Tuesday morning Christina fumbled through the files on her desk. Her fingers were moving, but her mind wasn’t focused on what she was doing. She couldn’t stop thinking about Tim’s response when she’d ask him what it was about being called a bastard that really got to him. She hadn’t expected the answer he gave her. I am one.

Then he’d clammed up and wouldn’t say anything else. As they’d gotten closer to Cantaur, the snow had diminished, and by the time they’d arrived at the farm, the weather was mild, and there was only a couple of inches on the ground.

Tim had gotten out, started her car and cleaned off the snow. He’d opened the driver’s door for her and waited for her to get in, then closed it. He had also politely and courteously closed the door on any opportunity for her to ask any more questions, and he’d waved as she’d driven away.

But… he hadn’t stopped her mind from racing, chasing his answer around and around. “I am one.”

She’d bet he hadn’t slept any better than she had last night as he lay wondering about the picture that he’d found on Ollie’s desk.

She sighed and adjusted herself in her seat. Buck up Christina. Carl, John, and Marinda worked on the weekend to get everything done up for the last minute rush. We’ve got three days until the April-thirtieth deadline. I’ve got to get these phone calls made so the guys can talk to their accountants and answer any concerns. As she made each call, she laid the forms aside on the edge of her desk. Then she picked up the one for Thompson Holdings, Cantuar Division.

Suddenly she was awake and alert. She dialed Tim’s cell phone and waited. She exhaled as he answered.

“Tim Bates here.”

“Hi, Tim. It’s Christina Holmes.”

He chuckled dryly. “I recognized your voice, Christina.”

“Carl worked on your tax returns over the weekend, and he left a note for me to have you call him. He has a couple of questions. I could put you through to him now unless you plan to be in town in the next day or so. It’s only three days before the deadline, so you can’t put it off for too long.”

“I’m coming into Swift Current this afternoon. I‘ll stop in then.”

“Good enough. I’ll make note of it, and we’ll see you when you get here.”

“See you then,” he replied and hung up.

She smiled as she made a note on the file and then took it into Carl Skinners office. “Tim will be in this afternoon,” she said as she handed him the file before she turned and went back to her desk. Suddenly she was no longer tired, and she tackled the work in front of her eagerly. A shimmer of excitement coursed through her body. She didn’t question why, she just went with the flow. Her eyes lit up when Tim came through the door at three-thirty.

“Hi,” she greeted him a sparkle in her eye. “Carl is waiting for you. I’ll take you right in.”

He watched her walk ahead of him, noticing with pleasure the soft roundness of her figure and the enticing sway of her hips when she moved. They were in Carl’s office before he became aware of his thoughts and reactions. The meeting lasted over an hour. When he came out, Christina was tidying her desk, getting ready to leave.

“Are you finished for the day?”

“Yes.” She looked at the clock. “It’s four-thirty, and it’s been a long day. It’s time to relax a bit, have supper and get a good sleep.”

“Would you like to go out for supper? I need to eat too.”

She hesitated, smiled. “I’d love to. Thanks for the invite, Tim. Sometimes it gets lonely, eating by myself night after night.”

“I can relate to that.”

 “Where do you want to go? I’ll follow in my car.”

 

“Do you like The Steakhouse?”

“It’s fine with me.” She shut off the lights in the front of the building and called to Carl and John to let them know she was locking up and leaving. Tim opened the door, and they stepped outside. He waited while she locked the doors, then walked with her to her car and waited until she got in before he went across the street to his pickup. He started it and led the way to The Steakhouse.

After they had been settled at their table, Christina looked across at Tim. “So, did you have a good sleep last night?”

He looked at her for a long moment. “Well, the bed was big and empty and lacking in warmth.”

She blushed, then reached out and swatted him with the supper menu.

He grinned. “You asked me if I slept. I assumed you were wondering if I’d missed you, so I told you what I noticed.”

“What I meant was, were you able to settle down and go to sleep, after what happened on the way home?” She looked at him solemnly, “Because I couldn’t. Your last remark left me in a tailspin.”

“What do you mean my last remark? I said goodbye to you.”

“Don’t play dumb. You know what I mean, Tim. How could you say something like that and just leave it hanging out there with no explanation?”

Tim frowned. “Christina…you’re my friend, not my keeper. Let’s order supper and forget the twenty questions, alright? I don’t want to get into this.”

