Page 8 of Ethan

He chuckled and she was just in awe of how handsome he was.

“It’ll change your mind. We get snow in September, and it doesn’t quit until mid-May or June some years.”

“Kalispell can get snow then too, but rarely. I’d say since Clifton is so close to those gorgeous Glacier Mountains, it probably does get a lot of snow early.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Please, call me Naomi.”

“Alright. Naomi.” He took a bite of his burger, then picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. “So, what made you leave Kalispell?”

“Nothing was keeping me there anymore. Not after Mr. Jones passed and Helen decided to sell.” She picked up her burger. “I needed a fresh start.”

“And Clifton felt like the place for that?”

“Your ad felt like the place for that.” She smiled. “The town is a bonus.”

He nodded. “There are plenty of trails on the property too, when you want to ride for pleasure.”

“I’d love that.”

“How are you finding it so far? The town, I mean.”

“I drove down Main Street on my way back from the motel. I want to check out every single shop.” She laughed softly. “I haven’t had a chance yet.”

“You’ll like it. It’s a good town. Anything back in Kalispell worth going back for?”

“No,” she said. “Only child. Well, I have a half-sister, but we’ve never met.”

“Really?”

“My mother left me with my grandmother when I was an infant, ran off, married a man and had a baby she actually stayed for.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry.”

She shrugged. “Are your parents still living?”

“They are. What about your father?”

“I don’t know who he is. My maternal grandmother raised me. She’s gone now.” She moved on before he could respond. “Do you have siblings?”

“Yes, two older brothers. Seth grows barley and trains cutting horses. Cole grows oats and corn for feed and trains reining horses. Our father used to grow barley, but a drought wiped out his fields and cost him his contract. He split the acreage between us and Cole took over the original ranch. His property runs north, Seth’s is south, and our parents’ stretches east.”

“You don’t grow feed?”

“No.” He tilted his head. “Ever heard of Beckett Feed?”

“Yes. It’s all the Joneses would buy.”

“Ash Beckett is a good friend of ours. That’s who Cole and Seth grow feed for. He’s out of Hartland, just at the edge of Clifton. Spring City sits on the other side. Three small towns, tight communities. You’ll like it here.”

“It sounds nice. I do want to stop and explore every shop I saw.”

“You have four days before you start. Plenty of time.” He crumpled his wrapper and stood. “I’ll check my schedule and we’ll figure out when we can head to Kalispell for your mare.”

“I appreciate that.” She stood.

“I’ll be in touch. Have a good day.” He reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card. “Both my numbers are on there. Call anytime.”