Page 22 of Running to the Cowboy

The house can only get so clean. And Olivia can only prep so many meals.

Her thoroughness is endearing to me, but it’s taken a toll on my brothers.

“Where the heck is the A1 Sauce?” Jake asks, frustrated as he looks through the labeled bins in the pantry one night.

Olivia proclaims, “I threw it out.”

“What!”

“It was expired! Plus, you don’t need it if the steak is prepared right,” she says as she bustles around the kitchen.

Jake and Ennis take their seats for dinner, grumbling about the missing expired condiments while I happily cut into the most perfectly cooked and seasoned steak I’ve ever eaten.

I’m a happier man since Olivia arrived. We’ve shared a bed for three nights in a row now, and it’s been the best, deepest sleep of my life.

My brothers quit complaining as soon as they taste Olivia’s steaks. Then the conversation moves on to something else.

“Olivia, you don’t need to do anything else to my bathroom. All those baskets and labels, I can’t find anything anymore,” Jake says.

“Maybe read the labels,” I say, grinning at him.

Ennis pipes up with, “Maybe this house is clean enough and your girl needs something else to do.”

I watch Olivia blush at the “your girl” comment. She cuts her eyes to me.

Lifting my eyebrows, I say, “Maybe you do. We’ve got enough freezer meals to last us through three winters now. How about after dinner, we go to the stable, and I’ll show you where everything is to take care of the horses.”

“Really?” Olivia’s spine straightens, and her eyes brighten. I’m getting accustomed to her body language when I’ve suggested something that makes her happy. Her wide eyes make me smile. “Can we go right now?”

I want to ask if I can finish my steak, but who needs food when I have a chance to brighten Olivia’s day?

In the horse barn, I show her the tack room and all the grooming supplies.

She surprises me by grabbing the curry comb, and starting to work on Ramsay. I hover, but I soon find out I’m in the way.

Before I know it, she’s even picking his hooves correctly.

I shake my head. “I’m the only one he lets do that.”

“Not anymore,” she says.

Ramsey nickers as she finishes his grooming session by holding out some sugar cubes, which he gratefully gobbles up.

“Where did those come from?” I ask, laughing.

“From the pantry, silly. You think I’m going to visit the horses without treats?”

She continues to amaze me. “Then you can add horse-groomer to your job description. If you want. The ranch hands do a good job, but it’d be great if you could give the horses extra care every night. Now, they need routine, so if you want to do this, you have to commit…”

Olivia rolls up on her toes and kisses me silly before I can finish that sentence.

I circle my arms around her and drag her body flat against me. I think better of it and pull away. “Sorry.”

She shakes her head. “I’m all healed. Look.”

Olivia lifts up her shirt and shows me the injury, now a line of pink scars below her breast.

Without thinking, I cover the area with my palm. “Glad you healed all the way up.”

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