Black Mountain Ranch - A.R.E (little red riding hood ebook free .TXT) 📗

to laugh.
“So, it looks like you are finally catching the attention of every man on this ranch with your lush chestnut hair and deep hazel eyes,” he said jokingly. Kalie rolled her eyes and marched inside the house. So hot out!
Kalie lay on the couch facing the kitchen door from the living room. Sometimes she wished that her home was not on a ranch and she was not surrounded by such strange people. Now was one of those times. But Kalie knew that she would never give up Black Mountain Ranch for anything. Even if I had to love Aaron Reese.
She sat up. Where had that thought come from? She sighed. Kalie knew that she liked Rex. Maybe only a little, but it was impossible not to, right? He was handsome, a great dancer, kind, and caring. Or was he? Kalie wasn’t going to say anything that might make her find out.
The kitchen door crashed open and Jake stood in front of the sink, filling a glass with cold water. Most of it was splashed on his face and shirt. He refilled it and drank deeply. Kalie watched him. Was Rufus right? It kinda seemed like it. Jake had given her his Stetson for an afternoon, and picked straw out of her hair. It was kind of awkward.
Suddenly she realized that Jake was staring at her…who was staring at him.
“Uh…hi Jake,” Kalie looked away.
“Hey Kalie.”
“You look wet.”
Jake laughed. “Yeah, maybe a little.”
Kalie smiled. “But not for long!” She dashed to the sink and turned the faucet on. Then she grabbed the sprayer and aimed it at him. Jake stood still for a moment before grinning and struggling to grasp the sprayer. He got it in the end, but Kalie escaped through the door before he could get her very wet.
But she met him again soon, and this time he had a long hose. He grinned and pointed it at Kalie, slowly advancing. The cowgirl shrieked and sprinted away, running into Rex. He held her there while she gasped and laughed and struggled to be free.
“Let me go you!”
Rex laughed. “Nope, I got ya now!” He held Kalie at arms length for Jake to spray. Instead of shooting her from afar, Jake walked right up and smiled. Suddenly he dashed at Rex, pulling Kalie away. Rex got wet.
Very wet.
Kalie and Jake laughed while Rex snarled and shook out his Stetson before stalking off. Kalie, once the laughing had wore off, smiled. She had never seen a cowboy acting so…real. Jake liked her enough to talk and laugh. Kalie liked it.
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Kalie woke slowly the next morning, a fuzzy feeling in her stomach. She was excited about something. What was it? She groaned and glanced around, hoping that something in her room might remind her of what to expect. Jake suddenly popped into her mind, and a smile came to her face.
Jake might like Kalie.
But Kalie liked Jake just as much.
The cowboys were already doing their jobs by the time Kalie made it outside. She walked to the barns and began to throw down hay for the horses’ morning meal. This time she made sure she was free of dust and straw before letting herself be seen. But before she even reached the door, a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She whipped around to find herself facing Rex.
“What do you want?” she asked. It was getting to be a common question. Rex cocked his head sadly.
“Do you have no affection for me?” His eyes were so deep. Kalie looked into them for a moment before answering.
“No, Aaron. I don’t. The only thing I find different about you from the rest is that…well, you can dance great. You’re handsome, kind, and all that. Someday you will find someone who goes with you. But I don’t.” I felt horrible saying it, but also freed. He knew for sure.
Rex swallowed and stepped back. “But I love you! Not some other girl. Kalie, you are something special, especially to me. Every time I see you I want to smile. I’m sorry.”
Kalie looked down. “I’m sorry too, Rex. But I can’t return your…love.”
“You like Jake, don’t you?”
Kalie looked sharply up at him. “No, not really. We’re just friends! Just like you and I.”
Rex frowned. “Don’t lie to me Kalie.”
Kalie looked at him like he was crazy. “I’m not lying! Just because you got hurt, doesn’t mean you have to hurt everyone else! If you don’t leave me alone about this…all of this, I will have you fired.” She glared darkly at him and walked calmly away.
Rex sat back against the wall. His hand kept running through his thick blond hair. She didn’t care about him. Not in the least. Why had he let this happen? Why hadn’t he just let them be friends? But now they were enemies.
Kidnapped

Kalie lugged a can of paint over to the closest barn and set it down, straightening and pressing her sore lower back. Today, she and Jake were going to paint the barns. She was excited about spending the time with Jake, put painting wasn’t her idea of the way to spend a fun after noon.
