Chapter Seventeen
Hunter swiped his arm across his forehead as he checked the harrow. The darn thing had picked up a bucket on his trek across the field, and he’d had to kick it loose.
“Stupid … Stubborn …” He kicked again, and the twisted blue plastic fell to the dirt. Looking around, he found a shovel tucked into the tractor cab, and he used it to get the bucket out from under the implement before returning to the cab and starting the tractor back up.
The temperatures were dropping all across the state, but when he worked, he barely noticed—except in the mornings when he could see his breath. Then it was hard to ignore that winter was well on its way. He had a love-hate relationship with winter. The days were short, and the herd needed extra attention and watch. But with Zoey in his life, having longer nights where they could snuggle up and watch movies sounded like a great way to spend the season. His dad always joked that winter was good for his marriage; Hunter was starting to see why.
He continued to plow up the field closest to the house, racing against the short fall season to get everything done before the first snow. Not that Old Man Winter would dare make a snowy appearance before the end of the Harvest Festival, but stranger things had happened.
A minute later, he caught sight of a trail of dust coming up the driveway. Zoey’s rig moved slowly, and she waved at him. He checked his phone. Darn it! He was late for their date again. That was the fourth time since the barn dance that he’d been so caught up in working that he’d fallen behind.
When the cows had gotten out, Zoey had come over spitting mad. She’d quickly cooled when she’d realized the situation. Since then, she’d been accommodating to his life on the ranch—another testament to the way she’d fit in around here. As much as he liked to plan, he’d learned that livestock didn’t give a pumpkin pie about his schedule. He’d adjusted to having to-do lists. Those worked well and were manageable.
He turned the tractor toward the house and parked next to the barn. He opened the door, and a smile engulfed his face at the sight of Zoey unloading Cher Bear. She loved that horse, and the fact that she continued to bring him on their dates—more than any other horse—spoke to their close relationship. She cooed to him, rubbed his neck, and showered him with affection that was almost enough to make a man jealous.
“Hey there, beautiful.” He came up beside her and pressed a kiss to her cheek, breathing in her scent. Tonight she was part honey from working the honey booth and part garlic bread—probably from whatever Cash had brought them for dinner on their shift. His stomach rumbled since he’d skipped dinner to work on the field. Thankfully, it wasn’t loud enough for Zoey to hear. “Are you ready to take a ride?”
She nodded, avoiding eye contact. “That’s why I came over.” She smiled at him and then hurried around to open the tack room.
Hunter watched, unsure if there was a bite to her statement or if it was just him. Yes, he was supposed to pick her up—but she’d figured out that he wasn’t ignoring her, just busy.
Jud and Wynn pulled up and stopped quick, sending a dust cloud washing over the truck. The kids cheered in the back like it was great fun. Jud laughed. Wynn smacked his chest, a wide smile on her face. They all piled out, bringing a cacophony of noise with them that made Hunter laugh to himself.
Jud stretched. As an electrician, he often had to climb into attics and crawl spaces—or in some cases hang from the ceiling in order to install fixtures. “Looks like we’ll be using the indoor arena soon.”
The kids ran around the truck and headed to the barn.
Wynn sighed. “Where do they get their energy …?”
Hunter glanced up at the sky, grateful that tonight it was clear. He and Zoey were going to look for the missing horses, and the longer they could stay out, the better the chances that they’d find them. If he didn’t bring them in now, he wouldn’t be able to get back up there for a few days, and despite his assurances to Zoey that the Dalmatian would be fine, he was worried about her running around with that rope on her neck. She could easily get caught on a fallen tree branch or between two rocks and not be able to get to water or food. He had a lot riding on that horse—his whole business’s future—and he needed the peace of mind that came with seeing her healthy.
Wynn caught sight of Zoey and waved. “Are you joining us for riding lessons? The kids would love to time you around the barrels.”
Zoey blushed. “Not tonight. Hunter has a plan.”
Wynn held up both her hands. “I won’t get in the way of a Hunter-plan.”
“What does that mean?” Hunter asked.
“Buddy, when you get your mind set on something … not even a brick wall could stand in your way. Although I’d sure like to seehertry.” Wynn winked at Zoey and headed for the barn.
“I’m not that bad,” Hunter protested.
Jud slinked off behind Wynn as if he’d rather not be caught in this conversation.
Whatever. They were just teasing him like any Westbrook would. He’d always gotten flak for being more organized than the rest of the family.
“I’ll grab Penny and be back in a second.” He could saddle in less than five minutes—which he felt was a saving grace today, because he was already behind
Zoey lifted the hand holding the brush in acknowledgment. He hurried to the barn to saddle, a frown on his face. Zoey was usually more talkative. Was there something bothering her that he didn’t know about? It could be that her head hurt. Maybe he should offer to cancel their ride and take care of her. But then … When would he get the horses in? Ugh! Maybe he should just ask her what she thought.
“You’re chipper,” said Wynn.
“I got a night of sunset horseback riding with a beautiful woman—why wouldn’t I be?” Hunter fired back.
Wynn chuckled. “Not even going to try to protest or pretend you aren’t totally into her?”
“Why should I?” Hunter lifted a shoulder. He took Penny’s bridle off the hook and stepped into the stall.
