The City Girl (A “Her Choice” Story) Read online

  That wasn’t nice, Cassandra, she scolded herself. Sometimes she just knew she deserved a good spanking. Another thing Tyler couldn’t provide her.

  Cassandra turned left at the dulcet tones of her guidance girl, and drove another half mile down a blacktopped road. Passing under a carved wooden archway that boasted a big wooden sign swinging and announcing she had arrived in the right place “Rose’s Ranch” made her suddenly nervous.

  Well, that was to be expected. Everyone from the dishwasher to the CEO had nerves on their first day of work. She knew she would do a good job, but still. Normal. Not to mention that her new boss, though a few years younger than she liked, or was, probably, was hot as hell. It had been a while since she’d had a no holds barred, sex only affair. Long before Tyler. It might be time for another one, even with that hot muscular cowboy. Like the country song said, she was old enough to be that boy’s lover.

  What was she thinking? No! Especially with her boss! That would be ridiculous. Not to mention it wouldn’t look good on her resume.

  Cassandra giggled, thinking of how to phrase that on her list of skills. “Laid the hot cowboy” “Slept with the boss” Nah, she’d have to do much better than that. Or not at all since she wasn’t going to screw the boss man. A decision made.

  But who knew, maybe there would be other hot cowboys around who weren’t her boss. Matt Lyon hadn’t looked like a cowboy, interviewing her in his suit and tie, up in her Chicago high-rise hotel, but he assured her he was. Again, Illinois had cowboys? Horse ranches? She’d lived in this state all her life. Who knew! Well, she didn’t know much of what happened south of I-80, but she was going to learn and just couldn’t wait to see what all she didn’t know about life in her home state. Trying to not wiggle in her seat, she looked around as much as she could while still keeping her sweet car out of the potholes.

  What Matt had called ‘the home place’ and ‘the lodge area’ came into view. Her breath caught, she hadn’t been expecting this. The layout was gorgeous. There was a big two-story log cabin building, with the most inviting gorgeous wrap around porch, with three, count them, three, porch swings as welcoming as she’d ever seen. There were what seemed to be flowerbeds all around, but of course, few green things growing now, though some brave tulips and daffodils were popping their heads up. She couldn’t wait to see what it looked like in another month. Matt had told her that his mom, the Rose of the ranch, had planted many, many rose bushes, and in the summer, the air filled with their fragrance. She couldn’t wait. She loved roses. Well, flowers of any kind, but roses were her special favorite. Maybe she’d be allowed to pick a few for her room now and again? She’d be sure to ask Matt or one of the other two managers before she did, however. Some places were very particular about things like that and she wouldn’t want to step on toes, even boot clad toes.

  There were half a dozen small cabins dotting the area and three or four bigger buildings that looked like strip motels with character. They were all… what? Oak? Some kind of lumber, log cabin-y looks. Whatever they were, she liked the rustic feel and hoped to hell they all had running water and a flush toilet and a nice shower, especially in her room. She didn’t need much! Well, she was accustomed to much in the way of luxury in her life, but this summer was all about adapting and learning. Although she was used to all the amenities a four and five star hotel had to offer, she knew there would other perks here. At least she hoped so. Like hot available non-boss cowboys.

  At the very least, it would be an adventure. She deserved an adventure. Craved one. All her life, she’d done the straight and narrow path thing. Made good grades, gone to a great college, majoring in hospitality management because she knew she wanted to live in the ambiance of fancy hotels, high-powered people, and top-notch restaurants. Growing up in the suburbs, Cassandra had always wanted a big city life, and even as a little girl, knew how to get what she wanted. Work hard and take an interest in people, from the CEO’s to the busboys. Everyone needed a smile and a boost, and both those things had done well for her. Her name in the business seemed golden, and opportunities dropped in her lap now. Once this little vacation was over, she’d be ready to head back to her heels and power suits.

  She’d always enjoyed the stress, the atmosphere, and the lifestyle that hotel life had to offer. This was her first taste of real country life, and being just a little lowbrow and laid back. Maybe she would find some hot male excitement here to enjoy and then leave behind. Something to laugh and talk about over cocktails with her friends, who’d all thought she was nuts for coming out here. After her break up with Tyler, though, a little nuts sounded good, even if they came with real squirrels in real trees.

