Midnight Ride

by Cat Johnson

  “Thanks.” When Janie glanced at Tyler, she noticed his odd expression as he watched the conversation between her and Colton, maybe because she hadn’t included him in her gratitude. She could rectify that easily enough. “Thank you both. I appreciate the help more than I can say.”

  She directed that last to Tyler. For once, there was no amusement in his expression when he focused his piercing blue gaze on her. “It was my pleasure.”

  Uncomfortable beneath his scrutiny, she raised her mug. “I guess you’d better finish up so you two can go back to work before Rohn gets mad.”

  “He’ll get over it.” Tyler’s gaze remained on her.

  “Still, I didn’t mean to steal his two best hands for the entire morning.”

  “No stealing involved. I came very willingly. Believe me.”

  Her cheeks heated at the implication in Tyler’s words. Watching her face, he smiled, a smile that reached all the way to his eyes.

  Janie had a feeling she’d be seeing that smile and those eyes again real soon. Most likely the moment her head hit the pillow and she closed her weary lids, and she feared there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

  Chapter Seven

  Rohn’s sigh was audible even from where he stood across the yard.

  Obviously, the man thought his employees were pulling into the drive so late because they’d indulged in too much booze or womanizing last night. He was wrong. Yeah, a woman was involved, but not like he thought.

  Tyler slammed the truck door and ambled toward his boss. Colton did the same on the passenger side. When they’d moved close enough, Rohn crossed his arms and shook his head. “Do you see how high that sun is in the sky?”

  Looking up at the sun, Tyler said, “Yup.”

  “I fed the horses myself. With Justin hurt and home recuperating, there’s too much work to do in a day even when you two manage to get here on time.”

  “There sure is a lot of work to do around here. You’re right about that. I guess we’ll have to work late tonight. Right, Colton?” Tyler glanced over at Colton, who only rolled his eyes at him.

  “If you’re not too hungover to work, that is.” Rohn let out another huff of breath and looked agitated.

  Since Tyler had gone to sleep early and sober last night, that comment was extra insulting. Sure, he was torturing his boss, purposely by not telling him where they’d really been and what they’d been doing, but that was what the man got for making assumptions.

  “Rohn, we’re late because we were over at the Smithwick place fixing a broken fence for Tom’s widow.” Colton, the Boy Scout, ended the game that Tyler had been enjoying so much. “I’m sorry. We should have asked you first.”

  The older man’s eyes softened and he let out a breath. “Yeah, you should have told me first, but it’s all right. I’m glad you went over. Janie could use the help.” Rohn’s gaze cut away from Colton, looking less charitable as it landed on Tyler. “And you . . . You let me stand here and lecture when all you had to do was tell me where you’d been in the first place.”

  Tyler folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the fence. “Yup.”

  “You wanna tell me why?”

  Tyler shrugged. “My granddaddy always said the best way to teach somebody something was to let them screw it up a few times so they could figure out their mistake on their own.”

  Rohn’s brows rose high. “So you’re teaching me a lesson?”

  “Yup. Trying to, anyway.”

  “And that lesson would be what?” Judging by Rohn’s tone, he was not happy with Tyler or his lesson.

  “You should never assume, because when you do, you make an ass out of you and me.” Tyler repeated the saying he’d heard since he was in middle school. Back when he had thought it was a big deal to say the word ass. The sentiment still held now he was an adult. And the saying worked well to further goad his boss.

  “There’s only one ass here,” Colton mumbled under his breath. Tyler shot his traitorous friend a sideways look.

  “God almighty, Tyler, if you weren’t so damned good with the stock, I swear . . .” Rohn let out a breath and shook his head.

  “Thanks, boss.” Tyler grinned, knowing full well it wasn’t meant to be a compliment, but choosing to take it as such.

  “Hey, what are you saying? I’m good with the stock, too.” Colton frowned.

  “Yeah, Colton, you are, but you don’t piss me off enough to want to fire you.”

