by Em Petrova
“I work from ‘I can’ till ‘I can’t’ every day, Dad.”
He snorted. “Who is she?”
Her name surfaced in Noble’s mind. Just thinking the syllables made him feel sore inside, like a toothache.
“They want me on the Blackburn, permanently.”
His dad looked up, and a smile crossed his face. “You’ve made me all sorts of proud, Noble.”
“Thanks, Dad.” He ducked his head to get away from the burning emotion rising in his chest.
“That ranch is the best of the best.”
“I know. Dad… did you ever think about getting your own spread?”
His father pursed his lips. “Sure. It’s every cowboy’s dream, but you can’t always achieve it.”
Noble’s tender hopes that hadn’t even totally materialized into a thought let alone a goal were crushed under a boot heel. Ranchin’ was hard work, and making it on his own without a nice chunk of money backing him was impossible.
Which meant he couldn’t have a place of his own for him and Gracie. Until now, he hadn’t totally affirmed that was going through his mind.
He was back to square one—if she wasn’t the second pick on the Blackburn, he’d never be able to keep her. She was wild and as free as any eagle soaring over the treetops. Without something to tether her… she’d fly away.
“Dad.”
He looked up.
“You don’t happen to know how far it is to the Dalton Ranch, do ya?”
* * * * *
Gracie perched atop the fence, one leg hooked over as she watched her brothers and cousins working with their new horses. From this vantage point, she was able to better see some of their methods that might help her on the Blackburn.
Jessamine sat next to her, sipping a bottle of water as she looked on and occasionally rooted for the horse rather than their relative.
“So are you gonna tell me what’s eatin’ at you, or do I need to force it out of you?” Jessamine replaced the cap on her bottle and turned her Dalton blue eyes on Gracie.
Huffing out a laugh, Gracie said, “How you plan on doing that?”
“Push you down and tickle you.”
“You know I despise being tickled.”
“Then you’d better just spill it.” Jessamine cocked a long, dark, manicured brow at her. Her sister was as country girl as they came—competing in all the barrel racing events she could come up with the entry fees for, and she was known for selling chicks to all the surrounding farmers since the age of ten. Just because she was countrified didn’t mean she was a hick, and she loved her trips to the makeup counter and nail salon as much as any city girl.
So as Gracie studied her sister to see if she was serious about shoving her down and tickling her, she didn’t know if the country girl wouldn’t mind getting dirty or Jessamine’s inner miss priss would hate to break a nail.
Maybe she did need to confide in someone. For weeks she’d been living with all men, which wasn’t a big deal to her at all—but she couldn’t exactly sit Vin or Timms down to discuss her love life.
Which she shouldn’t be having on the Blackburn in the first place.
She pushed out a sigh.
Jessamine reached over and cuffed her, and Gracie responded by shoving her sister’s shoulder so she rocked on the thin fence rail. She didn’t fall, though, and only shot Gracie a grin.
“It’s a man who’s got you so tangled up,” Jessamine said matter-of-factly.
Gracie arched a brow. “What makes you so sure?”
“Because I’ve never seen you like this. And since you’ve never been serious about a man your whole life, it’s gotta be it.”
Gracie met her sister’s eyes. Yes, she’d listen and could keep a secret far better than Kizzy ever could.
“It is a guy,” she said quietly.
“I knew it!” Jessamine screamed so loud, several of their cousins turned their heads to look at them. Witt and Beck shook their heads before getting back to business with the horses while the others continued to stare for a minute before resuming their work.
“Who is he? Did you meet him on the Blackburn Ranch?”
She groaned. “Yes. It’s all wrong, Jess.”
“Wrong how? Is he missing both arms and walks with a limp?”
Gracie rolled her eyes. “I’m glad to see you still think I can catch only the best men out there.”
Jessamine giggled.
“He’s all wrong because I shouldn’t be seeing him at all. I need to stay focused on earning that permanent position, but it just sort of happened.”
“What happened?” Jessamine gave her an expectant look. Loose hairs danced around her face in the breeze.
“We have this sort of… attraction that’s like two magnets when you get them near each other. We can’t seem to stop it from happening, and I fought it plenty.”
“Sounds like your chemistry runs high with this guy. What’s his name?”
“Noble.”
A smile spread across her face. “It’s a sexy name.”
Gracie groaned. “I fear for you, Jess. I thought your years of being boy crazy were behind you.”
“They are. But that doesn’t mean I’m blind, deaf or dumb. I know a hot guy when I see one.”
“You haven’t even seen Noble.”
“No, but you wouldn’t bother with him if he wasn’t somethin’ special, Sis. So what’s the issue? Are you guys getting in trouble all the time, slacking off on your work to spend time with each other?”
She shook her head. “We’re bustin’ our butts from before sunup to well after dark most days. There’s not much time, but the time we do have is enough.”
“Enough for what?”
“Just enough.”
A cacophony of dog barking came from the front of the house, rendering quiet confidences impossible for the moment. While Gracie waited, she stole her sister’s water and drank the rest of it.
The barking sounds were coming closer.
