Inspired By The Creative Cowboy (Sage Valley Ranch Book 5)

by Bree Livingston

  His stomach growled just thinking about it. “I think I can be persuaded to go.” Especially now that his mouth was watering. A good home-cooked—no, grandma-cooked meal was worth showing up for dinner.

  She grinned wide. “Really? You don’t mind?”

  He shook his head. “No, not at all. Can’t have my boss in trouble with her grandparents.”

  “Thank you. I’m sorry. I tried to get you out of it.”

  “Absolutely not. Food and family. I could go for a little of that, actually.”

  Summer took a long swig and then asked, “Are you missing your family?”

  “Yeah, some. I do these little roams from time to time, but that was before my brothers got married. It’s different now. It’s good for clearing my head, but we’ve always been rather close. Now that there are kids in the mix, we’re even closer. Well, except for Noah. He lives in North Carolina. He’s an ex-Army Ranger who runs a private security firm with his wife, Mia.”

  “Wow, that’s kinda different.”

  Julian laughed. “What about you?”

  “Well, I grew up in West Texas with a single mom. I miss her, but she’s happy in Hawaii. My grandparents had visions of my mom and her twin sister eventually running this place, but they didn’t want to. Bucky and Nanna didn’t push it on them, but you can tell it still hurts them from time to time.” Her dad was out of the picture long ago. He’d left without so much as a backward glance when she was little.

  Huh. He couldn’t imagine having the chance to run a place like this and turning it down. Then again, he couldn’t judge. He didn’t want the Wolf company, and it was pretty much the same thing. “I actually understand that. My family runs a business, and I didn’t want to take it over either. My brother Zach took on that role, and I appreciate him for it.”

  “What does your family do?”

  He’d walked right into that. “We distribute computer parts. Not my thing at all.” That was the truth on both accounts. He didn’t have a head for business like Zach. “But I contribute by designing graphics for their marketing.”

  “Oh, neat. Your family does interesting things.”

  “I guess, but I could say the same. Running a ranch isn’t exactly typical.”

  Laughing, she nodded. “True. You’ve got me there.”

  Julian reached his left hand across his chest and rubbed his right shoulder. “I’ll be feeling this tomorrow.”

  “Will you be okay?”

  The panic in her voice wasn’t lost on him. “I’ll be fine. Nothing a couple of aspirin can’t fix.”

  Her shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry. That came out all wrong and selfish.”

  Stepping into her, he touched her shoulder and ran his hand down her arm, taking her hand in his. “Hey, you’ve got a huge project on your shoulders, and someone has already broken your trust. You’re allowed to question me.”

  For a moment, she just stared at him, and he continued. “And until I earn that trust, question me all you need to.”

  “I appreciate that,” she said, just above a whisper. “More than you’ll ever know.”

  Letting her hand go, he stepped back. This needed to go at her pace. She’d been burned, and he wasn’t going to add to her scars. “I think we should call it a day. We got a lot done, and…oh, how about the roofers?” he asked.

  “I have three companies coming to give estimates. One tomorrow, and two on Friday.”

  Julian looked up at the sky. It was bright blue, and last he checked the weather, it was going to be clear for the next week. “That should be okay.”

  She cast her gaze to the ground and toed it. “I would have had that done, but the previous contractor said he would take care of that too.”

  And she’d given him half for it up front. “I’ll take care of it, and you can pay me back when the job’s done.”

  Summer jerked her head. “What?”

  “I told you no money until the job is finished, and I meant what I said. I didn’t realize that roofing had been part of that deal. But I’m no roofer. So you get estimates, make sure they’re reputable, and I’ll pay it. When all is said and done and you’re happy with the results, then you pay.”

  “You don’t have to do that. It was my fault I hired him. I’m the one in charge, and I need to take responsibility for my mistake.”

  “And you are, but we made a deal. I said there’d be no more money until this barn was finished. I keep my word.”

  “But—”

  “Summer, when I make a promise, I keep it. I’m careful with my promises, too. I don’t make them lightly. We have a deal, and this is me honoring it.”

  She lunged forward and hugged him around the waist. “You have no idea what that means to me.”

  The roof could cost buckets of money, but this hug was worth every dollar. He wrapped his arms around her, savoring the feel of her, hot and sweaty from a day’s work, and he loved it. “We’ll get this done.”

  Leaning back, she shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. The ranch almost went bankrupt, but we found out we were overpaying on taxes, and then we won a rodeo championship. We’re back in the black, but we need to be careful with our money. And I messed up. This means the world to me. You’re giving me the chance to replace what I lost.”

  He wouldn’t tell her now, but when it came time to collect, he was going to politely tell her to keep it. Quite frankly, he hadn’t taken the job for the money anyway. That failure of a gallery showing had left him feeling like he’d let everyone down. Maybe he could use this as an opportunity to not only find his creativity but his confidence as well. That he could be a man someone could depend on.

  She cleared her throat and stepped back. “Um, sorry about that.”

  “It’s all right. It’s nice to be appreciated.” By her. “I’ll get things cleaned up, and I’ll be back tomorrow, okay?”

