Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
W eston tucked Ranger in beside his brother, most of the riders behind them. Let Paisley watch over his group as well as her own. Might occupy her enough to mind her own business.
Jude looked over with eyebrows raised. “I thought you were bringing up the rear.”
“I was, but Paisley is now. Just checking everyone is doing okay.”
“That’s why there are five leaders. Don’t you trust us?”
“Dude.” Weston rolled his eyes. “You know I do.”
“Can’t tell from here.”
Since when had his kid brother been this touchy? That was Weston’s job. “You doing okay?”
“Sure.” Jude gestured toward the six riders in front of him. “All good.”
“I mean in your job and stuff.”
“You’re the one with the cushy position. I’ve got maintenance. Whoop. ”
Weston studied his brother. “I thought you liked fixing things.”
“It gets old.”
“Yeah, I guess. I can see that. But everyone thought maintenance was what you wanted to do."
Jude rolled his eyes. “It was the best thing offered to me at the time. You know what I really want to do?"
“No, what?" If Jude had secret dreams, he'd never bothered to tell Weston about them. Or maybe Weston hadn’t been listening.
Jude looked up into the sky where a pair of red-tailed hawks dipped and dove in the wind currents. Above them were several puffy clouds and the contrail of a jet. “I want to fly."
“You what?" This was news. And it wasn't something Weston wanted to do any day of the week. Give him a horse between his knees and he was a happy guy. Well, as happy as possible. But flying? No, thank you.
"I talked to Grandfather about it last fall. He might hook me up with some flying lessons."
Weston studied his brother. How was he supposed to figure this? They'd been around each other all winter during the quiet hours on the ranch, and Jude had never bothered to mention it to him. Instead, he’d talked to Grandfather. Since when did the old man really care about the Kline brothers?
Okay, that wasn't completely fair. If he didn't care at all, he wouldn't have bought Sweet River Ranch and invited all of his grandsons to help get the place running smoothly. No one had made the old guy do that. Even Mom, at her finest, couldn't have persuaded Walter Sullivan to do something he didn't want to do.
But Weston had a hard time believing that Grandfather truly cared about their individual hopes and dreams. If he did, how was it that all six of his grandsons found themselves employed by Sullivan Enterprises? Wouldn't one or two at least have made a life for themselves outside of the family business?
Maxwell had. But still, when Grandfather had beckoned, Max had come running, just like all the others.
Maybe Weston's inability to trust that his grandfather had his best in mind was rooted in his struggle to believe that God had his best in mind. He'd have to think on that later. Now, he turned to Jude. “If that's what you really want to do, and the old man is willing to foot the bill, then that's great. I hope it works out for you."
The tension in Jude’s shoulders seem to relax. “Thanks, bro. I've heard Uncle James complain enough times about having to fly to Kansas to pick up Aunt Maribel for business meetings that it kind of got wedged in my brain, you know? I always wished I could fly as a kid, but there was never money for anything like that."
No kidding. Dad had always struggled to keep their family ranch afloat. Mom had worked as a caterer to help make ends meet. That's where she’d honed her great cooking skills that came in so handy now. She had proved herself capable last summer in the Sweet River Ranch kitchen. No one had any complaints. Rather, everyone raved about her cooking. At least one of them had done well in their new position.
Weston had done well, too. But somehow, he kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Yeah, he was totally capable of taking care of the horses and cows and overseeing Joseph, who ran the farming side of things.
No one could quibble with Weston’s expertise, but that didn't mean he felt secure. There was always something. He could never stay out of trouble long enough to do a good job. Sooner or later, someone would notice something he’d done wrong or had forgotten to do, and bam. He’d find himself without a job again.
Blood wasn't thicker than water, especially if a guy hadn't been born into it like him and Jude. The Sullivan cousins were secure. They’d been part of Grandfather’s plans their entire lives, unlike the Klines.
“When were you going to tell me?" Weston tried to keep the aggravation out of his voice. He doubted that he'd succeeded.
