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

by Bree Livingston

  Summer had spent the day trying to forget that amazing kiss, but there was no amount of distraction that could bury that memory. It was branded in her brain. The feel of Julian so tight against her with his strong arms holding her. His lips and how he commanded the kiss. The look of utter shock in those blue eyes as she pulled away and ran.

  Talk about memorable. He’d looked as if he had been kicked. But her reaction had scared her. He’d touched his lips to hers, and she’d never wanted anyone more than she wanted him. Someone she’d spent less than four days with. Granted, it was a decent amount of time, but still, four days. Something she could count on one hand. How nuts was that?

  With a sigh, Summer put the cup to her lips and took a tentative sip. “I’m not sad.”

  “Well, you’re sure something. What’s going on?”

  Summer glanced at Lexi. “Julian kissed me.”

  Lexi quickly set her cup down and twisted in her seat to face Summer. “He kissed you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, was it bad or something? I mean, no woman wants a dog-slobber kiss unless it’s actually coming from a dog.”

  Tears pooled in Summer’s eyes. “No, it was magical.”

  “Oh, Summer, why are you so upset, then?”

  “Because I’ve known him for four days. That’s insane. Any rational person is going to think I’ve lost my mind.”

  Lexi snorted. “Good thing I’m not rational.”

  Summer set her cup down. “I’m being serious.”

  “I am too. Haven’t you been working with him the last four days? You do more than just work. You talk, right?”

  “Yeah,” Summer said, smiling as she remembered some of their conversations. “He loves his nieces. He’s close with his family, and he’s a painter. Like, the kind of stuff you see in a gallery. He’s funny and sweet, and I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I feel…”

  “At home?”

  Summer lifted her gaze to Lexi’s. “Yeah. It’s easy to be with him. He goes left; I go right. It’s like he’s my dance partner and I’ve been waltzing with him my whole life.”

  “You know what that sounds like to me?”

  “Insanity?”

  Lexi shook her head. “No, not at all. It sounds like you’re falling for him.”

  Groaning, Summer, covered her face with her hands and let her head drop back. “I’m his boss. I can’t fall for my employee.”

  “Oh please. You can’t help who you fall for.” Lexi smiled. “Besides, you take him to Nanna and Bucky’s? They’ll have a bead on him before his toe hits the threshold.”

  Well, Lexi was right about that. Nanna could read a person like they were a large-print newspaper.

  “Did you tell him yet?”

  Summer dropped her hands and nodded. “And he seemed to look forward to it.”

  “See? And you didn’t have to pull his arm to meet Nanna and Bucky. I think that’s a good sign.”

  Snorting, Summer leaned her elbows on her thighs. “Yeah, but did he really have a choice?”

  Lexi barked with laughter. “No, but he didn’t know that.”

  “I did tell him that things could get ugly if he didn’t come.”

  “Yeah, but he didn’t know Bucky would show up and manhandle him if he had to.”

  Summer leaned back and held her stomach as she laughed harder. “Can you see Bucky trying to manhandle that six-foot-plus man?”

  “I’ve seen him dress a deer. He could do it.”

  “Stop! I’m hurting.”

  After a few moments, the laughter petered out, and Lexi cleared her throat. “Look, just take it a day at a time. If you like him, like him. It’s amazing how minute the details become when you love someone.” She held up her finger. “Not saying that’s what will happen, but don’t put the brakes on when there’s no reason to.”

  It actually did make sense to Summer. She was fretting when there was no reason to. He’d kissed her. She’d kissed him back. It wasn’t like he’d given her his class ring and asked her to go steady. It was just a…nope. Not just a kiss. It was mind-blowing. Something incredible and unforgettable, and she wanted more.

  She loved Sage Valley, but maybe it was time to stop thinking so concretely. Maybe Lexi was right, and when it came right down to it, the details could be ironed out later. At the moment, she and Julian hadn’t even gone on a date. Overthinking was only making her head hurt. She’d let Nanna and Bucky meet him and go from there. Now that was a plan she could get down with. That, and maybe more of Julian’s kisses.

