Dawn Over Sun Valley

Author's note:

Welcome back to my story, y'all!

First of all, thank you so much for the lovely reception on my first chapter. I'll admit to have been biting my nails with anxiety as Romance is a completely new category for me. I love romance and have been reading it forever, but as a writer, I've been focused on edgier, more hard-core categories if you will - mainly BDSM and Group Sex - so I wasn't at all sure that I'd be able to get the vibe right on this one. Your feedback so far is hugely reassuring, and goes a long way in keeping me motivated. Please keep those comments and votes coming!

Xoxo,

Annie / small_town_girl

*****

The weather forecast promised a lovely June day ahead, but standing in the bus station at the crack of dawn, huddled inside her hoodie and too-light wool coat, Leanne had a hard time imagining it.

She was freakin'

freezing.

She just hoped the bus would be there soon.

A large, white pick-up truck signaled to the right as it pulled out of the inn's parking lot onto the main road, some fifteen yards away, and the logo on its door caught Leanne's attention. The distinct graphic of three black-and-white cows grazing on a green hill was identical to the one on top of the email print-out folded in her pocket, confirming she'd been hired as a seasonal employee, and that her new job was starting today. The words

Sun Valley Farm

were printed in a black-yet-cheerful font right under the image, both on the car and on her letter.

Yes!

Leanne couldn't believe her good luck. Braving the cold she stuck her bare palm out, thumb up, and tried to catch the driver's eyes even though the sun breaking the horizon behind him had thrown his face in shadow.

Nevermind

. She just hoped people around here were as friendly as they said. Catching a ride to the farm would mean she'd be warm sooner, get there earlier, and save a few bucks on top of it all.

How great would that be?

With growing hope, Leanne watched the truck as it rolled towards her, slowed and then stopped at her side, the window already rolled down. She stepped close and peeked up, her eyes barely clearing the bottom of the open window.

"Hi, good morning! Could I catch a ride to the farm with you?"

"Sure, hop right in." came a friendly reply, and a hint of recognition tugged at her brain even as she bent to collect her backpack, threw it in the back, and then opened the door to step up and onto the wide seat. But it wasn't until she settled there, buckled in, and pushed her hoodie off her head, that she finally caught sight of the man sitting at the wheel, staring at her incredulously. A choked gasp rose from her own throat.

"Joe? What - I mean, how?" she asked dumbly.

He looked as stunned as she was, shaking his head in disbelief. Leanne tore her gaze from his and stared ahead at the narrow road as she tried to wrap her head around it.

She was at the same time ridiculously elated and totally freaked out by seeing him again. In the wee hours before dawn she had resigned to the fact that last night was a singular experience. Seeing Joe again, sharing a ride with him - not to mention probably working in close proximity for a few months - was not a possibility she'd even considered.

She needed to reassess the situation.

It is going to be tricky enough as it is, your presence at Sun Valley Farm.

The voice of caution sounded in her head.

You cannot possibly consider complicating things any further.

Leanne had always listened to that voice before. She had had to. But the taste of rebellion was still sweet on her tongue from last night.

Or maybe it was him.

For the first time in as long as she could remember, she felt an overwhelming urge to throw caution to the wind, and just

be.

Moments ticked by, and Leanne realized Joe was as quiet as she was, and that they hadn't started moving yet. Now that her initial shock had dissipated enough to regain some control over her conflicting emotions, Leanne bravely looked for, and found, Joe's eyes.

"You - you work at Sun Valley Farm, then?"

Joe nodded. "I- yeah. I do. Is - is that where you're headed?"

He sounded extremely uncomfortable with the thought. Somehow, it made her feel better, and she answered with an apologetic grimace. "Yeah. It's my first day. I'm one of the seasonal hires starting today." She stared helplessly ahead. "Gosh. What are the odds?!"

Joe sat silent next to her for what seemed like forever. She dared a peek at his direction, and found him lost in thought. But he must have noticed her staring because in the next heartbeat he turned to her, and when he saw the distress in her eyes his face softened, his mouth curling up.

"Hey, come on, we did nothing to be ashamed of last night. We talked, we danced, we enjoyed each other's company -"

"We kissed."

"Yeah, we did." he agreed lightly. "But that's all we did. Just a kiss, right?"

