☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼
Erin waved goodbye from the porch of her new home as Cindy drove back to the ranch. She looked down at the pile of supplies she had to stock and sighed. Being a cowgirl sure was a lot of work and after getting a good look at the exterior of the cabin Erin realized she had a lot more cut out for her than she thought. The outside of the cabin looked as if it had seen a few hundred monsoons since it’s last coat of paint.
“Maybe I should have thought this through better?” Erin took a deep breath and opened the front door and began taking in her supplies. A stale odor hit her nose and she stepped back. It smelled like it had been months since the cabin had a dose of fresh air and Erin began to wonder how often this Jack fellow actually came home. Maybe she wouldn’t have to worry about sharing the place with anyone after all. She grabbed a satchel of sugar off the porch, threw it over her shoulder and brought it inside.
Erin was surprised to see the interior of the cabin in good shape. There was dust everywhere, and the place smelled like dirty socks, but otherwise everything looked structurally sound. Christine and Cindy were right; the cabin was well built and was in need of only cosmetic upgrades. Of course a lot of those were required, but at least she didn’t have to worry about any major construction projects. She placed the satchel of sugar on the kitchen counter and headed back outside for the rest of the supplies.
It took her nearly an hour to stock everything and after a cold glass of water and a few deep breathes, Erin was ready for her next task. Her eyes scanned the room for an idea of where to start and when she saw the dusty streaked windows she grabbed a bottle of Windex and a rag. “Let’s let some sunshine in the place."
She sprayed the window facing north and began wiping away the thick layers of dust that clung to it. As she finished wiping the first window down and basked in the new beams of sunlight shining over her new living room, Erin heard a low rumble in the distance. She squinted through the window and saw a man riding a motorcycle and heading for the cabin. The man wore dark clothing and no riding helmet. His posture was rigid and roar from his bike was consistent. Erin assumed the man was Jack Riggans and she stepped onto the porch to greet him. She held the note from Cindy in her hand.
As the man approached and Erin got a good look at his face, she felt butterflies in her stomach stir and began to feel ridiculous. What was she nervous about? This was now her home and the man on the bike posed no threat to her. He was simply a stranger to her and if he didn’t like the fact that Erin had purchased the cabin, he was free to leave. She watched as the man parked the bike and gathered her wits.
“Hi, you must be Jack,” she called out.
The man nodded and said nothing. He stopped at the steps to the porch and looked directly into Erin’s eyes. She shivered and looked away. It was as if Jack was reading her mind with his gaze and she was embarrassed at some of the thoughts she was having as she stood there and looked over her potential housemate.
“I’m Erin and I bought this here cabin from your cousin Christine and her partner. Here, I brought a note from Cindy that explains everything.” She headed down the stairs and handed him the folded up letter. He read it slowly and folded it back up.
“Okay," he replied and handed her back the note. “I just have a few things to gather up from inside and I will be out of your hair.”
“You don’t have to leave,” Erin blurted out. She realized she sounded desperate and wished she'd held her tongue. “What I mean is I have spoken with Cindy about your... situation, and she thinks it might be better to have a man around the property, to help with things.”
His baby blues looked into Erin’s eyes and she nearly fainted. The man reminded her of a young Clint Eastwood poster she saw as a child. She remembered Clint looking tall, stoic and sexy as he glared at the camera. The poster gave her tingles as a teenager and she worried Jack would have the same effect. He asked her, “Well what do you think about having a man on the property?”
“I…I think it’s a good idea too.” Erin looked away from his penetrating gaze and felt her cheeks flush. This is ridiculous, she thought to herself. Why do I feel like a helpless child in front of this man?
“Okay then,” he replied. He nodded his head and turned his bike back on. Without another word he turned and headed back in the direction he came from. Erin wasn’t sure if he was staying, leaving or coming back later. He simply rode off in and left Erin scratching her head. Jack Riggans was easily the most intriguing man she’d ever met and she felt feeling of loss as he disappeared down on the horizon.