Page 29 of Rope Me In

I nod, curious if Gavin is like her brother or something. But they don’t look related, so that would mean she’s…his girlfriend? I wonder if she knows about the situation with Cricket the other night. I get the urge to tell her, but for all I know, Cricket and Gavin don’t even have a past, and they were just talking about Kade.

Oh god, I hope Blake’s not friends with Kade then, too. I’d have to see him even more than I already do at Night Hawk. Jake said he’s decided to pick up more shifts, which means I’m going to have to deal with his antics more than just on the weekends. I exhale a breath and try to focus on things that do not involve the sexy cowboy I hardly know, like making a good impression with Blake. If Kade comes here often, I’ll just have to deal with it like an adult.

“Sounds good,” Ifinally say.

“Great!” She motions for me to follow, and I fall in step beside her. Just like the Delgados’ ranch, it’s quiet out here. The Texas plains provide only the sounds of nature with the occasional moo of a cow in the distance. But as we get closer to a big red barn, I hear men talking and the sound of hammers and other tools.

“We’re in the process of remodeling this barn,” Blake says, raising her voice. “This one hasn’t been used for the last couple of years. Nothing too major, but it can get kind of noisy. We’re in crunch mode since we’ve got about ten horses coming soon.”

I gape at her. “Ten?”

She nods. “We’ll get more next month, but we’re going to get them ready in batches. Can’t have a dude ranch without safe trail horses.”

“I don’t know much about dude ranches, but that sounds like a must-have.”

“Have you ever been to a ranch?” she asks.

“Until last week? No.”

Blake opens a sliding door to the big red barn, and the noises get louder. “Are you from Texas?”

“Born and raised.”

“Whereabouts?”

“Lynn. Do you know it?”

“It’s outside the city, right?”

I nod. “Yeah. It’s kind of small but not nearly as small as this place.”

She snickers. “Nothing is as small as Randall. At least it feels like it sometimes.” She pauses for a second and turns to appraise me. “You’ve really never been to a ranch until last week?”

“I really haven’t.”

“That feels so odd to me since this is mostly all I’ve ever known. Minus five years in Tennessee.” She says the last part almost sadly.

I lick my lips. “Like I said, maybe I’m not the best person to hire. Aren’t ranch hands supposed to know ranches?”

Blake waves me off, a smile returning to her face. “You’ll learn. And I’m sure Lyla told you, but I had someone lined up, and they fell through. They got a better-paying job at a dude ranch in Montana. I know we’re not offering much, but the living quarters aren’t bad, and you’re more than welcome to daily breakfast and lunch up at the house.”

I want to tell Blake that even though I’ve been questioning her choice to hire me, nothing she could say would make me leave. She told me over the phone I’d be making minimum wage, but if I’m not paying rent, I’m not going to complain. And the tips at Night Hawk have been good. I’ve made more at the bar than at a lot of the gigs we played, which surprised me for such a small town.

“Sounds great,” I say. Because while this isn’t the work I’d pick for myself, I’ve been enjoying the quiet of the Delgados’ ranch. And when people aren’t hammering, I’m sure this place is peaceful. Maybe even too peaceful.

For the next hour, Blake shows me around until my feet begin to hurt from all the walking. They have three barns: the one that houses their current horses, the one being remodeled, and one that stores supplies and hay. There’s also a big shed close to the main house and guest house where they keep ATVs and other things, which is being reorganized. She said she’d eventually take me out on one of the ATVs and show me more of the property.

By the time we get to the hands’ quarters, I’m feeling a little better about my choice to come here. While I haven’t done any work yet, Blake’s made me believe that I can do what she’ll be asking of me. I really like the ranch, and everyone I’ve been introduced to has been just like most people I’ve met since I arrived here: nice.

Blake holds out her arms, giving her best impression of Vanna White. “This is where you’ll be staying.” She grins. “Just painted it myself.”

I study the white rectangular building with green shutters and multiple doors that indeed has a fresh coat of paint. Itreminds me of pictures I’ve seen of kids’ summer camp quarters except a bit larger. A long porch that looks freshly painted connects all the doors—I count eight of them. We walk up a few steps, and Blake goes to the one in the middle.

“This is the main living area,” she says as she opens the door. “Right now, you’re the only one here—the rest of our workers live in town, so they don’t need the space. Eventually, guests will stay here, and then we may move you or keep you here depending on how many people we get. Hopefully, we sell out.” She chuckles.

I feel a warmth in my stomach as I realize she’s already considering the possibility of me staying for an extended period, to the point where she’d have to think about my accommodations when they have guests. And from what I understand, that won’t be for another six months or more. Though I shouldn’t be surprised by her thoughtfulness—over the last hour, I’ve learned that Blake really cares about this place and the people here.

We’ve only chatted about little things, like how much she likes my hair and how she’s always wanted to get a tattoo but her dad would kill her. I’ve been able to avoid questions that feel too personal, though I think she can tell I’m not really one to dump my life story on just anyone.

---