Deadly Inheritance (completed)

Chapter 4

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Ryan

I'm a simple man. I work the ranch, enjoy the animals. I'm not afraid of hard work, I can put my body into a job and get some satisfaction out of it. I can find a woman and do the same thing. I was taught manners though. I know to treat a woman with respect and that she comes first. Treat her well and she'll treat you even better. I know this is true. I've seen it with my parents and the women that I've spent time with. Just because I don't commit to them doesn't mean I don't respect them. I'm upfront and honest about where I stand, they know going in what to expect and while we are together for that hour or two I'm all about them. I've never had a complaint. Seeing Charlie working her way around the kitchen and remembering the way she lights up when she fights with me and makes me want to start up with her, just to rile her then treat her the way she should be treated. The problem is I was a jerk, and I know it. I shake my head at my own stupid self. She needs to know how a man should treat her and I think she'd like it.

Charlie is going to find getting me to leave her alone not as easy as she might like. I've decided that I'm going to find out what it is exactly about her that has me so perplexed, ever since she showed up I've been nothing but pissed and itchy. One minute I want her to get off the ranch, the next I want to take her in my arms and show her what she needs. But also I need to know what happened to her. I am worried about her health and her mental state. She's very up and down and this working through the night and not eating bothers me. Charlie isn't a rancher, or she hasn't been until a few days ago. The hours she's working is ridiculous, and unnecessary. Someone put something into her head that she wasn't good enough and that's not right. I can't let her keep thinking this way about herself, no one should think that way.

I don't want to take on someone else, but for some reason I can't help but want to take her on. It's becoming automatic with her, and I don't like it. I'm a workaholic, most any rancher is. There isn't a day off, you work from sun up to sun down sometimes longer and there's no such thing as a holiday or vacation or a day of rest. I don't have the time or energy to put into a woman like her. Not the kind of time that she would deserve anyway. She would need a lot of time, romance, dates. She would like dinners and flowers and stuff that I don't normally do. But it looks like I'm going to find the time and energy, because for some reason I want to take the time for her. That doesn't sit comfortable with me and makes me itchy and irritable. I don't like it.

She iced the cinnamon rolls which were to fucking die for. I haven't had anything this good since Stella passed. Charlie can definitely bake. Now I'm anxious for lunch to taste that roast. The kitchen smells of it so if it taste half as good as it smells, I'll be in heaven and eating at the house as often as possible. I know the boys will all be thrilled to be fed again. Gramps was definitely not a cook. If that's Charlie's contribution here, it's a big one. I know everyone here will be happy for it, if everything tastes this good. I'm going to need to teach her the paperwork portion of the job and she can take on some of that. We can even do it together until she gets the hang of it. I've been doing it for a while for Gramps, his mind wasn't working those numbers very well the last couple years. I'll plan on spending more time up here at the house in the afternoons so I can help her out, I'll even taste new stuff for her just so I can sit in the kitchen with her and talk to her. Maybe we can stop fighting and talk  a little, maybe I can get her to open up.

"I'm going to put together a pot pie for later this week and I was thinking maybe a twice baked macaroni and cheese casserole with some homemade biscuits. Do you think they'll eat that?" Charlie asks over her shoulder as she makes another pot of coffee. She won't sit down. I can see her hands are shaking. Shit, that's not good.

"Sweetheart, the boys will eat anything you make." Pops tells her. I know he appreciates that she's trying to do something to help out. "Don't you worry your pretty head. I know everything will be wonderful."