Perfect Enough

Chapter Thirteen – Sophia

Chapter Thirteen

SOPHIA

When we pulled up to the Shaw Ranch gate, I had to keep from gasping. The entrance alone was beautiful.

Josh pulled through, and we started down a long, paved drive. Each side had endless views of pastureland and the surrounding mountains.

“This is gorgeous. How lucky were you to grow up on a ranch like this.”

Josh smiled. “Lucky indeed.”

As we drove, he pointed out roads that split off in different directions on the ranch, leading to various relatives’ houses.

“It must be a pretty big ranch to have so many members of your family living on it.”

“It’s not small, for sure, and we’ve acquired land around the original ranch over the years, causing it to grow. Like when I bought land. It’s technically mine, but I consider it part of the ranch. Same with Nathan.”

“I bet it’s even more beautiful in the fall.”

“And the winter, spring…”

Laughing, I said, “Tell me you love your family ranch without telling me you love your family ranch.”

We drove for a bit longer, and a huge red barn appeared. It was probably the most enormous barn I’d ever seen.

“Okay, now that is a barn.”

“Yeah, this is the main barn for the ranch. Blayze and Hunter both have offices there.”

“Wait—this was the barn from the reality TV show Hunter was in, isn’t it?”

He laughed. “Seems like that was forever ago, but yes, you’re right. You must have watched the show?”

“I remember reading about it when it came out and yes, Chloe and I watched it.”

After he parked the truck next to a few others, we walked into the barn, and I had to blink a few times as I took in the sheer massiveness of the place.

“How big is this?”

“The area for the horses is about ten-thousand square feet. That includes the offices, a bedroom, the loft upstairs for the hay, and an area Blayze and Hunter put in for…downtime.”

I raised my brows. “Downtime?”

He winked. “Fun times when they don’t feel like working.”

I giggled. “I see.”

The supersized barn doors were beautiful wood doors with the ranch logo carved into them. The floors were concrete tiles instead of packed earth, adding a luxurious feeling. The barn looked like it went on forever.

“How many stalls are in here?”

“There are sixteen stalls that are twelve by fourteen. And around the corner, there are four more that are fourteen by fourteen.”

As we walked through, a few horses poked their heads beyond their stall gates in greeting.

“I’ve never seen such a beautiful barn.”

“It was remodeled about three years ago, and they fancied it up simply because it’s the main barn and everyone comes here for business. First impressions and all that.”

The stalls were dark-stained tongue-and-groove paneling throughout. The doors were black iron. When I looked up, skylights above me ran the entire length of the barn, allowing natural daylight to filter in from above. My eyes widened when I saw the massive light fixtures hanging between them. “Holy crap, there are chandeliers in here!”

Josh looked up. “Rose redesigned and decorated the whole barn. She thought it added a special touch…and claimed the horses would like it.”

“Rose is one hell of a designer.”

“Yeah, she really is.”

I walked closer to the stalls and reached out, running my hand down the neck of a beautiful bay horse. “Stunning,” I whispered, as he or she gave a small whinny.

“She agrees with you.”

Petting the mare a little more, I smiled.

We kept walking and passed by a paint, a buckskin, and a roan. All of which made sure to give us some sort of greeting.

“Why are they in the barn and not out to pasture?” I asked.

“Two are under care from a vet and have to be stalled for the time being, while they heal up. The paint is about to give birth, so she’s in here so we can keep an eye on her. The bay you were loving on is new to the ranch. She’s only been here a few days.” Josh stopped. “Here’s the grooming stall.”

“Do their feeders swivel in and out of the stall?”

“They do. Makes feeding them easier.”

I was starting to get an unmistakable picture of just how wealthy the Shaw family was, simply by the barn alone. The stalls were top-of-the-line, from what I could tell.

“And here’s the tack room.”

We walked into a large room with the same dark-stained wood paneling. At least a dozen saddles hung on one wall, and across from them was a large built-in that held helmets and other riding gear. There was a big table in the middle with three stools on either side of it. Above the table was the most stunning light fixture I’d ever seen. It was a massive, carved wood beam with metal fittings sticking down from each side at even intervals, each holding LED bulbs.

