Book 3: Landscaping Love (Quinn Valley Ranch)

Capri Haywood sucked in a breath, her eyes taking in the dilapidated condition of the house.

“See how the wood’s rotted here?”

She saw it, and she nodded at the man who’d met her to let her in the house. It was only a rental, but it was also the only place Capri had to stay that night. Her emotions choked her, making breathing difficult.

“Ma’am, do you have somewhere else you can stay?” he asked.

She shook her head, tight little bursts of movement that felt like they’d crack her neck. Splinter her spine.

“I can’t believe Parker thought he could rent this place,” Gerald said, shaking his head. “There’s not even carpet on the floor.”

Capri let her eyes sweep over the concrete before she turned away. Quinn Valley was turning out to be as bad as Crescent Lake.

No, she told herself as she went down the front steps. Nothing would be as bad as staying in Crescent Lake.

“Is there a hotel?” she managed to ask, her voice so unlike her own.

“Sure thing.” Gerald looked at the truck and trailer Capri had pulled all the way from Texas. Exhaustion ran through her at the thought of trying to park the outfit somewhere in town. Maybe she could leave it here. Grab her suitcase from the back and have Gerald take her to the hotel.

He was an older gentleman, probably in his late fifties, and he lived just down the road from the house. “The Quinn Hotel and Spa,” he said. “Best in town, and it’s close to everything.”

“Probably not the ranch,” she said, looking at Gerald out of the corner of her eye. “Right?’

“Oh, no, not the ranch,” he said, shaking his head. “That’s north of here. Twenty minutes or so. Can’t miss it.”

Capri was sure of that, as the owner had said the same thing. She’d been planning to get settled in her house and take a quick trip out to the ranch, just to see it. Get a feel for the land and this new place she was about to call home.

But now there would be no settling in that house. What was she going to do with all her stuff? Her furniture, her bed, her boxes of Christmas décor?

The very idea that she’d brought the blue and gold balls was ludicrous. But Capri had lost a lot in Crescent Lake, and she’d held onto the stupidest of things simply because she could.

“Do you need a ride?” Gerald asked?

“No,” Capri said, deciding on the spot. “Maybe you could help me unhitch the trailer? Then I can just leave it here while I figure out what to do.”

“Sure thing,” he said again, and he got to work. He had the trailer off and steady in about a third of the time Capri would’ve been able to do it, and gratitude swept through her. He would be in her gratitude journal that night.

She only wrote one thing for each day, but today would be the helpfulness of Gerald Neis. It had taken her four days to drive to Quinn Valley, Idaho from southern Texas, and each day she’d experienced a little miracle.

Gerald was hers today.

“Thanks so much,” she said, forcing a smile to her lips. Such an action used to be easy, something she did without thinking. But now, after the indictment, the failed business, the lost job, the break-up….

Capri didn’t have much left to smile about. And yet, God had provided a way for her to have at least one sentence of gratitude each day.

She made it back to the downtown area of Quinn Valley, enjoying the quaint atmosphere of the street. It looked like it had been plucked from the beginning of a Hallmark movie, and a sense of peace stole through Capri.

The hotel and spa sat on her left, but she went past them so she could check out the rest of the street, see what the town had to offer as far as shopping and dining. There was a pub, which looked promising, and a row of shops where she could surely kill a few hours on a Saturday afternoon.

If she wasn’t too busy catching up on sleep or managing her brand-new business. “Yeah, you’re not going to be shopping on the weekends,” she muttered to herself. She’d probably be working. Getting new clients. Researching the fauna that thrived in this new place.

Her stomach growled, reminding Capri that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and that had been on the southern border of Utah, eight hours ago. Up ahead, she saw a huge hamburger, with plenty of bacon hanging out the side.

Yep, that would be her first dining experience here in Quinn Valley. The Bacon Boys looked busy, but at least her truck didn’t stand out among the dozen other pickups in the parking lot.

It was several years old, and the best she could afford. In fact, she hoped the prices for beef and bacon in this town wouldn’t break her budget, as she was down to her last two hundred dollars.

“Be right back, Mols,” she said to her black and white Boston terrier. “I’ll get you something.” But she probably wouldn’t. She’d just feed the dog a couple of bites of her burger and most of the French fries.

It’s okay, she told herself as she got out of the truck and headed inside. You have a job. Starts tomorrow.

And she did. She was meeting the ranch’s owner at nine o’clock, and everything would be fine.

Her momma’s words streamed through her head. You’re a real good girl, Capri. Everything will be fine.

She’d clung to her momma’s promises in the past, and she’d do the same thing this time too.

Inside the burger joint, the atmosphere was vibrant and smelled like everything Capri imagined heaven would. Cheese and beef and bacon.

And boys.

So many men filled the place that Capri wondered if she’d missed a sign somewhere. Men only, or No cowboy hat, no service.

Capri didn’t fit either of those requirements, and she felt the full weight of every eye on her as she joined the line.

This place was obviously popular for four o’clock in the afternoon, and she anticipated having to wait several minutes to put in her order.

It’s fine, she told herself, the eyes finally going back to their own business. Her head pounded, and her stomach pinched, but she studied the menu as if she’d never eaten a hamburger before.

