Charmed By The Daring Cowboy (Sage Valley Ranch Book 4) Read online

  Alyssa shrugged. Morgan had a way of dragging things out of her, though. Before she knew it, she was telling her friend about the cowboy she hadn’t been able to forget. “I figure, he’s probably only working there temporarily or something, right?”

  Morgan raised an eyebrow. “Are you kidding? I sure hope not. It’s like one of those meetings right out of a romance movie. You know, where the music starts playing, and it’s clear they’re going to fall in love.” She sighed dramatically. “It’s so romantic!”

  “Being covered in mud before my son’s doctor’s appointment is not exactly romantic.”

  “Depends on how you look at it.” Morgan winked. “Seriously, though. Are you hoping to run into him again? Or not?”

  “I wish I knew.” Alyssa sagged against the counter and then shifted out of the way when a customer came forward to pay for his purchase. Once he was gone, Alyssa straightened up again. “I don’t need distractions, Morgan. Especially the romantic kind.” She hadn’t been in a relationship since her husband died in a work-related accident four years ago. It’d taken everything she had to focus on raising Noah and getting used to doing things on her own. She’d been okay with that. Was still okay with it. “I’m on my own with this job, and Ben’s insisting I need to get it done before the deadline.”

  “Since when has your boss been such a stickler?”

  “It’s pretty recent, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make the rest of us nervous.” Alyssa sighed.

  “That’s not good.” Morgan thought a moment. “Well, in my opinion, this kind of distraction is exactly what you need. Either the cowboy’s going to be there again tomorrow, or he’s not.”

  “Wow, I’m surprised you don’t sell your wisdom right along with those fancy essential oils,” Alyssa said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She smiled then and gave her friend a nudge in the shoulder with her own. “Thanks again for the salve. We’d better get going.” She raised her voice slightly and called for Noah who joined her moments later.

  “You’re welcome. Call me tomorrow night and let me know if you run into your cowboy again.”

  “He’s not my cowboy,” Alyssa called over her shoulder as she led the way to the door.

  “You keep telling yourself that!” Morgan’s words followed Alyssa right out into the main parking lot.

  She waited until Noah got strapped into his booster seat before starting the truck’s engine. “You ready to go, sweetie?”

  “I guess.” He sounded less than enthused and was silent for a short while before speaking again. “I want to be a cowboy when I grow up.”

  How long had Noah been listening to their conversation? Then again, he missed next to nothing so Alyssa shouldn’t have been surprised. Her little boy loved everything about being outside from digging in the dirt to catching bugs or lizards. That he might be interested in riding horses or roping cattle wasn’t a stretch. “Oh? What makes you say that?”

  She looked at him in the rearview mirror in time to catch him shrugging his little shoulders. “I think it’d be neat to wear a cowboy hat and stay outside all day.”

  “Well, guess what? Tomorrow, I begin work at a ranch putting in new plants, and you get to come with me.”

  His face lit up in the mirror. “Yay! I can’t wait.” His enthusiasm was quickly followed by a moment of silence. “Do cowboys have to go to the doctor?”

  Alyssa chuckled. “Yes, even cowboys go to the doctor sometimes.”

  “Aw, man!”

  The rest of their trek to the pediatrician’s office was filled with questions about horses, cows, tractors, and anything else her young son could think of with regards to ranches. Alyssa tried to answer them to the best of her ability. She had a feeling this was all she was going to hear about for the rest of the day.

  She couldn’t fault him for it, though. Goodness knows a certain brown-eyed cowboy kept slipping back into her own thoughts more than she cared to admit.

  2

  Dare finished mucking out Tabasco’s stall. The beautiful Appaloosa had been transferred to the paddock, along with the other horses, making it easier for Dare to complete his job. With a wheelbarrow full of manure, he carefully made his way through the clean stables and back outside.

  He’d emptied the wheelbarrow and was re-entering the stables when Mason stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “You about done, Jackson?”

  “I am.” He pulled his gloves off, tucked them into a back pocket, and dusted his hands off on his jeans.

