Page 7 of Pretty Little Scars
“You don’t have a bunkhouse?”
“No. I have several guys who work for me seasonally, but they all live in town.”
I nod and shuffle my feet.
Typically, if I were in such a small space with a man, I’d be ready to crawl out of my skin, but I’m not nervous right now. I’m cautious, but I think any woman should be when they’re in the middle of nowhere with a man they don’t know.
But I don’t want to run away, and that’s a big deal for me.
“Can we see some of the animals before we get my things?” I ask him.
“You bet, let’s do it.” He holds the door open for me, and I have to skirt past him. I move my shoulder to the side so I don’t brush against him and then sigh in relief when we’re outside and I can put a couple feet between us.
I’ve missed being around this man. There’s something about him that tells me that I don’t need to be wary of him, and damn it, I love the way he smiles at me. I don’t want to love it. But I do.
I hated quitting without telling him. He was the best part of working at Kay’s. I loved seeing him every week. He’s so fucking handsome, so funny and kind. Honestly, I missed him for a long time after I stopped working at the diner.
“When did you take over the ranch?” I ask, wanting to fill the silence.
“I’d been slowly taking over for a while, but my dad officially retired about three years ago. He moved into a house in town, and he’s seeing a woman, which shocked all of us. He comes out here now and again to help with things, but it’s not often these days. He’s enjoying retirement.”
“And how many siblings do you have?”
I like his voice. It’s deep, and he doesn’t talk too fast, like he has all the time in the world. I could listen to him all day.
“Two brothers, Xander and Easton, and two sisters. Ava and Harper. I’m the oldest.”
Ava and Harper. The irony here is, they’re friends of mine, like I said. And yet, I never realized that Tucker was the guy fromthe diner because I’d never met him. I just heard his sisters and my friend Juliet talk about him once in a while.
A heads-up would have been nice. Maybe I should get on social media so I’m not always out of the loop. It’s just ... I hate social media.
We fall back into step, and for the next hour, he shows me his horses, sheep, and goats, and then we ride out to the pasture in a side-by-side so he can tell me about his operations.
“It’s mainly a cattle ranch,” he says as he drives over the field. “We sell the cattle every year for beef. I also sell the goats and the wool from the sheep.”
I nod, taking in the beautiful scenery around us.
“Your horses are in excellent condition.” His barn isincredible. Clean, with new tack, and lovingly tended to.
That’s not always the case. Neglect is easy for those who are lazy when it comes to their animals. I’ve seen horses with hooves that are far too long, animals with injuries that were never tended to. It breaks my heart. But there’s none of that here.
“All of my animals are healthy and well cared for,” he replies and points to the cows. “This herd here is about half of what I have on the property. I have another herd in a different pasture, about two miles from here. We’ll go out to check on them tomorrow. Where did you go after you quit the diner?”
I blink at the quick change in conversation.
“I helped my sister with her wedding business for a while, and I was secretly taking college classes.”
“Secretly?”
I nod, keeping my eyes on the cows. Why am I telling him this? I never talk about my personal life with anyone, and definitelynotabout why I decided to go to college.
“I didn’t want my family to know because my brother would have tried to pay for it, and I didn’t know if it would work out. But it did. And then I went to Colorado to finish my degree.”
“And now you’re back.”
I nod and nibble on my lip, reminded that I lost my ChapStick. I need to buy a new one. “I didn’t think I’d come back ever again, aside from short visits here and there. I never planned to move home.”
He’s quiet for a heartbeat, as if he doesn’t like that last comment. I glance over and see his jaw tic. “Why not?”
