Chestnut Valley Ranch

Gabby’s POV

“And this...” Jax opens the last door at the end of the hallway, ushering me inside the dimly lit room. “Is your bedroom.”

He drops my bags on the floor with a heavy thud. He fumbles for a moment and then the room is bathed in fluorescent light from the bare lightbulb in the ceiling.

I need to fix that. I add it to the list of things I already knew I had to do since walking inside this bachelor pad. How did I find myself in this situation? Oh, yeah, I’m a hussy, that’s how...

A small twin-size bed with a white metal frame stands in the corner. The dirty window is adorned with a yellow sun-bleached curtain no doubt from his grandmother’s generation. The floor has scuff marks, the dresser is missing a handle, the mirror hangs crocked and everything is covered in dust. I feel a bit like Cinderella, being sentenced to life in the attic far away from colors and life. The only thing missing is my own mouse friend, wait a minute, there he is. A mouse skitters across the room as I muse about my life.

“I know it’s not much, but I’m sure you can make it more... feminine?” Jax wrings his ball cap in both hands. Thor, his lab, sist beside him while wagging his tail. The cocky man from the bar that swept me off my feet and knocked me up in the bathroom stall is long gone, in his place stands a nervous guy ready to run for the hills. I tear my eyes off him with a heavy sigh and study the room some more.

“Anyway, the bathroom is down the hall. I already showed you that. We went through the kitchen and... yeah.” Jax spins around on the ball of his feet, placing the cap on his head again. He takes a few steps and then turns around. “There’s some money in the cookie jar in the kitchen if you need anything for...” He looks down at my stomach. He cleared his throat. “I’ll be back at 7 for dinner.”

Jax disappears before I can say anything else. “Well, cub. I guess it’s just you and me now.” I caress my flat stomach and grin. Although the circumstances aren’t ideal, the little miracle growing inside me brings me so much joy. I am determined to do this with or without Jax but with him is preferable.

I look around the room again and sigh. I blow a stray strand of hair out of my face before I heave my bags up on the bed. Before unpacking, I go downstairs in search of some cleaning supplies and find them scattered in the hall closet for the strangest reason. Half empty bottles, empty bottles, dirty rags, broken mops, and a rusty duster. Yet, another thing to add to my list.

I clean my bedroom and try fixing the dresser but decide that it is a lost cause. “You know what, cub. We are going shopping.”

It is weird. I'm used to new places, never staying in one place for very long. Most things there were to experience, I had done it yet I have never gone shopping for a home, or room, before. This domestic feeling inside me is a little scary but I am ready for the challenge it presents. Maybe it is time to settle down and create a home for myself and cub.

The small town doesn’t have much to choose from but it does have a main street with a few overpriced stores. I could have easily ordered everything I needed online but if I want to make a life here, then I want to make a good impression. Spending money often does just that.

The bells chime as I enter a cute small store with furniture and fabrics. “Hello, Welcome to Rustic Charms! How can I help you?” A woman around my age greets me with a brilliant smile.

“Hi, I’m Gabby." I spin around, looking at the items in the store. "I just moved to the area and I’m in desperate need of some color in my life. I saw your store and had to come inside. I made a list of things I need.” I look at her pleadingly, hoping that she will help me.

“Of course, sugar. Let me see.” I rattle off the list and she giggles. “Oh, honey. Just this way. I’m Brenda, by the way. Welcome to the neighborhood.” She is shorter than me with black hair that is cut at her shoulders with straight bangs and pink glasses that frame her round face perfectly. The light pink summer dress and white waistband compliment her body along with her short white heels. In a nutshell, she is cute.

“Thank you, Brenda,” I say in earnest.

“I think I’ve got just about everything you are looking for. Did you bring a truck?” She leads me down the store, the top of her short body a whole head below mine.

My face pales. How could I have been so stupid? Of course, I can’t fit all I needed in my little car. “No... I didn’t think that far. I was kind of excited to get started.”

“No worries. I’ll have Hunter drive it out for you. It may be a few hours though.”

“Oh, that would be perfect. I still need to pick up some cleaning supplies and some food. You wouldn’t believe the way the guys live. Not really dirty but... messy.”

“Guys?” Brenda arches her eyebrows and smirks.

I nervously laugh. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that last part. “Yeah, I’m staying with Jax Carter and his friends.”

“Jax Carter? Are you two... you know...” She wiggles her eyebrows.

The truth is that I don’t really know what we are. We haven’t discussed it. After our casual hook up we parted ways until I found out about cub and called Jax. It took some sleuthing but eventually, I got his number and boy was that a surprise to him. At first, he wasn’t happy and then after a while, he asked me to move in so we could figure things out. “No, we aren’t.”

