Her Texas Cowboy

by Jill Lynn

  Hunter left the door of the house open while he worked. The summer heat clung to him, and the light breeze brought in much-needed relief. He swiped the back of his arm across his forehead. Sweat changed places and he winced. Good thing he wasn’t trying to impress Rachel this time around. He was pretty sure he looked a mess. He’d come straight from the ranch, only stopping to nuke two of those sorry excuses for frozen burritos for dinner. He’d wolfed them down in his truck on the drive over, then wished he’d have made three.

  He heard Rachel’s vehicle approach and turn off. A few seconds later, her footsteps sounded on the porch.

  “Hey.” She paused inside the doorframe as though waiting for an invitation to come in.

  “Hey.”

  Hunter grabbed the water he’d brought along from the counter and took a long swig while Rachel stepped inside.

  She wore a yellow T-shirt, cut off jean shorts and flip-flops. Her toenails were painted with bright blue polish, the color of one of those slushy drinks kids loved.

  She walked over to the bedroom and peered in before facing him.

  “You got a lot done.”

  “Mostly just removed all the trash. It’s not so bad without the junk.”

  “Sorry I’m late. Cash threw a hissy fit about me living out here alone. Like I’m not old enough to take care of myself or something.”

  Eye roll. Hair toss. Hunter bit down on his amusement since Rachel wouldn’t take kindly to it. He might doubt his fair share of things, but he was certain of that.

  “You’re fine. I just got here. Did you work it out?”

  She’d bent down and started looking through the paint cans he’d brought over. “Yep. Where’d you get all of this paint? I should pay you for this. Cash said he’d cover supplies since he’s the one benefiting. Said to tell you thanks for helping out.” She paused. Let out an audible breath. “And that anyone who puts up with me should get a medal for it.”

  Quiet laughter shook his chest. “He did not say that.”

  She met his eyes, a smile tracing her lips. “He was joking. He did say thank-you, though.”

  Hunter nodded toward the supplies. “There’s no need to pay for any of that. I had some stuff left over from my house. Didn’t buy a thing.”

  “Your house?” Her tone carried surprise.

  “Yeah, I built a few years back.”

  “Don’t you live with your dad?”

  “Nope. My house is on the west side of our property. Not too far from here.” Hunter knelt to look through the tool bag he’d brought. “You know my dad. He had his fists wound so tight he would never have let me have any ownership of the ranch until he left this earth. I threatened to work somewhere else if he didn’t let me buy in. I wouldn’t have, but he didn’t call my bluff.”

  Rachel’s mouth swung open as if on a hinge. What had she thought? That he’d just sat around pining for her all of these years? Hunter grabbed an adjustable wrench, dropped to the floor and scooted the upper half of his body under the sink, wincing at his thoughts. Those old hurts always seemed to pop up with her when he least expected it. Friendship didn’t hold grudges.

  “Cash said that’s leaking.” Her voice sounded hollow from his perch inside the cabinet.

  “I can tell. That’s what I’m working on.”

  “Oh. Okay.” He heard Rachel shuffling things around while he tightened the retention nut on the supply valve. After she’d left for Colorado, he’d gone through varying stages. Hope that she’d change her mind. The knowledge that she shouldn’t. Moping. He’d been great at that. And then anger. He’d stayed there for a good long while. At himself. At her.

  Now that he was working on letting those responses go, the load on his back was starting to feel a bit lighter.

  Starting.

  Not that he expected her to let him in easily. He hoped by the time they got this house back to rights, he and Rachel would have a functioning friendship again. Maybe even a bit of trust. Or, at least, he would have gotten past one of her walls. Hunter didn’t want to spend the rest of the time she was home dealing with her still halfway despising him.

  “How’s your sister?”

  Hunter loosened the water line then scooted out from under the sink to grab the joint compound. “Bossy. She still does the books for the ranch, and she’s about to have a boy. Kinsley’s beside herself to have a little brother.”

