“Why don’t you take me to Twin Oaks? I don’t want to put you out after the day we’ve had so far.”
He glanced over with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Are you trying to take away my reward?”
“More work isn’t much of a reward.” She didn’t want him to feel obligated to show her around the ranch and cook dinner after fighting a fire. If she were in his boots, she’d just want to clean up and relax.
He reached over and tweaked the tip of her nose. “Don’t you get it? You’re my reward.”
She just rolled her eyes at him. He knew exactly how to get under her skin and get what he wanted from her.
“That is—unless you’re too tired or something to go.” He sounded concerned as he flicked his gaze from the road toward her.
“I’m good to go just so long as you don’t have me riding horses or walking miles across pasture.”
He chuckled. “How about we take it easy? You can take a gander out your window as we drive up to the old home place.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She gestured toward the pasture behind the barbwire fence that enclosed his ranch land across from the tree farm. “Anyway, I’ve already seen some of it. Nice looking black cattle.”
“Thanks.”
“If you don’t mind, I need to make a couple of texts.”
“Texas Timber?”
“Yes.” She didn’t want to get into a deep discussion about her job or how it affected them right now. She just wanted a little time between worlds to catch her breath.
“Go ahead. There’s time to talk later.”
She felt as if he’d read her mind, but maybe he wasn’t any more anxious than she was to get immediately back into their major problem. They’d won against fire again. Now was the time to take a few moments to enjoy their win.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket. She didn’t need to say much. She just needed to reassure Audrey and Cindi Lou until she had time for a conversation. She sent both of them the same text, short and sweet. “Fire out. All well. Talk later.”
Now she could really relax. She put her cell back in her pocket and looked out the window.
“Wildcat Ranch.” She read aloud from a black wrought-iron sign that arched high over a cattle-guard in a stretch of barbwire fence.
“Home sweet home.” Trey turned off Wildcat Road, drove under the sign, and headed up the gravel road.
“Beautiful.” Now that she was on Trey’s home turf, she wanted more than ever to learn about him. At first, she’d wanted to know for professional reasons, but that desire was now personal. After all they’d been through together, she felt she could ask and her questions wouldn’t be rejected outright as coming from a Nosy Nellie.
“We like it here.”
“We?”
“My family.”
“Do you have brothers or sisters?” He’d never mentioned them, but maybe they lived in Dallas or somewhere else.
“I’m the only chick.”
“Me too.” She liked the fact they had that in common.
“If you’re wondering, my parents aren’t here.” He glanced at her. “I think I mentioned I live in their guesthouse.”
She nodded, feeling pleased that he was opening up to her. “Do y’all run the ranch together?”
“Yep.” He hesitated, as if contemplating, before he continued. “I think that’s part of why they’re on a cruise right now.”
“Isn’t Christmas really important to everyone around here?”
“It is.” He ran a hand through his thick hair. “They’re making a point. They’ve always wanted to travel more and they deserve this vacation, but it’s the timing.”
“I’m lost.” She turned from looking at the ranch to looking at him.
“It’s kinda embarrassing.”
“That’s okay. You don’t need to explain if you don’t want to.”
He slowed the pickup to a crawl. “Mom and Dad picked out a hill with a view of the Red River. I’m supposed to build my house there.”
“You don’t like the location?”
“I like it fine. But what would I do knocking around in a big, empty home?” He stopped and motioned at the land around him. “I’m taking on more of the job all the time. Soon it’ll be mine.”
“And that’s bad?”
“No, that’s good, too.”
“I don’t understand the problem.”
“There’s no way around it. They want me to see how it feels to be alone on the ranch at Christmas.” He glanced at her and shook his head. “That’s the only reason it makes sense for them to take off during the holidays.”
“They want you to be lonely?”
“That’s just it. They ought to know better. I’ve got all kinds of kin and friends around here.”
“I still don’t get it.”
“Can you imagine being treated like a kid by your parents when you’re a grown man?”
“I don’t know.” She just couldn’t agree with him on this point. “I think it’s kind of sweet. They’re thinking about you being alone when they’re gone.”
“They’ve been saying things like that.” He looked into the distance as if seeing something that wasn’t there. “But they’re a matched pair. You know, that’s not so easy to find.”