Whispers of the Falls: Book one (Twelve Oaks Farm Series 1) Page 2
“Midnight.”
Waiting in the stall next to Midnight was the paint. Nina dumped feed into his bucket and proudly replied, “And this is Thunder.” She patted his neck as he ate the sweet feed. “You’re a good boy aren’t you?”
“Are these your only horses?”
“No, I have five others for trail riding. Midnight and Thunder are a little high strung and only the most experienced riders are allowed to take them out on the trail.” Her eyes lost their sparkle. “Midnight belonged to my father.”
Even though he already knew her story, he pretended ignorance. Uncle Tate had divulged the tragedy of the car accident that killed her parents last year. “What happened to your father?”
Tears pooled in her eyes, but she refused to let them escape. “My parents were killed by a drunk driver.” She squared her shoulders before turning around to face him. In a stiff, tight voice she replied, “I have much to do, other animals are waiting for their breakfast.”
It was a prime time to gain her trust, but it seemed that was all the information she planned to give him. He jammed his hands in his jean pockets. “How about I give you a hand?”
She arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Mr. Wilson, you are here to relax and enjoy yourself. My farm does not concern you.”
She turned on her heel and left him standing there wondering how he was going to get close to her if she was going to be so difficult. Women usually melted all over him. Nina Reynolds was definitely different from ladies he was accustomed too.
Chapter Two
Fresh towels in hand, Nina opened the door and stepped into the front room of the barn. Intentions to leave the towels on the small sofa and leave, she was surprised when she heard a masculine voice. “Good morning.”
She turned toward the sound. Sitting on the weight bench, she never seemed to have the time to use, was Grant. Shirtless, sweat glistened on his firm broad chest and bulging arms. It was clear that he was no stranger to heavy lifting. A three inch scar still swollen and puckered was the only thing that marred his perfect body. Nina assumed he had been injured while in Iraq. Weak in the knees, she felt the color on her cheeks.
Dark brown eyes fixed on her. He smiled causing her heart to skip a beat. “You’re up early.” He opened the bottle of water on the floor and took a sip. He replaced the cap and placed the bottle back on the floor.
An awkward silence followed until she answered, “So are you.”
“I always wake early, Miss Reynolds.”
He looked tired as if he hadn’t slept well. Could be because he wasn’t accustomed to a soft, comfortable bed. Perhaps he was having flashbacks about what ever tragedy brought him to Twelve Oaks Farm. More than likely it was the war that kept him up at night. All the killing would have affected a person’s conscience.
She took a deep sustaining breath. The man made her extremely nervous. Just the way he watched her caused her heart to flutter. He had a disconcerting way of looking at her as if she had a secret and he knew what that secret might be. She felt the color seep into her cheeks. He probably thought she was some silly woman afraid of her own shadow. Nina swallowed hard. Her pride was in shambles because the man had her acting like she had never seen a man without his shirt.
She averted her eyes and picked at an imaginary piece of dirt on her arm. Determined not to stare at his muscular body, she took a step back and fumbled for the doorknob. “I have a lot of work awaiting me. I’d better get to it.”
Before she could get the door open he stood, took a step in her direction, and replied, “The offer still stands. I’ll be glad to help you.”
“No, thank you.” After three attempts, she finally got the door open. “You finish your workout and enjoy your day.” His massive chest was all she saw as she turned and darted out the room. Forcing herself to walk, she shook her head. Not only was Grant Wilson insanely handsome but he also had the body of a Greek God.
Grant smiled. Maybe he had a chance to warm up the ice princess after all. The total opposite of their encounter yesterday, she was gushing like a teenager with her first crush.
He sat back against the bench, grabbed the weights from the floor, and lifted them over his head. He hadn’t been able to tempt her with his good looks or his charming ways, but she seemed interested in his chest. He would just have to take off his shirt every time she was in his presence, flex his muscles.
****
The next morning, Grant heard snippets of conversation behind the barn when he stepped out on the small porch. He followed the sound and stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. Nina held fast to a huge bottle while a solid black baby goat sucked on the fat nipple. It couldn’t have been more than just a few days old. Milk dripped over the ground and onto her work boots as the baby goat’s greedy slurps broke the silence of the morning. She wore her usual attire of cut off jeans and a tank shirt. A thick, blond braid fell down her back.
Shadow sat on his haunches watching the baby goat and Nina. She giggled and the sound was pleasant to his ears. “Slow down, Buttercup. I’m not going to take it away from you.”
When Shadow saw him, he immediately moved to his side and offered a paw. “Good morning, Shadow.” He scratched the dog between the ears causing his long tail to wag. “And a glorious morning it is.”
Nina’s eyes shifted to him and then quickly back to Buttercup. “You sound like you had a decent night’s sleep.”
He lied. “Better.” He folded his arms on the top of the gate and asked, “Why are you having to bottle feed her?”
“For some reason her mother has rejected her. Mabel has birthed many goats and never had a problem.” Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. “I don’t know what’s different about this one.” The bottle was empty and Nina had to tug to get Buttercup to release the rubber nipple. The goat jumped into Nina’s lap causing her to fall into the shavings that covered the floor of the stall.
