I laughed. “No. Don’t think she would, but she did come out to try her hand at ranching.”
“True,” Brady answered as he cocked his head. Then he turned to face me. “What’s your girl up to today?”
My back tensed. “My what?”
He snorted and walked toward the house. “Don’t give me that. You think I’m blind? I’ve been watching you.”
I looked away and dropped back so I didn’t have to meet his hard gaze. “I’m sure Summer’s helping Rue.”
“Talk to her after lunch, see if she wants to jump that mare of hers and put on a show for Marlene. Girl’s good.”
That was the strangest request I’d ever heard him make. We never did things around here for show, not ever. Brady had always been very vocal about the fact that this was a working ranch and if people wanted to come here to work, then that’s what they did. “Okay.”
After lunch, I caught up with Summer while she was folding laundry.
“Hey, Posh.” I leaned against the doorjamb and tried to stay cool even though I wanted to kiss the tendrils of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. Goddamn, but I needed to get over this… crush or whatever the hell it was, pronto.
She glanced up and set a fluffy white towel on the stack. “Hey, Scary.”
My gaze roamed over her and I didn’t hide my interest. She ignored me and kept folding laundry. “Brady wanted to know if you’d work Aria this afternoon.”
She frowned and stared at me. “What? Really?”
I shrugged. “Not sure what he’s up to, but we can’t put Marlene and those kids on horses and move the cows yet, owing to the coming storm. I think he’s worried they’re going to be bored.”
She put both hands on the washing machine. “And he wants me to ride?”
I shrugged, like Brady’s request shouldn’t have come as a surprise. “You’re something else, you know that, right?”
She scrunched up her face in that adorable way of hers and then fidgeted. “I guess.”
I stepped into the laundry room and then I couldn’t help it any longer—I had to touch her. I settled my hands on her hips. “You’re an amazing rider and you’re even more amazing to watch.”
She stared straight ahead and I didn’t pressure her for a comment. She leaned into me, her shoulder on my chest. “When?”
I lifted my fingers to her neck and massaged the cords of her muscles. “He and I have to work on the baler all afternoon, so anytime you want.”
“What are you two up to in here?” Rue barreled into the room with an armload of sheets, startling us both and sending Summer scuttling away.
“Oh, um, nothing,” Summer responded right away while I shook my head at her to let her know she was anything but stealthy.
Rue shoved me out of the room. “You two are going to steam up my dry laundry.”
I moved back to the door and gave her a wide grin. “Well, we wouldn’t want that to happen!”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Summer
The barn was empty and I stood at the end of the alleyway for a minute and just breathed in the horses. I brushed Aria and saddled her, then took her out into the warm sunshine, eager to soak up the sun before the rain decided to come back again. When I took her into the arena and warmed her up, she was collected and behaving perfectly.
I petted her and stopped in the middle of the arena.
It was one of those perfect days. The air had that mountain crispness to it, even though the sun was high and the air was warm. I’d grown to like it here a lot, and not just the people. I really liked Colorado. There was a feel here; that laid-back-productive one. It was weird since I wasn’t from here but somehow I felt like I belonged, like it was home.
Aria must have felt the same way too, because she was less and less like her usual high-strung self. I reached down and stroked her mane, letting it flow through my fingers. “These ranch horses rubbing off on you?”
She snorted and shook her head.
I leaned forward to tell her my secret. “Because the ranch boys are definitely rubbing off on me.” Even if my time with them was limited. The more I thought about the impending end to the summer, the more bummed out I became. So, I shelved my depressing thoughts and focused on Aria instead.
Her ears flicked back and forth and I squeezed my lower leg into her, pressing her up into a canter. We made a few more circles and on the last one, I noticed Marlene and her family standing at the fence at the far end of the arena, so I broke into a trot and worked my way over to them.
“Good afternoon.” Marlene seemed like she was in a good mood. The kids were looking a little frayed around the edges, like maybe the ranch was softening them a bit too.
“Hi, everyone.” I halted Aria by Gracie and she asked if she could pet her.
“Of course.” I loosened the reins and Aria sniffed and snorted her way to some pets and even a carrot. The twins crawled up on the fence so they could rub her ears.
“Brady said we get to watch you jump today.”
I grinned. “If that’s okay with you?”
“Absolutely,” Marlene said. “We’re excited to watch you. This has been a great trip so far—and very relaxing—which we all needed.”
“I’m glad.” I reached down and petted Aria’s neck.
Marlene took a step back from the fence. “Don’t let us keep you. When Brady told us that you were out here riding and that we could come watch, we were too excited to wait.”
I gathered my reins. “Actually, we’re all warmed up and I was ready to head to the fences.” I looked at Max’s twin, Marcus. “Can you open the gate for us?”
He puffed up like I’d asked him to carry the royal crown and lifted up on his tiptoes to undo the latch on the gate, then swung it open wide enough to drive a tractor through it. We trotted through and Aria and I both flipped our switch into competitive mode. Her ears perked forward as we got closer to the jumps and I sat up straight, connecting every possible point between our bodies and wiggling my fingers so I could feel her mouth through the reins.
