Most Eligible Cowboy (Peach Valley Romance Book 1) (4 page)

Maya started out, taking pictures from her porch, but within minutes she’d stepped down and moved into the grove. She lay on her back and snapped pictures of the sunlight pouring through the branches from above. After that, she stood, and she continued on, taking pictures of the peaches and a bumblebee on a wild daisy that had found a way to grow between two trees. Before she knew it, she was at the fence on the other side of the orchard.

In the distance, a group of men in cowboy hats were on horses. They were whooping and hollering and laughing. Dust mingled with the dying light. It filled Maya with such a heady buzz that she laughed and then covered her mouth sheepishly. Then she proceeded to take picture after picture. Before she knew it, tears had filled her eyes. She didn’t even understand why, but she felt alive. For the first time in years, she really felt alive!

It was well after the sunset before she put down her camera, feeling elated and content. But that lasted only briefly until she comprehended that it was dark. Really dark. The guys had started a bonfire and it appeared as though they were just getting started with their night. The sound of crackling firewood mingled with the men’s conversation. Smoke filled the air, its aroma cutting through the sweetness of the over ripened peaches. She was saddened that the light from the fire didn’t reach her.

Maya glanced back toward home, through the grove of peach trees. She could make out shadows, but it was so dark they looked menacing. She searched for the Palace, hoping to get her bearings. It surprised her that she couldn’t see it. A quick look up at the sky revealed nothing either. Her aunt had told her that she would never see more stars than at night in Wyoming. Her aunt lied. There wasn’t a single star and the moon was nowhere in sight. It was as though someone had thrown a blanket over the sky.

She reached in her pocket for her phone, but remembered she’d run off without taking it. “I’m in trouble.” She started back through the trees, letting her camera dangle from her neck so that she could put her hands out in front of her. As she came up on a tree, its shadow appeared and she was able to avoid it before running into it. But she wasn’t sure whether she headed in the right direction or not.

After twenty minutes, she still hadn’t found her way back. She sighed, leaning against one of the trees. She debated whether to yell out or just stay put. When she heard the sound of a rattle, she jerked up. “A snake. A dang rattlesnake. What else could go wrong?”

She wasn’t sure which way to step. It sounded like the rattling came from all around her, so she turned, stepping back the way she’d come. Immediately, she knew it had been a bad idea. The snake sank its teeth into her ankle quickly before retreating. Maya screamed. And then screamed again. She was frustrated and so scared she began to shake. “Help,” she cried. Tears filled her eyes. After several seconds, she grasped no one was coming. She was in the middle of nowhere and the only person who could help her was herself. She wiped her eyes, sniffled, and tried to put weight on the injured leg. It hurt, but not as badly as she’d believed a rattlesnake bite would. Part of her knew that was because she was going into shock, but she didn’t think on that.

Carefully, she turned back, continuing in the direction she’d originally been going. It was a long process and she knew she was bumbling around incoherently. It was then that she noticed the dizziness and a ringing in her ears. She had to sit down. Leaning on the nearest tree, she used it to walk her way down into a sitting position. The ringing got louder, making it difficult to hear anything else. Maya closed her eyes. “Please help me.”

She didn’t know how long she sat there, but after a while she heard whining in the distance and the sound of a dog barking. Then someone called, “Benji. Find her, boy.”

And suddenly she felt her face being licked and a warm, furry body whined, then ran away, barking.

“That’s it. Take me to her.”

“Hey, I’m over here,” Maya tried to yell, a feeling of gratitude washing over her. The voice she’d heard talking to the dog came close. “I’ve got you Maya. You’re going to be okay. Hang on.”

“Help me,” Maya whispered.

“It’s okay. I’m here.” The man lifted her into his arms.

Lights flashed and more voices could be heard all around her.

“Snake,” Maya eked out. “Ankle,” she continued.

A light shone in her face and then it seemed like the whole sky lit up. “There,” someone said. “Her ankle. She has a snake bite.”

“Let’s het her to her room. I’ll call the doc.”

“My poor Maya.” That voice was her aunt Patty’s. Maya wanted to tell her she would be okay, but her mouth was too dry and she couldn’t speak.

“Yeah, she’s had a crazy first day in Peach Valley,” one of the men said.

