Serendipity Ranch Read online

  The sound of a bell alerted him to company. Janie slowly drove through the electric gate and parked in the carport where the goats couldn’t jump on her hood. She exited her car and stood still as she was bombarded by two excited dogs and the three horses that Preston had brought down from Wyoming.

  “How’s my Milly?” Janie asked, hugging her brown quarter horse. Milly pushed the woman with her nose, seeking the treat that Janie hid in her pockets. Sara, meanwhile, raced to fling herself into her uncle’s arms. He swung her around, chewing on her neck as she giggled loudly.

  “Your face hurts, Uncle P! Stop it! Mama, he’s trying to snack on me again!” she shrieked, laughing wildly as he pressed his unshaven cheek into her throat.

  “You’ll get over it. Hey Janie, thanks for bringing her over. I was getting hungry,” he kissed his sister, still holding his giggling niece in his strong, long arms.

  “She’s getting a bit too old to be chewed on, don’t you think, little brother?”

  “I still bite you. Besides, I haven’t been your little brother since I was her age,” Preston proclaimed, looking down at his sister from his lofty 6’2” frame.

  Janie poked him in the stomach. ”You’ll always be my little brother. I don’t care how tall you are. When can I get my kid back? She packed to stay for two weeks.”

  “I’ll keep her forever if you let me. You know, she designed this house to be big enough for all of us.”

  “We are not moving in. First, you’re a slob. Second,” she grinned, “you’re a slob.”

  “And you’re a nag, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to live with you.”

  “Mama, Uncle Preston isn’t a slob. He’s just distracted. I’ve seen him clean,” Sara piped in, defending her uncle as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his handsome, rugged cheek.

  “Yeah, I clean. So there.”

  Janie laughed, slugging her brother on the arm. The truth was that he was more of a neat nick than she was. He was the only person she knew who could live and work on a ranch and not track dirt into a house. “You need to get yourself a woman, Pres. Someone who can keep you in line.”

  “You know very well that the last thing I either want, or need, is another female badgering me. These two are enough,” he pointed to the border collies. “They provide all the love and companionship I need.”

  “Not all,” Janie answered back mischievously, her eyes twinkling. “I hope.”

  “Get your filthy mind out of the gutter before I forget I’m a gentleman and smack that back end of yours. What are you giggling about, little girl? You don’t think I can do it?” he asked his niece.

  “Mama would send you flying, Uncle Preston. She’s got a mean right hook.”

  “So she says. How about if you go and milk Nana for me? She looks full,” Preston said, putting the skinny, brown haired girl down. Sara nodded and ran for the milking supplies. “She’s such a great kid, Janie. She needs a dad, though.”

  “When I meet the right guy, then it will happen. In the meantime, you are her role model. I’ll be out late tomorrow. Are you sure you’re okay keeping her?”

  “Must we always have this discussion? I like her around almost as much as my dogs,” he teased.

  “Alright then. Sara? Be good for your uncle and make sure he tidies up around here.”

  “Ok, Mama. Good luck on your presentation!”

  After milking the goat, Preston and Sara walked along the half-finished house, discussing her ideas for completion. She wanted the structure to be eco-friendly with energy supplied largely from solar and wind power. There were three levels in the design. The bottom-most was built into the mountain and was to house the theater, workout room, and wine/root cellar. The second floor was also the main level, containing the kitchen, living room, dining room, sitting/garden room, garage, and recreation room with an outside pool and Jacuzzi. The third floor had the master bedroom, two guest rooms, library, and Sara’s “art room”. Centered on the third floor was an outside deck that divided the master bedroom from the other half of the house. The main source of contempt for the construction designers were Sara’s “secret passages”. She wanted corridors between rooms and floors to sneak around in. Preston agreed to her design, under two conditions. One, that none of the passages led to his room and two, that they were big enough for him to climb in and chase her. Sara agreed.

