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13
Ian
Ian’s jaw clenched. He ticked it back and forth as they made their way along the trail. Brock had been one hundred percent correct. He had it bad for Jessica, and he was quickly losing control. It had been easy when he’d only seen her once a week.
He wasn’t prepared for the kind of effect she had on him when they were spending more time together. Ian gripped the reins in his hand even tighter. He’d come so close to kissing her. But that would have been wrong. She hadn’t given him any indication she was interested in him.
Maybe if she hadn’t just witnessed her boyfriend getting killed. Then he might have had a chance. He’d just have to bide his time. He’d been patient so far. It shouldn’t be hard waiting a little longer.
The ranch disappeared behind them as they moved into the grove of trees. Tall clusters of aspens rose up on either side of them. The trail they followed wound around shrubbery, climbing higher as the flat ranching land changed into more mountainous terrain.
There was still plenty of sun shining through the branches, casting shadows from the leaves overhead. A gentle breeze tugged at his hat and sleeves. The smell of pine wafted from higher along the ridge. He’d wanted to bring Jessica up here for two reasons.
The first was that she’d love it up here. That much was for certain. The second reason was that he needed an opportunity to clear his head, and there was no way he would leave her alone on the property while he took a ride.
Every so often he’d glance over his shoulder to make sure she was still close by. Jessica seemed to be soaking in every bit of the scenery that she could. Despite growing up in Copper Creek, it seemed like she’d never ventured out of their small town unless she’d gone to visit the city. Living on the other side of the pass afforded him a lot more opportunity to be in nature. And it was something he wanted to share with her.
About an hour later, they topped the ridge overlooking the ranch. He slid down from his saddle and trudged toward Jessica. She wore a spare hat that he’d grabbed from the barn on the way out, and it suited her perfectly. Her face was tipped toward the sun, her hand holding her hat to her head.
When she turned to look down at him, a wide smile was on her face. “This is amazing. You own all of it?”
He nodded. “It belongs to my family.” He lifted his hands toward her. “I’ll help you down.”
Jessica placed both hands on his shoulders, and he lifted her effortlessly. Her feet touched the ground, but she didn’t drop her hands. “Ian?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
She nibbled on her lower lip. Then shook her head. “Never mind. It’s silly.”
Ian dipped his head, his face getting closer to hers. “Nothing is too silly. What do you want to know?”
Her face flushed. “Why haven’t you made a pass at me?”
Wait, did that mean shewantedhim to kiss her? His brows shot up and his mouth dropped open. “What—”
She shook her head and stepped back, bumping into the horse. “See. Ridiculous. I can’t believe I even asked you that.” She placed her hands on her flushed face. “Forget I said anything. Obviously I’m still in shock.”
“Jessica, I didn’t—”
A strangled laugh escaped her lips. “Don’t say anything. Really, I shouldn’t have mentioned it.” Her hands dropped and she shuffled to the side. “I’m just going to go look at the view.”
Ian still gaped after her. Had there been an opportunity he’d missed? No, that was impossible. She’d asked why hehadn’tmade a pass at her. She wasn’t asking him to do so. Itching to grab her wrist and pull her close, he balled his hands at his sides and followed her to the edge of the ridge. He had to keep it together. Ian stood beside her, putting his hands behind his back. Jessica didn’t seem like the kind of girl who wanted that sort of thing. At least, he hadn’t seen any evidence of it.
Jessica glanced at him and gave him a shy smile before she turned toward the valley. “This is beautiful.”
So are you.Ian bit down on his cheek. He shook his head because saying something likethat… would be a mistake. Rocking back on his heels, he shifted his focus to the valley. “Yeah, it’s pretty great.”
“Man, you can see everything. How big is your ranch?” She took a few steps away from him, placed her hand over her eyes and focused on something in the distance.
“We have just under fifteen-hundred acres.”
Her wide eyes bounced to meet his. “You’re kidding.”
“To be fair, what we use for ranching is about average. Five hundred acres aren’t really being used for that sort of thing. We have the orchard, the pastures for the cattle, and all the trails up here. Eventually I want to clear some space in these foothills for a cabin.” The views were to die for, and he’d always imagined he’d move up here with a wife one day.
