“What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing since you’re on my property.”
Her scowl was adorable.Not exactly a reason to wish it away.
“Your powers of observation are better than your social awareness.You’re aware it’s only eight in the morning on my day off.”
He glanced at his watch.It was already seven forty-five.He had no idea how long he’d been working, only that the sun was fully overhead and a bead of sweat had formed.The only thing he did know was that this woman had not only interrupted his work but had outed him last night, ruining his reunion with his former friends and neighbors.
“Not yet, it ain’t.But thanks for the update.”
He felt her glare as hot as the sun would be come noon.If the warmth reflecting off the hard dirt, the lack of biting chill in the air was any indication, this was going to be a warm one for spring, unseasonably so.He smiled, the knowledge of weather tracking still thrumming through his veins despite years—decades—of relying on an app for the same, albeit less reliable, information.
“Allow me to rephrase.What the actual hell are you doing hammering away at this dead wood before the rest of the world is awake?That machine sounds like it’s run by the devil himself.Can you please cut it out before you wake everything from here to Bozeman?”
Jace gestured to the sounds of a tractor coming from the base of the hill, then over to the west, where someone could be heard whooping at a horse or cattle or some other animal that sounded as if it was being ornery.
Their farms were close together thanks to a split of property that had the houses butt up against one another.Back in the day, it probably seemed like a good idea, but now it was a liability.
“Seems likeyou’rethenot normalone, still worried about sleep at this late hour.Wanna hand me that pail?”He waved at the small pail he’d been tossing metal scraps into.
She scoffed but handed it over.“You’re a cocky jerk, you know that?I thought cowboys were supposed to be respectful, but maybe that’s just the real ranchers.Not guys who play them on television.”
With that, she spun on her heels and sped off toward his neighbors’ place.He was amused at first by her fire and sass, even if the words did sting.He had a retort ready.But the sound got stuck in his throat as his gaze met her backside sashaying away.
Jesus, she was stunning.The only thing more beautiful in his estimation was the land that was infecting him on a cellular level again.
Like cancer, his brain conjured.Maybe.He put the hammer down and sat down in the detritus of his work.Damn, he felt good.Tired, but good.Not at all like he was sick.The opposite, in fact.
“Well, this is interesting,” he muttered.A breeze blew over his skin, cooling him.“I hear ya, Dad.Got your message loud and clear.”
He’d stay, for a little, at least.
He shot Cammie a text.
“Hey.Send me the info on the job we talked about earlier, but can you clear me from any press stuff for the next two months?”
It might take longer, but that was fine; he’d handle the extension then.
The only issue he foresaw was wanting to go back to the city at all, especially that city.He’d never felt at home in LA unless he was off set, surfing Huntington, or up the coast near San Luis Obispo, exploring the coastline and wineries with equal excitement.Hollywood, on the other hand, was as much a character as those it created, with its bougie cupcakes and coffee, fake tans, bodies, and smiles… The list was endless, and he needed a break.
This is more than a break you’re considering.This was a deep dive right into the shallow pool of his childhood.But maybe it was just the thing he needed to shake things up.He could always leave again.
His phone buzzed.
“You got it.Whatcha got cooking, Jace?Anything I need to know about?”
He shot off a reply.“Not yet.I’ll keep you posted.”
In the distance, the low-pitched squeal of gears grinding picked up speed, then the grumble of a motor joined in as it begrudgingly woke and roared to life.That sound—the echo of machines and chaos—would be at his place tomorrow.He’d hired a crew to demo his dad’s old place, then make a new home that would draw the eye of a potential buyer.
Jace pulled up the digital copy of the plans, and his heart thumped out a tattoo of longing.No matter what happened, he wasn’t going to live in it, but with tall, wide windows framing the peaks behind the fields the new owners would run, he wished he would have the chance, even for a little while.The ranch-style home he’d designed had an open floor plan and more light, more comfort packed into it than physics should allow.It would be a thing of beauty.
He gave himself a mental shake.Of course it would.But it wasn’t his own mind he needed to convince; it was that damned Aurelie from the night before.He was building a place no one in their right mind would want to tear down.
His phone rang, interrupting the peace of the moment.He wiped his brow and swiped open the call.
“’Ello,” he said, grabbing his coffee mug and frowning when it came up empty.
