Page 4 of Embracing Hope

“The taste of that burger. It’s meant to be savored,” she said, showing off a row of pearly white teeth against her sun-bronzed skin. “You ate it in record time.”

“Anything that takes longer than ten minutes to eat is called fine dining, a luxury that I wouldn’t know much about.”

She leaned in slightly closer. “A burger and fries are considered fine dining around these parts.”

“Then pardon my bad manners, ma’am. How can I make it up to you? What are you drinking? It’s on me.”

“I’ll take my usual, Jenna,” she said to the bartender.

“You have a usual, so does that mean you hang out here often? Entertaining the crowd with your bull riding skills and dining etiquette tips.”

She looked at him while she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “You were watching, huh?”

“Who wasn’t?” He cocked a brow.

“I need to show these boys how bull riding is done.” She picked up her drink and slurped it up through the paper straw. “Sometimes they need a reminder that a woman can do anything a man can do, and most of the time better.” She twirled a long strand of her wavy hair around her finger.

“Oh, that statement does have its limitations, but I’m sure you’re right, mostly. These fellows won’t ever forget that you can ride a bull. I can damn well guarantee that.”

“I like to leave a lasting impression.” She locked her gaze with his.

He liked her confidence.

“Mission complete.”

Yeah, he most certainly wanted to learn more about this intriguing woman.

*****

Hope Rose slurped up the last drops of her drink. “How about I buy the next round?” She protruded her chin at the half-empty beer stein the cowboy was cradling in his large hand.

“Is everyone here in Sagebrush Pine always so generous?”

At first, she thought his eyes were green, but they were brown. When he smiled, they darkened a shade or two, and the creases around his mouth deepened.

“I’d like to think we are,” she said. “We don’t get many new faces around here.” She paused to order another round. “I’m Hannah, by the way.” She winked at Jenna. The cowboy didn’t need to know Hope’s real name.

He hesitated for two heartbeats before he curled his hand around hers, their palms pressing against each other. The callouses inside his knuckles scraped her skin, sending an awareness through her bloodstream. “Isaac.”

If either of them was interested in last names, neither one of them said so.

Hope saw him the moment he walked in. Like a magnet, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Not only was he a stranger, but he exuded a confidence that made her very curious. Seeing the same cowboys day in and day out could make a cowgirl crave new blood. The first opportunity she got, she beelined her way to the bar to strike up a conversation.

After the last few months of dealing with one dramatic event after another at Sagebrush Rose Ranch, Hope had come to Mav’s to release some pent-up energy. Recently, Daddy revealed to Hope and her sisters that he had cancer and had made the decision to refuse treatment. Instead, he’d chosen to relax more and enjoy the time he had left. Not one of his daughters argued. Hope couldn’t remember seeing her daddy sit back and take in the day. No amount of arguing would change Sam Rose’s mind about treatment. Once he decided something, it might as well be written in stone. Just like his decision to demand that his daughters marry or be left out of his will.

Thinking of her daddy as destructible didn’t settle well in her stomach. He’d always been larger than life, full of spice and vinegar, and influential to boot. To imagine that cancer could very well be the enemy that destroyed Sam was a hard pill to swallow.

Time was running out. She needed to find a husband soon, or she would lose her share of the ranch. However, what concerned her the most was making her daddy proud. Although he could be overbearing and stubborn, she understood the reasons behind his actions and demands. His traditional beliefs shaped his desires for his daughters, and now that his time was limited, he had accelerated his expectations.

The cowboy sitting next to her enticed her. Everyone in town knew everyone and everything about everyone, and sometimes, it was refreshing to meet someone new. Someone who didn't have any prior impression of her.

Jenna brought their drinks, and Hope studied the cowboy while enjoying Captain Morgan and Diet Coke. “What brings you to Sagebrush Pine, Isaac?” she said his name in a way that made one brow pop up over his dark eyes, which were so intense that they scorched a trail right into the center of her bones, reminding her she hadn’t slept with anyone since she and Cody Sawyers split last year. Even then, the sex had been mediocre at best, and the only orgasms she experienced were by her “rose.”

"Business," he said with a noticeable drawl.

“Texas?”

“You’re good.” His grin grew.

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