Everyone else was still talking, and Alyssa struggled to catch up with the conversation. Especially when Cora looked at her and asked, “How about you?”
Alyssa blinked and wished she’d been paying more attention. Dare squeezed her hand. “Cora was wondering if you had any siblings.”
“Oh! Sorry. No, just me. I often wish I did, though.”
Cora nodded. “Same here. That’s why I’m always telling these two that they’re lucky to have each other. Even when the sibling dynamic gets complicated.”
“How’s that?” Alyssa was truly curious.
“Our oldest brother, Flynn, is the bossy one,” Dare offered.
“It’s true,” Grey agreed. “Until recently, he and I didn’t get along well. Thankfully, we’ve mended fences now.” He leaned over and kissed Cora on the temple before pointing to Dare. “And then you’ve got the grand peacekeeper here.”
Alyssa turned her attention to Dare. “Really?”
Dare shrugged and looked like he was going to object, but Grey continued.
“Trust me. He’s always been the mediator between whoever is arguing, whether it’s me and Flynn, Flynn and our mom, or even me and Cora. He may be the youngest, but he’s been the one who felt compelled to help fix other people’s problems.” Grey chuckled. “He should’ve been born a white knight, so I guess a cowboy is a close second.”
A hint of red traveled up Dare’s neck and into his ears. He put his free hand on the back of his neck and shook his head. “You exaggerate, brother.”
“Maybe. But not by much.”
Dare’s embarrassment was nothing short of cute. The sudden instinct to lean over and press a kiss to his cheek nearly had her doing exactly that.
* * *
“I think it’s almost too hot for a campfire.” Alyssa fanned at herself and took several large steps away from the fire pit to sit on a wooden loveseat. “There we go, that’s better. I can feel the breeze here.”
“That’s like saying it’s too cold for ice cream. It’s never too cold for ice cream, and it’s never too hot for a good fire and some s’mores.” Dare handed her a piece of chocolate and joined her on the loveseat. It was small enough that sitting next to her also meant their arms brushed against each other. He reached for her hand and cradled it in his. “Are you having fun, though?”
“I am.” She tipped her head in Noah’s direction. He was playing with another little boy whose parents were staying at the ranch. The two of them had been having a lot of fun together all evening. “I don’t think Noah will want to go home.”
Dare couldn’t blame him. He didn’t want them to leave, either. In fact, he was thoroughly enjoying spending so much time with the both of them. The only thing better would be if he could sneak in a kiss or two, and there was still time to find those moments. He hoped she was enjoying the evening as much as he was. “Have you been able to not think about job stuff tonight?”
“Mostly.” She smiled as she turned her pretty head and looked at him. “You’re certainly making it a lot easier.”
“Good.” He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a kiss on the soft skin of her wrist. “I have every intention of this being the first of many.” He meant it, too. “You know, this right here is partly why I wanted to work on a ranch. I love the clear skies, clean air, and the easier way of living.” He motioned to the people around them. “What’s one thing we’re not seeing a lot here that we’d see in almost any other setting?”
He watched as she tugged on her earlobe with her free hand, deep in thought. She had no idea how adorable it was when she did that, or how badly he wanted to kiss her and then nibble on that same earlobe.
“Cell phones,” she finally said.
“Yep. Oh, people have gotten them out to take pictures. But in general, almost everyone has chosen to be here with the purpose of getting away for a while. It’s good for all of us to do that occasionally. And for people like me who get to live here permanently? I guess I feel really blessed.”
Alyssa leaned into his arm a little. “Is this where you plan on working indefinitely?”
“Nah. One day, I hope to own a ranch of my own. But for now, I’ll soak up every bit of information and experience I can get here.” Dare let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “What about you? What’s your future look like?”
“I wish I knew. I truly love working with plants. I like being outdoors and creating beauty where there was none before. But I do wish I could work for a company that was more stable. Worrying about what’s going on with my boss puts a bit of a damper on the joy I usually take from doing my job.” She released a heavy sigh. “Then again, anyone else wouldn’t be as understanding about Noah as Ben has. I’m not sure there’s a clear answer.”
Dare suddenly envisioned himself married to Alyssa and owning a place of their own. A place where Alyssa could run her own landscaping business and work on her own terms. He could see everything so clearly, it was almost scary.
He’d hoped to marry one day, but for so long, it’d only been this vague idea. Now, he wondered if it might be within reach. The beautiful woman who leaned her head against his shoulder was someone he could see spending the rest of his life with.
“I wish things were easier for you, too.”
Alyssa remained silent, seemingly content to remain where she was. Her honey shampoo drifted on the breeze around them.
Suddenly, the area was filled with the sounds of a fiddle and clapping. Mr. Buchanan expertly played a tune everyone was familiar with, and before long, several couples were dancing in the open area near the fire pit. Dare saw Grey and Cora join in the fun.
His mind made up, Dare stood and extended a hand to Alyssa. “May I have this dance?”
She placed her hand in his and rose to her feet. “Of course.” He led her to the same area where everyone else was dancing, put his right arm around her waist and drew her close. “I apologize in advance if I step on your toes.”
