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  Arden bagged Saffron’s purchases as Saffron wrote out a cheque. Saffron’s small hand caught Rory’s eye as it scrawled on the cheque. How much work she’d accomplished on her own on the ranch surprised him, considering how petite she was. Not as tiny as Zandra, he figured Saffron was about five feet, three inches or so, with a medium build. Mind you, there was nothing medium about that luscious ass of hers. The rounded globes, encased in faded denim were an enticing sight, but he forced his eyes from her before someone caught him checking her out.

  “I’ll put the rest of the items on your account,” Arden informed Saffron as she took the cheque. “Thanks for this, and I’ll call you as soon as your order comes in.”

  Both Rory and Saffron thanked her, Rory picked up the bag from the counter, and then held the door open for Saffron. She exited the store, and almost ran headlong into Mark Astley, a local farmer. Rory despised the man, and not only because he’d been nasty when Rory inquired about work on his farm. He’d actually laughed in Rory’s face, and asked him if he was insane, thinking Mark would allow an ex-con to set foot on his property. That event might have been enough to incite Rory’s hatred, but Astley was an asshole in many other ways, most notably his misogynistic view of women.

  “Watch it!” Astley snapped angrily, as he stepped back.

  Saffron jumped, obviously not having seen Astley at all. The front door of the feed store had many ads taped to it, and didn’t allow for a view past it when opened. “Sorry,” she said softly.

  Astley glared at her. “You’re that rancher,” he almost spat, his tone accusatory, “the one with the llamas.”

  “Alpacas,” Saffron returned sharply. Rory tensed, knowing Astley wouldn’t have an agreeable reaction to a woman correcting him.

  “Whatever. They, and you, have no business being here, in cattle country. It’s bad enough Morris has those damn buffalos. What’s next? Monkeys?”

  With a shake of his head, Astley then stormed off, and Saffron turned back to Rory with an incredulous look upon her face. He shrugged.

  “He’s a dick, just ignore him.”

  After raising a brow in response, she continued to the truck and Rory trotted to beat her to it to open the door for her. Smiling warmly at him, she climbed into the cab. He closed the door, and, as he rounded the truck, spotted Astley standing on the sidewalk a distance away, staring angrily at him. With a friendly wave at the asshole, trusting Astley read it as the ‘fuck you’ he’d intended, Rory hopped into the pickup.

  Chapter 20

  While still unsure it would work, Rory was determined to make Saffron’s plan come together. She wanted to train the alpacas to stand still for shearing, something that needed to be done soon. Having seen videos of alpacas being tied down to shearing tables, she didn’t want to stress her animals doing the same. After showing Rory a video in which a woman sheared an alpaca on her own, without restraining it, only tethering its halter to a post to ensure it didn’t bolt or move too much, he agreed with her. There was no need to cause the alpacas any unneeded stress, and they decided to train the animals for their upcoming shearing.

  Just before lunchtime found the pair already exhausted, and covered in sweat. While most of the alpacas readily came to them to get treats, a few of the males remained leery of them, and one in particular had turned out to be a nuisance.

  Baron was the largest male, with gorgeous black fibre, but a fierce temper. He evaded each of Rory’s attempts to catch him and, although they both hated it, Saffron had finally had to employ a shepherd’s hook to corner Baron so Rory could snap a lead onto his halter. Baron, unlike most of his fellow alpacas, seemed to despise being led by humans. He reared and spit at Rory, who struggled to get the animal into place in the covered pen. Finally lining him up with a gate, Rory tied the lead to a post, and then jumped back when Baron kicked at him.

  Wiping sweat from his brow, he chuckled. “He really doesn’t like this.”

  “No, but he’ll have to learn to accept it,” she replied.

  Cooing to Baron, she stroked his long neck gently while Rory turned on the clippers. They weren’t shearing the alpacas today, merely getting them used to the process. Baron snorted loudly, and Rory wondered if he’d had a bad shearing experience in the past. The alpaca stomped agitatedly, and Saffron backed up, still making soothing noises.

