The Ranchers Ultimate Demand

The Ranchers Ultimate

Demand

Prologue

Ethan scowled at the rigging phone on his desk, he should have found someone months ago, to handle the bookings for the guests who came from all over to spend summers at his ranch. His assistant Natalie decided to get married and gave him a week notice and he was close to slamming his fist into the computer screen. He didn’t know shit about numbers and bookings, he worked with horses and stayed far away from the lodge at the far side of the ranch. Pressing the delete button, he reached for the phone, Jones he said in a curt voice. Well good day to you too his friend Ryan said.

They met in college and have been friends ever since. Hey, he sighed into the receiver.

What crawled up your ass Ryan asked laughing on the other end of the phone.

Natalie bailed he said not in the mood to explain his assistants’ reason for leaving.

Ah Ryan said laughing harder.

This is no laughing matter Ryan, I’m fully booked for the summer and have no idea what the hell is going on with the business. His friend stopped laughing, then it’s a good thing I called he said.

I need your help Ethan. The serious tone in Ryan’s voice made him push back his concerns and focus on his friend. Ryan never asked for his help although he always let him know he was there if he ever needed him.

Do you remember Avery Monroe he asked? Ethan tried to remember someone by that name but came up blank.

Ryan man don’t tell me you screwed around behind Amanda’s back he asked as the possibilities swirled in his mind.

Fuck no, Ryan said as he hissed in his ear.

Avery is my PA dumb ass.

Sorry, so what about her? You know I have never even met the woman he said to his friend. Every time he went to visit they would meet at the bar a block from his office, he never met the woman Ryan and Amanda talked about so much.

Oh, hell no Ryan said hissing on the phone.

What the hell gave you the idea I would ever cheat on my wife he asked, and Ethen took a deep breath.

You gave me a woman’s name asked for my help and sounded serious what was I supposed to think, you never call to ask me for help he said.

I know Ryan said as he exhaled on the other end of the phone.

It was Manda’s idea to call you and ask for your help.

Okay, so what do you need me to do he asked watching as the screen went black.

We will get to that in a minute, I need to explain something to you Ryan said.

Sure, Ethan replied as he leaned back in his chair looking out the window watching his men with the horses.

Avery started working for me four years ago, straight out of college, she never took a day’s leave from work, hell I don’t even think she took sick leave from work. She always seemed happy working for me and she never complained about anything. She would cash her vacation time and come to work every day. Last week she came into my office with a brown envelope clutched in her hands and gave it to me. I didn’t think much of it at that moment and she turned around and left my office. The next day when I came to the office her table was cleared of all her personal stuff and her seat was empty. Again, like the fool I am it didn’t bother me so much. She didn’t come into my office with my coffee and schedule and I picked up the phone to ask her to come see me when she was ready, the call went through to the reception desk and the girl informed me that Avery didn’t show up for work.

I just knew something was wrong like I said it wasn’t like her not to show up for work. Then that damn envelope caught my eye and I tore it open. She resigned with immediate effect. She didn’t even want her severance package. She gave me no explanation, nothing. I called Manda because they were friends, and she told me she would handle everything. That evening Manda told me that Avery will be back at the office the next day to arrange a temp for a few months. When I asked her, what was going on she told me that Avery will withdraw her resignation, but she needed a break from work.

Did she explain why Avery will be going on a break Ethan asked his full attention on his friend’s conversation.

All she told me was that Avery had a lot of shit going on in her life and she was on the verge on running, don’t know why all I know is that she was ready to run and leave me he said.

She is not your wife I said to him smiling.

I know that, she is my office wife, everything runs like a well-oiled machine with her. Do you know I never missed an appointment in the last four years since she started working for me, I almost missed my own wedding if it wasn’t for her I was working late, and she called me and reminded me that I needed to get my ass to the church if I wanted to get married that day? What I’m trying to tell you it that she is loyal and works damn hard, I don’t think I can survive the next couple of months without her.

Okay so how can I help I asked looking down on my hands?

I need you to hire her for the next three months until Amanda can handle whatever it is she needs to handle for Avery. I honestly don’t know what it is, and she refuses to tell me. She told me she could handle it but that we needed to get Avery out of town for a while, whatever or whoever is after her scared her, and Amanda cares deeply for her, she sees Avery as a little sister of sorts.

Ethan nodded and bit at the callas on his finger. His friends have been married for the last two years, they were high school sweethearts and dated in collage and got married. They were happy with one another and to be together that long surely meant something to him.

She will be safe with you Ryan said sounding concerned, Amanda thought it better to send her to you. The only problem we have is Madison he said.

Why Ethen asked.

When you agree to take her on you will see his friend said.