Josh placed his hand on my lower back and guided me out of the tack room and down another hall. “Some stalls we can open up from outside, and let the horses out the back into smaller outdoor paddocks.”

“That’s a nice feature,” I said, as we turned a corner and walked a bit more before Josh motioned for me to enter a room.

A man was sitting at a desk, his head bent as he read something on a computer.

“Blayze?”

When he lifted his head, I gasped the tiniest bit. The man sitting there was older than us, with blue eyes and a smile that could weaken any woman’s knees.

“Josh, how’s it going?” He stood and reached across the desk to shake Josh’s hand.

“Sophia, this is my oldest cousin, Blayze. He and my cousin Hunter pretty much keep this place running.”

Blayze rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to him. The only thing I do is make sure he gets paid.”

I smiled and glanced at Josh, who was grinning back at me.

“I heard you’re going for a ride?” Blayze asked Josh, looking between us.

“We are. I called Hunter and asked about getting a couple of horses ready to ride out.”

Blayze nodded. “He’s got Charlie and Lou Lou ready.”

“Lou Lou?” I asked with a chuckle.

“She’s a paint, one of our best mares,” Josh explained. “Gentle as all get out, but she likes an adventure if given the chance.”

“Sounds like my kind of horse,” I replied.

Josh winked at me, and I tried to ignore the way that made my pulse race.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Sophia. I don’t think Josh has ever brought anyone to the ranch to meet the family.”

“Blayze,” he warned.

I felt my cheeks grow hot as Blayze held up his hands. “What? I was simply stating an observation, that’s all.”

“Right,” Josh replied, motioning for me to head out.

“It was nice getting to meet you, Blayze!” I said, before turning and heading out of the office.

Before Josh entered the hallway, I heard Blayze say, “She sure is pretty.”

“Bye, Blayze!” he called out loudly, ignoring his cousin’s comment as he took my hand, leading me down the corridor and outside, where two horses were tied up. Both lifted their heads, and the beautiful buckskin—obviously Charlie—started to kick at the ground as he bopped his head.

“Hey, handsome,” Josh cooed as he walked up to the horse. “Did you miss me?”

The horse snorted, and Josh laughed.

Next to Charlie stood Lou Lou. She was a beautiful paint who didn’t seem to care if I was there or not. She lowered her head and started eating hay as if to say as far as riding, she could take it or leave it.

I walked up to her and ran my hand down her neck, causing her to look up again. Those dark brown eyes met mine, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. I’d always loved horses, but something about this particular beauty had me thinking she could read right into my soul. She nuzzled her head against me and I instantly fell in love.

“Hello, beautiful,” I said softly.

Lou Lou stretched her neck to the side and lowered her head. When she moved it forward, I rested my forehead on hers and let out a long, contented breath. Was it possible for me to instantly feel a connection to a horse?

“She likes you. That’s a good sign.”

“Does she not normally like people?” I asked as I scratched between her eyes.

“She’s a friendly horse, but I can’t say I’ve ever seen her do that before.”

Looking back into those eyes, I smiled. “We’re going to have fun today, girl.”

She gave a jerky nod and whinnied. Josh and I both laughed.

We soon had the horses untied and walked them away from the barn.

“Need help up?” he asked as he motioned to the stirrups.

“Nope, I’ve got it. Thank you, though.”

Slipping my foot in, I lifted myself, swung my leg over the horse and got comfortable. Lou Lou was just as Josh promised. She didn’t move an inch and sighed softly once I’d seated myself comfortably. Josh and I exchanged a look, and he chuckled.

“I think Lou Lou just found her person.”

Reaching down, I gave her a soft pat on the neck. “I’m okay with that.”

“Ready?”

“Yep!”

Josh led the way, and we traveled south of the barn to a well-used path. We rode in silence for a bit, and I was able to take in everything around me. The ranch was beautiful, but of course, all of Montana was beautiful. The sounds of the birds made my heart soar with happiness, and as we came to an open field, I gasped.

Right directly in front of us was a moose.

A moose.

“Holy shit,” Josh said as he brought his horse to a stop. “Are you seeing a moose? Tell me you see a moose.”

I laughed. “I see a moose. Why do you think he’s down here?”

