Second Chances (closed)

The divorce settlement was more than Regina Carter had wanted. Hell, she hadn't wanted anything but the judge sympathized with her. Her now ex-husband Joseph, was, after all, 'loaded'. All Regina wanted was ten thousand dollars so she could start rebuilding her life.

The judge awarded her $100 million. Small change, seeing as how Joseph was a self made billionaire.

The divorce was thankfully kept quiet and hidden from the media. All she had wanted to do anyway was leave town, move else where and not look back. Was that too much to ask? She wouldn't miss the glamour, the endless travelling around the world... She would've given that all up if it meant she could have a husband who was home more than a few days and who was also faithful.

Two months later
Regina found herself in the middle of nowhere Wyoming, working at a small coffee shop as she tried to earn an honest living. She had given most of her money away to various charities and organizations, all under an anonymous name.

She had used some of the money to buy a small farm on the outskirts of town, along with a few horses and other barnyard animals. Did she know how to take care of them? No. But, she thought she was doing a damn good job so far as they were all still alive.

Keeping mostly to herself, Regina's trust in anyone had long ago vanished...all thanks to Joseph.

As she pulled the small truck up to the farmhouse, Regina cut the engine and grabbed her two small bags of groceries. Most days after work, she ate something at the diner but today, she wanted something home cooked. Making her way in, she looked at her phone and sighed. Nothing. She had put the word out that she was looking for someone to help her part time on the farm, perhaps teach her a thing or two about the animals. It had been a few days and still nothing. She had surmised it was probably because it was only a part time thing and no one wanted to work part time anymore.

But she did come to the conclusion she needed help and with winter fast approaching, she was going to need it.

Derek Field just got out of the Navy. He was a member of SEAL Team 4, and had taken part in several covert missions in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. He decided that it was time to move on to something different. He had no idea what that was, but it was time to move on.

After his discharge, Derek decided to see the country that he defended before he settled down. He started out at a truck stop and hitched rides across the country with truckers. He would go from truck stop to truck stop, and when he ran out of money, he would work odd jobs to make some money before getting back on the road.

Currently Derek found himself in a small town somewhere in Wyoming. He had no idea where he was and no idea how he was going to get out of here. He took a ride from a trucker who lived in the town and that trucker was not taking another trip for a couple of weeks

As he was paying his check at the front counter, Derek noticed a piece of paper that said someone was looking for some part-time help. He could use a few dollars, and, for now anyway, he was stuck in this town. So, he picked up his cell phone and dialed the number to see if the position was still available. Hopefully, it paid enough for him to get a place to stay.

After finishing up the dishes, Regina had been outside in the barn, trying her best to straighten up the bags of feed against the wall on side of the barn. There were over 20 bags and so far, she had managed to move ten of them. Taking a break, she was covered in a light sheen of sweat which chilled her from the breezy air circulating with in the barn. As she took a seat on the remaining bags, she peeled off her gloves and had taken a sip of water just as her phone rang.

She didn't even bother to look at the display as she answered.

A male voice was on the other end. He inquired about the position. All Regina had were the basics. The pay, the work and food were all included; and at the last moment she decided to toss in the small room at the back of the house. Making arrangements for the man to come see the place, she hung up and smiled to herself. This might work out after all. He seemed interested, hopefully he was someone who was used to working.

Well, she would ask him all that when he got here. She took another long drink of water before getting back to work.

"Well, Brooks, looks like we're finally going to get some help around here." She said in between grunts of getting the feed stacked against the wall.

Derek asked the woman at the counter for directions. She told him it was going to be quite a walk, but at that moment, an elderly gentleman was walking up to pay his bill. The man said he would be happy to give a ride to someone who served. Derek looked at the man; wondering how he knew he was military. Then Derek realized he had his duffel bag, duh. "I would greatly appreciate the ride, sir."

The man told him that he lived a couple of farms over from where he was going, and that the woman who owned the farm had not been there too long. He told Derek to take care of her, because, even though she was new, there were a lot of the locals who liked the newcomer.

Derek thanked the man for the ride and headed up the long road that served as a driveway. As he approached the house a large white dog came running toward him from the barn. As the dog approached, it slowed down to a walk and let Derek pet it. "Is your owner in the barn?" He asked the dog. Derek headed in that direction. He walked into the barn and saw a woman moving bags of feed. She certainly didn't look like a cowgirl. She was incredibly beautiful and had a killer body, but she was also going after the bags like a champ. "Excuse me ma'am. I am the one who called about the job."