Before Grant could get the gate open to help her, she clambered to her feet. Buttercup still in her arms, she stoked the goat’s head several times before she sat her on the ground. “That’s all I need is something else to take care of.” While her words were harsh, he could see the love in her eyes when she peered at Buttercup. If she didn’t care for the animals, she would have sold them after her parents’ death. She raked the shavings from the back of her jean shorts.
“She’s a cute little kid.”
Cool and controlled, she answered, “Yes, she is. I already have a buyer for her.”
“Does it not bother you to nurture and care for the animals and then sale them?”
She wiped her hands on her shorts. “Part of the life of a farmer.” She shut the gate and her eyes drifted over him. “Besides, I need the money. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have work to do.” Back was the ice princess.
He placed a hand on her arm to halt her. “How about I help you today. What’s on the agenda?”
She pulled her arm away and took a step back. “Sorry, Mr. Wilson, but I wouldn’t feel right to ask for your help. You are a paying guest.” Her smile was cold as she turned her back to him and replied over her shoulder. “I can handle the work by myself.”
Damn, he felt like a failure. His uncle was counting on him to get information. The woman was too standoffish and it seemed she wasn’t going to warm up to him. At his wits end, he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts and moved into the alleyway of the barn. From there he could see her stack some baskets together that were stored in the tack room. Nose in the air she walked right by him and placed them on the back of the beat up truck. She slid into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and headed toward the field of tomatoes across the pasture. It looked like she had an acre of tomatoes. It would take her hours if she had to pick from the whole acre. Minutes ticked by as he watched her pick a bushel and then start on another.
Should he ignore her protests and help anyway? He could take his shirt off and tempt her with his impressive chest. It held her attention yesterd
ay. Surely, he could start a conversation and get her talking. But then his instincts told him it was going to take a miracle to get Miss Nina Reynolds talking. Not only was he letting his uncle down, but his ego was taking a big hit. He knew how to work women. Give them a little attention, a big toothy smile, a compliment, and they melted all over him. None of that worked with her.
He couldn’t very well stand around and do nothing all day. Maybe a run would help to clear his mind of the terrible nightmares that plagued him again last night. He tucked in his elbows and sprinted along the road around the pasture. The black and paint horses ran along the fence line racing with him. Heart pounding from the exertion, Grant picked up the pace, but they easily galloped right past him. Behind him he heard Shadow barking. Still moving his legs and arms, he turned and waited for the dog to catch up with him. “Hey, boy. Can you keep up?”
Following the road into the forest, he slowed to a jog, Shadow staying at his side. It was calming to hear the birds chirping and he decided to slow down and enjoy the scenery. He inhaled a deep breath of clean, country air into his lungs. Suddenly a squirrel darted into their path and Shadow took off at a full run barking loudly and disappeared into the thick undergrowth. “Come back, Shadow!” Too enthralled with the chase, Shadow ignored his command. Grant could hear him running farther and farther away.
After thirty minutes he turned around and picked up the pace running back the way he had come. Leg muscles burning, pulse racing, heartbeat pounding, he felt exhilarated. He bent forward at the waist, and put his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. No explosions, no sounds from machine guns, no drum of helicopters flying overheard. For one hour the world ceased to exist.
****
Before it became too hot, Nina picked the tomatoes now ripe enough to sale. She had a bumper crop this year with just the right amount of rain and sunshine. It didn’t take long and she had three bushel baskets. She lifted them to the back of the old Ford. She removed her wide brim hat and wiped the sweat from her brow. In the distance she could see Grant running on the road that wrapped around the pasture. She sat on the tailgate and thought about her new renter. Tall, dark and handsome, he was certainly pleasant to look at. Last night when she tried to sleep, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. Those deep, brown eyes seemed to look into her soul as if he knew what she was thinking. Yesterday when he asked if he could help with her chores it took a lot of willpower to tell him no. It wasn’t the first time she had been attracted to a man, but for some reason there was something different about him. The strong attraction made her a little uneasy.
She smiled when her sister, Beth’s words interrupted her thoughts. You are much too serious. You should have some fun.
In reality she had no time for fun. After her parents’ death, she left college and had since spent everything they earned keeping the farm from going bankrupt. Her father and mother spent every cent they made to keep her and her two sisters in school. With only one year left in veterinary school, she left college to save the land and house. After she finished her last year of law school, Beth would work the farm so Nina could go back and get her degree in Veterinarian Medicine. They would do whatever it took to keep the farm her father and mother loved with all their hearts. As children, they had done their part to feed and care for the animals. The thought of losing it caused her stomach to tighten.
Nina shook her head and mumbled, “You have too much work to stand around and daydream.”
Shadow raced out of the woods. He barked loudly as he ran circles around the truck. At least he didn’t bring back whatever he had been chasing through the forest. By his barking, he had been in hot pursuit of some kind of animal. Occasionally, he caught some poor unfortunate animal and brought it back to her as a gift. Once he dropped a dead rabbit in her lap as he wiggled all over with excitement. He had no idea how much it hurt her when he killed animals for sport. But then it was his nature. She didn’t have the heart to chain or confine him, especially when she had so many acres for him to freely roam.
