a balled up fist.
Seth watched Tanner’s receding figure turn to shadow, then eventually get swallowed up in the darkening night the further away he got. He could hear Tanner join in his sons’ wrestling match, the grunts and hoots and hollers carrying on the autumn wind like a bird flitting dizzily through the sky. For several moments, Seth trained his eyes back onto the fire, letting the wild flames mesmerize him in a trance that required little focus, which was good because he couldn’t focus right now if his life depended on it.
Tanner was right. Seth had no real claim on this land or this business. He honestly hadn’t ever wanted it. He liked ranching, but it wasn’t in his blood the way it was in his dad’s or his brother’s. For Seth, it had always been a way to prove himself. Even just this last week when the rest were up in Oregon, Seth took care of things. There was an inherent pride in working hard and working well. Getting the job done. But there were other means of achieving that same goal. Maybe his cattle ranching legacy would end with him. Maybe that was okay.
He had some thinking to do, no question about it.
He was mid-thought, in fact, when he was smacked completely out of his introspection by the cookie that ricocheted off of his chest, landing in a crumbly pile in his lap.
“Well, no one could accuse you of having cat-like reflexes.” Josie thunked down into the deck chair next to Seth. She tore a large bite out of a gingersnap and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then leveled him with a concerned look. “You okay?”
“Hanging in there.” Seth shook the crumbs he’d gathered in his palm before tossing them into the fire. Only half of the cookie was salvageable but he’d eaten about a cup of the batter that afternoon and wasn’t really in the mood for more sweets. “How about you? My family totally scare you away yet?”
“Nah. They’re not scary. But your mom does know how to interrogate. She ever have ambitions of becoming a lawyer?”
“You mean like her son?” Seth chuckled.
“Hey, if anyone I know ever needs a fake lawyer, I’m passing along your info. You’re unequivocally the best.” Josie brushed her palm on the thighs of her jeans and then grabbed onto Seth’s hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I finally pulled away from your parents because I thought I should fill you in before they got to you first. Here’s the story: we’ve been dating for three years. Met at that country line dancing bar, The Rusty Spur. The one on County Road 44 next to the feed store with that big plastic cow out front. I asked you to dance first. You spilled your beer on my jean jacket. Offered to have it dry cleaned. I said it wasn’t necessary, that I’d just borrow yours. You told me to keep it and the rest is history.”
“You know, that actually sounds believable enough.”
“I thought so. Tried to keep things vague, but realistic. Your mom’s relentless, though. She wants all the details.”
“I suppose we should come up with some, then. Just to keep our stories straight.” Mindlessly, Seth’s thumb began to trace the back of Josie’s hand. For a minute, he caught himself, but when their eyes met and he read the quiet approval in hers, he continued, hoping it was okay. Her hands weren’t soft and smooth like most women’s. There was nothing masculine about them, but there was a slight roughness that hinted at honest, hard work. Josie was a capable woman. Capable of taking care of herself. Capable of providing for herself. And capable of confusing Seth’s heart on levels he hadn’t experienced in a long, long while.
“It wasn’t so much that she wanted to know details about our past. More like she wanted to know the plans for our future.”
Josie’s amber eyes glimmered the same intense hue as the fire that flickered just feet away and they mesmerized Seth in a similar, intoxicating manner. He shook his head to train his thoughts back onto their conversation. “Right. Plans.”
“I’m not sure how serious you want this to be. I’m up for whatever, but I need some direction.”
Seth wasn’t sure, either. Playing pretend had sounded like a reasonable, if not fun, thing to do. And there was no denying the tangible shift in his father’s demeanor tonight. When Seth had arrived