“Well, we may as well get started,” Jake sighed as he stared at the barn wall. The horses in the large building had been let out into the pasture to get away from the toxic smell of paint. But he and Kalie had no relief from it.
Kalie grabbed a flat stick from the bundle of objects Jake had been carrying and used it to open the paint and then stir it up. Once that was finished she dipped a wide paint brush into the brownish paint and put to the side of the barn, performing a smooth stroke to the ground which left a wet streak of paint behind. And so the job was started.
Jake grunted as he reached up and then down with the paint brush. After only about half an hour of the constant movement he groaned and sat down in the dirt, head down between his knees. Suddenly he jumped up, a giant splatter of brown all across his face and shirt. Kalie was laughing her head off.
“Not cool, Kalie,” he said, a rebel grin slowly forming across his face. With a wild dash he dunked his brush into the paint and whipped it at Kalie, making sure not to get the barn wall with the drops of paint. Kalie shrieked and spun around the corner. Jake followed after her and flung the paint at her again, and soaked her.
“If that’s what you want, cowboy!” Kalie laughed. She ran around back to the pain t and picked up a handful of it without the use of a brush. Jake came around the corner carefully. But before he could even think his face was a solid mass of gooey liquid. Jake’s mouth hung open for a moment before smiling.
“Let’s put this off until the end, what do you say?” he asked. Kalie chuckled and nodded, once again covering the barn with paint. Jake shook his head and wiped off the thick substance before joining her.
Once the barn was done, they had used that can, plus two more. Kalie frowned.
“What’s wrong Kalie? We miss a spot?” Jake asked innocently. He jumped away but was too late to escape the last contents of one of the paint cans.
“That’s what you get!” Kalie yelled as she sprinted away towards the hose. Jake, who was now covered in paint everywhere, followed her to demand first use of the hose, which she kindly gave into. However, he took such a long time, Kalie went to use another hose. As she walked away, she didn’t see the soft smile Jake gave after her.
*******************************
Once again the boys invited Kalie to a cookout, which she accepted gladly. Each one was always the same. Jake ended up playing on his guitar, and Kalie spun around until she had danced with most if not all of them, smiling at everyone. But this night was different.
Kalie listened while Jake played the guitar, but no dancing had started. Suddenly Jake handed the instrument over to Rufus and stood up. He walked over to Kalie.
“I’ve never danced with you, since I’m always the one with guitar. But do you think maybe I could tonight?” he asked, trying to seem casual. Kalie smiled and stood up.
“Of course,” she said as he led her to the center of the ring formed by the cowboys. As they started dancing, Kalie felt Jake’s eyes locked on hers. Against her usual custom, she looked up into his. She swallowed at what she saw. His eyes were filled with love and care. Kalie gave a half smile and looked back at the floor.
Oh how she wanted him to know her own attraction to him! She found herself staring into his eyes again. A real smile spread across her face. The cowboys saw it, but Kalie didn’t care. Jake’s eyes filled with calm pleasure and happiness. Kalie smiled as he spun her away into the arms of another waiting cowboy. But the dance wasn’t the same.
Near the end she noticed that Rex wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
“Where is Rex?” she asked suddenly. Rufus laughed out loud.
“Haven’t you heard?” he asked sarcastically. “Rex quit the ranch. He couldn’t stand not being loved by you and watching you and Jake together.”
Kalie glared at him for a moment at the last bit, but then her face turned disgusted.
“He was only here for that reason?” She rolled her eyes. Guys would do anything to get a girl.
“Yep. Left before he even got his first pay.”
Kalie shrugged. She didn’t care. In fact, it was kind of a relief that she didn’t have to face him anymore. She walked inside once everyone was gone and laid down in her bed. A smile worked its way onto her face. Jake liked her a lot, it seemed. And she liked him.
The next day, Kalie went out for a lone ride through the range. It was important to see if anything wrong was up there, but it was more a pleasure ride for her, to enjoy the fresh air and rare sights of wild horses. She rode on and on until, coming to the edge of a cliff covered with brush and bushes, she dismounted to eat lunch.
“No one can hear you from here,” a voice startled her. She stiffened as she realized who it was.
“Rex.”
“Yep, that’s me,” the young cowboy said, stepping into the open.
Kalie’s lip curled into a snarl. “What do you want?”
“You. Always have. But since you don’t want me, I’ll have to take you.” Rex smiled at his good fortune of getting her out here while she was alone.
Kalie swallowed and stood up. “No! You can’t do that. You can’t force someone to love you Rex!”
Rex chuckled. “Oh, but I can.”
Kalie started