Learnin' The Ropes Read online

  A Sweet Contemporary Western Romance

  by

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  SHANNA HATFIELD

  Learnin’ The Ropes

  Copyright © 2012 by Shanna Hatfield

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  For permission requests, please contact the author, with a subject line of "permission request” at the email address below or through her website.

  Shanna Hatfield

  [email protected]

  shannahatfield.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Lesson One

  Lesson Two

  Lesson Three

  Lesson Four

  Lesson Five

  Lesson Six

  Lesson Seven

  Lesson Eight

  Lesson Nine

  Lesson Ten

  Lesson Eleven

  Lesson Twelve

  Lesson Thirteen

  Lesson Fourteen

  Lesson Fifteen

  Lesson Sixteen

  Lesson Seventeen

  Lesson Eighteen

  Lesson Nineteen

  Lesson Twenty

  Polenta Alla Romana

  The Cowboy’s Christmas Plan

  Books by Shanna Hatfield

  Praise for Learnin’ The Ropes

  “It's a sweet easy read for someone who wants a little different twist for a happy ever after book.”

  Amazon Reviewer

  “If you enjoy contemporary Western romance, then you'll love Learnin' The Ropes by Shanna Hatfield. I liked the fact that the hero is an out-of-work mechanic--a nice change from the wealthy super-suave hero type seen in so many romances. It was great fun to experience the hero's transition from city guy to cowboy, especially in the Oregon setting. By the way, the book also includes a gigantic dog (named Baby) as an important character and for comic relief.”

  Amazon Reviewer

  “Fast paced but enough to keep you interested. Believable characters and situations. Loved the romance!”

  Amazon Reviewer

  To those willing to take a chance,

  chase their dreams,

  and make a difference.

  Lesson One

  Location, Location, Location

  “Git yerself out of thet durn city

  and into God’s country.”

  Tyler Lewis read the classified advertisement a third time, trying to decide if he was desperate enough to apply for the listed position.

  As he leaned against his truck door with the newspaper propped on the steering wheel, cold seeped into his back from the rain-splattered window. Persistent hunger gnawed at his inside, and he concluded he was, in fact, that desperate.

  He read the ad again.

  Wanted — Good mechanic able to work on a variety of equipment in Harney County, Oregon. Certification a plus. Wages congruent to experience. Room and board included. Must like animals.

  Ty took a deep breath, quickly typed a text message and hit send to the number in the ad before he could change his mind.

  A year ago, if someone had told him he would be living in his pickup, unable to find a job, and willing to do just about anything to make a few bucks, he would have laughed in their face.

  That was before the garage where he’d worked for seven years laid off all but their newest mechanic to cut costs. Ten months later, Ty had less than five hundred dollars left to his name and everything he owned was packed into his pickup.

  Released from his position with a promise that he would have his job back as soon as business picked up, the once busy garage in a Portland suburb went out of business within a few months, leaving Ty no hope of being rehired.

  After applying for every open mechanic job he could find, he interviewed for positions doing everything from janitorial work to flipping burgers. Still, he couldn’t convince anyone to hire him. There were too many people in the same sinking boat.

  Five weeks ago, he gave up his apartment and moved into his pickup. With rapidly dwindling funds, he sold all of his furniture and anything else he didn’t need. He was left with his tools, clothes, and one box of mementos from his childhood.

  Although it was expensive, the one thing he refused to give up was his smart phone. Without it, he would be completely cut off from the rest of the world. It served as his phone, computer, camera, radio, filing system, and number one job-hunting tool.

  Abstractly wondering if he’d lost his mind for responding to the latest ad, he Googled information on Harney County. Absorbed in the unsettling information he found, a tap on the glass at his back startled him.

  The blurry vision visible through the water streaks made him grin as he rolled down the window.

  “Hey, you might melt out here,” he said to his sister, Beth, as she stood under a huge umbrella.

  “Not likely.” She smiled and motioned for him to get out of the truck. “Come inside and have some dinner with us, Ty. You’ll freeze out here tonight. The weatherman said it might even snow.”

  “In Portland? You’re talking crazy.” Ty stuffed his phone in his pocket and slid out of the truck. Quickly locking the door, he followed his sister across the street and up to the tiny studio apartment she shared with her husband. Ty tried to hide a smile as he watched Beth waddle off the elevator and down the narrow hallway. Eight months pregnant, she definitely looked the part.

  As she opened the apartment door, the smell of baking bread made Ty’s stomach grumble in anticipation. Beth gave him a narrowed glare.

  “Did you eat anything today?” she asked, staring at Ty after he helped her remove her jacket and hung it on a peg by the door.

  Wordlessly, he nodded and hung his coat next to hers.

  “What did you eat?” Beth asked, not quite believing his response, knowing he would sometimes only eat one meal a day.

  “Half a granola bar.” Ty refused to make eye contact with her.

