The
shadows grew longer. She estimated only a few hours remained until
sunset. Raised in Pennsylvania, she wasn’t a stranger to farm life and their
open fields, early evenings and mornings that began before the sunrise. Living
across from a dairy farm as a child, she saw the farm hands work the cattle and
the fields. It was a hard life, but not without satisfaction for those who
loved it.
Maybe
that was why she couldn’t picture Aidan here. His passion had always been with
the publishing world, the big city and working with clients. Particularly the
trends that defined sales, spikes, marketing and the future of the publishing
landscape. Since working with him she’d grown to appreciate his passion for the
methodology and chaos of it all. Aidan Durrant was an amazing man, and part of
the reason she’d worked with him all these years.
The
center of activity played out away from the house. Following a gravely, dirt
path, the herd of cattle milled around the largest of three enclosures. She
heard the familiar sound of a horse whinnying to her right and discovered the
smallest enclosure corralled several sturdy, tall horses. A cowboy brandishing
a black hat conversed with a second man while examining one of the horses.
Tess
watched the pleasurable interaction between them. She hooked her elbows on the
top rail of the fence, like a little girl at a rodeo she didn’t want to miss a
moment.
The
discussion about the horse ended in agreement. The man in the cowboy hat nodded
in her direction. She couldn’t help but admire his muscular body. The worn
dungarees and cotton work shirt silhouetted against the sun outlined a fine
specimen of a man. Cowboys certainly knew how to stay in shape. The cowboy
she’d been admiring gave her a wicked grin and Tess’s knees went weak,
realizing beneath the hat was a familiar pair of green eyes, Aidan. Oh, God,
I’ve done it now.
She had
a weakness for alpha males, cowboys, the man’s man. In her childhood fantasies,
her prince would kick ass and take names before rescuing her. Now, as an adult,
she liked to think she could kick some ass of her own.
Aidan
strutted across the enclosure; his expression mesmerizing her, and she couldn't
help but blush. This wasn’t the same man she’d spent the last seven years with.
No way. Aidan Durrant’s timeworn boots stopped a few feet away. When his green
eyes flashed gold, her breath caught in her throat.
"Nice
hat, " he said.
"I
like yours better."
One
dark eyebrow rose.
Who are
you, and what have you done with my boss?
"How
are you enjoying the fresh air?"
"I
am perfect."
"Always
have been."
Tess
bit her tongue, but inside, she smirked.
"Something
wrong with the horse?" Tess quickly turned the subject.
"Nothing
we can’t fix with rehabilitation."
"I
don’t remember seeing horses earlier."
"There
weren’t any."
"Another
surprise from Daniel?"
"My
brother seemed determined to run up debt." Aidan scratched his head.
"Wonder if he realized we were so far in we’d never crawl our way
out?"
"Maybe
he wanted to do something good for once." Her words were out of line and
she knew it. "I’m sorry…"
"No,
maybe you’re right." Aidan motioned her to follow him and locked the gate
behind them. "You must be starving."
"And
you must have heard my stomach protesting."
His
hand landed on the small of her back. He leaned into her and pointed to a
building across the path. "I need to finish with the Vet and get cleaned
up. I’ll meet you in the dining hall in a few minutes."
"Sounds
like a plan," Tess said, acutely aware of the warmth flowing from his hand
into her back. Aidan smiled and rejoined the vet who was loading a horse onto a
trailer. Tess leaned against the fence, puzzled by her reaction to his touch.
They’d brushed shoulders a million times over the years. So what was different
about this time?
Shaking
the thought from her head, she wrote it off to the relaxed ambiance at the
ranch, the fresh air. She’d always been aware of his beauty, but it never
seemed as pronounced as now. Had she been so buried in her job, she never
appreciated the finer things about Aidan Durrant? With that question lingering
in her mind, she turned toward the dining hall.
***
Come Find Me!
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