  “Tell her congratulations from me.”

  “I will.” He went back under the sink to apply the compound. He wasn’t sure exactly what was causing the leak, but hopefully if he hit most of the reasons it could be happening, he’d get it stopped.

  Once he’d finished, he wrenched himself out of the cabinet. Not so roomy in there. Rachel had started sweeping the floor, and now she was going at cobwebs that hung from the ceiling with the broom. One must have dropped on her, because she released the broom and started swiping her arm as if whatever had landed there might do her in.

  He stifled a laugh. She’d definitely gone city over the last few years.

  Her phone dinged as Hunter pushed up from the floor, body aching from being in the cramped space. When had he gotten old?

  Rachel’s fingers flew over the keys as she answered whoever it was. She might not have a ring on her finger, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t attached to someone. He swallowed the heat that rose at the thought. Nothing for him to get upset about. Though he was curious.

  “Boyfriend?”

  She jumped and fumbled the phone, dropping it, then catching it again before it hit the floor. Slid it into her back pocket. “No boyfriend.”

  Hunter pulled out one of the kitchen drawers and placed it on the countertop. He grabbed his drill from the tool bag. “Did I ruin it for you for life?”

  His teasing earned a forced smile. Didn’t look like she was ready to call him her best friend just yet. “No. I just didn’t really have time to date in college. I was too focused on school. Unlike high school, where I focused on the opposite.”

  He tightened the screws holding the drawer together and the zzzz-zzzz of the drill filled in the silence.

  “You weren’t so bad in high school.”

  She snorted in answer then swept the mess she’d collected into the dust pan and deposited it in the black garbage bag he was using.

  Sure, Rachel had made some interesting choices before they’d dated. Had a boyfriend Hunter would have liked to punch in the jaw. But she’d come around. Hunter had known she would. By the time they’d started hanging out, she’d already begun changing. Didn’t she know that? Still, the years had made a difference. On Wednesday, she’d been amazing with the kids.

  “You were great with the teens last night.” He slid the drawer back in and started on the next.

  “Thanks. I feel like I barely got to know anyone.”

  The night had gone quickly. Mostly spent dealing with suggestions for the float. After a bit of fighting among the kids, Rachel had suggested they draw their ideas and put them up for a vote at church this Sunday. A good way to make peace. The teens had spent the rest of the night brainstorming in groups, so Rachel hadn’t had much opportunity to talk with them yet. Hunter knew a few from church, but some were new to him, too.

  “It will come with time.” Not that she had a lot of that.

  “I guess.”

  “So, if by some strange chance you don’t get this job in Houston, what’s your plan?”

  “There’s a teen rehab program that my friend works at in Dallas. I’ll apply there if this doesn’t pan out. It sounds like they’re looking to hire.” She didn’t have to fill in the rest. Hunter could read between the lines. Her options were anywhere but here.

  There wasn’t even a minute chance of her staying. That was good for him to know and remember. Rachel had a Do Not Touch sign flashing on her forehead, and Hunter planned to obey the dire
ctive this time around. Besides, after one night of seeing her with the teens, he could tell the job she wanted was exactly what she was meant to do.

  Hunter faced the countertop again and replaced the drawer. “You seem...content with the career you’ve chosen. It fits you. You did the right thing leaving when you did.”

  He felt her gaze heat the back of his neck and turned. Her jaw had slacked. She blinked once. Twice. “Leaving you or this town?”

  Emotion rushed across his skin. “Both.” If she hadn’t gone, she wouldn’t have this new opportunity that was obviously right for her. She’d be stuck. Unhappy, just like his mom.

  “Going to school was the right choice. It would never have worked between us.” He couldn’t believe he’d just said those words out loud. What was he doing, bringing this up? But she should know the truth. “You wouldn’t be able to do what you do with the kids if you hadn’t. After one night, I can tell you were made for it.”