Regina had taken a few more breaks than required as she thought about where she was putting the bags of feed. Was it a good place? Should it have gone else where?

No. They were fine where they were at...she was a bit of a perfectionist and had decided that needed to stop because hell, it was a lot of work to move them and they were probably fine in the first place.

She hadn't noticed that Brooks had taken off outside, he was a wandering type of dog and probably finally glad to be out in the open where he was free to run around. Regina had him for about 4 years and had known Joseph didn't like dogs but there was no way she was giving Brooks up.

As she stacked the bag she had placed on top of the pile, Regina heard a voice behind her. Turning around, she saw someone standing in the entryway of the barn and her dog happily sitting next to the man as if to say, "Look who I found!"

When the man had said his name, Regina smiled as she took her gloves off. He wasn't what she was expecting... if it was safe to say, she could tell he wasn't from around here. Offering her out stretched hand, she gave his hand a firm shake, "Hi, I'm Regina. I was about to think no one was going to call about the job." She held her gloves in her hands, "well, I guess we could cut right down to the chase, Derek. Have you ever worked on a farm before?" She could say he could hold his own doing things but she had to ask.

He looked around the barn, and he could see that she was someone who paid attention to details. He was wondering why she was moving the bags around, but he assumed that she had a legitimate reason for doing so. Derek shook her hand. He was surprised by the firm grip.

"No, ma'am. I have never worked on a farm before, but I will tell you that I am not afraid of hard work, and I learn quickly. However, if prior farm experience is a requirement for the job, then, I will be on my way and won't be disturbing you any longer."

Derek didn't think she was going to be too choosy considering that she didn't have any other applicants, but, you never know, she might really need someone who had experience. Of course, it would be a long walk back to town.

"Please, it's Regina, not ma'am..." She told him with a little smirk.

"Well, prior farm experience isn't a requirement, I was just wondering.. So, on that note, I guess we'll be learning together seeing as how this is all new to me too...." She paused a minute, "hmmm, well, I really am in need of some help so, if you don't mind the pay... And like I said over the phone, room and board is included, as well as food... Tell me you plan on staying at least a couple of weeks...?"

"Great... Well, like I said, I'm Regina, Regina Carter... I got this place a few months back and as I said before, I have no farm experience, so mostly what I do get is off the internet or I ask around..."

Why did it feel like she was the one interviewing?

"So, any way, Derek, tell me a little about yourself..." She asked, genuinely interested in the handsome stranger. She tried to ignore his features, but hell, she was a woman and he was a man....

He listened to her say that the experience was not a deal breaker. "I am not in a hurry to go anywhere. I will be happy to stay and help you for more than a few weeks." He smiled at her as he listened to Regina talk about how she didn't really know what she was doing.

"I am not concerned about the pay Regina. I have lived on a lot less. I appreciate the offer of the room. That will make it easier to stay around longer and help you out." Derek paused for a second as he contemplated how much he should tell her.

He decided that there was no need to hide anything. It wasn't like he was a secret agent. "Well, I just got out of the military. I served in the Navy. I was a SEAL. I decided that before I settle down that I would see some of this great country that I fought for. I have been hitching rides with truckers, and the last trucker lives in town. So, here I am."

She nodded as he told her about himself, "That's a bit daring..traveling around like that.."

Great response... she thought to herself. Just looking at him, she was sure he could take care of himself if he had run into any trouble anywhere. "So," Regina stood and held out her hand again, "Well, Derek...if you're fine with all this, then let me show you around." She pushed off the stack of bags and set her gloves on top and motioned him to follow her, "So, it's not much but there's a small room at the back of the house," she told him as they walked out of the barn and toward the house. When they reached the small room, it was equipped with a bed and small personal bathroom on the other side of the wall. When she had moved in, Regina had spent a long time cleaning up the whole house and making it livable. It was something she did as she got her life back in order and tried to forget about her past.

After that, Regina brought him inside to the main house, "Like I said, food is included and well, if you have anything in particular you like, let me know. I'm not a great cook, but I can make a few dishes," she told him nonchalantly.

