Chance For Love (Colorado Blues) (5 page)

The small town of Estes Park came into view and Chance
eased off the gas. He always relaxed when he made it this close to his ranch.
The tension slid from his shoulders and he could breathe easier when he knew he
was only minutes from home. He drove through the main street and pulled up in
front of the Este Park Emporium. Callie needed more clothes and this was the
easiest place to get everything she would need.

“Come on. Let’s go shop.” Chance opened his door and
slid out, taking his cane with him. He waited for Callie to get out of the
truck. She seemed reluctant to go inside.

“You need more than what you brought with you. We’re
still not completely clear of winter yet, and even then it doesn’t get anywhere
near as hot as what you’re used to in the desert.  We could still get a
good dumping in the next few weeks. There’s nothing like a winter storm
surprising us in spring like they do on occasion. Those clothes aren’t going to
keep you warm enough.” He placed a hand on the small of her back and pushed her
toward the door.

The bell tinkled overhead as they walked in the shop.

“Chance. Nice to see you. What can I do for you
today?” A rosy-cheeked elder lady with her hair done in a bun on the top of her
head ambled toward them, her hands clasped around a portly belly.

“Hi, Sue Ellen. This is Callie, she’s come to help run
the ranch for me. Needs a whole wardrobe. Can I leave her in your capable hands
to fit her out for me?”

“Chance…” Callie turned to him, her eyes pleading.

“Well now, I think I can manage that. Guessing you
want the whole shooting match then; boots, shoes and the like. Getting right
cold these last couple of days.” She glanced up and down at Callie and raised
an eyebrow in Chance’s direction.

“Yes. Everything and make sure she has a decent jacket
too. Can’t have her out in the terrible weather freezing her butt off when she
has to feed out. Give her a hat too. I’ll be back in an hour or so. You ladies
have fun now.” He winked at Callie and left her standing with Sue Ellen knowing
he was going to get a talking too when he came back.

“Well now,” he heard Sue Ellen saying as he shut the
door and headed up the road to take care of other business.

***

“There, that should do you. Can’t think of anything
I’ve missed.” Sue Ellen glanced at the bags piled up on the counter and rubbed
her hands together. “So, you came all the way from Australia to work for
Chance?”

“Yes.” Callie wished the floor would open up and
swallow her whole. The woman had asked question after question, never seeming
satisfied with Callie’s answers.

“Reckon it’s his business, but don’t rightly seem like
the thing to do when there’s plenty of men looking for work in this town. What
on earth was he thinking hiring someone as frail looking as you? Reckon a
strong head wind will knock you flying.”

“I’m stronger than I look but if you have any issues
with me being here, perhaps you should ask him that. I’m only an employee after
all.” She was getting tired of the questions and just wished he would come back
and save her.

“A very well looked after employee from what I can
see.  Right, let me ring this lot up and see what you owe me.” Sue Ellen
started the long task of going through every item and loading it into the old
fashioned cash register.

When the doorbell tinkled, Callie turned breathing a
sigh of relief. Chance walked in, a smile on his face. “So
,
we’re ready to go then?”

“Just give me a minute to tally this up and it’s all
yours.”

Chance leaned on the counter and gazed at Callie. She
frowned at him and turned away. Once they were out of this shop he was going to
get an earful. She brought her own clothes, and this was just plain
embarrassing.

“Here you go.” Sue Ellen handed him a slip of paper
and Chance signed it before handing it back with his credit card.

“Thanks, Sue Ellen, appreciate it. Grab some bags and
let’s get going.”

Callie scrambled to grab the purchases and hustled
them out to the truck. She piled them all onto the back seat and climbed up in
the front, jamming her seat belt on.

When Chance drove away from the store, she turned to
him. “That was totally unnecessary. I can buy my own clothes thank you very
much.” Callie crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window still
seething at the never ending list of questions the shop keeper had thrown at
her.

“You are my wife and in my employ. If I want to buy
you clothes, I will. Those threadbare jeans might be fine for the heat of the
Australian outback, but up here in Colorado, they wouldn’t keep a gnat warm.”

“But I can—”

“Stop arguing. Something else you’re good at from the
sound of things.” He mimicked her voice, getting the twang of her voice almost
right. “
Only telling it like it is cowboy
.”

Callie glared at him, the smile itching the corners of
her lips. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“Well stop acting like a brat and take the clothing in
the manner it was intended. I don’t want you freezing that cute butt of yours
off when you’re working outside. I need you to take care of yourself as well as
me, and I don’t think you have any idea of how damned cold it gets here.”
Chance thumped the steering wheel with his hand and glanced back at her. “Last
thing I need is my foreman lost in a snow drift.”