If she was going to get the crops to the farmer’s market before 12 o’clock, she had to hurry. She picked five more bushels of tomatoes before she trudged through the huge stalks picking the corn as quickly as possible. Since okra was in high demand, she pulled her knife from her pocket and gathered two bushels and hefted them onto the back of the trunk. She placed her hand to the small of her back and stretched. Her back ached from lifting the heavy bushel baskets.
Driving the truck back to the house, she stopped long enough to run into the house to get some of the honey she had harvested in the spring. When she stepped out of the house with her basket of honey, Grant Wilson was stooped low stroking Shadow on the head. His hair was still wet from his shower. She took a moment to admire his broad shoulders. He sure left an impression. Hard muscles bulged from the simple movement.
She felt her cheeks turn red when he stood and peered into her eyes. Had he seen her gawking at his muscular legs? “Where are you taking your vegetables?”
Nina took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart. “To the farmer’s market. It’s not but about a thirty minute drive.”
Hand still on Shadow’s head he asked, “How about I go with you? I could help unload those heavy baskets.”
“Wouldn’t you rather go fishing or swimming?” She looked over his magnificent physique and thought maybe those activities might not be stimulating enough. “I have hiking, canoeing, and horseback riding. I’m sure you’d be bored at the farmer’s market.”
“No, it sounds interesting. I’d like to accompany you.” She knew she should say no. One of her rules was not to get too chummy with the guests, but it wouldn’t hurt to have him come along. Besides, it would be nice to sit back and let someone else do the heavy lifting for once.
“C’mon then.” She opened the driver’s side door of the old truck and stood back while Shadow jumped in scooting to the middle of the seat. By the time Grant sat on the passenger side, Shadow pressed against her side. Nina felt a little claustrophobic because her dog usually sat next to the window on the passenger side so he could stick his head out and get some air. Her pulse was already flying from being alone with such a gorgeous man. Well, if not for Shadow she would be alone with Grant.
It was a warm almost sultry day. The wind blew in through the open windows and it felt great on her heated skin. The old truck didn’t have an air conditioner so the only way to withstand the heat was to ride with the windows down.
“Was this your grandpa’s truck?” Grant looked at the odometer and laughed. “Is that right? Does this heap really have over 200,000 miles?”
She tapped the odometer with her finger. “More like 300,000. The odometer is broke.” Nina giggled. “No, it was my father’s. If you’re going to run a farm, you have to have a dependable truck. Old Blue hasn’t spent but maybe five times in the shop in his lifetime.” She patted the dashboard. “He’s as dependable as Shadow.”
Hearing his name, the dog began to squirm. Grant stroked his head to calm him down in the confines of the truck. His tongue lolled to the side and drool dripped to the seat.
“Do you have a vehicle to drive on the weekends or to church?”
“No, this is it. I don’t go into town much. I attend a small country church not even five miles from here. Old Blue suffices.” Nina thought of the red sports car her father had bought her as a gift for high school graduation and her heart sank. To pay the bills she had sold it and her mother’s fancy, black Lincoln.
She adored her mother, but she had not been good with money. Any money that wasn’t put toward college went for her wardrobe. Her mother had maxed out several credit cards living a lavish lifestyle. She loved to hang out at the country club with her friends while her father worked the farm.
Once a district attorney in Raleigh, her father made enough money to keep her mother in the luxury she had grown accustomed. But then the stress became too much and he left the high paying position and prestige behind. H
e bought the farm and never looked back. For years the farm sustained them until law school for Beth and veterinarian school for her pretty much wiped out her parents’ funds. Both she and Beth planned to pay back every cent when they started their dream business. Beth, her own law firm, and she planned to buy a truck and make farm calls treating large animals. Then the tragedy of losing their parents changed everything. At least her younger sister Lacy had received a full scholarship to Duke University.
To change the subject, Nina replied, “I like your car. Sixty-five right?”
“Yes, it was my father’s car. I don’t drive much since I’m usually deployed.” He shifted in his seat as if uneasy. “My mom drove it once in a while.”
“What happened to your father?”
“He was killed in a mission.”
She could hear the sorrow in his voice. “Are you a career Marine?”
Silence followed for several seconds. “I haven’t decided yet. Things got pretty rough this time.”
“I cannot begin to fathom what you’ve been going through.” Curious, she wanted to ask what happened, but got the feeling he didn’t want to talk about it. People came to Twelve Oaks Farm to get back to nature, rest, or just get away from the rat race for a while. For some reason she felt Grant Wilson was here to get over a tragedy. She had heard it in his voice when he called to make reservations for two weeks. Something terrible happened and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
“Here we are.” She pulled up and expertly backed the truck under an awning.
****
Grant opened the door and jumped to the ground. He held the door for Shadow to jump out of the vehicle. It was the most relaxed he had been in quite a long time. He felt comfortable with Nina even though she didn’t have much to say.
People milled from vendor to vendor. Baskets of various vegetables and fruits were on display. No one seemed to be in a particular hurry. They were enjoying the sunny day. Life was slow here. The sounds the colors all had a calming effect on him.