Only You (Love In Montana Book 6)

Four Years Ago

"Ma, I'm home," yelled a nineteen year old Sawyer Grace Wilson, returning after six months to his home, the Wildcreek Ranch in Fordsville, Montana. Fordsville was a small town just fifteen minutes drive away from Great Falls. His granddad, Joe Wilson's ranch was located at the far edge of Fordsville in the heart of the Rocky Mountains at the base of the Continental Divide. It was a picturesque place surrounded by mountains, fields and forests with a clear sparkling river, the Bearhead Creek running through it. 

Although he was adopted by the Wilson family, this had been his home for the last nineteen years of his life. He was an orphan who had been abandoned at birth on the banks of Bearhead Creek. It was by God's grace that he was alive when old Joe Wilson found him. He provided Sawyer with everything and brought him up like his own grandchild. Sawyer was indebted to the whole Wilson family for accepting him as their own but especially to his foster parents, Joe Wilson's oldest son, Kevin Wilson and his wife, Katherine Wilson. They adopted him and he considered them his parents. Their real children, Russell and Rowland were also studying with Sawyer at his university while their daughter River was studying at a boarding school in Helena.

Katherine Wilson rushed out to see her foster son, Sawyer, come into the house with a wide smile on his face. He hugged his ma tightly. "You remembered me after six months, Saw?" She scolded him, pinching his cheeks.

"Ma stop. They've already turned red," protested Sawyer, looking around to see if a particular young girl was around to see his flushed cheeks. 

Sawyer and his brothers Russell and Rowland along with his cousins Rhett, Rex and Rihanna studied at the Montana State University in Bozeman. While Sawyer was in his second year, Rex who was a year older than him was in his third year, pursuing the same undergraduate program in Ranch Management Systems as him.

Rhett who was Rex's twin was into Diary Farm Management. Rhett and Rex's sibling Rihanna who was a year younger than Sawyer too studied there. She was pursuing her undergraduate program in Early Childhood Education and Child Services.

Russell and Rowland were two years older than Sawyer and as such the oldest of all the Wilson children. They both studied the undergraduate program in Hospitality Management. They all lived outside the campus in a three bedroomed apartment and came home on weekends or holidays.

Rhett parked his truck and came in and hugged his aunt Katherine. "Where's mom, aunt Katherine?" He asked.

"Welcome home, children. Your mom's in the kitchen since morning, preparing your favorite dishes for dinner. At last we'll have some action with all of you at home for the holiday season. Ryder, Ryan, River and Renée have just come home yesterday, " she informed excitedly. Sawyer's ears immediately pricked up at the mention of Renée's name. He looked around expecting her to be sitting around somewhere and watching him with admiration but no, she wasn't there.

"Really? How did their Christmas holidays start so early this year?" Asked Rhett with a smile. River, Ryder, Ryan and Renée were their cousins who studied at a boarding school in Helena, Montana. While Ryder and Ryan were five years younger to  Sawyer, River and Renée were six years younger to him.

"Yeah, isn't that great?" Asked their granny, Jenny Wilson, coming into the room. "Welcome children. Where are the others?" She asked, looking for their cousins.

"Oh, Russell and Rowland are arriving tomorrow. Rex and Rihanna have stopped at the marketplace to get ice-cream for everyone," said Sawyer.

"Welcome home, boys," said their grand dad, giving them a warm hug. "This time you stayed away for so long?" Complained their grand dad looking at Sawyer. He scratched his neck giving him a dazzling grin as he hugged him close.

"Hello granny, grand dad, it's so good to see you," squealed Rihanna, coming into the house followed by Rex, carrying a mountain load of ice-cream for everyone. So the next few minutes the huge family gathered around them getting updates about everyone. Sawyer looked around again. She wasn't there.

"Where's Ryder and Ryan? Don't see them around?" Asked Sawyer, unable to contain himself any longer.

"Oh they've gone out to meet their old friends, " informed his ma. Rhett and his siblings went towards their rooms to freshen up but Sawyer was restless. He had to see her. He had to see Renée.