  “I think maybe he had a scary experience being sheared before,” she said as she met Rory’s eyes.

  “Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. Well, we’ll leave him tied for a bit, and do what we did with the others. Hopefully, when he gets nothing but pets and treats while he’s tied up, he’ll start to think it’s not so bad.”

  “I hope so,” she agreed, reaching out to stroke Baron’s neck again. “He’s usually such a bold boy, but he seems so scared right now, I feel bad for him.”

  Rory did too. With any luck, Baron would figure out they intended him no harm. Baron’s nostrils flared, and his eyes were wide. Rory thought he looked scared and angry at once, and wondered again if the poor animal had been abused. The alpaca paced to the side, away from the gate, and Rory allowed him to, willing to wait for him to calm before attempting to train him to stand flush with the gate, a position required to facilitate grooming him the way they’d agreed upon. As he spoke soothingly to Baron, he ran his hands down the alpaca’s back, and then stood behind him, hoping he wouldn’t kick, but wanting him to get used to them moving around him.

  Saffron walked around him, and Baron, apparently headed for the gate’s latch. Her movement spooked Baron, and the alpaca’s eyes and nostrils widened dramatically. Rory grabbed Saffron’s shoulder, and wrenched her back. Baron slammed into the gate, exactly where Saffron had been an instant earlier.

  As he held Saffron tightly against his chest, his heart thumping wildly at the close call, Rory heard the startled gasp she emitted. She was trembling, and he pressed the side of his face against hers. “It’s okay,” he said softly, “you’re safe. That was close though.”

  She turned her face up at his, her eyes watery. “You saved me.”

  He should let her go, but she felt so good in his arms. Her head darted forward, and she kissed his cheek. She looked up at him, and it was all he could do to not mash his lips against hers. She’s just grateful to you for saving her from being hurt. It’s not like she’s offering herself to you. Let her go, idiot, she doesn’t want this. His slid his arms off her, and let them hang limply at his sides. She averted her eyes as she stepped back.

  “Um, well, thank you. I guess we should get back to work.” She approached Baron cautiously, cooing to him, and the alpaca snorted again, causing her to laugh softly. “Oh, you really don’t like this, do you?”

  Supposing he should ignore her kiss as she was, Rory turned the clippers off. “What did you need to get?” he asked, trying to keep his sudden morose mood from sounding in his voice.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You were headed for the gate. I figured you needed to go get something.”

  “Oh right.” Her cheeks flushed. He guessed she was embarrassed by the kiss, that she’d acted impulsively, and regretted it now. “Nothing. I wasn’t trying to leave. I was going to pet Baron from that side.” Her gaze dropped to the ground before her. “That was pretty stupid, huh?”

  It was idiotic, and she should know better than to place herself between a gate and an agitated animal. “No,” he replied, “just a little careless. You have to give animals a wide berth when they’re stressed.”

  “I will from now on, I promise.” She still hadn’t looked at him.

  Figuring she was doubly embarrassed now, he decided to change the course of their discussion entirely. “So, how much is alpaca fibre worth anyway?”

  His plan worked as she met his eyes, her expression brightening. “I can get up to five dollars an ounce, depending on the quality of the fibre. Baron here has gorgeous fibre. Larger alpacas like him can produce about ten pounds each time they’re sheared.”

&nb
sp; “Seriously?” He had no idea their fibre was worth so much. As he mentally calculated a yield of that much fibre at top dollar, his mouth dropped open slightly. “Each alpaca could yield up to eight hundred dollars at each shearing?”

  “Yep. It’s amazing, right? Mind you, not all of them will yield that much, and I might not be able to get top dollar for it, especially at the beginning. Not to mention that they only get shorn once a year. It should pay for their upkeep though, well, mostly.”

  Considering they ate grasses and around a cup of pellets a day each, he figured the sale of their fibre would easily cover their upkeep, at least the food portion of it. He grasped now why Saffron had started the ranch with alpacas. Unlike some other animals, they’d generate some income for the ranch right away. While she had a lot to learn about ranch operations, she certainly had a good head for business, and it impressed him. He watched as she turned her attention back to Baron and spoke softly to him. Just about everything she did impressed him, but he heeded the voice in his head that insisted she’d never be interested in him romantically. Sure, she was more comfortable around him now, but he was still the ex-con she’d feared so much at their first meeting. It was something he couldn’t change, and something she’d never accept.