  It almost looked as though a sheen of moisture had glazed her eyes. “Thanks.” She opened her mouth as if to say more, and then her demeanor changed as fast as a flash of lightning. She shuttered, attention dropping to the floor. “I should start on the bedroom.” She snapped up the broom like it was her saving grace and took off as though another mouse was on her heels.

  That was odd. What just happened? Hunter had thought they were actually getting somewhere by talking openly. But, then again, he was dealing with Rachel. What had he expected? The woman warmed at the slowest possible pace. She’d stopped letting him in emotionally a long time ago. One confession, one moment of baring his soul regarding what he should have told her years before wasn’t going to instantly mend what had happened between them.

  Twenty might not do the trick, either.

  Chapter Five

  The metal bed frame pressed into Hunter’s palms as he stood just inside the door to Rachel’s new hideaway on Saturday morning. “The room ready for me to set up the bed?”

  “Yep.” Rachel paused from wiping down the kitchen cabinets. “The paint is probably still a little damp, so maybe set it up in the middle of the room and I’ll just slide it over later when the wall is dry.”

  “Sounds good. Smells like a pool in here.” One Hunter wouldn’t mind taking a dip in.

  “Bleach.” She tossed the rag into the bucket by her feet. After rolling her neck, she swiped the back of her arm across her forehead. “It’s hotter than a june bug in July.”

  His cheeks creased at her declaration and returning accent. About time her southern roots showed up. “Did Olivia take off?”

  They’d had a slew of helpers show up. Cash last evening. Olivia this morning to help paint, but she’d had the boys with her, so she’d spent most of the time corralling Ryder. And Val and Brennon had been working most of the day, painting, cleaning, moving stuff in. They’d cut the workload in half and had been a Godsend. Currently they were out grabbing the last load of Rachel’s stuff from Cash’s barn where she’d been storing it.

  “Yeah. She wanted to get the boys down for naps since we’re heading over to Lucy and Graham’s for dinner.” Rachel cracked open a bottle of spring water and took a long drink.

  “Nice.”

  She smiled, head shaking. “Chaotic.”

  “Lot of kids between the two families.”

  “Five. Though Mattie is like an adult.”

  True. Any time Hunter saw Graham and Lucy’s oldest at church, she was never loud or crazy. She always had a shy smile, but she observed more than she destroyed.

  Rachel turned back to her cleaning, and Hunter accepted his dismissal without complaint. He’d gotten used to Rachel’s behavior on Thursday and Friday evening while they’d worked on the house, and then again today. The second she realized she was opening up to him—like even that simple conversation right there—she shut down and poured herself back into a task. Hunter felt like a kid on a teeter-totter, but he wasn’t sure how to get off the equipment and find any stationary ground with Rachel.

  Moving into the bedroom, he began piecing together the simple bed frame he was letting Rachel borrow along with the mattress set. It had been sitting in his guest bedroom, unused, since he’d replaced his a year ago.

  Once Hunter finished, he strode back into the kitchen. No Rachel.

  He found her standing on the front porch, fanning herself with a small towel. He stepped around to face her.

  “What’s up?”

  “Val texted that they were on the way, so I was checking for them. And trying to cool off. Why did I think moving back to Texas was a good idea?”

  “Just think about the winter. You’ll love it.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You might be right.”

  With Rachel, that much of an admission was a victory. “I got the bed frame set up. I need to carry the box spring and mattress in. Want to help me?”

  “Sure. You got the frame set up that fast?”

  “Yep. It’s just a simple metal frame. No fancy headboard or anything. Hope it’s up to your citified standards—”

  “One of these days you really need to learn when to stop talking.”

  Hiding a grin, Hunter took off for his truck. People might call him crazy, but this was the Rachel he preferred. Because when she was sassy and sarcastic with him, he knew he was getting the real deal. And he liked that truthful version.

  When he reached the truck’s tailgate, he glanced back to see Rachel had followed him.