Dare looked into her eyes. “You can step on my toes any day of the week.”
Two dances later, laughing and out of breath, Dare escorted Alyssa to a nearby table to get some cold water to drink. That’s where Mrs. Buchanan found them, a smile on her face. “I’m glad to see you two having fun.” She tipped her head toward the stables. “You know, if you take a walk out that direction away from the fire, you’ll find the view of the stars is absolutely breathtaking.”
Alyssa looked to where Noah was eating his third s’more of the night. “Oh, I don’t think we could drag Noah away right now.”
Mrs. Buchanan patted her arm. “I’ll go sit with him for a while. You two take that walk. We’ll be here when you get back.” As if it were a done deal, Mrs. Buchanan grabbed an extra cup of water and went to sit in a chair near Noah.
Dare looked at Alyssa, a smile on his face. “Now that wasn’t the least bit obvious.”
She laughed. “Not at all.”
His gaze tangled with hers as he held his elbow out. “Shall we?”
The moment she wrapped her arm through his, he led her away from the fire and activity toward the stables. The music and sounds of people talking faded as quickly as the stars seemed to glow brighter. Whatever her motives, Mrs. Buchanan wasn’t kidding about the night’s view.
They paused near the empty paddock. Alyssa moved away from him and leaned against the railing. She lifted her chin to look up at the sky, her profile scarcely visible in the moonlight. “The stars are gorgeous, aren’t they? I can’t imagine living in a big city and not seeing this.”
“Of all the places I’ve lived, I think the sky is the most beautiful here in Sage Valley,” Dare agreed. Although it was impossible to watch the stars when something even prettier stood in front of him. She must have sensed his eyes were on her because her chin came back down again as she focused on his face. He took a purposeful step toward her and put his hand on her upper arm. “The stars have some serious competition, though.”
&nb
sp; With that, he leaned in and kissed her slowly, gently, willing himself to take his time and enjoy the kiss he’d looked forward to all evening. When she put one arm around his neck and threaded the fingers of her other hand into his hair, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. This, right here, was something he imagined experiencing with Alyssa every night for the rest of his life.
11
In the time she’d spent with Dare, Alyssa had discovered there were a lot of things he was good at. He was an expert at reading people and getting them to laugh, he was amazing with Noah, his carving skills were impressive, and he was an insanely good kisser. Like, toes curling, can’t wait to do it again kisser. Just thinking about the way he’d held her on Saturday had goosebumps peppering her arms.
Alyssa felt like a teenager experiencing her first big crush. She couldn’t stop thinking about Dare, or wishing she were spending time with him. They’d gone to dinner and watched a movie with Noah on Sunday, and he’d even called her that evening to say hello.
She wished she were on her way to Sage Valley Ranch right now. Instead, it was Monday morning, and she was heading to the garden center to pick up supplies for the hospital job. She planned to focus on that today and tomorrow before returning to the ranch to create the garden at the entrance. There were so many mixed feelings there. Anticipation of spending more time with Dare, excitement about the display, but also sadness knowing that it meant this was the last week working with him.
Alyssa realized she’d been in her own head while Noah was in the back seat, chatting away. She looked at him in the rearview mirror. “What’d you say, kiddo?”
“Can I have my birthday party at the ranch? I want to ride horses and eat cake. It’d be the best birthday ever!”
She chuckled. “That’s actually a great idea. But since your birthday isn’t until spring, you have a while to wait.”
Noah sighed as though she’d delivered some of the worst news possible. He was right, though. It would be the perfect birthday party location for him. She was glad she had some time before he turned six. As it was, grasping the fact that he started kindergarten this fall was hard enough. Alyssa was more than content to let him stay little for as long as possible.
They pulled into the garden center and parked. Alyssa and Noah had barely made it inside the building when Ben spotted her, a serious look on his face. He pointed to the small room in the back that he used as his office. “Do you think I could speak with you for a few minutes?”
Alyssa tried to mask her surprise, but wasn’t sure how well she’d succeeded. “Sure.” She glanced at Lizzie, one of her coworkers, who was manning the front counter. “Can I leave Noah with you for a minute?”
Lizzie smiled. “Of course.” Even she looked a little apprehensive about Ben’s impromptu meeting. “Come here, Noah. Do you want to help me for a few minutes?”
Alyssa followed Ben into the office. She had a feeling all their instincts about him hiding something were about to be proven right. Ben motioned to one of two chairs in the room. She sat down, and he took the seat across from her.
“I’ve got a lot of family in the Houston area, and my grandfather recently passed away.”
He didn’t waste any time jumping right into it.
“Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss.” Maybe that stress was what they’d all been sensing.
“Thank you.” Ben smiled kindly. “He’d been sick for a long time, so it wasn’t unexpected. What was, however, was learning that he’d left a sum of money to each of his grandkids, including myself.” He paused. “Most of my family still lives in Houston. I’ve decided to move and open a garden center there where I can be closer to them.”
His words registered, but Alyssa wasn’t sure how she was supposed to respond. “Are you closing this garden center then?” Which meant she’d be losing her job. They all would. She tried hard not to react.