  Chapter 21

  Pulling up to the house, Saffron spotted Rory on the riding mower, in the huge front yard. The mower had come with the property, and, while old, it did the job. She actually liked using it, but the sight of Rory on it was something she liked much more. It was sweltering today, and he wore a tank top, his rippling biceps visible even from the distance between them. His worn jeans snuggly hugged his strong thighs, and the straw cowboy hat on his head completed the sexy image. The only thing that would have improved it would have been cowboy boots on his feet, and not the work boots she spotted. Mind you, he probably wasn’t keen on staining his cowboy boots green. Still, cowboy boots would’ve added a tad more sexiness. Me in his lap even more so. Where had that come from? She was his boss.

  That didn’t stop you from kissing him yesterday. True, but she’d done that on an impulse, grateful he’d saved her from injury. Sure, keep telling yourself that. In utter amazement, she wondered when she started having amorous feelings toward Rory. Not so long ago, she’d been afraid of him. Even when she’d hired him, he still made her nervous. She’d been on guard, looking for signs of the temper he’d admitting to having, watching for indications she needed to steer clear of him. He’d been nothing but helpful, polite, and kind all week. She’d been wrong about him, so wrong, and regretted it deeply.

  With a sigh, she reached for the door handle, intent on putting away the groceries she’d just bought. This Friday afternoon found her running errands, something she normally reserved for the weekend. Rory had freed up so much of her time though, that she’d decided to get through as many menial chores as she could. Maybe, just maybe, that would allow her a few hours this weekend with nothing to do but read a book. Her cellphone rang, and she pulled it from her purse. It was Zoë calling. She’d become a close friend, and Saffron was so glad she lived nearby.

  “Hi, Zoë.”

  “Hey girl, what’re you doing?”

  “I just got home with some groceries. I haven’t put them away yet.”

  “Oh, do you want me to let you go then?”

  “No, I can chat for a few minutes,” she assured Zoë. “I didn’t buy anything frozen. Besides, I have an enticing sight in front of me right now.”

  “Really? Is Ethan over there?” Zoë laughed harder than Saffron did.

  “Actually, Rory is mowing the lawn.”

  “Huh. All bulging muscles and sweaty shirt, right?” The suggestive tone in Zoë’s voice had Saffron smiling.

  “He’s pretty damn hot. He is my employee, though. I shouldn’t be checking him out.”

  “Says who? You have eyes, don’t you? He’s hot, single, and so are you. Besides, Ethan was my boss, and you know how that turned out.”

  “Yeah, well, that was you and Ethan. Rory is, well, I’m sure he wouldn’t be interested in me.”

  Zoë’s loud snort was startling. “Saffron, if you’re about to put yourself down again, I’m going to march over there and kick your ass. You’re beautiful, talented, smart as hell, and own a ranch. You got it going on, girl.”

  I’m also dumpy. She wouldn’t say that aloud though, knowing Zoë would have another go at her. While appreciating Zoë’s attempt at plumping up her ego, her friend was wrong. Why couldn’t women as beautiful as Zoë just admit they were? Friendship aside, Zoë should be encouraging Saffron to lose those extra pounds, not tell her the additional weight didn’t matter, because it did.

  “Right. Anyway, what’s up?”

  “Wanna go shopping on Saturday?” Zoë asked, her tone hopeful. “I need some new lingerie. I’m heading to the big city for a shopping spree. Come along. We’ll have lunch and walk around a mall, or three.”

  “Big city?” She couldn’t suppress a chuckle. There were no truly big cities close by. “Lethbridge?”

  “Probably. Although I haven’t been shopping in Medicine Hat yet. Maybe we should go there. How awesome a name is that, truly? I’ve always wanted to visit there.”

