Chapter 15

I’m exhausted. The first day of work on the ranch kills me. By the time we finish work and I get to take a shower, I can’t even think of watching TV or checking my emails. I stand in the shower for a long time just letting the water run down my body and ease my aching muscles. I pull on a pair of black sweatpants and a baggy band shirt when I’m done and hook William’s harness on so I can take him for a walk. I don’t want him to feel cooped up when he’s so used to being walked every day. We stay close to the cabin, but there’s a couple of horses in the pasture near us. William watches the horses closely and the cows a bit further away, his tail swishing side to side. I let him explore and meander along, but I make sure to keep him outside of the pasture. Horses and cows are big enough to injure him and William doesn’t know the difference since he hasn’t seen them before.

I lose all track of time as I walk William, so it surprises me when Dakota finds me walking along the fencing with William walking along the posts.

“Dinner’s ready,” he tells me, his eyes taking in William’s leather leash.

I nod. “Thank you. I hadn’t realized what time it was. I’ll be right in as soon as William is done.”

I’m not looking at him, so it surprises me when he suddenly grabs my wrist and turns my hand over. I don’t even have time to protest before he’s prodding the blisters on my palm.

“I’ll find you a pair of gloves for tomorrow,” he says.

Truthfully, my hands are covered in blisters from using the shovel. I’m not used to manual labor and my hands are soft. I imagine I’m going to have many more blisters the longer I’m here.

“I. . . thank you,” I say, moving to tug my hand away. He holds fast though, and I find myself looking up into his steel lilac-colored eyes.

“I apologize for not thinking you’d need them today. My hands are rough enough these days that I don’t need them for cleaning out the stalls. I should have given you the gear you need,” he murmurs.

“It’s okay, really,” I say with a smile. “You have a lot of other things to worry about, I’m sure.” Willima leaps down from the post, and I start leading him back to the cabin. Dakota follows. “You know, I never did ask. This is your ranch, right?”

“It’s not just mine anymore,” he replies. “It belongs to all three of us, Wiley, Levi, and me.” At my questioning eyes, he sighs. “My pa wasn’t business savvy and liked the finer things in life. He nearly ran the ranch into the ground because of it. When he. . .passed and I took over, I had a lot to fix, and I couldn’t do it alone. Levi, Wiley, and I have always been close. We grew up together, so it made sense to ask them to join the business.” He smiles and it’s so rare, I blink at him stupidly, enraptured by the look. Dakota is a beautiful man, but when he smiles, he’s damn near euphoric to look at.

“So, they just came into the business?” I ask, wanting him to keep talking.

He nods. “Wiley is the smartest man I know when it comes to horses and breeding them. That man could have been a renowned breeder on his own, but with the support of the ranch, he thrives. And Levi, he’s the best damn cowhand a man could ask for. After his bull riding stint, he can convince damn near any cow to do what he wants. It’s rare when he can’t.”

“Bull riding?” I ask. I haven’t had as much interaction with Levi yet but so far he seems disinterested in me. It’s strange to think he used to do something so crazy as bull riding. From what I’ve seen on TV, it seems like a dangerous sport.

“We all have a history, Kate. If you want to know Levi’s, you’ll have to ask him. That’s his story to tell.” His eyes are bright despite the topic. “Just as your story is yours to tell.”

My hand pauses on the doorknob to the cabin, and I glance over my shoulder at him. He watches me carefully, his eyes on me, strong and unwavering. He’d had to run a background check for me to work here, so he must know more than anyone, but he hasn’t told them where I’m from. No one has asked any questions or pried too deeply.

“Come on, Kate. Supper is getting cold,” he says, his eyes crinkling at having to remind me.

Wiley was right. Dakota isn’t always an asshole. And I find I like him just a little bit more when he’s not.

“Coming,” I say before letting William back inside the cabin and unclipping his harness. Then I follow Dakota back up to the house and let myself relax here just a little bit more.