Page 18 of The Cowboy Fix

“The Triple L comes first. It always will, which means I don’t have time to go to college. Besides, it’s too late.”

“What do you mean?” Her brows knit together.

“I’m thirty-three. I’ve never been to college, so I’d have to start at the beginning. It takes eight years to get through vet school. That will make me in my forties when I finish.” He shook his head. “Eight years is too long to be away from the Triple L.”

Compassion filled her gaze as she said softly, “Maybe it’s your turn to do something you want to do.”

“I am. I’m right where I want to be.” When it looked like she had more questions, he said, “Honest. Besides, I don’t want the Triple L to just limp along while I’m off at veterinarian school. There’s been enough of that over the last sixteen years.”

“I get it.” She hesitated for a moment, then true to form said, “I know I planned to finish the proposal before I send it to you, but I have a list in my head of easy money-producing activities if you want to hear it.”

Nathan almost laughed. He should be upset she couldn’t go more than fifteen minutes without pursuing her vision for the Triple L, but surprisingly, he wasn’t. They both wanted the same thing.

“Give me the list.” He was very interested in what she had to say. Still, he reminded Izzy, “I don’t want to turn the Triple L into a dude ranch.”

“Neither do I.” She grabbed the phone that she’d left on the blanket beside her and scrolled. “Here’s a partial list. Trail riding, hiking, weekend camping, glamping, Jeep tours into the mountains. The Jeep tours might be more of a challenge to get started quickly enough.”

Nathan crossed his arms over his chest. Being a businesswoman herself, Izzy would understand logistics and permits and things. “A Jeep tour sounds like fun, but we’d have to buy the vehicles, get insurance, and probably a permit to go off the ranch and into the mountains. That would take time. Right?”

“That’s what I was thinking.” She sounded disappointed, but her dismay quickly disappeared. “How about the others?”

He held out his hand for her phone and when she gave it to him, he analyzed her list. “Trail riding and hiking excursions are probably doable. I don’t know about glamping, but maybe weekend camping?”

She took her phone back. A smile chased away the caution from the look she gave him. She’d been afraid he would nix all her ideas. Nathan didn’t blame her. He was afraid too that he would. “Good. I’ll do some research and put together cost estimates and time frames for making these happen.”

“Alright.” He started loading up the picnic basket with the remains of their lunch. “We’d better head back. I need to take care of the horses.”

“I’ll help. I’d like to talk to you some more about the barrel-racing lessons you promised.”

Nathan shook his head. She never quit, did she? “I don’t think I promised, did I?”

It was appealing to tease Izzy.

She didn’t notice. She was staring at a building just across a small creek. It was tiny, old, and hadn’t been used in a long time.

“What’s that building over there?” she asked, putting the blanket next to the basket in the back of the utility vehicle.

Reluctantly, he said, “That was my mom’s she-shed.”

“Really? Can we look inside?”

He wished he could sayno. No one but him had been in the tiny cabin in years, not even Jonas or Blake.

She noticed his hesitation. “Never mind. I can see it’s a special place for you. The horses are waiting.”

As Izzy started to get into the UTV, Nathan shook his head. There was no reason why she couldn’t see his mom’s place except for his stubborn refusal to share his memories with anyone, even his brothers. “We can go inside.”

“Are you sure?” Izzy asked, one boot on the running board, the other on the ground.

He shrugged. She wanted to see the whole ranch. His mom’s cabin was part of it. “Yup.”

Izzy grabbed his hand and marched them over. Taken by surprise, he decided he could keep dragging his feet or just go with the gutsy woman.

Her palm pressed against his. A buzz of rare excitement raced up his arm. Any opposition that might have sprouted withered away, leaving Nathan to wonder, was there more going on here than fixing his beloved ranch?

Chapter Six

From the outside,the shed was no bigger than a large postage stamp. Just before she got close enough to see detail, Izzy realized she was pulling a reluctant Nathan along with her and that the feeling blooming in her chest wasn’t all that professional or connected to the building they were about to explore.

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