  “Mr. Buchanan commented on how well the sprinkler system is working now.”

  “I appreciate that.” He was glad there weren’t any more problems. Fixing that sprinkler head meant digging into the muddy ground, reaching in up to his shoulder to find the break, sawing the PVC pipe and then gluing that new piece in place before filling in the hole. It was a miracle Dare had still been able to see glimpses of his jeans and shirt at all when it was over. He’d filed the job away under one of his least favorites of all time. He’d rather muck out a dozen stables before he messed with that again.

  Dare followed Mason out of the barn and onto the large gravel area in front of it. The sound of metal reverberated through the air. Dare turned to find the source, quickly spotting a pickup truck he didn’t recognize. On the side of the truck, there was a large magnetic sign sporting a shade tree painted with a swing dangling from one of the branches. Beneath that were the words, “Sage Valley Nursery and Garden Center.”

  He zeroed in on the cause of the noise. The tailgate had been lowered and someone was digging into one of several plastic bins stored in the back.

  The moment he saw the woman with shiny brown hair that nearly reached her waist, Dare knew she was the one he’d kicked mud onto yesterday. Thankfully none of the other ranch hands had seen that debacle, or Dare would never hear the end of it. Especially from Gabriel Gonzalez. Gabe was his bunkmate and friend. The guy was also notorious for his teasing nature, something Dare learned quickly after arriving on the ranch.

  Dare watched as she seemed to find what she was looking for and pulled out flags attached to stakes. After setting them on the tailgate, she took out a large coroplast sign sporting a logo identical to the one on her truck.

  Mason cleared his throat, reminding Dare that he was still standing there. “She’s been hired by the Buchanans to do some landscaping around the ranch. I expect you to treat her with the utmost respect.”

  Dare gave a nod of his head. “Got it, boss.”

  “Good. I’ve heard Mrs. Buchanan has a loose banister in the house that I’d like you to take a look at. But before you do that, follow me.” There was a hint of humor in his eyes as Dare fell into step beside him. They walked right up to the landscaper who was about to push the sign into the ground.

  She raised her gaze from the sign and focused her blue eyes on him. A flash of recognition was quickly followed by the sound of the sign landing at her feet. She groaned as she retrieved it again, and Dare noticed her cheeks turn pink.

  “Ms. Reid, I wanted to introduce you to Dare Jackson.” Mason took one step to the side, putting Dare front and center. “This is Alyssa Reid from Sage Valley Nursery and Garden Center.”

  Dare smiled as he stuck a hand out. She placed her soft, petite hand in his. Instead of the light handshake he expected, she squeezed his tightly.

  “It’s good to officially meet you,” Dare told her. Reluctantly, he released her hand and it fell away. He missed the contact immediately.

  A door on the other side of the truck slammed. Seconds later, a young boy ran around to stop next to Alyssa. His head tipped back as he took in Dare and Mason along with the cowboy hats on their heads. There was no mistaking the wonder on his face. “Wow. Are you real cowboys?”

  Mason chuckled. “We sure are.”

  Alyssa put a protective hand at the base of the boy’s neck. “This is my son, Noah. He’ll be with me while I’m working on the landscaping project.” She hurried on to say, “I’ve cleared it wi
th the Buchanans,” as though she expected them to object.

  Dare crouched down and held a hand out to the boy. “It’s nice to meet you, Noah. My name is Dare.”

  The boy shook his hand enthusiastically. “I’m going to be a cowboy when I grow up.” As he said the words, he stood up as tall as he could.

  Dare laughed. “Well, good for you, sprout. You work and learn hard, never give up, and you can be whatever you want to be.” He stood up again and marveled at the boy’s red hair. There was no doubting he was Alyssa’s son. The freckles, shape of his face, and the blue eyes only confirmed their familial connection. Dare’s focus traveled to Alyssa’s left hand and noted the lack of a wedding ring. A number of questions sprang to his mind about Noah’s father.

  Mason agreed with Dare. “You sure can. I do need you to remember one thing: This is a working ranch. That means you need to stay near your mom and not go wandering off. Okay?”