Yeah, right.

It may have been 'just a kiss' for him; for her, it had been earth-shattering.

Leanne looked into his eyes, noticing their warm light-brown color for the first time. They were trained at her, a hint of a smile in their corners. She squared her shoulders.

"For the record, it was one hell of a kiss." She stated boldly, and got a kick from his sharp inhale.

"Yes. It really was." he agreed after a heartbeat.

Leanne felt warmth spread in her belly at his soft-spoken admission, but didn't dare say any more. In her mind, though, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, there would be a chance for another one, a chance for it to go even further...?

Joe nodded curtly. "All right then." With that, he shifted back into gear, signaled even though there was no one else on the road that early in the morning, and eased the truck back onto the lane, quickly picking up speed and leaving the town behind them.

*

It was indeed a gorgeous morning, but Leanne found it hard to relax and enjoy the scenery. As large as the truck's main cab was, sharing the closed space with Joe felt overwhelmingly intimate. She could pick up his scent with every breath she took - warm, clean male skin, fresh from his morning shower, and a hint of aftershave; completely foreign to her, yet welcome and inviting. She snuck a few peeks at his profile while he was focused on the road ahead.

Last night he looked good, but almost mythical - the whole evening felt surreal. He was Prince Charming who swept her off her feet to dance the night away, and who had awakened her dormant sensuality with that one hot, unforgettable kiss.

Today, he was Joe the farmhand. He still looked good, but in a completely approachable, down-to-earth kind of way. Light blondish hair, still damp and curling at his neck, caramel-chocolate eyes that seemed predisposed to smile, golden skin with a spattering of youthful freckles. Good, solid build. Capable-looking hands.

God. She wanted to kiss him again.

If Joe noticed her scrutiny he never let on, and kept his eyes fixed on the road. Leanne breathed deep, and turned her head resolutely to her side window, consciously focusing her attention on the green, rolling hills. They were dotted with flowering dandelions, under bright blue skies scattered with fluffy, white clouds. It looked like it was taken from a kids' coloring book'. Leanne exhaled slowly, and finally relax as she took it all in.

"It's so beautiful out here." She said wistfully.

"Hmm. Yes, it is." He agreed. "There's one spot in particular, a few minutes ahead. Every time I drive by, I'm just struck by how perfect it is. It's my favorite place in the world."

Leanne's head swiveled back to look at him curiously. "That sounds lovely. Would you point it out to me when we get there?"

Joe threw her a quick smile. "I can do even better - we'll stop for a moment and step out so that you can really experience it in all its glory. All right?"

"Oh - yeah, that'd be awesome!" Leanne smiled excitedly. If she were honest with herself, what she liked the most about it was his taking the time to share

his

favorite place on earth

with her.

Maybe there could be something between them, after all?

*

Joe smiled at the enthusiasm in Leanne's voice, even as his gut was telling him to

back the hell off.

As lovely as she was, as much as he'd enjoyed the night before, he didn't do workplace romance. There was simply too much drama potential, and Joe figured he didn't need that kind of hassle in his life. So he kept things simple: be the professional, no-nonsense boss on the farm, and keep all fun and games for weekend nights out in town. No mix-and-match.

Except, things were already mixed up with Leanne. The way he could smell her floral shampoo with every breath he took, the same scent that he'd immersed himself in last night when he held her in his arms, with his nose buried in her hair...

That right there was a bright red light. And the way he'd found himself craving her smile again;

that

should definitely be a warning.

Above all that, he hadn't mentioned to her what he actually

did

on the farm. He knew he should have. But he also knew she'd look at him differently once he did, and he really, really liked the way she'd been looking at him. Like they could have something going between them. Like she'd really like it if they did. So he never said anything, trying to tell himself it won't come back to bite him in the ass.

Joe heaved a sigh. He loved his family. He loved the farm. He loved his job. But sometimes he wished he could be just a farmhand on someone else's farm again, free to fool around and follow his heart. Or his gut. Or other body parts.

Damn

. Now he was thinking about those other body parts. It wasn't helping.

Finally, the road had inclined upwards and then sloped down on the other side of a low hill, and his favorite spot revealed itself. Joe felt a smile stretch across his face, the pleasure of this sight never failing to ease his mind and lift his spirits.

