Where the hell did that come from?
“I bet I know exactly what you’re thinking, Houston Calloway.”
Only if she could read minds, and he sure as heck hoped not. “Huh?”
“You’re lamenting the fact you’re injured.”
He wasn’t too injured to stop fantasizing about her. “It is what it is, and I’ve had worse. Dallas is going to be happy to have me home to work on Texas Extreme, although he’s going to question what a one-handed cowboy can accomplish.” In fact, Dallas already had.
“I’m sure you’ll improvise,” she said.
He could improvise when it came to her needs. Too bad he wouldn’t have the opportunity to show her if Dallas offered her the job. Then again...
Houston could just hear his mom now, warning him to remember his raising and to never disrespect a woman. Unfortunately his lying, cheating dad hadn’t followed that advice. He shook off those sorry memories and cleared his throat. “You’re right. I’ll manage.”
Jill dabbed at her mouth and set the napkin aside. “Exactly what will your role be at this rodeo fantasy resort?”
“I plan to be the bull-riding instructor, as soon as I get this contraption off my wrist.”
She moved her plate to one side and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “When is this venture supposed to be up and running?”
Should’ve been long before now. “We were supposed to be ready to go by next month, but now it looks like after the first of the year. We were warned about constructing a project this big. Expect delays and an increased budget. We’ve got both.”
“You are going to have medical facilities, aren’t you?”
No surprise she’d ask about that, and it was the perfect lead-in to Dallas’s request. But he still wasn’t sure he wanted to bother with doing Dallas’s bidding. “We have a building, with nothing in it yet.”
She perked up like a pup. “You should definitely utilize athletic trainers, if not full-time, on a contract basis. You’ll need someone to manage that, and of course, they would also be in charge of ordering supplies, including safety gear. How close is the hospital?”
“They just built a new one off the interstate, about ten minutes or so away from the ranch.”
“Excellent. You’ll have an emergency room staff readily available, and you should have quick access to EMTs, just in case. Also, I suggest you might want to...”
Houston just sat back and watched Jill talk so fast he only heard half of what she was saying. He didn’t like that he was starting to lust after a lady who wouldn’t give him the time of day under most circumstances. More important, he hated to think he might be forced to see her on a daily basis and not be able to explore all the possibilities with her.
But that was okay. He could control himself around her if this whole employment thing came to pass.
“I’m sorry,” Jill said, garnering his attention.
“Sorry for what?”
She let go a low, sexy laugh. “I’m sorry for rambling on about my ideas for your business. Once I let the passion take hold, I have a hard time stopping it.”
Houston downed half a glass of water in response to the fantasies rolling around in his mind. Like that would help extinguish the heat building below his belt. He seriously needed to get a grip on his libido. “Nothing wrong with being passionate about your work. It’s the best way to get ahead in life. Do what you love and love what you do.”
“For you that’s rodeo,” she stated.
“Yep. And ranching.” And making a woman feel really good all night long.
Jill took a quick check of her watch. “Wow. It’s almost dawn. Way past bedtime.”
Not if he had any say-so in the matter. Down, Houston. “Guess that’s my cue that it’s time to go.”
She put her palm over her mouth and yawned. “I could use some sleep, and I’m sure you should grab a few minutes before Tyler returns. Are you heading back home today?”
“Yep. I hadn’t planned on it, but with a bum wrist, looks like I don’t have a choice. What about you?”
“I’m laying over here until next weekend, then I’ll move to a motel near Mesquite.”
That meant she was free for the week, a good thing if she agreed to the interview, provided he asked her about it. Houston pulled out his wallet and tossed a fifty onto the table. “Let’s go.”
Jill eyed the bill for a few seconds. “Don’t you need to wait for your change?”
Houston slid out of the booth and came to his feet. “Nah. She needs the money more than me.”
“Very generous, Mr. Calloway,” she said as she stood. “I’m sure Ashley will appreciate your contribution to the college fund.”
Knowing he still had the job offer hanging over him, Houston trailed behind Jill as she headed out of the glass door and started toward the car. “I can walk from here,” he told her before she climbed inside the sedan. “I could use some fresh air before I enter that musty room.”
“Suit yourself,” she said with a slight smile. “And if you need any advice on your medical facilities, feel free to give me a call or a text.” She set her purse on the hood, pulled out a card and offered it to him. “Here you go. If I don’t answer immediately, it’s probably because I’m trying to put a broken cowboy back together.”
He’d been that broken cowboy before, and she had always been an expert at trying to put him back together. She was an asset to the rodeo sports medicine program. She’d be an asset to any program. Hell, anyone would be lucky to have her, in a medical sense. Any other sense, for that matter.
It occurred to Houston that he wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to her yet. Not until he posed the question that could lead to a favorable response, at least for his brother, or a literal slam of the door before she drove away, leaving him to eat her dust as easily as he’d eaten breakfast. But if she agreed to consider coming to work for Texas Extreme, he could still look at her, even if he couldn’t touch her. Even if he’d have to take several cold showers a day until he went back on the road. Damn Dallas for putting him in this predicament.
“Before you go, Jill,” he began, “I have something else I need to say. Actually, it’s an offer.”
She looked more than a little leery. “What kind of offer?”
“One that I’m hoping you can’t refuse.”
The comment robbed Jill of her speech, but only momentarily. “If you’re about to proposition me, you can—”
“Do you want me to proposition you?”
She didn’t intend to hesitate even a split second, but she did. “Of course not.”
“Hey, relax. I have a proposition for you, but I promise it doesn’t involve scooping you up and carrying you into the motel for a little predawn delight.”
That stirred up a few inadvisable images in her muddled mind. “What a relief.”
“Besides, that would be tough to do with my hand in a cast,” he said, topping off the comment with a wily wink. He leaned back against the car, as if he had no intention of going anywhere. “First, a couple of questions.”
So much for getting that snooze any time soon. “All right.”
“Where is your home base?”
“Actually,