Page 61 of On His Ranch

“Care to share?” she quipped, using his own words against him.

“Hmm, I tell you what, how ‘bout you go first?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but right at that moment, her stomach rumbled loudly enough to interrupt any conversation.

Chase chuckled. “I guess it’s right about lunchtime. C’mon.” He stood up, dusted his jeans off, and offered her a hand. “We’ll talk on the way back.”

Chapter 13

“So… a stuffed animal business.”

“Well, it sounds stupid when you say it like that,” she protested.

Chase glanced at her, then turned his attention back to directing his horse. “Don’t take it that way, I wasn’t tryin’ to say that. Tell me more,” he prompted.

“I just have this dream. And in it, everyone can be who they really are.”

He tried to piece that together with the business she had mentioned. “Who they really are?”

“You know.” A ghost of a smile flickered over her lips. “Who they really are inside. Like, a woman who wants to play dress-up even though she’s eighty. Or someone who has to be dressed business professional all week and wants to put their hair in pigtails and sit in front of the TV with their stuffies.”

There was no denying that Piper was passionate about her dream. It was all over her face. “I can tell it means a lot to you.”

“It does.”

“Well, then for your sake, I hope you get it.”

“Thanks.”

“‘Course.” Then they were back at the house and he lifted her down from the horse and they rubbed the animals down in peaceful silence.

“So, what’s next?” Piper asked after they’d returned the mares to the pen.

“Look at you, all eager,” he teased. “Well, the cows need milkin’—”

“Of course.”

“And then I promised we’d pick the apples Ma needs for a coupla pies.”

The thought of a homemade apple pie brightened Piper’s face with a smile. “Sounds fun.”

“No funny business,” he warned, wagging his finger at her. “Those poor cows should get milked in peace and quiet today.”

“No promises,” she quipped, batting her eyelashes.

Before he could think better of it, his hand smacked her bottom. He regretted it immediately, because her eyes brightened and the hope in her expression was unmistakable.

So much for business as usual. He inwardly cursed his itchy palm. They’d been having a good time, things were almost normal, and he had to go and ruin it. He knew what Piper was thinking—her face might as well have been a mirror right to her emotions. And damn it all, he didn’t want to let her down.

But is it really what’s best for her? Best for both of us? Maybe I don’t have any right playin’ Daddy to anyone…

“Um, Chase…”

“What?” he snapped.

She flinched, and part of him wanted to reach out and comfort her, but that would only make matters worse. “I was just, ah, wondering… did you want to go the barn now?”

He could feel some of the tension he’d been holding in leave his body. He knew it wasn’t what she’d wanted to say, but inwardly he thanked her for doing it anyway. “Yeah, let’s go.”

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