I’ll take the other.”
39
A Rancher’s Love ~ Capri Montgomery She nodded. The shed was right on the side where one of the watering areas was. She had seen Dean go there after work to rinse any hard dirt off of him before coming back to the property with his wet clothes in hand, and his feet in his wet boots before putting everything in the dirty bin, except his boots. He was in the habit of entering through the hall off from the kitchen. The boots he left in the hall on the rubber mat.
She figured she would have to do the same because she was now just as dirty as he was—well, maybe not just as dirty. The man looked like he had rolled in a mud pit.
“What were you doing to get so dirty?”
“Breaking a horse, and she threw me over into the mud ditch. We had some rain,” he pulled her just a little closer to him.
“I thought the younger guys broke the horses.”
“I’m not that old.”
“You’re too old to be breaking horses,” she admonished. “You could have gotten yourself killed.”
“Honey, once you break a horse you never forget how to do it. But to be honest I am going to feel today come morning. I just needed something to take my mind off my troubles.”
“What were your troubles?” She asked him as he turned the hoses on her and helped rinse off the mud on her clothes.
“You being gone, and me not being able to get in touch with you. Your home number was disconnected.”
“My lease was up, remember. You had my cell.”
“I tried to call you and the number wouldn’t go through.”
“I’ve been having problems with this stupid phone lately. I’m sorry. I should have left my email address with you so you would have had another way to get in touch with me.”
“I’m glad you came.”
She smiled at him. “Me too. Now,” she took the hose from him. “Let me hose you off dirty man.”
40
A Rancher’s Love ~ Capri Montgomery He laughed. “Be my guest.” He grinned. “I can stand here and look at you.”
“It’s a good thing my suit jacket is covering certain things.”
He growled low. “No it’s not.”
She looked down and saw how the light jacket was clinging to her body. She had on a bra, but good grief, he certainly knew it was dark blue and lace now. “Dean!” She squirted him with more water and he laughed.
“I’m in love with you, Zoe. You had to know that.”
She stood there, frozen in place. He had just said he was in love with her. “I…I didn’t know,” she stammered.
“I understand that I’m too old for you, and you probably don’t feel the same way…”
She flung her body against his, placed her free hand on the back of his head and quickly kissed him hard, passionately and completely. His arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him and holding her so tightly. She barely even recognized that she was now pressing the nozzle on the water hose hard and water was cascading down their legs. When she pulled back she was breathless.
“I had hoped,” she whispered breathlessly. “But I didn’t think you would want me. I didn’t think…I’m…different. Nobody wants me when I’m different.”
“I love you because you are different. I don’t care if you’re black or white, Zoe. Love isn’t about a color.”
“And it’s not about an age—as long as it’s legal,” she added. “I’m legal.”
“I know. I want us, Zoe.”
“Me too,” she brushed her lips across his. “But we’d better finish this first,” she laughed as she stepped back. He looked at her and shook his head.
“I’ve gotten you dirty again.”
41
A Rancher’s Love ~ Capri Montgomery She looked down to her mud stained clothes again. “Let’s just take off the clothes and put on the bathrobes,” she laughed.
“Can’t, no matter how much I would want that, we need to get the dirt off or Jasper will kill us for putting dripping wet muddy clothes in the wash room.”
She laughed. “That she will. Okay, then maybe we should get you clean
39
A Rancher’s Love ~ Capri Montgomery She nodded. The shed was right on the side where one of the watering areas was. She had seen Dean go there after work to rinse any hard dirt off of him before coming back to the property with his wet clothes in hand, and his feet in his wet boots before putting everything in the dirty bin, except his boots. He was in the habit of entering through the hall off from the kitchen. The boots he left in the hall on the rubber mat.
She figured she would have to do the same because she was now just as dirty as he was—well, maybe not just as dirty. The man looked like he had rolled in a mud pit.
“What were you doing to get so dirty?”
“Breaking a horse, and she threw me over into the mud ditch. We had some rain,” he pulled her just a little closer to him.
“I thought the younger guys broke the horses.”
“I’m not that old.”
“You’re too old to be breaking horses,” she admonished. “You could have gotten yourself killed.”
“Honey, once you break a horse you never forget how to do it. But to be honest I am going to feel today come morning. I just needed something to take my mind off my troubles.”
“What were your troubles?” She asked him as he turned the hoses on her and helped rinse off the mud on her clothes.
“You being gone, and me not being able to get in touch with you. Your home number was disconnected.”
“My lease was up, remember. You had my cell.”
“I tried to call you and the number wouldn’t go through.”
“I’ve been having problems with this stupid phone lately. I’m sorry. I should have left my email address with you so you would have had another way to get in touch with me.”
“I’m glad you came.”
She smiled at him. “Me too. Now,” she took the hose from him. “Let me hose you off dirty man.”
40
A Rancher’s Love ~ Capri Montgomery He laughed. “Be my guest.” He grinned. “I can stand here and look at you.”
“It’s a good thing my suit jacket is covering certain things.”
He growled low. “No it’s not.”
She looked down and saw how the light jacket was clinging to her body. She had on a bra, but good grief, he certainly knew it was dark blue and lace now. “Dean!” She squirted him with more water and he laughed.
“I’m in love with you, Zoe. You had to know that.”
She stood there, frozen in place. He had just said he was in love with her. “I…I didn’t know,” she stammered.
“I understand that I’m too old for you, and you probably don’t feel the same way…”
She flung her body against his, placed her free hand on the back of his head and quickly kissed him hard, passionately and completely. His arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him and holding her so tightly. She barely even recognized that she was now pressing the nozzle on the water hose hard and water was cascading down their legs. When she pulled back she was breathless.
“I had hoped,” she whispered breathlessly. “But I didn’t think you would want me. I didn’t think…I’m…different. Nobody wants me when I’m different.”
“I love you because you are different. I don’t care if you’re black or white, Zoe. Love isn’t about a color.”
“And it’s not about an age—as long as it’s legal,” she added. “I’m legal.”
“I know. I want us, Zoe.”
“Me too,” she brushed her lips across his. “But we’d better finish this first,” she laughed as she stepped back. He looked at her and shook his head.
“I’ve gotten you dirty again.”
41
A Rancher’s Love ~ Capri Montgomery She looked down to her mud stained clothes again. “Let’s just take off the clothes and put on the bathrobes,” she laughed.
“Can’t, no matter how much I would want that, we need to get the dirt off or Jasper will kill us for putting dripping wet muddy clothes in the wash room.”
She laughed. “That she will. Okay, then maybe we should get you clean
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