  Chuckling, Saffron searched for the right words to let Zoë down gently. She sounded keen on the shopping trip, but Saffron didn’t want to go. She wanted a relaxing weekend, and really couldn’t afford an unnecessary shopping trip.

  “I’d love to, but I can’t. I still have a few errands to run this weekend, and I was really looking forward to some down time. I’m beat. I need to just relax, and put my feet up.”

  “Well, shit. Okay, I understand, maybe next time then,” Zoë suggested.

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’ll let you get back to checking out Rory then.”

  “I’m not checking him out, just admiring.”

  Zoë’s cackle filled Saffron’s ear. “Sure, keep telling yourself that. The Bukowski brothers are both gorgeous, and you’ve got one on your ranch. Rope that stallion, and ride him hard.”

  “Oh my God! Zoë, you’re too much sometimes.”

  “Nope, I just tell it the way it is. He’s gorgeous, and available. If I were you, I’d definitely go for it.”

  If you were me, you’d feel differently about it, trust me. “I’m going now. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Chicken shit,” Zoë said, and then chuckled. “You need to live a little.”

  “Bye, Zoë.”

  “Goodbye, Saffron.”

  Shaking her head as she slipped the phone back in her purse, she glanced in Rory’s direction. His back to her, he stopped the mower to remove his hat, and wipe his brow. Then, he pulled his shirt off, replaced his hat, and continued on. Her eyes bulged slightly. Holy shit, did he have a gorgeous back! She was tempted to run to where he was, and see how impressive his bare chest looked. Instead, she shut off the truck’s engine and, as she opened the door, a blast of hot air hit her. Almost as hot as Rory.

  Chapter 22

  Heading to the bunkhouse to shower before dinner, Rory spotted Saffron taking down laundry from the clothesline that ran beside the house, and changed course to give her a hand. He’d washed his hands with the hose already, never liking to go home with dirty hands. Surprisingly, he was already thinking of the ranch as home, even though he’d only been here a week. It was Sunday, and while he didn’t really work on weekends, he’d refused to leave all the work to Saffron, even though he was aware she’d been caring for the alpacas before hiring him. He’d spent last night at Boone’s house, visiting with Zandra, but insisted on returning to the ranch this morning. Funny, in all the time he’d lived in that house, he’d always thought of it as Boone’s place, not home. Saffron didn’t want him to work this weekend, citing the long work hours he’d already put in, but he’d wanted to do the work, all of it. He didn’t care if his work hours turned into sixteen hour days, seven days a week. He loved the ranch, the alpacas, and the ability to work.

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nbsp; Saffron looked to him quizzically as he unpinned a pair of his jeans, dropped the clothespins into the cloth bag hanging on the line, and then handed the jeans to her. He could’ve folded them himself, he’d spent enough time in the penitentiary’s laundry to be quite proficient doing so, but she was folding, and seemed to have a system he didn’t want to mess with.

  “Seeing as it’s Sunday and you shouldn’t be working at all, you really don’t have to help with this,” she told him.

  “I know, but I appreciate you doing my laundry. You don’t have to.”

  “Were you planning on taking it to your sister to do?”

  Her tone was teasing, and he smiled. “Hardly. I can do laundry.”

  Saffron folded the jeans, and her fingers brushed over the tear in the knee. The jeans had seen better days, and he really should’ve thrown them out long ago, same as the pair he currently wore. He wondered if she thought him too poor to buy decent jeans, or if she reasoned they were work jeans. Both were true, but he had better jeans to wear, ones Boone had bought for him, although he balked at wearing them unless he needed to look more presentable. He’d worn a pair of ‘good jeans’ to his interview with Saffron, but he hated them, the dark denim ones Boone had purchased. They looked like prison-issue ones, and he couldn’t shake the thought, even after more than two years. The pair she laid atop the pile of his T-shirts were faded, torn, and didn’t look anything like the jeans he’d worn for seven years. Still, he should buy some new ones with his first paycheque, as he should look more presentable at work, even if it was only the two of them here. In time, he would be the foreman she hired him to be, and he should look the part.