6. Jake
CHAPTER SIX
jake
Sweat clung to my forehead beneath my cowboy hat, the hot summer sun beating down on me as I rode the perimeter of the Carson ranch. One of the ranch hands caught a break in the fence, so Colter rallied the troops to check and make sure there weren’t any other weak spots.
Earlier that morning, we’d moved the cattle to a higher area of the ranch, so it was already shaping up to be a long day. Even though Colter’s parents had hired hands, the five of us cowboys were always available to lend a hand when we weren’t on the road, and happy to help at that.
July was also the haying season, so that was what most of the ranch hands spent their time doing in their day-to-day, leaving some of the unexpected tasks for us. Maggie and Chip ran a tight ship, but having us here to jump in when we could kept operations running smoothly.
“We’re all good down here.” Colter’s voice crackled over the radio.
“All good here, too,” I replied.
Reid’s voice was next. “The east side has some sagging wires, but it’ll be an easy fix.”
“I’ll be over in a bit,” Mikey responded.
He was the only one who was driving instead of on horseback.
Not only because using an ATV was quicker to bring supplies and tools out, but also because Mikey was deathly afraid of horses.
A fact I’d always thought was ironic considering he rode bulls for a living.
It appeared Reid’s section was the only one that had weaknesses in the fence, so I started to ride back to the main house, shooting off a quick, “Headed back,” over the radio.
Hayden was already back by the time I untacked Trigger—Colter’s secondary horse—and let him back out into the pasture. He had Pancho, Sierra’s dog, at his feet, the Australian shepherd panting and wagging his tail happily.
“Hey, buddy.” I leaned down to pat the dog on the head, and he rolled over to show his belly. “Think I need a dog.”
“Huh, thought you’d have enough craziness with Cait and Whitley living next door. Are you that lonely out there?” Colter laughed behind me, having gotten back to the house shortly after me.
I shrugged. “I’m just trying to let them settle in. Stay out of the way until they need me.”
Colter hummed, like he didn’t quite believe me. It was the truth, though. Or at least part of the truth. I was letting them settle in. But staying out of the way wasn’t an easy task. Especially when all I wanted to do was be close to Cait. Help her in any way I could.
“Well, Ellison told me she might need some help with boxes or something. She had a friend ship her storage unit stuff from Washington. But I could always go over instead if you’re too busy…” He was fishing, but I’d be damned if I didn’t still take the bait.
“Nah.” I waved him off, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. “No need for you to make a trip out there. I can help her.”
His lips quirked up in a smirk, like he’d gotten exactly what he was out to achieve. “Good deal, buddy.”
The roar of an engine peeled up the driveway, getting all of our attention.
Sierra hopped out of Hayden’s truck, squatting down to pat her legs. “Pancho!”
The dog’s ears immediately perked up, and he sprung to his feet, sprinting over to her like I was chopped liver.
“Hey! You stole my friend away from me,” I protested.
“Get your own dog,” she retorted before directing her attention to Hayden. “You think you’re gonna be too much longer?”
He shook his head. “Nah. Unless you need me for anything else?” he asked Colter
“You’re good, bud,” Colter replied, and Hayden gathered his things, walking with Sierra to load up his horse, Peanut Butter.
I stood, stretching my arms to not seem too eager. “Think I might head out then, too. See what’s going on at the house.”
Colter offered me a mock salute, a stupid grin plastered on his face. “Have fun.”
Oh, I will.
I pulled back into the driveway about fifteen minutes later and immediately noticed Caitlin struggling to carry boxes into the guest house.
“Do you need help bringing those in?” I jogged across the lawn to get to her, not waiting for an answer before I picked up one of the boxes next to her car.
A subtle flush crept into her cheeks. “Oh, thanks.”
She fumbled with the box as she tried to open the door, so I maneuvered around her to reach the handle.
“Here, let me get it for you.”
Her head dipped in thanks as I pushed the door open, holding it for her so she could go inside.
“Where are you putting these?” I asked, following her through the entryway.
“My bedroom is fine,” she replied before elaborating. “Er, it’s the front bedroom facing the lawn. You can set it down anywhere in the room. Just make sure it’s out of the way so I don’t trip on it later.”
“Aye aye, captain.” I nodded.
While the guest house had already been decorated with a female gaze in mind, now there were little pieces of Caitlin and Whitley sprinkled around the house: a stuffed animal in the corner with a yellow backpack, a cream-colored cardigan on the sofa, a few simple gold rings on the coffee table, and a Dutch oven on the counter by the stove.
However, it didn’t really give the impression that it was her house. It still gave off the vibe that she was a guest instead of a resident. Which, if you wanted to be technical, it wasn’t her house, but for all intents and purposes, while she was staying there it was.
Caitlin’s bedroom felt more like her. Bright, cozy, and warm, with smatterings of color against the otherwise plain cream-colored walls. Her comforter was a pretty shade of green, and it looked like she had bought some plants, too.
Photos of her and Whitley in frames decorated the top of her dresser, and various pieces of jewelry lay next to them.
Not wanting to intrude on her space for too much longer, I set the box down by the closet. As I turned to leave, my vision caught on a bright-blue object on the nightstand. My eyes widened, and as much as I wanted to look away and not draw attention to it, I couldn’t.
Caitlin must have noticed me staring, because her gaze shifted in the same direction before her cheeks turned bright red.
My lips curled into a subtle smirk, but I played coy and raised my eyebrows as if to ask, What’s that?
But the words that actually left my mouth were, “What’s with that look on your face? You don’t have to be embarrassed. Nothing wrong with a little self-care every now and then, am I right?”
She snatched the toy off the nightstand, stuffing it into the drawer.
“Nothing, it’s nothing.” Letting out a nervous laugh, she added, “And it’s…
uh…it’s broken anyway. I can get the rest of the boxes, actually, but thank you for your help!
” while ushering me out of the bedroom and into the living room.
“Are you sure?” I raised my brows while doing my best to suppress a grin. “Those boxes out there look pretty heavy. Not that you can’t handle it yourself, but I’m not doing anything the rest of the day.”
“Yep.” She popped the P.
We were by the front door now, and she reached around me to open it, practically pushing me onto the front porch. “Bye, Jake!”
I chuckled as I gave her a wave over my shoulder. “Bye, Cait.”
The door immediately slammed the moment I turned around. Shaking my head, I made the short trek across the lawn back to my house.