Regina then showed him around the rest of the property, including the barn again. She introduced him to the two horses she had purchased, which she had aptly named Toro and Tesla. "Now, these two are what I know. At least somewhat...just meaning I took riding lessons when I was young." After giving them a pat, she leaned on the fence, "I've probably talked your ear off but do you have any questions or comments?" She asked.

Derek followed Regina toward the house. It gave him an opportunity to check her out, and she was even better than he had first thought. He half listened as she talked on their way to the house. He was more focused on her body which looked good even in work clothes.

When they got inside, he focused more on what she was saying. He looked at the room that he would be staying in and then followed her to the. Main house. "I am not a picky eater Regina. You do not need to make anything special for me. Whatever you are making for yourself will be just fine."

Derek walked over to the horses. "I have never been around horses, but I think they are amazing. I always wanted one when I was young but my mom worked two jobs just to make sure we didn't get evicted from our apartment." He extended a hand and began to rub the neck of one of the horses.

Regina could only smile at what he said about wanting a horse when he was younger, "Well, if you want, I could show you how to ride when we get the time.." she turned and leaned against the fence, placing her arms back on it, which jutted out her chest. "So, I'll let you get settled in and we can start tomorrow?" She said as she looked at him.

"In the meantime, I have to finish up in the barn and then I'll get some lunch ready?"

Derek watched her lean against the fence. It almost looked like she was pushing her breasts out toward him. He listened as she said that she would teach him how to ride if they had some free time. He liked the idea, but he thought she was just saying that.

"Let me dump my stuff and give you a hand. There is no need to wait until tomorrow, especially if you are going to make me lunch. I have to do something to earn the lunch." Derek went inside and dumped his bag in the room. He took off his jacket, because he figured he was going to be working up a sweat.

He went back outside and walked to the barn. When he got there he asked Regina what she was doing, and then he started grabbing the bags and carrying them over to where Regina had indicated. Once he started, he was like a machine. He was in a zone, and before long the bags had all been relocated. He looked to Regina. "Okay. What's next?"

Regina was able to move two more bags by the time Derek had gotten back from putting his things away. She started to say something to him about where and why she was restacking them but he had started to move them...of course he was faster than she had been.

When he was done, he asked what was next. Regina just shrugged and gave him a smile, "How about some lunch?"*

There was no real plan on what to do for the rest of the day but she did have some plans around the place that she had wanted to get done before the first big snow was to fall and according to the locals, that would sometime in the next month and a half.

Regina explained this all as she and Derek walked into the main house.

After sitting down to lunch, which consisted of probably one of the few things Regina could make and that was grilled ham with cheese and tomatoes, " So, how long have you been back and where have you traveled so far?" She asked after pouring them some iced tea.

Derek walked back to the house with Regina. He was a little disappointed that they were not doing more work. He missed the physical activity he had experienced while serving. The time he had spent traveling had been sedentary. He enjoyed being physical again.

He sat down and waited as Regina prepared lunch. When she sat it in front of him, he picked it up and took a bite. It had been a while since he ate anything that could be considered anywhere near homemade. Even though the sandwich was not gourmet, Derek thought it was delicious. "Thank you Regina. This is awesome."

As he chewed the sandwich, he heard Regina ask him about how long he had been back and where he had been. It was probably due to his SEAL training, but Derek did not share information about himself. He was uncomfortable talking about what he did. What Derek decided to do was just be very general. "I couldn't even tell you how long I have been back. Sometimes it seems like years. Other times it feels like days. As for where I have been, I think I have travelled every major highway of the continental U.S."

Regina listened to Derek. She nodded to what he was saying and felt that he wasn't saying a lot while talking. But it was OK, they had just met and not everything was something that needed to be shared. They were, after all, employer and employee. No need for things to get personal.

"Sounds great..." she said, taking a sip of her tea. "Well, I have a lot of things I do want to get done around here and for importance, I'm not too sure about how to prioritize or if something else needs work. I had one of the neighbors look through things with me but of course, I'm sure there is a lot more I've probably missed..."

WIth that, she got up and grabbed a list from the shelf in other room and came back to show Derek as she took a seat next to him at the table. "So, yeah...I'd like to be around to help in a lot of things.." for some reason, she didn't want him to have to do all the work and had wanted to help in some aspect. That and hopefully move it all along faster so that they weren't caught up in any surprises this winter.

