Texan Instincts Read online

  TEXAN INSTINCTS

  Wild And Free

  A ROMANTIC NOVEL

  BY

  SALLY J.

  Introduction

  Karen is a veterinarian in the making and after graduating from her college she visits her aunt’s ranch in Texas – a place she has loved since her childhood. There she meets Todd Nelson, the ranch hand with whom she shares a common love for horses.

  Todd is a natural with the animals on the ranch and Karen finds many things that she can learn from him; practical things that can never be learnt in college. Todd is ravishingly handsome, well bred and has a mysterious silent aura about him and Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to this enigmatic man.

   Copyright 2015 by SALLY J. - All rights reserved.

  This book is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or person, whether living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including, information storage or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems 0 except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews- without permission in writing from the author.

  Table Of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 1

  Karen stepped out on to the tarmac and looked around her - people were as scarce as was any kind of vegetation as far as the eyes went. She was the last passenger to get off the small plane and she thought it would be better to follow the passengers into the lobby or whatever the small shelter could be called. It was only late afternoon but Karen got this uncanny feeling from the arid landscape around her. She picked up her trolley and started walking but the sound her trolley made on the hard tarmac almost made her cringe. Karen was an extremely private person and hated drawing any kind of attention to herself and the fact that everyone turned to look where the sound was coming from was embarrassing.

  But the fact remained that Karen without any intention did draw a lot of attention to herself. Her slim figure, smooth beige-olive skin and sharp features with her black hair cascading to her breasts often made people wonder why she was not working as a professional model. But that was not to be, for she had her eyes set on being a veterinarian since she was eight.

  And much of the credit went to her aunt Tracy who owned and ran the ranch in a corner of a dusty village in Texas. Karen had spent all her school vacations with her aunt learning to work hands-on in the farm and with the horses. And that sort of did it for her, she loved taking care of the animals and she was determined to take it up professionally.

  And on her way to being a professional, Karen had passed her Bachelors in Veterinary Science from Washington State University with flying colors. The exam had taken its toll and she yearned for some real time relaxation and she couldn’t think of a better place than ‘Paradise’, her aunt’s ranch. And though most people who heard of it laughed at it being so corny, Karen loved it because for her it was really a paradise - the huge open expanse, the access to the vast skies, the animals, the old house and the horses.

  “Where to Ma’am?” the taxi driver asked Karen looking at her through the rearview mirror.

  Karen had hired a taxi for the one hour journey to the ranch, “Aspermont, Paradise Ranch” she said. Karen smiled to herself, this was the first time she was traveling alone to aunt Tracy’s ranch, the last time being with her parents, before she joined college.

  As the taxi left the airport behind and headed towards the ranch, Karen rolled down the windows to breathe in the country air with its mix of unknown but comforting smells. The sky was at its bluest best with a spattering of clouds and the wind blew freely through the barren land on both sides populated only by occasional windmills or a lone house.

  The taxi soon went off the highway and took a side road that ran slightly uphill. As the vehicle sped on the slightly bumpy road, Karen noticed the sudden change in scenery, it was much more greener here. It somehow was different than the dry, arid conditions and was lusher. She put her face outside the window and felt the air, it was refreshing, but what caught her eyes was a board in the far distance that grew bigger with every meter they covered until she could finally see “Paradise Ranch” written in bold. But there was something else, or rather someone standing beneath the board, it was definitely not her aunt and it looked like the person stood guarding the entrance.

  As the taxi neared the gate, Karen saw it was a man on a horse - a very handsome man with a very authoritative presence. Karen asked the taxi driver to stop the car and she stepped out, her wide palazzo pants flaring in the wind pushing her towards the stranger. The man remained seated on the horse and said politely “Good evening Ma’am, this is private property, is there anyone in particular you are looking to meet here?”

  “Yes, this is my aunt’s place, Ms Olson’s” Karen said cheerfully

  The man looked down at her from beneath the wide brim of his hat, his deep set eyes were calm, composed but probing in nature. Karen noticed he had a wide side burn reaching out on his square jaw line. There was also a cleft on his chin that gave him a hint of mystery and magnetism.

  The man moved aside, as Tracy climbed back into her taxi again and the taxi made its way through the gate and towards the house, Tracy noticed the man following them close behind.

  “Well, he doesn’t trust me!” she thought to herself suppressing a smile

  The taxi took a turn and crossed the barn and the house where Karen had so many wonderful memories sprung up in the distance.

