Page 1 of Her Rugged Guardian
CHAPTER 1
“It is amazing how your life changes when you embrace the reality that you’re better than the life you’ve settled for.”
—Steve Maraboli
Cassandra
A blonde floozy with big tits. Isn’t that what all men wanted?
Well, fuck that and fuck all men.
My asshole ex could have the tawdry woman. I was certain she’d help his run for senator. Maybe she could jiggle her tits in front of the male reporters for additional votes.
A single bead of sweat trickled down my cheek at such a slow pace, I was instantly annoyed, wiping it furiously. “I hate men, Moose. Except for you, of course. Dogs are different. That’s why there are several songs written about women preferring their pups. You’re a lot less work and I don’t need to pick up yoursocks and underwear.” At least I could laugh in the face of a total disruption of my life.
I was firmly convinced that there was a black cloud hanging over my head. The day had gone from bad to worse in the blink of an eye. What was I saying? Now that night had set in, I was able to admit that making several significant changes in the swoop of thirty days was akin to having a root canal done without Novocain. But I was Cassandra Dayne, a once powerful marketing expert, considered a brilliant woman in my field. This wasn’t going to dampen my spirits in the least.
Even if somewhere in the back of my mind I knew the concept that change was good had been the thought of a crazy person or villain determined to take over the world. Maybe I was being a little overdramatic, but at this point, I wanted to dig a hole in the sand and hide for months.
Years.
Woof.
The singleharrumph-ing brought me down from whatever cloud I was on, finally able to make the long-awaited turn to my destination called a brand-new life.
As I pulled down the long driveway, my fingers remained clutched around the steering wheel. Well, it was almost dark, and I was certain by morning light things would look brighter. Right?
The moment I pulled in front of the quaint bed and breakfast, my heart sank. “I don’t know, buddy. I think we might have made a mistake.” The fact my mother had purchased a B & B plus a small winery had shocked the entire family. But she’d run it successfully for years. Then Covid had hit and life for her hadtaken a serious downturn, enough so the winery had been all but closed for over two years.
Who was I to criticize or challenge her choices? I’d just run away from everything I’d ever known.
Not soon enough to help her run the place she’d grown to love or to save her life. The guilt wore like a thick second skin, something I’d have difficulty shedding. That was one reason I was determined to turn the place around, even if the estate attorney and everyone else who’d heard about the business had recommended otherwise.
Fuck them. I would make this work no matter what I had to do.
Tangerine Sunset had been my mother’s dream, the name perfect for the adventure she’d made her own, a woman I’d considered a gypsy. She’d left her high-powered accounting job in Maryland after learning my father had cheated on her. I’d seen pictures of the incredible location but had only visited twice in the last eight years, the second time for her funeral.
The revelation hit me hard. I’d missed so much time with her, embroiled in my own life. Now I felt empty inside, uncertain I’d made the right choice to upend my life, moving thousands of miles away from everything and everyone I knew.
With a population of less than three thousand, Depoe Bay, Oregon had small town vibes written all over it. Granted, the city flanked the Pacific Ocean, its claim to fame being the whale-watching capital of the Oregon Coast. Maybe that’s why I felt like a fish out of water.
Moose lifted his head from the passenger seat, his tail thumping against the door panel, the slight whine affirming his unhappiness at being taken away from everything and everyonehe loved. Sighing, I reached over, scratching behind his ears. My big black lab was my constant companion. I wasn’t entirely certain I would have found the courage to do this without his help.
Change was inevitable. That’s what I’d heard my entire life. I was taking a leap of faith. At this moment, all I could think about was that the change I’d insisted on had been a decision I would be thankful for later in my life. Whatever the case, I’d reached my destination, a new beginning, and the changes were exciting.
Then why was I terrified?
Maybe because the trip across country had been horrible with flight delays, Moose almost getting transferred to a plane heading to Ireland, and the fact that all I’d eaten in the last fifteen hours had been peanuts. Stale peanuts to be exact.
I peered out the windshield, issuing a growl that could rival Moose’s.
The dark sky provided an ominous background. I jumped, even yelping audibly when something hit the windshield. “Jesus. Mommy dog is a scaredy cat. Huh?”
This time, my wonderful companion did nothing but crawl forward, placing his head on my thigh. I stopped the car, waiting for a few seconds before shoving the gear into park and cutting off the engine. I stared at the house, hating the shadows in the windows.
“What are you doing, girl? You’re out of your mind.”
Woof!