Chapter 4
Four
“ D o you want me to make you something for breakfast?” Sam’s mother called from the living room as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
“I’m heading to the office. Evie’s starting this morning and I’m sure she’s going to have a million questions. This coffee will do for now.”
“Wait one second! Before you go, leave Shep up here with me today.”
“Mom, he’s supposed to be a working ranch dog.”
“I don’t care. He’s a gentle soul and I know he’ll just aggravate you while you’re trying to show Evie around.”
Sam nodded. “Yeah, that’s probably true. I’ll leave him up here. Just for today, though. He needs to start going out with Derrick and Zeke.”
“Sure he does, baby. Oh, I pulled cards for you this morning.”
Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His mom was… eccentric. And one of her favorite things to do was pull tarot cards for him. He’d spent weeks hearing about ‘an unexpected turn of events’ and ‘blessings beyond his wildest dream’ co ming into his life soon. Yet, every time another bill came due that he couldn’t pay, he was reminded just how silly it was to take any stock in what his mother said.
Sam grabbed his hat, placing it on his head before he bent down and kissed her cheek. “I’m sure it’s real interesting stuff today, Ma, but I gotta go.”
“I know. You’re really busy. Just, keep your emotions in check today, okay? It seems like you’re on edge and I’d hate for you to say something to someone you can’t take back.”
“Yeah, sure thing. Call down to the office if you need anything, okay? I’ll be home for supper.”
Sam left without waiting for her reply.
The barn was quiet. Zeke and Derrick would just be getting up in the bunkhouse. Sam didn’t make it out onto the ranch this early much lately, but as the fog settled in the distance and the humidity clung around his body, he smiled. Sure, he didn’t end up becoming a Texas Ranger like he’d planned to all his life, but following in his father’s footsteps, keeping his legacy alive, was rewarding.
All he needed to make sure was that Evelyn Williams didn’t mess that up. She sure had no problem putting him in his place when they first met.
Or maybe he was hoping she would mess something up. Something so that he could be justified in sending her on her way. It really would be for the best. There were so many dangers on the ranch. And she was so tiny. Any one of the horses would toss her around like a sack of flour, or worse, trample her to pieces. Same with the cattle. He shuddered at the thought.
Sam passed her piece of shit car and sighed at the duct tape he spotted on the hood. That thing wasn’t safe for her to be driving around normally, but she was pregnant for fuck’s sake.
He just couldn’t get past it. The beautiful woman who’d been dancing through his mind from the minute he shook her hand was pregnant with some other man’s baby. Why did he care so much? There was some sinking feeling in his stomach that whatever the situation was, it was related to why she was so eager to move from Wisconsin all the way down to Texas.
Sam shook his head. Christ, he needed to talk to her about trading in her car for something more ranch friendly. He was lost in thought as he made his way into the barn, only stopping when he saw light pouring out from the open office door.
Stalking into the office half expecting to see an intruder, Sam stopped and blinked, trying to take in the sight in front of him.
“What are you doing?” he barked.
“Oh god!” Evie jumped, placing her hand over her heart. Shit. He hadn’t meant to scare her.
“You’re not supposed to start for another hour. How long have you been here?”
“Well, I’m certainly awake now.” She smiled. “I couldn’t sleep, so I figured one of the benefits of living on the ranch was being able to come down and get things done when I could.”
“No. That’s not one of the benefits. You have set hours in your employment contract for a reason.”
Her smile fell and she ran her hands down the front of her blouse. “I see. That was my mistake. It won’t happen again.”
“Good.” He stalked towards his desk. “Your hours are seven to three. I expect to see you in the office during that time.”
“Of course. As I said, it won’t happen again.”
He sat down and realized the pile of paperwork he stacked about a mile high was no longer on the corner.
“What the hell happened to the paperwork here?”
“I filed it for you.”
“Filed it?”
“Yes. You had a file cabinet in the storage room, so I brought it in here, cleaned it off, and started a filing system for you.”
He jumped out of his chair.
“You did what?”
Her eyes went wide and he watched the rose-pink blush of her cheeks fade to a sickly pale shade of gray. “I-I… I’m sorry. What am I doing wrong here? I thought coming in early would show you that I’m dedicated and care about this job. Starting a filing system and organizing this office is part of my job. It’s what you hired me for.”
