Page 17 of The Cowboy’s Intriguing Love

Sorry I didn’t answer in time for you to see it before you went to the barn this morning. I sleep in on Sundays – I get weekends off from working at the lodge. Lol, and since I don’t want to sound like a slacker compared to you, I’ll tell you that I help around the ranch instead. Yesterday I worked with Tanner and Kolby, bringing on a bunch of youngsters. Tanner’s in charge when it comes to the horses, but we all pitch in. Ford’s in charge of the herd – the cattle – but we all pitch in when he needs us, too. There’s a bunch of full-time wranglers who work the herd. Not going to call them cowboys in case you like the sound of them better than the sound of me!

Anyway – damn, girl! They ain’t kidding when they say it’s a small world, are they? I don’t even know where to start. Actually yeah, I do. Most important, I don’t think that hypnotherapy is hokey – far from it. I have a teammate who’s been seeing a hypnotherapist, are you ready for this? – in Salt Lake City! It’s really helping him.

Even if it weren’t for that, I’m fascinated by the idea, although I don’t know much about it. Another of my teammates used hypnotherapy to stop smoking, and he just quit after one session. He’d tried everything before that and couldn’t kick the habit! So yeah, although I think you’re right that we should be smart and see if we can find any red flags before we get tooinvested, you don’t need to worry about me not believing in what you do.

Okay, back to the small world thing. I know there’s the April connection, and Chance, too – side note, I would love to have seen his face when Hope said I was hot! And don’t worry, I’m not going to get all big headed about that – I bet what she really said was “Those MacFarland boys” – it’s a family thing. It seems that not many people consider us fugly!

But besides the people we already know we have in common, are you ready for a whole long list of other connections?

This other job, at the sports bar? I’m guessing that the couple who owns it is Xander and Tori? Get this – Kolby and I served with Xander. I told you I was in the Navy, the part I didn’t mention is that I was a SEAL. Now, I wonder if you’ll think I’m bullshitting you. I’m not. I figured it was a detail that I could share later. If I opened with that, you might think I was arrogant, or on the other hand – shit, I can’t believe I’m going to say this but … some women see SEALs as … in the same way that some men see hot women – as a kind of trophy. Ugh, this is another one of those parts that I wonder if I should delete but … moving on.

So yeah, if you want to know more about me, you can ask Xander – or if you’re more comfortable with her, ask Tori. She’s a sweetheart. I don’t know her as well as I know him, but I spent some time around her when Xander was acting as her security guy. Do you know about that? You know that she was a backup singer for Calypso Rayne? Xander went on Callie’s last tour as part of the security team. That team was led by … Kolby! I went and helped out on a couple of the tour dates. And that leads us to another connection.

I do like country music – and that’s a good thing since my twin brother is now married to one of country’s biggest stars – Calypso Rayne, she’s just Callie to us. She’s a sweetheart.

Lol, and I know damn well who Clay McAdam is. Obviously, he owns the label that Callie’s signed with, but he also comes to the valley sometimes to visit Summer – Summer Breese is married to a good friend of ours, Carter Remington.

So, we have a whole lot of people in common. I wanted to circle back around to the hypnotherapist in Salt Lake, though. I don’t know if he’s the same guy your friend went to see but I reckon he might be. His name is Eli Thompson. I don’t know him personally, but it was my brother, Cash, who suggested that my buddy should see him. If you like I can ask Cash to get in touch with him and ask if he’d be willing to chat with you about what he does.

Anyway, this got long again. I need to get to work – not in the same sense that you mean when you say that. On Sundays we have a big family lunch here at the big house. The big house is the ranch house – I live here and so do Tanner and Ford. Kolby and Callie have a cabin on the ranch and so do Wade and his fiancée, Sierra, they have two awesome little kids, Mateo and Maya, who they adopted. But the point was, all the family who’s in town come to the house for lunch on Sundays, and I’m the chef so I need to get to work.

Do you get the rest of Sunday off? And what about you? Where do you live? There’s so much we still don’t know, isn’t there? And I have to tell you – I want to know. I’m enjoying this.

Hope you get some rest after the barn today.

Ty

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Hi Ty! (Yes, I noticed! Yes, I like it!)

I can’t believe that you and Xander were teammates! I mean, I can – I’m not saying that I don’t believe you. But what are the odds? And you really wouldn’t mind if I asked him and Tori about you? I’m just leaving the barn now, going to run home and shower and then I’m going to Violets – that’s the name of their sports bar in case you don’t know. I always feel like I have to explain that because it doesn’t sound like a sports bar. Anyway, sorry. Tori called and asked if I can help with lunch since someone called in sick. I’m only going to cover for a couple of hours, though.

I try to keep my Sunday afternoons sacred. Like you, it’s the time that I hang out with my family. It’s not a big crowd like you. It’s just the four of us, but it’s special. I told you I was adopted, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. I’ll explain it one day. But none of us really has anyone else. Well, Davin – my adopted dad, has two brothers but they don’t live here.

Anyway, this was supposed to be just a quickie to make sure you wouldn’t mind me asking Xander and Tori about you. I know you said I should but …

Gah! I have to go. You probably won’t even see this till later anyway. You’ll be toiling over a hot stove. I should warn you that I am not a good cook. I’m not terrible or anything but I never really learned, and like with everything else, I don’t have the time.

Oh, and Eli Thompson is the same guy!! I appreciate the offer to put me in touch but my adopted mom – Alexis – I should just start calling them by their names. I don’t call them mom anddad, and I’m less worried about giving away too many details now, I don’t think you’re an axe murderer who will track me down – and even if you were, I already gave more than enough info, didn’t I? Oops!

Okay. Hope you enjoy your family lunch.

More later – I still have so much more I want to say to your last message!

Shay.

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Hey Shay

Absolutely, ask Xander and Tori whatever you want to know about me. I’m glad you have that option. I have nothing to hide. Then again, tell Xander I said that if he shares any embarrassing stories about me, I’ll kick his ass for him next time I see him.

Gotta go. Toiling over a hot stove here. Hope you still get some time with your family when you finish work.

Ty

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