Hitching the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 1)

He searches my face, then grins. “Did you notice how my dad still looks at my mom after twenty-three years?”

I think about them and how their love seems to only exist in books. “I did.”

“That’s going to be us,” he says matter-of-factly, then leans over and kisses me. “See?”

“You’re presumptuous.” I laugh against his lips, enjoying the way he can’t seem to stop touching me.

“It’s one of my best qualities, baby.” Riley winks before starting the truck. He drives to the B&B and waits for me to change. Once I’m ready to go, he guides me to the garden where we find Mila bent over with buckets and small shovels surrounding her.

“Aunt Mila,” Riley calls out.

“Over here.” She stands and waves. I don’t know how it’s possible that all these Bishop women are so damn beautiful. I hope when I’m in my late forties, I look half as good as them. She takes off her gloves and goes to the wagon she has with supplies and grabs a jug of water.

“You two coming to help today?” she asks after she takes a long drink and wipes the sweat from her forehead.

“I am!” I say, and it’s hard for me to even hold back my excitement.

“Yeah, I’m gonna finish painting the barn before Grandma flips her shit.”

Mila gives him a look and grins. “I’m telling your mother you’re cursing in front of a lady, mister.”

“Aunt Mila. You know you’re my favorite aunt for a reason,” he tells her, and she laughs.

“True.” She hands me an extra set of gloves and a small shovel. “Imma put you to work, Zoey.”

“I’m so ready,” I admit, excited to play in the dirt.

Riley leans over and gives me a smack on the lips. “See you soon, sweetheart. Mila’s gonna kick that city girl right outta you.”

“Har, har.” I roll my eyes at his dig.

When we pull away, I look at him longingly. It’s hard to watch him leave, but damn, the view of him in those tight jeans is nice.

Mila clears her throat, bringing the attention back to her. “Ready?”

I nod, and she gives me instructions on what she’s doing, then puts her gloves back on.

“I’ve already added fertilizer to these two rows here, but now I need to plant seeds all the way down. If you want to start on this side, then I’ll start here, and we’ll get it done in half the time. Boy, am I happy you’re here.” She shows me how deep to dig, then sends me on my way.

We’re essentially working back to back, and I try to keep up with her as she plants.

“So how do you like it here so far?” she asks.

“Love it. It’s hot like Phoenix, but the people here are much nicer,” I say.

She chuckles. “Yeah, it is hot as hell here. The winters are nice, though. Still gets cold, and we sometimes get snow, but not often. Gotta love Texas. You’ll see what I mean.” She scoots down farther on the row. I swear she could run circles around me.

“Yeah,” I say, and the guilt comes rushing in again. If the time comes for me to leave, I know it’ll be difficult, but I won’t go until I know for sure what Riley’s and my future holds. I have a feeling I already know the answer to that, but it doesn’t make it less scary.

I love the smell of fresh earth and being able to plant something that will grow into food that everyone can enjoy. Plus, it’s so peaceful out here. In Arizona, it’s so busy, and there’s barely any downtime. I need this more than she even knows.

Mila stands and looks at what I’ve done so far. “You’re a natural. I’d totally be okay with you being my official helper if you like gardening.”

I nod and can’t help the obnoxious smile on my face. “I really do love it. It’s relaxing.”

“I agree. A decade or so ago, I suggested the ranch start a garden for fresh veggies, and now it’s grown into a full greenhouse with several side gardens. I wanted to do something more besides changing dirty diapers and running after toddlers, and the idea came to life. Though sometimes it’s hard to grow in this soil because of the rocks, I figured out it’s not difficult if you build the ground up with fertilizer first. It’s been a great addition, and there’s nothing better than fresh tomatoes, squash, and zucchini. Over there, I have tons of different herbs too. Basil, rosemary, cilantro. You name it, we have it,” she tells me proudly.

After we finish planting our rows of tomato seeds, we spread more fertilizer and potting soil and continue planting other types of vegetables. Mila asks me questions about my job and home life, and I actually feel comfortable answering.