P
each Valley was
a small town in Wyoming near the Grand Tetons. Not quite as big as some of the other towns, which boasted more than ten thousand residents, or Cheyenne with a population of sixty thousand. Peach Valley had a population of three thousand and five. It had its own high school though. Jackson’s graduating class had been one of the biggest in recent decades with just shy of one hundred students. There had been slightly more males than females if memory served and everyone knew everyone.

Jackson’s father’s ultimatum had been issued no more than an hour when he received his first phone call. Her name was Trisha and they’d gone to the high school together. Well, upon further questioning, the girl explained she was
still
in high school, but that she would be starting her senior year in the fall. The girl had been bold and brash and Jackson had hung up as soon as he felt reasonably comfortable doing so.

Ten minutes later he got a call from Cammie. She was at least old enough to vote, but certainly not someone he’d be interested in. While they spoke, he received another call, but let it go to voicemail. After that, he’d turned off his phone. His brother’s had spent the better part of the afternoon mocking him. Sure, it’d been a while since Jackson had been on a real date, and Everett, Lance, and Blaze all had girlfriends. Or at least women they saw on a regular basis.

Jackson pulled his hat down, clicked his horse forward and finished getting the calves in to be checked out by the vet. It was hard work. Tedious too. It didn’t escape his notice that more than once an image of Maya, her sweet smile, and the way her green eyes lit up when she talked came to mind. As a man of thirty, he’d had the opportunity to meet many people over the years. Once thing he could easily tell was whether a person were genuine of not. Right away he’d known Maya didn’t have a devious bone in her body. It’d been the same with Diana when they first met as well. As soon as he realized he was thinking about her, he tried to stop. It was a habit he’d developed, comparing every woman he met to the memory of his wife. It wasn’t a good idea. No one could compare.

He and the guys finished up their work as the sun began to set, herding the calves back out to pasture where they had a joyous reunion with their mommas. Several of the calves kicked and shook their heads like they were dancing. It was a lot of fun to watch.

After that, Jackson, his brother’s, and the remainder of the men decided to start a bonfire with the goal of blowing off some steam. By the time it’d become totally dark, Jackson was ready to get home. He called his dog, Benji and started off toward his truck. Not more than five minutes after they began walking, something spooked Benji. He barked uncontrollably, running toward Patty’s property and then returning. Jackson thought maybe his dog had caught the scent of a mountain lion. They didn’t tend to come down into the valley during the summer, but every once in a while they’d have to chase one back up into the mountains.

Jackson had been about to get upset with his dog until he remembered Maya. She was new to town and it would be just like an inexperienced individual to think country life equaled no danger.

He hopped the fence and followed his dog. The rest of the boys noticed him and trailed along, eager for some excitement.

“What do you think Benji is after?”

“I hope it’s a cougar,” Blaze said.

“Could just be a raccoon,” Lance said, dryly. “That dog chases everything.”

It was about that time Jackson heard Patty calling for Maya. Then Jackson’s heart sank. He hated when he was right. Jackson called out to Patty, who shined her flashlight at him. She explained when she’d seen Maya last and that she should’ve talked to Maya first thing about the dangers of country life.

After ten minutes, Benji found Maya. She was located in the center of the peach grove, delirious from a rattlesnake bite. He’d picked her up and carried her into her bedroom. The closest hospital was an hour away. Luckily Doc Johnson was much closer and made house calls.

When he arrived, he assessed her quickly before giving her a shot of anti venom, and advised her aunt Patty to keep a close eye on her that night, and if all went well to make sure the girl took it easy for a week or so.

For some reason seeing Maya lying on the bed looking so small made Jackson’s stomach hurt, and he felt like he needed to punch something. He’d wanted to shake her and tell her to leave town, that country life wasn’t for the weak. At the same time he wanted to hug her and keep her safe. The contradictory feelings within him made him a little crazy. His brothers and the rest of the guys left after a while. He’d stayed with Patty while the doc looked Maya over and a long time afterword, helping Patty in any way he could. Patty had promised that she would be fine, but he hadn’t been able to leave. During the night he fetched Patty a cool washcloth for Maya’s forehead and made Patty some tea. At one point he even took out Maya’s guitar and played a few chords, hoping to relax Maya and himself. It hadn’t done much, but Patty said she appreciated it.