  12

  “Well, this is it,” Julian whispered to himself as he parked his truck in front of the ranch’s old farmhouse where the Buchanans lived. “If she hates me, I guess I’ll know really quickly.”

  Summer had been achingly absent since he’d kissed her. She’d only texted him a while ago with a map of the ranch so he could find the house. He didn’t know what to make of that. Was she mad? Texting was okay—definitely better than nothing—but he missed the sound of her voice.

  Slipping out of his truck, he shut the door and stuffed one hand in his front jeans pocket and took in the white clapboard house. He’d always liked old homes. They almost always had good bones, and he liked the history contained inside their walls. This house, he could imagine kids running in and out, slamming the battered screen door. Mud pies, fireflies, and sad goodbyes as the Buchanans watched their girls grow up and go away to college.

  “You comin’ in or not?” an older woman asked as she stepped onto the porch. It had to be Summer’s grandmother, Mrs. Buchanan, or Nanna, as Summer called her.

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m comin’. I was just admiring your house.” He strode down the walkway to the porch and shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Mrs. Buchanan was short and more than a little curvy with salt-and-pepper curly hair and the same dark, expressive eyes as Summer. She had that Texas-grandma feel. The one where you knew you were safe and loved and never an inconvenience. Julian could tell he was going to like her.

  “Well, aren’t you a tall drink of water. Summer didn’t tell me how good-looking you are.”

  Overcooked marshmallows were cooler than his cheeks. “Uh, well…”

  “And modest. I like that.” She opened the door and waved at him to follow her. “Come on in. You’re early, so you can help me with the cookin’.”

  “Is Summer here?”

  Mrs. Buchanan shook her head, but her eyes sparkled. Summer had said she liked to meddle, and if he had to guess, she had a stick as big as a boat paddle to stir with. “No, she called. Said she was running late.”

  “Okay.”

  When they got to the kitchen, it was just as he’d figured it would be. A little dated, but warm and homey. A small four-person square table sat in the corner aligned with a window, and through it, he could see a faded white porch swing. A large pot sat on the stove, and from the smell of it, chicken was already boiling.

  Mrs. Buchanan pointed to a cutting board sitting on the kitchen counter. “You’re on cutting duty while I get the dough going.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “You can call me Nanna. Everyone around here does.”

  Julian picked up the knife next to the cutting board and began slicing a carrot. “Yes, ma’…Nanna.”

  She chuckled. “Respectful. I like that. Means you have a good mamma.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “What about your dad?” she asked, gathering ingredients for the dumplings.

  A twinge of sadness hit him. “He was a good man. We lost him a few years ago to a brain tumor.”

  “Aw, honey, I’m sorry to hear that.”

  He shrugged. “It’s okay. By the end, he wasn’t himself, and he was suffering. It hurt to watch my mom go through it with him.”

  “Do you have good memories of him?”

  “Yeah, he was a good man. Always made time for us. Taught us how to be good people and stand up for what we know is right.” He glanc
ed at Mrs. Buchanan standing about two feet from him. “Have you always lived here?”

  She nodded. “Since I married Bucky. His family has owned this land forever. And you? Where are you from?”

  “Houston.”

  Pausing her dough making, she asked, “And what brought you to Sage Valley?”

  “I was just wandering, trying to clear my head.”

  “Clear your head, huh? What got it so cloudy in the first place?”

  He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m a painter, and I had a gallery showing in Houston. It was my second one, and there were a lot of high expectations because of my first.” He stopped cutting a moment. “I didn’t meet them. I disappointed myself because, if I’m honest, they weren’t my best, and I don’t know why.”

  Mrs. Buchanan stopped what she was doing and walked over to him. “Honey, things in this life can fail, and that’s okay. It’s what you learn from that failure that matters. So, what did you learn?”

