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Cade and Boone still hadn’t offered their opinions. That was fine, though. I could hold my own in this conversation.
“You know they can’t stay here forever, Janessa.” Uncle Justin turned his attention to the guys. “We appreciate everything you’ve done to help us out, but I wouldn’t feel right asking the two of you to stay any longer. It just feels like we’re wasting your time at this point.”
“It hasn’t been a waste of time,” Boone offered, glancing over at me.
“No, it hasn’t,” I said. “I don’t feel like it would be a waste of time to keep this arrangement going for a while longer, just so we can be totally sure we’re safe here.” My uncle was giving me a hard look, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to back down on this. “And just for the record, I feel safer having Cade and Boone here.”
I didn’t want this to turn into a full-blown argument with my uncle, but I also knew that he was just being overprotective. He didn’t mind the fact that the guys were here. He just didn’t want me talking to them.
Not that I could really blame him, since I had every intention of doing all the things he’d warned me not to do—like flirt with these guys, for starters. Except I wanted to do a lot more than just flirt.
I wondered for a moment what Uncle Justin would have done if he’d caught me kissing either of them. We wouldn’t all be sitting here together having this conversation, that was for sure. And that was a very good reason why we couldn’t get caught.
“Fine.” Uncle Justin set his fork down and rested his hands on the table. I could tell he was annoyed, but keeping Cade and Boone here would be worth catching a little heat from my uncle. “I guess we’ll leave it up to the guys, then.” He looked over at them. “Do you need to get back home to take care of your own place anytime real soon?”
I nearly laughed at the way he’d worded that question. It wasn’t even a subtle hint. He’d basically told them they should go home and see to their own business.
But Cade just gave a half-shrug. “I think we’re good for a little while longer, at least. I know I’m prepared to stay for as long as the two of you need.”
Everyone turned to Boone. “If Cade stays, I’m staying. Our foreman can keep our place going for a while on his own.”
I tried to hold back a smile, but I could feel my lips twitch a little as I looked over to Uncle Justin. “I guess they don’t mind staying. Are you sure you’re okay with it?”
I knew he really wasn’t okay with it at all, but I still respected him enough to give him the final say. If he said they absolutely had to go, I’d deal with it. I’d be mad, of course, but I’d respect his wishes.
But as long as he didn’t come right out and say it, I figured the topic was still open for discussion and that he could still be persuaded to see things my way. Or to at least give me the benefit of the doubt. That was really all I was asking for.
“For now,” Uncle Justin said, not bothering to hide his frown. “We’ll keep things going like they have been for a little while longer, and then we can reassess the situation if nothing else happens.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” I said, nodding as if he’d just come up with it himself. “No harm in being extra careful for a few more days, at least.”
“Right,” Cade said between taking the last couple of bites left on his plate. “So, what’s the plan for today, then?”
Boone shrugged. Uncle Justin grumbled something about chores and turned his attention to the plate in front of him.
“I was wondering if you guys might want to go riding with me later,” I said, trying to make the idea sound nonchalant and not like something I’d been sort of fantasizing about for a few days. “I still can’t take Rebel out for a run until she’s fully recovered, but the other horses are getting kind of restless. And it would give us a chance to check the fence line, too. Kills two birds with one stone.”
I honestly just threw the last part in because it made the whole thing sound like something we should probably be doing anyway, but I was honestly more interested in spending the afternoon alone with Cade and Boone on horseback.
Just the thought of it made my heart start to beat a little faster.
“That’s not a bad idea.” Boone nodded, looking far too serious for what I had planned. That was okay, though. I’d get him to smile once we were out in the field. “We can meet up around lunchtime. I’ll make some sandwiches and we can head out if that works for everyone?”
“I’ve got a full afternoon of chores already,” Uncle Justin said, just like I knew he would. There was no way he was ever going to agree to a leisurely horseback ride with me, Cade, and Boone. I couldn’t even picture it if I tried. “You all will have to let me know if you find anything out there.”
“We’ll keep our eyes open,” I promised him. “I’m hoping we’ll have time to do a really thorough check, at least in the pastures to the south and west.”
Like, really thorough. If I was lucky, it would take all afternoon.
Cade stood up from the table and shot me a grin. I wondered if he realized what I was up to. He almost always smiled, though, so it was hard to tell. I hoped he was just happy to be staying a little longer.
“I’m gonna take a shower before we go,” Cade said. “I’ll meet you all back down here around noon.”
“And I’m going to make a few phone calls,” Boone said, getting up from the table. “Thanks again for breakfast, Janessa.”
Even super-serious Boone managed a smile before he left the kitchen. It really was shaping up to be a good day—and I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep from looking at the clock every five seconds until it was finally time to meet up for our horseback ride.
“I really wish you hadn’t done that,” Uncle Justin said once we were alone at the table.