“Can we talk about it after supper then?”

Tim glared at her. “You are one pushy…”

“Bitch? I’ve already told you that calling me that means nothing to me. You’ve got no leverage there.”

The waitress came and took their orders, and they looked at each other in silence until she brought them each a drink. They took a few sips and then Tim looked at her thoughtfully. “I didn’t know you were married.”

“I’m not.”

“All right, I didn’t know that you used to be. That night you said your ex called you the “B” word.”

“Not the B word, a B word, and we’re talking about you, Tim.”

“Actually, we both said things in the heat of the moment that night. I said what I did, but you …you really caught me off guard.”

“Caught you off guard? Who are you kidding? You’re so involved in your own drama; I’m amazed you even heard what I said.”

“Oh, I heard alright. I was just too ….”

The waitress brought their meals at that moment, interrupting the conversation. When she left, Tim looked at Christina and shook his head, signaling that the conversation was over. He picked up his knife and fork and began to eat.”

Frustrated, she followed suit. They ate in silence, unspoken thoughts whirling in their minds.

Tim glanced at her surreptitiously. Damn her, she’s not going to let this go. He looked around the room as he finished eating. Then he looked at her again. Why am I letting her get away with this? I’d have shut anyone else down long ago. His blue eyes studied her face. To be honest, two years ago, I’d have kicked her to the curb for sticking her nose into my business.

“So, will you recognize me the next time you see me?”

He frowned. “What…?”

“You’ve been staring at me. “

He shifted uneasily. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

“About?”

“Wondering why I’m letting you pry into my life.”

“And…?

He looked into her eyes. “I…I don’t really know. I guess I’ve gotten soft. You…no one… would have gotten away with that when I came here.”

“You were so damn cold and rigid when you arrived, it was amazing you didn’t crack and break in two.”

“Give me a break, Christina. I’d just been through hell. For the past eight years, I’d been fighting a losing battle. Little by little, I watched my whole world fall apart, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.”

Christina reached out and touched his hand. “When you came here, you pushed everyone away. Every signal you gave out said, I don’t trust anyone, and I hate women.”

“It was the truth. I didn’t trust anyone, and I certainly didn’t have any use for women. Even now, I don’t have any interest in them.”

“So…what am I?”

He looked away for a moment. “You’re too damned nosey.”

“I asked you a simple question.”

His eyes came back to search her face. “I have no simple answer to it.”

“Not even a thought?”

He sighed. “What am I to you?

She toyed with her fork. “Can you handle the truth?”

He stared into her hazel eyes, noting the glint of gold in them.

“I’m your friend.” She laid down the fork and lowered her eyes, nervously pushing at the cuticle of her thumbnail. “If I’m honest, I have other feelings for you, too. I…I care for you…a lot. Now that I’ve spilled the beans, are you going to run?”

The silence was deafening. She looked away as tears started to fill her eyes. “Damn-- I shouldn’t have said anything. Can I take it back, please?” She heard his chair scrape the floor, and she knew he’d stood up. I am such an idiot. He’s going to walk away.

Suddenly, she felt his hand on her arm. “Wipe your tears,” he said softly, handing her a napkin. She looked up at him. She couldn’t read his expression. “Let’s go,” he whispered. She dabbed at her cheeks as he helped her stand up, then gathered her purse and jacket and handed them to her. “I’ll pay the bill.”

 

She cursed herself for being a fool. Now she was embarrassed and just wanted to get out of there. She slipped out while Tim was at the till and ran to her car. She was speeding out of the parking lot when he hurried outside.

receptionist, farm manager, congenetal defect, childless, divorce, cheating wife, cheating husband, Dawson Creek B.C., Swift Current Saskatchewan, mystery, adoption, romance, surrogacy, Canadian setting, ranch, contemporary fiction, adult content,love

 

Tim glared at Christina. “I guess I get the floor.” 
“Quit being an ass and get a grip on yourself. There is no need for anyone to sleep on the floor. I’m sure we are mature enough to make the best of this rotten situation. I’m not going freak out if your leg touches mine. It’s not as if either of us is interested in anything other than sleep and keeping warm.” 

He stared at her. “Are you suggesting we share the bed?” 

