“I should probably go meet her,” he said, the car disappearing from sight while she parked in front of the stable area. “She sounded like a handful on the phone.”
Bren had the most amused expression on his face. “You mean you’ve never been introduced?”
“Nope.”
“And she wants a job?”
“Yup.”
Bren laughed. “This ought to be interesting.”
“What do you mean?”
Bren tipped his hat back, and his expression could only be called gleeful. “Only that Jayden Gillian isn’t the type to take no for an answer, so if your plan is to brush her off, you’re in for disappointment.”
Just as he’d thought. Spoiled little rancher’s daughter. He’d met her type before.
“I think I can handle her.”
Bren released something that sounded like a laugh. Colby ignored him and headed for the barn door. Little did Bren know, but he had lots of experience handling willful women. Back in Texas he’d met more than a few, most of them hoping to land the elusive Colby Kotch. Not because they wanted him. Oh, no. They wanted the family fortune. But that was information he’d kept to himself. He’d never told his boss, or anyone in Via Del Caballo, about the family oil business, although it wouldn’t surprise Colby if Jax had unearthed the truth. The man made a living as a military contractor, which meant he probably had ten-page dossiers on all of his employees.
He heard a car door slam and wanted to head her off at the pass, which was why he rushed toward the entrance. She must have been rushing, too, which would explain why they nearly collided.
“Whoa there,” he said, grabbing her by the shoulders. “You—”
The word okay died in his throat.
A pair of the most spectacular blue eyes he’d ever seen had grown wide. Those eyes robbed him of breath in the most bizarre and peculiar way—sort of like he’d been punched in the gut.
“I’m so sorry,” she said with a smile, her long black hair swinging out behind her. Black brows and super-dark lashes framed those spectacular eyes. “I’m looking for the owner.”
He couldn’t think clearly.
“Is he around?” she asked, obviously puzzled by his lack of response. “I think I talked to him on the phone?”
He realized then that he was still holding her, so he quickly stepped back, suddenly able to breathe once he let her go.
Holy crap, what had just happened?
“He told me to come to the barn,” she added, looking around and spotting Bren down the barn aisle.
“Oh, hey, Sheriff Connelly.”
She smiled, a big, beautiful grin that made his heart do something weird. It was then and there that Colby realized something. The phrase breathtakingly beautiful had a literal meaning.
“I’m him,” he managed to gasp out.
“Him who?”
“I manage this place. Well, the therapy program, but I oversee pretty much everything else.”
She eyed him up and down, and he saw doubt on her face, probably because he looked more like a farrier in his dirty jeans, leather apron and dusty white T-shirt, all topped off with a straw cowboy hat.
“Colby Kotch,” he added.
“Really.” She aimed her smile in his direction. “Nice to meet you, then, Colby Kotch. I’m Jayden Gillian.”
He wasn’t so sure it was nice to meet him, not at all. Bren had been right. Nothing would be easy where Jayden Gillian was concerned, and he had a feeling nothing would ever be the same, either.
Copyright © 2019 by Pamela Britton
ISBN-13: 9781488035234
Home on the Ranch: A Cupid’s Bow, Texas Reunion
Copyright © 2019 by Tanya Michna
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