Dr. Stud

“If anything major comes up, you come to me. I’ll be here. But for the most part, these guys know what they’re doing. They know how to read blueprints. All you have to do is keep an eye on materials, and obviously you can bring me in if you have questions.”

She nods, and Sid just shrugs. “Don’t matter me none! As long as I know who to go to when I need money for more materials. Speaking of, when are the plumber and electricians coming in?”

“I can have them both here tomorrow. We have a plumber on retainer because of the complications because the well water, the drainage, and the venting systems, and he suspended his normal work to be on hand for this project. The electrician is just waiting for our call.”

I smile at her. “And you were worried about being in charge? You’ve got this in the bag. I’m going to go finish setting everything up with Dad, and why don’t you take a few minutes to regroup in the office? Then we can meet back up in an hour or so to make sure we’re all on the same page?”

Sid looks back and forth between us, confused. “Is anyone going to tell me where Russell went?”

Parrish laughs sadly. “It’s a small town, Sid. You’ll find out soon enough, I’m sure.”

Sid shakes his head and just wanders away back toward the guys, leaving Parrish and I alone at the edge of the building site. Parrish brushes a stray hair out of her eyes and sighs. “Thank you, Hawk. Really.”

I squeeze her hand quickly, then pull it away. I don’t want any of the guys to think I’m giving her any special favors because of… I see the same concern reflected in her eyes, so I take another step backwards.

“No big deal. I’m going to go talk to Dad. Meet you in the office in a bit?”

She nods, and I turn quickly and walk away, afraid one of us will say something we’ll regret. We seem to have a habit of doing that whenever we’re alone for too long, and I don’t want to ruin any forward momentum we’re managing toward a friendship again. Or maybe something more…

Stop that, Hawk. Just because you have these feelings for her doesn’t mean she could ever feel that way about you. Just because she’s fallen into bed with you a couple of times doesn’t mean anything. She has a different life now, a life that is nothing like your own.

I stop and look around the ranch, and take in the place where I grew up, and how much it has changed. Yet, it’s still somehow so much the same. I try to imagine a situation in which I’d come back here, work here, live here. I try to picture making a life here, a new life, a life like the one my father led. And I can’t imagine it.

But then I realize, I can imagine it. I’m just imagining it happening with Parrish. And that scares the hell out of me. I’m completely lost in the panic of my realizations when I feel a small hand grip my arm gently. I think for a moment it’s Parrish, and I feel my heart swell. Then I turn around, and Simone is standing behind me, batting her eyelashes, and smiling sweetly.

“Hey, hey… Simone,” I stumble.

“You are quite the hero, aren’t you, Hawk?” she says as she runs a finger along my arm. I get the shivers, and not for the reason she probably thinks. I know what she’s thinking, and I’m not interested, but I also don’t feel like I can be a jerk to her while she’s still writing the article.

“I’m not a hero. I’m just doing what’s right. No one should be allowed to treat women like that. It just seems like common sense, I guess. So. I really need to go chat about some things with my dad. I should get on that…” I start to walk away, but she grabs my hand and stops me.

“Hawk, I’d like to talk to you about something. Something unrelated to the farm.”

“Ranch,” I mutter under my breath.

“Whatever,” she says with a wave of her hand. “Can we go out for a proper dinner tonight? In town? I found a ve

gan restaurant in Missoula and made us reservations.”

My eyes bug out. “Missoula? That’s almost two hours away. I don’t really have time to…”

“Oh, come on now, Hawk. You can take a little time off, can’t you?”

I look over her shoulder at the builders, who are already working on the frame. I start running through everything in my head that I need to do, and all of the plans I need to get organized. I also don’t want to spend a night alone with Simone, two hours from my family. So I start workshopping every plausible scenario I could use to get out of it.

I’m sick?

I have to build the stable myself with my own two hands?

I need to drive my mother to her quilting circle?

Suddenly, the words are just spilling out my mouth. “Oh, shit. I just remembered. I offered to babysit Gracie tonight. I totally can’t. Shoot. Sorry.”

Simone pouts and crosses her arms over her chest. “Are you sure? Can’t someone else watch it?”

My nose instinctively crinkles when she refers to Gracie as “it.” But I try to maintain my pleasant facade. “Very sure. I haven’t gotten to spend any time with my niece, so I wouldn’t feel right cancelling, you know? Maybe some other time, Simone.”

Simone shrugs and tilts her head to the side in an obvious attempt to flirt. “I’ll be here for a while. I’m sure we can find plenty of time to spend together before we leave. And maybe when we get back to Los Angeles too.” She reaches a manicured finger out and taps me on the nose, then winks at me. Luckily, she turns around and heads for the build site before she can see me make a face. Once she’s gone, I head into the house and start brainstorming exactly how I’m going to justify babysitting my niece when no one was planning on going anywhere tonight…