Marlene and the kids took a seat on the leftover bales of hay that Jake had put beside the arena and I forgot about everything beyond the jumps. I forced Aria to take a circle so I could mentally ride the course one last time, then I moved her toward the first jump.
We sailed over the makeshift jump like it was the Olympics and we had everything on the line. I loved that we rode like this every time. Aria didn’t phone it in, and neither did I. She clipped a pole on the last jump, but it stayed up. I sat back and grinned, then gave her a giant pet on her neck. “Good girl.”
Marlene and the kids were clapping and I glanced over, a little startled to see Jake and Brady standing behind them. A blush crept up my neck and I trotted a circle to gather myself before I headed over.
“That was fantastic!” Gracie said, standing and clapping heartily.
“Thanks.”
Jake winked at me and Brady gave me a nod. For him, that was high praise and I basked in it.
Gracie petted Aria’s nose and I slid off. “Do you want to ride?” Aria was being so good that I knew she’d behave, even with a less experienced rider.
She glanced at Marlene. “Can I, Mom?”
Marlene arched her eyebrows. “Will she be okay?”
I nodded and pointed toward the arena. “We should go back in there though.”
I handed the reins to Gracie and let her lead Aria in. Brady walked off and Jake stepped closer, resting his hand on the small of my back. “You’re freaking fantastic.”
I smiled as butterflies swarmed my stomach, but not the nervous ones that I got before jumping. But these butterflies were reserved for Jake alone. He made me lose the ability to think. As we stood there, looking at each other, I was suddenly afraid he was going to kiss me. I saw the thought cross his face too, then he dropped his hand and took a half-step away.
“I have to go back to work,” he said quickly. “You working tonight?”
&nb
sp; I nodded, still mute and swirling from the emotions of the last few minutes.
“If you’ll save me a piece of Sharon’s chocolate mousse pie, I’ll give you a lift.”
I touched his arm. “I’d like that.”
He winked and walked away as I turned to Gracie, who was eager for her first lesson. “Make her walk a circle so you guys can get used to each other.”
She was beaming from ear to ear and the boys headed to the roping box to make dirt moats and castles. Marlene and I leaned against the fence. “Thanks for letting her ride. She’s a big reason we came here. She loves horses, but it wasn’t something I’d had any experience with.”
“She’s a natural.” It was true. Aria was doing a good job of taking care of her, but Gracie had quiet hands and a natural seat. If Marlene and her family were staying longer, it would have been fun to give her lessons.
Marlene crossed her feet at the ankles. “You are an amazing rider. Do you compete?”
“I used to.”
“And now?”
I shrugged and bit my lower lip. I wasn’t sure I should tell Marlene that I was barely scraping by now. “Who knows?” I said with a quick laugh. “I’d like to compete again someday though.” I smiled wistfully.
“You’re good enough that you should definitely keep that dream alive.”
I straightened, too embarrassed to keep talking. Competing was something from another life. I was lucky that I even still had Aria now. “I’ll go help Gracie.”
“Sorry if I pried.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t. I’m happy to talk about it... I just don’t know what’s next for me.”
“Aren’t horses pretty expensive?”
“Yes,” I answered with another sigh. “But I guess you can’t help loving what you love, right?”
Marlene nodded as I walked away, suddenly feeling sad all over again.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Summer
After an uneventful dinner, Jake dropped me off at the café with a quick kiss and a promise to be out front, waiting for me as soon as I was finished with my shift. I hurried in and got ready for my shift. The place was already buzzing with ranch hand chatter and a smattering of families.
I was no longer a nervous wreck and I was getting better at the waitressing thing. If Sharon hadn’t saved my ass on a daily basis that first week, I would have been totally screwed by this point. It was good to have made a friend outside the ranch. Not that I was sure if I really had any friends at the ranch. Rue was helpful but she was more of a mother-figure than a friend, and Brady was just stubborn and fiery. Marlene and the kids were nice, but they’d be gone in a day or two.
I thought about Jake… was he my friend? If not, what was he to me? I didn’t know. I mean, I knew I could trust him with details about me and my life, even though I hadn’t really told him much up until now. But there was also so much more to our strange relationship than just trust. I wanted him—more than I’d ever wanted another man before. I thought about him constantly and when I did, I felt hot all over. Something that felt a lot like… love. Or maybe this was just lust?
“Hey, Bug,” Sharon said—shortening the nickname she’d given me. She was standing at the counter, waiting on a cheeseburger.
I said hello as I grabbed an apron from the hook just inside the kitchen. Then, I slid my order pad into the front pocket and walked onto the floor to start my shift. We were jam-packed for the rest of the night and I barely got a chance to catch my breath. I’d say one thing about the café, it was baptism by fire. I’d either make it or die trying. Sharon didn’t have time to help me but I managed to keep my mistakes to a minimum. Everyone was in a good mood and the beer and tips were flying.
