Page 59 of The Cowboy and the Stray

“Gray, can you pull the seed run?” Calder asked.

Gray said, “Yeah, I’m on it,” like he’d already known.

Eli looked around. “What about Tess? Twitchy’s the only one who hasn’t seen the upper tanks yet.”

Everyone stopped eating.

Calder looked right at me, and my fork froze halfway to my mouth.

“You busy after dinner?” he asked.

It took me a second to process it. “Why?”

He didn’t blink. “I want to show you something. Out past the far creek.”

Sloane squinted at us. “Date day?” she asked.

Eli whooped. “About time, big brother. You sure you want to take her to the creek? Last girl you took out there, she almost shot you.”

“That was a misunderstanding,” Calder said, not breaking eye contact with me.

I thought about playing it cool, like I’d been on a million dates, but all I could do was stare back at him and try not to freak out.

Ash picked that moment to bust in through the side door, like she’d been waiting for a cue. She had dust on her jeans and a backpack slung over one shoulder, and she grinned like she was homecoming queen. “Get it, girl!” Ash yelled, before anyone else could say a thing. “I heard!”

Damn she had good ears. My cheeks were burning. If I’d had any pride left, it was now roadkill.

Gray put his fork down. “Are you actually asking her on a date?”

“I’m asking if she wants to ride out with me,” Calder said, but he was grinning.

Sloane stood up, scraped her chair back, and locked eyes with Calder. It was the first time she’d really looked at him all night. She didn’t say a word, but after a beat, she nodded once and walked out. It was some kind of signal, though I had no idea what.

I turned back to Calder, trying to find something to say that wouldn’t make me sound desperate or crazy or both. “Sure,” I said, “as long as it’s not another tractor lesson.”

He smiled again. “You’ll need boots. And gloves.” Then, after the tiniest pause, “Be ready in an hour.”

The table exploded. Eli started in with the wolf whistles. Ash clapped. Even Reid grinned. Gray gave me a commiserating look, then just shrugged like, hey, you knew what you were signing up for.

I managed to get up without tripping and escaped to the stairs. I could hear them all talking about me before I was even halfway up.

Once in my room, I closed the door and leaned against it, heart going like I’d just sprinted the fence line. My hands were shaking a little. There was no way this was just a ranch thing. Calder Maddox did not just invite girls on “rides” for fun.

I looked in the mirror and tried to imagine what would be appropriate for a date where you might have to dig a fence post or shoot a rattlesnake. All I saw was sweat-stained cotton and sunburn. I showered so fast the water was still cold by the time I finished. My hair was a lost cause, so I jammed it in a ponytail and called it done.

When I finally flopped down on the bed, I stared at the ceiling and tried not to overthink it, but my mind wouldn’t stop. This was either the beginning of something or the end of the world. Maybe both.

All I knew was, I had fifty minutes to find boots, clean jeans, and the guts to walk back down those stairs like I belonged here.

Shit.

29. CALDER

I kept myself busy. I fixed the busted gate at the north paddock, triple-checked the waterers, restocked the mineral blocks at the salt lick, and even swept out the tack room. Not because anyone told me to, but because I had a date, and if I stopped moving, my head filled with every dumbass thing I might say or do to ruin it.

When I’d passed enough time, I took the stairs two at a time and changed into a shirt that didn’t have a stain on it and jeans that hadn’t been patched by Midge. I even washed my hands, twice. It was ridiculous.

I checked my phone. Zero texts, except a reminder from Sloane about a camera install. I put on my boots and grabbed a cooler Midge had loaded up with drinks and headed out.