A Taste of What's to Come. . .

While I try to Push through to the end of Church Hill I started on the story of the young woman haunting me, imploring me to tell her story.  There's not much done on it yet, but it's a start.  

It's more a a traditional romance story:  heroine with a troubled past, hero trying to get her to open up, both learning a thing or two about themselves and each other in the process.  They will have their fair share of bridges to build and burn.

I will be honest in that I probably won't post this one on the blog.  However, I will post bits a pieces throughout the project.  I'm always up for suggestions, and will probably need readers' help at times.

I've also been extremely distracted by my gourd projects.  I love doing the gourds, and you can find some of my projects on my gardening blog, The Sheepish Gardener.  

One more shameless plug before I give you the first 400 words of Eleni's story.  My little man is a "model" on the VibraDyes website!  He's in the blue t-shirt on the home page.  The little guy with his head cocked and a big smile.  Stop by to see his cuteness, and check out the site.  They have great products that don't fade.

Okay, I'm finished.  Now here is the beginning of Eleni's story. . . 

Chilly water sloshed up Eleni’s chest and neck when the sharp rap sounded at her door.  She had fallen asleep trying to soak away the tension of the week’s work.  She wasn’t used to the manual labor that came with ranch work, but she was determined to stick it out.  She had to.

The know sounded again.  This time a voice pushed through the wood and drywall.  “Eleni?”  It was Ryan.  “Are you okay?”

She pulled the plug from the drain and stood to wrap a towel around her cold body.  “Coming,” she called, hoping he could hear her sleep-drugged voice.  Her hair was already drying, so she slipped into her slippers and went to answer the door.

“Come in, Ryan,” she said as she stepped aside to let him into the efficiency.  

He blushed when he saw her wrapped in the towel.  She didn’t think it was possible for this strong, no-nonsense man.  He ran Quarter Acres with a strong hand, taking no crap from workers, vendors, or clients.  

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t realize you were in the shower,” he said a bit timidly.

“Bath,” Eleni stated.  “No shower in here, remember?”  

“Right,” he replied, running a hand through the loose curls of his hair.

She smiled at him and gestured for him to sit on the worn couch.  “Just give me a minute to get dressed.”

Ryan sank into the faded cushions as Eleni disappeared through the only interior door in the apartment.  He glanced around the small space, realizing that Eleni hadn’t added much in the way of personal touches.  The furnished room was offered to her as an employee of his family’s ranch.  One of five such units built by his grandfather for the migrant workers he took on.  The rooms were built like a motel, connected in a line with a covered front porch running the length of the building.

Only three of the rooms were occupied now.  Eleni was staying in the unit to the far left, closest to the barn.  The two rooms at the other side housed Jake and Owen, two young hands that chose to stay on the property to get out of their parents’ houses.

Eleni had been on the ranch for about a month, and Ryan was noticing she seemed to have a gift with the horses.  She had taken to one gelding in particular.  A horse of mixed breeding with a past as turbulent as Eleni’s own.