  He hoped she’d be back too. Spending the day with her had made the work easier. Not that his muscles weren’t protesting, but he’d liked getting to know her. She was funny and interesting. Easy to talk to and get along with. Her smile was bright, and her laughter even better. Even if nothing came from it, he’d have a good friend. So far, his stop in Sage Valley had been more than he’d bargained for, and just what he needed.

  9

  It wasn’t quite dark as Summer strolled out of the bathroom in a pair of pajamas, towel-drying her hair. After working with Julian all day, she’d called her grandfather on the way home and asked if she could stay in one of the ranch cabins during the renovation rather than her townhome on the other side of the ranch. Of course, he’d told her to call Charlie, and if she said it was okay, then Summer was more than welcome.

  As luck would have it, there had been a couple available, and she’d picked one not too far from Julian. Not that she was trying to spy on him, but she wanted to be closer so she could help. He’d been so sweet to offer to pay for the roofers. She could barely believe her ears when he’d said it, but he’d insisted. She couldn’t help but throw her arms around his waist and hug him.

  Even better, he’d hugged her back. In a flash, she’d pictured them standing just like that on the porch of their house, watching the sunset for years on end. She’d never been one to fall for someone without knowing them a while, but Julian was a magnet. It went against everything she’d ever done, relationship-wise.

  Actually, she’d only had a few serious relationships in her lifetime. She’d dated, but they’d mostly been to pass the time and have someone to talk to. Her serious relationships had fizzled, not because the guys were awful, but because she wanted more than getting along. She wanted passion and fire and sweet kisses that made her hair stand on end.

  Thoughts of Julian floated to mind. Butterflies tickled, and her skin tingled. What was it about that man? The way he held her gaze? The soft way he spoke? That smile so electric it made her weak? She had no answer. Not a single one.

  Spending the day with him had been fun, and he was so interesting. He�
�d talked about his home and growing up with his brothers and sisters. Gushing about his nieces had been too cute. His eyes had sparkled, and there was no doubt he loved those little girls. Julian was going to make a great dad one day. He loved generously, or at least that’s what Summer got from him.

  Before she realized it, she’d drifted to the front porch of her cabin. Sage Valley had to have the best sunsets. Purple and blue with splashes of orange. There really was no better way to end a day.

  Setting her hands on the railing, she leaned forward and glanced in the direction of Julian’s cabin. He was a good guy. She really liked him, but her home was in Sage Valley. Now that the ranch wasn’t in trouble, she could focus on things to help get it more exposure and bring in more people. Once the barn was done, she’d be in charge of restoring several other buildings on the property.

  Julian’s life was in Houston, and there was no getting around that. Whatever crazy ideas her heart was getting, it needed to cut it out. They could be coworkers, maybe even friends. But that’s where it ended. Nanna could meddle, but she’d couldn’t shrink the almost three hundred miles between Houston and Sage Valley. It hurt a little to even think it, but it would hurt a whole lot less than falling in love and getting her heart broken.

  10

  “Okay, I showed up an hour earlier today, and you still beat me. Don’t tell me you got here at sunrise again.”

  Julian looked up, and Summer stood there, just as pretty as the last three days. Today she wore ankle-length jeans and a t-shirt. Every day it seemed she looked better than the one before. Or it could be getting to know her was helping with that.

  “Okay,” he said, smiling. “I won’t tell you that.”

  As she approached him, he spotted two brown bags in one hand and a cup carrier in the other. “I brought a soda today, and the cooler is in the car.”

  “Sandwiches again?”

  She shook her head. “For later, but no, today I went with cinnamon muffins. Water bottles and sandwiches are in the cooler for now.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Now, why were you here so early again today? Every day I tell you not to worry about coming in so early, and you do it anyway.” She stopped in front of him and handed him a bag. “I’m a pretty good listener if you need to talk.”

  He shrugged. “Like I’ve said, it’s cooler if I get here early.”

  “You’ve also said you’ve been restless.”

  Waving her off, he shook his head. “I’m good.” And he needed a new subject. “The roofer was already here. I’ve got the estimate sitting on the front seat of my truck.”

  This was the second roofing estimate. It was a little higher than Julian had expected, but the company also came with a stellar record for getting to a job site on time and getting the work done. There was something to be said for that.

  Her lips parted, and her eyebrows knitted together. “Shoot. I wanted to be here for that. I thought he said he was coming at eight.”

  Julian nodded. “He was, but his scheduler messed up, and instead of calling us and changing it, he went ahead and came. If I hadn’t been here, he was going to call you with the estimate later today.”

  “Oh, that’s good. At least he’s dependable. I have another one coming later today. Wonder if his will be better than the other two. Then again, this last company had such great reviews.”

  “My thoughts. At this point, that’s more important than just about anything. We need them to get it done. With the roof in the shape it is, if there are any problems, we want them fixed so we can get shingles on.”

  “Maybe I should cancel the last estimate. What do you think?”

  He nodded. “I think so. The estimate seemed fair, and their reputation is good. He said he could be here Monday and that it would take two days at most, unseen problems notwithstanding.”

  “Okay, I’ll do that. And you can let the other guy know he’s hired.” She thumbed in the direction of the north wall. “Want to sit over there and have some breakfast?”