  He took her to the stables and corral area, showing her the newest addition to his own design. He had dug out a large pond that was partially shaded by huge boulders. It held several levels for the goats to climb, many little caves and cubbies, and a filter system to keep the water fresh for the animals.

  Sara clapped her hands, rubbing the head of a pygmy goat that nibbled on her shirt. “This is perfect! The dogs are going to love it, too. They’ll get to swim anytime they want.”

  “Gotta spoil all my girls, huh? Me and old Dave here,” he laughed, watching the Palomino roll in the dust with the dogs.

  “Did you really buy that ranch in town? It looks scary.”

  “Yup. It’s an old, abandoned farm house with a lot of property. I was thinking of making it into a dude ranch like the one Grandma and Grandpa had. You can help me with that one, too. We need to keep it conservative and preserve the original structure as much as we can.”

  “That’s boring.”

  “I know, but it’s also real life. Boo! Gem! To me.”

  * * *

  “What crawled up your ass and died?” asked the annoyed man as he watched his cousin punch a wall.

  “I’m so tired of the jerks in this world,” Serena answered. “First the idiots at the DMV and then that asshole on the way up the mountain. He could have had the common decency to pull over and not make me go around him.”

  “Maybe he didn’t see you?”

  “Then he was blind as well as stupid. You can’t miss the lemon-mobile. Plus, I was honking. Jerk. These guys buy expensive trucks and think they own the place.”

  “Most of them do. Don’t you have a job interview tomorrow?” Drew asked, trying to change the subject.

  “Yeah, up the road. It’s for that eccentric old idiot building the mountain house that his ten-year-old niece supposedly designed. Hey, I’m desperate. There isn’t a lot of work out there for nouveau architects. If I can convince this ignoramus that I’m smarter than a ten-year-old, I might land a job.”

  “Not with that attitude. Maybe the kid’s got some good ideas. It will also give you a chance to show off what you’ve got.”

  “Yeah, right. I know I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't give a damn if no one else sees it,” Serena said defensively. “Either way, for what he’s paying, I’ll find a way to deal with an eproctolagniac and a spoiled little kid.”

  “I probably shouldn’t ask….”

  “It’s someone who gets aroused by smelling their own farts. Get a dictionary.”

  “You’re really disgusting for a girl, Serena. And mean.” Drew grumbled, standing.

  “I’m pretty disgusting for anyone, but who cares? Do you have to leave so soon? I was about to poison your lemonade,” Serena grinned evilly as she handed him a glass.

  “If you learned to be nicer, maybe then you would make some friends,” Drew sipped the tart beverage.

  “Which is why I don’t waste my energy. I have no interest in making friends. I don’t need anyone to interfere in my life.”

  “I love you, Serena, but there are times I really don’t like you. You need to let the past go and move on. You’re miserable.”

  “If I promise to miss you, will you leave?”

  Drew sighed, shaking his head. He leaned over to kiss her temple and walked outside to sit with the chickens. They were far better company than his cousin nowadays.

  Chapter Two

  The sun shone brightly the next morning as Preston fed and watered the animals with Sara’s help. She pointed to the east-facing road and the traffic they could see coming over the mountain.

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p; “See, Uncle P? That’s why your exit road faces south, so you don’t get blinded going down the mountain.” She paused. “I hope the people you are interviewing will listen to me.”

  “Honey, I will make them listen if I need to. The first one will be here in an hour. Go get cleaned up and put out your blueprints while I finish the milking.”

  Preston rubbed his large hands over the heads of the goats as they fought each other to board the milking stand. Silly things. He had never known a goat that actually enjoyed being milked! Several nibbled at the nape of his neck and rubbed their heads against his shoulders as he adjusted the pail. His animals were all sweet and affectionate, and they gave him hours of entertainment. No, he didn’t miss having a woman around. His cock did, but not his heart or his ears. He detested nagging.

