Rhett stared at the delicate bracelet till his eyes became heavy with sleep. Tomorrow morning he would go over to granny Emma's ranch and give it to Adelaide. He felt too excited just thinking about meeting her again.

The next morning, he got busy at the ranch, training the horses when his eyes fell upon Adelaide and Rihanna who stood near the fence. He could see Adelaide glancing at him every now and then while Rihanna talked to her excitedly.  He wanted to complete his training and go and meet them.

"Isn't he awesome with the horses?" Asked Rihanna with a giggle.

"Who?" Adelaide feigned ignorance as her cheeks flushed with color. She knew Rihanna had caught her staring at her brother but it wasn't her fault. Who could look away when a gorgeous, droolworthy cowboy roamed around shirtless displaying his rippling, hot muscles as he trained huge stallions so effortlessly?

"My brother,  Rhett, who else? Wanna meet him?" Whispered Rihanna, with a grin.

"I met him yesterday. He pulled me out of Bearhead Creek," said Adelaide with a warm flush spreading all over her face and neck.

"Oooo and you didn't tell me? Spill girl, " she said and Adelaide groaned.

"Later please. He'll hear me, " Adelaide glared at her.

"Who'll hear you?" Asked Rhett as he approached them with a smile. 

"Talk about the guy and here he is," said Rihanna with an eyeroll.

"Were you talking about me?" Asked Rhett with a shy grin.

"Eww bro. Take a shower. You smell like horses, " said Rihanna, covering her nose and running inside the house. "Adel are you coming or what?" She asked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, in a minute," said Adelaide, looking shyly at the hot cowboy in front of her. She tried to focus only on his face. 'Adel, focus, you can do it. Don't look down at his abs, ' she instructed herself in her mind.

Rhett watched her mumble something to herself. He felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I'll go take a shower," he said, going to get his shirt which he had hung over the fence.

"I don't mind," she told him. In fact, she liked everything about him. Rhett smiled and fixed his stetson firmly in place.

"Are you sure?" He asked, with surprise. She was from New York but she didn't have any airs about her. She was simple and warm just the way he liked. She nodded. He didn't even bother wearing a shirt. He loved the discreet glances she threw towards him, checking him out every now and then.

"Close your eyes Adelaide. I have something for you," he said with a smile. Adelaide looked at him with disbelief. What did he have for her? She closed her eyes and stood waiting with bated breath. Rhett was in a trance. His eyes took in her features, committing them to memory. She was so beautiful just like an angel. The thin strapped dress clung to her soft, curvy body and made her look so hot that he felt like pulling her into his arms.

"Can I open my eyes, now?" Asked Adelaide, not knowing what's happening around her.

"No, wait," Rhett came to his senses and quickly took out the bracelet from his shirt pocket. He'd been carrying it with him since morning. He picked her soft hand suddenly and she opened her eyes wide, shocked at his touch. He smiled and clasped the bracelet onto her wrist. Adelaide gasped seeing her lost bracelet.

"Rhett, where did you find it?" She asked with disbelief. Her face lit up with joy and she could feel the tears of happiness pricking at her eyes.

"We searched for it in Bearhead Creek and found it," he told her, his fingers brushing against her soft skin. Adelaide trembled as an electric current shot through her body at his touch.

"We?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, my brothers and me," he told her. Tears of joy fell from her eyes. She had thought that she had lost her dad's last gift. She hadn't been able to sleep last night.

"Thank you Rhett," she said, her voice choked with tears.

"That won't do," he said, staring into her eyes. "I went into the cold water for it."

Adelaide blushed and wiped her eyes. "Come over for dinner. I'll prepare something for you," she said with a laugh. Rhett was disappointed. He thought that she would give him a kiss in return for his hard work but a dinner sounded good too.

"Hmm, I'll be there, " he said, pulling his shirt on. They walked back towards the house. "This is the first time you're coming to our house?" He asked her. He didn't remember having seen her before.

"No, no. I've come here before too. I've met everyone else," she told him.

"I might have been away at work then," he concluded.

"What's taking you so long, girl? I thought my brother eloped with my best friend, " laughed Rihanna and Adelaide coloured profusely.

"Shut up Rihanna, " she said, glaring at her.

Rhett grinned. "Good idea, actually," he said and walked off towards his room with the two girls gaping at his retreating back. Rihanna squealed and clapped her hands.

"Oh my God, he likes you, Adel. I can't believe it. My brother likes my best friend, perfect," she kept on blabbering.

"Rihanna, shut up. It's not what you're thinking at all," protested a blushing Adelaide.

"It is Adel. He's very shy of girls.  He hardly utters two sentences a day and now look at him. I know he likes you," Rihanna repeated.

"I'm out of here. I'm sure everyone's already heard you," said Adelaide. "See you later," she left with a wave, eager to get out of the house before Rhett returned and Rihanna again started her blabbering. She smiled shyly as she walked down to her granny's ranch.

Three months back when she had escaped from her empty apartment in New York and arrived here to live with her granny, she never thought that she'd fall in love with the place. This was where her dad was born and brought up to become a cardiologist. After he had married a rich girl from New York, he forgot his roots and settled with her there. Adelaide's mom was a city woman who hated country life. So they all lived in New York while her grandparents lived here in Montana. After her grandfather's death, her granny refused to move in with them and ran the small ranch to the best of her abilities. Adelaide completed her nursing degree much to her mom's displeasure and started her internship at the same hospital where her dad worked. She remembered the day when her dad had a heart attack. He was driving home while she was attending to an emergency at the hospital.  He died on the way home. The police brought his body home and her mom called her. It was like her life had ended that very day. Her mom couldn't bear it and left to live with her brother who was an oncologist. Adelaide wanted to escape to some place where she could connect with her dad. She escaped to Montana to her dad's childhood home, to her granny's ranch and she'd never been happier. She had found a nursing job at the local hospital and she was happy with her life here.

The whole day she worked at the ranch humming a tune, waiting eagerly for Rhett's arrival. A day hadn't passed yet since she last saw him and yet she was missing him badly. She made her Rhubarb pudding cake just as granny had taught her.

"Smells delicious, sweetie. Are we expecting anyone to dinner?" Asked granny, checking out the orange braised beef short ribs, sautéed green beans and the fresh dinner rolls.

"Yes granny, Rhett's coming over," she said shyly and granny smiled. She liked Rhett. She had prayed to the Almighty Lord to get the two of them together. Maybe her prayers had been answered after all.

At last dinner was made and she rushed to her bedroom for a shower. She wore a navy blue a-line satin dress with a v- neckline and thin shoulder straps. Fixing her hair in  a bun, she went downstairs. As she approached the living room, she heard Rhett's deep voice talking to her granny. He was already here? She hadn't heard him come in? They looked up seeing her enter. Adelaide was suddenly too shy of his gaze. Was she overdressed for the occasion?

He looked so at home in a pair of tight jeans that clung to his hot butt and a white shirt with the first two button undone. How could someone look do hot without any effort? Rhett couldn't take his eyes off her. He stood staring at her, hypnotised by her beauty. The dress suited her so well and she looked so beautiful in it that he forgot to breathe.

"Come Adel, serve Rhett some drink. What would you have Rhett? Whiskey, beer or red wine?" Asked granny watching the two with a twinkle in her eyes.