Callie scratched behind her ear and looked at him.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Now that’s better. How about you scoot your butt over
here and keep me company. We should be home in about ten minutes give or take.”

She looked at the distance between them and then
unhooked her seat belt, sliding over beside him. Callie pulled on the middle
seat belt and settled down to enjoy the final part of their journey.

Chance dropped a hand to her knee and kept it there as
they drove through the outskirts of town. The countryside turned denser as the
pine forests became thicker. A large boulder marked the driveway and Callie sat
forward when they turned in. The driveway cut through acres of forest before
the land became clearer and sunlight filtered through onto the road.

“It’s so pretty in here.” Any minute now Bambi would
come walking out of the forest.

“It is special. Can you blame me for not wanting to go
back on the circuit?”

Callie shook her head. A shadow hovered in her
peripheral vision and she screamed, gripping Chance’s hand.

“Steady on. Its only Brutus. Been here longer than I
have.” A large moose walked out onto the road and stopped in front of them.

Chance put his foot on the brakes and slowed down to a
stop.

“He’s huge. Oh my goodness, that is something.”

“He sure is, but don’t go thinking he’s all cute and
fluffy like your kangaroos. He can be as nasty as a bear when he’s looking out
for his girls. And never ever go near a female with a calf. Nastier than you
could imagine.”

They sat waiting for Brutus to move on before Chance
put his foot on the gas. The forest quickly faded behind them as cleared
paddocks line either side of the road. The thick green grass took her breath
away. “I could get lost in that grass.”

“This bit here is Tyson’s spread. It goes all the way
up to the bridge ahead. Once you get to the river, the rest all the way up to
the mountains is my place.”

Callie looked, her mouth dropping open in shock. Ahead
of her was a long winding road that snaked up between green pastures to a steep
mountain range topped with snow. Around the base of the mountain was another
pine forest. “That is so beautiful, just like a postcard.”

“Wait until you see the house.”

They began the ascent up the hill to the plateau that
was Chance’s ranch. As they got nearer, Callie could see the roof of a house,
chimney’s on either side of a large turret topped off with a bell set in the
roof. The ground eventually leveled out and the picture of the whole house was
in front of them.

“It’s a log house.” She stared at the picture book
home with its view over the valley below. The building had a wide open porch in
front that stepped down onto the grass front lawn. The porch was set out with
wooden loungers and side tables to take in the view. Tubs of flowers broke the
starkness of the timber giving it a homely feel.

Wide French wooden doors led into the main rooms
either side of the heavy front door. She pointed to the bell she’d seen
earlier. “What’s that for?”

“It’s more for decoration than anything. It’s an old
mission bell I found on my travels. They used to have them at every mission
along the west coast to warn of intruders.”

“I like it. Chance, it’s just beautiful.”

He pulled up beside the house at a wooden hitching
rail and let go of her hand. “Come on, let me show you around.”

Callie slid across the seat and climbed out, doing a
full circle spin to try and take in her surroundings. The property was
breathtakingly beautiful. She wouldn’t want to leave either if she owned it.

Chance came around and took her hand. “Let’s go and
have a quick look before it gets dark. I’ll give you a guided tour tomorrow.”
He pulled her toward a large barn on the other side of the driveway. “Stables
and covered yards are this way.”

She could hear the snorting of horses before he opened
the barn door. Along one side of the wall, Callie could make out stalls and
smell the horses. Once Chance flicked on overhead lighting she could see where
the noises were coming from. The two end stalls were occupied and the animals
tossed their heads as they approached.

“This here is Sultan and Tiny. Neither of them would
hurt you, but be careful with Tiny. He has a temper, even with me.” The horse
hung his head over the door and stamped his feet. Chance held out his hand for
him to smell before scratching the forelock. “You can ride Sultan anytime. He’s
as gentle as a lamb.” He checked the horses feed bins. “Looks like Tyson has
been up and fed the animals anyway. That will save us a job tonight and
probably a visit from my nosy brother.”

Callie reached out a hand and stroked the horse’s
ears, the heat racing up her cheeks as she thought of the possibilities of a
night alone with Chance in his own bed. She turned and looked around the barn.
There were stalls on the other side under a mezzanine floor. Bales of hay were
piled high to the roof.

Chance followed her gaze. “We keep a bit of feed in
here and there’s another feed barn out the back. Stalls over there”—he pointed
to the ones on the opposite wall—“just in case we need to bring in any stock
in. Late calves or whatever in the bad weather.” A couple of chickens walked
out of a stall and scratched at the floor. “I keep meaning to check in that
stall. I bet there’s a nest in
there
full of eggs.”

