Page 22 of Samuel

Fuck. He needed to find a way to deal with his anxiety that didn’t involve him being a total and complete ass to Evie.

“No, it’s not okay.”

“I just don’t get it, Sam. Why are you so cold towards me? I know I showed up here, with Jellybean hidden away, and that makes you mad. I thought I was doing a good job of showing you I belonged here, that the job and the ranch were meant for me…”

“It’s honestly not you?—”

She scoffed, interrupting him.

“What?” he asked.

“Were you really about to say ‘it’s not you, it’s me’?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I guess I was. Look, I’m sorry I’ve been being an ass to you. I don’t have a good reason why, I’ve just been in my head about a lot of things recently. Not about you,” he hurried to add. “Stuff that happened before you even got here. It’s just been a tough year.”

“All I keep hearing about is how amazing Sam Cooper is. Kind, warm, funny. Would do anything for his friends. And I wonder why I can’t be one of his friends. What’s wrong with me that this great man, who everyone loves, keeps being cruel to me.”

“Shit. Evie, I’m so sorry. Let me start making it up to you.”

Her eyebrows raised, surprise written all over her face.

“This isn’t a trick?”

He groaned, closing his eyes as he leaned against the porch post. “No. It’s not a trick. How about… would you like to go on a walk with me? Tomorrow, to see the ranch. I know you’ve been wanting to get the grand tour.”

“You’re not going to leave me out in some field to have to find my way back,are you?”

His whole body went stiff at the thought of her being out on the unfamiliar land all alone. “Never. I’d never let you be in danger like that.”

“Okay.” She sniffled.

“Okay.” He nodded. “Will you come back inside and eat dinner with us? I’m pretty sure my family would rather have you at the table than me right now.”

“I’m going to go home. But I appreciate you coming out here to apologize. I’m willing to put this behind us, Sam. Please don’t let me down.”

Seven

“Are you sure you’re up for this walk?” Sam asked as he stood from his desk. Evie forced her eyes to remain on his face as he walked over to the wall and grabbed his hat. The man was lethal in his denim jeans and the tight Red River Ranch shirt he was wearing made her mouth water.

She’d been shocked, to say the least, about his apology the night before.

“Of course. I’ve been here a while now, and I haven’t even seen all the ranch has to offer. I’m excited. There’s even a little snack all packed for us in case we get hungry while we’re adventuring.”

Evie held up the container of chocolate chip cookies she baked the night before and then slid them into her backpack.

“What if I’m hungry now?” Sam laughed.

“I think I can spare a couple of cookies now if you’d like.”

Sam moved to take the backpack from Evie, but stopped short when she gasped.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Were you just about to take food from a pregnant woman?” A smile stretched across her face.

With his hands up by his face, he returned her smile. “No, no, I wouldn’t dream of it. But I also would never allow a woman, especially one already carrying another life, to hike with our rations. You made them, it’s only fair I tote them around.”

“Hmm. I guess I’ll agree to that, but only because Jellybean is more than enough extra weight to carry around and my back has been killing me lately.”

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