  How could he answer that? Did he even really know the answer? “I guess…I guess I learned that I want more than painting and being a free spirit. I want love and belonging and something worth painting. But not just a canvas. I want…” He sighed. “I don’t know what I want. I just know I want more than what I have right now.” The words had tumbled out, and it felt good to say it out loud.

  She patted his cheek. “Oh, I think you know what you want. You just have to be willing to go for it.”

  Was she saying what he thought she was saying? Could she be talking about Summer? Did he want that? He knew he liked her and definitely liked kissing her. But would Summer want him in return? If he put himself out there, what would the end result be? Something to build on, or a broken heart?

  13

  “Nanna!” Summer called from the front door. “I’m here.” She stopped short as she entered the kitchen.

  There Julian was, already put to work by her grandma, and now Summer had the distinct feeling Nanna had purposefully given her an errand on her way to the farmhouse. Sneaky, meddling woman.

  “You’ve got him cutting carrots?” Summer asked.

  Nanna pushed away from the counter, sauntered over to her, and pulled her into a hug. “You know the rule. If there’s work to be done, nobody sits.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Summer caught Julian’s gaze and smiled. Sorry, she mouthed.

  He returned her smile, shrugged, and went back to cutting carrots. Like this was the way things were done and it was no big deal.

  Nanna leaned back. “Did you get the chocolate and marshmallows like I asked?”

  As if the answer to that could be anything other than yes. She held up the bag from the Knack ’n Snack. “I did, but why?”

  “For s’mores, you goofy girl.”

  “That’s a nighttime activity. How long is this dinner going to take?”

  Nanna laughed and went back to the pile of ingredients in her bowl. “As long as it takes.”

  Inwardly, Summer groaned. “Uh, well, Nanna, I’ve got plans for tomorrow, and I can’t stay late.” That lie was so loud it could be broadcast in neon.

  Her nanna shot her a glance. “Is that so?”

  “Uh…”

  “Julian, do you have a timetable too?”

  He shook his head. “No, ma’am. I’ll stay as long as you want me.”

  Nanna laughed. “Oh, well, honey, you’re in for a long stay, then.”

  “As long as I’m back to work on Monday, I don’t think my boss will mind.” He smiled as he caught Summer’s gaze.

  “Julian, dear, there’s a fire pit a few feet from the porch. Would you mind gathering some firewood and getting it ready for tonight? Make sure to pull a few chairs around too. Sometimes they find legs and end up all over the yard.”

  Summer knew right then and there that the exchange hadn’t been missed by Nanna.

  He set his knife down and swiped his hands on his jeans. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “The wood’s over by the shed. Shouldn’t take much.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He locked eyes with Summer a brief second, and then he was out the back door.

  Summer set her bag of chocolate and marshmallows on the counter. “So, where’s Bucky?”

  “Oh, he went to see Dare for a second. He should be coming in the door anytime now.” Her grandma pointed her elbow at the cutting board. “Go ahead and work on a few more of those carrots.”

  “Sure, Nanna.” Summer washed her hands, bellied up to the counter, and started working. “How’s your day been?”

  Laughing, Nanna stuck her hands in her bowl and began kneading the dough. “Sweetheart, how long have I known you?”

  “All my life.”

  “Exactly. We aren’t here to talk about my day.” She chuckled a little more. “I like Julian. He’s a good boy with a good heart. I can see why you’re doe-eyed for him.”

  Summer gasped. “I am not. I…am…” She puffed a piece of hair out of her face. “Completely smitten.” She laughed, her shoulders bouncing. It wasn’t as if she could hide it from her grandma.

  “There. Now we have the truth. Feel better?”

  “Yeah, but it’s complicated.”

  “Do you like him?” Nanna asked as she sprinkled flour on the counter and dumped out the dough.

  Nodding, Summer sighed. “I really—”

  The back door opened, and her grandpa stood just inside the door with Julian next to him. “Look who I found tossing wood into the fire pit,” Bucky said. “We’re both hoping dinner is ready soon. It’s pulling at our noses so hard it hurts.”

