Page 61 of Christmas at the Ranch
“Hey,” he says, fidgeting with the leg wraps he’s holding. “Didn’t expect to see you.”
My heart swoops downward. “Why not?” I ask him.
“Your mom being here and all…I just figured you wouldn’t be able to get away.”
“Yeah, well, she mentioned seeing you jump out the window and suggested we might have some unfinished business to attend to.” I raise an eyebrow as he grimaces.
“She saw that, did she? I was hoping I could escape unnoticed.”
“And why did you feel the need to escape?”
He puts the bandages down and walks toward me, but I try to steel myself against him. I need to know where we stand.
“Jax banged his leg on a fence post out in the paddock yesterday and the vet was coming to take a look at him this afternoon. I knew I had to be here. And I didn’t really think it would be the best idea to sauntercasually by your mother and out the door, doing up my pants with no explanation.”
I can’t help but laugh. “You know, you could have done up your pants before you came down the stairs. And besides, I don’t think we’d gotten that far. I hadn’t undone your pants.”
Now my cheeks are feeling hot—and if I’m being honest, so am I. I can barely understand what I’m saying. I can’t look at him, so I look into Jax’s stall instead.
“He’s okay?” I ask.
“Vet gave him the all clear but he’ll wear protective bandages when he’s turned out for a while just to be on the safe side.”
Tate steps closer. Woodsmoke, pine needles, leather, saddle soap,Tate.
I’m a goner.
“Emory?” he says. “Areyouokay?”
I force myself to look at him.
“I don’t know,” I admit.
“What did your mom want? Actually, hang on.” He puts the bandages down and locks Jax’s stall. “Coffee and a chat at my place?”
He makes it sound so casual. As if we could ever have a coffee and a chat, as if it could be that simple between us. But I say yes and follow him out of the barn into the afternoon. It has started to snow again, thick white flakes that I can feel landing in my hair like confetti.
He turns back toward me. “I have something I want to show you, anyway,” he says. “So it’s good you came by.”
He sounds soeasyabout everything—and meanwhile, I’m a simmering mess inside. Do I have no effect on him? I know it wasn’t all one-sided earlier, it couldn’t have been. But maybe I’m wrong. I walk along beside him until we get to his place, my thoughts spinning.
He opens the door to his cabin and we walk inside. It smells so good, it’s almost overwhelming.
We have memories in here now, just like everywhere.
“Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”
I sit down on one of the stools at his pale granite breakfast bar. I try not to think about myself standing in the middle of this kitchen half naked, just days before, in a Fit-mas Tree T-shirt. I feel so nervous, it’s like I’m waiting for a job interview. And when he comes out of his room holding a folder, it feels even more like an interview.
He puts it down on the breakfast bar between us, and now he seems nervous, too. But he doesn’t address the folder.
“So, your mom? Tell me what happened.”
I start to explain, as much as I can. “I do think she feels terrible and maybe my dad does, too.” Then I tell him about the check, and our visit to Gill’s. “But he wouldn’t take it. He was just…so noble about it.”
Tate smiles, a little sadly. “That’s Gill for you, proud and noble to a fault. Maybe a little stubborn, too. He’s been so helpful to us, as you know. He’s such a great guy.”
“He is,” I say, thinking about how he offered my mom lunch after what my parents had done.
