Austin laughs. "Oh yeah. Definitely colder."
I catch Toby watching me out of the corner of my eye but when I turn to meet his gaze, he looks away as if trying not to get caught.
"Since y'all beat Lan, Star, and Red back to town, how about we go show you to your quarters and give you a bit of time to get settled before supper," Rhett offers.
"I'll do it," Toby volunteers, earning a surprised brow from Rhett and an amused but curious smirk from Austin. I don’t miss the knowing glint in Cora’s gaze either but none of it makes sense. Why is it funny?
Toby strikes me as a friendly, funny, down-to-earth guy. Very much a family man too, which I appreciate. Everyone I’ve met seems very close which is just like it was back at home too. It bodes good things because it might help with the homesickness I’m bound to start feeling if I end up staying here for a while.
"Supper'll be in an hour or so. Should give y'all enough time to settle in and freshen up after your drive," Cora adds before we wave them goodbye. She calls out something that sounds a lot like “slow and steady” to Toby as we head back to his truck but he doesn’t reply, just rolls his eyes and shoots me a careful glance.
“What was that about?” I ask, too inquisitive to let it go.
“Nothin’. Just Cora teasin’. She’s like the big bully sister I never had.” He grabs my bags and lifts them out of the back seat.
"I can do it, Tobes,” I say, reaching out for them.
"Know you can, Skippy," he replies. "But my mama raised me right and that means a woman doesn’t carry her own bags, yeah?” I nod, knowing this isn’t something to argue about. “Let’s go. Wanna show you the place before it gets too dark."
Instead, we start walking and it strikes me I’ve almost met everyone, but not quite. "Aren’t there another couple that live here too? I remember Red talk about another owner?”
"Yeah. That’ll be Lee and Colt. They visit during the holidays or when there’s a special occasion. They’re in Colorado for one more year so Lee can finish her veterinary trainin'. Then they'll move back here permanently,” Toby explains as we make our way to the bunkhouse. "They're good people. You'll like 'em. They’re younger than all of us but most of the time you wouldn’t know it."
I nod as I take in the beautiful surroundings on our way along a worn dirt path, past the barn and a surprisingly big log cabin as we go. In the distance I spot a long wood-paneled building which looks like my new home away from home.
"Do y'all live in the ranch house together?" I ask, wondering how many people live in the bunkhouse. I've only seen the one cabin so far and something tells me the Graham men wouldn't get along as well as they do if they had to share quarters.
“Ahno. That would be mayhem and a disaster. We’d end up havin’ to split the ranch up six ways if that happened.”Ah, so just like me and my brothers.“Red lives in the ranch house with his almost seventeen-year-old son, Wyatt. He’s gone to Anchorage this week but he’ll be back in a few days so you can meet ‘im then. Good kid though. A bit like you actually,” he says.
I stop and arch a brow his way. “Like me? So a loud, opinionated Australian/American with itchy feet andamazin’ taste in music?”
Toby snorts. "I meant in your way of thinkin’ that the world is a big place that needs explorin'."
Interesting. "Does that mean he doesn't wanna stay on the ranch like the rest of you do?"
Toby lifts his chin. "Doesn't seem that way. But it's his prerogative. We're not about keepin' people hostage or anythin'. Ranchin' and workin' the land is somethin’ that has to be in your blood. Your passion, you know?” I nod. “If it's not, it's not meant for you."
"I hear ya. Although my family have ranchin' and farmin' runnin’ through our veins instead of blood. We always joked that we were raised on dirt and grass so we were only ever destined to work the land. I’m the only one who leaves home to do it though. The rest of them are happy in Montana.”
“Bit like us then. Give us the mountain and the ranch and we’re happy.”God I like that. Universe–I think I’ve found my people.
“OK, so that's Red and Wyatt. What about Rhett and Cora?"
"Cora inherited the farm next door when her father passed, that’s what brought her back to Spring Haven. So they live there and we put in a private road between the properties to save time drivin’ between the properties," he explains, pointing toward the West. "It’s that way. Sunshine Farm is its name."
“Is it another ranch?”
He shakes his head. “They’re usin’ it for plants and fruit trees and the like. Cora is always comin’ up with new projects for Rhett. He may grumble, but we all know he loves it. So that leaves Austin, who stays in Rhett’s cabin back there while Lan and Star are on the road. When they’re home, he moves into the ranch house with Red since there’s more than enough room or the bunkhouse with me. That’s how it is for the moment. We’ve got plans to build more cabins soon since Star and Landry won’tbe on the road forever and with Lee and Colt movin’ back next year.”
I stop and arch a brow his way. “Does that mean you’re my bunk buddy?”
Toby coughs and splutters as he stares wide-eyed at me. “No. I mean, yes but no.”
I shoulder bump him. “I was jokin’, Tobes. I didn’t expect we’d be top and tailin’ or anythin.”
“Jesus,” he breathes, sucking in a choked breath. “We’re in the same buildin’ but separate rooms. There’ll be a spare between us that’s only used if we bring on casual hands durin’ the hay harvest. No need for you to worry about privacy and the like. We've had live-in hands in the past and they've never complained, I swear."
More than a little confused about his reaction, I reach out and rest my hand on his bicep, my breath catching at the jolt ofsomethingI feel when my skin touches his. “It’sOK, Tobes. I don’t have a problem about sharin' the bunkhouse facilities with you or anyone else. I'm used to it from workin' at other ranches, remember.”
