Chapter Five
“I t’s not weird,” Josh said to Bella as he removed her tack, tossing the heavy saddle over the gate. He picked up a brush and swept it across her broad back, her roan coat gleaming in the early morning sun that spilled in through the barn door. “I’m just gonna swing by and see how she’s feeling after yesterday.”
Bella snorted, the sound muffled with her face in her feed bucket.
Josh had a habit of talking to his horses. He hadn’t noticed until one of his hired hands pointed it out one day, and they’d all had a good laugh about it. Josh supposed he talked to most of his animals. He spent a lot of solitary time out here, with nothing but the cattle and the horses as company, so some one-sided conversation was expected. Besides, the horses never complained. As long as he bribed them with a bucket of oats and a thorough brushing, they were content to listen as long as he needed.
“It’s the neighborly thing to do,” he continued. “I know we’re not technically neighbors, but it’d be rude of me not to inquire. Wouldn’t it? I mean, I use the feed store every month. Don’t you think it would be weird not to say something?”
Bella’s ear twitched.
“That’s not particularly helpful,” Josh said, giving Bella a firm pat.
He’d been thinking about Amy since the moment he’d gotten up this morning, wondering how she was faring, if she was feeling any better, if she’d be back at work today. He tried to tell himself it was just genuine concern, but a small part of him knew it was more than that.
He’d spent the better part of yesterday afternoon with her, sitting out on the porch, and Josh honestly couldn’t remember when he’d enjoyed himself more. It had been a perfect spring day, but the truth was that it was the company that had been so pleasant. It could have been blowin’ up a storm and he’d still have enjoyed himself just the same. Frankly, Amy was the only thing occupying his thoughts, and he’d come to the conclusion that the only way to stop said thoughts was to see her again. When he’d left her yesterday, the color had come back to her cheeks and she laughed freely at the stories he told her about wayward cattle on the ranch.
But he couldn’t shake the desire to see her again. To make sure she really was feeling better.
“It’s not weird,” he said again as he locked Bella’s stall and hung up the tack.
It was perfectly normal to be concerned about a neighbor. A charming, sweet, interesting neighbor. Not to mention beautiful. Because he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t acknowledge the way Amy’s pretty smile, directed right at him, made his pulse skip like a frog into a creek bed.
He thought again about what Ryder and Noah had said the day they’d visited. Go for it .
And why the hell not? Josh asked himself. They’d had a good time yesterday—him and Amy—after she was feeling a little better. Perhaps they’d have an even better time if he worked up the nerve to ask her to lunch.
Because it’s going to hurt , a voice whispered inside his head. It’s going to get messy and she’ll stomp all over your heart.
Hush , he wanted to tell the voice. He glanced at his watch. If he was going to check up on Amy and maybe catch her before lunch, he had to go now. Josh darted inside to change out of his dusty riding clothes. He wetted his hands and ran them through his hair, making sure everything lay flat before he hurried back out to his truck. The quicker he went, the less time there was for him to talk himself out of this idea.
Josh followed the long gravel drive out to the main road, passing the sign for Split Valley that sat carved in thick, polished wood next to the entrance of the property. Growing up on Juniper Road, Josh had watched ranches come and go, most falling on hard times. There were few that had endured the economic hardship Tenacity had been plagued with. But there were acres of land to the west of the Split Valley that belonged to the Coreys. Josh had always been close to them, having practically grown up with their grandson, Shane. And to the east was the property that had once belonged to the Woodsons. Fences lined the road, wood and wire and steel, keeping the animals contained and marking out property lines. At this time of year, the first wildflower blooms were stretching out of the ditches in thick clumps.
Josh had always appreciated growing up out here, just beyond town. Out where the world quietly shifted from one season to the next. And though he’d come to appreciate that reliable change from winter to spring, he sometimes thought it might be nice to have someone in the passenger seat to enjoy it with him.
He reached town after another minute, his truck trundling along Central Avenue. He passed The Grizzly Bar with its weather-beaten benches and large orange door. Next door was the Silver Spur Café where Josh had spent a good many mornings enjoying coffee and eggs. Town Hall rose up right in the middle of everything, that old busted clock tower looking out over the town. Then there was Tenacity Drugs & Sundries, and the Tenacity Social Club, built in the basement of the same building that housed their post office and barbershop. The businesses that survived in this hardscrabble town did so out of pure grit and determination. He drove past the Feed and Seed and a while later pulled into the parking lot of Strom and Son.
Josh hopped out of his truck and quickly checked his hair in the reflection of the window, then walked into the store.
He nodded to Nathan as he passed by with a box of nutritional supplements and spotted Faith at the front counter. She glanced up, and her eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of her mouth quirking.
“You again?” She placed a hand on her hip. “Here for more sheep shears?”
Josh clicked his tongue. Faith was far too astute for her own good. No point in lying. He leaned against the counter. “I actually just wanted to see how Amy was getting on after yesterday.”
“Huh,” Faith said. “Did you?”
