My dad frowned, his dark brows furrowing beneath his cowboy hat. “You sure, Queenie?”
“I’m sure, Dad.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Whit replied, coming to my side and squeezing my shoulders reassuringly. I knew she sensed my anger. The squeeze was nothing more than a silent,I got you.
Dad’s frown deepened a moment longer before erasing from his face entirely, an easy grin replacing it. “Alright. Dinner’s in an hour.”
“Don’t be late!” Georgette said with a wide grin. “Else you might just miss out on Isidor’s ceviche! It’s todiefor!” She flicked her wrist, that stupid ever-present smile bright on her face.
I wanted to punch that smile right off her. But I’d never been a fighter, so I offered her my brightest, fakest smile right back. I’d just kill her with kindness.
I waited until her and my dad retreated to the Gator and drove out of sight before turning to Whit.
“You okay?” she asked, her pretty face a mask of concern.
I nodded.
“Are we really going to explore in this god awful heat?” she groaned.
I chuckled. “No.” Even I couldn’t stoop to that level of petty just to avoid Georgette.
“Then what are we gonna do?”
Maybe it was the way Georgette seemed to talk down about the blind ranch hand, but something made me want to go introduce myself. “I want to go meet the ranch hands.”
And before Whit could offer up a question or protest, I started marching for the house beside the barn.
Whit came to astop a step or so behind me as I rapped my knuckles against the door to the bunkhouse in quick succession. “I wonder if any of them are hot,” she mused.
The door swung inward and my heart stopped.
The cowboy from the grocery store.
“Hello?” he said, leaning a tan, tattooed, muscular arm against the door frame while holding onto the knob with the other hand. His hat was off, but it didn’t take away from how drop-dead gorgeous he was.
I opened my mouth, but for the second time today, I struggled to find words.
“Look, I know you’re there, what’dya want?”
My eyes widened, a gasp escaping me. I realized he wasn’t looking directly at Whit and I, but between us. I just didn’t notice at first because his glasses hid his eyes.
“Oh—oh my God. You’re him…the um, well, you’re the blind cowboy.” I couldn’t stop the words that bubbled up my throat and fell from my lips.Oh my God. Talk about word vomit.
This was the guy Dad and Georgette had been talking about.
Something hardened on his face, a muscle in his jaw clenching. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he huffed, moving to close the door.
Oh my God. No. Why had I just blurted that out? “No. Wait!”
And even though it was completely indecent of me, I reached out and placed a hand on his holding the door. “Wait. Please. I’m sorry. That was completely horrible of me. I just… I was taken aback. I ran into you in the grocery store earlier.”
The harsh look on his face softened, and his head cocked to the side. He inhaled deeply, and a look of…surprise washed over him. “You’re the girl who was singin’.”
Chapter five
Ranch Hand
Hux
