I snorted. “You’ll survive. At least until after dinner.”
“What happens after dinner?” he asked, lifting a bottle of beer to his lips.
I glanced over almost shyly, watching the easy movement. “You’ll see.”
The steaks sizzled as I dropped them into the cast iron pan and I headed to the sink to wash my hands. When I turned back around, Tex handed my beer to me and our fingers brushed for a split second.
Something warm flickered through my chest.
I took the bottle. “Thanks.”
We ate at the small wooden table by the window, the one my dad had built years ago. Tex devoured his steak like a man who hadn’t had a real meal in weeks.
“Damn,” he said after the first bite, “that’s good.”
I smiled despite myself. “High praise.”
“Seriously,” he said. “If the ranch thing doesn’t work out, you’ve got a future as a chef.”
I chuckled, my heart feeling lighter despite the sorrow it held. “It’s just a steak, cowboy, calm down.”
After dinner we cleaned up, with Tex helping with everything from the dishes to taking out the trash. Later, we popped two more bottles open and stepped out onto the porch. Night had settled over the ranch, the air cool and quiet except for the distant sound of crickets. It was my favorite time of day, when everything was calm and a different world came alive. The moon shone down, fat and pretty, casting a yellow glow over the land, and I sighed.
Tex rested his forearms on the railing. “Pretty place you got here.”
I followed his gaze across the land. “Yeah, my parents sure loved it. I love it.” My voice cracked on the last word. “I don’t want to lose it, Tex.”
He nodded slowly. “We’ll protect it. I promise.”
The words were simple. But something about the way he said them made my chest tighten.
“Why are you doing this? You barely know me,” I said softly.
Tex turned his head to look at me and the moonlight caught in his eyes. “Don’t have to know you long to know you’re worth protecting.”
For a moment neither of us moved. The air between us felt heavier somehow, charged full of something I couldn’t name.
I thought I might kiss him at that moment—Lord knows my body definitely wanted me to, despite knowing it would be a very bad idea. Then Daisy whinnied from the barn, breaking the moment. I exhaled and leaned back against the porch rail.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “For today.”
Tex shrugged. “Anytime.”
But the way he looked at me said something different. Something warmer. Something that made my heart beat just a little bit faster.
“I’m going to be here until this is over, Rowan. I’ve got you and I’m not going anywhere.”
I nodded, unable to speak. Because for the first time since all of this started, I didn’t feel completely alone; but more importantly, for the first time, I was glad.
