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He wasn’t afraid of dogs, but he didn’t want one all up in his business either. He bent down and patted the German shepherd, because she was a magnificent creature. She seemed to like him well enough, and then she went over to Connor, who still sat on the barstool. The boy squealed and then laughed as he slipped off the stool to pet the dog. Ursula licked his face, and Connor giggled and giggled.
When Nate looked at Ginger, she wore such a blissful expression on her face that made Nate want to be able to put that look there again and again. He had no idea what that meant, and he filed the thought to think about later.
“I need to go to the bank tomorrow,” he said. “Do you drive me? Or should I ask someone else? Or…?” He let his question hang there, because he honestly didn’t know how to finish it.
“I’ll take you,” she said. “You can’t go anywhere alone, Nate, except around to do your work on the ranch.”
He nodded, suddenly needing a very strong cup of coffee. The brew behind bars was always too hot and too bitter, but Nate had grown accustomed to it. He glanced down the counter and didn’t even see a coffee machine. That would definitely have to change.
“I’m thinking I’ll put you with the horses,” she said as Spencer entered the house.
“Oh, Ursula made it back,” he said, grinning at the dog. “She barked at everything that moved today.”
“And last night,” Ginger said with a sigh. “I need to get her into that agility program.”
Nate’s interest piqued, because they’d had a couple of prison dogs, and he’d enjoyed working with them.
“He’s doing horses?” Spencer asked, stepping over to the sink to wash his hands.
“And I’m going to give him the beginning riding lessons.” Ginger looked at him, the questions right in her eyes. “And then the outlying work of fixing fences and bird blinds.”
“Sounds good to me,” Spencer said.
“What do you think?” Ginger asked Nate, who honestly had no idea how to do anything she’d just listed.
He told himself he could learn, so he just said, “Sounds great,” and hoped he’d be left alone to figure things out without too much embarrassment.
“Great,” Ginger echoed. “We’ll go to the bank and do any shopping you want to do tomorrow, and then I’ll get you started.”
The idea of him getting to mess up and fix it before she found out disappeared, but at least he’d get to have Ginger at his side.
He wasn’t sure if the thought was traitorous or exciting, but he knew for certain it was very confusing.
“Oh, and my girls are coming this way in a few minutes,” she said. “To go over a babysitting schedule with you.” She glanced around the kitchen. “Now, why isn’t there any coffee over here?”
Amen, Nate thought, a smile coiling through him that he didn’t let touch his mouth.