"I hope it's not too much."

Derek watched as Regina got up and grabbed her list. His eyes moved over her extremely attractive form. When she sat down next to him, his eyes moved from her lap slowly up to her face. He made eye contact as she continued to talk. Then he looked down at the list.

It was a fairly lengthy list. He had no idea how to prioritize it. "Listen Regina. I have no idea what needs to be done first or if there is a specific order in which these tasks should be done. I do know however that I can get this stuff done, and get you set before winter steps in. I don't see anything that is too difficult."

"Well, I'm sure we'll figure it out... I can even ask around to make sure we're heading in the right direction," Regina said as she gave him a smile before standing up, "I would say the first thing to do is make sure the animals are secure and sheltered..."

She pushed the chair in and motioned for him to follow her back out since they were both done with lunch. "I work a few mornings in town and I'm usually back by 10. So I'm not sure if you'll be up when I'm making breakfast." It was funny thing to say seeing as how he didn't look like the type to sleep his day away. As they walked further back toward the property, Regina pointed out a few things from the list that needed to be fixed.

"Anything so far? Questions? Concerns? Sorry, I'm talking a lot..." She said with a smile.

Derek watched her get up and head for the door. His eyes went to her tight ass as he heard her talking about getting up early and making breakfast. "Well, I rarely sleep past 5. I usually don't eat breakfast. So, if you leave me an idea of what you want done each night, I will get up and get to work on it bright and early."

He followed her outside as she pointed different things out and just kept talking away. Derek was not a big talker. He was more about doing. "Tell me what we need to do to secure the animals Regina. I will get right on that." He was very anxious to get started. It had felt really good earlier when he was moving the bags....the blood was flowing. He wanted to get back to it again.

"Do we need to run new wire for the fence or do I need to dig holes for new posts? Whichever it is we should get to it to make sure that you do not lose any of your animals." He stopped and waited for Regina's reply so that he would know what he needed to do.

"I'm assuming so." She nodded as she smiled at him. He was certainly willing and ready to work. Regina liked that. "I have an account at McGill's he said he can order what we need or we could drive the three hours to the next town where they have more of a selection of supplies. It's up to you."

"I just want the animals to be safe, that's my main reason for needing help right now so like I said, if you have suggestions, let me know them. You seem pretty reasonable..." Regina said with a smile. It was true. From what she had seen so far, Derek wasn't in this for the money...at least not so much, but also he seemed ready to work and who was she to hold him back.

"I have a few bales of hay ready to be delivered later this afternoon, so that should be here soon.."

"Why don't you order the supplies that we need to do the fence. I will take care of the bales of hay that come in this afternoon, and after that I will start digging the holes for the new posts. That way, when the supplies get here we will be ready to start putting the fence up. For right now, we will leave what little fence there is up."

Derek walked toward the tool shed. He didn't know whether she had a post hole digger or not, but figured that, if she didn't, he would just dig the holes with a shovel. Every ranch had a shovel, didn't it? When he got there, he was surprised to find a number of shovels, a post hole digger and an array of tools. Regina's ranch was better stocked with tools than he anticipated. He took out a shovel and decided to start marking where the posts would go until the hay arrived.

Regina felt bad but Derek seemed eager to start and she watched him as he left the house and headed toward the barn. There were a lot of tools in there, she had made sure the farm was well equipped when she had bought the place. There was even a tractor, brand new, parked behind the barn. Why? Well, she figured a farm wouldn't be complete without one.

As she was going to finish up the dishes from lunch, her phone rang and she saw her mother's name and number pop up. 'Here we go....' Regina thought as she answered it.

And, Regina was right. It was about an hour of listening to her mother drabble on about her own life rather than show any interest in Regina's...at least until the very end of the call.

"Yes mother, everything is OK with me and no, I'm not coming back anytime soon..."

Regina listened to her mother drone on and on about why her only daughter needed to come back to NYC. There was a senator she had wanted to set Regina up with. He was a nice man.

"I'm sure he is..." Regina said to herself as she hung up.

Her mother would have a heart attack if she could see where and how Regina was living...in an old house that needed repairs next to a farm that was probably far better off than the house.

Finally, after being able to hang up with her, Regina grabbed a huge bottle of water from the fridge and walked out to where Derek had made a pretty good dent in the fencing. Walking up to him, she handed him the bottle of water.

