Page 37 of The Cowboy Takes A Bride

“You had a nice day?” He slid into a seat.

She nodded. “I know this is nothing fancy, but I’m hoping it will get better.” She took the stool next to him.

“What is it? It looks good.” He cut a wedge from the savory-smelling dish, his stomach growling as the whiff of seasoned beef hit his nose. He wasn't sure what it was but, hell, he was hungry enough to eat just about anything. He didn't really care what it was.

She beamed with pride. “Hamburger pie and salad.”

Without trepidation, he took a bite. The bottom was a bit overcooked and dark but he’d eaten squirrel and rattlesnake before so this was going to be easy to choke down if it was no good. To his surprise, it was tasty.

“This isn’t that bad. I actually like it.” He took another wedge.

“Your mom came around. She tried to get me to dosomething more adventurous but I figured a handful of ingredients is a good place to start.”

“Mom was here? Why didn’t she call me? Did you mention that you...you know...about the cooking?” He loaded his plate with salad. It'd been months since he had food that wasn't from a jar or can.

“I suppose she came to see me and yes, I told her. It came up.”

He stopped eating. “And what did she say?”

“A lot about coffee and little about the garden in the back. I’m going to work on it with her when they move back. Which should happen in a couple of weeks, right?” Her shoulders rose, and she grimaced as though the info might make him upset. Damn, she must have lived a life that was constant walking on eggshells.

“She said two weeks?” Jace slapped his knee with pleasure. “Damn, it will be good to have Pops around.”

Her shoulders dropped, and she picked up her fork to eat. “It will be nice to have someone around while you’re out all day.”

Jace put down his fork. “Are you okay with starting the garden? It might be harder than you think. Frustrating for sure.” He didn't want Meredith to bite off more than she could chew. He wanted her to find life easier here than wherever it was she'd come from.

She dismissed his concerns with a wave.

“She asked my permission to move back. To which I said ‘don’t be silly’ because this is their house. They can move back anytime.” She smiled and quirked a brow. “Right?”

“Yeah.” He liked the idea of Pops being back on the ranch, sharing in discussion about all the issues. But the added stress of having his folks here, his father needing twenty-four hour care, would add strain on all of them. Jace shifted in his seat, resting one hand on his thigh. “It’ll be hard having him here. Hardwatching Mom work her tail off caring for him. Hard watching him struggle to get around the house. You up for that?”

“Part of the reason I'm here is to give your father something. A…?” She gestured for him to fill in the words.

“A sense of peace about me and my well-being.”

“Right, and I understand where you're coming from with that. So let me do my part. This is the first time in years I’ve felt useful, and I really like it.” Her brows knitted with worry. “Your mom and I had a wonderful afternoon, and I think she needs to be here just as much as your dad.”

Jace searched her face, looking for any sign she was less than sincere, but came up with nothing. If there was anything more appealing than someone being invested in another person, he wasn’t sure what it was. Without hesitation, he pulled the stool she was sitting on closer to him, resting his legs on either side of hers, trapping her between them. She bit her lip.

“What?” he asked.

“If this is too presumptuous, please say so, but I had a look at the old ranch manager’s cottage, and I think we could live there and let your folks have this place. This is their home.”

Jace was awed by her thoughtfulness. The girls of his past, the ones he thought could be his future, would never have considered living in a small log cabin with rustic plumbing. Here Meredith was ready to give up the big house for something a fraction of the size. One minute he’s thinking she’s too pampered and spoiled without a basic knowledge of cooking, and the next she’s digging in and making meals and putting his family first.

Determined. That's how he'd describe her.

“I’m not sure how this is all going to play out between us, but what you’ve just said does something to me, Meredith.” He slid a hand up her thigh and watched a lovely shade of pink color her beautiful face.

She looked up at him through her lashes. “Something good?” Her low voice matched her flirty look.

The space around them crackled with an electric charge. Jace knew if he gave into his desires, it would consume him soon. He was ready to get lost in it and her.

“Yeah. Real good. There’s something here, don’t you think?” He stroked her cheek with one hand and used the one on her thigh to make lazy circles with his thumb, hoping to remind her of what they’d already shared.

She nodded.

---