Chapter 15
Kacey
Kacey
Knox
No worries. I’m almost to the ranch, is there a horse you know stands well? I can put it in the crossties and get started.
Kacey
Yeah, go ahead and start on the dun horse in stall 12. Thanks!
Carson, Chet, and I were moving some cattle to the feedyard and got behind schedule. We’re headed back to the ranch now so I can hold some horses for Knox to reset shoes on, but I’m really late.
We pull up to the barn to see Knox’s truck backed up to the door like normal.
It’s colder today, so I have the barn doors closed and the heaters on.
We unload from the truck and walk in through the side door.
I hear the clang of a hammer striking steel as I walk around the corner.
When I look toward the cross ties, I find Knox at his anvil stand shaping a shoe . . . shirtless.
Oh, wow.
I instantly halt and take in the sight. Every swing of the big hammer, sweat running down his body, and the quick flexing of every muscle in his arm, shoulder, pecs . . . and those abs—those sexy, chiseled abs. Next thing I know, someone is crashing into me.
“Oof. What the hell? Don’t just stop in front of someone like that.” Chet catches me with a hand on each of my arms so I don’t fall. I don’t even turn to look at him, no way I’m missing a second of the show.
“Carson didn’t run into me, how ‘bout you just watch where you’re walking?”
Carson stands slightly in front of me wearing a facial expression I can’t read and glancing between me and Knox.
Chet looks over my shoulder and narrows his eyes. “What the hell is this guy doing?”
“Looks like he’s shoeing a horse to me,” I reply sarcastically.
We walk down the alley closer to the crossties.
“This is a ranch, not Magic Mike. Put a fucking shirt on,” Chet chides as Knox inspects the shoe.
He looks up, wearing a shit-eating grin. “If one of you threw a couple dollar bills my way, it could be.”
Chet looks like steam is about to come rolling out of his ears.
I laugh and even Carson lets out a snort.
Carson steps up to hold the dun. “Chet, you act like you’ve never seen a shirtless man before, yet you live in a bunkhouse full of ranch hands. Why is it so hot in here?”
“No idea,” Knox answers, before turning to face Chet. “I’m Knox, by the way. You must be Chet, the foreman.” He grabs eight nails, puts them between his lips, picks up a back foot and nails the shoe on. He clearly doesn’t care what Chet has to say.
“Yes, I am. And I’ll turn the heat down in this hot box if you’ll put a shirt on.”
Tink tink tink. Knox hammers the nails. “Whatever you say, boss.”
It is hot in here. I turned on the heat but must have forgotten to check the temperature it was set to. On second thought, this worked out really well for me. I’m enjoying the show immensely—maybe more than I should be. I haven’t been this attracted to a man in a long time.
Scratch that. I’ve never been this attracted to a man.
I watch Knox nail on the shoe and notice he has a cross necklace hanging from a chain around his neck. There is a scar going down one of his pecs and the tattoos on his ribs are back numbers, his national finals back numbers.
Could this man get any sexier?
He finishes with that foot and moves to the next. I’m fixated on the way his muscles flex and—
A throat clears. I blink and look up. I’m not sure how long I’ve been staring at the man, but he’s definitely noticed.
Oops.
“You okay there, Kace? You look a little warm.”
I can feel it now, my face is red. On instinct, I bring a hand up to my cheek and can feel it’s on fire.
He gives me a smirk that would make the devil weep, and I have to stop myself from clenching my thighs together. I should not be this turned on—he hasn’t even touched me.
“Um, yep. I’m good. Here, Carson, I can take over.” I take my coat off and walk up to the dun.
Carson looks at me, then he looks at Knox, shakes his head, and walks away.
Great. I’m sure I’ll hear about this exchange later.
Knox finishes the dun, and I get another horse out for him. Chet has left and Knox still hasn’t put a shirt on. I guess it’s my lucky day.
“So, how was yesterday without me? Lonely? Depressing?” he asks with a smirk.
I scoff. He is so full of himself.
I’ve been reserved around him until now, but he’s about to find out I can give it right back. I was raised on a ranch full of cowboys, after all.
“Actually, it was great. We worked some cattle and, in the evening, I had dinner plans.” I watch him swing his hammer and miss, nearly smashing his thumb in the process. His shoulder muscles tense.
He doesn’t look at me. “Dinner, you say?”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s jealous.
I hear the side door open and shut.
“Holy hell, it’s hot in here!” My dad yells as he walks in. “You expecting Satan to come to town or what?”
