Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 77936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“The accountant is older than the lawyer, but I’ve got access to the records.” Grayson sighed heavily, probably a mix of extra work and lack of faith that I could find an answer. “I’ll forward what I’ve got when I finally make it to my laptop.”
“Modern cowboy,” I teased.
“Eh.” He pursed his lips, not laughing. “I’d rather just cowboy, but the business is part of it.”
“Well, I appreciate your help.”
“What I’m here for.” Grayson turned to head toward one of the other barns. “Good luck with your friend. Don’t let him pet a bull.”
“I won’t.” I was still laughing at that image when Hannah and Adler walked back over.
“The horse ate from my hand.” Adler beamed, a wide grin slicing his freckled face. “This place is so cool.”
“Wait till you ride a horse,” Hannah offered. “That’s way cooler than petting them.”
“You think I could?” Adler’s eyes went serving-platter round.
“Maybe later.” I wasn’t about to call Grayson back to figure out a horse for Adler, not with Grayson already convinced Adler was a liability. I might be the owner, but I continued to defer to Grayson and Kat when it came to things like lending out expensive stock. “Let’s continue the tour so we have time to get ready for the fair.”
“A real fair? Like with games and food?” Adler asked, making the annual Disappointment County Fair sound like the coolest outing ever.
“A real fair.” I nodded, catching a bit of Adler’s enthusiasm. I’d been counting down to the fair all week because it likely meant a chance to see Colt. “There’s also a rodeo with it for the next two nights.”
“My friend is gonna barrel race!” Hannah bounced around even more than Adler. “She’s gonna win.”
“The important thing is that Willow has fun,” I reminded Hannah. Whenever he watched Willow train, Colt made it clear that fun was the priority. He didn’t want Willow getting too hard on herself and losing her enjoyment of the sport.
“And wins.” Hannah, however, knew her friend’s competitiveness well. Even in training here at the ranch, Willow rode like a million-dollar purse was on the line. And Hannah was nothing if not loyal. “She wants to win for her mom.”
“Yeah.” I didn’t like thinking of Betsey much. If she were alive, I wouldn’t have this second chance with Colt, but if they had never married, Colt wouldn’t have Willow, who truly was his whole world. “Colt’s proud of Willow too.”
“Colt? As in the Colt?” Adler crowed. Crap. He’d clearly been more sober than I’d thought the night I’d poured my heart out about my crappy history with love after my divorce.
I shot him a stern look. “As in, the father of Hannah’s best friend.”
“Uncle Maverick has a crush,” Hannah shared, and I groaned.
“I do not.” Ever since the drive-in date, Hannah kept teasing me about Colt, and eventually, the wrong person was going to hear. “Please don’t say that around Willow. Or Colt.”
“You make this face when he texts.” Hannah took on the most dopey, lovesick face ever, complete with pouty lips and soft eyes. “You have a crush.”
“Let’s finish the tour,” I urged, needing a change of topic in a hurry. I led the way through the main horse barn. Luckily, we ran into Kat, who was able to answer some of Adler’s nine billion questions.
We arrived back at the ranch house with no further teasing from Adler or Hannah about Colt.
I showed Adler to his upstairs guest room and bath so he could freshen up before we left for the fair. Watching him treat the ranch as a sort of amusement park or museum was cute, a perspective I’d never had. For me, the ranch was an obligation, a responsibility, but never fun.
“I’m going to get changed into my outfit for the rodeo,” Hannah announced as I entered the kitchen, but she stopped partway to the stairs as Faith glided in from the dining room, coffee cup in hand. “Oh hi, Mom! Are you coming to the fair and rodeo?” Hannah rushed over to hug Faith, looking up at her with big eyes. “Please?”
“I’d sooner floss with barbed wire.” Faith grimaced. From behind Hannah, I shot her a warning look. As usual, she was stomping all over Hannah’s enthusiasm. However, my look must have had some effect because she softened her tone as she walked over to her purse on the counter. “But you go have fun. Here’s a card if you want to get yourself something.”
“Thanks.” No stranger to her mother’s credit card, Hannah pocketed it and dashed upstairs.
“You should come,” I said to Faith, pitching my voice upbeat rather than the lecture I ached to deliver. “It would do you good to get out.”
“I’m not ill.” Faith’s pout took on a defiant edge.
“I didn’t say you were.” My good intentions were rapidly evaporating. “I need to talk with you about my meeting with the trust. There’s a cash flow situation.”