Things finally settled after an hour or so and I was able to excuse myself to the restroom for the first time that evening, then through the backroom for a fifteen-minute breather. When I walked back in, there were only one or two customers left and I caught a glimpse of Jake’s truck as he pulled into the parking lot. I waved at him and motioned for him to come inside so we could have a piece of pie before we went home. Chocolate mousse pie was Sharon’s specialty and in high demand so I’d had to tuck two pieces beneath the counter during the rush. I’d almost thought Sharon wasn’t going to let me, but she just winked and teased me about spoiling my cowboy.
The front door bell chimed as someone walked in. I glanced over to see Sharon seating the guy in my section. He’d be my last customer and then I’d be off for the night. I didn’t get a good look at him—just saw him from behind, but there was something familiar about him. The way he walked—or should I say strutted—to the booth. His stride was purposeful and confident.
He turned around to face me and once I saw his face, the past collided with my present and my stomach sank.
It couldn’t be.
I looked him over again and tried to figure out if my mind was playing tricks on me. Was it possible?
He was tall, broad with salt and pepper hair and dark brown eyes, dressed in slacks and a button down just like…
But it wasn’t possible! I was thousands of miles from Connecticut!
The man turned around again so that his back was facing me. As I approached the booth, the front door opened and Jake came in. I turned to look at him and he took off his hat and smiled that irresistible smile of his which usually sent butterflies streaming through my stomach. This time, though, there weren’t any butterflies because my stomach was currently in knots.
Jake seated himself in the booth in front of the stranger whose back was still facing me.
“Good even...” I started as I turned and faced the booth. The words didn’t completely make it out of my mouth.
“Good evening, Summer. I’d heard I might be able to find you here.”
It really was him. My throat constricted and I forced myself to swallow and play it cool. “Bill. What, uh, what brings you here?” I didn’t know what to say to the man whom my father had done business with for over a decade. A man who was twenty years older than me and yet that had never stopped him from coming onto me every chance he had.
“You are what brings me here,” he answered in that deep voice as he scanned me from head to toe, his gaze settling on my bust.
“I don’t understand.” I felt like I was going to throw up.
“Let’s discuss it over drinks, shall we?” he asked but then seemed to notice my uniform. “Or do you work in this… establishment?” he finished, distaste written all over his face.
“I work here,” I answered with a frown. “And I’m just about to get off.”
“Well, let’s make this quick then,” he responded as he stood up and took a few steps toward me so as to ensure we didn’t have any eavesdroppers. “Your father owes me a lot of money.”
“My father is dead, as you know, Bill.”
He smiled at me curtly. “Yes, I’m well aware.”
“So why are you bothering me with this information?” I felt like I wanted to throw up. Not only did I feel like I wanted to throw up, but there was also red hot anger building deep inside of me. How dare he bring the stain of my past here, somewhere I’d gone to escape!
I could feel Jake’s eyes on me.
“I’m bothering you with this information in order to get back the money he stole from me.”
I steadied myself and said in as even a voice as I could muster: “I can’t help you with that.”
“I think you can.”
Jake slid out of his booth and came toward us. I was suddenly scared to death that he would overhear something he shouldn’t.
“No. I can’t. I have nothing to my name,” I whispered, my jaw and lips tight.
“And whatever my father did, that was on him. I had nothing to do with it.” I had nothing, less than nothing! Daddy Dearest hadn’t left me a dime to my name. I’d lost everything and this bastard had the gall to come here and demand I make good on my father’s mistakes? I crossed my arms over my stomach.
“Is this man bothering you, Summer?” Jake asked as he frowned at Bill who stood eye level with him.
I looked down at my cheap tennis shoes and shook my head. I didn’t know what to do.
“This doesn’t concern you, whoever you are,” Bill said.
“If it concerns Summer, it concerns me,” Jake answered, his eyes narrow.
“Okay, then if you must know,” Bill started as he cleared his throat. “Miss Sellers’ father owes me money and seeing as how he’s dead and can’t answer for it, she can.”
“No, I can’t,” I insisted.
Bill turned his narrowed gaze on me. “Do you or do you not have a horse that’s worth a pretty penny? A quarter of what your father owed me, to be exact.”
My body completely tensed. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t take Aria away from me. Not after I’d lost everything else. “Y-You can’t have my horse. Aria’s mine.”
Jake placed a hand on my shoulder as he faced Bill. “You get the hell out of here; you’re not welcome here.”
Bill’s neck and face turned bright red as he glared at me. “Your father owed me money and the way I see it, that responsibility is passed down to you,” he announced. “And because I’m a good man, I’m willing to negotiate taking whatever you have that’s still worth something.”
“I don’t think you heard me right,” Jake said, stepping in front of me. “Get the fuck out of here. If I see or hear you bothering her again, I won’t be so polite.”
Bill gave Jake the once over and started for the door. Just as he was about to leave, he turned around and said, “Good thing your old man killed himself. At this rate, if he were alive, he’d probably wind up murdered by now, owing money like he did all over town and to all the wrong people.”
I couldn’t bring myself to look at Jake. I felt the tears as they exploded from my eyes and I ran to the bathroom. Once I was inside, I just made it into the stall before I vomited.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Summer