couldn’t even maneuver the thing. Her hands simply wouldn’t cooperate.

She felt the press of his chest against her back. She could smell his cologne under the scent of sweat and horses. His arms were firm around her. She stiffened in his arms, and her breath caught. She released her breath when Matt slipped around her and released her from the circle of his arms.

“I’ve got it. Go inside the barn for a minute.”

She watched, feeling helpless, as he easily maneuvered the wheelbarrow, rolled it up the ramp, and dumped it. The barn was a few degrees cooler, but her shiver wasn’t from a chill. She kept the hat and work gloves on and waited for his decree.

He stepped back inside. “Give me a holler when you finish the pasture. I’ll load it up.”

She gaped for a minute, then realized he wasn’t going to tear into her. Matt grabbed another bottle of water and pressed it into her hand. She gave him a slight smile and practically ran out of the barn.

* * *

Matt watched the swing of her hips as she rolled the empty wheelbarrow into the pasture. She stopped when the goats swarmed her, and she took a moment to pet them. She smiled when the alpacas rambled over. She was comfortable around the animals, which was good. People not familiar with them could get nervous when being that close. The goats and alpacas were harmless, and once they realized she didn’t bring food, they ignored her.

He could see what Jeremy had meant about something being wrong with her. She held the handle of the shovel close to the shovel end and bent to lift the load. She was sure to have a sore back tonight. But she’d managed to do the job. Yes, it had taken her longer than it should have, but she’d tackled the task and did it as best she could. There were no complaints about the smell or the task being menial.

He wasn’t sure if it was her balance, weak muscles, or something else that caused her to struggle. As she held the shovel, her arms trembled and shook a little as she kept it flat while she lifted it. He hadn’t thought she was going to be able to move the wheelbarrow, and he’d been right. He’d stayed close to help, which she inevitably needed.

Matt went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water for himself. He needed to cool off, in more ways than one. When he’d wrapped his arms around her to stop the wheelbarrow from falling over, he’d felt the press of her bottom against him as she struggled to keep it upright. She smelled good. Lilacs or something in her hair. She was petite, likely a couple of inches shorter than Allie, now that he’d had her pressed up against him. But she’d fit up against him perfectly, her body conforming to the hard lines of his.

Silently cursing a bit at his unruly body, he finished the bottle and tossed it in the recycle bin. No doubt it had been way too long since he’d enjoyed the company of a woman if that tiny woman made his body respond like this. There weren’t a lot of women up in the northern parts of North Dakota where he’d spent the last six months. There were a few women who worked the same jobs as the men, and a bevy of prostitutes. And while he didn’t judge them for their choices, he had no desire to purchase their services.

He glanced back at Hope as she continued to struggle with the shovel. She had stiffened up in his arms, her whole body rigid against his. She hadn’t liked his arms around her, even if it was unintentional. She had off-limits written all over her. The retreat would be filling up soon. Maybe he’d find some single ladies and try his hand at flirting. It had been a while, and he hoped he’d remember how.

“How bad?” Jeremy came up behind him in the shadows of the barn.

Matt realized he meant Hope’s performance, not his randy reaction to her. “Not as bad as you are likely thinking. She’s slow going, but she’s getting the job done. I saw what you’re paying her. It’s less than the others. I’d say you’re getting a day’s pay out of her. She seems comfortable around the animals. I’ll have her fill the feed buckets once she’s done. Frankly, I don’t think she’s strong enough to clean out the stalls. But she can wield a hose, and I’ll show her how to feed the chickens and collect the eggs. If you’re bent on keeping your wife happy, there are enough small things to keep Hope busy.”

Jeremy pushed the brim of his hat back. “You’re staring at her, buddy.”

Matt knew it. He didn’t have the desire to stop. But something was nagging at him. “I think I get what Allie meant about knowing her. There’s something...