Page 31 of Loved By Tandy

He furrows his brow. “What happened to you?”

“I took a spill this morning. But I’ll be fine.” I reach down and pet Colt’s new friend. “Have you given him a name?”

“Bandit. Earlier, I was snacking on beef jerky. And I set the bag up high, out of his reach when the work crew pulled up. But the sneak shoved an empty crate closer and climbed up. Every last bit was gone when I got back.”

Bandit wags his tail, proud of his problem-solving skills.

“Smart dog.” I pat Bandit again. “Let’s go over and see the progress. They started bright and early.”

“Yeah.” Colt glances at my truck. “I kinda thought Miss Tandy would be with you. It seems like y’all are spending lots of time together, and if you need me to find another place to stay, that’s not a problem.”

“She’s on her way. Tandy and I are friends. And you don’t need to move out of her place. She likes having you there. And I meant what I said about being glad you were there to look out for her.”

“Good. Okay. You tell me if that changes.”

We walk over to the site where Colt’s house will be.

The foundation is framed, and the concrete truck has the vat spinning. The men are hovering near the end of the chute as gray sludge slides down.

This is only the first building of many, but it feels like progress. We’ve started construction.

An engine rumbles, and Colt laughs. “With that new truck, I can hear Tandy coming from a half mile away.”

Her smile is wide as she slides out of the truck. “It’s finally happening.” She reaches into the truck. “To celebrate, I brought breakfast tacos. Plenty for everyone.”

Colt and I grab some, and I let the crew know that tacos are waiting.

Tandy eases up beside me and rubs my arm. “You okay?”

“I’m good. And thanks for the tacos.”

She leans into me. “These guys are going to be laying down a lot of concrete out here, and I want them to like me.”

“Good plan.” I rub her back and let my hand rest there.

She doesn’t pull away, and I smile.

My honesty was impulsive, and my fall was completely unintentional. I’m not sure which of them is responsible for this shift, but I’m thankful.

CHAPTER 13

TANDY

When I made plans for the girls’ night, Matthew and I were only friends. There was no question and no gray area. But twenty-four hours have elapsed, and I can’t truthfully say we are just friends.

When I watched him toppling toward the sidewalk, my insides twisted. This companionship we’ve been sharing fills not just the quiet hours when I’m usually alone but it’s filling my heart. And I’m trying not to panic about that.

But I like it too much to run, and since I’m focused on creating the ranch and he’s a big part of it, I can’t get away from him. And I don’t want to.

What in the world am I going to say to the ladies?

I knock on Mindy’s kitchen door. She has a perfectly functional front door, but we typically enter through the kitchen because it’s closer to the driveway and more convenient. “Hello!”

Lilith dances her eyebrows. “We’re all waiting to hear updates.”

“Let’s see. You know that I’m no longer ignoring Matthew. He’s coordinating all the building on Matchmaker Ranch. And because we’re working together, we’ve spent a lot of time together. Usually talking about business.” That’s not completelytrue, but we do talk about the ranch a whole lot. “Does that answer all the questions?”

Joji shakes her head. “Not even close. What did he do to convince you to talk to him? You never even told us that.”

---