  His last relationship had ended when he informed Genève that he was selling the ranch to move to San Diego and open a practice near his sister. His decision conflicted with her ambition to marry into a well-to-do family with a secure business, and she threw a fit that would have made a two-year-old proud. When she realized that he had not invited her to come with him, she accused him of being selfish and called him an idiot who didn’t stand a chance on being successful, no matter how much he thought he could sell the ranch for. Preston had just stared at her, saying nothing as she went on with her tirade. Getting no reaction from him infuriated her. With a final flip of her blonde hair, she stormed out of his parent’s house, slamming the door so loudly that it knocked pictures off the wall. When he did not follow her, she turned around and swore she would never speak to him again. Not that he cared. Except for fabulous sex, and the fact that her father’s buffalo ranch adjoined the Riley’s, they had nothing in common. She loathed animals, liked to drink and party, and adamantly refused to get dirty performing chores. When she discovered his financial independence, she called him to apologize, offering to move to California with him and promising him the moon. He calmly refused her offer and wished her well with her life.

  The property alert rang and Preston waited as the first applicant drove into the enclosure in a small Honda. The wide girthed man waddled out from the small car and presented a sweaty, hot handshake. Preston escorted him into the work trailer, wiping his hand on the back of his jeans with a shudder. He introduced the man to Sara and informed him that she would be the primary designer and to speak up if he had difficulties following her suggestions. The man was gone within ten minutes.

  “One down, two to go.” Preston said cheerfully.

  “What if they all are like that? He didn’t even want to hear my ideas.”

  “We’ll find someone, baby. Don’t you worry about that. The right person will come.”

  The second man made Preston’s eyes widen. He was slender, dressed in bright purple and yellow striped pants, and his face as pale as a newly laid egg. His handshake was limp, and he winced at Preston’s grip. He fawned over Sara’s blueprints, praising the ‘little girl’ on such a wonderful imagination with a thick, undeterminable accent. Sara frowned, eyeing her uncle.

  “I want to put a swimming pool in the middle of the living room so we don’t have to go outside when it’s hot,” she said suspiciously. “We could watch TV, too.”

  “Of course, of course! How wonderfully inventive! Whatever the little girl wants, we can do!”

  “What I want is an honest answer. My idea was stupid and impractical. Sorry, Uncle Preston, but no. I can't work with someone so wishy-washy.”

  “You heard the little girl. Thank you for coming.”

  A string of curses were heard as the odd little man left, making Preston laugh. “Two down, little girl. Swimming pool in the living room? Good test.”

  “You taught me well, Uncle P. Was that the bell?”

  “I guess the last one is early. I—oh, what do I see here?” Preston asked, watching as the bright yellow car drove through the gate. Preston crossed his arms, watching as the beautiful young woman exited the vehicle, dressed in a business suit with her long black hair pinned up in a bun. She carried a briefcase and wore, of all things, high heels!

  Serena’s eyes widened as she recognized the large, black F-450 parked in front of the 45’ Class A motorhome. She then looked at the tall, broad-shouldered man who stared at her with his arms crossed. The “old fart” was neither old nor “fart-like”. He was drop-dead gorgeous, in a rugged sort of way, in his early 30’s, with dark, wavy hair and long lashes that framed whiskey gold eyes. She swallowed nervously at his disapprovingly look, realizing he must have recognized her car from the mountain. Of all the luck! Once again, the name Serendipity haunted her.

  “How do you do? I’m Serena Mitchell,” she forced a smile and extended her hand. The warm, firm response sent tingles down her spine.

  “Preston Riley. I apologize for not moving up the mountain fast enough for you yesterday. Did you manage to reach your destination in timely manner, Miss Mitchell?”

  “About that, I apologize. I had to go to the bathroom and you weren’t pulling over as is customary in these parts,” Serena lied, blushing as he continued to hold her hand firmly in his rock-hard mitt.

  “Next time, go before you get on the road. You could have killed all of us, young lady,” Preston said firmly, his eyes sending warnings as he gazed down on her tiny 5’3” frame. “This is my niece, Sara. She’s the primary designer for this project and will be conducting the majority of your interview.”