“I’ll do it.” Callie hurried over and opened the door,
scattering the hens. In the far corner she found a nest of eggs. “There must be
a couple of dozen here. Fancy eggs for dinner?”

“If you’re cooking I’ll have whatever you want to
make. Bound to be a basket to collect them somewhere. Let me show you around a
bit more and we can come back and get them before we go inside.”

Together they walked out of the barn and turned toward
the driveway that ambled away from the house. Paddocks were fenced with split
posts and whitewashed wooden rails. Cattle grazed lazily and only one bull
reared its head to look up as they approached. “This is Terror.”

“Terror? You mean the bull that broke your hip?”
Callie leaned on the fence and watched the grey and white Brahman amble toward
them.

“Yeah, that one. He’s a mean old bastard. Don’t let
that cool casual look deceive you. He’ll turn on you in an instant and because
of that, any paddock he’s in is out of bounds, understand?”

She glanced up at him, a wary look in her eyes. “Who
gets to manage him then, if I’m not allowed to do it?”

“Tyson can do it until I’m up and able to. I don’t
care what the issue is, I never want to see you in the same paddock as him.
Ever.”

“Yes, boss.
Geeze
, don’t get
too wound up over it. He’s just a damned ornery bull. We have that breed in
Australia so I’ve seen plenty of them in my time.”

He grabbed her arm, swinging her around to face him.
“Callie, I’m deadly serious here. I’ve seen him take a man, try and throw him
over the railings, and stomp him to death. I don’t trust him and neither should
you. The only reason he’s alive now is because I refused to let them shoot him.
I want him for stud and that’s all he’s good for now. He’s too dangerous to be
used as a rodeo bull.”

“Fine. I’ll keep out of his way.”

Chance ran a hand over his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t
mean to sound off at you, but I’ve seen him in action. You haven’t. It would be
easy to be fooled by his nature when he’s like this.”

“No, that’s okay, I understand. Now what else did you
want to show me before it gets too dark out?” She slipped her arm through his.

“Let’s take a walk up here further. I had the cows
brought down that are calving just to keep an eye on them. Most are a few weeks
away, but better to be safe than sorry.” Together they walked up driveway where
a small herd of cows were chewing their grass contentedly.

Callie leaned on the fence, her chin on her hands.
“This is all so different to what I’m used to. At home there’s more red dirt
than grass. The cows have to walk for miles some days to get a decent feed.
That’s the reason why farmers are going bankrupt so much. No feed unless they
truck it in.”

Chance rested a hand on her shoulder. “We never have
that problem here. If anything, I really need to bring in more stock to keep
the grass down. We can go to a few sales once you get the hang of the place and
you can buy some more.”

She looked up at him. “I wouldn’t know what to buy.
You have so many different cattle here.”

“Beef cows are beef cows the world over. Once you get
the hang of what breed is what, I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine.” He shuffled
his feet. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I could do with heading inside.”

“Of course. It’s been a long day for you.” Callie
slung an arm around his waist and led him back to the house. Chance took a key
from his pocket and walked up onto the front porch. He slid the key in the lock
and pushed the door open, encouraging her to walk in before him.

***

She walked into the room and stopped dead in her
tracks. Chance flicked on a light switch and lit up the entry way and lounge to
the right of the door. She took a step forward and her jaw dropped. The room
was huge with large glass windows that showed off the view of the snow topped
mountains and the ranch sitting at the base of the range. A large cow skin rug
was spread out in front of a wide stone fireplace. It was set ready for a fire
with the timber stacked up and plenty of extra logs stacked to one side of the
wide hearth. Over the fireplace hung a huge mirror that reflected the view from
the front of the house through the large French doors.

A leather lounge was placed back but aimed at the
fireplace with a low glass coffee table in front of it. Book cases filled the
only other internal wall. It was crammed with books and Callie promised herself
she would have a look when she had more time.

“This is a stunning house.”

“You wait until you see the rest of it.” He gripped
his cane and told her to follow him. He led her across the hallway into an open
planned kitchen. The huge island counter faced the dining table off to one side
of the front room with doors that opened onto the porch. Behind the counter, a
large six burner gas oven was set into a stone alcove with down lights and an
exhaust fan. A double door stainless steel fridge sat beside a door which
Callie assumed was the pantry.

“Have a look around. Open cupboards and do whatever it
is that women do when they check out a house. This is your home now and I want
you to be happy here.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s just mind
blowing.” She walked over to the pantry and opened the door. A light switched
on automatically and she stepped inside. The room was almost as large as her
bedroom at home. The shelves were laden with food, enough to see them through
whatever the weather could throw at them. Chance walked up to the door.

