Granger slung an arm over my shoulders, giving my upper body a small shake. “How about we finish out your tour? Have you seen the main house yet?”
I shook my head. “Just from the outside when I arrived.”
“Perfect,” he drawled. “We can go get ourselves some lunch from Tallie before we head back out.”
Granger guided me to a different exit from the barn where his bluepickup was parked. As we pulled around to make our way to the main house, I noticed that Tucker’s F-150 was nowhere in sight, and something about that tugged at my heart.
It made no sense. Granger already confirmed Tucker wouldn’t be firing me over something like this, so why was there a sting behind my ribcage when I realized he’d really left me behind? I knew nothing about this man. Not really. From the way the other hands talked about him and the respect I’d already witnessed, he had to be somewhat of a decent guy.
So then what the fuck had that been in the barn? If it wasn’t my overly friendly gesture, what was it? Was it me?
I chewed on my lower lip, oddly unsettled at the idea of Tucker not liking something about me. Normally, confidence wasn’t a trait I lacked, but I felt like I was walking on a tightrope, swaying back and forth while I tried my best not to let the high winds knock me to my death.
On the short drive to the main house, I resolved regardless of what Tucker thought of me, I’d prove I was an asset he couldn’t afford to lose. Granger rambled on the whole time about Tallie and her apparently famous cooking to the point I was half convinced this man was in love with the woman. But when we stepped into the mudroom just off the kitchen and a plump, elderly woman with warm ochre skin and graying raven-colored coils appeared, wiping her hands on a dish rag, I was reconsidering my assessment.
“Now, who’s this?” Tallie, I assumed, gave a warm smile as she propped both hands on her wide hips. “A new man appears on the farm an’ I wasn’t made aware?”
“Tallie, this is Jackson Arness. He’s joining on to help us through foaling, so obviously our first stop was to bring him by to get introduced to your cooking.” Granger sent me a wink as Tallie tittered a girlish laugh.
Despite everything, it brought a genuine smile to my face as I took my hat off to greet her. “Ma’am.”
“Ain’t no ma’am here. I’m Taloulah but call me Tallie. Come in,come in. I was just puttin’ the finishing touches on the chili.” She waved us in, and as we followed her around the corner into the wide, open kitchen, the savory smell of cooking meat and fragrant spices warmed my insides.
“Ooh, Tallie.” Granger rubbed his hands together as he walked to peer over her shoulder while she stirred a pot. “Spoiling us yet again. Weston will be pissed he missed out on chili doing fencing duty.”
“I’m leavin’ a bowl for Weston to heat up tomorrow,” Tallie responded, flicking Granger’s hand as he attempted to lift a towel off a covered basket. “No snacking, mister. Conrad will have your hide if you take his corner piece of corn bread again.”
I leaned against a nearby counter, letting the homely vibes seep into me. I’d been raised in a fairly close family unit, but they were cattlemen at their cores. Growing up, I traveled with my parents as they herded and cared for thousand head stocks in the middle of nowhere. The starry sky and a sleeping bag near a crackling fire were my bedroom, which sounded thrilling in theory, but it was no place to raise a kid.
The horses we rode had always been where I’d gravitated. They were my companions when it got lonely, surrounded by a bunch of hardened men and their wives. Sure, there were kids to play with when we got back to the ranches, but they were being raised to repeat the cycle, and I’d always wanted… more.
A steady place to rest my head at night. The same four walls when I woke every morning. A husband or wife who wanted to put roots down. Three or four little munchkins who’d attend their local schools and never wonder if the friends they made would be there for two days or two months.
“Here, blow, and tell me if it needs somethin’.”
The spoonful of chunky meat, tomatoes, and kidney beans was offered to me, smelling of heaven and all things good in this world, but I still scrunched up my nose with a teasing smile. “Beans in your chili?”
Tallie made a sound of mock horror as she pulled the spoon away. “You can just starve then.”
My shoulders shook with laughter as Granger practically begged Tallie for the bite. “I’m just pulling your leg! Everyone knows a good cowboy chili has beans in it.” I sent her a wink for good measure.
She gave me a somewhat disbelieving assessment from the corner of her eye before offering it again, much to Granger’s dismay. “Thank your momma and papa for making you so pretty, ’cause otherwise you wouldn’t be gettin’ away with that lip.”
“Now, Tallie, that isn’t fair! He doesn’t deserve anything after being a little shit!” Granger all but whined.
Once I had the utensil in hand, Tallie smacked Granger’s chest with the back of her hand. “No cussing in my kitchen.”
Even though he stood a good three inches taller than her, Granger hung his head, looking every bit like a scolded child as he huffed out an annoyed breath. I couldn’t help but grin.
The flavors that exploded over my tongue when I slipped the metal spoon into my mouth had all my earlier worries melting away. I slumped back against the counter, letting my eyes slip closed as I savored every second of the rich, seasoned meat and the spicy tang of the chili. Even the kidney beans were perfectly tender.
“I’m sorry for ever even thinking of being disrespectful, Tallie. Please accept my sincerest apologies,” I muttered, licking the spoon clean after swallowing, “and please fill me a bowl.”
Tallie’s lips twitched in a smile she fought to hold back. “Help Granger set the table, and maybe I’ll consider feeding you.”
Bowls and utensils were stacked on the nearby kitchen island, which both Granger and I quickly scooped up. I followed behind him as we passed through the doors into a room with a massive farmhouse table. There were enough seats for fourteen people to sit comfortably, but I followed Granger’s lead, setting the table for eight.
“Shouldn’t we be putting out more than that?” I asked once all the dishes and utensils were laid out.
