house. He led her to the old worn-out couch she used to sleep on when her sisters convinced Daddy to let them camp out in the foreman’s cabin in their teen years. She sat down.
Jack left the room, and she used the alone time to check out Jack’s small living space. A couple of saddles were propped up on the arms of the chair in the corner and a duffel bag sat beside the empty bookcase. She wrinkled her nose. Those were the only signs that he even inhabited the foreman’s cabin. He must miss having the comfort of his things back at his real home.
Rubbing the skin at the base of her neck, she crossed her legs. She wanted to ignore the fact that this setup was temporary. Jack had another life, a home, a family.
Oh, Daddy…what are you doin’? Why didja hire this man, and how long will he be here?
She swallowed. The irony wasn’t lost on her. A couple weeks ago, she wanted him gone at all cost. Now that she’d fallen— dear Lord. I’ve fallen in love with Jack Grady. Her jaw dropped, closed and fell open again. She shut her mouth and scoffed under her breath. Have I really?
The thunk, thunk, thunk of Jack’s boot heels hitting the hardwood floor grew louder and he stepped back into the room. “I wanted to show you this.” He held out a small book. “It’s pictures I took around my place…and a few of Craig growing up.”
Laying the album on her lap, she dropped her chin to her chest, letting her hair cover her face. She blinked to dispel the moisture gathering in her vision. Am I being silly to wish we have something serious building between us? Or am I just a convenient way to pass the time until he moves on to another job…or goes back home?
She focused on the first picture. A ranch house with Jack’s truck parked outside the garage and an Australian cattle dog sitting on the porch knocked the breath out of her. “Y-you’ve got a dog?”
He sat on the arm of the couch, hovering over her to see the pictures, and chuckled. “Yeah, that’s Chaser. The neighbors on the other side of my place took him in while I’m here. They have him running cattle with their dogs. I imagine he thinks he’s in heaven getting to work every day.”
She flipped the page. A picture of a young man sitting at a dining room table with a silly grin on his face drew her attention. She gasped, held the book closer to study and then glanced up at Jack.
“That’s Craig on his sixteenth birthday.” Jack’s finger skimmed the plastic on the page.
“He looks so much like you. That’s amazing.” She turned to the next page and laughed. “Oh my God.” She tapped the picture. “Is that you?”
“Yeah, Craig bet me that he could stack all the hay we’d baled in the barn by himself in only one day.” He laughed. “I told him if he could do it in four hours, I’d let him shave my head.”
“You lost.” She reached up and brushed his hair off his face.
“Yeah.” He grinned. “I walked around feeling like a six-year-old boy for the rest of the summer until my hair grew out. I never saw Craig move as fast as he did bucking hay that day.”
“Is that why you got in the habit of never removing your hat?” She patted his thigh.
He shook his head. “Nah, I just like my hat.”
“I do too, cowboy.” Chantilly studied the rest of the album in silence. Each picture of Craig and the home life Jack created for his nephew showed how much he enjoyed raising Craig. The memories he’d saved proved she was right. Jack was a stand-up man who loved deeply and took his responsibilities seriously.
She shut the album, placed her hand on the cover, leaned back on the couch and sighed. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I can imagine all the fun you’ve had raising Craig and the love you have for him. You’ve got a wonderful ranch, Jack. You should be really proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
“I know so much ’bout your family, your life…” He shrugged. “I wanted you to see who I am.” He rubbed his
Jack left the room, and she used the alone time to check out Jack’s small living space. A couple of saddles were propped up on the arms of the chair in the corner and a duffel bag sat beside the empty bookcase. She wrinkled her nose. Those were the only signs that he even inhabited the foreman’s cabin. He must miss having the comfort of his things back at his real home.
Rubbing the skin at the base of her neck, she crossed her legs. She wanted to ignore the fact that this setup was temporary. Jack had another life, a home, a family.
Oh, Daddy…what are you doin’? Why didja hire this man, and how long will he be here?
She swallowed. The irony wasn’t lost on her. A couple weeks ago, she wanted him gone at all cost. Now that she’d fallen— dear Lord. I’ve fallen in love with Jack Grady. Her jaw dropped, closed and fell open again. She shut her mouth and scoffed under her breath. Have I really?
The thunk, thunk, thunk of Jack’s boot heels hitting the hardwood floor grew louder and he stepped back into the room. “I wanted to show you this.” He held out a small book. “It’s pictures I took around my place…and a few of Craig growing up.”
Laying the album on her lap, she dropped her chin to her chest, letting her hair cover her face. She blinked to dispel the moisture gathering in her vision. Am I being silly to wish we have something serious building between us? Or am I just a convenient way to pass the time until he moves on to another job…or goes back home?
She focused on the first picture. A ranch house with Jack’s truck parked outside the garage and an Australian cattle dog sitting on the porch knocked the breath out of her. “Y-you’ve got a dog?”
He sat on the arm of the couch, hovering over her to see the pictures, and chuckled. “Yeah, that’s Chaser. The neighbors on the other side of my place took him in while I’m here. They have him running cattle with their dogs. I imagine he thinks he’s in heaven getting to work every day.”
She flipped the page. A picture of a young man sitting at a dining room table with a silly grin on his face drew her attention. She gasped, held the book closer to study and then glanced up at Jack.
“That’s Craig on his sixteenth birthday.” Jack’s finger skimmed the plastic on the page.
“He looks so much like you. That’s amazing.” She turned to the next page and laughed. “Oh my God.” She tapped the picture. “Is that you?”
“Yeah, Craig bet me that he could stack all the hay we’d baled in the barn by himself in only one day.” He laughed. “I told him if he could do it in four hours, I’d let him shave my head.”
“You lost.” She reached up and brushed his hair off his face.
“Yeah.” He grinned. “I walked around feeling like a six-year-old boy for the rest of the summer until my hair grew out. I never saw Craig move as fast as he did bucking hay that day.”
“Is that why you got in the habit of never removing your hat?” She patted his thigh.
He shook his head. “Nah, I just like my hat.”
“I do too, cowboy.” Chantilly studied the rest of the album in silence. Each picture of Craig and the home life Jack created for his nephew showed how much he enjoyed raising Craig. The memories he’d saved proved she was right. Jack was a stand-up man who loved deeply and took his responsibilities seriously.
She shut the album, placed her hand on the cover, leaned back on the couch and sighed. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I can imagine all the fun you’ve had raising Craig and the love you have for him. You’ve got a wonderful ranch, Jack. You should be really proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
“I know so much ’bout your family, your life…” He shrugged. “I wanted you to see who I am.” He rubbed his
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