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“I didn’t really say much.”
She shrugged. “Sounds nicer than my family. My folks divorced when I was about ten. I think they wanted to make it last until I moved out, but ultimately they ended up hating each other so much that they weaponized me to use against each other.”
He grimaced. “Sheesh. That’s rough.”
“Yep. I was shuttled between houses and I don’t think I ever felt like I belonged anywhere. It’s not like it is in the movies. Two Christmases? Two sets of everything? Nope. My mom never wanted me to take my clothes over to my dad’s place. She would send me back in the clothes I wore even if they didn’t get washed in time. Eventually, they both remarried, but I was just about out of the house by then.”
“Wow.” Ethan paused his brushing, staring at her with new eyes. Trauma like that at such a young age, it was a wonder she hadn’t grown up with some kind of complex.
“Anyway, things got better when I went to college. I met Katrina my senior year. We clicked instantly and she’s actually the one who got me interested in being a freelance writer. I think she could see how much I loved the written word, and she even got me a few clients.” As Becca finished up her story, her smile stretched wider on her face.
Ethan shuddered, drawing a strange look from her.
“What is that for?” she asked with a laugh. “I don’t think I said anything terrible. I mean, I know my upbringing might be a little rough, but?—”
“Oh, your upbringing is definitely something I don’t envy. But it’s the career choice you made that gets me.”
“What about my career choice?” she demanded with another laugh.
“A desk job? When I think of purgatory, that’s the first thing that comes to mind. Who wants to sit at a computer all day long?”
She gasped, though she still wore a smile. “I’ll have you know that mydesk jobpermits me to write wherever I see fit. I could be on a mountaintop overlooking the snowy Alps. I could be in a cabin by a lake. I could set up shop by the edge of the beach if I so pleased. Heck, this morning, I chose to write on the back porch over there and watch the sky change color.”
“Yeah? And where’s your favorite place to write?”
He could hear her already. She wouldn’t be interested in settling down in the country. She’d get bored. A girl like Becca would only be interested in a life where she could travel or be in the middle of the excitement.
And him? Well, Ethan wanted this slow, rural pace where he didn’t have to worry about any of that.
Becca shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never thought of that before.”
Exactly what he thought. She could never be content in a place like Rocky Ridge.
She frowned. “What isthatlook for?”
He jumped, meeting her eyes and realizing that he’d been caught showing his cards. Disappointment had clearly been written all over his face and he couldn’t even deny it.
He cleared his throat and resumed his brushing. “I was just thinking that we’re complete opposites.”
“How do you figure that?”
He gestured vaguely toward the door, like that would be enough to demonstrate his point as he spoke. “You’re from the city. You like the excitement that has to offer. I prefer it out here in the quiet where I don’t have to worry about interacting with anyone. Honestly, I wonder if anyone around here would have even believed us if we’d said we were more serious than we did.”
“I guess it’s a good thing we’re only pretending to date, huh?” Becca said it quietly, thoughtfully. It was soft enough that it drew his attention, and he stared at her for a moment. In a perfect world, Becca would be the kind of woman he could settle down with. She was down-to-earth and kind. She already showed she had a knack for seeing someone in need and jumping in to rescue them even if it meant upending her own life.
But that wasn’t going to happen. He had a feeling that she didn’t see him that way—not even a little bit. While he could see potential in dating someone like her, he was just a means to an end while she was in town. And that was fine, if not a little disappointing.
He put the brush aside and moved closer to the stall door. They were about a foot apart and he lowered his voice. “So, how on earth are we going to make this believable?”
His eyes locked with hers. He could almost imagine that Becca yearned for the same thing he did, but that was only wishful thinking.
She opened her mouth but was cut off by several shouts outside the barn. They both turned their attention to the door as Eli charged into the barn.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“All hands on deck,folks. I just got a call.” Eli paused for only a second when he caught sight of Becca standing beside Ethan. It was small, but she saw the knowing look pass between him and Ethan before he returned to being all business. “Either a gate got left open or we have a hole in the fence along the northern part of the property. There are cattle on the road.”
Behind him, a couple cowboys converged into the barn—two Reese brothers who followed their father and one ranch hand that Becca hadn’t met yet. Ethan brought the group to five. Becca scrambled backward and pressed up against the wall as all these cowboys quickly and effortlessly saddled their horses. They led the animals out into the morning, followed by Becca.
