“I think I’m going to do just that. Hey, thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it.”
“Well, thanks for the good acting. You’re making my job a lot easier.”
I grinned as he walked off. I couldn’t believe that I’d managed to pull something like this off. And it was only week one. I was surely going to get better. And after the busy day that I’d had today, I was more than ready for a day off. Although, I wasn’t sure what I was more excited about: my day off or my dinner with Brady. For some reason, he wasn’t getting on my nerves so much anymore. And I wanted to know what made this man tick. He might still irritate me, but I couldn’t help but find him interesting.
I made my way over to the barn to see him, and was glad to find him sitting there, talking to Betty.
“Do you always talk to her?” I asked as I walked in.
He turned around, surprised to see me standing there, and grinned. “Like I said, she’s like a human. So yeah, I talk to her all the time.”
“Hey, Betty,” I said as I walked up to say hello. I reached out to stroke her and then chuckled. “I cannot believe that I’m saying hello to a horse. I never thought I’d do something like that. You’re right; she is like a human. A very beautiful human.”
He laughed too. “Yeah, I never thought I’d see you do that, either. Good day?”
I nodded. “Wonderful day.” I wanted to tell him about what the director had said about me, but I knew that Brady wouldn’t take too kindly to me boasting. So I said nothing more.
“Good,” he said. I waited for him to say something else, but he didn’t. I’d never met a man who seemed so comfortable with silence before.
“So, still on for dinner tomorrow?” I asked.
“Sure,” he said and looked at me. “Do you know the two houses down the road, as you’re coming into the ranch?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen them.”
“Well, mine is the one on the left. Be there at six, and I’ll start dinner then.”
That wasn’t what I had expected at all. I thought he was going to take me out for dinner. The last thing I had expected was for him to actually make me dinner at his house. I was surprised to find that it thrilled me. What was it about this man that intrigued me so much? And why did he suddenly look so sexy to me? Was one week away from New York all it took for me to forget myself?
“I’ll be there,” I said and walked away before he could see me smiling.
The moment I got back to the hotel, I got a call from Victoria, and even though I hadn’t been away for a long time, it was strange to hear her voice. Her New York accent seemed very strong to me now suddenly. Something I had never really noticed before.
“Hey, Vic,” I said. “Good to hear from you.”
“You’re still alive!” she said.
I laughed. “I’m still alive. Alive and kicking.”
“Wow, you don’t sound nearly as depressed as I thought you’d be.”
“Depressed? Why would I be depressed?”
“Uh, because you’re all the way over there and away from this amazing city. So, how is the shoot going?”
“Actually, it’s not too bad. I’ll be honest, I battled for the first few days, but I think I’m finally figuring things out. It’s actually a very pretty little town. Better than I thought it was going to look. And the shoot is going well. I got some big compliments from the director today. I mean, the guy pretty much trashed everyone else, but he only complimented me. It was quite an ego boost. I just need to work on my accent, but hopefully that will come in time.”
“Wow, I’m impressed. I honestly thought that you’d be miserable over there.”
“It’s not so bad. But obviously, I’m not loving it or anything,” I said. “I mean, it’s not New York.”
She laughed. “I’m sure it’s not. I don’t even want to know how different it is from the city. So, how much longer do you have there?”
“I think roughly about three weeks or so.”
“Three weeks! Oh, that’s like forever.”
I chuckled. “Nah, it’s not so bad. This first week went by so quickly, and they’re keeping us very busy. I have a feel the time is just going to fly here. I thought a month was going to drag, but I don’t think so anymore.”
“Okay, well that’s a good thing at least. And how about the locals? Are they as backwards and weird and we thought they would be?”
I thought about the sweet Harold and how he had gone out of his way to make us all feel comfortable in his farm. I thought about Brady and wondered if I should tell her all about the dinner we had tomorrow night. But for some reason, I decided not to.
“Some of them are. And some of them are actually really nice.” I almost pointed out that there were both wonderful and awful people in New York too, but I didn’t.
“Well, you better come back soon.”
“It will go quickly. How are you?”
“Oh, you know me. Nothing much is going on, except the usual. I have so much to tell you about Keren, though.”
“You do? Why, what happened?” I asked. Keren was another friend of ours that we sometimes went out for cocktails with. She was more Victoria’s friend than mine, though. I generally only saw her when she saw her.
“Oh, she’s broken up with Brandon and is now hooking up with Pete. The whole thing is a big mess. But I’d rather tell you in person. It’s a long story, and we need cocktails while I tell it to you. I miss you here. And I hate the thought of you in that small town with nothing to do. I want you back in New York so we can go shopping together. Keren wants to go with me, but it’s not the same. Hurry up, will you.?
I laughed. “I’ll hurry up.”
“And I’ll make sure I have a delicious skinny latte waiting for you.”
“Thanks, Vic,” I said and smiled.
I thought about the coffee that Brady had given me the other day, and I suddenly lost all craving for the skinny latte. In fact, even the thought of shopping didn’t seem as great to me as it used to.
