Page 26 of The Guy Who Stole My Ranch

Time for a little bit of ego stroking. “You don’t think I understand what it means to take this place over. On some level, you’re right, and I want to learn.” I couldn’t keep my gaze off of her. “What better way to learn than from the master?”

Brooke didn’t say anything. We were standing less than a foot apart, and I was almost certain she’d stopped breathing.

I pointed at Betsy’s stall. “I bet I can clean out a stall faster than you can.”

A look of shock crossed Brooke’s face, and she laughed. It wasn’t a harsh or an angry sound. She seemed to be sincerely amused. “Good luck with that.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Brooke put her hand on her chest. “I’m the queen of stall mucking.” She pointed to the far end of the barn. “My brothers had to buy me that tiara after losing a bet just like this one. They’d also had to call me ‘your majesty’ for a week.”

It took me a moment to pick out the small crown hanging on the wall.“I can buy you a second tiara and call you ‘your majesty’ if you win.”Both would be my pleasure.

She glared. “What else do I get when I win?”

This part made me sad, but I was confident enough in my skills to wager it. “If you win, I’ll stay away from this place until I take over. After tonight, you won’t see me again for three months. Although repairs may begin before that.”

“And if you win?” She said it as if it were an impossibility.

I kept a straight face. “Whenyou lose, you take me on as your apprentice for a week or more.”

She raised her eyebrows and slammed me with a skeptical look that said she didn’t think I’d last two hours in her world.

I ignored all of that. “I’ll follow you around and learn everything you can teach me. That way, when I take over, I’ll understand what I’m getting into.”

Brooke bit her lip, something I hadn’t seen her do before. Was she nervous? Anxious? Plotting my demise?I gazed down at her and waited for her reply.

“Tell you what, William, when I win, you have to do one thing for me.”

Now I raised my eyebrows. “What’s that?”

“Push back any repairs or changes on the ranch until June.”

I frowned. “Push it back?”

“That’s right.”

I studied her, trying to ascertain her motivation, but couldn’t figure it out. “Why?”

She smiled sweetly, and dangerously, and doubled down on her accent. “Because, darlin’, I’d like to have a few lasts here with my family before you demolish our houses and barns. One last barbecue, one last barley harvest, one last four-wheeler race. Things like that.” She pointed around as if we were outside and she knew exactly where all of those activities would take place.

While the request seemed logical, I felt there was more to it. What was Brooke hiding?

She spoke before I could. “If you’re good, maybe I’ll invite you to the barley harvest.”

Brooke probably thought she had this in the bag. It didn’t matter what her terms were, I was going to win. However, that didn’t mean I couldn’t up the stakes a little. “I accept your terms.”

Brooke held out her hand, looking as confident as I felt.

One of us was going to be terribly disappointed.

That person wasn’t going to be me.

I slid my fingers along Brooke’s palm before I shook her hand. The action sent a curious sensation up my arm. Her skin felt rough and strong. Her grip ground my knuckles together. Her lips twitched into a wide smile and she said, “We have a bet, William Harris.”

Chapter 7

-Brooke-

---