“I am.” He looked apologetic. “I know this probably comes as a shock. My mother is struggling with the recent loss and could use some help. My goal is to tie all of our contracts up in the next two weeks so I can get to Houston by the end of the month.”
Alyssa’s mind was going a mile a minute. If she understood him correctly, this meant she’d be unemployed in two weeks. Just the thought made her feel sick. With little money in the savings account to fall back on, that meant she needed to begin job searching, and fast. She’d need to buy a newspaper to look through the job listings, sign up online for—
“Alyssa?” Ben’s voice broke into her thoughts. “My family is going to need my help for a while. I could use someone to run my store, someone who knows what to do and has experience. I know you have no familial ties to Sage Valley. If you’d be willing to relocate to Houston, I’d like to hire you as my manager.”
“Wait, what?”
Ben chuckled. “I’d like to hire you as the manager for my store in Houston. The position would come with a substantial raise, and I would help cover your moving expenses. It’s worth it to me to hire someone I can trust, especially since my participation in the business will be more limited at first.”
Move to Houston? Leaving Sage Valley was something she never wanted to do. Of course, she hadn’t been faced with unemployment before, either. The possibilities were difficult to process. “What are you going to do with this place?”
“I’ve had an offer to purchase the building. I’ll hire someone to liquidate the inventory here once the center is closed.” He paused. “I know this is a lot. Think about it for a few days, okay? I need to know your response next Monday, please. Meanwhile, I’ll be letting everyone know this morning so they have as much time as possible to look for other employment.” He stood. “Do you have any other questions?”
Only a million of them, but Alyssa couldn’t seem to put them into words right now. She finally shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, Ben. I’ll definitely think it over and let you know soon.”
He seemed happy with that. Alyssa busied herself with loading everything into her truck, driving to the hospital, and getting to work. Too bad her mind wasn’t on the landscaping.
She’d always said she wouldn’t move away from Sage Valley. Her parents had tried to talk her into moving back to Florida after Russell died, but Alyssa refused. There were many reasons for that, and none of them were job-related. She’d much prefer to stay here in a small town.
That said, while moving might mean Noah would be leaving behind a few people he knew, he hadn’t started school yet. If she were to make a big change like that, now was the time. He was so outgoing, she had no doubt he’d make new friends the first week they were there.
Then there was Morgan. Thinking about saying goodbye to her best friend and not seeing her regularly filled Alyssa with sadness.
She finally let herself think about the one person she’d been avoiding since she talked to Ben: Dare. After weeks of denying the attraction between them, she’d finally let go of some of those apprehensions. Spending the weekend with him like they had was amazing.
The smile on Alyssa’s face while thinking about him quickly melted away. She should’ve known the other shoe was about to drop. She probably should’ve listened to her gut and kept distance between herself and the handsome cowboy.
She hated this, because it was going to come down to choosing between the man she was quickly falling in love with, and having a stable job so she could continue to provide for her son. What kind of choice was that?
* * *
“You are completely overreacting.”
Morgan’s words did little to ease Alyssa’s sense of panic. “I don’t think I am.” She’d brought breakfast by Morgan’s store first thing the next morning before heading over to the hospital. She was starting to regret her kindness, though.
“So, you’ll find another job in Sage Valley. You’ll stay here, admit to Dare you’re head-over-heels in love with him, and you two will live happily ever after. It seems pretty simple to me.”
Alyssa shook her he
ad, wishing her best friend could understand her plight. “I looked at jobs until way too late last night. There’s not a lot out there. What I could find pays less than what I make working for Ben, and that’s not fabulous as it is. I’m going to be unemployed in two weeks, and I have to give my answer to Ben on Monday. That doesn’t give me much time to find another job.” She groaned in frustration and slumped against a counter. “Do I take a gamble by telling Ben ‘no’ and hope I find something here? Or take the guaranteed job and make sure I have food to put on my kid’s table?”
Morgan stared at her as though she’d grown a third ear. “What about Dare?”
“I have to do what’s best for Noah.” It was true, but it was also what she’d been telling herself repeatedly every time she thought about Dare.
“I saw the way that boy looked at Dare. Separating them is going to be anything but easy. Noah will be heartbroken.”
Alyssa bit her tongue when she wanted to say he wasn’t the only one. “I know. But if I can’t find a job, things aren’t going to be pretty. And I know Dare well enough to bet he’d feel like he had to do something to fix our situation. It’ll put him in a position where he has to step in when he wouldn’t otherwise. That’s not good for either of us.”
Morgan simply shook her head slowly as though she couldn’t believe her friend was even going down this trail of thought. “Are you in love with him?”
Alyssa was thankful Noah was sitting at a table on the other side of the store, his headphones on while he finished some cartoons on a tablet. “Maybe. But that’s why it would be even worse if he did something out of some misplaced sense of obligation. Or because he felt sorry for me.” She’d had enough of that after Russell died.
“What are you going to do?”
Charmed By The Daring Cowboy (Sage Valley Ranch Book 4) Page 9