Before she knew it, Jax had cleaned his plate—not once, but twice, leaving her glad she’d thought to pack extra. Jo Spencer had advised her on the eating habits of the Texas male, and Jax was no slouch in that department.
“If you don’t mind me asking—why?” Jax’s voice had a hard edge to it, and he didn’t quite meet her gaze.
“Why?” she repeated, bracing herself. She wasn’t ready for him to elaborate on his question, to have to explain why a city woman wanted to open up a mustang sanctuary in the country, but sometimes there was no way out but through.
“Yeah. Why?” He lifted his tan cowboy hat and brushed his forearm across his brow. “Why did you bid on me?”
Her heart skipped a beat. Why had she bid on him?
“You mean why did I bid in the auction in general, or why bid for you, specifically?”
He shrugged. “Both, I guess.”
The truth was, he’d looked miserable up on the auction block, especially when there was hesitation from the crowd on bidding for him. She couldn’t imagine why that was. Despite his scar, he was quite handsome, if a woman liked her men strong and rugged. Faith would have expected the town’s single ladies to be shouting over each other in order to get a chance to spend time with this guy.
And yet there had been silence. The drop-of-a-pin kind.
Maybe it was too early in the game. Jax was only the second man to be auctioned, and the first bachelor. Perhaps the ladies were waiting to see who else was offering their services. Or maybe there was something about Jax that Faith didn’t yet know about, such as that he was conceited or had a bad temper.
She hoped not, but she was about to find out— because Jax was frowning again.
“Look—I don’t want your pity,” he said, his voice husky.
“What? No.”
“Are you seriously going to sit there and tell me you didn’t feel sorry for this scarred old monster? Because I won’t believe you.”
“I was standing at the back of the crowd. I couldn’t even see your scar.”
He shook his head. “That’s even worse.”
Now she was the one feeling insulted. “Why? You think I’m so shallow that I would want to bow out of our agreement just because of a gash on your face?”
He scoffed. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
She heard the bitterness behind his words. Someone in his past had injured him deeply. The wound in his heart was deeper than the one on his face.
“Well, that’s not me. I came here today looking for someone to help me with my ranch. I bought the Dennys’ old place, and it will take a lot of labor to get it in working order. If you’re going to pitch in, then I couldn’t care less what you look like. Wear a paper bag over your face, if you like. It won’t matter to me. I’ll take all the help I can get.”
His jaw lost its tightness at the welcome change of subject. He whistled softly.
“That place is pretty run-down. What do you plan to do with it?”
“I’m going to save wild mustangs.” Her voice rose in pitch as enthusiasm for her life’s dream engulfed her.
His gaze turned skeptical and his lips quirked. “Are you serious?”
Of course she was serious. Ever since she’d heard of the plight of wild mustangs as a child, she’d had it in her heart to take action, to make a difference. That’s why she’d left the East Coast and picked a college in Wyoming. For a while, life had gotten in the way and she’d set aside her dreams. But after what happened with Keith—she refused to dwell on that part of her life—she’d started making legitimate plans to fulfill her goals, and now here she was, in Serendipity, a brand-new owner of a ranch, however derelict it was.
Baby steps.
“You doubt me?”
He leaned his back against the solid trunk of the oak and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles, and giving her a once-over that sent chills down her spine.
His gaze lingered on her shoes.
“Forgive me if I’m a little bit skeptical. You’re clearly a city girl. What do you know about ranching?”
The only reason she didn’t punch him in the arm for his sarcasm—apart from not really knowing the man and how he’d react to that kind of attack—was that his words were lined with amusement. Hopefully not at her expense.
“All right. I’ll admit I was born and raised in a metropolitan area and have never lived on a ranch. However, I have spent several years volunteering at a wild-horse sanctuary. I realize I’m on a learning curve here, but I have read a lot and my bachelor’s degree is in business management with a minor in conservation and environmental science. I’ve done a lot of studying on the subject. Wyoming isn’t tolerant of wild horses.”
He snorted. “You’ve read about it? Like in a library? And you think a little piece of paper somehow makes you qualified to manage a horse farm? With wild mustangs, no less. Exactly how many wranglers do you intend to hire?”
She shook her head. She was afraid this subject might come up. “None. At least at first. I’m working to find like-minded donors to help me reach my vision, but until more funds come in, I can’t afford to hire any help.”
“You’re doing this alone?”
“Well, not all alone, obviously. I have you, don’t I? At least for a little while? I don’t think we’ve talked about the length of your—indenture.”
“I think most guys are going a month of weekends.”
“That’ll do. You can show me how to get the ranch up to scratch. I’m a fast learner.”
“You’re going to have to be, because fixing up the ranch won’t be your only obstacle. Just how much experience do you have with mustangs? I’ve spent my whole life working with horses, and they still surprise me from time to time. Wild mustangs? That’s a whole other thing.”
“Yes, but they need my help.” Her pulse quickened as adrenaline blasted through her and her spirit lifted. For a moment Jax’s words and attitude had discouraged her, but then she remembered how many ways the Lord had come through for her. He’d guided her to Jax. She didn’t believe in coincidences.
“You train horses, then?” She wanted specifics.
“Quarter horses for ranching and rodeo.” His eyes gleamed with pride. It appeared they shared a love of horses. She just had to convince him she was serious in her intentions.
“I’d love to see your herd.”
His gaze widened epically and Faith choked on her breath. Had she just invited herself over to his property? Heat flared to her cheeks.
To her surprise, he nodded. “Sure. Why not? If you don’t have any other plans this afternoon, we can head on over there after we’ve finished eating. Give you the opportunity to see a working ranch in action and get up close and personal with a real, live horse.”
“Excuse me?” she huffed. “I’ve been around horses, thank you very much—and ranches, too. I worked at a ranch every summer while I was in college, and since I graduated, I’ve been volunteering weekends at Mustang Mission. I’m not the greenhorn you seem to think I am.”
“Your shoes would suggest otherwise.”
She chuckled. “Hey. I wasn’t planning to go riding today. I’m new in town. I had to