"He's really that hard on you? How long is he going to make you work here as a ranch hand?"
I shrug. "He said he's going to make me prove myself, until I know what it means to work hard. Knowing him, that could be nine months, or it could be nine damn years."
"You went to school, got a degree. Right?"
I nod. "Yeah. State."
Jake gives a low whistle. "What I wouldn't give for that kind of education."
"You want to go to college?" I ask him. "No offense," I add, "I just didn't think of you as the studying type."
He laughs. "I hardly graduated high school. Hell no, I wouldn’t want to put my nose in a book. But college girls might be nice."
I laugh. "You seeing anybody?"
He shakes his head. "Nah, but that girl, Liv, she's pretty cute.”
I growl. "Don't talk about her like that."
Jake laughs. "Man, territorial. I'm just joking anyways. I know you got your eye on her."
"I got more than an eye. She's mine," I tell him.
Jake stands up straight as we enter the dining hall. "You sure about that?"
I nod. "Yeah. Why? You know otherwise?"
He shakes his head. "No, I don't know her at all. I just know her uncle is protective."
"As he should be," I say. We find a table in the corner, and the whole time, I'm scouting the hall for her, her, only her, but she's nowhere to be seen.
"I don't think she's here," Jake tells me.
"Good," I say, “because I don't want all these cowboys staring at her. She's my woman.”
In the morning, there's only one thing on my mind – making sure Liv has a better one than she did yesterday.
Thankfully, it's my day off, so I start it off by heading toward John’s ranch house, trying to find her.
I know it's not my place to knock on his front door and ask if his niece is home, but I'm not opposed to doing that either.
Hell, I'll do whatever I have to do to get a one-on-one conversation with Livingston. Thankfully, I find her out by the corral, staring at those horses like she's always doing.
Funny thing is, I've never seen her on a horse, which gives me an idea.
I walk up to her smiling, glad I put on my good shirt. I’ve switched out my shit-kicking Ropers for my nice gator skin Tecovas, and my nice jeans are starched stiff. My mama would be proud.
Liv sees me approaching, and thankfully, there’s a smile on her face. The sun seems to shine down on her, highlighting her golden hair, and her upturned nose makes my cock ache and my heart pound. Damn, this girl is doing something crazy to me.
"What has you in such a good mood?" she asks. She's leaning against the wooden fence, staring at a stallion that's gone sour. He got in trouble about a month ago, caught up in barbed wire fencing. Hasn't been the same since. Feel terrible for the poor thing but he’s become a beast, and I wouldn’t wish his foul mood on the best rider.
“I'm smiling because I'm looking at you,” I tell her. “Best damn sight of the day."
"Well, considering it's only nine in the morning, you haven't had many sights now, have you?"
"You trying to give me a hard time?" I ask her. I want to wrap my arms around her, squeeze her waist, hug her hips, but I don't. I know that'd be coming on a little too strong, too fast.
"What is it?" she asks. "You got lost there for a second."
"Hell, yeah, I did. I got lost in you."
She rolls her eyes. "Oh, come on, Ledger. You're too much."
"Yeah? Too much for what? You?"
She shakes her head. "No way. No man is too much for me." She licks her lips, hand on her hip. Then she cracks up, smiling playfully. “Okay, I’m all talk. I know nothing about men and you know it. What are you doing anyways? Shouldn't you be at work?"
"I have the day off," I say. "Lucky you."
"Lucky me?" She laughs. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means you and I have the whole day spread out in front of us."
"You got plans or something?" she asks, cocking her head to the side.
I nod. "Yeah. Thing is, I see you out here every damn day by this corral, looking at these horses, and it got me thinking. Why don't I ever see you on one?"
She goes still, not saying a word.
"What? Cat got your tongue?"
She shakes her head ever so slightly. "No, it's just..."
"What? You scared of a little old horse? You some fancy girl from the city, never been on a horse before?"
She looks at me like there's something she's not saying, but instead, she just smiles slowly. "You want to show me how to ride a horse, Ledger?"