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“You’re telling me.” The neck of my shirt suddenly feels too tight, so I pull at the collar.
“I’m sure her mind is brilliant, but Emma and I may have both agreed that we think she’s pretty hot too.”
I chuckle, which causes Jack to glance back and roll her eyes before continuing her corporate diatribe.
“Oh, she’s hot alright,” I say. “She probably also wears lotion that costs more than my yearly supply of shampoo, and her single pair of leggings costs more than my entire wardrobe.”
Again, with the leggings. I need to stop thinking about those darn things. “Wyatt, I’m sure she’s a nice enough gal. But me leaving California was leaving superficial women like her behind. Trust me when I say they are all the same.”
Wyatt punches me in my arm. “You sound a bit judgy there, Luca. Remember how much money we are making on this LivFit retreat.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I concede. Jack’s big brown eyes turn to me. Again.
“You’re up, cowboy,” she says.
Jack takes a few steps backward, and our shoulders graze each other as I step forward.
“Okay, LivFit.” I chooseherwords and she huffs at me. Perfect. I squelch a satisfied smile and continue. “The next few days aren’t for the faint of heart. This is a real cattle drive. We’re not out on this ranch pretending to be cowboys.”
A cough echoes out from behind me, and I turn to see Jack, not so subtly correcting me.
“Or cowgirls,” I add. “We will be actual cattle herders. We’ll sleep under the stars; we’ll work harder than anyone has ever worked, and we’ll get our cattle safely to the next spot on their journey.”
Wyatt takes a step beside me. “You’re going to see your colleagues laugh and most definitely cry. You’re going to get dirty, stink real bad, and also have the best week of your life. This, my friends, is corporate bonding at its finest.”
Wyatt turns to wink at me. He’s a bit naïve about that rat race and easily buys into the corporate bonding talk. If he only knew how much malarky went into posturing for rank in that narcissistic environment.
Jack ducks out from behind me, her brows peaked. “We’ll still be able to shower this week, right?” She looks so innocent I can’t help but laugh.
“If you want to skinny dip in a stream with the leeches, you can take all the baths you want this week, ma’am.”
The mortified look on her face is going to keep me going the next few days.
Jack
Emma brings in a hugecast iron pot and sets it at the center of the table. My colleagues sit straighter in their chairs and reach for their napkins. I can almost see their mouths watering by the collective motions. Wyatt and Emma sit side-by-side on the far side of the table, and the only two chairs remaining open are facing each other at the end near the window. Luca slides into the one opposite of me.
My stomach rumbles, and I remember I haven’t eaten since breakfast. The scent is rich, garlic and oniony goodness. “What’s for dinner? It smells amazing.”
Emma smiles toward the cowboy beside her and takes his hand under the table. “It’s Wyatt’s mother’s recipe. We call it Rancher’s Hash.” My eyes drift down to her left hand and the princess-cut rock sitting there. Then, I try to see Wyatt’s hand, but his is out of sight.
Wyatt tips his head forward in a single nod. “I shot the elk that’s in there last fall. One of the biggest ones I’ve bagged.”
Across from me, Luca points the fork in his jewelry-free left hand toward Wyatt. “I remember that one. It took both of us to pull that twelve-point buck into the Ranger.” He reaches for the breadbasket sitting nearby. “Good call, Emma, on dinner. Best to get the group started off with the food we’ll be eating for the next week.”
As Luca pulls out a piece of cornbread and bites into it, the image of men with rifles and blood pouring out of a poor animal runs through my mind, and I go suddenly cold. I thought I’d submitted my dietary restrictions along with the registration information, but apparently, I either didn’t or they forgot.
Luca leans forward slightly, readying to stand. “Jack? You feel okay?” He’s poised as if he’s about to jump up from his seat and run my way.
Sucking in a breath, I blink my eyes several times. “Yeah. I’m fine.” I look over to Emma, who is sinking a serving spoon into the brownish stew-like stuff in the pot. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but do you have anything like fish? A good salmon, perhaps? Or something vegetarian? I’d be happy to cook.”
Across the table, Luca raises both brows and swallows. He drops the cornbread onto his plate, crumbs scattering. “Should have known. San Francisco. Of course we’d have a vegetarian in the group. I suppose you’d like some avocado toast for breakfast too?”
I glare at him. “You’ll have to excuse me for being a little health-conscious. Have you read the studies about red meat?” My hand drops to the table beside my plate, right where my silverware sits. A spoon launches into the air.
Eddie ducks. “Hey, watch it!” The flying utensil barely misses his head.
“Sorry,” I mutter to Eddie, but I can’t peel my eyes away from Luca. He’s a bit too nice to look at with how his dark waves fall messily but also with undeniable precision. Those eyes, too. How much I want to watch him all evening is a tad disturbing, so I try not to focus on that reaction. He seemed congenial, if a little intrusive, earlier when he walked in on me. Now, he just seems annoyed by my dietary choices. “As I was saying, I try to stick to a healthy diet. High in fiber and low in fat. Red meat doesn’t fall into either of those categories.”