  But, she decided firmly, no adventure with Matt. She’d look around, and see who might be fun to use and discard at the end of summer. Why not? Men did it all the time. She could too. Maybe. She hoped. It was a good plan, anyway! But not with her boss, who could at some point give her a recommendation should she ever need one. Never burn your bridges, she reminded herself. Always leave them with a smile.

  Where was the Lyon’s Den? Matt had told her there would be a sign on one of the buildings that said Lyon’s Den, and that was where she’d be staying. She’d have her own small apartment, but in the same building as the rest of the family. It was their home, apparently, as well as the office for the guests to check in and out of, and had what he called an efficiency behind the kitchen. She hoped she’d stayed in worse.

  There it was! Cute little sign, with a spray of vine twined roses on either side of the wording. Were there roses everywhere in this place? That was not a bad thing at all. She pulled into the small circle drive in front of the building, got out and stretched. Long ride. She needed a bathroom. Hopefully there would be someone here to greet her, and show her the way to one in the next few minutes. Otherwise she assumed that the woods were fair game. She remembered using that at summer camp. When she was nine. Not wanting to revisit the past, she marched up to the front door and knocked. No buzzer, no doorbell. She knocked, again. What else was there to do?

  No answer. Now what? Well, the usual, of course. She got out her cell phone and called. She could hear the phone ring inside the office. Well, that wouldn’t work. Oddly enough, someone answered it. “Matt here,” the deep voice she remembered answered.

  “Matt, its Cassandra Carter. I’m here at the lodge,” she trailed off, wondering what else she should say.

  “Okay. I’m out with the horses, door should be unlocked. Your room is the one off the kitchen. I’ll send Blaze over to help you. Hey, Clint! Hey, see that colt?”

  Cassandra looked at her phone, realizing he’d hung up on her. Okay then. She picked up her overnight bag and went to look for the kitchen and then the bathroom. Hopefully there was one in her room! She hadn’t thought that there might not be. Surely, an efficiency apartment had a bathroom.

  The door was unlocked, just as he’d said, and she wondered if that was usual or if they were waiting on her. Didn’t matter, she was sure she’d find out soon enough, and she’d stayed in enough hotels, that she knew how to make her own room safe if need be.

  Okay, kitchen was where? This was obviously a cozy living room, office combo. Was this where the guests checked in? Seemed a little intrusive for a family but she guessed that bed and breakfast innkeepers did the same. There were two doors off this room, besides the outside door. She picked the one that seemed to have natural light streaming behind it and found the kitchen. Thank goodness. She’d look at it later. Two doors again off the kitchen. One led to a pantry, and the other to a small hallway. The first door she opened in the hallway was a storage room, the second, close to a back exit door, had to be her new home.

  Dropping her bag, she ran to the open bathroom door inside the small room, and quickly felt relieved in more ways than one. The little she’d seen of her room looked nice, and there was an exit to outside that didn’t involve going through the kitchen and office. All good.

  In here, there was a big walk in s
hower, a nice sink with lots of storage under it. No bathtub to soak in, but oh well. She could make do with a duel headed shower for the summer, as long as there was lots of hot water. First world problem. She’d decided she was only going to be upset over things that weren’t first world problems in this job, because this wasn’t a hotel, and one of the reasons she was here was for the entire experience. Including a bit of roughing it, if need be, and dammit, she’d do it with a smile.

  As she walked out of the bathroom, into what would be her room for the next few months, she noticed a small efficiency kitchen that looked completely serviceable, considering there was a big, airy, kitchen right outside her door and another one across the lot where they would be feeding the crew. These people were serious about their food preparation, weren’t they? There was a fridge, a stove with four burners and an oven, a microwave and yes, ever a small dishwasher. She opened a couple cabinet doors, and saw they were filled with everything she would need to cook or eat from.

