met the right guy.” She gave him a speculative glance. “Interested in picking up where you left off?”
“After ten years? No. I’m a different person, and I imagine she is, too.” He paused. “You don’t seem to have changed all that much.”
She stiffened, not sure if she should take offense. “I grew up knowing I’d be a rancher like my dad. And that’s what I’m doing. I always knew what I wanted.” But did she? a little voice inside her whispered. It was startling, even frightening, and she wondered where that voice was coming from. “I’m not sure it’s flattering to be told I haven’t changed.”
“On the outside you’ve changed, maybe even in other ways I can’t see.”
Surprised, she looked at him again, and their gazes met and held for a long moment. Something hidden seemed to uncurl inside her, a sudden rising of desire that took her by surprise. He held himself so still, but it made her think of what strength he kept hidden, what emotions he restrained.
She glanced away. “Naw, I’m just me, Brooke the cowgirl. So did you quit your job to come here, or are you on vacation?”
“I quit. They’ll take me back when I’m done here.”
“Lucky you.”
They rode the last ten minutes in silence, and Brooke told herself she was relieved. The wind had kicked up worse, and she was glad to be taking a break for lunch. When they parked the retriever, she wordlessly gestured with her head for Adam to follow her. They stopped in the barn because the dogs had gathered to greet her, and it was too cold to linger outside. They had three cow dogs besides Scout, who was usually with Nate. All three dogs greeted Adam with friendly reserve, and after a couple sniffs, with open enthusiasm, which he accepted affably.
“Let’s get lunch,” she said, not looking to see if he followed her. “My mom might have rung the bell while we were gone, but she also texted me.”
“Modern ranch life,” Adam said. “You don’t have to feed me.”
She glanced over her shoulder as she crossed the now-uneven, frozen yard, squinting against the wind. “It’s part of the job, so be quiet and eat.”
In the mudroom off the kitchen, they peeled their winter garments off in wet, dirty layers and walked in stocking feet into the kitchen. Her mom’s wheelchair was pushed to the table, which spanned the many windows along one wall. Josh and Nate were already seated opposite each other, heads bent over their plates, although they did give twin waves while holding their hamburgers aloft. The ranch’s part-timer, Lou Webster, seated across the table beside Nate, gave Adam an openly curious look. Lou had to be in his seventies, with bright blue eyes that peered out of wrinkly, leather skin, bald on top with a scraggle of white hair outlining the shining dome.
Sandy smiled. “Glad you two could join us. Not sure how everything tastes. Your dad insisted on cooking.”
Brooke put a hand to her heart and pretended to reel. “I remember the last time . . .”
“Hey!” Doug called from behind the stove. “The recipe was wrong. In any case, it’s hard to ruin hamburgers.”
“I haven’t tried the coleslaw yet,” her mother said in a stage whisper. “But at least we have Grandma’s leftover cake.”
Brooke introduced Adam to Lou, who stood up and grinned as he looked Adam up and down.
“I was in Korea. Nice to meet a fellow vet.”
Once again, no military talk for Adam, who simply shook Lou’s hand, then sat down opposite him next to Josh. Brooke felt like scurrying all the way around the table instead of sitting next to Adam. She knew it would look stupid—it was stupid—so she sat next to Adam and helped herself to one of the burgers piled on a platter at the center of the table.
For a while, talk was concentrated on the ranch, from estimating how many of the cows were pregnant to which fence had to be repaired to Adam’s first eventful day. Adam said little, eating as if he hadn’t eaten in a long time, which amused Brooke. He’d done his best to act like feeding cattle was easy to learn, but she could tell by his appetite that he’d worked hard. He hadn’t questioned her, hadn’t tried to suggest doing something a different way, as some men might—hell, like he used to. Now he just listened to her instructions and followed her lead. He’d made mistakes—and his sore body would