"I wasn't sure what you’d think." Jude shifted restlessly on Pepper. “I didn’t know if you'd be jealous. Grandfather would probably let you take flying lessons too, if you wanted."
"Who, me? Not a chance. A horse’s back is as far off the ground as I want to get." He patted Ranger’s neck. “The thought of flying holds no appeal.” Scared him silly, not that he’d let his brother in on that little secret.
“Have you ever been up?”
Weston shook his head. “Never wanted to, plus there's been no place to go."
"I went that one time when the youth group flew to Mexico to help in an orphanage."
“That was after my time.” Weston would have been able to go had he been able to drum up enough financial support, but he hadn't really cared about the mission enough to make the effort. It was one of the few things Jude had grabbed hold of that Weston hadn't.
The trail narrowed, and Weston fell in behind his brother. He should probably pull aside at the next opportunity and rejoin his own cohort, but before he could put action to that, he rounded the next curve in the trail and found the group staring out into the distance.
Darrell had his binoculars to his eyes. “Over there! See on that cliff? Mountain goats! We don't see those every day."
Weston pulled out his own bins and focused on the precipice. Darrell was right. They passed their field glasses around to those who didn't have any, and everyone got a chance to see the goats. By then, more of the riders had caught up with them, and they were equally as excited to spot the distant wildlife.
“What other animals are we likely to see around here?" one of the new hires asked.
Darrell shifted to look at the girl. “Well, there are bears, both grizzlies and blacks. Mostly, we see those at a distance, but sometimes they come in close. There are also mountain lions, but your chance of spotting one of those is very slim. You'll only see them if they want you to, and they’re night hunters for the most part. On hot summer days, you might spot some rattlesnakes on rocks like those over there. Other than that, not much. Skunks. Millions of mosquitoes. Just regular nature."
“I detest snakes, and I’m not so fond of mosquitoes, either.” The young woman shuddered.
“I hear you.” Darrell laughed. "Let me tell you about the time our horses spooked a skunk last summer.”
Good, let someone else tell the stories. Weston glanced toward the rear of the group where Paisley and their riders had just joined them. She raised her eyebrows at him and stared coolly.
Weston nodded back then averted his gaze. Maybe they finally understood each other.
“Wow, what’s with him?” Cadence angled her head toward Weston as Darrell embellished the skunk story.
If Paisley’s memory served, that had been the day Cadence and Graham had admitted their feelings for each other. She hadn’t heard the end of the mushy stuff since, though the couple had been dancing around their growing feelings for months by that point. Weston didn’t have any feelings, so it was going to take a greater act of God than skunk stench to push him toward Paisley.
Now she shrugged. “You know Weston, always surly.”
“You just like a challenge.”
“Duh.” Sometimes Paisley wondered if that’s all it was. If she’d focused on Weston Kline because he was the least likely guy on the guest ranch to reciprocate. If the relationship never began, then Paisley couldn’t fail at it.
That couldn’t be the reason. Weston was sweet and gentle with the horses and the barn dogs and cats. Didn’t that mean he’d be kind to a woman he loved?
He was also a hottie, with those gorgeous brown eyes and his barely contained muscles. He carried himself confidently and didn’t seem to care what people thought of him.
Paisley cared all too much.
“He’s watching you.”
But when Paisley glanced toward Weston, she found him focused on a nearby tree. “Woodpecker,” he said.
Several of the milling group pivoted toward the rat-a-tat-tat sound.
Paisley turned away. She’d seen a million birds. What she really wanted to see was a genuine smile out of Weston Kline, preferably when he was looking directly at her.
“Maybe I should get Graham to ask Weston to be his best man.”
Paisley scowled at her roommate and best friend. “You’re crazy. They barely know each other. And, also, are you telling me Graham hasn’t chosen anyone yet?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“But…”
“He’s not super close to any of his cousins. More than he used to be, though.”
Paisley’s mind raced. “How about Tate? They work together, after all. Graham probably hangs out with him than anyone else besides their grandfather.”
“You’d think, but Tate is so wrapped up in his family that they really don’t see each other outside of the office. Which I don’t blame Tate for. He and Stephanie haven’t been married for an entire year yet, and they spent most of that time building their house. Not only do they have Jamie, but also a newborn, so they’re busy.”