“Sorry, I had the heat turned up a little high. Knox was complaining about it being cold. The Okie can’t handle anything under seventy degrees.”
Dad looks him over and says, “Son, I don’t mean to tell a man what to do, but you probably wouldn’t be so cold if you had a shirt on.”
I snort a laugh.
“I was not—” Knox shakes his head and sighs, giving me a sideways glance. “Never mind.” He grabs his shirt to put on.
Bummer.
Dad walks up, looking at the gelding’s feet and bends over to pick one up as he says, “These look real pretty. You do a good job. Maybe better than Jack.”
Knox laughs. “Thank you. I cannot wait to tell him you said so.”
“Well now, don’t go ratting me out. You’re only in town for a few weeks. I’ll need him to come back after you leave.”
He sets the foot down and heads for the door. “Family dinner tonight, Kacey. I’m grilling steaks. You come, too, Knox. You might want a jacket though, the house is only set to sixty-eight.” He doesn’t give either of us a chance to reply before he walks out the door.
What. The. Hell. Why did Dad just invite Knox to dinner?
“Umm, sorry about him. That was less of an invitation and more of a demand. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
“I want to,” is all he says before going back to work.
I pull out my phone to text Jessie.
Kacey
Please tell me you have tonight off.
Jessie
I’ll be getting off a long shift. I plan to head home and fall into bed. Why?
Kacey
Knox has been shoeing horses shirtless all day and my father just invited him to dinner. I need you to come.
Jessie
Hot. Take a picture.
Jessie
I’ll be there. Make me a pot of coffee.
Jessie
And hide his shirt until I get there.
Kacey
I am not taking a picture or hiding his shirt. You’re insane.
Kacey
Best I can do is make sure there’s coffee.
Jessie
Fine, I’ll text Carson and ask for a picture.
Kacey
Good luck with that.
I put my phone away and check on Knox’s progress. He’s bent over working on a back foot. I have the perfect view of his ass in his Cinch jeans from this angle. I guess this is a good consolation prize, since he put his shirt back on.
After we finish the horses and work with Buck for a while, Knox heads back to his apartment to shower. I finish chores before running to my house to do the same, hoping to beat Knox back to my dad’s.
I spend far too long picking an outfit. Normally, I could give two shits about what I wear, but Knox has me on edge.
He’s lodged himself in my mind, and I can’t shake him loose.
Working shirtless today and the way he smiles at me when we’re working with Buck doesn’t help.
This is supposed to be a no-pressure, just-for-fun, kind of thing, but I’m starting to feel like I could have feelings for him and it’s scaring the shit out of me.
On the bright side, he’s coming to family dinner, and our family isn’t exactly normal. With Jessie and Carson bickering, they’re bound to scare him off.
It’s not far from my house to Dad’s, so I decide to walk, and Rein jumps off my porch to follow me.
The walk gives me a few minutes to think, and of course, I think about Knox.
It’s honestly annoying how much I’ve been thinking about him.
It’s not just the fact that he’s good looking—like, really good-looking—but he’s one of those people who draws you in.
I feel comfortable around him. I’ve never felt like he was judging me or putting me up to some standards I’ll never measure up to.
I’ll admit, when Carson said no to the foreman job—again—I really thought my dad would ask me, but he didn’t.
He didn’t even tell me he was looking at hiring someone off the ranch, Chet just pulled in one day with no warning.
If I’m being honest with myself, I think a lot of my insecurities come from that.
I do a good job on this ranch and wasn’t even given the opportunity for foreman.
My trust issues with men, on the other hand, are all Garrett’s fault.
The foreman job isn’t something I’ve ever brought up to my dad.
I probably should, but I don’t know how to say it without sounding like the spoiled rancher’s daughter who expects things handed to her.
I’ve never wanted anything handed to me—I’m willing to work for it.
Maybe there is something I should be doing that I’m not.
Maybe I need to take more responsibility on the ranch, but I just can’t see it.
When I walk in the back door to Dad’s kitchen, Carson and Jessie are standing by the coffeepot and Chet is sitting at the bar.
“What is Chester doing here?” I ask no one in particular.
“Your dad invited me. Is that a problem?” he replies snarkily.
Carson steps in to buffer, as he often does. “Can you two just not for one night? Knox is going to think you’re all feral.”
Oddly enough, he’s never seemed to have any issues with Chet. Hell, they almost act like friends half the time, as much as two grown men who speak in half grunts and cowboy lingo can be.
Just then, we hear someone walking up the back porch steps. When Jessie catches sight of Knox, she immediately grumbles. “Damn. He put a shirt on.”