The Cowboy's Bride Bet - Holly Rayner Page 0,21
I had no idea how to work on a ranch. It felt like I was more in his way than being helpful.
Stretching out my fingers, I looked down at the blisters on my hands.
I’d like to think that someday I’ll get good enough at this job to make it worth what he’s doing for me.
But I knew better. I wasn’t going to be here long enough to get good at anything. I’d either be long gone or buried in a shallow grave somewhere within a week.
Chapter 8
Connor
It didn’t feel right, leaving her out there in that cold, spider-infested shack. But what could I do? The girl didn’t want to set foot in my house.
As I flipped the steak on my griddle, I shuddered to think of what Ashleigh must have been through. I thought back to how she reacted when Jake gave her a free beer; not only was she immediately suspicious of anyone who was nice to her, but she also had pretty low expectations as far as her standard of living was concerned.
Well, I won’t stand for that.
I grabbed some leftover baked potatoes that were still wrapped in foil and tossed them into the oven.
If she’s going to live here, that makes her my guest. And there’s no way I’m letting that poor girl go to bed hungry after working all day.
Less than an hour later, I headed back out to the guesthouse with a breakfast tray in my hands. I’d loaded it up with steak, salad, a baked potato, pork and beans, a roll, some corn on the cob, and of course, an ice-cold can of beer for good measure. I was relieved to see that her light was still on. I didn’t know if I’d have had the guts to knock and disturb her if that window had been dark.
Taking a deep breath, I balanced the tray in one arm and knocked with the other.
“It’s me,” I spoke through the door. “I know you said you weren’t hungry, but… I made too much to eat all by myself.”
When she didn’t answer, my spirit sank a little. “You don’t have to eat with me if you don’t want to. I’ll leave it out here on the table. Just make sure you bring it in, so the raccoons and possums don’t help themselves.”
I was just about to set it down when the door creaked open, and I could tell by the look on Ashleigh’s face that she was happy to see me.
“Hey, there.” I presented the tray. “I can’t have you working like a ranch hand and not feed you like one.”
That teary gloss covered her eyes again, and I panicked at the thought that she might cry, but she blinked it away.
“Is it too late to come inside to eat with you?” she asked, lip trembling even though she was smiling.
“Of course not.” I let out a relieved sigh. “I’d be grateful for the company.”
Together we walked into my house through the back door. The kitchen was a mess, and I hadn’t even bothered to dish myself up a plate yet. I’d figured I’d probably end up eating on the couch, watching TV by myself like I did every night. But as I set Ashleigh up at the dining room table, I couldn’t help but think that this was a nice change of pace.
“I love this house.” She pulled her chair up, glancing around at the exposed wooden beams in the ceiling.
Rooooowow! Elmer charged in from the living room, his saggy lips swaying like curtains as he shoved his big bulbous nose into her face.
“Elmer, no!” I clapped my hands. “You deaf old hound, what did I say?”
“He says I smell like trouble.” She scratched his jowls, talking to him like he was a newborn baby. “Yes, I’m just all kinds of trouble, huh, big guy?”
Elmer grumbled, tapping his back foot appreciatively as she scratched behind his ear.
“I hope you know you’re rewarding bad behavior right now.” I sighed, putting my hands on my hips.
“I’m sorry.” She chuckled. “I’ve probably got all kinds of interesting smells on me from being on the road. He’s just trying to do his job.”
“He hasn’t done anything but bitch and complain for the past year,” I said over my shoulder as I dished myself up a plate of food. “Nothing like having a grouchy retired old fart for a roommate.”
Elmer barked at me.
“Right back at you, old man.” I nodded toward the living room. “Why don’t you go lay down on