  “Oh, okay.” Colton visibly backed down. He probably figured he should quit while he was ahead.

  “Um, are we done here?” Tyler glanced from Colton to Rohn. “Time’s a wasting. It’s already late and I really need to get to fixing that shed.”

  Rohn leveled his gaze on Tyler before he let out another sigh filled with frustration. “Yeah, we’re done here.”

  “All right. Nice catching up with you.” He pushed himself off the fence and headed toward the shed. A few steps in, he glanced over his shoulder at Colton. “You coming or what?”

  A frown creased Colton’s brow. “Yeah, I’m coming.”

  “Well, come on, then.” The last thing Tyler saw before he turned back around toward the shed was Rohn shaking his head.

  Nothing more fun than being a pain in the ass. Teasing Rohn to frustration always had been fun. And Colton? Well, he deserved whatever Tyler dished out today. It had been Tyler’s idea to help Janie, but meanwhile when they’d been in her kitchen, Colton was the one who was all, We’ll help you anytime, ma’am. Just call and I’ll come running.

  The kiss-ass had better not have any ideas in his head about the lovely Widow Smithwick, because whatever Colton was thinking, Tyler had already thought it. That marked a prior claim in his mind.

  He opened the door to the shed and waited for Colton to catch up to him so they could each take an end of the table saw and bring it outside. They’d need to cut the boards to length in order to make the repair to the back wall.

  Opposite him, machine in hand, Colton hefted the weight up while he asked, “Are we going out tonight?”

  “Nah. Don’t think so.” Tyler followed Colton out while holding the other end of the table saw.

  “Why not? We don’t have to go to the Two-Step.”

  “Set it down here.” They’d reached a level spot in the yard, so Tyler tipped his head toward the ground and lowered his end. “And yeah, I think I shouldn’t be going back to the Two-Step in the near future.”

  Colton grinned wide, still amused at Tyler’s misfortune the previous night. “We can go to the Thirsty Squirrel instead.”

  “Nah. I’m not in the mood.” What Tyler didn’t tell Colton was why he didn’t want to go out. “You should go, though. Hey, you could call Justin and see if he’s up to it. He’s probably going crazy cooped up in his house, not being able to work or ride.”

  “You’re right. Maybe I will give him a call.”

  Tyler wasn’t the kind to give up easily on anything, his interest in Janie included. He’d just have to figure out the smartest way to proceed. There was nothing like good hard physical labor to help a man think. He had a full day of work during which to come up with some plausible excuse to get him back over to her place. A plan he’d hopefully start implementing right after he finished working at Rohn’s today.

  Just the thought of seeing her again was enough to have him whistling while he worked.

  Chapter Eight

  Janie entered the cost of the fence post purchase into the ledger under Expenses. Her grandfather had taught her how to keep the records for the ranch. Thank God for that or she’d really be lost now that Tom was gone.

  There was something else she’d recently purchased, but she’d be damned if she could remember what it was. Her grandfather would be sorely disappointed in her. His philosophy had been to never put off what you could do right away. He’d say she should have written down whatever it was immediately after she got home. She knew what she should do. It was actually remembering to do
it that was the problem lately. To be fair, she did have a few—or a few hundred—things on her mind.

  Pen poised in the air, Janie tried to remember the forgotten expense, but her thoughts turned toward that morning and Tyler and Colton’s visit instead. She tried to wrestle her mind back to the task at hand and decided it was useless. She’d remember when she remembered or when she came across the receipt in the truck. If she didn’t, then the records would just not be accurate to the penny this year. Worse things had happened.

  Whatever she was forgetting couldn’t be that big, or she’d remember it. With that in mind, she decided it was time to eat. Food might help her waning brainpower.

  After the late start and the visit from the cowboys, the day had gotten away from her. It was now afternoon and the sun was riding low in the sky. It sent beams of light through the office window, making the particles of dust dancing in the air visible. There was nothing she could do about the dust. It was nearly impossible to keep a house on a ranch completely dust free. She’d long ago stopped trying.

