Beau was the one who worked at the ranch, but he was dressed like a city slicker in the Southwest for the first time.
He wore a new straw cowboy hat and not-yet-broken-in cowboy boots, pressed, dark blue denim, a large, flashy belt buckle, an embroidered western button-down shirt with pearlescent buttons, and a cheesy bolo tie.
This was a new look for him, and it was ridiculous. If I cared, I’d tell him he looked like a bad movie studio’s idea of a cowboy instead of the real thing. But I hoped he choked on his stupid bolo.
Chapter 13
JAKE
The last few weeks had been some of the best of my life. Dani and I hung out daily as she helped me pull up the carpet and repair the flooring. The work went faster because she made it fun, too.
Sometimes, it felt like we’d never been apart. Our friendship picked up right where it left off. With most people, it took a while to let them in. With her, I was an open book. I told her all about Blair, my time in the military, everything but Katelyn. I was starved for a deep friendship and didn’t realize.
She felt the same.
“I’m so glad we’re both back here in Sierra Rose Ridge. It’s like when we were kids but better. We’ve seen a bit of the world and know we belonghere. I’ve been back a few years, but it wasn’t as good. Now I realize it’s because you weren’t here. There’s nothing better than this.”
She meant Sierra Rose Ridge, but for me, it meant her, too.
My libido finally got the message that Dani wasn’t for me, which made it easier when she traipsed around in her cut-off jean shorts and tank tops. Her back tattoo hadn’t made another appearance, but I hadn’t forgotten it.
“When did you get Diet Cherry Sparkle Soda?” she shrieked from my kitchen.
She spent so much time at my house that I stocked her favorite snacks and drinks in the fridge. It gave me a perverse pride to pay her back for what her family did for me.
Most of my days were full of hard work and good people. My mornings involved working on my house with Dani some days. Other days, I visited the local hot spots like the hardware store, the market, and the diner. I went by the winery for the first time and was impressed, and the gallery blew me away.
Many of my dinners were spent with her parents, and my friendships with them grew deeper. It was a pleasure to confirm that the people I idolized as a kid were exactly who I thought.
Work was more fun than I deserved, but I enjoyed it. I settled in at Dusty’s as though I never left, but I knew more about cars now and less about the people in town. Dusty delighted in catching me up on all the gossip I missed, and Calvin and Sparrow took turns giving me shit. It felt like home, only better.
“What are your plans tonight?” Dusty asked.
“Almost done with the floors at my place. Once I get them finished, I still need to remove that ugly-ass wallpaper. Why?”
“Sparrow and I are having some people over for dinner, and one of her friends specifically asked about you.”
“Oops, sorry, I forgot I have very important plans. It’s Friday night.”
Dusty’s eyes sparkled, but he held in his mirth. Mostly.
“Did you find yourself interested in a Friday night date?”
I shuddered in a dramatic fashion for his amusement.
“Let me guess,” he drawled, “you’re going to spend your evening at a bar with your nose buried in a book instead of enjoying your youth.”
“I don’t know why that bothers you so much,” I argued. “It’s not weird to read in a bar. I’ve done it for years all over the world.”
“I’m an old-fashioned guy,” he joked. “When I go to a restaurant, I eat food; when I go to a garage, I work on cars; and when I go to a bar, I drink.”
“I drink.”
“One beer. Calvin said when he saw you at the Tavern, you only had one beer the whole time he was there.”
I glanced at Calvin, who was embarrassed.
“You knew my dad,” was all I said.