Gosh, it's just perfect.

He slowed to a stop on the grassy shoulder, and looked over to Leanne. "Here we are. Wanna come take a look?"

"Sure!" she said even as she unbuckled, and reached for her door. Joe felt a tug of disappointment - he wanted to come around and open her door for her, to help her down the truck - but the truth was it was better this way. Or so he told himself firmly.

He pushed his own door open with a little more force than necessary, hopped out, and met Leanne in front. She looked at him expectantly, eyebrows raised in silent question, and Joe smiled.

"Over there. Come, let's cross the road so that we can appreciate it fully."

He held out his hand without thinking; she took it naturally. He regretted it the moment their fingers touched, but couldn't bring himself to let go. Instead he squeezed her palm a little tighter and turned towards the road, paused for a quick look to make sure there was no oncoming traffic, and then tugged her across to the other side.

Once there he kept walking, climbing over a low pile of dirt that stretched along the way and then stopping on top of it, squeezing Leanne's hand again.

"There. Isn't it something?"

He looked over to find Leanne staring in wonder, mouth agape and eyes wide at the breathtaking view before them.

The low hills seemed to roll over each other like giant waves in a brilliant sea of vibrant green. The grass was tall and luscious, rippling with the light wind, adding to the water-like effect. Here and there some scattered flowers added a sprinkle of strong, happy yellow to the mix, and the sky above was the perfect, intense blue, emphasized by a few fluffy clouds. The low morning sun warmed their backs, flooding the scene before them in brightness which made every color stand out so vividly it was almost unnatural, only it was as real as it gets.

Leanne inhaled next to him. "Gosh. I can't believe the beauty of this place. It's - amazing."

"I know."

They stood there, awe-inspired, their silence backdropped by the whisper of the breeze and the happy chirping of birds. Finally, Joe spoke again. "You know what I feel whenever I come here?"

Leanne looked at him questioningly.

"Bliss." he said, and breathed the sweet, clean air once more, looking out to the hills. "Pure bliss. It's just so serene. Happy." Joe smiled down at Leanne. "Sometimes, when I need to de-stress, I come here. I just sit down and stare for a while, let the view in. Best kind of meditation I've ever done, and I've tried quite a few." His smile widened as he met her eyes. "Don't tell anyone."

Leanne grinned. "Your secret is safe with me." she promised, and then looked back out at the view. "I can see why you find your balance here. Thank you for taking the time to show it to me. It really is lovely." Then she looked up sheepishly. "Er... mind if I take a picture?"

Joe was startled by her question, but then shrugged. "Sure, why not? As long as I don't have to pose in it."

One dark-blond eyebrow arched at him, as if questioning his reluctance to be photographed, but then Leanne shrugged and pulled her phone out of her back pocket, selected camera mode, and steadied herself in a wide stance as she chose her frame and clicked away. After a few snaps she paused and checked her screen, flipping through the recent photos, until she found the one she liked the most and handed the camera over to Joe with a wide smile.

"There, take a look. Isn't it gorgeous?"

Joe bent down for a better look, and was actually impressed by the spectacular shot. "Wow. That is one helluva picture. You've got a good eye there."

Her smile turned as brilliant as the morning sun. "Thank you! And thanks again for showing this place to me. I can't believe these colors - I didn't even use any filters! I'm going to send it to Sofia, she'd love it!"

"Who's Sofia?" Joe asked, curious.

Leanne paused, stuffing the phone back in her pocket, and then answered lightly: "A girl I used to babysit a lot. She loves browsing pictures on my phone. She asked me to send her pictures."

"Would you like me to take your picture with this view for her?"

"Oh, would you do that for me?" she asked with pleased surprise, and he wondered again why she seemed to never expect him to do anything for her, even something as small as this.

"Sure, I mean, it would only take a second. Here..." Joe fished out his own phone and took a few steps away to get a good angle, and then called out in his best sing-song voice - "Okay, say cheeeeessseee..."

