Page 10 of Samuel

“Yeah, sure thing. Call down to the office if you need anything, okay? I’ll be home for supper.”

Sam left without waiting for her reply.

The barn was quiet. Zeke and Derrick would just be getting up in the bunkhouse. Sam didn’t make it out onto the ranch this early much lately, but as the fog settled in the distance and the humidity clung around his body, he smiled. Sure, he didn’t end up becoming a Texas Ranger like he’d planned to all his life, but following in his father’s footsteps, keeping his legacy alive, was rewarding.

All he needed to make sure was that Evelyn Williams didn’t mess that up. She sure had no problem putting him in his place when they first met.

Or maybe he was hoping she would mess something up. Something so that he could be justified in sending her on her way. It really would be for the best. There were so many dangers on the ranch. And she was so tiny. Any one of the horses would toss her around like a sack of flour, or worse, trample her to pieces. Same with the cattle. He shuddered at the thought.

Sam passed her piece of shit car and sighed at the duct tape he spotted on the hood. That thing wasn’t safe for her to be driving around normally, but she was pregnant for fuck’s sake.

He just couldn’t get past it. The beautiful woman who’d been dancing through his mind from the minute he shookher hand was pregnant with some other man’s baby. Why did he care so much? There was some sinking feeling in his stomach that whatever the situation was, it was related to why she was so eager to move from Wisconsin all the way down to Texas.

Sam shook his head. Christ, he needed to talk to her about trading in her car for something more ranch friendly. He was lost in thought as he made his way into the barn, only stopping when he saw light pouring out from the open office door.

Stalking into the office half expecting to see an intruder, Sam stopped and blinked, trying to take in the sight in front of him.

“What are you doing?” he barked.

“Oh god!” Evie jumped, placing her hand over her heart. Shit. He hadn’t meant to scare her.

“You’re not supposed to start for another hour. How long have you been here?”

“Well, I’m certainly awake now.” She smiled. “I couldn’t sleep, so I figured one of the benefits of living on the ranch was being able to come down and get things done when I could.”

“No. That’s not one of the benefits. You have set hours in your employment contract for a reason.”

Her smile fell and she ran her hands down the front of her blouse. “I see. That was my mistake. It won’t happen again.”

“Good.” He stalked towards his desk. “Your hours are seven to three. I expect to see you in the office during that time.”

“Of course. As I said, it won’t happen again.”

He sat down and realized the pile of paperwork he stacked about a mile high was no longer on the corner.

“What the hell happened to the paperwork here?”

“I filed it for you.”

“Filed it?”

“Yes. You had a file cabinet in the storage room, soI brought it in here, cleaned it off, and started a filing system for you.”

He jumped out of his chair.

“You didwhat?”

Her eyes went wide and he watched the rose-pink blush of her cheeks fade to a sickly pale shade of gray. “I-I… I’m sorry. What am I doing wrong here? I thought coming in early would show you that I’m dedicated and care about this job. Starting a filing system and organizing this office ispart of my job.It’s what you hired me for.”

“You’re pregnant, Evie. For fuck’s sake. How did you move that filing cabinet? It’s huge!”

“I used the dolly. You seem determined to think that I am this helpless woman because of…” she gestured to her belly. Fuck. She was wearing a shirt that draped across her stomach tighter than the day she’d arrived. He guessed there was no sense in her wearing baggy clothes since her secret was out. Still, seeing the swell of her belly was making it hard to focus on anything else.Stop staring, Sam, you’re being a creep.“But I am still a capable human being.”

He rubbed at the tension growing between his eyes. “I would prefer if you got either Zeke or Derrick, or even waited for me, before moving large pieces of furniture around. If something had happened to you, because you were in here off hours, we wouldn’t have found you for a long time. Long enough that something bad could have happened.”

She blanched and he felt like the biggest asshole. “I’m sorry, Sam. I wasn’t thinking about that. I just really wanted to impress you. Would you be willing to introduce me to Zeke and Derrick so that I can know who to look for in the future if I need help?”

“I can do that. It’s still early, but they’ll be up to take the horses out in a few minutes.” The silence in the room stretched between them. “Look. I said I’d give you a fair shakeat this, and I will. Just please humor me when it comes to the concessions I’m asking you to make.”

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