Page 54 of Blue Jean Summer

Right. The cowboy who had struck a deal with my granddad to use the undeveloped part of the estate for his cattle operation.

I had known of Warren Grey for years but had never seen him with my own two eyes. He was a tall tale, like the creatures that lurked in the Appalachian Mountains. You never said their names, looked for them outright, or acknowledged they even existed. But Warren Grey wasn’t folklore. He simply kept to himself and minded his own business. I appreciated that greatly.

“Anything I can do for you?” I asked.

Warren stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave a terse shake of his head. “Heard about the wedding.”

“Who told you? The cows?” Mason joked.

Warren cut his eyes at Mason, then grunted. “Had to go into town. Folks gossip.” He turned his curt attention back to me. “Just wanted to let you know I’ll move the herd downwind. Wouldn’t want to ruin the big day by it smelling like manure.”

“Appreciate it,” I said.

Mason and Warren both glanced over my shoulder, and I turned to see what caught their attention.

Catherine had, and I didn’t blame them.

“Hi,” she said with a bright smile as she neared our posse. Her eyes widened. “You’re filthy.”

I glanced down at my bare chest and the sweat-soaked streaks of dirt and mulch left by my hands when I used my shirt to towel off.

“Hallie’s making a big dinner, since everyone’s on the property today,” she said without skipping a beat. “Do you mind telling Levi?”

“I’ll tell him,” Mason said before dipping into the stables.

“Hi. I’m Catherine,” she said with a smile as she extended her hand to Warren. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

“Ma’am.” Warren reluctantly shook her hand, but didn’t introduce himself.

“Catherine is my…fiancée,” I said. The term rolled unfamiliarly off my tongue. “Warren leases the west side to work cattle.”

Catherine clapped her hands together. “No way! How cool is that! I’m working on a project that will get more kids involved in ranching and agriculture. I’d love to chat and get your perspective.”

“No,” he snapped before shoving a boot into the stirrup, swinging his leg over the saddle, and settling on the beast’s back. “Thanks,” he added reluctantly.

If Catherine was fazed, she didn’t show it. “Would you like to join us for dinner? Hallie’s an amazing cook. It’s low-key. Just Hayes and me, Hallie and her son, and Mason and Levi.”

That seemed to pique his interest, but he shook his head. “No. Thank you, ma’am.” The gruff manners were punctuated by a tip of his hat and a grumbled, “Have a good afternoon.”

Then it was just Catherine and me.

Eyes, big and blue like the mountain range behind us, raked up and down my chest. She opened those cherry lips to say something, then stopped when her phone buzzed.

She pulled it out of her back pocket and frowned at the screen.

“Sorry. Just a sec. It’s probably Miss Virginia stuff,” she muttered as she swiped across the screen and pressed her phone to her ear. “Hello?”

There was a pause as she listened to the person on the other end. It was a man, that much was clear, but I couldn’t tell what he was saying. The immediate look of elation and unfettered joy that morphed out of the momentary confusion made me jealous.

Catherine stammered and pressed her palm to her cheek. “Y-yes. Of course. I’ll send the details over.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she bounced on her toes, trying to contain her excitement and keep her voice composed while simultaneously freaking out. “I’m so glad you want to come!” Her smile was blinding. Those Bambi eyes met mine, sharing her excitement.

The knot of jealousy eased.

“To your office. Absolutely. And you have my number? So, if you’d like to—you know—talk before, I’d like that.”

Catherine’s eyes danced along the horizon as she listened to whatever the person on the other end said. She blindly reached for my hand, slipping her fingers between mine and squeezing the ever-living daylights out of them.

“I’m so glad you called. I’ll be in touch.”