“You’re pregnant, Evie. For fuck’s sake. How did you move that filing cabinet? It’s huge!”
“I used the dolly. You seem determined to think that I am this helpless woman because of…” she gestured to her belly. Fuck. She was wearing a shirt that draped across her stomach tighter than the day she’d arrived. He guessed there was no sense in her wearing baggy clothes since her secret was out. Still, seeing the swell of her belly was making it hard to focus on anything else. Stop staring, Sam, you’re being a creep. “But I am still a capable human being.”
He rubbed at the tension growing between his eyes. “I would prefer if you got either Zeke or Derrick, or even waited for me, before moving large pieces of furniture around. If something had happened to you, because you were in here off hours, we wouldn’t have found you for a long time. Long enough that something bad could have happened.”
She blanched and he felt like the biggest asshole. “I’m sorry, Sam. I wasn’t thinking about that. I just really wanted to impress you. Would you be willing to introduce me to Zeke and Derrick so that I can know who to look for in the future if I need help?”
“I can do that. It’s still early, but they’ll be up to take the horses out in a few minutes.” The silence in the room stretched between them. “Look. I said I’d give you a fair shake at this, and I will. Just please humor me when it comes to the concessions I’m asking you to make.”
“Of course.”
He heard the shake in her voice and the sniffle as she turned her back to him and busied herself with work at her desk. God, he knew he was being an asshole, but he couldn’t stop himself. She shouldn’t be out on the ranch in her condition. And that included in the office.
She walked towards the door.
“Evie, wait. I?—”
“I just need to use the restroom, Sam. Is that something I also need to ask your permission for?” There was a clear bite in her words, but she didn’t turn to face him down.
“No. That’s fine. You don’t need to ask me for that.”
“Good.” She sighed. “When I get back, I’ll show you the new filing system I set up. I think you’ll find it a better method than the piled chaos on your desk.”
“What was I thinking, Jellybean?” Evie whispered into the small bathroom just next to the office. She was sure the walls were thick enough to hide her crying, but didn’t want to take the chance that her voice would carry through.
Sitting there, she came to a stomach-churning realization. It was all a mistake. Thinking that moving across the country, running from her problems, would solve anything. That she would just magically end up somewhere that she could put down roots had been so foolish. And hiding her pregnancy. Of course, an old-school rancher wasn’t going to be happy about that. He was probably at capacity after offering the office manager job to a woman. Mistake after mistake.
Evie let her head fall into her hands. She’d allow herself to cry for thirty more seconds and then that would be it. No need to wallow. If there was only one good quality about her, it was her ability to push through anything and find her way to the light on the other side of the tunnel. Even if she always had to do it by herself.
Although, she wasn’t truly alone anymore. Evie picked her head up, wiped the tears off her cheeks and pressed her hand to her swollen tummy.
“We’ve got this, Jellybean. Time to show Sam Cooper that the Red River Ranch has never seen a force like us before, and now that we’re here, they won’t be able to function again without us.”
She held her head up high as she marched back into the office, expecting to be met with the grumpy cowboy at his desk. But much to her surprise, the place was empty.
Oh well. She knew it was probable that he would be called away for ranching duties. That was the whole reason she was there, wasn’t it? So he could spend more time out with his herd and less with the administrative tasks she enjoyed.
Evie wanted to slip an earbud in and listen to some music while she worked on organizing all the paperwork scattered about, but knew better. Sam would certainly have a problem with her doing that.
Looking around the office, she’d already made some progress with the early hour organization, but there was so much more to tackle. It might make sense to rearrange their desks and the filing cabinets. The flow of the office was off for maximum efficiency. Of course, that would mean taking down the cowboy hats that lined the room.
Stepping up to the wall, Evie ran her hand along the edge of the hat closest to her. It was worn-in and weathered and looked to be at least a hundred years old. She pulled it down off the nail, letting the soft leather warm in her hands.
Flipping it to look at the underside, Evie’s heart skipped a beat. Inside, there were two names branded into the leather .
Ginny and Ezra.
