Page 46 of Taming the Wild Cowboy

Wade scowled as he picked up the remote and unmuted the sound, indicating that he’d had enough back-and-forth for the time being. Trev escaped before suffering permanent hearing damage.

“This is how life works,” he told Killer Moo when he stopped in the barn to see how she was progressing before taking Mac’s shift walking through the cattle. He’d had a feeling she’d be home later than midnight. “You got to do shit that you don’t want to do in order to keep the lights on.”

Killer Moo chewed her cud and ignored him. The cow might not have life advice, but she looked better and in the morning he’d open the gate and put her back with the herd.

“What kind of shit do you have to do?”

Trev jumped at the unexpected voice behind him and turned to find Mac sitting on a hay bale calmly regarding him. “When did you get back?” He hadn’t seen her truck, but sometimes she parked on the far side of the foreman’s house.

“Almost an hour ago.”

“Short girls’ night out.”

“But productive.”

“How so?”

“Might have a job lead.”

“Bartending?” he joked.

She smiled as she tucked her hair behind her ear but offered no more explanation.

“Did you check the cows?” he asked.

“I did. They’re quiet. What kind of stuff is life handing you, Trev?”

He took a seat beside her on the bale and leaned against the stack behind them, the straw poking at the back of his head until he compressed it to the point of comfort. “I got a call this afternoon. My company is restructuring, and I’m being shuttled into a new position. More money. Different title. New boss.”

“Really?” She sounded impressed.

“Charm and good looks pay off again.”

She gave his shoulder a push, catching him by surprise and almost knocking him off the end of the short bale.

“Hey now.” He rubbed his shoulder.

“You deserve that.”

“Maybe so.”

He smiled and she smiled back before drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging her arms around them. “Cold in here,” she murmured, and indeed, she was wearing a hooded sweatshirt instead of a real jacket. Trev slid an arm around her shoulders, thinking of warming her, but instead feeling like a teen making a move at a drive-in movie.

“Smooth,” Maclyn said, still holding her knees against her chest as she tipped into him.

“You’re off the clock and I need a hug.”

He felt her silent laughter and smiled at the barn’s opposite wall. Had someone told him a couple of weeks ago that he’d be cozied up with Maclyn Kane on a hay bale, he would have laughed. But this didn’t feel funny or unreasonable. It felt natural in a way that he decided he wasn’t ready to think about right now. Better to just hold on to the moment, because before he knew it, it would be gone. She would be gone. Operations on the Tree Fork Ranch would continue without them—if Jordan ever finished his freaking project.

She pulled back then so that she could see his face, releasing her knees and lowering her feet back on the ground. Drive-in snuggle time was over. “Do you want the transfer?”

“No.” It felt good to be truthful.

“Stay on the ranch.”

“Part of me would love to, but it can’t support all of us and I have some financial commitments.” Student loans and a healthy truck payment. “Besides that, Hayes will be back this summer, and Jordan is thinking of consulting,”

“Like quitting his job consulting?”