Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 74968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
“I’m not worried about awkward.” Grayson waved a hand as he scoffed. “Just don’t go idealizing Colorado living. I’ve seen plenty of people out here struggle with sobriety. Not just an LA problem. Long, cold, lonely winters get to a person. And as for the other, I told you, one-time deal.”
“So you did.” I regarded him coolly, unmoved by his concern for my sobriety. “And I’m not sticking around for you. Don’t flatter yourself. I want to help Maverick make his idea a huge success.”
“A bunch of tourists tromping all over the ranch is a recipe for disaster.” Grayson shook his head at me hard enough that his cowboy hat dipped. He shoved it back in place. “How in the heck are we supposed to do our jobs and entertain them at the same time?”
“You put them to work.” I grinned, trying to find my usual charm. “Let them experience the fun of working on a ranch.”
“This ain’t a theme park.” Grayson was anything other than charmed. “Sooner you realize that, the happier we’ll all be.”
“One person’s work is another’s delight. Sooner you gain perspective, the happier you might be,” I shot right back. So much for being charming.
“It’s all fun until it’s three a.m. in freezing temps with a complicated breech foal, vet can’t make it, and you gotta be ready in two hours for feeding the hands and assigning chores, no matter what happens.” Grayson dropped each word like a barbell hitting the gym floor, weighty with memories, and he snapped his jaw shut as he finished to glower at me.
“Wow.” I wasn’t going to admit that he might have a point about me idealizing cowboy life. New Jersey got snow, too, but the only times I’d seen three a.m., work had definitely not been involved.
“Look, you don’t choose this way of life. It chooses you.” Grayson’s sharp eyes seemed determined to poke me in every small, soft, secret spot. “You and Maverick wanna have your rich friends come play rancher, that’s on you, but at least have a little respect.”
“I’ll try.” I made my voice as grave as his, but he merely snorted, sounding exactly like one of the nearby horses. “I will. You’ll see.”
“Just keep outta the way.” Grayson’s shoulders slumped as if he already knew I wouldn’t. And he wasn’t wrong. I undoubtedly had a few misguided assumptions about cowboy life. But I was ready to learn—
Oh. Bingo. I had the best idea ever, and enough sense to not blurt it out to Grayson as he determinedly clomped away.
Chapter Five
Grayson
Early October
“Adler wants to do what?” I gaped at Maverick, not trying to hide my shock. We were in the machine shed for the purpose of me showing Maverick a few things that needed to be replaced. Hadn’t expected Adler’s name to come up.
For a few weeks now, I’d been able to relax a bit because Adler was back in LA, tying up loose ends there. Maverick had mentioned Adler was having a hard time finding someone to take over his apartment lease, and I’d even started to hope he might change his mind about coming back.
No such luck.
“Adler wants to learn more about ranching so he can better help me run the dude ranch side of things,” Maverick patiently explained again. “He’ll be back in a few days, but it’s going to take us a bit to get the visitor side of things going anyway. I’m making a list of renovations—”
“Renovations is one thing. That’ll be headache enough.” I rubbed my temples as one was already starting to gather from this conversation alone. “But you want Adler to work as a hand?”
“Only for a few months while we work out the details on the new sideline.” Maverick waved a hand airily before pulling out his phone. “Speaking of, I’ve got a Second Chance Ranch logo to show you too. The new signage will be here soon.”
“You want me to occupy the greenest city kid I ever met for a few months?” I ignored the logo he was trying to show me in favor of the first part of what he’d said. Months.
Maverick shrugged. “You’ve said for a while now that you’re short on hands and having trouble finding applicants.”
“I didn’t mean…” I trailed off on a groan because I had been going on about the need for more help. I still wasn’t on board with Maverick’s plan to bring city slickers in, let alone give them chores to do.
“And you wanted me to step up and find ideas to help cash flow.” Maverick gave me a pointed look. He had me, and he well knew it. I wanted the ranch to succeed, wanted him to enjoy being a rancher, and absolutely did not want him and his sister to sell to one of the developers buzzing around like horseflies.