She hadn’t heard anyone using those names at the ranch. Although, she hadn’t been introduced to the rest of the Coopers… could it be Sam’s mom and dad?
“What do you think you’re doing?” Sam’s growl from over her shoulder startled her. She turned around, shoulders squared and ready to put up a fight.
“I was just trying to picture how we can move the furniture around to make it a more effective space to work.”
“And you needed to touch my things to do that?”
She gave him a saccharine smile, turning to place the hat back on the nail. “I thought we might need to move these hats in favor of putting a few file cabinets up against this wall. Who are Ginny and Ezra?”
“We don’t need to move anything in here,” he answered, clearly ignoring her question. “This office is set up just how it was before the fire. It’s worked this way for decades. We can make it work too.”
“Sam, I’m just trying to learn about the ranch.”
“Yeah, well, there’s ranch things, and there’s personal things. Those hats are personal.”
“I don’t think it’s wrong of me to be curious about the history of this place, or your family. I think this ranch is incredible. What you’ve kept going even when times have been really tough.”
“You haven’t earned the right to know about my family, Evelyn . And I doubt you’ll be around long enough to dig into anything too deep about this ranch.”
Evie clenched her jaw tightly and forced herself to smile. “Sure thing, Samuel . But just so you know, I’ll be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.”
“We’ll see.” The stubborn ass dropped his eyes to her belly, grumbled something under his breath and sank into his chair.
Logging onto the nearly ancient computer at her desk, Evie felt Sam’s eyes on her. She sat up straight, projecting every ounce of strength she could dig down into her gut and reach. He wanted to be cold, she could be just as cold back. He wanted to push her away? She’d fight ten times harder to stay.
“Are you going to be in the office all day today?” she asked.
“Planning on snooping around some more if I’m not here?”
“It’s not snooping, Sam. It’s organizing. It’s trying to make a system here that works in your favor, not one you are constantly fighting against.”
“Right.”
“Well, maybe if you told me a little bit about the ranch, it wouldn’t feel like snooping to you.”
He pushed back from his desk, leaning back in the chair as he laced his fingers behind his head.
“Don’t worry. I won’t make the mistake of asking for any personal details.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Whatever you want to tell me.” She wasn’t letting him off the hook that easily.
“The ranch was started over a hundred years ago by my great-great-grandparents. The eldest son has taken over the ranch in each generation. Our herd is currently the smallest it’s ever been, thanks to higher costs and lower revenue. Five years ago we pivoted away from commercial production and focused on making our product more of an exclusive ranch-to-table offering. We have just shy of one hundred head of cattle currently, but about half of that will be sent off in the fall for butchering.”
“That doesn’t feel small to me.”
“Compared to the thousands of heads my grandfather, and even my dad produced, yeah, it is.”
“So you sell your product locally?”
Sam nodded. “There’s a farmer’s market in Bell Ridge we bring frozen cuts to every week. That used to be something I did by myself, but my sister, Abby, has been running the booth since the beginning of the year. Gives me more time to focus on things here at the ranch.”
“That’s nice. Does she live on the ranch too?”
“Across the road. She’s had a hard time being on the ranch since our dad died. But I think it’s getting better.”
Evie smiled. He’d slipped. She was getting more than just ranch facts, and the way Sam’s body had started relaxing as they talked, hope trickled into her heart that she just might be getting somewhere with him.
“So, you focus on the other part of the ranch-to-table business, which is… restaurants?”
Once again, the grumpy cowboy nodded. “We have a few upscale restaurants in Dallas that use our cuts and feature our brand on their menu. It’s driven some smaller business our way from folks coming out to the farmer’s market on the weekends.”
“I really am impressed, Sam. It sounds like you are doing an incredible job keeping your family’s legacy going.”
“I’m not really.”
“I haven’t had a chance to look at the accounting books yet, but I’m sure we can find ways to increase efficiency. Tighten the budget so there is more profit for your family.”
“And my investors.”
Evie paused. “Oh, I didn’t realize.”
“Well, you know enough to know I’m not technically your boss. That’s Sebastian Montgomery. He’s invested the cost of your salary.”
“Yes, of course. I was curious how that came about.”
