Page 60 of On His Ranch

“Teasing again.”

“See?” He winked. “You’re gettin’ it.”

Piper laughed and leaned back, amazed that the tree was wide enough for both of them to sit comfortably against the trunk. “Do you like?” she found herself asking. “Ranching, I mean?”

“You know, only my mom has ever asked me that, and it seems like forever ago now,” he mused.

“Well? Do you?”

“It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

“That doesn’t feel like an answer.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she expected a reprimand about obedience, but much to her surprise, he seemed to actually be considering her remark.

“My dad died when I was young.”

Piper’s gasp escaped before she could swallow it. “I… I’m so sorry.”

He gave her a faint smile. “It’s okay. I mean, I was a child. I barely even remember him.”

“That’s… hard.”

Chase shrugged. “Maybe if I’d been older it woulda been. But you know, Senior and this ranch is all I really remember. It gave me a way pretty early on to have a purpose, somethin’ to belong to. Do you know what that’s like?”

“No,” she answered honestly.

He patted her leg. “Well, then I can’t rightly explain. Without this place, I woulda had a different life, woulda been a different person. But for better or worse, this is me. I am the ranch—you know?”

“I… I think so.” She was so unaccustomed to him opening up, she wanted to keep him talking. “Do you remember that day you went through my bag?”

Chase chuckled. “Sure do.”

“Well… do you remember that paper you found?”

“You mean the one you practically ripped outta my hands?”

“I did not!”

“No, but you wanted to.”

She couldn’t deny that part, but still, she frowned at the teasing smile curving his sexy lips. “I have dreams, too.”

“Yeah? And what are your dreams, little Piper? Care to share?”

Heat bloomed so suddenly and strongly she would have swooned from the shock if she’d been standing.

“Why do you do that?” he asked, sounding concerned and darn near tender. “Am I dead wrong when it comes to you?”

How could he even think that? Heck, I practically begged him to be my daddy!“No, it’s just… other people… you know… haven’t always been so… understanding.”

“Who cares what other people think?”

She barked a humorless laugh. “Easy for you to say, Cowboy, when you don’t care what anybody thinks.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I care plenty.”

She looked up and they locked eyes. His gaze was so penetrating, so intense, she nearly looked away. “I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, well, there’s plenty you don’t know about me, Piper.”

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