Good Enough (Meet Me in Montana #3) - Kelly Elliott Page 0,32

blue only moments ago. The man currently standing next to me had eyes the color of the Montana sky.

“It’s…the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I whispered softly.

“I think this is one of my favorite places on the ranch. There are higher spots, places that are probably more beautiful, but there’s something about this one. That’s Crystal Lake tucked in between the earth and the mountains, like she’s the bridge that links the two together. The reason this place thrives like it does.” He laughed slightly. “Stupid sounding, I guess.”

“No, not at all,” I replied, my eyes locked on the distant lake before I turned and looked at him. He was staring out over the land, a smile on his face that made me smile too. “It’s stunning.”

“It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, this is my favorite spot, hands down. No matter what season it is, the view is beautiful and so different from winter to summer and fall and spring.”

I swallowed hard. No man had ever spoken like that around me, and it filled my chilled body with warmth. If I let my guard down, I was positive this man would sneak in and climb over all the walls I had in place. Walls that protected me from ever being hurt or used again.

Turning away from him, I focused on the lake in the distance. My heart raced in my chest as I realized I wanted to let Tanner in. And that scared me. “The lake looks beautiful.”

“Yeah, next to where we’re standing, the lake is actually my favorite spot on the ranch. There’s a log cabin there that I like to spend time at. It’s a great fishing spot.”

I smiled. “I bet it is. And I bet it’s cold.”

He laughed. “Most of the year it’s pretty cold, yes.”

“Thank you for showing me this,” I said, turning to face him once more. He was still looking out over the ranch with an expression of utter peace on his face. What must it feel like to have that sort of contentment? I had grown up in a beautiful home, had the best of everything money could buy, yet I doubt I ever had that expression that Tanner wore on his face right then. The happiness he felt from looking at this ranch was so evident. I could practically feel the love for this place ebbing off of him. I suddenly had the urge to know more about Tanner Shaw.

“Do you miss it when you’re gone?”

He didn’t look at me as he answered. “Yes, but I was happy doing what I did. Not until recently did I realize how much this place means to me. I loved being on the road, roping, winning money.” He glanced down at me and gave me a sexy smirk.

I rolled my eyes but laughed. “Why are you talking in the past tense? Are you giving it up?”

He looked away, but before he did, I saw the conflict in his eyes. “The last few months I’ve been missing this place so much. I feel an emptiness inside of me, and I don’t know what it is.”

I knew that feeling.

“Do you think it’s because your brothers are both working the ranch with your daddy? That you maybe feel like you’re missing out?”

He lifted a brow. “Are you trying to crawl into my head and figure shit out?”

I lifted my shoulder in a half shrug. “Maybe. You’re a mystery to me, Tanner Shaw. The things I heard about you aren’t making much sense now.”

Both brows rose in a questioning look. “Tell me what you heard.”

I looked up, pretending to be in deep thought. “Let’s see. You love being on the rodeo circuit and have no desire to settle down. You love women even more, and you’ve never had a serious girlfriend and most likely never will. And you like to sleep around. A lot.”

His head jerked back slightly. “Wow. It appears you had some rather spotty intelligence. Who was it, Nelly at the local five and dime?”

With a grin, I answered him. “No, I believe her name was Lindsey.”

Tanner’s smile dropped instantly. “You talked to Lindsey about me? When?”

The coldness in his voice wasn’t hard to miss. “Um, it was the day after the wedding. I was at a little coffee shop on Main Street, and she approached Kaylee to offer her congratulations. When Kaylee introduced me, she seemed very keen on joining us.”

Something that looked like anger moved across his face, but he quickly