Rugged Cowboy - Elana Johnson Page 0,12

the ranch often, and when they were both working and busy, it wasn’t awkward.

When she had to ask him for a favor, it was. When she had to ride with him for twenty minutes at the speed of a snail, it most definitely was awkward. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say, and Spencer certainly wasn’t helping to ease the tension in the tractor.

As he approached Sheila, he said, “You need to get a new truck,” and glanced at her.

“Yeah,” she said with a sigh. “You’re probably right.”

“My cousin has a dealership,” he said. “We could go in one night after work, get some dinner….”

Shock moved through Jess. “Oh, uh, Spence, I don’t think….”

“Yeah,” he said. “I know.” He came to a stop and looked at her fully. “I miss you.”

“No,” Jess said. “You miss having a girlfriend.”

“No, I miss talking to you like we used to,” he said. “We were friends, Jess, and now I’ve lost that.”

She studied his face. He was a handsome man, and he shouldn’t have any problem getting a date. In fact, in the past, he hadn’t. She’d known about all of them, because they had been friends. “Okay,” she said. “You’re right. We should be friends. You used to tell me all about the women you were dating.”

“Yeah,” he said. “And you’d tell me about those British mysteries you love, and how you were going to get a corgi mixed with a poodle.” He smiled at her then, and everything relaxed between them.

“I am going to get a corgidoodle,” she said, smiling. “That’s happening.”

“Oh yeah?” Spencer challenged. “When?”

Jess looked away. “I don’t know.”

“I’m sure you’ll make it happen,” he said. He opened the door and got busy hooking up the winch to the truck. Conversation filled the ride back to the ranch, and Jess talked about the wedding and a colt she saw on the livestock board earlier that week. If Spencer had a weakness, it was horses, as he loved them almost more than life itself.

“I saw that one,” Spencer said. “Too much leg.”

“They always have too much leg,” she said, teasing him. “Until they’re three years old. You told me that.”

Spencer grinned and shrugged. “Yeah, well, I just had a feeling looking at him.”

“A feeling.” Jess shook her head and said, “Take it to the big shed. Our new mechanic is going to look at it for me.”

“Heaven help that man,” Spencer said, and they laughed together. Jess was glad they’d been able to move past their awkwardness, because she had missed Spencer too. They walked back to the ranch together, and she waved to him as he continued toward the Annex.

She entered the West Wing, glad this day was done, but knowing that another one that would be just as busy and just as hot was coming tomorrow. A sigh filled her body as she went inside and found Hannah and Jill sitting at the counter, bowls of ice cream in front of them.

“Peanut butter cone crunch,” Hannah said. “The Swann’s guy came.”

Jess wasted no time getting out a bowl and a spoon for herself. “I bet he did.”

“What does that mean?” Hannah asked.

Jess looked at Jill, the two of them exchanging a look that said a lot. “It means you love Steve the Swann’s man, and you order from him just to see him.”

A scoff came out of Hannah’s mouth. “I do not.”

“And he won’t ask you out, so you just keep ordering ice cream.”

“It’s good ice cream,” Hannah argued.

“You’ve got to be more obvious about what you want,” Jill said, joining the conversation. “Like, he obviously has your number. Maybe next time he comes, you can say something like, Would you like to use that number to take me to dinner?”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Hannah said, gaping at Jill. “How would a phone number take me to dinner?”

Jess started to giggle, and so did the other two women. Before long, they were all laughing. Jess didn’t honestly care if Hannah liked Steve and that was why she ordered super expensive ice cream from his truck. It was delicious ice cream, and it helped soothe Jess after a long day.

Her phone buzzed, and she flipped it over to catch Dallas’s name at the top. She swiped and read the full message.

Thanks for the job.

A glow filled her, and she wasn’t paying attention to Hannah or Jill as she quickly sent back, Glad to have you. Can’t wait for you to get started.

She’d taken him out to the