Leanne laughed out loud, and he caught her just like that - with her head thrown back, her hair blowing behind her in the light wind, strawberry-blond highlights that he hadn't noticed before catching the sun in fiery sparkles, and her face lit up in merriment. Looking at the image on the small screen he felt his breath catch in his throat. He couldn't decide what was more beautiful, the place he loved so much, or the woman standing there, laughing in its midst.

"What?"

Joe's head snapped as her voice broke through. He cleared his throat. "Er- nothing. Great picture. I think Sofia would be pleased."

Leanne took the phone from his hand and took a look herself, then beamed in delight. "Oh it really is great! I think this may be the best picture of me ever taken!" her eyes sought his and her voice turned wistful. "Thank you, again. This -" she waved her hand over to encompass the view - "this is an unexpected gift, and I'm grateful that you've shared it with me. Thank you."

"My pleasure." he answered lightly, though an uneasy feeling was growing in his gut. He really liked how she enjoyed the simple pleasures of life - be it dancing, or this view -

or kissing,

his mind shouted before he could tell it to shut it. And yet, something about it bugged him. It was almost as if she were...

too

grateful. Too easy to please.

It was as if she'd been surprised to be treated well at all.

Thank you for making me feel like a real princess tonight,

she'd told him the night before. And all he did was - well, just be a decent guy, he figured. Well, a decent guy who could dance. Still, it seemed to him as if she didn't believe she deserved it.

Joe pursed his lips.

Back off, cowboy. This isn't your business. You're her boss, she's your employee. Let someone else be her Prince Charming.

A spark of jealousy crackled at that thought, and Joe cursed to himself as he struggled to choke it down before it ignited.

Disengage, now.

Joe half-turned away from Leanne, jabbed his hands into his pockets to keep from doing anything stupid with them - like reach out for her - and took a couple of deep breaths to clear his head.

With his emotions back under control, he spoke. "We need to get going. The day isn't getting any younger."

Risking a glance at her over his shoulder, he hated the way her smile faded away, replaced with a curt nod. "Oh - of course. Let's go then." Already she was walking past him, quick to get back to the truck. He had to suppress the urge to grab her hand and stop her.

Instead, he choked back a few more muted curses.

This was a mistake, Joe. You can't play it both ways. You shouldn't be playing it at all. It's not fair to either one of you. Let her go.

With renewed resolve, he followed her across the still-deserted road back to the truck.

*

The rest of the drive passed in awkward silence. Leanne's eyes were glued to her window, though she didn't really notice the scenery anymore.

What went wrong out there?

One moment, Joe was sharing his favorite place with her, admiring her photograph, taking her picture for Sofia. In the next, he was closed off and distant, even impatient.

What the hell did I do to piss him off?

Let it go. You know you suck at these games, and this isn't what you're here for, anyways. Keep your eyes on your goals: get the money for Bill, and the entry for your resume. Preferably with some solid recommendations. You can't afford to get distracted.

Pushing confusion and disappointment to the back of her mind with well-practiced determination, Leanne was relieved when the large sign of Sun Valley Farm came into view, and they turned onto the narrow road. It was a bumpy mile-long ride until they reached tall, cast-iron gates standing wide open, revealing a wide gravelled court in front of the main farm house.

"Here we are." Joe said, looking back at her after he'd parked, still clearly uncomfortable.

"Yes. Thanks again for the ride." Leanne forced a polite smile, and then asked lightly - "hey, do you happen to know where I'm supposed to report to? I mean, I know it's still early but maybe whoever's in charge is already up? Or should I just sit tight and wait here? It's a beautiful morning, maybe it would be alright if I walked around to take a look at the place myself...?"

She stopped abruptly, realizing she was babbling, and clamped her mouth shut. When he still wouldn't answer, Leanne shrugged and turned to open the door, but a hesitant touch on her arm stopped her.

"Wait, Leanne -"

She froze, and then turned to look at him. His lips were thinned, as if in reluctance, until finally he spoke.

"Your picture. It's on my phone. Where would you like me to send it to?"

"Oh."

Really, girl,

she chided herself silently.

What did you think he wanted?

Out loud, she said, "if you hand me your phone for a moment I'll send it to myself."

Joe nodded and handed her his phone, her own picture smiling up at her from the screen. Leanne's fingers shook a little as she fumbled to find the 'share' option, and a moment later her phone buzzed with an incoming message.