Page 27 of The Cowboy Fix

Mucking out stalls was like making beds in a hospital, at least from what Mal had told her, a sentiment Izzy could suddenly appreciate. For once, she let her mind just wander without a predetermined destination. When Nathan joined her, she was covered in the beginnings of a light sweat and had just finished putting down new straw and shavings on the floor. Fresh water was in the water bucket attached to the front corner.

He startled her when he grabbed the wheelbarrow wagon she’d half-filled and steered it toward the back of the barn.

She rushed to catch up with him. “I can do that.”

“I’m sure you can, but my hands were free, and you’re busy. I can take care of it. It’ll only take a minute,” he said over his shoulder then disappeared through the sliding barn doors in the back.

He wasn’t hearing her. Izzy turned back around only to stop at a stall on this side of the haystack that had rubber mats on the floor. It was like the other stalls only cleaner, and a hose hung on the side wall with a spray nozzle attached.

“What’s this stall for,” she asked when Nathan stopped beside her.

He let go of the handle of the wagon. “It’s a wash bay for the horses.”

“How clever,” she said and retraced her steps to the stalls at the front of the barn. “How many horses can this barn hold?”

“Thirty.” He grabbed a fork from the tack room and began to clean out Duke’s stall while Izzy started on Bella’s. “I have an idea. After we clean out the stalls, what would you say to riding Rosie and Grace out to Mom’s shed instead of taking the utility vehicle?”

“Are you sure you’re up for a horse ride?” She eyed him closely. There was no point in beating around the bush. She’d hate to be the one to tell his doctor that the stubborn cowboy didn’t take to obeying orders to go easy very well.

He scooped soiled straw and shavings into the barrow. “If I’m going to start training horses, it’s probably best that I get back on a horse, don’t you think?”

“Yes, but—”

“We can go slow if that will be easier for you.” Nathan sounded like he didn’t appreciate her concern, but when she caught his eye, there was a twinkle lighting the dark depths.

She paid him back in kind. “I think it would be easier for you.”

An hour later, after finishing the stalls, brushing down Rosie and Grace, and saddling the horses, they were on their way to the back forty and Zelda’s special place. Before they left, Nathan had gone into the house and come out with a folder that he placed in a saddlebag behind Grace’s saddle.

“What made you agree to green light The Wedding Cottage?” Izzy asked when they were halfway there.

Shifting in the saddle, he gave her an assessing look. “Would you believe me if I said you make a compelling argument?”

Meeting his gaze head-on, she shook her head. “Maybe.”

“Well, you do, Izzy Payton. And the bottom line is my brothers trust you, so I guess I should too.” He faced forward. “I can change my mind and we can return to the ranch if that’s what you want.”

The man was a pain in her side. She hadn’t missed the twitch of his lips into a scant smile. “That’s okay. I was curious, is all.”

They rode in silence, accompanied by the sound of hooves on the dirt road. After a while, he said, “The idea of turning Mom’s she-shed into something that will be forever dedicated to her and Dad is a good one.” He shrugged, but this time didn’t look in her direction. “I want to add a plaque with their names to the front of the building.”

They topped a hill that overlooked the shed. He edged Grace closer. “To be honest...” he paused, then, “I don’t want you to save the Triple L without me. I need to be part of bringing the ranch back to life.”

“I would never do anything on the ranch without your involvement,” she promised. It was true. While all three brothers owned the ranch, in her mind the Triple L and Nathan were firmly linked together.

They dismounted and tied the reins to a tree. Reaching into the saddlebag, he grabbed the folder. “I have something to show you.” He pulled out thick pages and handed them to her.

Izzy found herself looking at pencil drawings of the cottage’s transformation they’d discussed the previous day. Her breath caught. “Nathan! These are wonderful.” There were three drawings. One of Zelda’s hideaway turned into a cute, magical cottage with a covered, enclosed front porch. The second was a shed that matched the cottage in design. The third was a riotous garden on either side of a path that led to a rose-covered arch. Seats with ribbons were set out for guests. When she looked up, his gaze was off in the distance. “You’re so talented. Where did you learn to draw like this?”

He shrugged and came back from where his thoughts had taken him. “My mom. She bought me books on how to draw from the time I was in grade school. Before she passed, she would let me come here with her and while she made dresses, I drew pictures.”

“Well, these are so good. Do you mind if I keep them for a little while?”

Not unexpectedly, his brows drew together. “What for?”

“I have to think about it some more, but they would be perfect for the flyers and maybe some online marketing.” She held the drawings close to her chest, hoping he wouldn’t take them away. To distract him, she told Nathan, “Jonas said he’d bring out the supplies we need if we text him a list.”

“I’ll take care of it.” He pulled out his cell and began making what she presumed was a list to send to his brother.

---