Last month on her thirteenth birthday while the whole family had gathered around to celebrate, he had purposely stayed away. He couldn't face her with the special feelings growing in his heart for her. He knew that he couldn't treat her like a cousin ever. He wasn't related to the Wilson's by blood but he was too indebted to this family to go against their wishes. So when Rihanna showed him the birthday photographs, all he could do was stare at her. She had grown so beautiful and he really missed her.

"Oh, they must have grown up so much," he said with a smile. He couldn't ask about Renée, after all she was the daughter of the family and as such his foster cousin.

"Where's Renée?" Asked his granny suddenly looking around.

"Don't know mom, I haven't seen her for the last two hours," said Sawyer's ma.

"This girl! I'm sure she's off somewhere upon her Cinnamon," said their granny with an eyeroll. Cinnamon was Renée's favorite horse in the whole world. They shared a beautiful bond and both cared at lot for the other. Everyone knew that Renée was safe with Cinnamon but Sawyer was still agitated.

"Why does she need to go alone? Is it safe? I'll go and get her home, granny, " he said with a scowl, dashing off towards the stables in a fury. He quickly saddled his horse, Challenger who was a chestnut brown stallion whom he had trained personally. They shared a good rapport and he wouldn't want to ride any other horse than his Challenger.

"Whoa! Go Challenger," he commanded his horse. As he took off, galloping out of Wildcreek Ranch, Sawyer tried to look at the far away grasslands to see if he could detect Renée's long chocolate brown hair anywhere. "Let's look for Renée, boy!" He said, patting Challengers neck.

Challenger galloped through the trail leading to Bearhead Creek. She wasn't there. He rode past the pine trees, cedar and maple trees, past the beautiful stretches of multicolored blooms, primrose, aster, daisies but couldn't see her anywhere. The vast grasslands stretched all around him, the next ranch being miles away. He had to find her soon before sunset. Sawyer was worried by now. Where could she go? She should have at least informed at home where she was going. Furious and worried, Sawyer scanned the entire vicinity. It was late afternoon and yet he hadn't found her.

"Ren," he yelled, his voice cracking with desperation. "Please God, let her be safe," he whispered. As if God had listened to his prayers, Challenger suddenly refused to move. Sawyer was immediately alarmed. Did he see a grizzly anywhere? They roamed about freely near the creek for a drink and it wasn't safe at all to go there alone.

Then he saw her and couldn't look away. He stared at her as  she rode upon Cinnamon, galloping towards him with a huge bunch of vibrant flowers in her arms, her long silky curls blowing in the wind behind her, her white sundress billowing in the wind. There was an ethereal quality on her face which made Sawyer transfixed to the spot. He just gazed at her as she approached him with the same look of admiration on her face, like always. He knew that she liked him and being so much older to her, he never encouraged her in any way. But he couldn't help his heartbeats when they accelerated whenever she was near. It seemed like time stood by for him as he stood staring, too hypnotized to react.

As she came to a stop right in front of him, he came to his senses. "What are you doing here all alone? The sun's about to set. Do you think it's safe to roam about at this hour?" He yelled at her with mad fury, his eyes glaring at her, as he dismounted from his horse. Renée paled seeing his anger and she just stared at him, looking hurt, her eyes filling up with tears. She slowly dismounted and stood in front of him, holding the flowers out to him.

"I just wanted to collect these flowers for you," she whispered almost to herself but yet Sawyer heard her. He was floored by her words. She came here to pluck flowers for him? He took the flowers from her hands his eyes never leaving hers. Doe-shaped hazel eyes connected with brilliant blue ones that seemed to stare into her soul. He could see how ecstatic she was to see him. He noticed the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes seemed to speak volumes while she just stared at him with that same adoration as always. The pictures he saw didn't do justice to her beauty. She was more beautiful in person.

"Do you like them Sawyer?" She asked, staring up at him, expectantly. Sawyer tore his eyes away from hers and looked at the flowers she had picked for her. He softened into mush but could he once show her how touched he was by her thoughtfulness?

He sighed giving in to his urges for once.  "Yes, Ren, c'mon give me a hug," he whispered to her.