Running her hand along the gold-and-black-swirled granite counter, Shiloh appreciated all the thoughtful additions to this bathroom. “Really, this is heaven, Maud.” She gave her a warm look. “I should have come out here a long time ago.”
Maud slipped her hand around her waist and gave her a gentle squeeze. “You always have a place to come home to, Shiloh. That’s what I really wanted you to know.” Maud gave her a softened look. “I know your aunt and uncle are still nearby in New York City, but I’d like to think that you’re ours by proxy.”
Touched, Shiloh slid her arm around Maud’s shoulders and whispered in a trembling voice, “Thank you, Maud. You have no idea how badly I wanted you to say yes to me coming out here. I was at my wit’s end.”
“I know you were. Maybe things will slow down out here for you and you can get back to writing. We’re a busy ranch but the tourists who visit us weekly are on the other side of the road. They won’t be coming over to these homes to bother you, so no worries. We’ve got a nice white picket fence around each of them to give you privacy and there’s a lovely alcove out back, away from prying eyes, that you might want to take advantage of. It faces toward the Snake River in the distance.”
Emotion swept through Shiloh as she gave the woman a grateful look. “You’ve given me so much, Maud. I hope I can repay you someday. Do let me know if I can help out. Do some work? You aren’t letting me pay for staying here, so I feel I have to do something to carry my weight.”
Maud gave her a sly smile. “You said in your phone call you wanted to see what it was like to be a cowboy. Right?”
“Yes.”
“On days that you feel up to it, go with Roan for part of a day. Ride with him.”
Gulping, Shiloh said, “Oh, I don’t really think he’d be open to that.”
Shrugging, Maud said, “He rubs off on you after a while.”
“Does he know this? That I can tag along with him?”
“Sure he does. All you have to do is speak up. It’s his job to take care of you while you’re here with us.”
Grimacing, Shiloh muttered, “I bet he sees me as a babysitting job.”
Chuckling, Maud said, “Ask him.”
Sure. Roan just invited an open dialogue. Not. “I’ll think about it, Maud. I don’t want to be a pain in the ass around here. I know I’m a city slicker.”
“Honey, you could never be a pain in the tush to anyone even if you tried real hard,” Maud murmured, giving her a sympathetic smile. “Now, if you’re out riding around, you might feel a pain there, but that’s because you haven’t rode before. And the more often you ride, your body will stretch and just naturally accommodate and you won’t be stiff and sore anymore.”
“Right now,” Shiloh said longingly, “I just want to crash and sleep on that beautiful bed.”
“You go right ahead,” Maud encouraged. “Roan usually gets in around six P.M.”
Glancing at her watch, Shiloh saw she had two hours. “Great. I’ll catch a nap.” She hugged Maud. She was deeply tanned, wiry, and tightly muscled. Maud wore a cowboy shirt of blue and white plaid, the sleeves rolled up to just below her elbows. In her back jeans pocket, Shiloh spotted a pair of well-worn leather work gloves. She knew Maud was fifty-five years old, but she looked forty, young and vibrant. Her black hair was threaded with streaks of silver, but on her, it looked stylish with her square face and those pale green eyes of hers that missed nothing. When Maud settled her cap on her head and waved good-bye to her at the door and left, Shiloh sighed, smiling tiredly as she looked appreciatively around the quiet home.
It felt like a heavy blanket was descending upon Shiloh as she decided to put her clothes and other items away after she took a nap. Sliding her shoes off, she lay down on the bed. The thought as she closed her eyes was that she was safe. Finally. And within moments, Shiloh spiraled into a deep, healing sleep.
*
Roan walked into the employee house at six-thirty P.M. The day had gotten cloudy and it looked like it might spit rain sometime tonight. He looked around after entering, thinking he’d see Shiloh. The house was utterly quiet. Roan wasn’t sure he was looking forward to seeing the woman or not. His body sure as hell wanted to, but he didn’t. There was no place in his life for a woman right now. He had too many other irons in the fire. Still, her red hair, that glint in her forest-green eyes, beckoned to him whether Roan wanted to admit it or not.