“Out in the barn is a root cellar too. Don’t know if
you know what they are, but basically they’re an underground storage room for
food. The winters can get really severe here and a lot of the locals like to
put down their own food from their gardens to see them through to the next
season.”

“Do you have a garden?”

“No, not yet. Not really my thing, but if you want
one, you just have to say the word.”

She gazed at him, amazed at how her life was turning
out. “I’d love one. We had a small one at home, but Mum struggled to grow much
because to the lack of water and the damned rabbits. If she left the covers off
the vegetable beds the animals would take everything. Even the crows got really
good at taking her cabbages.”

“Just let me know what you want and it will be done.
There are plenty of men in town who know how to build vegetable plots.
Landscapers and the like.”

“Thanks.”

“Let me show you upstairs.” He held out his hand and
Callie linked her fingers with his. Together they walked from the kitchen to
the hallway and started to climb the wide wooden stairs. He pointed past the
stair to the back of the house. “Back there is the laundry, a bathroom, and an
office.” They continued up the stairs. At the top, Chance paused to rub his
hip.

“Our room is the end door. Follow me.” He reached for
her hand again and led her past several doors to either side of the wide
hallway to the master bedroom. Chance opened the door and let her walk in
first. She stepped into the room and paused looking at the huge bed. His hand
rested on her shoulder and she jumped. “Plenty of room for both of us, but if
you like, you can keep your clothes in one of the spare rooms until the
brothers come around to my way of thinking.” He walked over to the bed and sat
down, letting his cane lean against the edge of the mattress. “Shouldn’t make
much difference to you and me though.” He smiled wiggling his eyebrows and
Callie grinned.

“No, it shouldn’t. Are you sure this is how you want
to play it? I mean, I could stay in the other room if you like. I wouldn’t take
offence.”

“I would. I want my wife in my bed whenever possible.
Come here.” He held his arms out and she grinned, keen to get another handful
of the naked chest she woke up on this morning.

Callie stood between his legs and put her hands on his
shoulders. She dipped her head and placed her mouth on his. Gently at first
they kissed, discovering the bond that was quickly building up between them.

His arms came around her back, lowering to cup her
butt and pulling her closer, and Callie pushed herself against him suddenly
desperate for more. Moving her hips against him, the heat building in her body.

She moaned as he pulled her shirt from her jeans. His
fingers reached up to undo her buttons and she shrugged it from her shoulders
to drop on the floor. Chance’s roughened hands circled her waist, his breath
hot against her belly. She gasped as he dipped his tongue into her belly button
while he popped the button on her pants. Callie helped him push her jeans down
and stepped out of them, kicking them away. He gripped her butt in his hands
and lifted her to her tip toes.

Callie cried out as he ran his tongue over the front
of her panties, hinting of what was to come. His fingers dug under the elastic
and suddenly she was standing before him naked and wanting.

“You are so beautiful.” The wonder in his voice made
her brave and she pulled him to his feet. With trembling hands, Callie undid
the buttons on his shirt and pushed it apart to shower his chest with her lips.
His fingers toyed with her nipples as she worked her way down to the button on
his jeans. He helped her to shuck them down to his ankles and stepped out of them,
kicking them out of the way.

“This might be better on the bed.” Chance pulled down
the covers on the bed and guided her onto the soft mattress. He leaned over
her, gazing at her nakedness, a smile on his face.

She blushed under his scrutiny wishing he would hurry
up and take her. She was desperate for her hot cowboy. Watching his erection
twitching against his stomach was almost more than she could stand. Callie
reached out and wrapped her hand around it, her thumb rubbing over the head.

“I doubt I’ll last long if you do that.” He gasped and
closed his eyes, breathing hard.

“Well then, perhaps we should just get on with it. We
can play around a bit more next time.”

“Since you put it that way, I’d have to agree.” He kissed
her, dipping his tongue into her mouth as he lowered himself between her legs.
His fingers trailed down her belly into the small patch of hair crowning the
apex of her thighs. Chance slid his fingers between her lips and Callie
squirmed in pleasure. She was wet and ready for him and doubted she’d last very
long if he toyed with her like that.

“Now, Chance. Please don’t tease me. I need you inside
me right now.”

When he slid inside her, Callie gasped and moaned
loudly.

“Did I hurt you?” Chance stilled his body.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, careful with
his sore hip and thrust herself against him. “No,” she ground out. “Hard and
fast, now.”

Chance did as she asked, pushing her toward the edge
within minutes. Callie cried out as she tipped over the edge, her fingers
digging into his butt, holding him in place as she quivered around him. With a
final deep thrust, Chance went over and joined her.