Page 3 of Longhorn Findlay Farm

“Then I guess you should stay here, with me. Problem solved.” Archie raises an eyebrow at me from beneath his white cowboy hat as he inches closer to me.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean.” I feel heat flush my cheeks as he inches even closer.

“I never say anything I don’t mean.” Archie stares into my eyes, his lips so close to mine I can feel his breath.

A wave of warmth washes over me and I'm captivated. Time stands still in that moment, just for us. Archie moves closer to me and kisses me softly. Our lips press together, connecting with an electric intensity that makes me weak in the knees. He parts my lips and our tongues dance sending a spark shooting through me. His hands cup my face then move to my hair. We stay there for what feels like a lifetime, moving together, lost in a kiss that changes everything.

The sound of tires coming down the gravel road startles me back to the present and I pull away from Archie. My lips still tingle from the kiss.

“I’ve been wanting to do that from the moment I found you out by the longhorns and it was so much better than I imagined.” He takes my face in his hands and plants a sweet peck on my lips.

A wave of heat washes over me. There’s no denying the fact that I’m falling in love with my boss, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to act on it. I have so much to lose, my job, my house, and all the new friends I’m making at Findlay Farms. I give him a smile, but his stare threatens to look right through me.

I avert my eyes, but when I look at the ground between us, I find the dog melted into a puddle of his own fur and jump at the chance to change the subject. “What are we going to do about this guy? He looks pretty happy to have found us.”

“Hmm, can’t say I want a dog. But I guess I’ll hang onto him until we find him a forever home. He’ll need a name, at least for the short term. I like Duke or maybe Gus. What do you think?”

I take in the size of the pup and the mane of long, curly, dark hair. “What about Hagrid?”

“What the hell is a Hagrid?” Archie turns up his nose.

“You know, from Harry Potter, the books not the movies.”

Archie lets out a laugh. “Whatever you say, Sweetheart, Hagrid it is.”

* * *

Three days pass in a blissful haze of stolen kisses and secret touches with Archie. I’m living a fantasy and I don’t want to wake up. On top of that, Archie hasn’t even attempted to re-home Hagrid. Instead, the pup has spent every waking moment by my side.

Today we’re snapping a few quick photos of the inns for promotional materials with Jameson’s wife Summer, and Hagrid is front and center looking dapper in a bowtie.

“Get my good side.” Archie tugs down the brim of his hat and calls out his requests to Summer.

But it makes me laugh because the man doesn’t have a bad side. In every frame, in every light, and from every angle Archie looks exactly like the man of my dreams.

“Ugh, I can’t watch this,” Jameson stands, grumbling from behind me. “I’ve got animals to feed and actual work to do. Babe, I’ll see you back at the house.”

Summer takes the camera away from her face. “Love you, Honey.”

Jameson waves her off, but I see a glimpse of the smile that plays on his lips as he goes. I make a mental note to get to know Summer. She must be a strong woman to have brought that man to his knees.

“Sweetheart, can you hold this?” Archie pulls his prized notebook from his pocket and hands it to me. “Don’t read it. It’s for my eyes only.” He smiles, but I know he’s serious.

At least I’m not the only one with a secret.

Summer keeps snapping away and Hagrid somehow seems to understand how important the photos are. With the grand opening party just a few days away, he and Archie ham it up for the camera. The two of them make the most adorable pair and I know without a doubt, Hagrid has found his forever home in Archie. Now I only wish I could say the same for myself.

CHAPTER4

ARCHIE

It tooka fake planning meeting to get Carly to agree to meet me at my place. But she’s here and the romantic dinner I made for two went off without a hitch.

“Cheers to you Sweetheart, I’m glad I finally got you to come all the way back here. My cottage on the backside of the property isn’t anything compared to my brother’s main house which sits front and center, but I like it that way. Jameson can be the brawn of the operation, I’ll stay back here and be the brains.”

“The brains and the pretty face.” She leans across the table and pokes a pink fingernail into the dimple in my cheek, her eyes glassy from the wine. She takes another sip from her glass.

“Of course.” I wink and let out a chuckle. But being two glasses in myself, I’m ready to tell this girl anything she wants to know and learn every single thing about her. I clear my throat. “My brother gives me a hard time about not working hard, but I went to school for this. A good, fancy school at that. It was always the plan for me to use my skills to support the family business. I might not do the manual labor, but there’s more than just this handsome face or at least there used to be.”

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