Love on the Buchanan Ranch (A Romance Story) (5 page)

After a few minutes she found an area of fence that looked taller than the bull and kicking off her heels, climbed up on it. She looked back then to see where he was. To her surprise there was a man on a horse with a rope flung over the bulls horns. She hadn’t even heard him approach. He looked towards her and said, “Stay there for a minute, I’ve about got him.”

Stacey only nodded and watched as the cowboy wrangled with the bull, having to re-rope him several times before he finally got him back through the broken fence. Leaning down to take the rope off the animal’s horns and giving him a firm slap on the butt, the cowboy said, “Now go on, git!” The bull took off across the pasture at a pace that Stacey was thankful he hadn’t approached her at.

The cowboy looked back over at her and said, “You can come down now.”

It was only then that she realized how silly she must look in her business suit and stocking feet, up on the second rail of a fence. She looked back at the cowboy. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she detected a hint of an amused look on his face.

“Do you need some help down?” he asked, still rooted on his horse in the same spot where he had sent to cow off running.

“No, thank you, I’m fine,” Stacey said, somewhat in a huff. Now she knew he was amused. The big lug had a huge grin on his face as he watched her climb down.

She slipped her shoes back on and continued on her walk back to her car. She had to pass him on the way, and deciding to use her manners she said, “Thank you for your help.”

The cowboy only tipped his well-worn hat at her and continued to grin. Stacey willed herself to keep walking, but the adrenaline rush had brought her emotions to the surface, and this cowboy making fun of her was just too much for her to let go.

“May I ask you what is so darn funny?” she asked as she stopped and looked up at him.

“Sorry,” he said without a trace of remorse, “Just never found a lady standing up on my fence before.”

Stacey had to smile in spite of herself, “I guess I did look a little silly.”

“I reckon you did,” the cowboy told her, making her a little mad all over again.

“Well, thank you again,” she said as she turned to leave.

She didn’t look back, but she could feel him sitting there looking at her until she had walked far enough to be out of sight. Her pulse had returned to normal by the time she reached her car, and she was able to shake off the bull incident and the cowboy, and let the excitement about the day seep back in.

***

Stacey spent the next several weeks getting moved into her new place and making preparations to open the restaurant. She had several meetings with Ted, and he reported back to Mr. Buchanan whom he said was pleased with her progress thus far. She had spoken to Victoria about taking a waitress position until her pregnancy got too advanced. The young girl was delighted at the idea. She didn’t have much experience, but was enthusiastic. Although Stacey told herself it was silly to take on the guilt of what her late husband had done to her, she still somehow felt she owed something to the girl.

She advertised in a local paper for one more waitresses and a cook. She ultimately hired an older woman, Edith for the waitress position. Edith had been waiting tables her whole life, and was recently let go from a job she had held for more than twenty years. She said the owners had told her that they were making cuts because of financial issues, but Edith had suspected it was to make room for younger, “hipper” staff, and ultimately attract a younger crowd. Stacey suspected the woman was right, but seeing as how the diner was a bit off the beaten track, she assumed her crowd would be mostly ranch hands and their families. Edith seemed like a good-hearted woman and Stacey assumed that after forty years of working, and raising two children on her own that she had to be a hard worker as well.

Next, she hired a cook, Manuel Chavez. Manual’s English was not so good, but Stacey and Victoria spent an entire morning sampling his cooking and it was fantastic. He could cook anything on her menu, and although she found herself completely stuffed, his food still left her wanting to taste more. Manuel introduced Stacey to his young son, Noel. Noel was only sixteen, but Manuel assured her that he was an honest, hard-working young man, and she eventually agreed to hire him as a combination bus boy and custodian.

With her staff complete, Stacey began the process of ordering food and supplies. Ted had given her some great leads on suppliers in the area, and she was able to get most of her vegetables and fruits fresh from the growers at an excellent price. Some would deliver them to her, and some she had agreed to pick up in the early morning hours before the diner opened each day. Everything was coming together nicely, and for the first time in years, Stacey felt in control of her life and completely content. She checked in with Emma by phone every day, and she seemed to be settling in at college as well.

Stacey closed up the diner the last night before they were going to open. She had spent the day there getting everything in order and ready to go. She locked up and found herself smiling on the short drive up to her little house. She knew it was silly to drive, it was a short walk, and the weather had been very nice, but she just hadn’t found the courage to walk again after the day she was almost gored by the bull. Admittedly, she was probably being a bit dramatic. “Almost gored” was stretching it, but it still made her nervous. She had seen the ranch hand that had “saved” her, several times since that day. It had always been from a distance as he was mending fences or herding cattle in the pastures that surrounded her house. One afternoon while she had been moving things into her new little home she had caught him watching her. He was sitting about three hundred yards or so away on his horse in the pasture, and when she looked at him he only tipped his hat in her direction, but didn’t look away. Stacey didn’t want to admit it, but she found him very attractive. She wasn’t interested in any kind of relationship with him or any other man, however, so she continued her work, and refused to look in his direction. After some time went by, she saw him move on out of the corner of her eye. She found herself watching him go, and when she realized it she chastised herself and mentally told herself to get over it and get back to work.

