Chapter 9

The bell above the diner door jingles as I push it open, the scents of coffee and fried bacon welcoming us like an old friend. Parker"s right on my heels, his spurs clicking against the linoleum floor, a sound that's as much Heartville as the blue skies and wide-open fields outside.

"Morning, Ryan," greets Clay Walker, Heartville"s resident veterinarian, from a booth by the window. His hat"s pushed back, revealing laugh lines around eyes that have seen more calving seasons than most. Levi, covered in grease stains that tell tales of engines and elbow grease, raises his coffee mug in salute.

"Clay. Levi." I nod, tipping my own hat. "How"s it going?"

"Can"t complain," Clay drawls. "Parker, I heard Sugar had a bit of a rough go?"

"Twisted her ankle in a gopher hole," Parker says, grimacing at the thought of his prized mare limping. "She's tough though, just like her owner."

Levi chuckles, sipping his coffee. "That horse got more grit than a sandstorm. She"ll be bucking and snorting in no time."

"Sure hope so," my brother chimes in. "We"ve got guests at the dude ranch itching for a ride, and Sugar"s always the star attraction."

"Give her a day or two," Clay advises, scratching at his stubble. "Let her rest up. I can swing by later, take another look if you want."

"Appreciate it, Clay. You"re a lifesaver," Parker says with genuine gratitude. I nod along, knowing full well how important Clay"s expertise is to keeping our animals healthy.

"Anytime, boys. That"s what I"m here for," he says, then glances over at Levi. "Ain"t that right?"

"Yep," Levi confirms, grinning. "Just like I"m here to keep your trucks runnin" so you can get to those animals in the first place."

"Teamwork makes the dream work," Parker jokes, and we all share a knowing smile before heading towards a booth to place our order. It"s moments like these—simple, friendly exchanges—that remind me why I hang my hat in Heartville. It may not be all sunshine and roses, but it"s home. And that suits me just fine.

I slide into the booth opposite Parker, and we both grab menus even though we already know what we"re going to order. It"s a little dance we"ve done countless times. It's comfort in the familiar routine.

"Can you believe Momma and Vivian?" I shake my head, incredulous as I set the menu down. "Setting up Julia like that, sending her to my doorstep in the middle of the night."

Parker leans back, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Seems like they"re playing matchmaker from the shadows." He chuckles. "Question is, how"d they even cross paths? Vivian"s all city, and you know Momma hasn"t left Heartville since the "90s."

"Beats me," I add, still puzzled by the whole situation. "It"s like they"re part of some secret society for meddling mothers."

"Or they just hit it off at some charity event we don"t know about," Parker suggests, taking a sip of his iced tea. "Either way, we won"t get the full story until we corner them together."

"Corner" is right. I imagine trying to get a straight answer out of either woman will be like wrestling a greased pig; messy and with a lot of squealing. Although, I"m grateful that Julia seems to be enjoying her impromptu stay. Even if it"s temporary.

The waitress, Doris, comes over with a pot of coffee and two plates stacked with the diner"s famous protein breakfast, including eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns and a side of pancakes. "Here you go, boys. Fuel for the hardworking ranchers."

"Thanks, Doris," we chorus, knowing this meal will hold us over well past sundown.

"Anytime, darlin"s," she replies with a wink before bustling off to tend to her other tables.

We dig in, and between mouthfuls, Parker glances out the window at our trucks parked side by side, a silent reminder of our next errand.

"Ready to head over to the feed store after this?" he asks, scraping up a forkful of syrup drenched pancakes.

"Yep," I reply, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "Need to stock up on supplies if I'm gonna keep that small ranch of mine running smoothly."

"Same here," Parker agrees. "Guests at Lone Star Dude Ranch eat almost as much as the horses do."

"Almost," I echo with a grin.

We finish up our meal and head out into the bright Texan sun. Climbing into my truck feels like slipping on an old glove, familiar and just right. The engine rumbles to life, and I glimpse over to see Parker doing the same in his vehicle. Then we pull out of our parking spaces and take off towards the feed store, dust kicking up behind us.

At the feed store, the scent of hay and grain fills the air. We let the cashier know what we need, pay out, and Parker and I heft bags of feed into the bed of my truck.

"Hey, Park, it looks like you're loading up a lot more than usual. Did you guys get a lot more animals at the ranch or what?" I break the silence, hauling a sack over the side of his own truck with a grunt.

"Yeah, Casie, the owner, had to buy a few more trained horses because with that new swanky place that looks like a mansion that opened up about two miles down our road has brought in an influx of business," Parker replies with a chuckle as he hauls a sack over the side of his own truck with a grunt. Dusting off his hands, he continues, "Which is good, but now we have more people to entertain, more animals to care for, and more mouths to feed. You know, a dude rancher's job is never done,"

"Right, that's great for Casie and keeps a good amount of people employed in a small town," I say while I stack another bag "So, you still don't know what goes on at your neighbors place?"

"No, Casie is tight lipped about the whole thing. She only says that she knows the owner well, he's a stand-up guy, and that he runs a nice establishment."

"That's it? Interesting."

"Yep, you know I trust Casie, though. So, I don't press for more than she's willing to say," he remarks. "Hey, you should bring Julia by, let her see how city folk handle roughing it at the dude ranch." He laughs at that last comment, knowing full well that Casie has the accommodations there like a country five-star resort.

"Thanks for the offer, but she's only here for a week."

"Yeah, keeping her all to yourself to enjoy her company while it lasts," Parker suggests, raising an eyebrow and dusting his hands on his jeans.

I nod, but something tightens inside me. Enjoy Julia"s company? Sure, but what happens when she leaves to go back to Houston?

"Actually, I got her something small," I confess, changing the subject slightly as I close the tailgate of my truck with a thud.

"Oh?" Parker"s interest is piqued.

"Sunflower grow kit. She mentioned liking to watch things grow." I shrug, feeling a bit foolish now that I"ve said it out loud.

"Look at you, cowboy Casanova," Parker teases, but there"s a warmth in his voice that tells me he thinks it"s a good move.

"Shut it," I retort. "Just thought it"d be nice, is all."

"Nice" doesn"t quite cover it. The truth is, I saw that grow kit and thought of Julia"s face, bright as those sunflowers are gonna be. But I"m walking a fine line between showing her some Texas hospitality and letting her get under my skin.

"Let"s get these supplies back," I suggest, eager to shift away from the topic of my unexpected houseguest and the even more unexpected feelings she"s stirring up.

"Race you back?" Parker challenges with a grin as we climb into our respective trucks.

"You"re on," I accept, the familiar thrill of competition giving me a temporary reprieve from thoughts of Julia and sunflowers.

We pull out of the feed store lot, engines roaring, kicking up another cloud of dust that blots out the sun momentarily.