Kissing the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 5)

“Where you goin’ with all that food?” Kane asks.

“Elle—”

He holds up his hand, grinning. “Say no more.”

After I’ve eaten another breakfast sandwich, I stuff Elle’s boxes in a bag.

Diesel and Riley continue their bickering like an old married couple as the twins chat with Grayson about some party this weekend.

I check the time, knowing I’ve been here too long. “I need to get goin’. I’ll see y’all later.”

Before they get too rowdy, I wave goodbye to Uncle John, then leave with the extra food.

As soon as I pull into Elle’s driveway, she immediately opens the door like she hasn’t eaten in weeks. She’s wearing hot pink slippers with a matching robe and headband.

“Oh my God, thank you,” she says as soon as I make my way to her porch. “You wanna come in?”

“I probably shouldn’t,” I barely get out as Olivia runs past her.

“Ethan!” she yells. The eight-year-old is full of spunk and personality. Though she’s Connor’s child from his previous marriage, we treat her as if she’s always been a part of the family.

“Hey, Ollie Bear.”

She smacks me at the nickname.

“I hope you brought enough for both of us,” Elle says, and I hand her the bag that’s stuffed full.

“Enough to feed a small army. There’s a ridiculous number of pancakes and sausage patties. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget anything.”

“Maize’s muffins?” Olivia asks, her whole face lighting up with excitement.

Elle nods. “Our little secret. Can’t tell your daddy I fed you sugar for breakfast.”

With a snicker, Olivia pretends to zip her lips. Elle takes a step forward and gives me a side hug. “Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome. Enjoy!”

We say our goodbyes, and I make my way to my truck. Before going back to the ranch, I stop by the store and pick up the things my mom had asked me to get.

Since I’m single and my parents are doctors who work long shifts at the hospital, I still live at home. Due to their hectic schedules, I do the grocery store shopping so my mom doesn’t have to be burdened with it after a long day. This trip is mostly for the essentials—milk, bread, eggs, and coffee. I make a quick stop to unload everything off at the house before returning to the goats.

Living on the ranch is convenient for us who work here. All the Bishops built their houses on the land, and one day, I will too.

Once I’m back in my office, the rest of the day flies by without any more mishaps. Just as I’m making another round through the barn, I get a text message from Harper and immediately smile. We usually chat throughout the day, but right now, she’s traveling to a small business conference in Dallas.

Harper: We made it safely!

Ethan: Awesome! Have fun!

Harper: Oh yeah, totally.

She sends me an eye-roll emoji, and I laugh before going back to the task at hand. I stay until the evening feeding and milking has been completed, then head home. It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted.

Saturday morning, I stop by the B&B before heading to the office. I fill up on bacon and eggs, then make my way to the barn to see how much milk we have in stock. Some locals have expressed interest in buying at wholesale, but I don’t want to promise something we don’t have since we have other businesses that preorder a certain amount each month.

While I go through our current inventory, the goats are in the process of being fed and milked. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I check the time. It’s barely past eight.

Harper: I am already NOT having a good time. Just kill me.

I snort because while she doesn’t like going, she always comes home with a lot of helpful information for the boutique.

Ethan: Don’t worry, you’ll be home tomorrow.

Harper: Well, it can’t come soon enough. I’ll have to tell you about what was said this time. Ugh. I haven’t had nearly enough coffee to deal with this bullshit.

Some snobby members of the organization always give Harper shit or make her feel uncomfortable. She’s usually introverted in public settings, so it makes it even more difficult for her when she’s around a large crowd.

Ethan: Sorry! I wish you were home too. Apparently, Netflix has a few new original series we need to catch up on.

Harper: OMG! Don’t you dare start anything without me.

I chuckle to myself because this is what we do since there’s not much entertainment in Eldorado. We spend most of our free time bingeing TV series and watching movies. We have since we were in high school, then continued the tradition all through college.

Ethan: I’d never Netflix cheat! But yeah, hurry your ass home.

Harper: Deal!

Since graduating from college four years ago, Harper and I have only grown closer. I don’t go a day without talking or seeing her unless she’s traveling for work, and I like it that way.