“I’ll hold you to that.” Grinning, he backed out of the shed. “So a future Gator drive will go on the books. I’m thinking we’ll probably ride the acreage tomorrow so I can show you what I have in mind for the round pen, the campsites, trail rides and all. We can take the Gator for that, rather than ride horses.”
“Oh, I want to ride horses, too.” She paused, looked at Red, then at the other horses meandering nearby and the multitude of Charolais cattle grazing on the hill. “I need to try everything if I’m going to tell the Brooks International board everything about the ranch. I want this to work, so they’ll agree to fund other similar projects.”
“I want this to work, too.” John noticed her slight smile and suspected she looked forward to her weeks on the farm. Again, a trickle of pride shot straight to his heart.
They passed over the fields with Dana surveying everything, her blond hair whipping wildly in the breeze. She gathered it into a makeshift ponytail and held it with one hand, while using the other to shield her eyes as she took everything in. She reminded him of Abi last fall at the county fair, absorbing all the new sights, sounds and fun. This affluent woman, a millionaire who’d already made her mark following after her father as a venture capitalist, seemed captivated by his world.
John was so busy watching her that he forgot to slow down when they approached the biggest hill in the pasture and consequently caught a bit of air. She grabbed at the dashboard before she slammed back down on the seat.
“Whoa!” Her excited laugh filled the air, and John found himself joining in.
“Sorry,” he said, slowing down and deciding to take it easy for the remainder of the journey. No need to toss her into the field on her first day at the ranch.
She’d lost her grip on her hair when they went airborne, and it whipped in front of her eyes as her laughter subsided. He watched her gather it again and pull it away from her face, and the pale pink polish on her nails shimmered in the sun and added another extremely feminine quality to the woman riding next to him.
John pulled his attention away to make certain he didn’t hit any more unexpected hills, and then he heard her gasp as the log cabin and barn came into view.
All of her attention focused on the scene. “Oh, my, it’s beautiful!”
He’d always thought so, but he was a country boy, and this was pure country. Hearing her echo his sentiments with such enthusiasm, particularly when he wanted so much to impress her with the ranch, felt good.
“That’s Abi.” His niece, her strawberry pigtails bouncing as she jumped off the porch, ran toward the approaching Gator.
“Hey, Uncle John! Is that the city lady? Are you really from a big town where the wind blows all the time? Uncle John says you’re going camping with us so you can see what it’s like, ’cause when we have a dude ranch people will camp and hike and stuff. I haven’t been camping before, but we’re gonna be in a tent and cook hot dogs and marshmallows, and you eat everything with your fingers. But it’s okay, ’cause you can lick your fingers to get the gooey stuff off when you’re done.”
John barely got the Gator turned off before Abi stood within feet of Dana. And continued asking questions.
“You sure are dressed up. Did you go to church? Today is Friday, not Sunday. Did we miss church?”
“Abi, this is Miss Dana.” John hoped his niece would stop talking long enough for the introduction, and she obliged. “And no, we didn’t miss church.”
“These are the clothes I wore to work this morning, and then on the plane.” Dana smiled at Abi, and John could see that she, like John and everyone else who met the precocious child, was smitten. “I didn’t dress right for the farm, did I?”
“Nope, you sure didn’t.” Abi’s head shook so hard her curly pigtails practically slapped her freckled cheeks. “You dressed for church. Or really, you kind of dressed for Easter or maybe Christmas, a fancy church day, not a regular church day.”
John laughed, and Dana grinned.
“I did bring a couple of outfits that might work on the farm, but I’m pretty sure I’ll need to go shopping and buy some more. Maybe you and your mommy could help me find a place to buy some farm clothes while I’m here?”
Abi’s head shake turned to a full, enthusiastic bob. “Sure we can! I like to go shopping, and Mommy does, too. And Grandma comes sometimes. We can go to the square, and we can get candy at the Sweet Stop and then go to the toy store, and maybe we can go get a double-chocolate milk shake when we finish. I’ll go tell Mommy. Are you ready to go?”
This time Dana laughed. “Well, I was thinking maybe tomorrow. I’ve kind of had a full day already today. And I do have some clothes I can wear, as soon as I get my bags from the car.”
“We’ll get those for you.” John climbed out of the Gator.
“Oh, all right, then.” Her disappointment undeniable, Abi handled it pretty well for a seven-year-old. “I guess tomorrow will be okay. But tomorrow is Saturday, so I have my riding lessons from Grandma in the morning. But we can go after that.”
* * *
Dana didn’t know when she’d seen a more adorable little girl. Abi’s curly red hair, copper freckles and intriguing hazel eyes reminded her of the young actress who’d played Annie on Broadway. Except, in Dana’s opinion, little Abi was even cuter, with a realness that could only be attributed to being raised on a ranch, surrounded by family and grounded in rural country. All foreign to Dana.
Abi’s attire also set her apart from any little girl Dana had ever been around. She wore a yellow shirt with denim cutoff shorts and bare feet. Even when she’d been playing as a child, Dana never went without shoes. The feature only added to Abi’s appeal; this was a true country girl. “Maybe I could come and watch your horseback-riding lessons.” She hoped to add some consolation for making Abi wait until tomorrow to shop.
Freckled cheeks pumped up with her smile. “Okay!” Then she proceeded to tell Dana about everything she’d learned in her riding lessons, while the cabin door opened and another tall cowboy Dana knew must be John’s brother stepped onto the porch. The exact image of John, except where John’s light brown hair was wavy and a little longer, Landon had a short, military style. But they had the same broad grin, the same amber eyes and the same deep dimples bracketing their smiles. Definitely brothers.
“Abi, let her get a word in every now and then.” He stepped off the porch and tweaked one of Abi’s pigtails. “You’ll have to learn to talk when she takes a breath. I’m Landon, and we’re glad you’re here, Ms. Brooks, even if you’ve gotten off to a rocky start with your arrival on the farm.”
A rocky start. Right. With all her attention focused on John, she’d almost forgotten about her entrance to the ranch. “I’m so sorry about Gypsy.” The guilt of killing this family’s oldest cow hit her hard as she continued to meet more of the Cutters.
“Gypsy? Is Gypsy okay?” Abi’s question caused Dana to realize that rarely being around children had removed her natural protective filter for the information she should share. Abi’s attention moved to the field. “Where is Gypsy?”
“Um...” Dana looked to John for help.
His mouth shifted to the side as though debating what to say, but then the cabin door opened again and a woman stepped out. Her hair, the same strawberry-blond as Abi’s, fell in long waves to her waist. “Abi, your chocolate milk is ready and on the kitchen table. Why don’t you come on in and drink it while it’s good and cold?”
“Yum.” Abi scrambled past the group and hurried into the house.
Landon looked adoringly at the stunning woman. “Ms. Brooks, this is Georgiana, my wife.”
“Please