  With a sigh, Janie heaved her tired body out of the desk chair. It couldn’t be normal to be thirty-six and feel this exhausted all the time. Of course, it probably wasn’t normal to be this age and a widow, either.

  She headed for the kitchen and the food in the fridge that would comprise her dinner for one. Most people would think it would be easier, not having to worry about cooking for anyone beside herself nowadays. It wasn’t.

  Feeling the loneliness full force, she took out one bowl and one spoon. It was easy enough to scoop a bit of the cold chili out of a plastic container and into the bowl. Three minutes or so in the microwave and her dinner preparations would be complete. No muss. No fuss. And only one dish to wash.

  Yup. Living the easy life, she was.

  Movement out in the drive caught Janie’s attention and interrupted her unhealthy wallowing. A closer look told her there was a truck pulling into the drive. It was the same truck that had been there that morning.

  Her heartbeat kicked up a notch as the vehicle came to a stop not far from the house and the driver’s door swung open. Her pulse quickened further when she realized only one cowboy occupied the cab, and by the look of him, it was Tyler. Here. Alone.

  The urge to run to the bathroom to check how she looked after the long day told Janie she was thinking too much, not to mention the totally wrong things, about this man. She should be grateful he’d helped. She could be curious as to why he was back. But she really, really should not be waiting breathlessly for him by the back door.

  His long legs and matching stride brought him to the door, where he stood in front of her before she was mentally ready to face him. Somehow she managed to remember to open the door.

  “Hey.” Tyler shot her what she was beginning to see was his trademark grin. The one that had over the years probably won him the hearts of countless females, both young and old, if the racing of her pulse from being on the receiving end of Tyler’s smile was any indication.

  “Hi.” She had to wrestle to untie her tongue to return his greeting. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing here, but she couldn’t figure out a way to ask without being rude, so she went with the next best thing—polite small talk. “I didn’t expect to see you back here today.”

  His grin spread wider. “Eh, you know. I couldn’t stay away. You’ve won me over with your excellent coffee.”

  Tyler’s smile was infectious, or maybe she just turned into a giddy schoolgirl around him, because she couldn’t help smiling back. “I can make a pot, if you’d like.”

  “No need.” He held up a hand to stop her as she turned toward the counter. “I really just came over to talk to you about your hayfields.”

  “My hayfields? Okay. Come on in.”

  “You need to harvest that hay.”

  “I know.” Those fields were on the To Do list she’d come to hate. She let out a sigh. It felt as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. Or at least the weight of a field of alfalfa and another of grass, both of which needed cutting.

  “Well, don’t look so upset about it. It’s a good thing. It’ll make you some cash. I know Rohn ends up having to buy hay every winter when we run through what we cut. I’m sure he’d rather buy it from you than somebody else.”

  “We never sold it before.” In past years, they’d used it to feed their own herd over the winter, but now that she’d sold off most of the stock, she wouldn’t need it. “You really think it’ll bring in good money?”

  “Hell, yeah. You know, after the drought last year, there’s a shortage of both grass and alfalfa hay inventory. Prices will be way up for good-quality hay.”

  “And is mine good quality?”

  “Looks it to me. But I’d have your hired hand cut it now, if I were you. While the buds are just blooming. That way you’ll get a second cutting.”

  That made her laugh in spite of the truth. “I don’t have a hired hand anymore. Last year, one of the guys who used to work for us before Tom died did it for me. But he hasn’t worked here in almost a year now. I guess I could call him. I honestly was going to give it a try myself.”

  “Yourself.” Tyler’s lips formed a tight line. “You ever harvest hay before?”

  “Um, personally? No, but I’ve watched.”

  A frown drew his dark brows low. It was a striking contrast, his dark hair and brows framing eyes as brilliant blue as a summer sky. “Are you here working this place alone? You’ve got no hired help at all?”

