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)
“Thanks for the tip.” I resisted the urge to snap back that I knew all about hard work. “I’m used to being on my feet a lot as it is.”
“What is it you did with Maverick and his hotels anyway?” Grayson asked in what might be his first attempt at small talk with me. I smiled encouragingly, in no hurry to ride away.
“You never saw his show?” The idea that Grayson might not know my whole story was rather appealing.
“Not really.” Grayson shrugged. “TV’s not my thing.”
“Maverick and I met at one of the show’s first flips.” I petted Cinder as I talked. “I’d worked my way up from front desk work to concierge and staff management roles, and Maverick used me on other projects to train staff and improve service at the properties he was flipping.”
“I’d think there would always be demand for hotel managers like that.” Grayson sounded ready to send me back to California to look for work.
“You’d think.” I took a breath. He might not know my story, but there was also no outrunning it. “Luckily, you missed the episode where I drove a hotel-owned van into a fountain. A very public sinking of my professional reputation. Also, Maverick’s asshole ex understandably declined to give me a reference.”
“Understandably petty sounds like.” Grayson sounded ready to give Domnic a firm shake, which I’d pay good money to see. Grayson Campbell rising to my defense was unexpected and made my chest all warm.
“Eh. The DUI and surrounding gossip made me a risky bet.” As much as I liked Grayson taking umbrage on my account, I had to be honest. “Domnic didn’t want to rec someone likely to fail.”
“Are you?” Grayson took on a demanding tone.
“Am I what?”
“Likely to fail?” He narrowed his gaze like he could see past every barrier and wall I had. “Don’t seem that way to me. You seem stubborn as they come.”
“Thank you.” My cheeks heated and my insides danced at the praise. “And I’m working hard on my recovery. Therapy. Meetings. Not going to fail.”
“You need time for meetings, you let me know.” Grayson gave me another of his stern looks, but this one was tempered by a certain kindness. “You won’t be the only hand I’ve had need time for those, so you be sure and speak up.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.” Shaking his head, he pursed his lips. “My dad was over twenty years sober when he passed on. He never missed a chance to help a fellow person in recovery.”
“He was the foreman before you, right? Maybe this really is a second chance ranch.”
“Suppose so.” Grayson didn’t seem inclined to keep talking about his father. “Let’s bring Cinder back around to the mounting block.”
A childish giggle escaped my throat. “Sorry. It’s still a silly name.”
“Think you have a dirty mind.” Grayson followed us over to the mounting block.
“Guilty.” I met his gaze, trying to remind him of every naughty thing I’d done by the pond.
“Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” I faked innocence.
“Like you’re ten seconds from hitting the sawdust if I so much as lift an eyebrow.”
“Maybe I am.” I waggled my eyebrows at him. “You should test that theory.”
Grayson shook his head at my audacity. “Go on now. Let’s put your horse away.”
I hadn’t truly expected him to take me up on my suggestion, but the tiny sparkle in his eyes was victory enough. I was wearing him down. Give me enough time, and he’d end up liking me after all.
Chapter Nine
Grayson
As I approached the horse barn after a lengthy meeting with Maverick and the folks in charge of the ranch trust, I plodded along, steps slowing. I never would have thought the day would come when I’d welcome a ranch finance meeting, but such was my distraction level with Adler around. He was so darn cheerful about everything, from stall mucking to receiving a stack of inventory sheets. His relentlessly sunny attitude made it hard to keep him at arm’s length. Not to mention his unbridled joy at riding. He made it hard not to smile and shower him with the sort of praise he so clearly craved.
I was decades removed from learning to ride. In fact, I couldn’t say as I remembered ever being as outwardly excited as Adler was about being on a horse. His enthusiasm reminded me how lucky we were to get to do this work. He wasn’t wrong. Riding a horse was pretty special. But with all those reminders came a deeper appreciation for Adler himself. One might even say I was coming to like him, and that simply wouldn’t do.
“Inventory done?” I asked as I found Adler at Cinder’s stall, murmuring softly to the horse. Finding him not working meant I didn’t have to try to make my voice clipped and stern.