“Sebastian and his fiance, Emma, are good friends of mine. He’s been helping several businesses in the area. This is no different. ”
Gruff and grumpy Sam was back. Evie wanted to kick herself for bringing it up.
“What about the other investors?”
“Just one other. Garrett Langdon. ”
“Is he local?”
Sam nodded. “He has a large ranch between Bell Ridge and Lark Lake. Was my dad’s best friend my whole life. But he’s a silent partner. We haven’t seen him since my dad passed away.”
“I’m so sorry. That seems cruel.”
“It is what it is.”
“What about Derrick and Zeke? They live on the ranch, right?” When Sam’s eyebrows raised, Evie clarified how she knew that information. “I’ve seen two men walking from the barn to the little house beyond the paddock a few times now. I figured that’s where they stayed.”
He nodded. “You’re right. They both live on the ranch. Zeke’s been here longer than Derrick, but they are like family.”
“That’s really nice.”
Sam shrugged, and the silence that fell between the two of them was enough to let Evie know he was done talking for now.
“Knock knock!” An older woman, with beautiful silver hair captured in a tight bun at the top of her head, walked into the office just as Evie was turning back to her computer. She stood up from her chair, smoothing the fabric of her shirt down over her stomach.
“Mom, I told you I would bring Evie up later to say hello.”
His mom. She was absolutely stunning, and she could see the same blue eyes sparkling at her as she’d stared into when meeting Sam a few days before.
“Nonsense! You were taking too long and I couldn’t help myself.” She turned to Evie, who moved to the front side of her desk and held out her hand. “Oh, no, honey. I don’t do handshakes.”
Evie’s face went red, her hand falling back down by her side.
“I’m a hugs only kind of lady!”
Sam’s mother took two steps forward and wrapped her arms around Evie. “It’s so lovely to meet you.”
“Lovely to meet you too, Mrs. Cooper.” Evie pushed down the wave of emotions crashing through her. She hadn’t been hugged like that in years. It felt warm, maternal, and safe. There was no way she could allow herself to sink into those feelings, especially not with how serious Sam was about getting rid of her.
“Oh, none of that ‘Mrs. Cooper’ nonsense. I’m Sylvie. Although, as my granddaughter will tell you, I will also reply to ‘Goddess’ when necessary. Are you settling in okay in the apartment? Is there anything you need?”
“Everything has been perfect. I’ve been meaning to say thank you to Sam for the generous accommodations, but the morning got away from me.”
“I see. It looks better in here than it ever has. You’re already leaving your mark. I like it.”
“Thank you.”
“You’ll come up to the house one day soon for lunch?” Sylvie asked.
“Oh, I…” she looked over her shoulder at Sam, who’s eyes were focused as sharp as a longhorn’s, well, horn on her. “You know, I would really love that, Sylvie. Thank you for making me feel so welcomed.”
“Well, it’s not just you we’ve got to welcome to the family, now is it?”
Sylvie’s hand landed on Evie’s belly and she smiled as she patted her bump.
“Did Sam mentio?— ”
“I didn’t say a thing. Mom, do you really think that’s appropriate? I’m sure Evie doesn’t want to be touched.”
How wrong could this cowboy be? Evie was desperate to have someone to share her excitement with. She’d love nothing more than to sit down with Sylvie and fuss over her baby.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, please. I don’t mind at all. I’d love to come to lunch one day, and I’d love to talk about the baby.”
Sylvie’s eye’s held an ocean of compassion and Evie prayed her voice would stay steady as all her emotions burned the back off her throat. Stupid hormones.
“Good. I’m in my garden most mornings. Just pop up to the house and let me know what day works for you.”
“I will.”
“Perfect. I’ll let you two get back to business. It was so nice meeting you, Evie. I know you are going to be right at home here on the ranch.”
Evie spun and gave Sam a smug smile. “I’ve been trying to tell your son that all morning, but it seems I still have to prove some things to earn my spurs in his eyes.”
“I wouldn’t worry about spurs, honey. It’s his hat you need to watch out for.”
“Mom.” There was a warning in Sam’s growl, but for what, Evie had no idea.
Sylvie just laughed as she walked out of the room.