That made Sophie giggle. He’d pointed the huge brown animals out to Sophie on the rare times they’d gone off the ranch together and some of the Buckton family’s animals stood near the road that separated their ranches.
“Actually, I’m rather glad you haven’t met them yet. There was a time when a few of our bison were known to wander over to this land. The former owner used to get rather steamed about it.”
Another reason Paul Larkey wasn’t everyone’s favorite neighbor. Would that help the case for what he wanted to do when he shifted from tenant to owner of the ranch? Or hurt it? You have to buy it from the foreclosure bank first, which means you have to tell Hunter first, he reminded himself. “Nope,” he offered. “We’ve not had any bison come to visit that I know of.”
“You’ve got a lot of open land here,” she said. “Larkey used to raise cattle, but I expect you know that.”
She was polite enough not to go on to “So what are you going to raise?” but it was clear she was thinking it. It made him wonder what prompted today’s visit. Was this a Buckton family fact-finding mission?
He must have scowled because she got to her feet. “I came with an invitation.”
“And bison burgers,” Sophie added as she handed the bag to Cooper and maneuvered to her feet.
Cooper was impressed that Tess didn’t try to help Sophie up. Sophie could do most things for herself, and was never shy about asking for help if she needed it. Anyone who treated his little girl like every other little girl won points with him. “An invitation?”
“To dinner Friday night. You and Sophie and Glenno, if he promises to keep quiet about any recipe swiping. And...anyone else here.”
Was she fishing to see if there was a Mrs. Pine? “Just the three of us.” In truth, clients would eventually visit on therapy days, but he opted out of mentioning that complication. Two months ago it felt like he couldn’t breathe word of the equine therapy services he wanted to provide, but he was slowly feeling an urge to let it out. Hunter had to be the first to know—but it sure would be nice to hear someone else say, “You’re not crazy. An equine therapy ranch is a good thing, and you should do it.”
“Well,” Tess replied to his earlier comment, “then we’d like ‘just the three of you’ to come to supper Saturday night.”
Cooper had to ask, remembering the suspicious looks Luke had given him in Lolly’s not two days ago. “And your brothers are okay with this?”
“It was my grandmother’s idea, and Gran trumps everyone on the Blue Thorn. Besides, I think getting to know each other is a better idea than throwing each other frosty looks in town, don’t you think?”
So she had noticed. And it felt like she was on his side. Cooper wasn’t prepared for how that wrapped itself around him. His much-lauded instincts told him she wasn’t being nice to him just because he was Cooper Pine. It startled him how refreshing he found the realization.
Sophie dragged him from his thoughts by tugging on his arm. “Can I go bring these to Glenno? Can we have them for lunch?”
“Sure thing.” He watched her clip down the hall before turning to Tess. “Thanks for the burgers. And the invite.”
“You’re welcome.”
There was an odd, stretched-out moment where they realized they were alone together with nothing much to talk about. Tess shrugged and looked around the great room behind them. “You know, it’s not at all like I pictured it.”
“How’s that?”
He walked ahead of her into the room. The space had too much dark wood in it—the place needed lightening up in a million ways—but there was a solidness to the property Cooper could see under all the dated fixtures. When the rental manager had showed him the place as “a real bargain,” he’d had this inexplicable sense of him needing it and it needing him. Not that he’d ever voice anything so odd.
“We used to make up stories about the inside of this place when I was growing up.” She looked at the room with just a hint of the long-lost feeling he’d had at his first look.
It couldn’t be her first look—she’d grown up across the road from the place, hadn’t she? “You mean you’ve never seen the inside of the house before?”
“Dad and Mr. Larkey were never friends. My brothers and I used to dare each other to see how close we could get to this house before old man Larkey chased us off. Gunner told me he saw hunting trophies through the windows once, and we made up stories about how he got them.”
“There were two or three on the walls when I got here. I took them down before Sophie arrived.” He looked around the room, finding it still too dark and bare for the place Sophie would grow up.
“She’ll love Martins Gap. Sure, we’ve got some of the small-town gossipy stuff going on, but you’ll find most folks will take to her like ducks to water.” She turned to him, evidently deciding to be direct. “I’ll warn you, those burgers and the supper invitation come with strings attached. My family really wants to know what your plans are.”
That was no surprise. “Texans are a neighborly lot, but two visits in four days tells me y’all are seriously curious.” He used the colloquialism as a joke, but as soon as it was out of his mouth he realized it sounded absurd in his accent.
“Just so you know, you’ll be grilled Saturday night.” She went on. “In the most polite way possible, but grilled none the less. I figured it was fair to warn you.”
“Consider me warned,” he replied as he opened the doors that led out to the patio. She’d made a gesture on her part, he ought to do the same. “So I’ll say this. I’ve got plans under consideration. I’m just not of a mind to share them yet.” He tucked his hands into his pockets. “Will that be enough?”
She raised one eyebrow. “I doubt it.” She exhaled and sat on the low stone wall that surrounded the patio. “But I get what it’s like to not be ready to tell the whole world all your plans. The need to keep secrets. But my brothers are going to make it hard on you. You shouldn’t blame them—they’ve fought hard to keep the Blue Thorn going and to make it a success, and they’re afraid whatever you’ve got planned might be a threat.”
Cooper sat in one of the old wooden chairs that had been left with the property. “So you came to feed me, invite me and warn me?”
She smiled. “Well, yes. You should also know I think Audie could be a great friend to Sophie, and it’ll help if Gunner’s not suspicious of your motives.”
He stretched his legs out, crossing one boot over the other. “And what does Gunner think my motives are?”
“Honestly?”
“Straight up, mate. I’ve probably heard it all before anyway.”
Her back straightened. “He’s worried he’ll wake up one morning to a full-blown Piney fan festival out his front window. He thinks you’ll be bringing the whole TV thing here, complete with crowds and fuss.”
“That I’ll open a souvenir shop in town next to the Blue Thorn Store where he sells his stuff?” he continued, fully aware he was pushing her buttons. “How would that be different from what your family already does? Wouldn’t both offer products to the public that support a family ranch business?”
“I wouldn’t put a single store selling bison meat and yarn in the same boat as a franchise pitching arena shows, DVDs and T-shirts.” When he raised an eyebrow she added, “We don’t have a fan club.”
“So everyone expects me to be the showman Hunter is.”
“And you’re not?”
She