The Rancher's City Girl - Leslie North

1

“Joey, you know darn well that those jeans have holes the size of Colorado in the knees. Try again.”

Cade Wells stood in the hall outside his ten-year-old daughter’s bedroom, arms crossed over his chest, trying to remain as calm and placid as a pond at dawn. He’d given up on waiting for the real estate agent downstairs. If Paul came to the farmhouse early, he’d simply find the two of them up here, where Cade didn’t have to march her up a flight of stairs to get her to change. Again.

“These are the nicest jeans I have.” Joey jutted out her chin. She was trying to look hard, but the expression had the opposite effect. It sent a soft stab, like a spreading ache, through Cade’s heart. When Joey did that, she looked just like her mother. The stubborn, fiery version of her mother that Cade had known once. The version of Joey’s mother that was never, ever coming back, so long as they lived. “They’ll be fine.”

“They won’t be fine, and I bought you new jeans last week. Put ’em on. And change out of that T-shirt. It’s got a stain on the side.”

Joey made a sound that was filled with all her pent-up disgust at new clothes. “Change into what? Now you’re comin’ after me about the T-shirt, too?”

Cade took a deep breath, filling his diaphragm, just like he’d learned from a yoga instructor one time. “You know which shirt. The blue polo shirt.”

“I hate blue,” Joey said automatically.

This was a lie. Joey had always loved big, bold colors like blue and red—even went through an orange phase when she was seven. Now she was ten, and the biggest tomboy in Benton Ridge. “Hate it or not, I need you in the polo shirt and your new jeans.”

Joey screwed up her mouth and glared at him. She had Cade’s green eyes. It was like fighting with a younger version of himself. Her father’s eyes, her mother’s pout—and the full stubbornness of both of them. That was what you got, then, for becoming a parent—all the best parts of you, and the worst parts, too.

He stared right back at her. Cade could hold the line against Joey—he knew he could. It was only that he was already on edge about the real estate agent. The minutes ticked away in the back of his mind. If this kept up, he’d have to meet the agent in a defensive stance. The buyer, too, whoever that was. And that was the last thing he wanted. He couldn’t sell this ranch from a place of weakness.

“Fine,” Joey spat, and slammed the door. He could hear her throwing clothes to the floor. “I don’t want to sell the ranch,” she shouted through the closed door at him.

Cade covered his face with his hand. “There’ll be lots of things to do in the city,” he pointed out. “You could…take dance lessons, maybe.”

The door flew open to reveal Joey’s red face. “Dance lessons?” Her eyes were wide, horrified. “I don’t want to wear dresses and dance. Why would you ever sign me up for dance lessons?” She slammed the door again.

“I wouldn’t sign you up unless you wanted. I’m just saying, there are things to do in the city that we can’t do here.”

“There’s lots to do here.” Her voice was muffled. Hopefully that meant she was putting her polo shirt on. “Like ride horses and play with the goats and collect the eggs. Nobody does that in cities.” The door opened again, and there she stood, arms crossed over her chest, elbows poking out, and her hair all mussed from where she’d pulled the shirt on hard over her head.

Cade tried to smooth her hair. “Listen. Nothing’s set in stone yet, all right? We’re just having a meeting. You want to be in on that, don’t you?”

Joey’s chin quivered, but then she locked it down tight. It broke his heart all over again. “Fine,” she said, after what seemed like forever. “I’ll meet whoever it is. But I’m not going to wear a dress.”

“I don’t even think you own a dress.” Cade pulled her in for a quick hug. “Come on down. They’ll be here soon.” He chose to ignore the fact that her new jeans already had a slight rip across one kneecap. Couldn’t keep her things neat for more than a minute, his girl.

They’d no sooner stepped off the last stair that a hearty knock sounded at the door. “Cade, you home? It’s me,