Accidentally Married

chapter 1

A/N- i am new to writing, forgive my writing and i hope you enjoy d story.

picture of melanie^^^

Chapter one

Melanie knew she wouldn't find him at the barn because of the date. He was an early riser and was always at the barn by this time of the day, Alexander Hamilton was always two steps ahead of all the other workers especially with the drought that had made things difficult at the barn. The drought had been a huge setback for her father who was trying to make the ranch a successful one. Even with the Rio Grande only a few miles away, water was a precious commodity and the wells were dry making the tanks empty.

West Texas was usually hot in august, but the weather was extra windy and it was unseasonably cold this evening. Melanie had worn a jacket outside and was glad she did. She shivered a little in the late afternoon chill.

It was starting to get dark, and melanie knew if she didn't get to Alexander on time and her father ran into him, it was gonna be a nasty quarrel. Peter Roberts and the foreman had been going at each other for sometime now and she was not in the mood for another one. Her father was always in a mood when things in the ranch was tough. Things couldn't be much worse right now.

She knew Alexander was drinking; it was that time of the year when he resorted to drinking, she was the only person that understood the impprtance of that day. She'd nursed him through a flu and in a state of delirium how he had explained everything to her. She didn't let on that she knew anything because he did not like anybody up in his business. Not even the girl that loves him more than life itself.

He didn't love her. He never had, although she had worshipped him since she was nineteen and he'd been hired as foreman after the former one had retired. It had only taken one long look at the lean, dark-eyed man with the hawkish features and unsmiling face for her to fall madly inlove with him. Five years later, and her emotions remained the same. Probably they never would, she knew she was stubborn. Even her father said so.

She grimaced when she saw the light in the bunk house, and it was not even nighttime. It had to be Alex because the other herdsmen were busy and she knew he was drinking and liquor was one thing her father wasn't about to tolerate on his ranch, not even when it was abused by a man he liked and respected.

She brushed back her black hair and nibbled on her lower lip. She had her hair in a ponytail, she wasn't a pretty girl but she had a nice figure even if it was on the plump size. With a little work she could have been lovely but she was a tomboy. She could ride and shoot as well as her father. Sometimes she wished she looked like Teresa, the wealthy divorcee Alex dated frequently. Teresa was a dish, all blond and bristling with sophistication. She seemed an odd choice for a ranch foreman, but Melanie tried not to think about it. In her mind she knew why Alexander dated Teresa and it hurt.

She paused at the door of the bunkhouse and rubbed her hands nervously on her jeans, tugging her jacket closer against the cold wind. She knocked.

There was a hard thud. "Go away."

She knew the curt, uncompromising tone and sighed. It was gonna be a long day.

Her gloved hand pushed the door open and she stepped into the warmth of the big room where all the bunks lined the wall. At the far end was a kitchen arrangement where the men could have their meals cooked. Nobody stayed here much. Most of the men were married and had homes on the ranch, except Alex. But during round-up and calving, the new men who were hired temporarily stayed here. This year there were six of them, and they filled the building to capacity. But they were all gone and Alex had the whole bunk to himself again.

Alexander was leaning back in a chair, his mud-caked boots crossed on top of the table, his hat cocked over one dark eye, hiding most of his dust-streaked dark hair, his lean hands wrapped around a whiskey bottle. He tilted the hat up and peeked at melanie with mocking derision and jerked it back down.

"what the hell do you want? " he asked in his curt drawl.

"Saving your miserable skin, that's if i can, " she shot back in equally cutting tones. She slammed the door, skinned off her jacket to reveal the fluffy white sweater underneath, and went to make a pot of coffee.

He watched her with boredom. "saving me again, Mel? " he laughed mockingly, using the nickname everyone called her. "what for? "

"I'm dying of love for you, " she muttered as she filled the coffeepot. It was the truth, but she made it sound like an outrageous lie.

It seems Alexander took it that way too because he was laughing "sure you are".

She wish she could express her love but she knew it will only embarrass her.
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A/N
That's the first chapter. Hope u guys loved it.
Stay tuned for chapter two.