“You two having a staring contest?” she asked, and Jake jumped.
“No, just discussing ranch business. Apparently, I have to go straighten the bank out, because I can’t shoot a gun or drive a tractor.”
Liz gave him a strange look and then turned to Tanner, who’d made a face when Jake had spoken. She walked up to him and looked him right in the face, which surprised Jake. She obviously wasn’t afraid of his temper.
“Tan. What’s going on with the bank?”
“Inheritance papers state he has ownership of everything, including the accounts,” Tanner replied, and slammed his truck door. “I can’t sign payroll for next week unless we get this shit figured out.”
Liz swore under her breath. Jake realized he needed to step up, because Tanner being a jerk aside, payroll was one thing you didn’t mess with.
“I’ll deal with the bank so I can sign payroll, with your help. I’m no stranger to business books.”
Tanner looked up at him. His shoulders dropped a little and he nodded. “Go get changed out of those ridiculous shorts and come back here to the office when you’re done. I’ll show you what we do so you’ll know what to discuss with the bank.”
Chapter Eight
Liz looked between the two men, Tanner striding away to the barns and Jake turning toward the house.
Well, now. It was one thing to have Jake own the place silently for the moment, but to have the accounts and responsibility for pay taken from Tanner? Ouch.
Liz fell into step beside Jake, watching him fiddle with his phone and earbuds, serious thoughts clouding his face.
“How’s it going?” she asked, to break the mood that had settled over him, and he looked over at her, then back at the path ahead of them.
“Well, apparently all my stuff arrived in town, and I have to go get it, Rosy is deathly afraid of me, your brother thinks I’m useless, I have the finances of this place to get sorted out, and I am going stir-crazy with no coffee shops and people.”
“So, it’s goin’ well, then,” she drawled, wanting to pull him out of the spiral he seemed to be sinking into.
He laughed, and she liked the crinkles that appeared at the corner of his eyes, the way he relaxed his shoulders. She laughed, too, and he stopped on the path, turning to her.
“Yeah, pity party of one over here. I’m just not quite sure what to make of all this yet. I’m worried, tired, restless, and I don’t do well without the city noise. It’s so quiet here, sleeping is—”
“You’ll get used to it. Weaning season is soon. Trust me, you’ll wish for the quiet of the city after two days of cows bawling.”
“You don’t say,” he replied, raising an eyebrow. “Noisy, huh?”
“Oh god, yes. It took me a couple of seasons to really get used to it when Mom and I first got here. You don’t remember any of this, at all?” she asked, suddenly wanting to know. He had a tie to here, and she wanted him to remember it, make some good memories, so that maybe he would visit once they got it all sorted out and he went back to his life.
“No. My first memories are of concrete, the local park with the broken seesaw, and our third-floor walk-up apartment,” he replied.
He certainly was interesting, his life so different from theirs, growing up in a place she couldn’t even imagine, or want to be in. But he seemed to be adaptable, and she hoped it meant he would like it here. It had hit her last night, listening to him talk to Brady and her mother, that she was warming to the idea of him being here for the near future. He was fun, easy to talk to, which was reminding her how much she enjoyed talking that wasn’t just pleasantries. She wanted to discuss things. Debate, or if not that, at least feel like the conversation was worth something.
Brady really seemed to like him, her mother was looking brighter since he had arrived, and the food was certainly better too. Rosy was a good cook, but her food was bland and carb heavy.She cooked to Brett’s tastes, which had been simple.
Liz also decided she liked looking at Jake. He was easy to watch, fluid and controlled with his movements, both in the kitchen and walking beside her now. There was a power and stillness in him that a lot of men hadn’t harnessed at his age that was really sexy. Whether it was to control himself, or was just his way, she didn’t know yet.
“I was three when Mom left here with me. I saw a picture of me once, I think it was winter, and I was standing on the front veranda of the house here, I assume. I’m in some terrible one-piece toddler snowsuit, with a massive beanie on, clutching a bear. It’s the only picture of me that mom took before we were in New York.”
“Toque,” she said, grateful for the small admission of his past from him. His voice was light, so she went with it.
“What?” he asked.
“Toque. If you’re going to live in Canada for a while, you need to learn the terminology. What you folks call a beanie, up here us locals call it a toque.”
“Ridiculous,” he muttered, humor in his voice, and they continued walking. “Anyway, no, I have no memory of this place, and my mother would never talk about it other than to tell me it was hell on earth.”
“Is it?” Liz asked, immediately regretting asking such a personal question. She wanted him to say no. She wanted him to say he really liked it here.