  “I’ll pull and you catch the other end when it slides off.” He lugged the box spring halfway off the truck bed, then slowly slid it the final few feet while she grabbed hold. She must have lost her grip, because the other end crashed to the ground, a puff of dirt rising up.

  “Oh, no!” She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Thought I had it. Sorry! Ah, man. Now it’s all dirty. You let me use it and I’m already ruining your stuff.”

  She thought he’d be upset about a little dust? Did she not remember what he might be covered in at the end of the day? “It’s fine. No problem.” He motioned with his head toward the box spring. “Though I’m still holding this if you hadn’t noticed.”

  Rachel tugged on her ear, adopted a casual stance and made no move to help him. “Did you say something? Sounded like a fly was buzzing around my head.”

  Mouth quirking, he scooted the box spring up until it stood tall and rested against the tailgate. “I’ll have Brennon help me when they get back. Wasn’t sure what I was thinking, asking you to haul it in, anyway. You’re only half as big as a minute.”

  She squeaked with indignation. “I’m a mammoth.”

  “You?” A laugh burst out of him. “Are you joking?” Rachel might be tall—around five feet ten inches—but nothing else about her even remotely represented that word. “You’re not embarrassed about your height, are you?” He didn’t remember any conversations about that in the past.

  “No. At least I can use it to intimidate people.” Her chin jutted to the side with playfulness.

  “You don’t intimidate me one bit.” An internal buzzer sounded, calling Hunter’s bluff, and it had nothing to do with height. Because underneath all of Rachel’s bravado, she was sweet and smart and funny. And gorgeous. What guy wouldn’t get a little tongue-tied around her? She even smelled good despite the oppressive heat—something girly and tempting that he couldn’t name.

  Although he believed he was doing the right thing, moving on from the past and mending things with Rachel, he still doubted at times. Some moments, it was downright painful to be around her. When he caught glimpses of her sassy side. That smile. The way she teased him. Those reminders of what they’d once had were hard to stomach. But he knew better than to gallop down a treacherous hill. They were friends, and friends was all they’d be.

  If she even let him have that.

  Rachel’s arm had a smudge of white paint on it, and Hu
nter reached out without thinking, sliding his thumb along her skin. He’d thought the paint would be wet and wipe off, but it had already dried. And then, like an idiot, he didn’t let go. Suddenly he was twenty again, driving in his truck with his girl, a hand on her arm, the warm sun—

  “What are you doing?” Rachel snapped her arm against her chest as though he’d scalded her. If he had to pick a word to describe the way her eyes flashed, he’d settle on displeasure.

  “I just... You had some paint there.”

  Brennon’s truck rumbled down the drive.

  “Oh.” Her look changed to curiosity, as if to say, Why did you touch me? Touching is off-limits. He wanted to answer her silent query with I don’t know and I agree.

  Brennon backed his truck up to the house while Rachel gave a forced, tight-lipped smile. “One last load and we’ll be done.”

  The doors on the truck opened and closed. She backed a step in that direction, then paused. Held his gaze. “Hunter, thank you for your help on the house.” No edge remained. Only softness. Sincerity. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  She took off to catch up with Val and Brennon, leaving Hunter reeling. The woman switched from teasing to upset to earnest in a matter of minutes. This was exactly how she’d messed with him in the past. She built walls to keep everyone out—she even had with him, at first. But when she let them down—when her sweet, sincere side showed like just now—it could take a man’s legs straight out from under him.

  He’d done this for the right reasons, hadn’t he? It wasn’t about restarting anything with Rachel, was it?

  No. It couldn’t be. He was at the point where he really did want to regain their friendship—no ulterior motives.

  It was just...being with her reminded him of all the reasons he’d liked her in the first place, and that was trouble.

  Their futures were headed in different directions. Staying wasn’t an option Rachel was considering—she even had a second job opportunity lined up—and his life was here. He owned part of a ranch. He couldn’t walk away from that. Plus, he didn’t want to. Hunter loved his work.