“And he’s—“ I hesitate because now I’m dangerously close to private territory. ”—good people. He’s… stable. He’s a capable man.”
Jace eyes me like he’s trying to measure my motive. “You’re suggesting him because he’s familiar? This is much more than a corral or a cow dip we’re talking about.”
“No,” I say quickly. “Not only because of that. He’s competent. He knows the land and our needs better than anyone. He’ll do a great job because he respects the ranch and us.”
Ava smiles at me with all the sisterly warmth in the world. “I’m with Ella. Cole seems like a solid choice.”
“Besides,” I add, because practicality is my armor, “he needs the work. His divorce settlement put Dawson Construction in a precarious place. If we give him the project and he does right by us, then he gets paid and we keep the work local. It’s a win-win.”
The room hums with the sound of people making calculations far faster than any spreadsheet. Dad looks at me with something like pride.
“Ell’s right,” he says, voice steady. “If we want to keep the ranch’s heartbeat in the right direction, we help the people who respect this place.”
Zane grins, clapping his hands. “All right then. We’ll consider Cole first.”
Dad nods, satisfied. “Good. I’ll give Cole a call this afternoon. Tell him to come by.”
Wait. What?
I choke on absolutely nothing. “Come by? As in… here? Today?”
The table quiets for a second, everyone turning to look at me.
Dad raises an eyebrow. “Yes, where else would he come? I want him to get this plan in motion as soon as possible.”
“Oh,” I croak, but it sounds like someone wrung that syllable straight from my lungs. “Right. Makes sense. Perfect sense. No problem at all.”
Ava leans in. “El… are you okay?”
“Me?” I squeak, then clear my throat. “I’m fine. Completely fine. Absolutely fine. Why wouldn’t I be fine?”
Zane snorts. “You said ‘fine’ four times.”
I glare at him. “Some of us process things verbally.”
“Oh sure,” Beck says. “Verbally. And red in the face. And suddenly unable to blink.”
“I blink just fine,” I snap, then immediately over-blink like a malfunctioning Christmas light.
Dad gives me that dad-look, the one that can see right through every façade. “Ella, sweetheart, you suggested him. If you don’t want him taking the job, say so.”
“No!” I say too fast. Way too fast. “I absolutely want— I mean— I think— it would be good for the ranch. For him. For everyone.”
Dad nods slowly. “Then what’s the problem?”
The problem? The problem is that Cole Dawson is coming here. To this house. To my space. With his broad shoulders and worn hands and gruff voice that slides under my skin too easily. The problem is that it’s been a month since we… collided, and I’ve been pretending I can breathe normally whenever his name echoes in my head.
The problem is that I am not normal around him, but all I manage to say is, “Nothing. No problem at all.”
Dad studies me for a beat longer but decides to let me keep my secrets. “Good. Then it’s settled. I’ll call him after lunch.”
I exhale in surrender, slumping just slightly. Maybe this really is for the best. Maybe being thrown into the same space will ease this knot instead of tightening it. Maybe helping him will help me.
I don’t want to jump the gun, but maybe sometimes, offering a man a hand brings you closer to what you want.
And what I want, God help me, is Cole Dawson.
4
