Page 6 of All in with the Maverick Montana

“You’re horrible.”

“I keep things interesting.” He climbed into the back seat of the truck.

Noah caught Josh’s eye, shaking his head briefly. Josh closed the tailgate, then they both loaded up. Josh drove them down the long gravel drive toward the road, heading for the western border of his property.

“Okay,” Ryder said. “Start talking. Who is she?”

Josh glanced in the rearview mirror. Ryder wore that cocky smile of his. The same one he used to woo the ladies in town. Luckily, they’d started getting wise to his tactics.

“It’s no one.”

“Sure,” Ryder said.

Josh felt a flush creep up his neck. He might be the strong silent type, but he was usually pretty open with his friends. He just didn’t know where to start. He’d spent all of fifteen minutes with Amy at the feed store yesterday, yet he couldn’t seem to shake the thought of her.

Josh wasn’t usually one to brood over women. He’d learned a long time ago that no good came from it. But there’d been a moment yesterday, while Amy was cashing him out, when he’d considered asking her out for coffee. He’d panicked, obviously, and turned tail, rushing out of the store as fast as he could. The problem was, he liked Amy, quite a bit. She’d been interesting and sweet, laughing at his pathetic jokes, and the words cattle rancher hadn’t sent her running from him, unlike his past relationships. He just wasn’t sure what to do about these feelings now. Despite wanting someone to share his life with, he’d come to the conclusion that looking for love only ended up with his heart stomped on. And he wasn’t interested in living through that again.

“You know I’ve got a nose for these things,” Ryder said. “I knew Renee and Miles had a thing before they even realized it. Trust me, I’ll figure out who you’ve been talking to.”

Noah and Ryder’s sister, Renee, had recently found love with Miles Parker. But that’s not what was going on here. “I haven’t been talking to anyone,” Josh said. “I talked. Singular. One time. To someone.”

Ryder whooped from the back of the cab. “About time. You’re getting as bad as Noah.”

“I don’t have time for dating drama,” Noah said.

Josh glanced out the window, the fields rushing past. He thought he’d made his peace with his land and his cattle. But as much as he loved his work and the land, it was still a lonely existence, even for a man who had learned to enjoy the solitude.

“Okay, but who is she?” Ryder said.

“She’s new in town.” Josh’s eyes lifted to the rearview again. “You don’t know her.”

Ryder’s brow arched. “You sure?”

“Don’t go getting any ideas.” Josh slowed and drove onto the shoulder of the road, nearing the portion of downed fence. “Her name’s Amy. She’s working down at the Strom feed store.”

“Aww, Amy,” Noah and Ryder chorused together.

“I hate you both.” The truck bounced through some deep potholes, the supplies rattling around the bed of the truck, and the brothers broke into fits of laughter.

“Sorry,” Noah said, trying to keep a straight face. “It was just the way you said it, all doe-eyed.”

“Shut up.”

“Tell us about Amy,” Ryder interrupted.

“Nothing much to tell.”

“Must be something to tell if she’s got you this infatuated already,” Noah pointed out.

Josh pulled up next to the fence. “I’m gonna make you both walk back to the ranch.”

He got out of the truck. Noah and Ryder followed him to the back of the truck, unloading new fence posts and wire. “Can you blame us?” Noah asked, grabbing the tools. “How long’s it been since you were last interested in someone?”

“A while,” he muttered.

Honestly, it had been longer than Josh would care to admit. He wasn’t a very exciting or adventurous man, and he liked his life the way it was. And that was maybe his downfall. When the woman he’d last seriously dated finally admitted she hated the idea of being trapped in this small town, in this world of ranchers and cattle, Josh had let her go without a fight. How could he possibly hold on to someone who wanted more out of life than what he could offer?

Now she was probably chasing rich cowboys across Montana. Which was for the best.