Home on the Range || H.S

Part 1

The mountains were the best place in Harry's eyes. While everyone in their small town was kind of itching to get out of there, Harry never wanted to leave. Sundown Ranch was in his family for years, and he never intended on changing that. One of the most successful in the state, it was his pride and joy. The rolling mountains and the valleys, the mix of forests and plains, the hundreds and hundreds of acres are where he grew up in nature and he wanted the same for his kids. They had hundreds of steer for both beef and milking and Harry had implemented a horseback riding program for the children and adults of the community. His sister Gemma was in charge of the ranch alongside his mother, Anne, and his younger brother Matt helped. They worked to expand and keep the ranch even more profitable. That turned into a bed and breakfast venture. It was his father's idea and the dozens of cabins that he'd built were now going to be utilized from instead of just being used for ranch hands or sitting there collecting dust. He was excited for this, wanting to see everything grow and flourish before his eyes.

The woman who was going to be working with them in the bed and breakfast part was coming today. His mom was excited, baking up a storm. It was no big deal, as she cooked for more than a dozen people during a light day— there were 6 of her kids and 6 to 10 staff depending on the day. It was never dull.

"Harry! Go freshen up." Anne scolded when he came in. Truth be told, he was a mess of dirt and sweat.

"M'gonna, momma. Just wanted to tell you I may be a little late coming to greet this new lady." Anne raised her brows at him, looking him up and down with a shake of her head.

"It's not good to be late, go on. Hurry!" She said and shooed him off, working on setting the table for dinner. Truth be told, Anne was probably the most excited for the new girl to come. Yes. The new girl.

Y/N was young and smart, ripe age of 22. She'd just graduated from college with a degree in business management with a focus in hospitality management. When she was little she'd always imagined herself living on a farm though she'd never worked on a farm a day in her life. There was just something about it. The offer fell right into her lap too. She was looking online for job offers when she stumbled upon Sundown ranch. It was beautiful and only a few hours away from her little suburb. The job offer seemed incredible, living full time on site, managing their bed and breakfast? It seemed like a dream. How could she say no? It was an easy decision for her and she'd packed up just about her entire life, moved out of her parents home to this lovely ranch. Y/N wasn't thinking about looking back, everyone knew this was exactly what she had wanted.

Anne for one, felt as though she'd found the one for her son. A kind, beautiful, and smart girl who wanted to live on a ranch? It seemed just up Harry's street to her. Anne knew how badly her son wanted someone to love, how terribly heartbroken he was when his high school sweetheart ran off to live the big city life. She didn't want to push, but she felt like Y/N would be a perfect fit for her Harry.

Y/N arrived just around 7pm at the ranch with her car fully stuffed full of her things. She had been greeted by Matt at the gate, led towards their home through the dark winding road. It would seem scary to some, but she saw the shining lights in the distance and felt quite safe.

"Miss Y/N?" Matt didn't think from his mother's job description that there would be such a young woman. However, he realized quickly that this girl was a sweet thing when he began to welcome her in.

"Hi! Sorry, hope I'm not late!" Y/N spoke to Matt as she got out of the car. She locked it, going to give him a handshake but was pleasantly surprised when he pulled her in for a kiss on the cheek as well.

"No, no, you're just fine! I'm Matt, 's nice to meet you. C'mon, everyone's inside." He smiled and led her into the house where everyone came to a halt when Matt announced Y/N was here.