CountryCore Series: The Ranch Hand (WLW)

Chapter One

Don't forget to listen to the playlist I've made for y'all. Hope you like it!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7AvcvB3A8wpSBG9JwofDLg?si=Vn6Oj3-ZTgyy9wZjW_9uCw&utm

!!!My novels are completely off-limits to any adaptations and if plagiarized, you will be reported!!!

"Chris had to head into town for a meetin' with the preservation society." Daniel, the man who introduced himself as Chris Kilgore's right hand, told Hayley Locklear and the other new staff who sat at a round table in the cafeteria.

Yes, the ranch she was on had a freaking cafeteria.

Hayley was amazed at the fact that the estate, Kilgore Ranch to be exact, was so wide-ranged. She knew that when she first read the job advertisement back in her hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina the land encompassed two-hundred-ten acres, but she just hadn't thought that many acres were so large...In comparison to her city life it was the biggest thing she had ever seen on open land. All she even really surveyed so far was the main entrance, the mess hall meant for local gatherings and the beginnings of the pear orchard for which Kilgore Ranch was so famous. Now she sat in the cafeteria, which happened to be the latest destination she was blessed with perusing.

The smell of the goat cheese and homemade biscuits wafting in from the kitchen as the staff toiled away on the work crew's breakfast filled Hayley's every sense with one singular thought: Eat! She had to put her hands underneath her thighs to stop herself from jumping out of her chair and running for the generous scent for a quick taste. She knew that it was important to listen to Daniel's every word, however, no matter how menial they might appear. She needed to know all the specifics about the ranch before she could go on her adventure and exploring was precisely what Hayley would do as soon as the primary tour was over.

She wasn't the only one who looked like they were about to jump out of their seats for some good southern country cooking, the likes of which she hadn't ever tried. While Raleigh did have their own style of country cooking, she hadn't been able to actually enjoy a meal from the south, which was one of the things for which Texas was so famous. Hayley was eager to try and do so many new things! As she realized the smell of a grill cooking some kind of meat, she swallowed before her mouth had a chance to drool. That would most definitely expose her hidden desires and she needed to make the best impression possible.

"If ya have any questions at all, feel free to ask me." Daniel continued, then rubbed the back of his head with one hand while the other held his cowboy hat against his chest in a vice-like grip. He's definitely nervous, Hayley deduced as she watched his thick, curvy mustache wave like the sea rested just under his nose. She bit on her bottom lip to stop her giggles. "I'll do my best to show ya 'round and...uh...t-tell ya everythin' Chris would want ya to know. At least, on y'alls' first day."

"Daniel? May we call you Daniel?" Hayley piped up with a bright grin she hoped would put him at ease and received a nervous nod in return. "Is there any way we could possibly see the goats today?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Locklear, but that ain't really regulation. Y'all got to be taught how to wash up properly and...uh..." He stood and looked down, and then back up her sundressed attire with an extremely furrowed brow forming one thick line. "You're definitely goin' to have to change before ya can get in either of them barns. Sorry, ma'am."

"Oh no, Daniel." She told him with the wave of her hand as she stood. She heared the others doing the same with their chairs screeching along the floor. Hayley walked over to him and patted his shoulder, which seemed to relax him a bit. "It's totally fine. I would never want to cause any future problems for any of the staff or the animals. Especially for you or Chris. I just simply love goats!"