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“It’s not abadthing.” She laughed with him.
Their laughter garnered the attention of a nearby cow. She lifted her head and her ears flicked again. Jessica watched as the cow resumed grazing.
Ian must have watched her attention switch from humorous to intrigued. “Do you want to pet one?”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “They’d let me do that?”
He laughed again, and the sound warmed her. She could make him laugh, and he wasn’t berating her or making her feel less than she was. Whenever Tucker had laughed, it was at her expense. Had she really been so blind to everything that was wrong with him? The more she compared him to Ian, the more she realized just how awful he’d really been.
Ian offered her his hand. She stared at his for a fraction of a second before placing her hand in his. That spark of electricity ignited once again as she hopped off the fence and landed beside him. His expression grew serious as he met her gaze. Her hand was still in his.
“I feel like I should set a few things straight.”
Her heart rate increased. It wasn’t lost on her that everyone in his family seemed to think he had a thing for her. She’d preferred going off of what she could see. And Ian hadn’t really given her any indication he was interested. He hadn’t made a pass at her. He hadn’t paid her unnecessary compliments. Nothing he did was like anything she’d experienced with past boyfriends. At the same time, he was so far removed from what she was used to. Maybe his family was right.
Chest tightening, she tugged on her hand to remove it from his grasp. Even if he had a crush on her, she wasn’t ready for something like that. Sure, she might be attracted to him. But that was all.
Ian’s brows pulled together as she freed her hand and put a marginal amount of distance between them. Whatever he was about to say was important. She could feel it in the air between them. It was like there was a cloud hanging over his head. So maybe hewasn’tabout to confess his feelings for her.
He cleared his throat and rubbed his jaw. “What you said last night—about me kidnapping you.”
Guilt sunk like a rock in the pit of her stomach. In the light of day, that comment was entirely inappropriate, and apparently it had hit a nerve with him. “I didn’t mean it like that. I—”
He waved a hand through the air. “Honestly, I can see your side of things. I brought you here without giving you another option and insisted you stay. If you don’t want to, we can find someplace else—”
“No.”
Ian stilled and his features smoothed somewhat. “No?”
Jessica shook her head. “I was wrong. You made a good point, but I was just too close to the situation to see it. If those guys are still looking for me, it’s not likely they’ll find me here.” She lifted a shoulder and turned toward the pasture. “Besides, there are worse places.” She glanced over her shoulder at him, a smile tugging at her lips. And there were worse men too. Jessica took in a deep breath, shoving the thought aside. He hadn’t confessed a single thing. He hadn’t even pushed himself on her. Everything about this guy was perfect.Tooperfect.
The corners of his mouth lifted into one of those heart-melting smiles he so rarely offered. “We’ll give it a week or so and then decide the best route to take. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”
“Does that mean you’re willing to give me a job while I’m here?”
He nodded. “We have an opening for a ranch hand.”
Her face scrunched up. “What exactly does that entail?”
“Normally you’d be working with the animals and helping out with what needs to be done around here. You’d be supervised by our head ranch hand. But I’m going to have you shadow me for a while. You’ll get some experience with the cows specifically, and if that interests you, we can pinpoint something more steady.”
Steady. Like a career change? Was he inviting her to stay for the long haul? She glanced around the property. Trees, pastures, horses, cattle, barns… was this really what she wanted? Maybe asking for a job was the wrong thing to do. She hadn’t planned on being here longer than absolutely necessary.
But the more she stared at the clear blue sky, the calmer she felt. This place was unlike anything she’d ever seen. It might be just the change she needed. And if it afforded her the opportunity to move into a different career, this might be the place she was meant to be—for the moment. Jessica offered him a wide smile. “I think that plan sounds perfect.”
He slipped his leg between the bars of the fence and hoisted himself onto the other side. Ian jerked his head toward the cows. “You coming?”
Jessica followed suit, grateful to be out of her waitress uniform. The old-fashioned dress and apron would not have been conducive to ranch life. Though Liz had a few things that would fit her, she’d prefer having a few of her own belongings. Maybe Ian wouldn’t mind taking her to her place to pick up some stuff. A little trip couldn’t hurt, right?