  Noah looked up at his mom with wide eyes before turning his head toward Mason again. “I won’t go nowhere.”

  “Anywhere,” Alyssa supplied the gentle correction.

  “I won’t go anywhere.”

  “Fair enough.” Mason seemed satisfied. He first pointed to Dare and then Alyssa. “You two will be working together on the landscaping project when Dare’s normal duties permit.”

  For the first time since they’d approached, Alyssa’s attention shifted from Dare to Mason. Her brows knit together as she leaned the sign she’d been holding against her truck. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’ve got all I need at my disposal, and I’m more than capable of handling this on my own.”

  “That may be, but the request has come from Mrs. Buchanan herself.” Mason turned to Dare. “Once you get the regular duties completed for the morning, please check in with Ms. Reid and see how you can best assist with the project.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’ll leave you to it.” Mason tipped his cowboy hat in Alyssa’s direction. “Ma’am.” With a wave at Noah, he strode away, leaving the three of them alone.

  Dare had no idea what to say. When they’d first walked up, Alyssa had seemed surprised to see him, but it didn’t appear to be an unpleasant one. Now, however, the corners of her mouth were pulled down, and she didn’t look the least bit happy. Was it because someone was going to help her with the landscaping? Surely that wasn’t it. But if not, Dare was forced to conclude it was because of him. She must have taken his getting mud on her shirt more personally than he’d first thought.

  “I apologize again for the mud yesterday. If you’d rather work with someone else, I’m sure that can be arranged.”

  Her irritation was immediately chased away by an air of remorse. She batted her hand at his concerns. “I’m sorry. It’s not about the mud. Or you.” She released a sigh that seemed to signify there was more to this than simply landscaping. “This was kind of a pet project, and I’m used to working on my own…”

  “But I always help you, Mommy,” Noah interjected. He shifted his worn shoes in the dirt.

  Alyssa smiled as she looked at him lovingly. “Yes, you do. Why don’t you get your things so you’ll be ready to start digging soon?”

  “Okay!” Without hesitating, the boy ran to the back of the truck and clambered into the bed.

  That Alyssa wanted to work on her own was all well and good. But Dare had been employed at the ranch long enough to know that if Mrs. Buchanan had something set in her mind, that was the way it was going to be. They were stuck with each other for the time being, although he’d be lying if he said he was disappointed.

  She seemed to mull the situation over a moment before picking up the sign again and sticking it into the ground with a little effort. “The ground is quite hard here. I’m definitely going to be using a tiller to break the soil up.” She motioned to the machine resting in the bed of the pickup.

  “That’s a great idea.” Dare let his gaze flit around the ranch. It was a beautiful place with buildings that had been constructed with a great deal of character. A lot of repairs had been made even since he started working there a month ago. Still, there were signs that some areas of the ranch hadn’t been attended to as much as they might have been in the past, and the landscaping was one of them.

  “I’m sure whatever you’ve discussed with Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan will look great.”

  Alyssa seemed excited about the project. “Sharon has some wonderful ideas. I’m looking forward to getting started.” She reached up and pulled on her right earlobe, a motion that had Dare’s full attention. He noticed a flash of worry on her face, but it was gone so quickly, he wondered if he imagined it.

  Alyssa had called Mrs. Buchanan “Sharon” which implied they probably knew each other before Alyssa was hired for the job, but it also meant she was not likely one of their granddaughters. At least she didn’t seem too upset about the mud.

  Noah retrieved a pail, shovel, and what looked like a small, plastic cage. “I’m all ready, Mommy!”

  Alyssa ruffled his hair. “Good job, sweetie.” She looked at Dare again. “I’d better get started.”

  Dare tipped his head toward the main house. “I’m going to see about Mrs. Buchanan’s banister. As soon as I’ve finished there, I’ll be free to help with whatever you need.”

  “I appreciate that, but I truly have this handled.”

  “I have no doubt.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “I’ll be back in a little while.”