  He opened the bag and lifted it to his nose. “Absolutely.”

  They took their same spots as the previous two days on the north side, only today there was no breeze, and even as early as it was, it was getting hot.

  “This smells good.” He pulled out a muffin and took a bite. It was either the best muffin in the world or he was hungry. He sure hoped she brought more than one, or he’d be digging for a sandwich.

  “I hope you like them.”

  He finished chewing. “They’re great.”

  She chuckled. “Or you didn’t have breakfast and you’ve been working, so now you’re starving.”

  “Maybe a little of both.” He smiled.

  Leaning his head back against the barn, he took another bite and stretched his legs out. He was tired today. The first night, he’d been restless with thoughts about his future as an artist. Could he find the joy he’d once had, and could he make it show on a canvas? Then the last couple of nights, he’d been restless with thoughts of Summer.

  One second, he was going to take it as it came. The next, he needed to keep himself in check. Most of the time, he was having both thoughts at the same time. He’d seen her that second night, standing on her cabin porch, and pictured her freshly bathed and smelling great. Talk about needing a cold shower.

  That’s exactly what he’d done, too. The cold water did nothing to curtail his thoughts of her. Could he ask her out? Should he? How could they make it work? What about Kenna? He loved her, but he needed and wanted his own family. Was that selfish? Each night it was a toss-up as to what would bother him most. He loved painting, and he could see himself loving Summer too.

  A bump to his shoulder brought him back to the present.

  “What are you so deep in thought about?” Summer asked.

  Like he could answer that question. “Nothing. Just enjoying a moment of rest.” It wasn’t a lie. He’d finally drifted to sleep and woken up as the sun rose.

  She nodded. “I was achy this morning. Took a little moving around to really get going.”

  “Same, but each day it gets better.”

  “Still a little sore, huh?”

  He rolled his shoulders. “Yeah.”

  “We can take it a little easier today. With as hard as you’ve been working, I don’t think it’ll take the whole three months.”

  Shaking his head, he plunked the rest of the muffin back in the bag. “No, in fact, I need to get back to work.”

  As he started to get up, she stilled him. “We’re eating breakfast together. The boss says so.” She grinned.

  “I don’t want to let you down.” The words had rolled off his tongue faster than he could catch them.

  “Eating breakfast isn’t going to slow anything down. And you know what? If we don’t get done on time, well…then we don’t get done on time. It’s a barn in Texas. The weather is just as likely to derail the project as anything.”

  Not done on time? That was not happening. Not after someone had already let her down. Plus, this wasn’t just about her anymore. It was about him finding what he’d lost. “Absolutely not. If I have to hire a team of people, it’s getting done on time.”

  “Julian, really, it’s—”

  He turned to her. She didn’t understand. “It’s not about the barn. It’s about you. I want to gain your trust.”

  Her lips spread into the sweetest smile. “You have. You’ve been here every day and worked harder than I thought possible. I couldn’t ask for more.”

  She still wasn’t getting it. The barn could burn. He was working hard for her. Before he could stop himself, he bent forward and kissed her.

  Leaning back, he waited a breath, trying to gauge if he’d moved too fast. Instead of moving away from him, she moved closer. That was the answer he was hoping for.

  Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her closer and kissed her again. She was perfect. Sweet, soft lips. Even softer skin. Her hair tickling his arms. This was something he could get use
d to, and quickly.

  Circling her arms around his neck, her fingers tangled in his hair, and he pulled her onto his lap before deepening the kiss. If there was ever a moment he could pause and hang on to, it was this one. He liked the feel of her against him, the way her lips moved with his. It was incredible and nothing like he’d ever experienced before.

  Suddenly, she set her hands against his shoulders and pulled back, wide eyes locking with his. For heartbeat after heartbeat, she stared at him, her breath coming in soft gasps.

  “I think we should get back to work.” She swallowed hard and pushed off of him. “Actually, I think I should get to the office and take care of some paperwork. Um…” She stood, spinning around, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Yeah, that’s what I need to do. Uh, yeah…” She snatched her breakfast sack off the ground and stopped just long enough to glance at him. “I’ll see you later.”

  With that, she was nearly running away, and he was left gut-punched. She’d kissed him back. It had been indescribable. At least for him. Maybe she’d been caught up in the moment. He’d kissed her without any warning whatsoever. It wasn’t like they were on a date. They’d only taken a break to eat.

  He leaned his back against the barn wall. It was a mistake to kiss her. Why had he done that? Things were going great. She’d trusted him, and all that hard work was gone. One kiss, and he was back to square one. Or was he? Did he have a square to stand on?

  If nothing else, the next time he saw her, he’d apologize. Maybe if he did that, things could go back to where they’d been. But if she’d felt anything like what he had, that was going to be downright near impossible. Still, it wasn’t right, and whether she felt it or not, it was on him to right the wrong.

  11

  “You look about as sad as a wet cat.” Lexi handed Summer a cup of hot tea before taking a seat next to her on the porch of Lexi’s townhome. Normally, Lexi would be with James, but he was working late, giving Summer a chance for some girl talk.