  Double bed covered in what looked like a handmade quilt, and quite cozy looking, and a dresser with a mirror were tucked into an alcove. Right outside the alcove sat a small loveseat and an overstuffed chair in front of a small TV, and under the TV shelves held neatly lined up books of a few genres. She appreciated they all weren’t Louis L’Amour, and that she had everything she’d need, it looked like. Even a fancy coffee pot that looked every bit as nice as the one her mom had given her. She could have coffee all day and all night, if she wanted. No wine fridge, but hey, this girl was roughing it, happily, she reminded herself.

  “Hello?” a male voice called out for her. “Ms. Carter?”

  Yes. It was for her. Cassandra opened the door to her room and called back, “If you’re looking for me, I’m in here.”

  A young man, probably late teens, early twenties, strode down the hall from the kitchen, a welcoming smile, and a hand held out. “Hi, I’m Blaze Lyon. You must be Ms. Carter. Welcome to Rose’s Ranch. My dad sent me to help you unload your car, then show you around.”

  Cassandra smiled at him. Matt’s kid? Matt didn’t look old enough to have a kid in his 20s, but who knew. “Oh, thanks! Call me Cassandra, please. I only have a load or two, but I’d really appreciate the help. You work here too?” She followed him through the kitchen and back out into the damp spring air.

  “Yeah, Grandpa is the real boss, Dad is his right hand man, and I get to do everything they tell me to do. But man, just look around. It’s a great place to be, isn’t it?”

  Popping her trunk, she looked around again at the greening up vista in front of her. It was very different from the Chicago landscape. Nothing towering but the trees. No traffic noise at all, though there were… nature sounds. Birds. Other things. She imagined she’d know what they were in a few days. Or weeks. Or not. But, yes, it was a great place to be, for the moment at least.

  “Here, I can carry another bag,” Blaze reached his hand out and she gave him another small suitcase. “I hope you brought decent shoes.” He looked pointedly down at her feet.

  Cassandra laughed. “Yes I did. I read the online information for guests. Sneakers, boots, and serviceable working shoes. But, aren’t these pretty?” She looked forlornly down at the sparkly sandals she didn’t know when she’d wear again. Next spring? By the time she got back to Chicago, it would be too cold for them. Good thing she didn’t outgrow her shoes anymore, as much as they cost.

  “Yes, Ma’am, they are very pretty,” he said seriously, making her laugh again. “I’ll carry the last of the stuff in, if you want to put on different shoes while I’m doing that, and we can look around a bit.”

  “That sounds great.” Cassandra frantically wondered which suitcase held her serviceable shoes. That one? No, there it was! He’d just carried it in. Good. Why she didn’t want to disappoint the boy by not having the proper shoes was silly. But there you go. Maybe because technically he was her boss? Well, her boss’s kid? Her boss’s boss’s kid? Oh my, she’d never worked in a place without proper designated titles for people. They probably had them, she assured herself, and just hadn’t told her yet. Hers was supposedly general manager over non-stable personnel, or some such thing. When she’d told Matt she rather liked working with stable people, he’d stared at her a second, then took the contract back, crossed out the word stable and wrote in ‘horse related’. She laughed until she’d cried.

  Shoes. They needed tied. She sat on her bed and managed to get that done before Blaze—what kind of name was Blaze anyway—came back in with the last of her bags and boxes. He had some guns under that t-shirt, all right. Maybe she would see him without a shirt soon.

  Reminding herself that she was old enough to be his mom, and that he was her boss—boss’s kid, boss’s grandson, no, not this again—she followed him out the door, and into the big new world of not-dude ranching.

  Chapter Two

  Pushing her honey-blonde hair out of her eyes, and wishing for her marvelous stylist, Cassandra vowed to braid it tighter tomorrow. Humidity made it frizzy. Who knew outside was this humid when you were in it this long? Outside was basically a foreign land the last few years, other than when she stepped out for a breather or to chat with the employees who smoked on their breaks. She lived in the hotels she worked in, she ate in them, worked out in their gyms, online shopped for things she needed, and didn’t see a reason to be out this much. Hadn’t for a long time. She reminded herself that’s why she was here. New! Different! Exciting! Six months and done. She could do it.