Chapter Eleven
Brady
“What are you doing?” I said to myself in the mirror.
Sloan was due in just over an hour for dinner, and I still wasn’t too sure why I had invited her in the first place. She’d been nice that day with the horses, for the most part at least, but other than that she’d been a complete annoyance to me. She was a beautiful woman, but she was the sort of woman that expected the whole world to bow down at her feet. And I hated people like that more than anything. She was the opposite of me in every way possible.
And yet, I’d watched her act the day before, and I’d seen something in her that I had seen before. A sense of vulnerability seemed to be lurking beneath the person she presented to the world. Although, she was and actress, so perhaps all I’d seen was someone who knew how to change in front of the camera. I had, however, been impressed with her acting skills that day: something I never thought I’d be.
I sighed as I got things ready for the night ahead. I should’ve invited Grant and Emily so that I’d at least have some backup. But that would feel too much like a double date then, and I didn’t need the pressure. This wasn’t a date, anyway. It was just me being far too kind. Also, if Grant caught wind of the fact that I’d invited her over, he’d think that I was interested in her. He’d been yapping at me for years about meeting the ‘right woman’ and all that jazz. He’d stopped pestering me lately, mostly because I think he’d just given up on me. I didn’t need him to start all over again. When I heard a knock on the door, I sighed. There was still an hour until Sloan was due, so I knew it must be Grant at the door. How was I going to get him out quickly without him suspecting anything?
I opened the door and was just about to say something when I saw Sloan standing in front of me. I looked at the time again and raised my eyebrows in question.
“You’re early,” I said.
“Well, I know what you’re like about people being on time, and I didn’t want to be kicked out for dinn
er. I figured I’d get here early in case.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Well, come on in. It’s good to see you.”
Sloan walked in and I went to close the door behind her. I realized in that moment that her car would be spotted by Grant if he even just happened to look outside, but when I peered out, I didn’t see anything.
“Where did you park?”
“Park? Oh, I don’t drive. The driver dropped me off.”
I tried not to show my annoyance. “Oh, of course he did. Well,” I said to change the subject. “Shall I show you around?”
“That would be great.”
While we walked around the house, I noticed that Sloan wasn’t wearing one her regular nightclub outfits. She still looked amazing and was still far more nicely dressed than the women in this town. But she at least looked like she wasn’t trying so hard anymore.
“What?” she asked as she caught him staring.
“Nothing,” he said and continued to walk.
“Wow, this place is amazing, Brady.”
“Really? It’s not quite a New York loft though, is it?” I teased.
She laughed. “It’s not. But my apartment would look very odd in this town. This house is great. It’s bigger than I expected. Do you live here alone?”
“All alone. I’m used to wide open spaces. I don’t think I could live in a place that was small. And this,” I said as I took her to the porch outside. “This is where we’ll be having dinner tonight.”
I watched as she took in the scenery before her. The best thing about my house was definitely the expanse of garden. It was the best place to sit and enjoy food on a beautiful summer’s day.
“Oh wow, this is your yard?”
“Part of it is. My brother lives next door, and he has the other part. But yeah, it’s mostly mine. And can you see that building all the way there in the distance?”
She looked out and nodded. “Yeah.”
“That’s the ranch.”
“Seriously? Oh wow, it’s close.”
“Yeah. Every now and again I walk to work. But for the most part, I take the car. It’s close, but it’s still a fair distance to go on foot. And after a long day out at the ranch, I don’t usually feel like walking. But yeah, this is my life.”
“It’s great, Brady,” she said, and she actually sounded like she meant it.
“Thank you. Anyway, like I was saying—this is where we’ll be having dinner tonight. There’s no way we can’t eat outside on a day like today. I hope you like steak.”
“You’re grilling them here?” she asked.
“Oh yeah,” I said and patted the grill. “It’s the best way to have them.”
“I’ve never had steaks cooked on an outdoor grill.”
“What? Are you serious? And before the other day, you’d never ridden a horse. Well, you’re experiencing lots of firsts in Wyoming. Before I start the meat, can I get you a drink? A glass of wine maybe?”
“Wine sounds lovely. Red if you have it.”
“Red wine and steak. Of course. Take a seat, Sloan. I’ll be right back.”
I walked back in the house to get the wine and marveled at the fact that Sloan had never had meat prepared on an outdoor grill before. I’d spent so many years out on the ranch that I’d almost forgotten what it was like to hang out with city people. Even then, I’d hung out in Arizona, which is still a far cry from the people in New York. They were different.
I poured us both a glass of wine and took it outside. When I got there, Sloan was smiling out into the distance.
“Thank you,” she said. “You know, it’s quite something out here. It feels so peaceful.”
“It is,” I said. “It’s my favorite place in the world.”
I put the steaks on the grill and went to join her. I’d been worried that things were going to be awkward between us, but so far the conversation was flowing.
“So, what’s your favorite place?” I asked her.