The next morning all of her staff were present, and on time for their grand opening. Manuel’s son, Noel was on Spring break, and would work full time until school resumed. He would come in after school and on weekends then, and Manuel assured her that the boy’s schoolwork would not falter because of it. Victoria told her she’d had to buy new shoes, because she had realized only yesterday that she didn’t own a pair without heels. Stacey smiled at the comfortable, but ugly waitress shoes Victoria was wearing. Both she and Edith wore the soft-blue uniform dresses that Stacey had ordered for them, and Manuel was in a crisp, white cook’s jacket. Stacey was proud of herself, and of them. She had worn a comfortable, business-like pantsuit. She wanted to look like a manger when she greeted her new customers. The staff all seemed as excited as she was to get started. When the door jangled just as she had walked away from turning the sign, they all looked anxiously towards the door as Mr. Buchanan and Ted walked in. Stacey greeted them and seated them in a booth. She made introductions between them and the staff while they waited for the western omelets they had ordered to be served.

Within half an hour, two other men had come in and Victoria was taking their orders. They both wore dusty boots and jeans and looked to be ranch workers. Mr. Buchanan and Ted had known them both by name and greeted them as they sat. Stacey introduced herself to everyone who came in that day, and did her best to make him or her all feel welcome and comfortable. Edith and Victoria were doing a great job at getting their orders out, and Manuel’s cooking received rave reviews. So far, things were exceeding her expectations for their first day open.

They were nearing the lunch hour when the door jangled and Stacey looked up from where she had been standing in back with Manuel, to see the ranch hand that had “saved” her from the longhorn bull walk in the door. She watched as he looked around the place, almost as if inspecting it. Finally, looking….satisfied…maybe? He removed his dusty old straw hat and took a seat at the counter. Victoria stepped up to him right away and handed him a menu. He thanked her and asked for a cup of coffee. Stacey was standing where she had a good view of him, but he hadn’t noticed her. She took a long look at his profile, it was the first time she had seen him without his hat. His sandy, blonde hair had a ring where his hat had sat on his head. It was trimmed around his ears, but reached the top of his collar in back. His eyes were shaded by long, extraordinarily thick lashes, and lined with tiny little crow’s feet, probably from years of working out in the sun. It made her angry with herself again to think about how nice looking he was. She waited until Victoria had poured his coffee and gone to turn his order over to Manuel before she approached him.

“Hello,” she said as she stepped up to the counter where he sat. “My name is Stacey Martinez, I’m the manager.”

The cowboy glanced up at her, grinned like they shared an inside joke, and said, “Hey.”

Stacey stood there for a moment, waiting for more, but that was it. She felt her face flush hot and turned to walk away so he would be unable to see the color flood her cheeks. What was wrong with him anyways? All of the other men she had introduced herself to today had been friendly and welcomed her to their town. For some reason, every time she met this man he infuriated her. She went back to her office to get some paperwork done. She wanted to make herself scarce until he was gone.

***

Stacey was still in her office an hour later when Victoria poked her head in.

“Stacey, Mr. Buchanan’s son is here. He wants to meet you.”

“Sure, I’ll be right out.” Stacey smoothed her hair and headed out front. She caught herself glancing towards the counter where the cowboy had sat earlier. He was gone, and for some reason that she didn’t understand, that irritated her as well. She made her way to the cashier’s stand where the nice looking, nicely dressed man stood waiting. She assumed this was Mr. Buchanan’s son.

“Hi, I’m Stacey,” she said, extending her right hand. The man removed his black Stetson hat and took her hand, shaking it firmly.

“Well, hello, Ms. Martinez. I’m Nate Buchanan, Bobby’s son.”

“I’m pleased to meet you,” Stacey said, taking back her hand and finding herself thinking,
Now that is how you introduce yourself to someone
.

“My dad told me what a great job you did getting this place opened. I wanted to see it for myself. I don’t know if he told you, but this place was a dream of sorts for my mama before she passed on.”

“Thank you,” Stacey said, “And, yes, he did tell me. I’m sorry for your loss. I’m glad I could be a part of this, though. It seemed important to your dad as well.”

“Yes, mama was everything to him. Me and my brother Owen…well, let’s just say when mama was alive we were daddy’s afterthought.”

The man’s eyes seemed to cloud over a bit when he said that, but seeming to realize he had said more than he meant to, he flashed a brilliant smile and said, “I’m glad you’re here, and I wanted to give you my card in case I could ever be of any assistance to you.”

He handed her a business card and Stacey looked at it. It said…Nate Buchanan, lead salesman, Buchanan Stock Yards.

“Well, Mr. Buchanan, I thank you very much and I am pleased to have met you. I hope I’ll be able to meet your brother as well?”

“Please, call me Nate,” he said, “And as for Owen, I’m surprised he hasn’t been in yet. Nothing that boy likes more than breakfast.”

Stacey smiled, “Well, hopefully he’ll make it in soon.”

Nate stayed for lunch, thanked Stacey again and she watched him leave in a shiny, black Cadillac. He reminded her a bit of Edward, well dressed, oozing with charm. It gave her a sick little feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she had to remember that every man who dressed nicely and had manners was not hiding a monster inside.

***

The next day as Stacey was helping Victoria and Edith serve a full breakfast crowd she was delighted to look up and see Emma come through the door of the diner.

“Emma! You didn’t tell me you were coming!” Stacey said as she hugged her daughter.

“I wanted to surprise you. I had the day off from school so a friend of mine and I took the train. He’s making a phone call, he’ll be right in.”