Dillon grinned. “I think she’s right.”
“Whatever.” Colton shot a glance up the staircase. “Ariana’s not who I pictured you with.”
His back stiffening, Dillon turned to his brother. “What do you mean?”
“She’s short,” Colton said.
“Petite,” Dillon corrected. “And I like that.”
“You’ve never dated a petite woman,” Brand said.
“That’s right,” Ace said. “Most of your women are a lot taller.”
“They’re not my women. And size doesn’t matter.”
“And you say she’s never been fishing?” Colton asked. “Or horseback riding?”
“Neither.”
Brand shook his head. “How’s she gonna fit in on a ranch?”
“Who said she needed to fit in? It’s not like I’m going to spend a lifetime with her. She’s here for the day. That’s all.”
“Uh huh,” Ace said. “She might not even make it that long. Ranch life isn’t for everybody.”
“She’ll do fine.” Dillon had had some of the same doubts, but he wouldn’t let his brothers know of them.
“Need me to show her how to cast a line?” Ace waggled his eyebrows.
“Hell, no,” Dillon said.
“I haven’t been fishing in a while,” Brand said. “Might just have to go dip my line.”
“Me, too,” Colton said. “I’ll go get my rod.” He turned toward the back door.
“Stop.” Dillon clenched his fist. “No one else needs to get their rod or dip their line. I’m taking Ariana fishing. Just the two of us.”
“Are you really going fishing?” Colton turned back, his eyebrow cocked. “Or do you need to be alone for an entirely different reason?”
Dillon closed his eyes and clamped his lips tightly together. “Why do I bother arguing with you?”
“Because you know you’ll never win, but you’re an optimist who believes someday you will,” Ace said with a grin. “They’re just yanking your chain. Aren’t you?” He stared hard at Brand and Colton.
“Yeah,” Brand said. “Yanking.”
“If one of you shows up, I’ll kick your ass from here to tomorrow,” Dillon warned. “I should have known better than to bring Ariana here.”
“Lighten up,” Ace said. “Your woman is ready to go fishing.” He gripped Dillon’s shoulders and turned him toward the staircase.
Ariana stood at the top, dressed in a pair of denim overalls, gum boots and one of Emma’s old T-shirts. She’d braided her hair into two long plaits hanging down behind her ears. On her head, she wore a wide-brimmed straw hat.
“Hello, Orphan Annie,” Colton said.
“Howdy Doody,” Brand corrected. “She looks like those old film clips of Howdy Doody.”
Ariana spun back toward Emma’s bedroom.
Emma caught her shoulders. “Don’t let them make you self-conscious. You’re going fishing, not to a fashion show.”
“I know. I know,” Ariana grumbled and turned toward the stairs. “Fishing.”
“You look great,” Dillon said. “These yahoos are just being jerks.”
Ariana descended the staircase, holding onto the railing. “The boots are a little big, but Emma gave me three pairs of socks to fill the gap.” As she neared the bottom, her toe caught on a step, and she pitched forward.
Dillon rushed forward, catching her in his arms.
“And it’s Dillon for the save!” Colton cried out.
Ace, Colton and Brand all clapped.
Muttering beneath his breath, Dillon set Ariana upright. “Those boots are huge on you.”
“I should have stopped at my house for shoes,” she said, her gaze falling away. “It was nice of Emma to loan me these.”
“It was all I had that she could get wet,” Emma said as she came down the stairs. “She has really tiny feet.”
“They’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Once we get out there, it won’t matter.” He slipped a protective arm around Ariana’s waist and led her to the door, calling out over his shoulder. “The two of us are going fishing. Emphasis on two.”
“Gotcha,” Ace said. “I’ll make sure Brand and Colton have stalls to clean.”
Dillon wouldn’t hold his breath. His brothers loved playing jokes on each other. He usually got in the thick of them. Just not this time.
He didn’t want Ariana to regret going fishing with him. He liked to think she might go with him again in the future.
Chapter 7
Ariana didn’t miss the irony of her situation as she stepped into the little jon boat and settled on the hard metal bench seat. She’d never been fishing or riding. For that matter, she’d never been on a real, working ranch. And she was about to be launched out into the water. A fish out of water, in the water.
“Here, put this on.” Dillon sat across from her and handed her a bright orange life jacket.
She hooked it around her neck and fumbled with the buckle.
He brushed her hands away and wrapped the strap around her waist, leaning in close enough she could smell his cologne.
Ariana inhaled deeply, liking that scent a little too much.
When he brought the strap back around to her front, he smiled into her eyes as he clipped the buckle. “There. Just in case we capsize.”
“I do know how to swim,” she said.
“Yeah, but you’re weighed down by clothes that are two sizes too big for you.” He sat back on his bench, grabbed a paddle and pushed the boat away from the shore.
“You’re not wearing a life vest,” Ariana pointed out.
“I have one here,” he said, pointing to the vest on the floor of the skiff.
“Couldn’t we have fished from the shore?” she asked.
“We could have, but the bigger fish are in the deeper water. I have hope we can eat what we catch for dinner.”
She cringed. “Are you going to teach me how to clean and cook the fish, as well as catch them?”
He laughed. “I take it by the look on your face, you’re not ready for the cleaning part.”
Ariana shook her head. “I’m not even sure I’m ready for baiting the hook.”
“We’ll start with something simple. A worm.”
She nodded her head. “Okay.”
The pond had appeared fairly small when they’d walked up to the edge. But now that they were out in the middle of it, it looked more like a vast lake. Ariana knew how to swim, but it had been a few years since she’d been in a pool. And it was
