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I shake off my crazy thoughts. “Thank you, Hunter. It means a lot.”
“You don’t need to keep thanking me.”
I grin. “Thank you, anyway.”
He grunts, his lips twitching. “Let me get you that cocoa I promised.”
“Can I say thank you when you put it in front of me?” I ask teasingly.
“Yes, but only once.”
I nod, biting back a smile. “Got it.”
“And if it’s a crappy cocoa, you can go right ahead and tell me it’s a crappy cocoa,” he adds as he gets up from his chair.
“I’m sure it will be amazing,” I say. “Thank you.”
He turns to look at me, his eyes narrowed theatrically.
“Sorry!” I squeak. “Force of habit.”
“You used up your one thank you,” he says. “Now you can’t say thank you when I put it in front of you.”
“Understood. Thank you for explaining that to me.”
He smirks. “Now you’re doing it on purpose.”
“Maybe.”
We grin at each other, and for a moment, I stop thinking about the future. I stop thinking about what I’m going to do when I get off the ranch. I even stop thinking about Edmund’s crazy behavior. Instead, I think about how gorgeous Hunter Ryder’s smile is, and how much I want to see it again.
6
Hunter
Something has shifted between Avery and me. Ever since she opened up about her relationship with Edmund, a barrier has melted away, and I feel closer to her than ever. Once we get back to work after lunch, she looks so happy and carefree that it’s almost like Edmund was never here at all. It’s so damn intoxicating seeing her pretty brown eyes twinkling with happiness. And man, that smile. What I wouldn’t give to see Avery smile all day long, those perfect pink lips curved upward, her face glowing like sunshine.
“I think you might have the best job in the world,” she says, grinning widely after we’ve finished herding the cattle into the next pasture.
“Really?” I ask, raising my eyebrows. I can tell she loves the ranch, but I’m still surprised by how much she’s enjoying all these difficult tasks.
“It just feels so…free! All these wide open fields, the animals, the fresh air. It’s so different to what I’m used to. I love it.”
I smile at the enthusiasm in her voice. “I know exactly what you mean. I’ve been working on this ranch my whole life, and it still gives me those same feelings.”
“Sounds like heaven.” Avery leans back against a fence post, eyeing me curiously. “You know how earlier you wanted to know if you could ask me a personal question?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, can I ask you a personal question?”
I join her by the fence, leaning back against it and watching her expectantly. “Shoot.”
“Yesterday, when you said you were a loner…what did you mean by that?”
I shrug, surprised by her question. “That’s not all that personal. I just meant I live alone. And even though my brothers and I jointly own the ranch, we all take care of our own section, which means I often work alone too.”
“But how come you like being alone so much?” Avery urges.