Around one in the morning, Patty finally forced him to leave. He’d agreed, but reluctantly. At home, after setting the nanny up in the guest bedroom, Jackson took a shower, pulled on some sweatpants and a tee shirt before heading downstairs in his bare feet. A copy of his dad’s will sat on the dining table. He sat heavily in one of the chairs and looked it over, forcing himself to read the words that bound him to marriage to someone in ninety days, or his dad would sell the ranch. He’d always been a realist. He had to be growing up in the wild Wyoming country. It was harsh, filled with devastation and loss. But there was also beauty and renewal. He didn’t want to be the reason he and his brothers lost the ranch. He knew if that happened, he’d be letting down his whole family.

Jackson was tired, but wired too. He didn’t know what to do. Living in the same town most of his life meant he knew everyone. There wasn’t a single person he’d grown up with that he could imagine getting hitched to. The only woman he’d loved, he’d married. And then she’d died. Still, he had a feeling if Diana had had the chance to meet Maya, she would’ve liked her.

“Daddy, is that you?” His four-year-old daughter, Ava came down the stairs. She held her teddy bear Charlie close against her chest.

“Hi, darling. Why are you awake?” He held out his arms. She smiled huge and ran into them. Once Jackson had her sitting on his lap, he snuggled her close. “Did Charlie have a bad dream?” He touched the bear’s paw as he kissed the top of his daughter’s head. She smelled like she’d had her bath.

Ava nodded, burying her face in her daddy’s chest.

“Want to talk about it?”

She sniffled, but shook her head.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” He hugged her tighter. “I’ve got you, baby girl.”

“I’m…” she sniffled again before looking at him. Her eyes were filled with giant alligator tears.

Jackson forced himself not to tear up. Ava was the spitting image of her momma. Dark, curly hair, honey colored eyes, and pouty pink lips.

“I’m not a baby.” She wiped her eyes and looked at Jackson with her steady gaze.

“You sure?” He squeezed her.

“Yes, I’m sure. Nanny says I’m a big girl.”

Jackson touched the tip of her pert little nose. “I think nanny is right.”

She smiled. “But Charlie is a baby. I have to take care of him. Otherwise he gets scared.”

Jackson nodded. “How do you take care of Charlie?”

“I feed him, give him kisses, and tell him I’ll protect him.” While she talked, she spoke to her bear.

“You are such a good friend, Ava.” He kissed her forehead. “Want to stay on my lap for a few minutes while I look over some papers?”

She nodded, leaning her head against his chest. “I love you, daddy.”

“Love you, Ava.”

He went through the will again, even though he knew he would find nothing new. His parents were serious. As he held Ava, he understood why. Ava needed a mother. She wouldn’t stay four long. In her teen years, especially, she would need a mom. It still shocked him that Diana had been taken from him and his daughter. Right after she died, it’d been difficult for him. He’d nearly lost himself in his pain, but he’d chosen not to let that happen. Now he’d choose to find himself a wife and Ava a mom. Nanny Irma wouldn’t be around forever. She’d helped take care of Jackson and his brothers when they’d been young. Jackson didn’t know Irma’s age, but believed she was older than his mom.

Before he had the chance to debate possible candidates to fill the shoes of wife and mother, an image of Maya came to mind. She was beautiful, sweet, and had gumption. But it was too soon to think about more than that. Still, it was curious that Maya came to town the same day his dad gave him the ultimatum. It could’ve been considered a coincidence, except Jackson didn’t believe in coincidences.

“I wonder…” He let the words hang in the air as turned off the lights and carried Ava up the stairs to her room. He tucked her in and turned off her light. Walked passed the extra bedroom and went into his. The room was cozy with a king sized bed made out of logs he’d stripped, sanded and stained himself. The best part about his room, at least he thought so, was that he’d built a library at the top of some winding metal stairs. He went up them and over to the window where he had his telescope set up.

It’d been cloudy earlier, but now the sky was clear. Millions and millions of stars were out and he could see the Milky Way. Moments like this reminded him why he lived on a ranch in a small town in Wyoming. There wasn’t another place in the world where he belonged. He would marry. As he watched a falling star, he sent out a prayer that he could find the woman meant for him.