Page 51 of Embracing Hope

He stayed a few paces behind her horse, appreciating the sight of her and the landscape. From his vantage point, Isaac noticed that Sam aimed to update the ranch's policies and procedures to push operations into modern times. Jinx had told him they were using a drone to watch over the ranch and livestock, but they were still ironing out some issues. Isaac inquired about the security cameras and learned they were installed throughout the property. Jinx pointed out that the system had weaknesses like glitching during storms because lack of network service. The downfall of living in remote towns. Although they had a state-of-the-art security setup, no one monitored the footage unless an incident occurred.

Isaac found it suspicious that the security system was disabled the same night the intruder broke in. This made Isaac suspect that the intruder could be someone who knew the ranch's layout, where the security cameras were located—possibly one of the hands. Throwing around that accusation without proof wouldn’t be appropriate, but he’d keep his eyes open.

Although there were many great things about the ranch, Isaac also saw some things that could use change. Most of the crew were hard workers, but there were a couple of the men whom Isaac would get rid of quicker than a turd flowing downstream. At Marcum Livestock, he and his brother ran a tight ship. There was no such thing as second chances. Fuck up once, and they’re gone.

Something else didn’t settle well with Isaac.

Sagebrush Rose experienced financial losses due to the extensive time spent training, breeding, and showcasing horses, while cattle generated profits almost immediately. Horses, however, did not yield high returns. After removing two of their top breeding sires from their lineup, they incurred losses amounting to hundreds of thousands and were still recovering.

Despite this, they continued to invest more in sires.

This indicated to Isaac that Sam indulged his daughters, as the elderly man wasn’t investing in horses for profit.

He noticed that Hope had veered off the straight path toward the barns.

“Where are you going?” he muttered to her back.

“Wherever I want.” She shot him a grin over her shoulder and continued westward.

“We should get back to the ranch,” he said, wasting his breath.

“Go ahead and go back. No one’s forcing you to come along.”

The path led into a pasture and beyond through a thick row of trees, into the most fantastic view Isaac had ever seen. He pulled in a lungful of sweet, clean mountain air as he peered over the ridge onto the sun-drenched valley and upward at the icy tops of mountains in the distance. Birds sang happily and deer grazed the lush grass. They lifted their heads to see who had interrupted their peace but quickly returned to munching their breakfast.

“Well, I do declare. The cowboy is silenced,” she said in a country girl accent. “Don’t they have these views out there in Texas?”

“They do, but this is a sight to behold.”

She slid out of the saddle and Isaac decided not to argue. His boots hit the ground and he offered her a smile. As much as she irked him, she also made him feel things he never thought would be possible.

They left their horses, who were trained enough to stay put, and they walked to the edge of the ridge to get a better look. Remnants of an old tree house, a rope hanging from a limb, and a bucket of smashed pop cans gave a peek into what her childhood was like here on the ranch.

“I always thought I’d build a house right here.” She stomped her foot as if to push home the thought.

“So you’re going to marry someone?”

Where did that lightning bolt to his chest come from?

“That’s the question of the hour,” she said softly. “Is it too late for Husbands-R-Us?”

“Is there such a place?” He cocked a brow.

“Only in my mind.” She plucked a wild purple flower and hooked it behind her ear. “I received a publishing date from my editor. I have six months to live before my father kills me.” Her smile inferred that she joked, but worry filled her gaze.

“He won’t kill you. I think Sam is a bit more soft-hearted than you give him credit for. He loves you and your sisters. That’s obvious.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t act like you can’t believe that. You haven’t been told the word “No” since you were eight, about the same time you learned how to use that smile and innocent stare to get your way.” He hooked his thumbs into his front pockets. He’d been in the damn special forces, tough as nails, and when it came to the feisty blonde, he felt like a teenager anticipating his first kiss.

“He might have spoiled us but he certainly taught us to stand on our own two feet.”

“Even an independent woman needs a superhero sometimes.” He didn’t realize he’d said the words aloud until she looked up at him.

“I agree, but around these parts, superheroes can turn out to be super duds.”

“The dating pool has been peed in.” He chuckled. “Maybe the problem is you’re looking too close to home. Hell, these hands are great men, at least most of them, but they wouldn’t know how to handle a woman like you with an instruction manual and a YouTube tutorial. No offense, but I’ve seen the men eat. They don’t pick up after themselves, and some don’t even know how to flush the toilet.”

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