Riding Wild

Coming Into You

She always thought it pretentious and prissy. So, she preferred Maddy or Nick. The cute little blonde girl at the check in desk called her full name with a wink and saucy smile.

"Madeline Nicole Parker! That's you, honey!"

Maddy sighed to herself. No kidding? She picked up her duffel bag and stepped up to the front desk, held out her ID and credit card with what she hoped was a warm smile.

Check in at the Crystal Mountain Guest Ranch was at 2:00 pm. Maddy had arrived around noon and waited patiently for her cottage to be prepared.

Ashley, the cute little blonde girl's ID badge read, handed Maddy her cottage key to cottage number 6. "It's all yours, honey, for the next three months. Lordy, we never had a celebrity stay here before."

"I'm hardly a celebrity. Just had a few book sales, that's all."

Ashley's big brown eyes got bigger. "You kidding me? Everyone here knows you! Look, I hate to ask, but would you sign my book? It'd be a huge deal 'round here!"

Maddy smiled. "Sure, Sweetie." Emphasis on Sweetie. I hate being called honey.

Ashley reached under the counter and retrieved Maddy's latest book, Take Me Away, her third of the Medicine Woman series that just made the New York Time's Bestsellers List. After Maddy signed the book, Ashley grabbed it. "Look what I got, y'all!!!! Madeline Nicole Parker herself just signed this book!"

Maddy shushed her quickly. "Please, Ashley, I'm here to write and hopefully get some peace and quiet. Ok?"

More than a few heads turned her way. Maddy quickly lowered her head and rushed out the door. She bolted down the steps right into a pillar of a man. Blushing, she kept on going to the waiting golf cart loaded with her baggage ready to take her to her cottage leaving the man chuckling at her expense.

That was yesterday. This morning, Maddy awoke to the sound of Dribble Creek babbling just outside her back porch. The small cottage was well stocked with teas and coffees, and thank the coffee Gods, a Keurig coffee maker.

Maddy sat quietly on the back porch watching the creek run and sipping her coffee. Her mind wandered to the last year.

It was a whirlwind of book signings, airports, library talks, and motel rooms. After her divorce, Maddy had thrown herself into writing. Three books later and two bestsellers brought her to now.

She needed to finish the last of the Medicine Woman series, and needed some real rest and relaxation. A bad divorce and a bad romance left her devoid of any hope of love from any man. Nor was she sure she wanted one.

Most of her free time these days was spent burying memories and hiding tears. Staying busy kept her sane through it all. But she was reaching overload. Even her publishers saw it. It was their suggestion that she take three months off to finish the last of the series in solitude.

Her editor, Jackie, had recommended the Crystal Mountain Guest Ranch. It was a working dude ranch in the Sierras of California and boasted of private individual cottages on a creek. Private was her main objective. Private meaning no chance of meeting anyone wanting a connection.

The last thing she wanted now was a relationship - even a short fling.

This Crystal Mountain Guest Ranch was full of families and couples. And she had reserved the cottage at the end of Amethyst Lane. Private, overlooking the creek, and surrounded by tall pines and cedars. Farthest from the dining lodge and the community activity lodge. Quiet, she hoped.

She heard a rustling close by followed by a confident knock on her front door. She sighed. I do a lot of that lately.

She answered, and there stood a giant of a man staring down and smiling. The same giant she had run down yesterday. God, this is just great!