  The taxi came to a stop and Karen stepped out, she stood there taking a good look at the place.

  Suddenly the screen door opened and her aunt came outside, her silver grey hair flying wildly, her skirt waving like a flag, with her arms outstretched, with four border collies of all sizes close at her heels. “Karen, my love” she cried, as she rushed down the porch steps.

  Karen bounded towards her aunt, just like she did when she was a kid. But then she remembered the taxi driver and said “Let me just pay off the driver” and turned around to see the man on the horse had alighted and was taking her luggage in “Thank you, but there’s no need for that, I can carry it myself.”

  “That’s alright” he said as he carried the suitcase inside

  Karen bent down to scratch the dogs that were desperate for her attention, she laughed as they licked her all over “I see your pack has increased?”

  “There are many more changes you’ll see, now come on inside” Aunt Tracy said tugging at her arms.

  “And is this cowboy a part of that change?” she asked her aunt

  “Do you like him?” her aunt winked at her

  “Aunt Tracy, you are impossible…” Karen made a face as they went into the house.

  Chapter 2

  “It’s still the same” said Karen staring up at the wooden staircase the led up to the first floor “is my room still there?”

  “Yes and it’s ready and waiting for you!” said her aunt as she came out of the kitchen carrying the hugest pot roast.

  Karen squealed with delight and ran upstairs. The attic room was her favorite with its huge window that ran down from the ceiling to the floor. She liked to face it and sleep and it was especially delightful when it rained.

  The attic was on the second floor and as Karen turned the corner she found the door to the room open, but just as she stepped in she banged into the man again.

  “Oh” she was stunned what was he doing here?

&
nbsp; “I’m sorry” she said

  The man smiled gently, “That’s alright, your luggage is back there” he pointed to the other side of the bed.

  “You didn’t have to..” started Karen

  The man just smiled in return “Have a good time here and enjoy the view” he said looking at the window.

  “I will, thank you” said Karen in return as she watched him climb down the staircase.

  *****

  Karen took a shower and went down for supper, the weather had changed almost dramatically in the past one hour and the sky was threatening to fall apart.

  “Mmmmm it smells like heaven, oh sorry paradise” Karen joked “Aunt Tracy, how do you manage to do everything so right?” she said and hugged her aunt from behind.

  “It’s for my favorite niece, that’s why” she said kissing Karen back. She finished laying the table “So how’s Rob and Melanie doing?” she asked about Karen’s parents. Karen filled her in about her parents and her younger brother who was going to join college.

  Karen took a slice of the roast and sat down at the huge solid oak table “So who is this cowboy in the ranch? One of the silent types?” she said wiping away some of the juice that had trickled down her mouth.

  “He’s Todd, great with the horses, you should see him working with them and he knows magic! He joined the ranch some one year back…I think” said Aunt Tracy. “You know, after this arthritis thing I can’t do everything on my own.”

  “And it’s high time you had some help”

  “Why don’t you come and stay here for some time?”

  “May be I will” said Karen lifting her eyebrows

  “What? Really? So what are your plans now?”

  “I don’t know, I don’t want to think about anything right now, I just want to rest.”

  “Okay sweetheart, now eat, you are way too skinny”

  “I won’t be, for long” chortled Karen, her mouth full

  Chapter 3

  Karen had not slept so well in a long time and after the thunder shower in the evening, the night was cool and enjoyable. As the first rays of light filtered in through the attic window, Karen lay in bed, looking out onto the estate – it was magical. The azure blue sky had merged into the different shades of green and grey creating a landscape that Karen felt could contend with any of the great masterpieces.

  Karen propped herself up on a pillow and gave a long sigh How would it be if I could wake up like this every day?

  In the distance Karen thought she saw something moving, she sat up in bed as it moved closer and grew bigger in size, it was Todd.

  Karen sat up in bed, she kept her legs folded supporting her elbow on it and looked at Todd. She could look at him at leisure from up here, there was no one else watching her and she didn’t need to be conscious. Todd rode on his horse, his lean frame hidden under a checked shirt and Karen imagined how he would look without it.

  It must be sculpted to perfection imagined Karen with the agonizing sun having worked on the skin to give that beautiful tan….

  Karen stopped herself from thinking any further and to take her mind off it she went to take a shower. She dressed up quickly, choosing a pink flowing summer dress with paisley prints that she absolutely loved and which complemented her skin tone. The sheer material of her dress clung onto her body as if it was made for her and most importantly Karen felt like a woman when she put on that dress. A feeling she never got in her college staple of a jeans and a t-shirt hastily put on. The city never gave her a chance to indulge in herself.

