Rugged Cowboy - Elana Johnson Page 0,20
he held in his hand. “Why is none of this on a computer?”
“I have no idea,” Jess said. “I’m not over mechanical or equipment.”
“Who is?”
“Ginger.”
“And she’s not here,” Dallas muttered, frowning at the file folder in his hand. He exhaled heavily as he set it on the desk. “Okay, so this is a huge mess. My guess is she hasn’t had anyone over mechanical or equipment in a long time.” He raised his chin. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
Jess couldn’t tell him that, so she lifted her own chin, her defenses kicking into gear. Ginger wasn’t perfect, but she ran a good ranch the best she could. “You’re not wrong.”
He nodded and folded his arms, and wow, Jess could appreciate muscles like that. At the same time, his good looks and tall, muscular body was a huge distraction. She barely heard him as he said, “I’m going to need a computer. And all the manuals for every vehicle and machine on this ranch. Anything you’ve got.” He indicated the filing cabinet behind him. “That’s full of useless files we don’t even need anymore. I need an inventory of parts, and contacts for ranch supply stores.”
The list went on and on, and Jess finally started typing notes into her phone. She hadn’t shown up with a notebook or anything, because Dallas hadn’t given her any idea what to expect from this evening meeting.
Twenty minutes later, she had a comprehensive list of the things he needed, and she had no idea how to get him any of them. “Hannah’s over the accounting,” she said. “She might know some of this, because she’ll have to have paid for the parts.”
“Great,” Dallas said. “I can talk to her tomorrow.”
“She works with the calves in the mornings,” Jess said. “Then out of an office in the barn in the afternoons. Emma runs all the operations on the ranch. Hiring, which is why she has your paperwork. She oversees the overall budget on the ranch, and big-ticket items have to go through her. She might have records on the ATVs, tractors, trucks, and all the other vehicles we have here.”
“Perfect.” He had a notebook and scrawled something on it. When he looked up again, Jess forgot what they’d been talking about.
“Where are you from?” she asked.
Dallas blinked, his surprise evident on his face. Foolishness raced through Jess, but the words had been spoken.
“The Houston area,” he said, his voice somewhat strained. “That’s what I need to do in the morning. Call my realtor and put my house up for sale.”
“Oh.” Surprise wound through Jess now.
“Do I have to live on the ranch?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
He nodded and made another note. “Once I sell my house, I’ll probably find something better for me and the kids.”
“Where’s your wife?” she asked.
Dallas flinched, his eyes shooting back to hers again. “You ask blunt questions, don’t you?”
“I mean, I’m assuming you have a wife,” Jess said. “Or had one.” She shrugged though she wanted to tape her mouth shut. She did have a bit of a blunt streak, and she obviously needed help with censoring the things that came out of her mouth.
“I did.” He cleared his throat. “I’m assuming you’re going to have to clear all of the things I asked for with Ginger?”
“Yes,” Jess said. “And Emma and Hannah. Computers aren’t free, you know.”
“Yeah, well, writing down the minimal maintenance you’ve done on three hundred thousand dollar vehicles—in handwriting no one can read—is ridiculous.” His eyes flashed with something fiery, and wow, Jess wanted to get burned by it.
“If you want me to do this job,” he said. “I need a computer. It’s non-negotiable.”
“I’ll get it for you,” Jess said. She leaned forward as he nodded and went back to his notebook, where he’d clearly put a list of questions.
“Okay—”
“Dallas?” she asked, interrupting him.
He lifted his eyes back to hers, and she sure did like the light gray depths of his. “Yeah?”
“Sorry,” she said, her pulse hammering into her ribs, her throat, and her back. “One more question: Would you take me to dinner one night?”
Chapter Seven
“Dinner?” came out of Dallas’s mouth before he could even think.
“Yeah.” Jess looked at him with those big, brown eyes, and he couldn’t see straight. His thoughts jumbled, and he had no idea what was happening.
Several seconds passed, and finally, he seized onto something he hoped would get him out of this situation. “I have Thomas and Remmy,” he said.
Jess nodded, ducked her head, and said, “Okay.”
Instantly, Dallas wanted to explain everything