Her gaze almost made him squirm. Maybe he should have stuck with the lie.
“Well, I suppose you could ask her yourself,” Faith said. She inclined her head in the direction of the warehouse. “Amy’s out back.”
“Right,” Josh said. “Thanks.”
He could feel Faith’s eyes on him until he passed through a door and out of sight, disappearing into a back lot where a supply delivery was being unloaded from a large box truck. He spotted Amy right away, her dark hair hanging just past her shoulders, tapping a pen against her chin. She had a clipboard in hand and her lips moved like she was counting under her breath.
He cleared his throat as he approached so he didn’t startle her.
Amy’s eyes widened. He hoped it was a good surprise. Then her face broke into a smile. “Well, hey there, cowboy.”
He liked the way she called him cowboy . He liked it too much, probably.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon.”
“Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Josh said. “I sort of just wanted to check in and see how you were doing.”
Amy flushed. “I’m actually feeling much better,” she said, tucking the clipboard under her arm. “And Faith wouldn’t let me leave the house this morning until I’d eaten a turkey bacon sandwich. So no spontaneous fits of dizziness either.”
“Turkey bacon?”
“I’ve been trying to sneak real bacon into the house since I got here back in February. Faith won’t budge.”
“Wow, you really are suffering.”
“Thank you,” Amy said. “No one else seems to understand my plight.”
“Really though, I don’t know how you can bear it.”
Amy laughed, and he caught a flash of teeth. She did look better. Brighter. Glowing even. It was such a sharp contrast to yesterday that Josh actually sighed, relief washing through him. He knew he’d been worried, he just hadn’t realized how worried. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
“Well, I’ve also been keeping up with my sweet tea and toast,” she said. “And it’s been working wonders.”
He chuckled under his breath, charmed that she remembered what he’d said about his grandmother.
“You didn’t come all the way here just to check up on me, did you?”
“I might have.”
Amy ducked her head, her hair obscuring the deepening flush in her cheeks. She held the clipboard to her front, like it might stop his words from reaching her. “You really didn’t have to do that. Your help yesterday was more than enough.”
“I know.” Josh shrugged. “But I wanted to.” And he wanted to keep talking to her. Even now. “Is it busy today?” He gestured to the skids of supplies. “I mean, do you still have a lot of work to be getting on with here?”
Amy glanced. “Not too much more actually. I was almost done when you turned up.”
“You think you could leave for a bit?”
She arched her brow.
“For lunch,” he clarified.
“Are you asking me out for lunch, Josh Aventura?”
“If that’s something you’d be open to,” he said. “If you’re not, then I will just be on my way. And we can both pretend I was never here asking awkward questions.” He started to back away but she caught him by the wrist. Warmth flooded through him at the touch.
“I’d love to go to lunch with you,” she said sweetly, and Josh’s heart lobbed against his ribs. It was so forceful he worried she might be able to see it beating right through his shirt.
“Great. That’s really… Okay then.” He waited for Amy to finish up her counting, then they headed back through the store together. Amy stopped briefly to speak with Faith who was eyeballing him over Amy’s shoulder, her eyebrows rising higher and higher. Josh wasn’t sure what that look meant, but he averted his eyes just in case.
When their conversation was finished, Amy followed him out to his truck and he drove them back down Central Avenue to the Silver Spur Café. They’d just missed the lunch rush, which meant it would be quiet inside, but they should still have enough time to eat before the café closed for the day.
“How’s this?” Josh asked as he stopped in the parking lot. There weren’t a plethora of options in Tenacity, but he could vouch that the food was good. Definitely not a five-star experience. It actually might not even compare to what she was probably used to having up in Bronco. But the owners were kind, and he’d never once heard a bad word about the service. “I know it’s not much,” he continued. Damn. Maybe he should have planned this out more. It was his first time asking her out. Should he have sprung for something better? Should he have cooked?
“This is perfect,” Amy said. “I’d been meaning to check it out, just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.”
Josh nodded and took his keys from the ignition, emboldened by Amy’s words.
They walked inside, greeted by cozy booths and wooden tables and an eclectic mix of cowboy paraphernalia tacked to the wooden ceiling beams. There were photos of people from town in frames adorning the walls behind the hostess stand. Ranches and ranchers. Young couples and old. Newly married folks and babies. It summed up Tenacity pretty well.
“Cute,” Amy said, studying one of the photos.
They were seated quickly, and he briefly glanced at the menu, but put it aside knowing he was going to order his favorite. The brisket burger.
“There are too many options,” Amy laughed, lowering her menu. Her blue eyes twinkled in the low light overhead.
“What have you narrowed it down to?”
“Maybe the chicken club with the pickle spears on the side.”
“Good choice.”
Their waitress came over and talked Amy into also getting their homemade soup. When their food arrived, he was pleased to see Amy eating with gusto, again reassured that she really was feeling better.
“So, is this place like a Tenacity staple?” Amy asked, studying the photos on the walls again. “Been around since the beginning of time sort of thing?”
