Kissing the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 5)

I snort at her dramatics.

Ethan: Want some help? I have a whole pecan pie to share.

Harper: From your grandma?

Ethan: Yep. Wanna split it?

Harper: Duh! I’ve got vanilla ice cream too.

Ethan: Perfect. I’ll be there in about an hour. Gonna go home and shower first.

Once I’m clean and dressed, I make something to eat. My parents are still at work, so I warm up some leftovers from the other night. After I’ve checked in on the evening crew, I grab my things and head to Harper’s.

All the lights are on in her cabin, which means she’s still working. When I enter, her little space is covered in shipping boxes, bubble wrap, envelopes, soap molds, lotion bottles, and more.

“Harper? You buried in here?”

She pops up from the floor and blows out a breath that makes the stray hairs fly from her head. “Hey.”

“Whatcha doin’?” I ask, walking between the supplies, not wanting to knock anything over. “It’s a maze in here.”

“I know, sorry about that. It’s been hectic. Between making the soaps and packaging orders, I’ve been practicing my questions for the conference. I feel so overwhelmed.”

“Oh, Harp. I’m sorry. You should’ve told me sooner. I can stay up late with you tonight and do whatever will take some of the load off,” I offer, grabbing her hand and lifting her off the floor.

“No, you work early tomorrow. I’ll be okay. Hadleigh and Kaitlyn offered to help me for the next few days to catch up.”

“Okay, but if you need me this weekend, just ask.”

She smiles up at me, and I tuck a piece of dark hair behind her ear. “I will. Thank you.”

We stare at each other until she lowers her eyes to the pie in my hand. “That smells delicious.”

“Turn on the oven, and I’ll stick it in there for a few so it’s nice and warm,” I tell her, backing away so she can maneuver through the narrow path.

“Good idea. I’ll take the ice cream out so it can soften.”

While we wait for the dessert, I sit on her loveseat and tell her to put me to work. “C’mon, I can do something. Fold your thank-you cards or tape up a box.”

“Alright, fine. Only because you asked so nicely,” she taunts, handing me a stack of cardboard.

“Thank you so much for allowing me to help.” I smirk. “You really need to hire someone, Harp. Does your mom have any extra time at night?”

“She does and would be happy to come over, but it’s the only time she gets to see my dad. I’d hate to take that away from them.”

I nod in understanding. Dylan works long hours on the ranch, so it only makes sense that Jessica would want to spend the evenings with him.

“When Kaitlyn isn’t training, maybe she can come over?” I offer.

“From the sounds of it, she’s booked solid right now. I was lucky enough as it is to get her this week. I begged.” She sighs.

Kaitlyn went to college for ag science, just like me, but her specialty is show horses. She takes after her mom—my aunt Kiera—in that area. During the off-season, Kaitlyn keeps the animals in shape by training with the rider.

“Hmm.” I continue folding boxes as I think about a solution.

“Honestly, I’m not sure I could afford to hire someone who’s not a friend or family member. I’m lucky Hadleigh helps for next to nothing, or I’d make no profit at all.”

“That means your profit margins are too low. You need cheaper supplies or higher prices.”

“I can’t do that,” she states immediately. “I’m not skimping on the quality of my products.”

“Of course not, but what about everything else you use? The fancy thank-you notes…” I hold one up. “The extra gifts inside…the candy, scrunchies, stickers. That all adds to your expenses and bottom line.”

“Those things make it more personal,” she says. “Plus, if I don’t, I’ll look like scum compared to Shayla’s company.”

“Alright, then you need to raise your prices again. People will pay for quality products and great customer service.”

“I can barely compete with Shayla’s prices as it is. If I go higher, I’ll alienate my customer base.”

“No, you’ll just be demanding a higher quality customer who can afford what you’re selling.”

“I don’t know…” she murmurs. “I’m already being hounded about my slow shipping times.”

“Well, it all boils down to hiring an employee so your orders will get out faster, which means more returning and new customers. It’s a win-win,” I state.

“You make it sound so easy.” She rolls her eyes with a grin. “It’s not exactly easy to find an assistant around here. Being twenty minutes outside of town is inconvenient for most people, especially if they live farther out.”

“Well, you won’t know until you try, Harp. But you gotta do somethin’ because you can’t keep wearing yourself down like this. You’ll burn out. Plus, you look like you haven’t slept in days.”