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I extended a hand. “Wilde Reeves.”
She slanted her gaze at my hand but eventually slid her palm against mine. Her tiny hand was soft against my calloused one and so damn small.
“Shore Manchester. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Wilde.”
I smiled and lowered my eyes to meet hers. “You sure ’bout that?”
“Not really but it seems neither of us have much say with this so I’m going to make the best of it.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I accepted her peace offering. This wasn’t her fault so there was no need to be upset with her. Or Melvina, if I was being honest. She was using me as a last resort. The woman loved me like family and would never put me out if she didn’t have to. Now she would damn sure work me hard doing odd jobs, but she respected my need for reclusion and privacy.
This time when I reached for her luggage, she allowed me to grab both pieces then peeked up through long lashes exposing sparkling brown eyes. “And sorry about all this. I know it’s an inconvenience having to be stuck with me for a week.”
Well damn. How was I supposed to be annoyed by this pretty little thing with those big eyes and soft voice which was the sweetest sound I’ve heard in a very long time?
“You don’t have to apologize and it might not be so terrible being stuck with you all week.” My eyes shifted from her face and moved down her body. “Come on, my truck’s out front and I need to get back to this horse before she tears my trailer to hell.”
“Horse…” Her eyes expanded just a little. “You have a horse?”
“Several, actually. It’s what I do. I breed and train them.”
“I meant you brought one with you? You’re supposed to be picking me up. Why would you bring a horse?”
“I had no clue I was coming to get you. Melvina threw this on me last minute but I’m making it work.”
“Right, sorry. Should I be worried?”
“About?”
“The horse. You said you needed to get it back to the ranch before it tears your trailer to hell. That horse sounds about as friendly as you are.”
I looked her up and down and grinned. “If I let you anywhere near that mare you might be in trouble but as unfriendly as you think I am? I wouldn’t do that to you, now can we go?”
“Lead the way, Cowboy.” She tossed her hand out and I chuckled, shaking my head. She didn’t say much on the drive. Spent most of her time staring out the window or messing with her phone but by the time we pulled through the gate surrounding the entrance to my property I had her full attention.
“She said I was staying at your house.”
“You are.”
Her eyes shifted to the windshield then swung left and right. “That’s your house?”
“It is, why?”
“The place is huge and it’s nice.”
I grinned, glancing at her as I went left off the cleared path to the main property, heading out to the stables. “I don’t know if I should be impressed or offended.”
Most outsiders were surprised to see my ranch and the others nearby. They were modern, multi-million dollar properties. While the house my parents originally built still sat in a small corner of one side of my family’s ten thousand acres, almost everything else had been renovated or replaced a few years ago. The main house was only five years old, the stables six. I’d invested in building state of the art, new ones before I gave a second thought to building a new house.
“I didn’t…”
“It’s fine. Not really what you had in mind when Melvina mentioned you’d be spending the week on a ranch.”
Her expression softened and she shook her head. “No, but then again, I don’t know anything about ranches…” Her eyes met mine. “Or cowboys.”
“Then we’ll have to get you educated about both.” I winked and her cheeks flushed. So damn cute. She nodded and we continued to the stables where I parked and climbed out. I expected her to stay put so when I walked to the corral and lifted the rope I’d planned on looping around my mare’s neck to get her into the paddock and almost collided with Shore, I grinned and stepped around her.
“You could’ve stayed in there.”