“What on earth has those hounds going so crazy? Is there an insurance salesman here or something?” Jessamine asked, twisting on the fence to look over her shoulder.
Gracie followed her gaze, and her stomach bottomed out.
She knew the set of those shoulders.
And that swaggering walk.
Even the hat tipped low in the front over his eyes.
She felt as if she climbed down from the fence in slow motion. The distance between them could have been a hundred miles. When she could make out his features, a grin spread across her face, and she couldn’t stop it.
“What are you doin’ here?” she called out.
He closed the gap between them in a few long strides. When he came to a stop, she felt that magnetism she’d spoken to Jessamine about.
Oh God. Jessamine was going to have a fun old time with Noble here. Gracie would never live it down.
She bit off a groan. Her brothers and cousins too. Even her uncle Ted would be on the teasing side of things, and Gracie wouldn’t be able to show her face around the homestead in the future.
“You don’t look happy to see me,” Noble said.
She shook her head. “That’s not true. I am.”
He ducked his head to get a better hold on her stare. “You sure?”
“I was thinking of all the flak I’ll be taking from my family.”
“Are you embarrassed of me? Want me to go?” He started to pivot away, but she caught his arm. The hard muscle under her grasp ignited her with a warmth that was all too familiar.
“Don’t go.” She swallowed hard.
“Can I at least kiss you hello or will some cousin come out and deck me?”
She chuckled. “Well, they might. They’re pretty protective of us girls in the family, seein’ how there are so few of us.”
“So no kiss.” His eyes twinkled.
“Maybe on the cheek.”
His brow shot up. “On the cheek. Okay.” He leaned in slowly, giving her time to run or react
the way she really wanted to. When his lips danced over her cheek to the corner of her mouth, she sucked in a gasp, and it was her who turned her lips into his.
The sweetness lingered between them, and she heard a whoop from behind and knew Jessamine was gawking at them.
Noble drew away and glanced over Gracie’s head.
“My sister. She’s a pain in the ass.”
His crooked grin had her heart soaring with happiness. He shouldn’t have come, but he had. While they hadn’t parted on the best of terms, with her avoiding him after the tiff they’d had, she felt ready to put that behind her.
He seemed to catch on to her serious thoughts. Grabbing her fingers, he looked into her eyes. “We okay, Gracie darlin’?”
“We still got some things to talk through, but yes. Besides, you’re here now. You can’t get out of meeting my family. I don’t blame you for running, though.”
“I got my truck keys ready if I need to make a quick getaway.”
She smiled and gripped his hand. “Come and meet this bird on the fence first before she bounces off. I can see from here she’s dying to meet you.”
When they neared Jessamine, her sister jumped down and looked between them, her gaze lingering on their joined hands.
“Hi, Noble.”
His eyes shot to Gracie’s. Yeah, she’d been talking about him, and now he knew it. Judging by the cocky crooked grin that tipped the corner of his lips, he liked the fact too.
“This is Jessamine, my younger sister. I have another sister at home.”
He stuck out a hand for her to shake. When Jessamine gave Gracie a pointed look, she hoped her sister wouldn’t say whatever was on her mind. No matter what it was, she was destined to embarrass Gracie by saying it aloud.
They turned to the fence and all three leaned their elbows on the top rail to watch their cousins and brothers work the young horses.
“Great setup,” Noble said with admiration in his deep voice.
“It is.” Should she tell him she’d hoped to take over as the financial manager here on the Dalton Ranch and had chosen the Blackburn just to have something to do? But how quickly her desires had shifted. She loved the Blackburn and how it challenged her.
But without Noble there, she wasn’t so sure she’d be as happy.
“Ford!” she called out to her oldest brother as he broke away from his task to give Cash a turn.
Ford spotted them and came forward, his walk rolling in that self-assured way all Dalton men had. He eyed up Noble, and for a moment, Gracie had a true panic, remembering all the times they’d tried to chase away her or her sisters’ boyfriends.
“Ford, this is Noble Watkins. Noble, my oldest brother Ford.”
They shook, a clashing of hard grips that was worrisome in itself. Then Easton came forward, and one by one the cousins drifted over to meet Noble.
Gracie held her breath, prepared to fight one or all of her family members over her choice of men.
It struck her that she was willing to, and that said a whole lot about her feelings for the man.
“We could use another guy to help out if you’re willin’, Noble. We’re down one since Justus is off on maternity leave.”
The family snickered collectively at the youngest of her brothers staying home with his new daughter and his wife.
“C’mon, guys, I think it’s sweet that Justus is so attentive. Give the guy a break,” Jessamine spoke up for him.
“Yeah, it ain’t like most of us haven’t been there with the first kid, huh, guys?” her cousin Witt added.
“Noble, you up for it?” Ford asked.
“Sure, I’ll help out.” Noble sent Gracie a look, and she could see the happiness in his eyes at being asked.
She squeezed his arm, and he shot her a wide grin as he launched over the fence and landed inside the corral.
Jessamine edged over to Gracie along the fence. “He’s definitely easy on the eyes, Sis.”
Gracie shook her head with a smile. “Is that all you think about—looks?”
