Page 61 of Roping Her In

Hailey laughed with him, slipping her hand into his as he led them through the cars to the next row over. Music spilled out of the barn up ahead, and it was clearly not the first time this ranch had hosted a dance—or a lot of people.

“Oh, Elaine texted right before I left,” she said. “Colt got us a table at the orchard bistro, but she’s wondering if we could do a triple date.” She looked over to Jake to judge his reaction. He seemed to have plenty of friends here on the ranch, and he’d definitely loosened up in the past several days since the ice storm.

“Who with?” Jake asked, and he sounded a bit more reserved now.

“Her and Colt,” Hailey said. “And Trap and Lila Mae.”

Jake’s hand in hers relaxed. “Yeah, that’s great,” he said. “I know Colt and Trap—and Elaine, for that matter.”

“I’m good friends with Elaine and Lila Mae,” Hailey said. “I know Trap pretty well too, because he’s at Feline Friends all the time. They’re all really fun.”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun,” Jake said. They neared the barn, and the second event Hailey wanted to invite him to slid right down her throat. She reasoned she had plenty of time to talk to him about the branding extravaganza at Shiloh Ridge.

Heck, he probably already knew about it and was planning to attend. Her mind turned to Elaine’s wedding, as she’d really like a date to that too, but Jake led her into the barn, and her thoughts scattered.

“Wow,” she said, coming to a complete stop just inside the door, the same way Jake had done in the road. “They must’ve been working on this all day.”

White lights had been wrapped around the rafters of the barn, and the whole thing glowed in a cheery, merry way. Red and pink paper hearts hung from lengths of twine overhead, turning slowly whenever a breath of chilly February air dared to make its way inside.

Long tables lined one wall, with white cloths spread across them, each one decorated with glass jars full of roses, carnations, and sprigs of greenery Hailey hadn’t seen in Texas for a while. One held several clear containers of red, pink, light blue, and clear liquid, and everything screamed festive.

Even the support posts had been dressed up with wide red ribbons, and someone had swept the floor until hardly a trace of hay or dust remained. Round tables filled the edges of the barn, leaving the center open for dancing, and every chair had been tied with a soft pink bow.

The place still smelled faintly of wood, leather, and horses, but those familiar ranch scents mingled with warm cider, hot chocolate, and something buttery that had been recently baked.

Hailey smiled as she took it all in, and she leaned even further into Jake. The barn didn’t feel cavernous tonight, as it had on some previous times she’d come here to get supplies. No, this emanated warmth and carried a welcoming vibe, like everyone at the ranch had worked together to create a place where people could come inside, shake off the winter, and remember they belonged to one another.

“Come on,” Jake said. “Let’s go get something to drink.”

The dancing hadn’t started yet, though a lively country song played from the speakers at the end of the food tables near the back of the barn. Rusty stood there with Finn, and Hailey felt like she’d entered a new world right here on the ranch.

Laughter traveled through the barn, rising above the music, and Val came over and said, “Howdy, Jake.”

“Hey, Val.” Jake shook his hand and clapped him on the back without letting go of Hailey’s hand.

“Howdy, Val,” she said, and he leaned in and swept a kiss across her cheek.

“It’s good to see you guys.” He edged over as Beau joined them, his wife Charlotte on his arm. She too wore a dress, and Hailey exhaled a breath at the sight of it. Hers seemed to have glittery gems in it, and she stood like a queen at her husband’s side.

Bennett McPherson and his wife, Ellie, came with them, as Beau and Bennett had been working the ranch side-by-side for decades now.

“Hey, you two,” Charlotte said. “I’m glad you came.”

“Yeah, Jake sometimes hides out in his cabin during events like this.” Beau grinned at him, and they did the half-man-hug Jake seemed to give to all his cowboys.

He chuckled. “He’s not wrong, but he’s also the one who told me to take the time to myself if I need it.”

“He hides out sometimes too,” Bennett said, and Jake hugged him hello as well.

“And you should.” Beau turned his beaming smile on Hailey. “Has he told you how much I want to hire you after you graduate?”

She grinned at him, then looked at Jake, a mini-conversation happening between them. “A little bit.”

“Oh, brother,” Jake said, grinning. “Here we go.”

“What does that mean?” Charlotte asked.

“Hailey loves hearing how awesome she is.”