  Beth sighed and turned into a kitchen that was smaller than her former storage closet. Nate, her husband, lost his job seven months ago and they gave up their former spacious apartment to cut expenses.

  She handed Ty two pieces of bread slathered with peanut butter and jam before returning to her dinner preparations. He leaned against the wall between the kitchen and the main room of the apartment. Only by great effort did he manage to keep from wolfing down the sandwich as he watched his sister.

  Beth and Nate waited eight years to start a family. They wanted to make sure their careers were stable and they had adequate finances to provide for a child. Unfortunately, the week after they found out she was expecting, Nate came home with the news he’d been laid off from his job as a technical engineer.

  Employed as an office manager for a busy dental office, Beth had great benefits and a good salary. Even with her income, they were forced to give up their nice apartment and move into the tiny studio until Nate could find another job.

  Months of his applications being rejected left the couple worried about what would happen when the baby arrived. Beth originally planned to take three months off on maternity leave, but now she planned to return after three weeks. Nate might have to become a stay-at-home dad if things didn’t turn around s
oon. None of them could imagine how they would squeeze a baby into the cramped living space.

  Ty stepped around a corner into the open living area, taking in the couch and small television, the small kitchen table surrounded by chairs, and the king-sized bed that took up the bulk of the floor space. Even if he felt right about intruding into Nate and Beth’s home, which he didn’t, there wasn’t room for him.

  He moved to the kitchen doorway, leaning against the doorjamb, and watched Beth stir something in a big pot. The mouth-watering aroma of chicken and herbs filled his senses. The last good, hot meal he’d eaten was with Beth and Nate four days ago.

  The few odd jobs Ty acquired through friends and acquaintances provided a little cash. He saved what he could, but always bought a few bags of groceries and brought them over to Beth and Nate. In trade, she cooked him a hot meal while he made use of the bathroom, taking a long, hot shower and stretching out on their couch for an hour or two.

  Without a home of his own, he sometimes parked across the street from Beth’s apartment when he wasn’t out job hunting or hanging out at the library researching jobs.

  Since it was February, it was too cold and wet to stay outside much. He would certainly be glad when spring arrived. Winter was definitely not the best time to be homeless.

  “What can I do to help?” Ty asked, washing his hands at the sink, ignoring the pangs of hunger that ripped through his stomach.

  “Set the table?” Beth asked as she peeked into the oven, holding her hand under her rounded belly as she bent over. Before she could stand up, a gasp escaped from her lips and she gripped the counter.

  “You okay, sis?” Ty gaped at her in concern as he dried his hands. If she went into premature labor, he was the last person she wanted around for help and support. He couldn’t stand to see a woman cry, suffer, or be upset.

  “Yeah, the baby is pretty lively today. No need to worry,” she said, grabbing Ty’s hand and holding it on her stomach. Tiny little kicks against the palm of his hand kept him holding his hand there for several moments.

  “I tell you, he’s going to be a first-class kicker on the football team,” Ty said, smiling at thoughts of his future nephew.

  “She could also be a ballerina or a soccer player.” Beth’s brilliant blue eyes, an identical shade to Ty’s, twinkled with amusement.

  “So have you and Nate finally settled on names?” Ty gathered up plates and silverware, setting them on the table.

  “We’ve got the list narrowed down to a dozen each.”

  “Wow, that is real progress,” Ty teased, placing the butter dish and napkins on the table.

  He and Beth both looked up as Nate came in the door, tired and dejected. Nate spent his days filling out applications, participating in interviews, and trying to drum up some interest in his resume. The past few months he grew accustomed to hearing he was overqualified, too experienced, or the business couldn’t afford someone with his skill set. Those doing the hiring didn’t even give him a chance to say he’d happily take a huge cut in pay just to be employed.

  After dropping his umbrella next to Beth’s and hanging up his coat, he gave her a warm hug before extending a hand to Ty.

  “Hey, bro, good to see you,” Nate said, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt.

  “You, too, man.” Ty smiled at his brother-in-law. “No luck today?”

  “No. You either?” Nate looked up at Ty as he carefully brushed off his suit jacket and hung it in the hall closet.

  “Maybe.” Ty leaned against the wall between the kitchen and the rest of the open apartment so both Beth and Nate could hear him.

  “What’s that mean?” Beth asked, sticking her head out of the kitchen to spear Ty with an inquisitive glare. “Care to expound on that?”

  “I fired off an inquiry for a mechanics job in Harney County. The requirements were pretty vague, so I’ll see if I get a response.” Ty answered with much more nonchalance than he felt. If he didn’t find a job, soon, he might give in to his growing desperation and do something regrettable.

  “Harney County? Isn’t that somewhere in Eastern Oregon, in the middle of nowhere?” Beth asked while Nate changed his clothes in the bathroom.

