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"Unnerves me, too," he murmured, tracing my spine from my neck to where I was covered by the water. He suddenly moved his hand away, and I was equal parts relieved and disappointed.
We remained in comfortable silence for a long while until Rowan asked, "You hungry?"
"You know what? I actually am. There's something about all this fresh air."
Lunch was a simple affair, sandwiches, and fruit, but it tasted like a feast in the beauty of our surroundings. The hours slipped by with lazy contentment, the sun tracing its path across the sky until it began its descent, painting the mountains in shades of gold and pink.
"You love ranching." It was a statement and not a question.
"I do."
"Aren't you supposed to be busy instead of hanging out with me?" I was sitting next to him on a warm rock, watching the pristine beauty around us.
He lay down beside me, using a towel he'd brought in his saddle bag as a pillow, his hands locked at his neck.
"I've been asking myself that same question, Isha."
My mouth went dry. "And?"
He turned to face me. "I don't have a good answer."
"Do you have a bad one?"
"Several," he chuckled. "I love the ranch, the land. I always have. Some of my best memories were made here. Deb never appreciated it, and I think it rubbed off on Ace. He sees the ranch as a way to make money."
"How do you see it?"
"As a way of life. The Ledger Ranch has been in our family for generations. Our sweat and blood have gone into making it what it is. And each generation has added to the legacy, which is what I'm doing."
The passion and intensity in his voice were more attractive than his naked torso, which was tempting to touch. Which was why I was sitting with my hands locked around my legs, my chin resting on my knees.
"How about you, Isha? What do you love?"
I shrugged. "I love my friend Yasmine. She and I…she's my family, my only family. I don't think I love anything or anyone else. I like many things."
"Love is a big word for you."
I nodded. "Yes…as it should be, don't you think? When people say I love cheeseburgers, or I love spotted dick…I don't get it. How can you love things?"
"Why the hell would someone love a spotted dick?"
I laughed. "What do you think a spotted dick is?"
"A dick that's infected?"
"It's a dessert…a pudding."
"Shaped like a dick?"
"No, like a pudding but it has raisins in it, hence the spotted part," I explained.
"You Brits are weird," he stated.
As we prepared to leave, I took one last look at the lake, the mountains, and the endless sky. This place, this moment with Rowan, felt like a gift—a slice of serenity and beauty in the wild heart of Montana. I didn't tell him, but I was certain that being here with him would become one of my most cherished memories.
Chapter 8
Isha
