Page 47 of Taming the Wild Cowboy

“Yeah. The ranch would be his home base.” Trev wondered why his brother hadn’t done it long ago, given the way Jordan’s company operated. “The ranch is his safety net. The place can support two of us and Wade plus the seasonal day hand.” He glanced down at her. “Which is you.”

“Well, maybe …” Her voice trailed off. Like him, she had no easy answer.

“It’s okay. Lots of people work jobs that …” eat their souls “… aren’t a perfect fit.” His job didn’t really eat his soul, but after Paul Hugo’s call he realized how much he didn’t want to go back. What ate his soul was missing the life he should have led.

“That’s true.” Mac went quiet for a long minute. He wondered if she was going to tell him about her possible job when she said, “Why’d you go into this field? I knew you were going to MSU, but like I said I assumed that you majored in some agricultural field. Ag econ or range management or something.”

“Circumstances at the time.” Trev studied the tractor parked in the shadows at the far end of the barn as he spoke.

“Ah,” Maclyn said softly.

“Yeah.” He didn’t look her way. Maybe he was afraid of seeing a touch of sympathy for the once smitten cowboy.

Maclyn was quiet for a moment. “Brooke loved horses, but she never wanted to be a rancher or farmer. She had more upscale ambitions. An arena. A training clinic.” She let out a soft humorless laugh. “And that needs finance.”

“Sucker that I was.”

“I think she loved you,” Mac said quickly. “But”—Mac picked at the edge of the hay bale—“she had very strong ideas about the life she wanted to lead.”

There was something in her delivery that made him think there was more to come, but Mac remained silent.

“And …” he prompted. She half turned to him, and he gave up staring at the tractor, meeting her thoughtful gaze instead.

“You were a challenge.”

Exactly what he’d come to believe.

“Brooke was an overachiever. Valedictorian. President of everything. Former rodeo queen. She loved winning.” Mac smiled briefly. “I know she loved the fact that—”

“She’d brought me to heel?” he asked.

“Harsh.”

He shrugged. “The evidence is plain to see. I’m a computer jockey.”

“We don’t use that term anymore.” She let out a soft breath as she leaned into his shoulder. “I assume you were too far along in your program to change majors?”

“Two months from graduation when she left me.” He gave a snort. “I decided that the best thing I could do was to use the degree she maneuvered me into getting and be a success. And I am.” Trev shifted his gaze to the opposite wall again. “But I miss being the guy who didn’t give two fucks about anything.”

“And still came out on top.”

“Good looks and charm,” he murmured.

He sensed that she smiled before she yawned. “I’m tired, Trev. It’s been a day.”

“That it has.” He got to his feet and pulled her up with him, their fingers tangling loosely together. “You should go to bed.” Her fingers tightened on his and she gave him a look that made his body stir. An invitation? Sure felt like it. He cleared his throat. “I should check cows.”

“I already did.”

He looked down at the woman who was getting to him in ways he hadn’t anticipated when he’d first invited her onto the ranch. “Yeah. Maybe I’ll just check again.”

She let go of his hand. “Suit yourself.”

Trev couldn’t leave it at that. He lightly cupped her cheek, and she leaned into his palm. Closed her eyes. “Where are we going with this, Trev?”

“Dunno. This might not be the best time to muddy the waters.”

Even though he dearly wanted to.