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“Agreed. We don’t have time to order much of anything.” She wrote a few more items on her pad. At this rate, she’d be out of paper and ink soon.
Our tour didn’t take very long. It was mostly me listening as she told me her plans. I gave a few suggestions, but overall, she had it all figured out. I was there to turn on lights and open and close doors.
“Your food truck plan is brilliant. No reason to rush the kitchen build-out.” I flipped off the last lights we’d turned on inside the dancehall.
“I think food trucks are a fun complement to the wine tasting.”
“Locals will be eager to try new food options, too. Not just the tourists.”
Rae had proved how capable she was today. And, as I suspected after reading her business plan, she was as brilliant as her brother. If she put her mind to something, she would succeed. A weird bubble of pride bloomed in my chest at the thought, and I tried to squash it. She wasn’t my anything. I shouldn’t be proud, I should be horrified. Her brilliant plan would have Blue Star going the way of Rivers Ranch all too soon.
“I’m already in contact with a popular food truck park in Austin, and I think they might help me promote The Stomp and the brand.”
Every time she said “the brand,” it made my shoulders hunch up by my ears, and I had to suppress a shudder. The marketing speak was not something I’d ever be comfortable with.
I shoved the barn door open and motioned Rae ahead of me. Outside was hot after the AC in the dancehall. As I followed her, I couldn’t stop myself from checking out her ass—again. She had me tied up in knots, pulling me one way and pushing me another. I needed a pair of scissors to get free.
While we’d focused on the dancehall, I’d kept my hands off her and my questions to myself. But now that we were done, allI wanted to do was ask about what the hell she intended in the barn this morning. The kiss had been a mutual explosion, but her stealing my hat was practically an invitation to her bed.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I wanted that invitation—desperately. Exhibit A: I bought her boots from Melvin; I didn’t even have boots from his shop.
I followed her to Flower’s side, and before I did something stupid like kiss her, I offered her a leg up on the horse. Her delicious ass was so close I could have bitten it as I lifted her into the saddle. I stifled a groan. Riding with an erection would not be a good idea.
I mounted Jet and turned us toward home at an easy jog. Rae and Flower fell into step next to me.
“It’s really pretty out here. I see why my brother fell in love with this place.” The wistful note in her voice had me looking around and seeing Blue Star through her eyes. The open expanse of the hay field, the rocky low hills and tangled oak trees. All bronzed and burnished by the setting summer sun.
“I think it was a perfect storm for him.”
“How?”
“Cameron, Elmer, and Blue Star.” Her brother had been a little lost when he got to Texas, searching for a new place to belong, and the winds of fate blew him right where he was meant to be. Lucky bastard.
“Right person. Right place. Right challenge.”
The sound I made could have been me agreeing. I wasn’t sure if the challenge had been the ranch or Cami… I’d had a ringside seat to their rocky courtship.
“We should get a move on; the sun is setting.” I pressed my heels to Jet’s sides, and he was happy to gallop toward home and his waiting dinner with little encouragement.
“You heard him, giddy up!” Rae clucked to encourage Flower to keep up.
Rae and I raced over the trail, faster than on the way to the dancehall. I glanced over my shoulder to check on her and almost fell off my horse. She stood in her stirrups and bent forward over Flower’s neck, giving the mare room to run beneath her. Wind whipped her hair back, and she held a tuft of mane in a fist for extra balance. It was a sight to behold, far better than the sunset streaking the sky red, pink, and lavender.
I turned back to the view between my horse’s ears, but Rae racing hell-bent for leather was all I saw. She pushed right to the edge of her capabilities and raced past them. That was Rae. She was blowing past boundaries in her life all over the place. In bed with me that night in Dallas. Demanding to take on Blue Star’s tasting room. And now at a full gallop.
She was fearless—flying.
I’d never seen anything quite like it.
We were both breathless by the time we slowed to a walk and navigated the last part of the trail into the barnyard.
“That was awesome.” She sing-songed the word awesome in a way that reminded me of every cheesy 1980s TV show I wanted to forget as an adult.
“You can ride Flower anytime. She’s Wilson’s preferred horse, and your brother’s not got time for riding with his product launch happening this summer.” I dismounted, and she followed suit.
We brought the horses into the barn and worked together to remove their saddles and bridles.
“Follow me.” I led Jet from the grooming area to a set of wash stalls. In this kind of heat, both horses had sweated enough that they needed a rinse; otherwise, the dried salt could irritate their skin.