She’d eat, and everything would be better.

Then she’d go to the hotel and figure out if she could even afford to stay for a night. Quinn Valley Ranch had offered her a cabin as part of her pay, but she’d declined it. Maybe she’d need to ask the owner about that too.

Her head swam with all she needed to do and figure out. Capri wanted to bolt right then, but she held steady in the line. Her daddy had taught her that. Wait. Watch. Listen. Learn.

She’d be putting all of those things to use as she started her own landscaping company a thousand miles from the only home she’d ever known.

The door behind her chimed, indicating someone new had walked in. She turned to find a tall cowboy coming in alone. He exuded an air of importance, keeping her attention on him. A smile flashed across his face, making his strong jaw a little softer and lighting his eyes from within.

Oh, that wasn’t fair.

Capri was well-versed in handsome cowboys, but this guy was in a league all his own.

She couldn’t help how her eyes dropped to his left hand to check for a wedding band. He wasn’t wearing one.

So he’s fair game, she thought, immediately recoiling from it. She was not looking for a new boyfriend. She had barely escaped Texas with her most vital organ still intact.

She half-turned, expecting this handsome man to come stand right behind her. Maybe she could ask him what was good here, explain she was new in town, all of that.

But he didn’t. Instead, he went right past her, almost to the front of the line.

“Uh, excuse me?” she said before she could even think.

In the Hallmark movie, the record would’ve scratched. The chatter in the place halted, and everyone turned toward her.

“The line’s back here,” she said, her eyes blazing at that cowboy. Just because he was good-looking didn’t mean he could do whatever he wanted. Maybe it was the extreme hunger talking. Or the pounding headache. Or the fact that the house she’d rented—and put a thousand dollars down on—was filled with termites and completely unlivable.

Or, or, or. Capri could honestly come up with a dozen other reasons she wouldn’t be putting up with a cowboy cutting in line.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking at the men he’d joined. “I was just taking a phone call. My guys here saved my spot.” He had the charming ability to look confused and ashamed at the same time, that confidence still oozing off of him in waves.

Capri cocked her hip and then stepped around the few people between them. “Fine. My guys were just holding my spot too.” She looked to his equally tall, hatted, and obviously baffled friends. “Right guys?”

“Right,” one mumbled before turning back to the cashier and putting in his order. Capri stayed right with them, ordering when they all did. She cocked her eyebrow at the handsome man who’d pushed the wrong button with the wrong woman today—and watched in horror as he paid for everyone.

Including her.

So he really was there with those guys, and he was most likely their boss. “You don’t—”

“You’re one of the guys,” he said easily. “Don’t worry about it.” Then he joined his crew at the soda fountain, never once looking back at her.

Capri huddled near the door, snatching her bag as soon as the teenager brought it to her and hurrying back to the safety of her truck and her dog. The burger tasted like manna from heaven, and with one problem solved, she went to take care of another, praying the hotel would allow pups for just one night.

* * *

The following morning, she left the hotel much earlier than she needed to. Her nerves fired on all cylinders, and no amount of positive self-talk and family mantras could soothe her. Aurora usually kept her up-to-date on such things, and while Capri had spoken with her sister at length once she’d made it to the hotel last night, all the good vibes were now gone.

The ranch was exactly twenty minutes north of town, and she eased her truck under the sign boasting that she’d arrived at Quinn Valley Ranch.

“Twenty minutes early,” she muttered, moving slowly past the row of cabins on her left, paying close attention to the way she felt here. It wasn’t Texas, that was for sure, but this land felt…tranquil. And that was exactly what Capri needed in her life right now.

A purpose. A place.

Next to her on the seat, Molly whined, her paws up on the window on the passenger side. Capri pushed the button to roll down the window, smiling at Molly’s exuberance as she stuck her head outside.

She rumbled down the road and pulled up to the homestead, a thin line of dust rising into the air behind her. She’d heard Idaho was cold, but this late in May, it seemed to be warm enough for her.

“Let’s go,” she said to Molly, and they got out of the truck together. No one had come to greet her, and she reminded herself that she was early. Before she could decide if she should go knock on the front door or just sit tight for a few minutes, another truck came down the road.

He parked beside her, and Capri’s eyes met his through the windshield.

“Oh, no,” she moaned under her breath as the tall, delicious, drink-of-water cowboy who’d paid for her dinner yesterday got out of his truck.

Her eyes flew to the porch as the screech of the screen door sounded. Maybe he was just here for something else, perhaps a visit.

“I got it, Dad,” he said, his deep voice sending vibrations through Capri’s whole body. He definitely wasn’t just visiting, and he was definitely her new boss.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “You wove a very captivating storyline with characters that possess very strong values. Both Capri and Rhodes had past problems that they had to work thru and together. Family issues are sometimes hardest to deal with. They finally worked things out and Quinn Valley has another couple!!! Great storytelling!!!!” ~Judi T

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I loved this story. The storyline is interesting. The thoughts, and emotions of the characters reflected so well. The small town and supportive family and friends make the perfect setting for a good love story. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good love story.” ~Sandi Tx