  “My name is Cassandra Carter,” she said looking out at the mostly denim and boot clad group of cooks, housekeepers, and maintenance staff. There were almost as many in short shorts and flip-flops, though. Apparently, other than the t-shirt they all sported, there were no other uniform rules.

  She didn’t have the cowhands, or stable people, or horse staff, or whatever they were called, and she was just fine with that. She wouldn’t have a clue how to deal with them anyway. “I’m your new manager and I’m here to help you all with your jobs any way I can. I’ve had over fifteen years of managerial experience in hotels and restaurants, and I hope I can help streamline some of the things you do, and also hope I can learn some of your procedures to take home with me in the fall.” She paused and looked out at the t-shirt wearing crowd in front of her. Oh, yeah, they were impressed as hell with her spiel, weren’t they?

  Not.

  “Why do we have a new boss? Where did the Lyons go?” A girl who didn’t look much older than a teenager asked.

  Several of the girls giggled and she distinctly heard the words, “Blaze is hot,” from one of them. No wonder they attracted so many young women to work here. Her mouth twitched and she didn’t know if she should feel sorry for the polite young man she met yesterday, or high five him next time she saw him.

  “All the Lyons are still here,” Cassandra assured them. “I’m just here to lend a helping hand in the guest services area. They’re going to be busy out there with the expanded horse operation, and building the new cabins. I’m going to lend a hand with you all in the day-to-day care of the clients’ needs. They felt like they couldn’t give you all the attention you deserved this season, and since they’re expanding so quickly, needed an outside eye on things. I heard you were all great people and wonderful workers, and they want to make sure you are happy and getting what you need to get your jobs done properly.” Yeah, they seemed real pleased with her offer of help, all right.

  “We liked working for the Lyons,” another teenager girl whined as a chorus of agreement arose around her.

  “We hired to work for the Lyons, not you,” another girl chimed in. She seemed to hiding behind her friends, though. Smart move on her part.

  “You still work for them. I work for them, too. They are here,” she reassured them again. “I’m here to help them help you, that’s all.”

  “Will they still be giving us our paychecks on Mondays?”

  Why was that a problem, Cassandra wondered. Were they worried ab
out if they were getting paid or when? “Yes, you still get your paychecks on Monday. Most places I work get paid on Friday, but apparently Monday is the rule around here.” Matt had told her that they found a larger rate of weekend workers not calling in ‘sick’ when they were paid on Mondays. She liked this idea a lot for her 24/7 employees.

  “In fact, by the end of the month, you are all going to be set up on a direct deposit system, or a reloadable card for your paychecks, so make sure that paperwork is filled out, too. That way you will get the money even earlier but there won’t be any more paper checks after the end of May,” she explained. “This will make your money more readily available to you after a week of work.”

  “We liked getting our checks from the Lyons,” still another whine.

  “We like it when they give us our checks.” Another girl.

  Seriously, girls, this wasn’t the end of the world as you know it.

  But again, a chorus of agreement. Did the men stand there and hand out kisses with paychecks? Sure seemed like it from the way these girls were behaving. Well, she wasn’t kissing anyone’s anything.

  Taking a deep breath, Cassandra said, “All this will be settled, just realize, the Lyon men are still your bosses, as well as mine. They are still around, but I’ll be your liaison for now.”

  A swirling grumble of disagreement and unhappiness arose. She wanted to work with teenagers, why?

  Looking around again, after the grumble faded, she asked as decisively as she could, “Any other questions for me?” And, finally, a deadly awkward silence. “No? Okay, I know this the first day for some of you, and many of you who returned from last summer have been reassigned. There are papers in the packet you were given as you came in. Make sure your paperwork is all turned in by lunchtime. Take a look at where your assignments are, and head out. Mariah and Barb are at the back door. Stop and ask one of them if you don’t know where you’re going. I’m going to be going around and touching base all day, and will check in on you then. If you have any questions you don’t want to ask here, or didn’t think of yet, you can ask me when you see me. Today is orientation, for everyone but the lunch crew, who will feed you all before you go, and we will have another group chat then, and tomorrow is our first full day of work. So go find your assignments, and we are going to have a great summer together.”