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“Sure. I’m off tomorrow.”
“What days are you off?”
“Wednesdays and Sundays. Saturdays we close at noon, so I’m free after that until Mondays.”
“Okay. How about you come to my place tomorrow around eleven? I have work to do in the mornings, but I’ll be free by then.”
“You’re working?”
“Just around the ranch. I have to muck out the stalls, and feed and water the horses.”
“You need to look for a manager.”
“I know. Do you have a pair of cowboy boots?”
“Yes.”
“Make sure you wear them. I plan to go to the Feed Store this week. I’ll need to get some feed, so I’ll check the board at the store. Come on, walk me out.”
She walked with him to the door, opened it, and looked at him. Damn, he was fine. She just hoped he didn’t break her heart. He leaned down, kissed her lips, touched the brim of his hat, and strode out the door. She watched him saunter to his truck, open the door, climb in, and start it. He gave her a wave, then backed out of the driveway and drove off.
Addison closed the door and locked it. She had Lolli go out for a few minutes, then after she came back inside, Addison closed the pet door, locked the door, and headed to bed with Lolli on her heels.
Once in the bedroom, she climbed into bed, and patted the cover next to her.
“Come on, sweet girl.” She grinned as she watched Lolli climb the little set of steps beside the bed. “Otherwise, you’d never make it, would you?”
Lolli lay beside her and after heaving a big sigh, they both fell asleep.
****
Cody finished the stall and moved on to the next one. Jude was working in the other barn, Axel was checking the fence, and Carl was stacking hay. Since it was only a few bales, he didn’t need help.
The warmth of the day had the barn sweltering, but the chores had to be done. Stalls needed to be cleaned every day with new straw being put down for the horses.
He checked his watch for about the hundredth time to see only a half hour had passed since the last time he checked it. He was anxious for Addison to come by.
“Hey, boss, I’m finished with the stalls. What else do you need?” Jude asked him.
“You can prep the office for painting, or at least get started on it. The paint and everything you need is in the office. Some of the drywall needs patched, so maybe start that.”
“Will do.” Jude saluted and left the barn.
Cody grinned. He was glad three of the men came with him to Clifton. He hated it that Lind didn’t, but he understood. It’s hard to leave the place you were born and raised. He needed to get into the Feed Store and check out the board. He needed a manager fast. He had too much to do, contending with the bulls.
At ten, he walked out of the barn and into the sunshine. It was going to be a scorcher if it was this hot already. September could never make up its mind on which weather it wanted to tease a man with. He wanted to grab a shower before Addison arrived. He was sure she’d appreciate it since he didn’t smell too good right now.
He entered the house and sighed at the cooler air. After hanging up his hat, he sat on the bench, toed off his boots, then walked into the laundry room where he stripped off his clothes, and headed for the master bath.
Reaching inside the shower stall, he turned the water on, stepped in, and groaned as the hot water hit his sore muscles. He hadn’t worked in a barn in a long time, but he had to do his part until he hired a manager. Cody didn’t have the patience to delegate jobs to the men. A manager would know who to send where to do what.
Besides, he had way too much to do with the bulls. Being a stock contractor, he always seemed to be on the phone, and getting his bulls to competitions. It was a very lucrative business.
After washing his hair and body, he shut the water off, opened the door, and grabbed a towel. He dried off, hung the towel on the rack, and walked to the steamed-up mirror over the sink. He swiped his hand across it so he could see to shave.
Once finished, he entered the bedroom, dressed, and headed back to the kitchen. It was almost eleven, so she should be here soon. He wondered if she wanted to have lunch. He picked up his cellphone and called her.
“Hey,” she said.