  “You designed this?” Serena asked with genuine admiration, glancing at the layout of the work already completed. “You’re making an eco-efficient structure, taking advantage of the natural light and heat sources, aren’t you?” Serena was impressed.

  “Yes, and making it unique as well,” Sara said proudly. “It’s not just a house, it’s a piece of art. Uncle Preston has certain preferences that I incorporated into the design to make it wholly his.”

  “Fascinating! Can I see the blueprints?”

  Preston watched the beautiful young woman follow Sara into the work trailer, completely ignoring his presence. He glanced at the border collies. “How is it that females manage to turn the tide and make things my fault? I didn’t pull over. There was nowhere to pull over except off the side of the cliff!” The dogs just tilted their heads and wagged their tails.

  The two girls were pouring over the blueprints, discussing Sara’s ideas and specifications. Preston listened carefully as Serena acknowledged the child’s thoughts and then rerouted them to be more efficient. Brilliant, he thought, incorporate instead of change. Hmmm.

  “It appears Sara approves of you, Miss Mitchell. I, however, have some questions of my own. Sara? Would you please excuse us?”

  Sara smiled, kissing him on the cheek. “I like her, Uncle P. Ask her out.”

  “Get your hiney out of here, you brat.” Preston whispered back. With a giggle, the child was gone. He turned to study the woman in front of him, noticing her discomfort.

  “Are you going to just sit there and undress me mentally?” Serena snapped.

  “You have quite the temper, Miss Mitchell. And the ego. I was simply admiring your finesse as either a consummate liar or a desperate woman. Which is it?”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Riley.”

  “No? Ok, let’s start here.” Preston opened the leather portfolio that Serena had placed on the table. He thumbed through several pages, studying the photos and sketches. He had read her resume and followed his hunch, despite her lack of experience. Raising an eyebrow, he pointed to one house. “You’re telling me that you built this?”

  “I am. It took me three years. Every millimeter is perfect to scale.” Serena gazed proudly at the model of her “dream house”. It had been the piece that won her the scholarship to complete her master’s degree in architectural engineering and design. Preston grunted, flipping through the photos until one caught his eye.

  “Explain this one.”

  “Nothing to explain. I was hired last year to design a t
heme based on the ideas of an interior decorator with really poor taste. This was for a Radisson ballroom. Not something I’m particularly proud of, but it’s the most recent I have.”

  “So you are a desperate woman. You seem to be reasonably talented, Miss Mitchell, so why can’t you land a job?”

  “You are incredibly rude, Mr. Riley. Am I hired or not? I can get a crew together in less than a week and get this place up before the holidays.”

  “Give me one good reason why I should hire a new grad who has done nothing but copy ideas from others’ work and tweaked it in the attempt to pass it off as her own?” Preston asked, crossing his long, jean clad leg over his knee and leaning back to watch her expression.

  “I beg your pardon?!” Serena shouted, standing.

  “Sit down, Miss Mitchell. And yes, you may beg, but I doubt it will get you very far. Do these names ring a bell?” Preston started rattling off the names of different architects as he thumbed through the pages of her portfolio, pointing to structures and sketches. Serena turned bright red, wanting to sink under the small table at which she sat. “Nothing to say? My, this must be a first. Good day, Miss Mitchell,” he stood to see her out.

  Serena gathered her stuff and paused, finally looking up at him with tears in her blue eyes. “I’m sorry, Mr. Riley. All I have that’s truly mine is this model and that horrid ballroom. I’ve tried to get work, but no one will hire me because of my lack of experience. I’m begging you. Please, I need this job.”

  “No, what you need is a good, old fashioned spanking,” Preston grumped, leaning against the wall, arms still crossed as he looked at her. She blushed again before facing the floor. “Damn it. Why not? I’ve got a ten year old designing this place to give her experience, I might as well let you learn too. Just make sure my niece does not get injured.”