Josh glanced around. “There’s a small lake not too far from here. Maybe he’s making his way there.”

We both watched as the moose walked away from us toward what I assumed was the lake.

“In all the years I’ve grown up on this ranch, I’ve never once seen a moose,” Josh stated.

“I’ve seen a couple, but never one this close up.”

We sat on the horses and watched as he meandered away. Every once in a while, he would turn and look back at us.

“That is crazy. Wait until I tell everyone.”

I smiled. “He’s so beautiful.”

Lou Lou snorted, and I reached down and gently rubbed her. “Not nearly as beautiful as you, though.”

Josh chuckled. “Well, he’s heading to where I was heading. Not sure we should follow him.”

“Change of plans?” I asked.

He nodded. “Change of plans, indeed.” Josh turned Charlie in the opposite direction, and we headed back down the trail we’d just come from.

“Where to now?” I asked.

“I think we’ll head to one of my favorite spots.”

As we went on, the trail widened, and I was able to bring Lou Lou alongside Charlie. Josh and I fell into an easy conversation as we rode. We talked about our jobs and what we both loved about them.

“Is it hard to teach little kids how to dance?” Josh asked.

Shrugging, I replied, “It can be a challenge, but seeing how happy they are once they finally get it and can perform in front of their families is so worth it.”

“So, did you get into dancing because of your mother?”

“Partly,” I said with a slight frown. “At one point in my life, I wanted to move to New York City and try out for the Rockettes.”

“Really?” Josh asked. “Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know. Self-doubt was probably one of the reasons. I didn’t want to leave my parents, either. And my mother’s dance studio was really taking off when I was in college. I thought I could work for her a while and then try my hand at New York later.”

“Is that something you still want to do?”

For the last few months, I’d struggled with the idea of leaving Montana and trying to make it in New York. To be honest, I wasn’t completely happy teaching dance. A part of me longed for a change. When I looked at Josh, the confusion I’d always felt over the decision seemed to float away.

“No, I don’t think so. I like my job, but it isn’t something I see myself doing for the rest of my life. Dance is great, but I think I’m longing for something different. I can’t leave my mother either right now. Even if she butts into my life more than she should, I know she loves me. With my father gone…well…I think she just feels like she needs to be…more involved in my life.”

Josh laughed. “I can’t imagine her being any more involved in your life than she is now.”

“You probably think I’m insane for lying to her about us.”

“Like I said before, I don’t think that at all and don’t forget, it was my idea. You’ve had a lot going on and needed your mother to ease up on her pressure to get you to date. Nothing wrong with that.”

“I take it your mother isn’t breathing down your neck to find a wife?”

“She drops hints, but at the same time, I think she’s glad I don’t have a revolving door of women coming and going.”

“Blayze seemed to be pretty surprised by my appearance today.”

Josh laughed. “I can honestly tell you he wasn’t lying. I’ve never brought a woman to the ranch, or home to meet my parents.”

“I feel honored.”

He glanced over at me, and I was struck by the look on his face. Was he feeling the same thing I was? That this might be turning into something more than a friendship?

I glanced ahead, not wanting to get my hopes up. Josh was so different from any other guy I’d ever known. The man was saving himself , for goodness’ sake.

“We’re almost there. Let’s get off and tie up the horses. We need to hike the rest of the way up.”

“Okay,” I said, following him to an area just off the path. We slid off the horses and tied them up so they could graze while we went farther up the trail.

It was a short walk up to a clearing, and Josh took my hand and helped me up the last bit. Once there, I stood frozen in wonder.

“I hadn’t even realized we were climbing this whole time,” I said softly, as I let my eyes slowly scan the horizon before me.

“This is the tallest spot on the ranch. A lot of good things have happened right here.”

“I can imagine,” I said, as I turned in a circle. Off in the distance were open pastures, some flat, some rolling hills, with cattle dotted across them and the occasional horse sprinkled here and there. Toward one end, a lake butted up against the mountain range and mirrored the sky above.

“Beautiful,” I whispered. “No wonder your family members never move away from here. It’s…magical!”

“It is. This is one of my favorite spots because you can see half of the entire ranch.”