  “Southeast Oregon, I think,” Nate said as he reappeared, wearing faded jeans and a sweatshirt. “What would you be doing?”

  “I’m not exactly sure. Do you have yesterday’s classifieds?” Ty asked as Beth brought a basket of hot rolls to the table. The steam escaping from around the edges of the napkin caught Ty’s attention and he shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from snitching one.

  Nate pulled the paper out of his briefcase and gave it to Ty. With a flick of his wrists, Ty snapped it open and scanned down the column of ads. He placed his finger on the one listing for a mechanic. “This one,” he said, handing the paper to Nate.

  “That is vague,” Nate said after reading the ad twice. “Based on the qualifications, you shouldn’t have any problem. You’ve been a certified mechanic for what, eight years?”

  “Nine. I got my certification the day I turned twenty. It was quite a celebration.” Ty shot his sister a cocky grin.

  “I remember that.” Beth smacked Ty on the arm. “If Mom had known about your little after-party antics, she would have boxed your ears.”

  “Yeah, she would have, but you were always good at keeping me out of too much trouble,” Ty said, waiting for Beth to sit down before he took his seat at the small table. Scrunched into the corner by the kitchen, the table was laughably small when he and Nate, both over six-feet, sat around it. They’d gotten into the habit of extending their legs in opposite directions to keep from bumping knees under the table.

  Ty studied his sister as love and tenderness tugged at his heart. Two years older, Beth had always mothered and protected him. Their mother, Toni, was wonderful and loving, but she worked multiple jobs to keep a roof over their head and food on their table.

  From information he and Beth pieced together over the years, their mom fell in love with a no-good loser. He was a good-looking, bad-boy type, oozing charm and telling her whatever she wanted to hear. Toni married him, thinking he would settle down and change his ways as they started a family. He played at being a husband, but preferred drinking, gambling and carousing to acting like a grown up. After Beth was born, he attempted to be a father. But when Toni announced she was pregnant with Ty, the jerk disappeared. They never heard from him again.

  Ty thought that might have been part of why Beth waited so long to start her own family. She wanted to make sure Nate was going to stick around, but he was one of the good guys. Despite their current financial situation, Nate would take good care of Beth and their baby.

  “This job description says you must like animals. Have you ever been around animals?” Nate asked as they enjoyed the delicious chicken soup Beth served for dinner.

  “One of my friends had a dog. Once, Mom let us keep a stray cat. I liked them both just fine,” Ty said, buttering another warm roll. He’d have to find a way to buy more groceries to pay back what he was eating tonight, but the food tasted so good.

  Nate nodded his head. They went on to discuss places they applied for jobs that day. Ty lifted the last spoon of hearty broth from his second bowl of soup when his phone buzzed. Hastily swallowing the bite, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, surprised to see a text message in response to his inquiry about the job.

  Thrilled by the message, he grinned.

  “What’s that about?” Beth asked, curious.

  “It’s about that job. They want my full resume and references by tomorrow morning.” Ty tried to tamp down his excitement. He glanced at Nate. “May I use your laptop for a few minutes?”

  “Sure, man. Let’s help Beth with the dishes and then you can prepare to dazzle these people with your extensive experience and credentials.”

  Ty laughed and helped himself to another roll.

  After the dishes were washed and dried, Beth sat on the couch working on a baby blank
et she was crocheting, while Nate and Ty sat at the table with the laptop computer. Since they’d gone through the routine multiple times before, Nate created a folder on the computer for Ty so he could easily attach his resume and references to emails. Ty could have done it all from his cell phone, but it was a lot easier to sit at a computer and compose a cover letter.

  When he finished, he asked Beth to read the letter. She suggested a few changes that he implemented before sending the information to Lex Ryan of Riley, Oregon.

  “Maybe this will be the one,” Beth said, placing a warm hand on Ty’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

  Ty nodded. “I hope so. Although I’m not so sure I want to move too far away from you, especially with the baby coming soon.” He had no idea how far this job would be from Portland, so the three of them pulled up a state map and found Harney County. By zooming in on the map, they finally located the tiny dot that marked Riley. It was really out in the middle of nowhere.

  Concerned, Beth pointed to the map. “Good grief, Ty. That looks like a lot of open country. What if you get eaten by a bear?”

  Ty and Nate both laughed at her dramatics.

  “I don’t think I need to worry about wildlife or bear encounters. I’m not going to the wilds of some third-world country. Besides, let’s see if I even get an interview before you get all hysterical.”

  “Good point,” Nate said, hugging Beth to him. “How about a game of Clue?”

  As Ty sat playing the board game, he realized being destitute really changed his attitude about many things. At twenty-nine, he never pictured himself crammed into a corner chair playing a silly board game with his very pregnant sister and her husband. He certainly never would have imagined how much he’d enjoy it.

  One good thing he could say about being broke and without resources was that it made him appreciate the people who loved him.