  The words died on Summer’s lips. No way was she saying anything else about Julian while he was standing right in front of her. Bucky didn’t need to hear it either. It was bad enough that she’d spilled to Nanna. As meddling as the woman was, before the night was over, she’d have Summer asking Julian out. Or worse, putting him on the spot to ask her out.

  Maybe she could convince everyone to eat outside. She could sit close to a rock. That way, it would be easier to crawl under when Nanna got started.

  14

  That was without a doubt one of the best meals Julian had eaten in a while. He rubbed his stomach and pushed back his bowl. “Another bite, and I won’t be able to walk out of here. This was delicious. Thank you for inviting me.”

  Bucky grinned. “We’re glad you came. Right, Summer?”

  Her cheeks turned rosy as she nodded. “Yes, sir.” And then it sounded like she mumbled, “As if I had a choice.” It was so soft, though, he’d be guessing, really.

  “Julian, what did you say your family does for a living?” Bucky asked.

  Should he come clean right there at Summer’s grandparent’s dining table? No, that was something he wanted to tell her privately. “A computer parts distribution company.”

  “Oh, computers. Do you like computers, then, too?” asked Bucky.

  Nanna dropped her spoon in her bowl. “No, he’s an artist. He’s had his paintings shown in a gallery twice now.”

  “He’s a musician too,” Summer said.

  “What do you play?” Bucky’s intense stare made Julian feel like he was under a microscope.

  Julian cleared his throat. “Uh, guitar.”

  Nanna patted his hand. “Did you bring it with you?”

  “I always have it with me. I’m okay but no pro by any means. It’s something I do when I’m in between art projects.”

  “Would it be putting you on the spot to ask you play for us?” Nanna asked.

  He shook his head. “No, ma’am. But I’ll warn you. You may need earplugs.” He laughed.

  Nanna scoffed. “I get the feeling you’re being modest again. Summer, why don’t you and Julian run to his truck, get his guitar, and then start the fire in the fire pit? Bucky and I will clear the table and meet you out there. We can watch the sunset, listen to Julian play long enough for dinner to settle, and then we’ll have s’mores.”

  Summer stood. “Yes, ma’am.”

&nbs
p; Julian stood and followed Summer to his truck. This was good. He’d have a moment alone with her, and he could apologize for kissing her the day before.

  She turned just as they reached it. “You don’t have to play if you don’t want to. Don’t feel obligated, okay?”

  “I don’t, but I was serious about the ear plugs.”

  “I think I agree with Nanna on that.”

  He lowered his gaze to the ground. “Really, I don’t play a whole lot. It was something to do, and I’ve never put a whole lot of time into it. Mostly, it just relaxes me.”

  Just as he was about to open his mouth to apologize, Summer cupped his cheek, lifting his gaze to hers. “I think you are the kind of person who puts his mind to something and does it with all he’s got.”

  There was that temptation to kiss her again. Why did she have to be so sweet?

  Before he could say another word, she lifted on her toes and touched her lips to his.

  All at once, it was an explosion of need and want, and every ounce of it was directed at Summer.

  Pressing her back against the truck, he took her face in his hands and kissed her. If this were a painting, it would be bright, never-before-seen colors. Swirls of blues, hues of greens and reds, with bursts of orange. Bold strokes telling a story of love and longing.

  Sliding his hands around her shoulders, he left her lips, trailing gentle kisses along her jaw. A soft moan came from her throat as her hands flattened against his back, pulling him closer. He found her lips again and immediately deepened the kiss. One of her legs wrapped around his, and he’d never been happier to be tangled in someone as he was right at that moment.

  How long they kissed, he had no idea, but when he finally broke the kiss, he was lightheaded. He set his forehead on her shoulder, trying to catch his breath. “I thought you were mad at me.”

  She took a few deep breaths and said, “No, not mad. Scared of my reaction.”

  He leaned back and locked eyes with her. Scared of him?