  “Nope. Just me.” It was probably stupid to admit that, but this man worked for the neighbor she’d known most of her life. Rohn and her grandfather had been friends even before she married and Tom took over running the ranch. She could trust Tyler with the truth, although he didn’t look very happy with her answer.

  “How are you managing it?” he asked, still frowning.

  She shrugged. “Selling the bulk of the herd helped. So far, I’ve found I can handle most things myself.”

  He swung his head, as his lips remained pressed tight. “No. I don’t want you trying to do it. I’ll cut the hay for you.”

  It was a relief, knowing she wouldn’t have to do it for the first time alone. And if Tyler was right and she could sell the crop, she’d have money to pay him for the work. “How much do you get paid?”

  “Nothing.”

  “No, I can’t let you work here for free.” The microwave chose that moment to ding, signaling her dinner was ready. She was prepared to ignore it and the smell of spiced beef hanging in the air. Tyler was not.

  He glanced at the counter. “It’s suppertime and I’m interrupting you.”

  “It’s okay. It’s just leftover chili.”

  His smile returned. “I was wondering what smelled so good. You use chipotle?”

  “Yeah. How did you know?”

  He tapped his nose. “I have a nose made for sniffing out good food.”

  Tyler also had other body parts—lean, hard, muscled parts—that looked made for enjoyable activities besides eating. She yanked herself away from her shameless thoughts. For lack of anything else, she said, “Would you like some? There’s plenty.”

  What the hell was she thinking, asking this hot young guy to dinner? The offer had been vague enough that maybe he’d just say yes to a plastic container to go.

  “I’d love to stay and eat with you.” His smile lit his face.

  Or maybe not . . . “Okay. Great. I’ll just grab another bowl and microwave some more.”

  “Sounds good. I got the spoon.” He moved to the correct drawer and pulled out one of the big soupspoons to match the one she’d laid out on the table for herself.

  This man not only remembered where the utensils were kept, but he was setting another place at her table without her asking him to. All after she’d only known him for one day.

  He caught her watching him as he reached into the holder on the counter for a paper napkin. “Something the matter?”

  His qu
estion knocked her out of her trance. She yanked open the fridge and took the container out for the second time that day. Talking while she worked seemed to make it easier. “Not really. I was just thinking that somebody raised you right.”

  Ugh. She sounded like some old granny talking about his manners. Tyler didn’t seem to mind. He laughed and held up the spoon. “Or my mouth’s just watering from the smell of that chili.”

  “Here. This one’s hot.” She took the piping bowl out of the microwave and set it on the table. “Sit and eat. I’ll heat up more and join you in a minute.”

  Tyler eyed the steaming bowl on the table. “Ladies first. What kind of gentleman would I be if I started to eat before you?”

  “No. Guests first. What kind of hostess would I be if I ate before you?”

  “All right. You got me there.” Conceding the point, he tipped his head. “Thank you much. I don’t mind if I do.”

  He sat, his long legs and lean muscles filling the chair and the space beneath the table. She felt the strangeness of seeing a man at her table again after what felt like a long absence. He dug the spoon into the steaming bowl, and for the first time in a while, Janie felt a sense of accomplishment, pride in having cooked a good meal for someone to appreciate.

  She turned her attention to her own meal. The microwave chugged away on the counter with her bowl of chili inside as she watched the seconds tick down. It seemed like as good an occupation as any. Far better than staring, or trying not to stare, at her guest as he ate.

  “When’s the last time that equipment of yours was tuned up?”

  “I don’t know. Tom handled all that. Probably last year—” Janie caught herself. Last year he’d been so sick, she couldn’t be sure he’d remembered to tell the hands to service the machines. “Possibly the year before.”

  “Tractors, the mower, the baler—equipment like that needs to be checked regularly and maintained even when it’s not being used in the off-season. I’ll take care of it for you. I’m good with machines.”

  Good with machines. Probably good with his hands.... Janie imagined there wasn’t a whole lot Tyler wasn’t good at. But still, she couldn’t let him do her any more favors. “I can’t let you—”