“Lemme get that for you, Miss Terry.” He took the rolling suitcase from her and the dog leash. She took Stacey’s hand, leaving Jake to wheel the large suitcase. “Good thing you came today and not last week. Had some big rainstorms. Thunder booming like the devil himself was laughin’.”
Terry chuckled. “Now there’s a saying I haven’t heard before. I have a feeling I’m going to love it here.”
He walked next to Jake. “Missed you.”
“Same,” Jake murmured. “Work’s been absolute hell, and all I could think about was leaving it all behind and coming here. Being with you. I can’t tell you how much I need this week.”
“Soon as you said you were even thinkin’ about comin’ I blocked off the time to make sure nobody else would book the ranch. Y’all will have my undivided attention.”
Jake’s simmering gaze was all he needed.
Once they were all settled in the truck and he was driving, Shea pointed out some landmarks along the way. After a while, he gazed in the rearview mirror and saw Stacey and Terry had both fallen asleep. Jake, next to him in the front seat, had his sunglasses on, but Shea knew he was awake.
“How’re you doin’, really? I’m looking forward to y’all bein’ here. I made sure everythin’s gonna be perfect for Stacey. She’s gonna have a blast.”
“I’m sure she will. It’s great to see you.” Jake lifted his sunglasses. “Not gonna lie, I haven’t stopped thinking about your visit.”
Shea’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Me neither. It was perfect.”
“Well, I don’t know if I’d say that.” Jake smirked at him. “Perfection means there’s no need to go any further and we might as well stop right now. I was hoping to see where we can take it. Make it even better.”
“That sounds like a whole lotta doublespeak to say you’re looking forward to spending more time together.”
“You could say that.”
Shea exited the interstate and took the main road leading into town. “I think I already did.”
Terry and Stacey woke almost at the same time, and Terry sat up, straightening her clothes and hair. Pride welled up inside Shea as it always did when the ranch house came into view, sending a twinge of uncertainty through him about leaving. He pushed it aside to think about another day.
“There it is. Forget Me Not Ranch.”
“Oh, what a beautiful place. Look at all the flowers and trees. It’s like living in a garden.”
Stacey’s face was plastered against the window.
“How long have you worked here, Shea?”
“Well, I became a ranch hand at fifteen, when my daddy thought I could handle it.” He remembered fondly how he’d gotten bucked off his first horse and his daddy telling him to get right back up. “Took years before he trusted me enough to run it with him. Been taking care of the place full-time for the past few years since my father got sick and passed.”
He stopped the truck and cut the engine. The front door opened, and Patty, Craig, and Johnny streamed out to stand waiting on the porch.
Jake stared at him openmouthed, a strange expression in his eyes. “Wait, this is your ranch? You own it? I thought you just worked here as head cowboy or something.”
“It’s mine. And my Aunt Patty’s. I don’t talk about it or treat my workers any differently than I’d wanna be treated myself.” He opened the driver’s side door. “Now do you wanna sit in here talkin’ nonsense, or get inside and have a cool drink and stretch your legs?”
He hopped out and opened the door for Terry, who took his hand with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Shea.”
“My pleasure, Miss Terry. Now don’t you fret about your luggage. The boys ’n I’ll take care of everythin’. Let me introduce you.” He tucked her arm in his. The dog jumped out and raced around them to get to the other side of the truck, where Jake was unbuckling Stacey from the booster seat. Shea had bought it last-minute when Bonnie told him he’d need it for the little girl to ride in his truck.
They mounted the steps to the wide front porch, and he said, “Everybody, this is Terry, Stacey’s babysitter. Miss Terry, this is my aunt, Patty Montgomery. These two cowboys slackin’ off here are Craig and Johnny. And this little princess is Stacey.”
“Well, hello, sugar. I hope you’re ready for a fun-filled week.” Patty bent to give Stacey a smile, and though the little girl didn’t let go of Jake’s hand, she nodded.
Patty treated her like she would any other child, giving her all the right attention but not too much, so as not to make her feel self-conscious. “So lovely to meet y’all. Now come inside.” Patty replaced Shea’s arm through Terry’s with hers. “I have some fresh pecan pie and coffee waitin’. I figure we’d have it on the back porch.”
“Let’s get the luggage and put them in their rooms, fellas. Terry and Stacey will be in the double-room suite, and Jake will be in the VIP suite.”
“Gotcha. That’s sure a pretty little girl he’s got there,” Craig remarked as they unloaded the pickup. “And a dog too. Looks like a ready-made family.”