“Nope. I can see he’s head over heels for you, Gracie May.”
“So… what do you think?” Gracie almost didn’t want to hear her sister’s response.
“I think you should hang onto that with both hands.”
“Really?” She looked out at Noble, who’d immediately thrown himself into working with the horses and fitting in with her family.
“Yep. Who else is gonna put up with yer stubborn ass?” Jessamine drawled.
* * * * *
Noble leaned back against the tree trunk and let out a groan.
Gracie, seated between his legs, laughed. “What’s that for?”
“I’m stuffed to the gills. That was the best food I’ve had in my life.”
She twisted to look up at him. “Really?”
“Yeah. My mom died when I was young, and Dad’s not much in the kitchen. I grew up on Hamburger Helper and frozen dinners.”
“What about the food on the Blackburn?” Her blue eyes were expectant.
“Well, the new cook’s good enough, but what your Aunt Maggie did with that spread will have me full for a week.”
“Or until tomorrow when you burn it off working again.” She nudged him with her elbow, and he gathered her close with his arm around her middle. Holding her back to his chest, he dropped his nose into her fragrant hair.
She fell quiet, and they looked out over the ranch, which had its own view to rival the Blackburn. He wasn’t shocked to find just as much contentment here as on the ranch where he worked—it was having Gracie in his arms that made it home.
“I keep changing my mind,” she said softly after a long while.
“What about?”
“After I graduated from the community college, I wanted to manage this place’s finances more than anything.”
He wasn’t shocked she had goals—the woman was driven, for sure. He was stunned to think of her wanting to be here with her family but not having the opportunity.
“What happened with that?”
“They never offered. I guess I’d been fooling myself a bit, thinking I could be another Dalton to live and work for the love of this ranch, but I was wrong. They have all they need, and I had to make my own way. When the opportunity came up on the Blackburn, I took it as a sign that I may find another place for myself.”
“But you’re not doing the work you trained to do. Does that bother you?”
She lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “I’m young and strong, and I love working outdoors. Why shouldn’t I do that for the time being? When I’m ready to change, somethin’ else will come up for me.”
“I admire your faith that the doors will open to you.” He wasn’t so sure he shared the same thinking when it came to himself.
Still, he had the chance to live and work on the Blackburn—it’d already been handed to him. But he didn’t know if he could take the offer without Gracie. A cowpoke’s job was relentless and gave little time for a personal life. He’d have to give her up, and there was no way he could.
He flexed his arm, drawing her nearer, and she rested her head against his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her temple.
“Tell me why you keep changing your mind,” he said.
“I’ve loved every minute on the Blackburn Ranch, and I can see myself enjoying that life. But coming back here only reminds me of my first love, and that’s hard to shake.”
He swallowed hard, fighting the urge to tell her what he already knew about Blackburn’s decision to keep him on. But Noble couldn’t hurt her.
“Where do your loyalties lie now, Noble?” she asked.
He held his breath a moment before pushing out a sigh. With you. Wherever you are, I’m supposed to be.
“You spent an entire day trying to prove you’re not good enough for the Blackburn. Why?” Tension rolled through her.
The moment with Gracie felt like a country song, moving from joys to worries and everything between.
“Graci
e.”
“I know you were trying to throw it all away. I just can’t puzzle out why,” she said.
“What if it isn’t what I want anymore?” he said near her ear.
When she turned her head, he spotted a shine to her eyes, like they were filling with tears.
“What if my goals have changed?”
She went still. “What are they now?”
“I only want to be with my girl. Wherever she is, I want to be.”
To his surprise, she gave a laugh, sounding clear and carefree. “I guess it’s time to tell you that I can’t be your girl, Noble.”
He flipped her across his lap, so her long legs stuck out to the side and she was clutched to his chest. Staring down into her eyes, he said, “I think we both know it’s too late for that.”
He kissed her. The passion rose up between them like a cloud they couldn’t find their way out of, and after twenty minutes of making out under the tree, she pulled away, panting.
“Say it, Gracie, or I’ll kiss you again.”
“I can’t be your girl.”
“That’s it.” He grinned and yanked her back in. It was dark before they walked back to their vehicles to return to the Blackburn.
Chapter Nine
“Dalton, you’re wanted up at the house.”
Her brows puckered as she turned to look at Vin. “The house?”
“Yeah, that’s what I was told.”
“By who?”
“Came down through one of the guys who went on an errand for Blackburn.”
“Okay.” She tried not to show her discomposure at this order, but inside she was freaking out. What would the ranch owner want to talk to her about?
“Head on up there now, Dalton.” Vin eyed her as she slipped from her saddle and led the horse on foot the rest of the way to the barn. She took care of the animal in short time, feeling pressured to hurry.
The hollow feeling in her stomach wasn’t letting up, though. She wasn’t going to lie—she was sweating over whatever was to come.
As she rounded the corner to head to the house, she saw Noble with another group, coming in from fence duty.
“Made good progress today.” The comment reached her.
“Better than the group yesterday. They musta been sleeping out in the field, for all the more progress they made,” someone else said.