Page 141 of Ride a Cowboy

Daniel grinned. “I’m afraid I was pretty hopeless at all this stuff until I moved out of my parents’ house and started doing it for myself. My mom tried to assign it to me as a chore, but eventually she gave up when she realized it would only be done right if she did it herself. I never did learn how to load a dishwasher to please that woman. No matter how many times I tried.”

Vicky chuckled. “The washing machine gene seems to be lacking in the Compton males as well. Last time Doug tried to help me, he had all the dinner plates facing the wrong way.”

“I think you mean dishwasher, Vicky,” Jody corrected.

“What did I say?”

“Washing machine,” Daniel replied easily.

“Oh,” Vicky chuckled. “Well, the men in this family struggle with that appliance too.”

They all laughed.

Sienna entered the kitchen and tossed a dishrag in the sink. “Table’s wiped up. Need any more help in here?”

Jody shook her head as she put the last few pieces of silverware in the sink. “No. I think Vicky and I have everything in hand.”

“We sure do appreciate all your help, Levi,” Vicky said as she grabbed the coffeepot, filling it with water.”

“Levi?” Sienna asked. “Vivi, this is Daniel.”

Vicky was silent for a moment. “Oh, my goodness. I’m sorry, Daniel.”

Jody laughed. “Man, that’s a blast from the past. Levi hasn’t worked here in nearly a decade. Wonder what made you think of him, Vicky.”

“Who knows?” Vicky shrugged nonchalantly, but Daniel could see she was disturbed by the mix-up. She’d called him by the same wrong name a couple days earlier, but he hadn’t bothered to correct her. He could only assume Vicky had seen a lot of hands come and go during her fifty years on Compass Ranch.

Jody put detergent in the dishwasher. “Daniel, if you’ve got a few minutes to hang out with See and the guys, I’ve made a coconut cream pie for dessert.”

Daniel rubbed his stomach. “Few more weeks here and I’ll need to buy bigger pants. Even so, it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for a piece of your pie.”

He followed Sienna into the family room. Seth and the boys had plopped down on the large sectional and were watching a hockey game.

“Who’s playing?” Daniel asked as he took a seat.

“Kings and Rangers.”

Sienna claimed a comfortable chair near him, curling her legs beneath her. Since kissing her in his trailer two weeks ago, Daniel had made sure to keep his distance—physically—but that didn’t mean he hadn’t worked to regain her trust while building a friendship.

They all sat in silence for a few minutes until the Kings scored. Doug and James were rooting for L.A., so they started trash talking with Seth, a Rangers fan. Sienna smiled at their antics but didn’t take part.

“You like hockey?” Daniel asked her.

She shrugged. “It’s okay. I prefer it over baseball or basketball. Unfortunately, these guys—” she gestured to her brothers and dad, “—watch it all. I don’t think I’ve ever actually held the remote control in this house. Not once.”

“You ever think about getting your own place? You’re working now. I’m sure there must be an apartment near the doctor’s office you could afford to rent. That way you’d have control of the TV.”

She dismissed his suggestion. “I’m fine staying here and saving my money until Josh graduates in the spring. We’ll probably rent a place for a few years, but with me working and living at home for now, we’ll have a down payment for our own home sooner than we’d planned. I guess that’s one benefit to him changing his major and staying in school an extra year.”

“Yeah, but isn’t that extra year going to add to his student loans?” Daniel wondered about Sienna’s boyfriend, uncertain why he disliked the guy so much. Over the past two weeks, he and Sienna had spoken every night, always in the company of her family. Each time the subject of Josh had arisen, Daniel had learned something else about the man that annoyed him.

Sienna shook her head. “He won’t have any debt at all. His parents are paying for his education.”

Daniel fought to keep his face impassive, though her answer bugged the hell out of him. Another tick against Josh. He was spoiled.

Seth must have been listening to the conversation because he said what Daniel was thinking. “If I were his folks, I’d have made him start footing the bill this year. I think Josh would benefit from having to work for what he wants.”

Sienna didn’t reply. Daniel got the feeling this conversation wasn’t a new one.

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