Lahat ng Kabanata ng Redheads & Ranchers: Kabanata 151 - Kabanata 160

Chapter 151: Wisdom From RollyHunter watched as the young man headed down the trail. He figured he should go help them, maybe spell Hoyt and give him a chance to get some more sleep. But he was drawn to the cabin.Maybe it was a sense of wanting to punish himself, some masochistic urge to beat himself up over the way he'd treated Poppy, the way he'd just assumed that she'd played him. But whatever it was, he was helpless to stop himself from going up the front steps and entering the cabin.Rolly's pack was neatly stowed in the corner, but beyond that, there was precious little to differentiate the cabin from the way it had been that stormy night. As he stood in the doorway, in his mind's eye he saw Poppy, her red hair soaked from the rain, dressed in that ratty old flannel shirt as she wrapped him in a dry blanket. He'd been cold that night, soaked to the skin, as close to hypothermia as he'd ever been. And she'd used her body to warm his. Standing there now on the chilled aut

Chapter 153: Heading to New YorkAfter he left Mountain Vista, Hunter headed back the way he'd come, pulling off at the Airport Inn on 4th Avenue. The hotel was a plain but serviceable place to stay, its main appeal being that it was located less than a mile from the airport. Hunter's first flight left at 6:00 the following morning, which was why he'd decided to stay in town overnight. Well, that and he'd wanted to take the opportunity to see his grandfather. As he carried his small duffel bag into the spartan but clean king room, he was once again grateful for how lucid his grandfather had been. The visit had gone immensely better than he'd expected. Now if only things went as well when he saw Poppy. He'd considered calling her, telling her he was on his way, but he'd decided against it. The things he needed to say to her, she deserved to hear in person.He spent another restless night and was up before his alarm sounded. He showered, shaved and trimmed his facial hair, an

Chapter 155: WordsPoppy squeezed her eyes shut against the emotions that swept over her. Steeling herself, she turned to face him. "What am I supposed to do with that?" Her tone was biting.His eyes widened, and he looked like she'd punched him in the gut. "I just…wanted to tell you.""Words, Hunter. Just...words." Thinking of all she'd been through in the last several months, she shook her head. "Maybe in the movies that makes everything okay. But this is real life."Her heart pounded in her chest. I have to do it. He deserves to know. "You mentioned that I didn't win. Well, I didn't exactly walk away empty-handed."Feeling like she was in a warped dream, she opened the oatmeal-colored cardigan and slipped it off. She'd recently had to give up her favorite Levis in favor of maternity jeans with a wide stretchy waist. Hunter's jaw went slack as he took in the four-month baby bump just noticeable beneath her long white three-quarter-sleeve t-shirt."How did… When did…"

Chapter 157: PizzaAlthough he knew that New York is supposed to be the 'city that doesn't sleep,' Hunter was mildly surprised that the sidewalks were nearly as busy at eight o'clock at night as they had been in the afternoon. After they'd dressed in Poppy's loft bedroom, they'd left the apartment heading in the same direction from which Poppy had come after work. Hunter was just as glad they didn't run into Roxy on their way out. While the man had been nice enough, Hunter couldn't shake the feeling that the drag queen had been more than ready and willing to kick his ass. But according to Poppy, at that time of the evening, Roxy's workday was just beginning.A few blocks from the apartment, Poppy waved toward the front window of a trendy-looking coffee shop. The door was propped open in the cool fall evening, and the place seemed busy. An acoustic guitar duo occupied stools on a tiny stage in the corner and music filtered out onto the sidewalk. "This is where I work," she told

Chapter 159: The AppointmentAfter they finished breakfast, Poppy took Hunter to see some of the popular Manhattan tourist sites. They hit Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and they even managed to ride the elevators up to the observation deck at the Empire State Building. At 11:15, they entered the clinic's tiny waiting room. While Poppy signed in, Hunter found two empty chairs against the wall. A few of the other seats were taken by women in various stages of pregnancy and the loved ones who had come with them. Waiting to be called, Poppy watched Hunter out of the corner of her eye as his knees restlessly bounced. When she reached out and gently placed her hand on his thigh, he froze."Sorry. Guess I'm a little nervous.""Poppy?" A pretty young Hispanic woman in pink scrubs stood in the waiting room doorway.Poppy stood and looked at Hunter, who exhaled heavily and pushed himself to his feet. He followed Poppy through the door and waited awkwardly as she submitted to a che