“I’ve actually been coming here since I was a kid,” Josh said. “I’ve lived in Tenacity my whole life. Never left town. So it’s been around at least that long.”
“Not for college or anything?”
“No, I took over the ranch from my parents in my early twenties.”
“And you never wanted to leave?”
He shook his head. “This place might not work for some people. But I’ve always been content with what the world had to offer me right here.” Though, of course, a nice woman, a partner in this life, could only make it better, but Josh had come to the conclusion that that ship had probably sailed. Still, with Amy sitting across from him it was easier to dream of a future that looked like that. “What about you? Get out of Bronco much?”
“Actually,” she said, wiping her hands on a napkin and giving him a sheepish little smile. “I’ve done a lot of traveling with my family. Like an exorbitant amount. For work mostly.”
“So, you’re not really a feed store shelf stocker?” he teased.
“No, I’m…actually in the rodeo business like Faith.”
“Wait! I knew Faith was one of The Hawkins Sisters, but I didn’t realize you were also one of those Hawkinses.” He tipped his head, staring like he was seeing her for the first time. He’d seen dozens of posters promoting local rodeo events, highlighting The Hawkins Sisters with their rhinestone cowboy hats and lassos. But even knowing Faith’s connection to the rodeo, he’d never once considered that Amy might also be involved. It seemed so obvious now. “I don’t know how I didn’t put two and two together.” It was literally in the name. The Hawkins Sisters .
“Yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it before. I just… When I bump into people that’s usually the first thing they bring up. And if they’re rodeo fans, they want pictures and autographs. But you didn’t say anything, and at first I just thought you were being nice. But then I actually wondered if you really didn’t know who I was. You just seemed to see me, without the name and the family and the fancy rope tricks. And I kind of wanted to keep existing in that bubble for a minute.”
“I really had no idea,” he said. “I feel kind of like an idiot now.”
“Don’t,” Amy said. “Please. It was my choice not to tell you.”
Josh watched her wring her hands together. He hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable. “If you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to. I can steer clear of the conversation.”
“Oh, it’s nothing like that. I love my family. Don’t get me wrong. But sometimes it’s nice just to get to be Amy, if you know what I mean?”
“Sure.”
“But I don’t mind talking about it.”
“So… A Hawkins Sister. That’s…wow.” He was impressed not only by her rodeo prowess, but also by her worldliness. With his ranching responsibilities, he’d never been able to travel far. In fact, he might even be a little intimidated by how vastly different their worlds now felt. But he really did like her, and Amy genuinely seemed interested in him, so he tried not to dwell on how his simple life could possibly measure up to hers. “You said you did a lot of traveling?”
Amy nodded. “Faith and I and one of our sisters Tori spent a lot of time in South America during our last rodeo tour. Our other sisters Elizabeth and Carly were in Australia with some of the Hawkins cousins. So, you know,” she laughed, “we get around.”
“Which of all your trips was your favorite?”
“Definitely a show we did down in S?o Paulo, Brazil, near a community called Barretos where they have this local cowboy festival. They were just so excited to have us there and the crowds had so much energy. There’s just something about when the crowd is excited and your heart is beating and you can feel the power of the horse beneath you. Really makes me remember why I love it so much.”
To Josh it all sounded exciting and glamorous, and though he knew he could never compete with all that adventure, he was intrigued by her stories. “S?o Paulo is a long way from Tenacity. A different world entirely.” He chuckled and said, “Probably much more charming, too.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Amy insisted. “Tenacity has its charms, I think.”
He guffawed. No one had ever called Tenacity charming before, at least as far as he’d heard, and he was tickled that she would say that.
“I think it’s mostly just that I’ve had my fill of big cities,” Amy said. “For a long time the circuit and the travel and the performing was what I thought I wanted.”
“Not so much anymore?”
She shrugged, her nose wrinkling in that adorable way. “I think some peace and quiet would be nice now. Tenacity seems like the perfect place for that.”
Josh nodded. “A person can find peace here,” he agreed. “But it can also be lonely sometimes.”
Her smile thinned. “I’ve come to understand a thing or two about loneliness recently.”
Her words were soft and sad, and Josh reached over to take her hand, to comfort her, but before he could, Amy flinched away, and he felt like an idiot. Lord, what was he doing? “I’m sorry.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean to be so forward.” Maybe he was reading things wrong and Amy was only humoring him with lunch. With conversations on the porch. With sweet smiles and pink cheeks and… Before he could fret anymore about overstepping, Amy shook her head.
“No. I’m the one who should apologize.” She frowned. “It’s just, I’ve recently gotten out of a bad relationship and I guess I’m just a little cautious.”
Josh nodded. “Of course. No need to apologize.”
They went back to eating.
“I really am glad you asked me to lunch,” she said.
“Yeah?”
Amy nodded. “Yeah.”
“Good,” he said softly, and for the life of him, Josh couldn’t figure out who had been foolish enough to let Amy get away.