And for once, there’s no animosity coating our interaction. “You’re welcome.”
“Can we grab a drink this week?”
I only hesitate a moment, swallowing down my resentment before I respond.
“Okay.”
Then I hang up.
Sitting here in my truck, staring at the past, I can only wonder what future it might hold.
Chapter 17
River
“You’rereallynotgoingto tell me where we’re going or why we have a big ass trailer behind us?”
“Boss, sit back and relax.” Gray brings our woven fingers to his mouth, pressing a kiss to each knuckle before leaning over, puckering his lips in my direction. There’s no denying him, so I give him the kiss he’s asking for quickly before he can crash.
It’s not much longer before he pulls onto a private drive with an overhang showcasing Kettman Ranch. He expertly navigates the rough dirt roads before stopping beside an enormous field full of cows. Excitement brews inside me, thinking we’re here to pet the cattle or just lounge with them.
“Grayson, thank you for coming on such short notice.” A man stops at his open window, tipping his cowboy hat my way.
“No problem.” Exiting the truck, Gray shakes hands with a middle-aged man before lifting me out of the passenger side. “Bill, this is my girlfriend, Dr. River Thompson.”
“Nice to meet you, pretty lady.”
“You too.”
“Alright, this way. We’ve got them separated out for you. I know we said fifteen, but another deal fell through, so how do you feel about forty-one?”
“Excuse me?” Gray questions.
“Not gonna charge you for them, but it would be a big help if you’d take them,” Bill relays matter-of-factly, not even bothering to slow his uneven gait. Likely the consequence of a unilateral hip replacement that left his leg lengths uneven.
“I, uh.” Gray’s eyes find mine before he looks back at Bill and nods.
Leaning into Gray’s side, I do my best to keep my voice low. “Did you just buy forty-one cows?”
“Technically, only fifteen.”
“Who is going to take care of so many?” I’m genuinely panicking. I’ve been helping Gray every morning, but I’m no ranch hand. I’m barely of any assistance at all.
“Don’t worry. I hired a few people full-time, and I thought you might like having some more cows at home with us.” Emotions flicker behind his gaze, almost as if the confidence in his tone doesn’t match his actual disposition.
My mouth opens to say something more, but I don’t know what to say.
I’ve never met someone as selfless as Grayson Garrison. This man just rescued a bunch of cattle because he could. No, he did it for me, too.
I’m lost in a daze as Gray and the other ranch hands load up as many of the cows as they can in the trailer. He’ll need to come back for another trip, but most of them are coming home with us today.
“Did you really buy those cows because of me?” I ask as we make our way back to Gray’s ranch.
“Partially, yes.”
“But why?”
“I told you. I thought you might want to have more cows at home with us.” There’s no inflection in his tone. Just the relay of the same explanation he’d already given me.
