Dixie Heart

Chapter 8

So heres the next chapter!! Sorry it has taken so long for me to get this one up but i hope you enjoy! Comment and Vote if you like=)

I walked away from Josie as fast as I could without actually running. What an idiot! I can’t believe I just sexually harassed my new hired hand. I think to myself. I can’t be sued if it was consensual right? Ok I’m definitely over thinking this. I just need to get in the house and cool off.

I’m pacing through my living room when I look out the window and see her walk back to the barn shaking her head with her hands on her face. I had to smirk at that. I couldn’t quite believe what happened either. She sure left my mouth watering though..

Her soft skin under my rough calloused palms was all it took to lose myself. That hypnotic stair she has with the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen too. It’s hard to look away. I had to taste those plump lips and God did she taste amazing! I couldn’t stop with her lips though. I had to push further. I taste the saltiness from her neck and keep making my way down. I pass up her chest at first to delve into her flat stomach. Either the night air has her chilled or she was just as turned on as me. Her wet shirt hugged her curves and the bra didn’t hide the fact that her nipples could probably cut glass by now. Hell I couldn’t take it I needed more. I raised her shirt up more and she brought me back down to reality.

I shake my head trying to clear my mind of tonight’s events. I hope I didn’t scare her off. I really need her here. Probably more than I’m willing to admit right now but I definitely need some help with the ranch for sure. I guess the best thing to do is act like nothing happened and keep a little bit of distance.

I plop down on the couch and Chester paws his way over to me and lays his head in my lap looking up at me like he knows what happened tonight. “I don’t want to hear it! Where have you been lately? I swear you’re worse than a tom” He huffs and gets himself comfortable.  Sleep takes over before I’m even able to make it to my bedroom.

Josie’s POV

The sun shines through my loft windows and I breathe in the fresh air around me. Surprisingly I feel great this morning considering that I was tossing and turning all night long. The sun was still low so I’m guessing it’s about five a.m.

I walk over to the small kitchenette and try to look for the coffee maker but come up empty handed. I guess I’ll just take a cool shower to get me going this morning. I pull out a towel from my suit case and am reminded that I still need to unpack it. A smile escapes my lips as I think back to the broom incidents which then led to the water fight.

I strip down and step into the cool shower. Normally I would want the water scalding hot but not today. I need to wake up all my senses for my first day of work.

 Man, this is going to be awkward. Maybe he’ll just have the list waiting for me and I won’t see him all day. I finish shampooing my hair and washing my body and grab for my towel.

I hear the barn doors being opened downstairs so I’m sure Cole is getting things together. I pull on my jeans and black tank top along with my boots and Stetson. I didn’t feel like doing anything with my hair again since I’d be getting all grimy today and I didn’t see the use of makeup right now either.

I wait until I hear the barn doors again before leaving the loft and starting my chores.

I head over to Ginger first and check how her wounds are healing. It’s only been a day but you can tell its not infected yet. I put on the ointment the Vet gave us and Ginger didn’t like that too much. If I wasn’t being careful she would have kicked me clear across the room. I’ll have to be sure to replace that board before Cole gets back.

I walk over to the small desk in the corner and see the note from Cole explaining where everything is at and what needs to be done and what times. He had to go into the station today and train some of the other Fire fighters so he wouldn’t be back until later tonight. I take a deep breath and get started with the list.

First thing is to feed the livestock and make sure they have enough water. He said there was an issue with one of the pumps so I needed to watch it carefully. It wasn’t filling up the trough when it got low.  I still didn’t know how to use the skid steer so I haven’t been able to haul any hay around to them.

Cole had some pretty good looking bulls in his group and I kind of wandered if he’s ever gotten into the Rodeo circuit. He could really make some good money training and selling them if he was serious about it. Maybe I’ll bring it up to him sometime. I looked at the clock in the barn and it was already Noon. Time flies around here! I walk up to the main house and kick off my boots before stepping in. It feels weird walking into someone else’s home but he did say I could use it whenever I needed. I make my way across the kitchen to the fridge and decide a sandwich would do for today. I didn’t want to go digging through his cabinets just yet.

I sit down at the bar that separates the kitchen from the living room and turn and notice an Australian shepherd lounging on the couch. His ears perk up and I walk over to sit by him. His tail starts wagging and I smile at him. “Good boy” He rests his head in my lap while I finish my sandwich.

I get up from the couch and clean up before setting back out to do my chores. There were a couple items on the floor that needed picked up so I went ahead and grabbed them and went in search of a laundry room or hamper. I reached the end of the hall to what looked like was the master bedroom. I really don’t want to be caught in his bedroom so I hurriedly shoved the clothes in the hamper.

I managed to knock it over and the clothes piled out.  Good thing I’m not squeamish or I’d have a real problem handling some stranger’s boxer briefs. “Wow I bet those look amazing on him” I think to myself. I bend down to pick a sock up that’s fallen under the bed and notice a small box. My conscience is screaming that it’s none of my business but I pick it up and open it to see a Men’s wedding ring.  Oh my God is he married? Wait where is his wife? Surely I’d notice another woman around here. After last night and that kiss he can’t be right? I had five million things running through my head at the moment.

I closed the box and put it back where I found it. After all the clothes were put back in the hamper I got out of the house as fast as I could.

My mind was reeling and even though I suggested we stop last night, he was more than compliant and practically ran away from me. Why was this bothering me? I just met Cole and he was my employer now. I just got out of a long relationship too! 

 I tried to get my mind back on work and decided to take Pepper out for a run. We started out in a jog but then quickly turned to a quick run. I left all thoughts behind and just focused on Pepper and pushed him as hard as I could.

We were about to the end of the property line and all the sudden he stopped abruptly and I went flying out of the saddle onto the ground. I rolled and my shoulder hit a small boulder making me cry out in pain. I pull myself up grabbing my shoulder cussing and kicking at the dirt trying to get out my frustrations when I heard it; the all too familiar rattling of death. I turn and see a common western diamondback rattlesnake raise its head. “Oh shit” I whisper. How am I going to get out of this one? Pepper has long taken off so it’s not like I could jump on him and get the hell out of here.

I search frantically for something that I could use for a weapon and the only thing that I saw remotely close was the boulder that I had just hurt my shoulder on. The rattle sounded again which is a sure sign that it is about to strike.

I focus solely on it and wait for it to make its move while my heartbeat is going a mile a minute. It shrinks back then all the sudden darts forward, jaw lax and fangs out. I wait until the last minute and side step so it wouldn’t touch me. I grab the center of its body and whip it around making its skull crack against the boulder. Just for good measure I sink my boot into it as well.

I start panting feeling the adrenalin rushing through my body.  I send up a little thank you prayer. I yell out and find myself doing a happy dance! I can’t believe I just did that!