“Graham and Bryce are nearly the same age, right?” Yeah, Paisley had studied the Sullivan family tree. Whatever. Complain to someone who cared.
“Bryce doesn’t take anything seriously and rubs Graham the wrong way.”
“Maxwell? He’s quite focused.”
“They’re just not close.”
Finished his story, Darrell pointed the group up the trail, and the horses began filing after him.
Any minute now, Cadence would edge Mirage into place in line, but before she did, she flashed a grin at Paisley. “He’s at least as close to Weston as the other guys.” Then she clicked her tongue, squeezed her knees against the mare’s flanks, and edged her into the queue.
Nice parting shot. And now Paisley’s mind brimmed with the image of a hunky Weston Kline in a tuxedo. She hadn’t thought he could look any hotter than in his flannel and Wranglers, but her imagination could totally kick him up a notch.
“What’re you staring at me for?” he growled.
“Oh, was I?”
“Yeah. Don’t. It weirds me out.”
Paisley squelched all the wiggly feelings inside of her and raised her eyebrows at him. “Maybe I like weirding you out. Maybe I like staring at you.”
Cindy, Paisley’s new coworker, snickered as her horse carried her past.
Looked like Paisley had managed to find herself at the very end with Weston again. Maybe that had been her subconscious’s doing, not that she minded.
“Find some other dude to chase. I’m not that guy.”
Maybe now they were getting somewhere. She started Enchantment at the same time as he urged Ranger forward. “Why not? I think Weston Kline deserves to laugh and have a good time as much as the next guy.” Oops, she’d nearly said he deserved to fall in love. Maybe that was too forward even for her.
“I have fun.”
“Oh, yeah? Tell me the last time you laughed.” When the pause went on a little long, she couldn’t resist prodding. “I’m waiting to hear.”
“You’re really annoying, you know that?”
“So I’ve heard. But that wasn’t a joke, and no one found it humorous.”
Weston sighed so heavily it had to be put on. “I found something funny maybe a month ago. Are you happy now?”
“Hmm.” Paisley tapped her chin. “Did you know that laughing pulls loads of oxygen into your lungs? It increases your brain’s endorphins.”
“You’re full of useless information.”
“That’s my ADHD talking. I have hundreds of interests, and I tend to go down rabbit trails.” That was the pro to her disorder. The cons were plentiful, but she didn’t need to explain them to him at this point. If — no, when — they became a couple was soon enough to terrify him with her randomly firing synapses.
“ADHD?”
“Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. You thought I was normal? Because I’m not.”
“I never said you were. I said you were annoying, and my opinion hasn’t changed.”
“I’d like to change it.”
“I bet you would,” he muttered.
Paisley cupped her hand behind her ear. “Pardon me? I couldn’t quite catch that.”
“Paisley, how blunt do I need to be? Whatever you’re looking for, I’m not the guy you want.”
Her heart quaked. “What if I disagree?”
“Last I heard, it takes two to have a relationship.” Weston toggled his finger between them. “We do not have a relationship. I’m not interested.”
“I think you are. I think you’re scared.”
“I think you’re a pest. A pest who’s full of herself.”
He wasn’t completely wrong. She’d made a decision a few years ago to decide what she wanted and go after it with singular purpose. Rabbit trails kept showing up, though. Now would be a good time for one. If she could change her crush to someone easier by an act of will, she might just consider doing so.
But no. Her attention had been caught by Weston Kline, for better or for worse, and she was so far out on that limb now there wasn’t any way to retreat to safety. She either needed to capture his notice or she’d fall off the branch and break her neck. Or her heart.
She quelled the uneasiness that she might not be up for the task. “Bring your best, Weston. I promise not to hold it over your head once you’ve admitted your feelings.” Much , she added to herself.
He shook his head and veered Ranger off the path. A moment later, he regained the trail a few horses further ahead.
Paisley was patient. Dedicated. And she was right. She could outlast the grumpy cowboy.