Brenda laughs. “Figures. He’s a good man that one, hard working and would give anyone in need the shirt off his back, easy on the eyes too but I doubt that man will ever be tied down.”

I gulp, cursing myself and my bad-boy attraction. My hand instinctively caresses my stomach. Brenda looks down and smiles but doesn't say anything.

30 minutes later, I picked out a new bed, mattress, bed sheets, dresser, curtains, bedside table, lamp shade and lamp for the table, mirror, blankets, and some throw pillows. I leave the store with multiple boxes ticked off, a new number, and a coffee date in the near future. I can’t wait to cultivate my newfound friendship with Brenda.

Now, all I need is cleaning supplies and food. So, I quickly find the local supermarket and started filling the cart. My quick check of the fridge, freezer, and cupboard clued me in on the sparse food situation and I figured the guys ordered in a lot.

I pick up a new broom, mop, and duster along with just about every cleaning chemical I can find and laundry detergent, softener, and scent booster. 3-4 candles, ok maybe like 8 but how’s counting? Lastly, I shove some mouse traps and other pest traps in the cart.

Then I fill the cart with all sorts of food. Since the guys work on the ranch all day, I know they need hearty meals full of protein and carbs so I pick up steaks, potatoes, bread, eggs, and other things. I love a variety of food but still plan on cooking meals that will fill them up. Since I'm not paying rent, I figure it is the least I can do. My last stop is to grab some beer.

On my way to the beer aisle, I walk by the baby section and I can't help but stop and look at the clothes. A small onesie immediately catches my eye. It is moss green with a small bear cub on it and it has a matching teddy bear. I just had to snatch them up. These were the first items I bought for cub and decided always to keep them even when he was 35 and married with kids. Yes, he, I have a feeling.

I head back to the ranch. On the way in last time, I was too nervous to pay any attention to my surroundings but now I take the time to take it all in. I cross the big ‘Chestnut Valley Ranch’ sign over the gravel road, impressed by the handiwork. The road winds by pastures of cattle and cropland for feed as well one patch of land for the garden. In the distance, a chicken coop, pig style, horse barn, and goat barn along with an... alpaca?

I mentally decided to stay clear of the alpaca. The car comes to a stop at the end of the drive. I take a moment as I step out, enjoying the sun and the sound of nature. Jax and his roommates are riding in a pasture in the distance, herding cattle and yelling something incoherent.

“I think this will be a good place for us, cub. Your, daddy will take care of you. He’s going to be a good dad, I can feel it, and you, little cub, you’re going to be good for him.”

The rest of the afternoon, I spend cleaning my room and putting together the side table that I manage to cram in the car. Then I clean the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room while washing every piece of fabric I can find outside their bedrooms. I would have washed everything in there too but I didn’t want to go in there and snoop. Lasagna is cooking in the oven and the side salad is chilling in the fridge. Thor follows me around, two steps behind me all day.

The rest of my furniture is due to arrive any minute so I decide to pick some flowers for the dinner table while I wait. I want to make a good first impression on my new roommates, letting them know that I will pull my weight around here.

As I pick the last of the flowers for my arrangement, a green truck pulls up with furniture in the back. “Good, Evening.” A man a good 10 years older than me hops out. He tilts his cowboy hat and gives me a crooked smile. “You wouldn’t happen to be Ms. Gabby? Would ya’?”

“I am. I assume you’re Hunter.”

“Nothing gets past you, pretty lady.” He winks.

“Right. If you’d just unload on the porch, I’ll handle the rest.” I offer. I really don’t want to be alone with the man in my bedroom. He already gives me the creeps.

“Now, what kind of man would I be if I let little ol’ you do all that by yourself? Hum?” Hunter starts to unload the truck and walks inside with the first piece. It was clear that he has been here before.

“It’s really no trouble.”

“Now, now. I’ll take good care of you, miss. I always do satisfy the ladies.” He winks at me again.

I roll my eyes. I really want to kick him in the balls but decide that it would probably put a damper on my friendship with Brenda so I hold back. “Fine. It’s upstairs.” I show him the way, keeping my eyes on him the entire time so he won’t stick his hands where they don’t belong.

Once the last item is brought upstairs I try to dismiss him. “Thank you, Hunter. What do I owe you?” I ask him as I walk him to his truck with my wallet out.

“Now, now, miss. None, of that.”

“No, I insist. I have to give you something for your troubles.” I wasn’t raised to be a cheapskate and am adamant to compensate him for his troubles no matter how creepy he is.

Hunter smirks. “Well, If you insist.” And that’s when I knew that I should have kicked him in the balls earlier.