Page 124 of Knot Her Cowboys
“You guys really want me to work?”
“I mean, only if you want to,” said Cash. “You’re certainly not obligated to if you don’t enjoy it, but that’s not really the vibe you’ve been giving.”
“But it would be mine? Menu? Branding?”
“Who else’s would it be?” Cooper asked with a laugh.
I could see the gears turning. A smile broke over her face and she tossed herself at Cooper, rolling to wedge herself between him and Cash.
“You think I could do it?”
“I think you could do anything you put your mind to,” said Cooper.
“We have the resources and the community to do it,” I pointed out. “My dads and brothers have their own construction company. They could build a new space for it.”
“And people out here are always hungry for work,” said Levi. “Not everyone is suited for a ranch, but it could be tempting for people who want to work in the kitchen. We might have to hire a couple of workers who could double up as servers. Can’t imagine people would want to move all the way out here for that particular job, but maybe for a sous chef or a pastry chef.”
“What kind of food would you like to make?” I asked, turning on my side so I could properly appreciate how fucking cute she was, tucked between Cash and Cooper.
“Obviously seasonal would be a big thing. Can’t have a Montana restaurant without having steak on the menu, but I think having some fusion items on offer would be a good segue for a lot of locals to try something new, and a lot of tourists to get familiar flavors while still enjoying what we’re famous for. How hard would it be to put in an orchard?”
“It would take a few years before it’s going to produce much,” said Cash, “but not hard to put in. We have a bit of a garden, mostly perennial so we don’t have to babysit it much, but we could always add in a greenhouse and more beds.”
“Honestly, that sounds like heaven. I never got to grow anything at Darlene’s. No land to do it on, and I feel like she would’ve fucked it up out of spite even if it had been an option. I’d kill to have my own garden, grow whatever I want, eat stuff right off the plant.”
“We can get construction going,” I assured her. “Too late in the season to start growing anything, but we could get raised beds built, fences put in. If we can get all the framing done for the restaurant, then work on the interior can be done through the colder weather.”
My family did a lot of renovation and contract work when they weren’t doing construction from scratch. I wasn’t sure what their schedule was like, but once we got back to phone service, I would give them a call and see if the time could be spared.
Riley being willing to plan for the future with us was a good sign. Even with the damage her mother had done, and likely would try to do in the future, Riley felt secure enough in the foundation she had with our pack to not only talk about what she wanted, but to get excited about it.
When she’d first arrived, I wouldn’t have thought that was possible. Now that she was outside of the influence of her previous alphas, she could allow herself to blossom. Her bond with Cash steadied her, and her healing relationship withCooper revitalized her roots. I wanted those things with her. I loved that she had those connections, but I wasn’t certain what I could personally offer to improve her situation.
“What’s your face doing?” Riley asked.
“Hmm?”
“Why are you frowning?” She wriggled over Cooper to wedge herself between him and me. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” I promised.
She narrowed her eyes, looking at me shrewdly. “Bullshit.”
“I—” I hesitated. “I suppose I was just wondering how I fit into everything.”
“What do you mean, how you fit into everything?”
“What she said,” added Cooper. “What context are we talking about here?”
I sighed, rolling onto my back so I could stare at the sky instead of looking at either of them.
“I’d like to know that too,” said Levi softly.
“Me too.” Cash agreed. “Is this general pack stuff or Riley-specific stuff?”
“Mostly Riley stuff,” I replied slowly.
Her eyes were misty when I snuck a glance at her. “What did I do?”