  As she climbed down the stairs, Karen heard another female voice along with her aunt “Does she have anyone over?” she thought.

  “Ha ha ha, you must be joking Tracy!” said Christina “I was just beginning to….” But she couldn’t complete it as Karen entered the kitchen. The kitchen was a long one with a wooden kitchen counter in the middle which also acted as a dining table. Aunt Tracy and another girl around the same age as Tracy were seated there with a huge minced pie lying in the centre and different shades of yarn strewn everywhere,

  “Aah, there she is, isn’t she lovely?” Aunt Tracy remarked “My beautiful niece” she went over and squeezed her cheeks like she always used to do.

  “Yes, she is lovely!” there was genuine admiration in Christina’s voice

  “But these smell lovelier, did you make them?” taking a piece of the pie

  “No no, Christina’s got them over, oh” she said suddenly remembering something “this is Christina, my neighbor” she introduced them.

  “Hello”

  “Hi” said Christina “let me tell you one thing, your aunt cannot stop talking about you!”

  Karen smiled “You are a lovely baker” she said as she took a generous helping of the minced pie, she felt ravenous.

  “You have to be a good baker down here, if you need a husband that is!” Christina winked “men here are quite finicky about their food you know.”

  “Is your husband a finicky eater?” said Karen helping herself to another one.

  “Oh, no I’m not married, was supposed to but got ditched at the last moment” said Christina in a very matter of fact manner.

  Karen felt embarrassed at having asked the question, but when she looked at Christina she saw that she was laughing, but she apologized anyway “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “Don’t you worry! Down here there is no need of prying as everybody knows everything about everyone else. It’s such a small place you see.”

  Christina gathered all the yarn together and put them in a bag that she had carried “I’ll be busy these next few days knitting, thank you for the yarn again Tracy, and Karen I’d love to have you over one day, anytime, just drop in, no formalities.”

  “I will” said Karen smiling, warmed by Christina’s genuine affability

  “She’s a lovely girl” said Aunt Tracy when Christina had left “she was engaged to Todd you know!”

  Karen was busy finishing up the pie, on hearing the familiar name she jerked her head up “Todd? She was engaged to Todd? You mean the Todd out there?” she said pointing outside.

  “Yeah it’s the same Todd, they made a sweet pair too, very much in love” she paused looking out of the window “ they broke up suddenly” she sighed.

  “Why?” Karen said amazed at this new revelation

  “Chrissy said he didn’t want marriage”

  “Is that it, or was there something else?”

  “But it’s happened before”

  “Before? With whom?”

  “Oh there was this girl, I didn’t know her very well” Aunt Tracy said as she packed in a basted meat in the oven “he broke it off at the last moment and the poor girl - she couldn’t take it, she left the village.”

  “Oh” said Karen sipping on the coffee So, our silent hero has a murky past!

  Chapter 4

  It was late evening when Karen found herself staring at the blazing sun, it really seemed quite defiant- as if it was not yet ready to set. It looked more radiant probably because of the landscape where there was nothing much to impede the view. Karen slowly turned around and started walking until she reached the main gate of the estate. She leaned and rested herself against one of the poles of the signboard, her right leg folded and resting on it, her hands behind her back and holding the pole.

  She saw Todd standing a little ahead of her, facing her, he was in his worn out jeans, long sleeved buttoned down shirt with the top two buttons left open. Karen looked lustily at his chest which gave a peek to his thick overgrowth of chest hair. His hat was tilted in the front so as hide his eyes from Karen; he could see her, but she could not see his eyes. Karen stood at the post staring at him, she was standing there waiting for him to come to her, she was beckoning him with his eyes and she felt no shame.

  Todd started walking towards her in his slow swagger and each step he took towards her made Karen feel a desire deep down, she wanted to surrender completely. By the time Todd had reached
her, Karen was breathing fast and when she could not take it any longer she took him by his shirt collars and pulled him towards her. Their lips were within inches of each other and Karen felt tortured with the nearness, but there was no attempt on Todd’s part to kiss her. She wanted to entwine her legs around his waist, but Todd made no attempt to touch her.

  Karen found herself tracing her fingers on Todd’s sculpted chest, entwining her fingers in the hair. She felt frustrated with Todd’s inaction and unresponsiveness as he stood still, so close to her. She looked up at him and still could not see his eyes so she attempted to throw off his hat, but he caught his hand.