"I talked with this guy, Phil and he and his brothers will be making the delivery before 4PM seeing as how they're running a bit behind today. But he said he'd talk with you and you both could talk about what supplies were needed for the fence. And then, we'll go from there. Sound good?"

Derek enjoyed the hard work. It made him feel good. First, he marked out where the posts needed to go. Then, he went back to the beginning, and he began to dig the post holes. It felt good to sweat. He missed the physical activity. He had a feeling that he was going to enjoy working for Regina.

He worked steadily down the line....digging a hole and installing a post, then moving on down the line. Before he realized it, he was nearing the end of the row. He stopped for a second and realized that it had been a while since Regina had come out to check on his work. He was surprised, because she seemed like the type of person that wanted to watch every step and make sure they met her expectations.

He dug the first couple of holes of the next stretch of fencing. After putting the posts in, he looked up and saw Regina approaching him. "Thanks for the water, boss." he smiled at her. "You have a lot of tools and supplies. I think you are going to need a few moe posts and then the barbed wire for the fence. I will measure it out before he gets here."

"OK, that's fine, just let them know what you need..." Regina said as she nodded and walked around slowly, looking at his work. She didn't know why she was doing it because for some reason, she trusted him. She, in reality, wasn't really looking for any flaws...she was just looking. He had gotten a lot done in the short time he was out there working.

It would be an hour or so before Phil and his son would arrive with the supplies so with a small gesture, Regina signaled for Derek to follow her. "It's only your first day Derek..." she told him with a smile, "Although I do appreciate it." They were walking toward the more inside of the property. Although the day was sunny with a small chill in the air, it still felt good. It meant that the brunt of the holidays would be here, as would the weather.

And from what Regina had researched, the weather wasn't something to brush off, especially concerning the animals.

"I just want to show you the rest of the property. I have a feeling by the time we're done, some of the general supplies will be here."

Derek enjoyed being outside in the fresh air and working up a sweat despite the cool temperatures. He noticed that his "boss" was walking around checking out his work. He wasn't sure if she was pleased by what he had done, or if she wasn't happy with it. She didn't say anything about it, so, he assumed, she was okay with what he had done so far.

He followed her when Regina signaled him to follow her. He grabbed the jacket that he had taken off, because he figured with the cool air and his sweaty body it would be a good thing to put it back on. He walked with Regina checking out other areas of the property. He wondered what a beautiful woman was doing buying a property like this on her own. Sure, he was certain that she was a hard worker, but there was no way she was going to be able to take care of all of this on her own.

Derek checked out the animals as they walked. There was something about animals that gave him peace. Maybe it was the fact that by their very nature animals were good...unlike a lot of people he had come in contact with in his life. "It looks like you...we....have a lot of work ahead of us. That is, if you want me to stay around and help you get ready for winter."

Regina listened to him and nodded. With a small smile, they came to a stop in the middle of the property, surrounded by trees and the sound of a small creek nearby. Brooks explored but never ventured too far from his owner's sight.

"Of course it would be great if you could stay as long as you can. But, I don't want to keep you from anything you might have planned in the future.."

Shoving her hands into her pockets, she shivered a little and let the quiet between them linger a bit before she turned and walked with him back toward the house and barn. Speaking softly, Regina didn't look at him as they walked, "Well, without sounding desperate, I would really like if you could stay. In all honesty, I can't run this all by myself and right now, it's too late to look for anyone else to help me. I've invested too much time and money in all this..."

Another few minutes of silence before Regina continued, "I'm recently divorced.... my ex-husband was cheating on me and despite not wanting anything from him, I was given a lot of money which I gave away after buying this place. I'm basically starting all over and this place...this place is going to keep me going. You see, ever since I could remember, I had this dream of owning a farm...but my family...my family weren't the farming type. Oysters and fine dining was more their style. Having grown up the way I did and marrying who I did, my mindset had always been elsewhere. I wanted to do something more meaningful besides give to charity."

"So this," she waved her hand to the direction they just left, "is my way of starting over... although, truth be told, I'm probably too old to be doing so..."

Perhaps it was a lot to confide so early but for some reason, Regina trusted the man beside her.

"But yeah...it's probably a lot to take in but I just wanted you to know and to answer a few questions you might have had...if any?