Page 17 of The Cowboy Fix

He took a mental step back. Izzy Payton was too much of... everything. He headed for the barn.

“Where are we going?” She kept up with his long strides as he made himself concentrate on the Triple L.

“I thought we’d start with the barn. You’ve seen it, but you haven’t experienced the whole thing or the arena we use for training. After that, I think we should make lunch and take the utility vehicle and explore the rest of the ranch.” Izzy wantedthe tour. He would give her one, even if he had to make it up as he went along.

“A picnic sounds like just the thing.” She followed closely and took notes on her phone as he showed her through the barn, arena, and close by sheds.

His dad’s classic truck that Blake had recently restored with Andee, Reece, and Timmy’s help was in the garage near the house, along with the utility vehicle. He showed her those next. Not that he thought they would help much since there was no way he’d sell his dad’s truck.

While they packed the picnic basket, Izzy hummed a song under her breath that Nathan didn’t quite catch. He did his best to ignore the cheery tune but after seven weeks of recovery, it felt good to spend time with someone who wasn’t one of his brothers or his nurse.

He had no complaints about Malorie, her twins, or Timmy. All of them falling in love with the ranch had finally gotten his attention and brought home that if he wasn’t careful he could lose the one thing he had left of his parents.

After adding drinks, he closed the basket. “Ready?”

“Is it okay if I take some pictures along the way?” She pulled out her phone as they went out to the front porch.

“Sure.” He set the basket at her feet. “Wait here. I’ll get the UTV.”

She took his picture when he pulled up. He was going to regret letting her snap photos, wasn’t he? At the end of the main ranch grounds, he made a quick U-turn and stopped so she could see the barn, guesthouse, and outbuildings surrounding the main house. The sun was warm overhead and painted a pretty picture of the main part of the ranch. There was birdsong in the background. It was one of his favorite views.

She raised her phone to take the shot. When she was done, he took the packed dirt road that circumvented the property.

“Why all the pictures?”

She looked at him clearly organizing her thoughts before saying, He liked that about her. “Depending on what you decide to do, we may need them for promotional materials.” Her gaze sliding over the acres stretching ahead of them, she sighed. “It’s so beautiful.”

Realizing where he’d brought them, he parked next to the tree where his parents had carved their initials inside a big, floppy heart.

He turned to face Izzy. “It will take a lot of work to keep the ranch going.”

“I don’t doubt it.” She waved her hand indicating the acres surrounding them. “That’s why I think it’s good that the two of us are putting our heads together so we can come up with a plan that won’t fail. I’m sure your brothers will help wherever and whenever you need them to.”

Nathan broke away from her expectant gaze and scanned the pasture that ran right up to the mountain. Once upon a time, his parents had pastured horses here. It felt like a long time ago now. He missed the herd that had dwindled over the years. When he had decided to have goats, brief though it was, he’d kept them close to the main part of the ranch.

He huffed out a breath. He wasn’t one to sit on the sidelines while someone else, no matter how pretty she was, got her hands dirty. “Ready for lunch?”

“I’m starving,” she said and was out of the truck before he could scoot around the cab and help her out.

He handed her the blanket. “Somehow I’m not surprised.”

“What do you mean?” she asked a little too innocently. The sparkle had returned lifting the corners of her very tempting lips.

Nathan stared at the woman making inroads into his chest where he didn’t want her to be. “You never slow down, do you? You probably burn up every calorie you eat within an hour. You wouldn’t be so hungry if you took your time and ate three meals a day.”

“I eat three meals a day.” She led the way to a flat spot under his parents’ tree where she laid out the blanket. Right away, she noticed the heart and stepped close to run her fingertips over the carving ofAlovesZ, before she came back. “I just have a fast metabolism. Which means you’d better feed me right away.”

Nathan swallowed familiar grief past the lump in his throat, though it seemed a little easier this time, and put the basket in the middle of the blanket. They’d packed meat and cheese sandwiches, chips, apples, and bottled drinks. He passed her a sandwich.

She looked back at the heart. “Is that your parents?”

He nodded. “Adam and Zelda. They met in college and fell instantly in love. Dad was in vet school. After they graduated, they bought this ranch. Dad wanted to raise horses. Mom wanted to raise a family. They used to come here when they needed time to themselves and to get away from three rambunctious boys.”

“Did you ever think about being a veterinarian like your dad?” She was too astute, which was probably what made Izzy so good at her job.

He snorted. “When did I have time?” When her brows went up, he took a breath. Izzy didn’t appear to be a woman who tolerated half-answers. “Maybe I did, but after Dad died, and then Mom two years later, someone had to run the ranch. Jonas came back from law school long enough to settle Mom’s affairs, then went back to Denver. Blake only came back to run things after I had my accident.”

Genuine interest darkened the clear blue of her eyes. “Both your brothers are here. Why don’t you go to vet school now?”

---