Turning, I studied him. “You truly do love it here, don’t you?”

He smiled. “I do. When I was younger, all I wanted to do was get away from the ranch. Get away from what was expected of me.”

“Which was?” I asked as I sat down on a huge round rock.

“Bull riding was one of them.”

“Is that only because your father did it?”

He sat down as well and let out a long breath. “Part of it. He rode, and then he raised bulls for the Pbr, and I always felt like people in the industry assumed I would follow after him, like my cousin Bradly did with his father, Dirk.”

“Did you know right away that you didn’t want to be a bull rider?” I asked.

Josh laughed that time. “The first time I was launched off a bull, I knew it wasn’t going to be a career. I enjoy riding them…the tamer ones…but I don’t get an adrenaline rush from bull riding like I do being a firefighter.”

“I would have to guess that’s a rather smart decision. Well, I mean, firefighting is also very dangerous.”

He nodded. “It is, but it’s different.”

I looked back out over the ranch. “But you did get into ranching. How come?”

“It’s in my blood. Sure, I could just do the firefighter thing, especially now that I’m up for a paid position possibly and a possible promotion. It’s not decided on yet.”

I turned to gape at him. “Josh! You didn’t tell me you were up for a promotion!”

He shrugged. “City council still hasn’t approved any actual positions. But anyway, while volunteering, I need to make money. I would never just blow through my trust fund or take it for granted. And the easiest option was to work for the ranch. I know it like the back of my hand, and I’m damn good on a horse.”

I grinned. “That has yet to be proven.”

A single brow rose. “Are you challenging me, Soph?”

“You mean to like a horse race or something?”

He chuckled. “Or something. You have to know it wouldn’t be fair. Lou Lou loves to let loose and run, but Charlie would blow her away in an actual race.”

“Poor Lou Lou. She just wants a relaxing walk.”

“That she does, but give her an open field, like the one that moose was wandering through, and she’ll show you what she’s made of.”

“Still not enough to beat ol’ Charlie, huh?”

He frowned. “Afraid not.”

I sighed. “I guess we’ll have to push our race back to another day and another horse, then.”

A wide smile erupted on his face as he looked at me. “I like that plan.”

My eyes met his, and something crackled between us.

Slowly, Josh stood, reached down and took my hand, drawing me up to face him. When he took a step closer, I could feel my heart pounding so loudly in my chest, I was sure he could hear it as well. He gently grasped my cheeks in his hands and let his eyes roam over my face.

“You’re so beautiful, Sophia. The more time I spend with you, the more I feel like…”

His words drifted off, and I reached up to take hold of his wrists, more to steady myself than anything.

“You feel what?” I asked breathily, sounding like I’d just run a marathon.

“I’m starting to develop feelings other than friendship.”

I swallowed. “I am as well.” Shaking my head slightly, I closed my eyes and opened them, only to be swept away by Josh’s intense gaze. “I mean, I’m feeling things. More than friendship. I’m even having dreams about you.”

“Dreams?” he asked, a crooked smile on his handsome face. “What kind of dreams?”

Chewing nervously on my lower lip, I whispered, “Well, we’re certainly more than friends in them.”

A wide smile broke across his face, and I felt my own lips giving way to a grin.

“Soph?”

“Yeah?”

“May I kiss you?”

I closed my eyes and moaned, “Yes, please.”

The moment his lips met mine, the air around us felt charged with electricity. For a hot second, I thought a storm was rolling in and it would thunder and lightning at any moment.

The kiss started slow, oh so slow. Josh took his time as he nibbled on my lips. Then he prompted me to open, and when our tongues met, I moaned in pure delight. He may be a virgin, but boy howdy, did this man know how to kiss.

My knees felt weak, and when his hands dropped from my face and his arms wrapped around my body, I nearly clawed at him to get closer. I could feel his desire for me pressing into my body as he drew me closer still.

“Sophia,” he whispered against my lips when he drew back slightly. “God, you taste better than I could have ever dreamed.”

His words echoed in my head as I attempted to get my wits about me. My eyes opened, and when I stared into his, I could’ve sworn I saw stars bursting in his gaze.

Then I whispered the only three words I could come up with. “Kiss me again.”