Okay but I won’t worry too much about Madison, I have two more years to go and then I can get rid of her he said to his friend.

Yes, I know but Madison will find a reason to get more out of your marriage if she thought you were having an affair.

Ethan snickered into the phone, the way she has been going around I don’t see how she could get anything more from the arrangement if she will be getting anything.

You still have that detective on her ass Ryan asked.

You know I do, she broke the arrangement, even if our marriage is arranged she will soon find not to take everything for granted.

She there his friend asked.

Nope she left a week ago, and I haven’t seen her since. The longer she stays away the better for me he said honestly.

I sometimes think if my father was still alive I would have slapped him around for putting me in this situation he said. I will keep Madison in her place, there is nothing she hates more that knowing I could take away her credit cards. Ryan laughed.

Okay back to Avery, she can do mostly anything, and she is an efficient worker, you won’t even need to check up on her. You don’t need to worry about her salary I will still make sure she gets paid. She still works for me she will just be on an extended leave.

I can always pay her extra Ethan said clicking on the mouse to bring the screen back to live.

How much do you pay her Ethan asked looking at the mess on the screen. Ryan gave him a number that made him sit straight up in his chair.

That is a lot of money he said after a while. I will pay her half of what you pay her he said, I do need someone to handle this shit he said. Ryan laughed if you wish to pay her go ahead I don’t mind. When can I expect her? he asked his friend.

By the end of the week she needs to settle in if you could arrange accommodation for her.

Sure, the cottage has been renovated a couple of weeks ago, and she would be close to everything if she stays there. You sure she wants to do this? he asked his friend.

According to Manda she looked relieved at the prospect of getting out of town. You won’t regret this Ryan said as he exhaled.

I hope so Ethan said looking at the screen again, if she is that good I might keep her for myself, Natalie left everything a mess he said. Ryan laughed again, she will have it sorted in a matter of days he reassured him.

Good, let me know if there is anything else he told his friend as they said their goodbyes and placed the phone down on the table. If this Avery can sort this shit out when she gets here, he might keep her here locked in his office as he reached for his hat heading out of the house to the stables.

Chapter One

Avery tapped her fingers on the steering wheel in time with the beat of the song playing on the radio. The drive form Waxahachie Texas to Garland was under an hour’s drive but she was a bundle of nerves. Looking for the exit on 11B Northwest highway she thought back to the call she got the day before she handed in her resignation.

Her dad called her the night before and he informed her they knew where she was and that they were coming. She ran away from home five years ago and haven’t seen her family since then. She went to college got her business degree and haven’t looked back on her life since, until that awful phone call.

Amanda promised she would be safe with their rancher friend. She could hide away until this mess with her family was sorted. She trusted Amanda and knew her friend would keep her family away from her.

The moment her mother died when she was sixteen her family treated her like a slave and made her do things that made her skin crawl. Real Cinderella like but with a horrible twist. At least they allowed her to finish high school. The day of graduation she packed her stuff and was gone, she didn’t leave a note or anything, she just left.

Turning down Shiloh road she tapped the address Ryan gave her into the GPS and looked out on all the open fields as she passed them, she moved from Northport Alabama to Nashville Tennessee where she attended Chattanooga Community college. The moment she had her degree in hand she started looking for work and she got a position as Ryan’s personal assistant.

Moving to Garland was the best. Ryan made sure everything was arranged for her when she got there, they put her in one of the penthouse suites in the building for employees and he offered her a huge salary. The moment she walked into his office she liked him, his long-time girlfriend was there that day and they hit it off immediately that day.

They have been friends ever since. The voice on the GPS warned her that her destination was around the next bend and Avery looked out in wonder as a huge wooden arch came into view with the name Jones Horse Ranch carved into the wood. She turned left, and she was amazed as rows upon rows of Evergreen trees lined the driveway up to her destination.

The house if you could call it that came into view making her catch her breath. It was a single-story brown brick building with a low riding light grey roof, the garage was attached to the house with a metallic dodge ram parked in front of it with a little red convertible next to it.

There were glass sliding doors around the house decorated with shutters opening on the wrap around porch. Three chimneys lined the roof, the gravel drive way ran in a circle with a big ass mermaid fountain in the middle of the driveway. Avery stopped her car behind the truck and turned off the ignition looking in wonder at everything.

The moment she got out of the car the heat was excruciation, sweat formed in her back sliding down into the V of her ass and she pressed her shirt to her back. This was not an interview, so she was dressed in a pair of cut-off jeans shorts and a tank top. Ryan said she got the job and he made sure to tell Mr. Jones that she knew what she was doing.

Taking the sunglasses from her nose she looked around her as she made her way towards the front of the house. All around her were