Tentive title: Hayloft Lovin'

Chapter 1
It was another holiday season set to celebrate with out her parents, without the man she loved or the pitter patter of small feet running through the house waiting on Santa. It had been 5 years since Brad and Amanda Harrison perished in a plane crash flying over the Rockies, Stormy had grieved all she could and seemed to be fine the rest of the year but come the holidays it seemed to start again. She hated being in the house all alone; not having anyone to help decorate or bake for. There was a choice, she knew it, there was one man and one man only who had stole her heart, but they couldn't get it together. He thought of her as a sister not a girlfriend or even a wife and that was what hurt her the most.
The decision came after long hours of thinking finally she set herself down, signed in and set up her profile; '5'7, 125 lbs, fiery red head with sparkling green eyes seeking good hearted country boy who knows his ways around a ranch, horses and rodeo's must know how to treat a good hearted country girl.' Hitting enter she watched the ad post to the internet dating site. It felt like an end of era she couldn't believe she finally broke down and done it but she was tired of the lonely life on the ranch, she wasn't ugly by any means but it was hard when she knew all the men, they either worked for her or worked for her neighbor Curtis Lowe. The ranch house was quiet as she went to the kitchen for a beer before settleing in to do the payroll and decide when to do her Christmas shopping. Gifts were always bought for her ranch hands and the foreman Tom who had a beautiful wife and 2 great kids that she loved to spoil; this year she planned on getting them the wii that they were looking forward to. The beer in hand, the computer waiting; she got comfortable in her dad's overstuffed leather chair she started to do her payroll the sound of the telephone brought her out of her stupor. "Hello, hey cowboy, sure I can be there in 5 minutes." Sighing she hung up, slipped on her boots and headed out the door into the light snow that had started to fall.
Curtis was waiting for her when she pulled up, he took her breath away. The 6'2" frame leaning in the doorway drinking hot cocoa smiled at her her. Stormy couldn't help smiling back, he was gorgous. Black hair that was a little long, he usually kept it cut but he hadn't done it so far, he body was tight and his eyes felt like they were reaching her very soul, one thing about Curtis, he was a typical cowboy and one of his best traits was his cowboy butt and crooked smile. Stormy wasn't surprised when he walked down and helped her out of the truck. "Thanks I really appreciate this, I went and bought that program after you told me about it and I can't get the damn checks to print." Showing her to the office, he watched her settle in behind his big oak desk, he felt an ache deep in his soul because she fit so perfectly with his life. "If I don't get these cowpunchers paid their liable to string me up by my toenails." A soft masculine laugh escaped him making Stormy smile. The fix only took a few minutes, the checks were printed ready for him to sign and Stormy was getting ready to leave. "Would you like something to drink?" Shaking her head she thanked him and walked to the door.
"Okay cowboy, I'll tell you what, if you have problems just call me, I can always come over and help okay, of course if you have a date don't call so I wouldn't want to intrude." Another laugh made her look up at him. "What is so funny?"
"If I have a date I can be certain you will be the first to know." Walking her out to the truck he lifted her in with ease and kissed her cheek, a thank you of sorts but also a wanting of more.
Stormy seemed to attract arguments like honeybees, this argument was on going between friends, embroiled in a stand off with her friend Rachel who was against her using the internet to date instead of breaking down and telling the man she loved how she felt. "Do you remember the day on the school bus when he became your knight in shiny cowboy boots?" Remember, she'd never forget that's the day she told her mom that she would marry him when she was older. "What happened to the dream?" Stormy was done with this on going argument; it was never ending with her.
" Yes Rachel I have feelings for the stubborn mule across the fence line, have since I was in 1st grade, but he only see's me as a little girl, he doesn't see me as a woman," Slamming her coffee cup on the counter she glared at her best friend. " I'm tired of hoping, waiting and needing so I am taking matters into my own hands, I'm going to try to move on. Now tomorrow I will be meeting Jeff for the first time and I'm sorry if your not happy about it, I guess your just going to have to cry on Billy's shoulder, now please I have a ranch to run." Stormy held her head high and walked out; knowing Rachel would be cussing her for a good while.