Thirty-eight-year-old Christina Holmes is the office manager at Swift Current Accounting and Bookkeeping Services. On the surface, she is a happy person that everyone likes, but in her heart, she carries pain. She has MRHK syndrome. Her marriage had deteriorated because of the rare congenital condition, and it ended in humiliation for her. The experience is a secret that Christina has not shared with anyone since she came to Swift Current. She has avoided intimate relationships, feeling less than a woman, and ashamed of the hand that nature dealt her. She has allowed her condition to define her, making her certain that no one will love her as she is. 

Forty-eight-year-old Tim Bates came to Swift Current four years ago, when Colt Thompson hired him to manage Cantaur Farm. Forsaken by his stepfamily, Tim was reeling from a contested family will, and an ugly divorce filed by his wife who had never truly loved him. He was bitter and angry, trusted no one and despised women. 

When he first arrived, Christina thought of Tim as a cold fish, and Tim saw Christina as an officious bitch. However, during the past four years, the two of them have developed a comfortable relationship: but it isn’t the kind that comes with intimacy or fringe benefits. 

When Tim Bates finds a picture on the old ranch hand’s desk at Belanger Creek Ranch, he is stunned. He reacts with suspicion that turns into feelings of betrayal and anger. The picture becomes the focus of a mystery that involves people at the ranch: people who have been friends for years. The answers could forever change the lives of those involved. 

Tim discovers that what he has always believed about his birth is not true. Shaken, he turns to Christina for friendship and support. 

Sometimes The Hand of Fate intervenes. Will it bring unexpected miracles into the lives of these two friends? 

This is a story of family ties, unconditional love, loyalty, powerful friendships, sacrifice, mystery and the realization of dreams that seem impossible. 

This can be read as a stand-alone book in the Belanger Creek Ranch Series. The lives of Colt and Frank Thompson (The Second Time Around, Book One) and Shauna Lee and Brad Johnson (Full Circle, Book Two) intertwine with those of Tim Bates and Christina Holmes in this work of fiction.Tim glared at Christina. “I guess I get the floor.” 

“Quit being an ass and get a grip on yourself. There is no need for anyone to sleep on the floor. I’m sure we are mature enough to make the best of this rotten situation. I’m not going freak out if your leg touches mine. It’s not as if either of us is interested in anything other than sleep and keeping warm.” 

He stared at her. “Are you suggesting we share the bed?” 

Thirty-eight-year-old Christina Holmes is the office manager at Swift Current Accounting and Bookkeeping Services. On the surface, she is a happy person that everyone likes, but in her heart, she carries pain. She has MRHK syndrome. Her marriage had deteriorated because of the rare congenital condition, and it ended in humiliation for her. The experience is a secret that Christina has not shared with anyone since she came to Swift Current. She has avoided intimate relationships, feeling less than a woman, and ashamed of the hand that nature dealt her. She has allowed her condition to define her, making her certain that no one will love her as she is. 

Forty-eight-year-old Tim Bates came to Swift Current four years ago, when Colt Thompson hired him to manage Cantaur Farm. Forsaken by his stepfamily, Tim was reeling from a contested family will, and an ugly divorce filed by his wife who had never truly loved him. He was bitter and angry, trusted no one and despised women. 

When he first arrived, Christina thought of Tim as a cold fish, and Tim saw Christina as an officious bitch. However, during the past four years the two of them have developed a comfortable relationship: but it isn’t the kind that comes with intimacy, or fringe benefits. 

When Tim Bates finds a picture on the old ranch hand’s desk at Belanger Creek Ranch, he is stunned. He reacts with suspicion that turns into feelings of betrayal and anger. The picture becomes the focus of a mystery that involves people at the ranch: people who have been friends for years. The answers could forever change the lives of those involved. 

Tim discovers that what he has always believed about his birth is not true. Shaken, he turns to Christina for friendship and support. 

Sometimes The Hand of Fate intervenes. Will it bring unexpected miracles into the lives of these two friends? 

This is a story of family ties, unconditional love, loyalty, powerful friendships, sacrifice, mystery and the realization of dreams that seem impossible. 

This can be read as a stand-alone book in the Belanger Creek Ranch Series. The lives of Colt and Frank Thompson (The Second Time Around, Book One) and Shauna Lee and Brad Johnson (Full Circle, Book Two) intertwine with those of Tim Bates and Christina Holmes in this work of fiction.