He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Exactly.”
“I would never want you to make a decision about staying on the ranch or not because of me,” she said, even though at that moment she would have given anything to know that he would be that close to her for the rest of their lives. “That kind of choice has to be for yourself so that you won’t look back and wish you had done something different.”
“How did you get to be so smart?” he asked.
“I’m not that little teenage girl who thought you hung the moon and stars and that the sun just came up every single morning to shine on you,” she teased.
“I’m flattered that you ever thought that about me but, honey, you aren’t that girl for sure.” His gaze started at her ponytail and traveled all the way down to where her toes rested under the clear water.
Her pulse had barely settled from the staring contest,and now it was racing again. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Can’t help it,” he said with a grin. “You are beautiful, but it goes beyond physical beauty.”
“Are you flirting with me?” Joelle asked.
“Tryin’ too, but I’m more than a little bit out of practice.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
“I don’t believe it for one minute. You are definitely not out of practice,” she whispered. She fought the desire to touch the place where his lips had been and see if it was as hot as it felt. Suddenly, she either had to get some space between them, or she was going to drag him back to the room and lock the door. She stood up, pushed off from the step, and did a complete lap with him right beside her the whole way.
“So, I’ve still got it?” he asked when she started out of the pool.
Joelle turned to face him. “Don’t ever doubt your effect on women, Ford.”
“I don’t care about other women. What about you?”
“You’ve still got it,” she said with a nod. “So much so that we better get down there on the beach with our crew so that we’ll have some chaperones.”
He stepped up out of the pool with water sluicing off him, and she was reminded of those Greek god statues. Oh, yes, sir, he still had it. No question about that—at least in Joelle’s opinion.
Chapter 8
Joelle sat in the last of five lounge chairs lined up close to the water on Sunday morning. Ford was in the chair next to her, then Sharlene, Billy Joe, and Nita. It hardly seemed possible that they’d already been there two whole days, and only had three more until they started home.
“I’m glad you thought of watching the sunrise this morning, Aunt Sharlene,” she said.
“If you decide to be a rancher, you’ll get lots of sunrises in your life,” Sharlene told her.
“And you will love every one of them,” Nita said.
“Yep, and if you make that decision…” Billy Joe said as he leaned forward and pointed at Ford. “You will thank the good Lord for everything he gives you. Whether it’s summer, winter, spring or fall, it’s a thing of beauty.”
“Right now, I’m just enjoying this one,” Ford said.
“‘One day at a time, sweet Jesus,’” Nita sang.
The other two harmonized with her through the first verse and chorus of the song. Joelle remembered the song well, but she just listened instead of joining them. Maybe that’s what she needed to remember themost—just to take one day at a time and not rush or expect anything from tomorrow, to just enjoy each sunrise and each sunset and be content with what you got done that day.
“Amen,” she said when the singing stopped and the first edge of the sun appeared on the eastern horizon.
“It’ll be coming up fast,” Billy Joe said. “Now we can have our breakfast.” He pulled a holder with five large cups of coffee and a box of doughnuts from under his chair. “Thank you, Ford, for driving down to that little shop and getting all this for us.”
“You are welcome,” Ford said as he handed a cup to Joelle.
All the feels were there when his fingertips brushed hers—the hike in her pulse and that extra little beat in her heart, the desire to have more than a chaste kiss on the cheek—but did she dare pay attention to any of it?
Nita grabbed a doughnut with sprinkles and a chocolate one as soon as Billy Joe opened the box.
“What’s your hurry,” he snapped.