  Dare reluctantly left the duo to their work and walked around the main house to the covered porch in the back and knocked on the door. Sharon Buchanan, a kind woman in her sixties with salt and pepper curls and a welcoming smile, ushered Dare inside. He stepped into a kitchen that smelled amazing, as though he’d entered a bakery and coffee shop. It reminded him of the many afternoons getting home from school to find his mom baking and a snack waiting for him. Dare removed his cowboy hat and hung it on the back of a kitchen chair.

  “Thank you so much for taking the time, Dare. I was coming down the stairs earlier today and nearly lost my footing when the railing started to lean.”

  “It’s never a bother, Mrs. Buchanan. Always happy to help.”

  Mrs. Buchanan made a tsking noise with her tongue. “How many times do I have to ask you to call me Sharon? Everyone else does. This ranch is a family, and you are now part of it, young man.”

  Dare smiled at her. He wondered if Mason called her Sharon when Dare and the other ranch hands weren’t around. The thought amused him more than it should have.

  Mrs. Buchanan patted him on the shoulder. “You go ahead and take a look at that railing while I see if I can find you some oatmeal raisin cookies.”

  “That sounds amazing, ma’am.” When she gave him a firm look, he chuckled. “I mean, Sharon.” Yeah, that wasn’t going to work for him. He was raised to show respect, and calling Mrs. Buchanan by her first name seemed weird.

  “That’s better.” Her smile lit up her face as she turned and left the room.

  Dare carried the tool box through the living room and right past the large windows overlooking the ranch outside. He paused as his gaze landed on Alyssa. He still couldn’t get over how pretty she was. Especially now with a pencil behind one ear, her head tilted slightly to one side, and her lips pursed in concentration as she pored over a notebook.

  He could stand there and stare at her all day, but the last thing he needed was for Mrs. Buchanan to catch him ogling the landscaper. Something told him Alyssa probably wouldn’t appreciate it, either.

  Was it a bad thing that he found her determined expressions every bit as engaging as her smile? He suppressed his own. Besides, she could be married and have chosen not to wear a ring while working so it didn’t get dirty.

  That possibility bothered him, so he tried to push thoughts of the beautiful woman aside and got to work. It didn’t take long to figure out which section of the railing was loose. Dare was securing it and adding an extra nail or two when Mrs. Buchanan came in. She
stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching his progress.

  “I appreciate this. I’m not getting any younger, you know.”

  “That goes for all of us,” he said with a smile. “I’ll be done here in a moment.”

  “Wonderful.” She hitched a thumb over her shoulder. “Does Mason have something else lined up for you after this?”

  Dare was anxious to get back outside so he could help Alyssa, but assisting Mrs. Buchanan had to come first. “He made sure I had time to help you with whatever you need.”

  She created a gap with her thumb and first finger. “I have a small list of other little things that could use fixing. Would you mind?”

  “Of course not.”

  She seemed happy with that and left him to finish the railing. When he was done, he found her in the kitchen where she had him tightening several cabinet hinges, fixing a small leak in the sink, and then repairing the bottom drawer of a dresser that needed more than he’d originally anticipated.

  He was sitting on the floor in the spare room working on it when Mrs. Buchanan rejoined him. “This is a huge help. I hate asking Bucky to do these things. He works too hard as it is.”

  Peter Buchanan was a busy man. The older gentleman could be found riding horses, checking on new calves, and sometimes even eating with the hands in the mess hall. He was also one of the kindest people Dare had ever met, and reminded him a little of his own grandfather.

  “I definitely get that. Happy to help. I should be done in another five minutes or so.”

  She disappeared again, leaving Dare to finish the drawer alone.

  By the time he slid it back into place, he was certain Mrs. Buchanan would have no more trouble with it.

  He was welcomed into the kitchen with a plate of cookies and a glass of lemonade. He sat down gratefully and watched as Mrs. Buchanan continued to work in the kitchen. “I met Alyssa a little while ago. She seems nice.”

  “She’s a sweetheart. We’ve known Alyssa for years. It was such a shame when her husband died, and their little boy less than a year old.” Mrs. Buchanan shook her head sadly.