“What makes you think you’ll last here?”
The words had come out harsher than she’d expected. She hadn’t meant them the way Brody seemed to take it.
“Because Trip is different. It’s not just that he needed somebody to fill a spot until someone better came along. The people who work here are people who love what they do and are invested in what they do here. That’s what I want. That’s who I am. Trip may not know that yet, but I have a feeling he suspects it. Hunter’s been working as a farrier on this ranch for a long time. This could become home.”
“Hunter doesn’t work just for Trip. He works at other ranches too.”
“That’s true. But Trip knew exactly what kind of history Hunter had. He let him in and let him prove himself. When the Lone Creek Ranch kept him on, other ranches decided to give Hunter a chance. He’s made a business for himself and a life here in Sweet. He’s dug in his roots. I aim to do the same.”
“Why Sweet? You could start over anywhere. Somewhere where people didn’t know about your past.”
“Secrets have a way of being unearthed. I have a history here. Family not far from here. This is going to give me a way to build back my reputation, just as it did for Hunter. People may have a tainted view of me, but that will change. That’s what I want.”
She sighed. They were back to square one. “So what do you like? Other than the bowl because you can’t have ten bowls in your house. My reputation will be ruined if I let you do that.”
He chuckled. “I like nature. I like colors you see in nature.”
She frowned. “I’m not sure how often I see bright colors like what’s in this bowl in nature.”
* * *
“You are kidding.”
He thought about his first ride with Desert Rose out on the ranch on the day he arrived. He’d wanted to get a feel for just how big the ranch was, thinking of the feel for the boundaries.
“You’d be surprised what kind of color is out there,” he said.
Tara thought for a second. “I suppose you’re right. One of the things I love in the spring is when the silvery lupine bloom in the fields. The purple color is so beautiful.”
“Nature gives us so much.”
She drew in a deep breath and squinted one eye. “So that narrows it down. What’s your favorite flower?”
He frowned. “I don’t know much about flowers. Other than some grow wild and some cost a lot when you buy them in the store.”
“When I was a little girl my mother wanted to plant rose bushes. She was obsessed with it,” Tara said, chuckling. “Every year she would go down to the nursery and buy at least six rosebushes.”
“She must have a whole lot of them if she bought them every year.”
Tara shook her head. “That’s just the point. She would buy them and plant them every year. She’d nurture them, and they would die. I think maybe she got a total of six or seven roses out of all the bushes she bought. She was just determined to have roses but could never grow them.”
“That’s too bad.”
“But then my dad took her on a hike up in the mountains and she found wild roses. They were pink and fluffy looking and so delicate. She fell in love with them. My dad had been hiking in the mountains for years and he knew that they were there all that time. They never seemed to catch them when they were in bloom though.”
“What’s your point?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know if I have one. I guess maybe it’s just like what you said, that nature brings us some of the most beautiful things naturally. You like the colors of nature. So maybe you should spend a little time going out into nature, maybe taking some pictures, and then bring them back to me so I can get an idea of what you might like. I’m sure we’ll be able to fill the walls with something that brings life to your home. Especially now that I have a feel for your space.”
“Great idea. Let’s go.”
Tara’s eyes opened wide. “What you mean let’s go?”
“What’s wrong with right now?”
He took her by the hands, but she pulled away. “I can’t go hiking. I have to get back to the shop.”
“Why do you have to get back so quick? I thought you asked Dixie to cover for you. Give her a call. Ask if she won’t mind you being gone for a little bit longer. It’s for a good cause.”
Tara cocked her head to one side. “A good cause? And what might that be?”
“I will spend a lot of money in your store.”
Tara stood up straight. “Yeah, that would be a good cause.”
Sweet Montana Outlaw: Chapter Eight
Ten minutes later, they were in Brody’s truck and driving out along the back road on the border of the ranch.
“Where are we going exactly?” Tara asked.
“You’ll see.”
He smiled as he kept his eyes on the road ahead, looking around as if drinking in the scenery. Tara was always in such a hurry to get to work, to get boxes unpacked on delivery day, and then get those items situated on a display shelf, that she barely noticed scenery anymore. She hadn’t realized that until just then.
“Can you give me a little hint?”
He turned to her and smiled. He had a dimple on his cheek. Just one. She hadn’t noticed that before either. And it intrigued her more than she felt comfortable with.
“Just sit back and enjoy yourself. This ranch isn’t very big. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
They passed a herd of cattle grazing in the field. None of them paid them any mind as Brody drove by, as they were too busy chomping on some fresh green grass to lift their heads and notice. The deeper