She seemed taken aback by the question, and for a while, she just sat there sipping her wine and thinking about it. Finally, she shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Really? Come on; there must be one place you love over anything. What about your apartment? I thought you loved that place.”
“I do. I mean, it’s wonderful. And it overlooks the whole of New York City, which is really something. But I’ve only just moved there, really. It’s not my favorite place or anything. It’s not like . . . this. Uh, I don’t know, Brady. That’s an interesting question.”
It wasn’t exactly a hard question. I thought everyone had a favorite place. A place that they felt completely at ease. It was sad that Sloan didn’t have that, but I decided not to push it.
“Do you also live alone?” I asked.
She nodded. “Oh yeah. And I like that. So, you say your brother lives next door? Do the two of you get along?”
“Grant. Yeah, he’s a good guy. He moved here from Arizona awhile back. He was working as a real estate agent and wanted a change. He came to stay with me for a while, and I put him to work at the ranch. He ended up falling in love with the place, and falling in love with one of the local girls. Now he’s moved in, he got a full-time job as a firefighter, and he’s engaged. And he never wants to move away.”
“That’s quite some story. I hope I get to meet him.”
“Oh, you will. He’s dying to come and see what’s happening at the ranch. Also, he knows all about you, and I’m sure he’d love to meet you.”
She laughed. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, go for it,” I said and got up to turn the steaks.
“Did you have any idea who I was when you first met me?”
“Uh, no. I’m sorry.”
“Did you know anyone else? The rest of the cast?”
I shook my head. “Not at all. I’m a little far removed from society sometimes. I don’t think I realized that until now, though.”
“I see that.”
I took the steaks off and set them down on the table, then I went to the kitchen and came back with a big salad and a few small buttered rolls.
“Okay, help yourself,” I said as I handed her a plate.
“This looks amazing,” she said as she admired the food on the table.
“I’m glad you like it. It’s simple food, but tasty, I hope.”
We sat back down and started eating, and I was pleased to see that Sloan was enjoying her food. She took a bite of the steak and told me it was the best piece of meat she’d ever eaten.
“I don’t usually cook for people. So, I’m glad you’re happy. Don’t you want a roll?” I said as I sliced mine open to butter. “They’re made by a local baker, and I got them fresh today.”
She shook her head. “Oh, I try not to eat too many carbs. Got to keep the figure, you know.”
I looked over at her slender body and sighed. “You could stand to put on a few pounds. And trust me, the bread is worth it. Life is far too short to worry about calories.”
She hesitated, and then reached over for a roll. She buttered it and took a bite. She grinned at me. “Whoa. This is amazing.”
“And you honestly shouldn’t worry about your weight. In fact, you should think of it in the opposite way. You’re a role model for so many girls out there. Better to show them that worrying about weight is not the most important thing in life.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she said as she took another bite.
I was surprised to find that I was enjoying myself with her. And there was definitely a softer side to Sloan that I enjoyed.
“So, a brother next door. Who else?” she asked.
“I have four brothers. Ian, Ryan, Grant, and Reed. Or, as I know most of them, Gunner, Knuckles, Patriot, and Moneymaker.”
“What? Why do you know them as that?”
I chuckled. “My father is part of a motorcycle club back in Arizona, and for a while, we were all part of it too. We were all given those nicknames once upon a time.”
“And yours is?”
“Shotgun.”
She laughed. “It should’ve been ‘Horse Whisperer.’”
“Yeah, that is more fitting than Shotgun. Anyway, that’s my old life. My father and Ian are still big into the club, but the rest of us are out there in the world doing our own thing.”
“Sounds like an interesting life. So, does your father visit often?”
I shook my head. “No. Anyway, enough about me,” I said. I didn’t want to talk about my father. I wasn’t even sure why I had gone into so much detail about the motorcycle club and the nicknames. She made me a little nervous, and I was talking more than I used to. “So, do people usually know who you are?”
She laughed. “Usually, yeah.”
“Must’ve been weird coming here and not being recognized, then.”
“A little weird. But not necessarily a bad thing.”
“You know, Sloan, you’re not nearly as annoying as I thought you were in the beginning,” I said. My wine was obviously giving me confidence.
I hoped she wouldn’t take offense, but when I looked up, she was laughing. “And you know what, Brady? You’re not nearly as exasperating as I thought you were, either.”
Chapter Twelve
Sloan
Dinner with Brady had been far more interesting than I had expected it to be. He’d been more talkative than usual, and I wondered if it was because he was at home. He seemed comfortable in the space. It was clear that he loved his home, and that he was proud to show me around, and I liked that.
“Thank you for a delicious meal,” I said to him. He’d gone to clear the plates, refusing help, and had now come back with some more wine for the two of us.
“Your first steak cooked on an outdoor grill. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“I loved it. I may never want steak any other way now.”
He grinned. “Good to hear. You know, this wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.”
I looked at him and laughed. He really was not the sort of guy that minced his words. Which, I was learning, could be both a blessing and a curse. “You thought it was going to be bad?”
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