for your project. In exchange, you’re helpin’ me out by taping my rides.”
“I thought that would be best too. Just don’t…ditch me, okay?”
Seeing her shy smile, and a glimpse of vulnerability, kicked some unknown instinct to protect her. And that confused the hell out of him. “I won’t ditch you, darlin’, but you’d better be prepared to spend a lot of time on the dirt.”
Chase turned down the gravel road leading to the ranch. When they parked in front of the house, dogs raced down the steps.
As soon as he climbed out of the truck, a boy skidded to a stop. He wore beat-up boots, dirty jeans and a huge, toothless grin. “Are you really Chase McKay?”
“Yep, I really am. Who are you?”
“Ryder Big Crow.”
Chase stuck out his hand. “Great to meet you, Ryder.”
Ryder shook his hand and wouldn’t let go. “I watch you every week on TV. I can’t believe you’re at my house!” He yelled, “Dad! Look who’s here!”
Cash ambled over. “I see that.” He offered his hand so Ryder had to relinquish Chase’s. “Good to see you, McKay.”
“Good to be here, Cash. I appreciate you fitting me in to your busy summer schedule.”
“No worries.” Cash’s gaze strayed and Chase knew what—who—had caught his attention.
Chase smiled at her approach. “Cash and Ryder Big Crow, this is my friend Ava. She’s here to help me out.”
Cash’s smile didn’t falter, but something passed through his eyes as he offered his hand. “Ava. Nice to meet you.”
“Man, my mama will be happy you’re here,” Ryder said. “She always complains there ain’t never enough girls.”
Ava laughed. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Let’s see about getting you two settled in the bunkhouse.”
“Come on, it’s this way,” Ryder said, taking off at a run.
“You sure it isn’t an imposition for me to stay here, Mr. Big Crow?”
“Call me Cash.” He slung Ava’s duffle over his shoulder as they started to walk. “No. We’ve got room. Without sounding like a prude… Since our kids are around and curious as little monkeys, I’m afraid I’ll insist you two stay in separate sides of the bunkhouse.”
“That’s fine,” Chase inserted. “Me’n Ava are just friends.”
“Yes, just friends,” Ava reiterated. “I’ve never been out West and Chase is my tour guide in exchange for my videotaping skills.”
“That’s smart, havin’ a record of your rides so you can go back and look at them.” Cash said.
“Hey, every little thing helps, right?”
“Right. We’ll get started in the mornin’ after I finish chores.”
“Sounds good. When is Colby coming?”
“Day after tomorrow when the stock is scheduled to arrive. Might be a long couple days for you, Chase, with the amount of stock I’d like you to test out.”
“I can’t wait. Seems I’ve been in a holding pattern for too long.”
Cash nodded. “It’ll be good to find your seat again.”
Then Ryder was jumping up and down in front of them. “Can I help ya pick a bunk? Please?”
“Sure. But no top bunk, okay?”
“’Kay,” and he was off like a shot.
“Ryder is a little enthusiastic about you bein’ here, if you haven’t noticed.” Cash glanced at Ava. “Any questions?”
“One that I hope isn’t too weird.”
“Shoot.”
“Does the bunkhouse have Wi-Fi?”
“Yep. Them young bucks that come here can’t be away from the cyber world for two whole weeks.”
A planked porch ran in front of the bunkhouse. Two doors denoted the two sides. One door was open and Ryder popped his head out. “Got it all picked out!”
“Cool beans.” Chase ducked inside. The room was rustic. No air conditioning. No running water. A ceiling fan spun above and another fan placed in front of the window pulled cool air from outside. “This is a great place, Cash. Same set up on the other side?”
“Yeah. A communal bathroom with showers on the back side.”
“You really have sixteen bull riders here at a
“I thought that would be best too. Just don’t…ditch me, okay?”
Seeing her shy smile, and a glimpse of vulnerability, kicked some unknown instinct to protect her. And that confused the hell out of him. “I won’t ditch you, darlin’, but you’d better be prepared to spend a lot of time on the dirt.”
Chase turned down the gravel road leading to the ranch. When they parked in front of the house, dogs raced down the steps.
As soon as he climbed out of the truck, a boy skidded to a stop. He wore beat-up boots, dirty jeans and a huge, toothless grin. “Are you really Chase McKay?”
“Yep, I really am. Who are you?”
“Ryder Big Crow.”
Chase stuck out his hand. “Great to meet you, Ryder.”
Ryder shook his hand and wouldn’t let go. “I watch you every week on TV. I can’t believe you’re at my house!” He yelled, “Dad! Look who’s here!”
Cash ambled over. “I see that.” He offered his hand so Ryder had to relinquish Chase’s. “Good to see you, McKay.”
“Good to be here, Cash. I appreciate you fitting me in to your busy summer schedule.”
“No worries.” Cash’s gaze strayed and Chase knew what—who—had caught his attention.
Chase smiled at her approach. “Cash and Ryder Big Crow, this is my friend Ava. She’s here to help me out.”
Cash’s smile didn’t falter, but something passed through his eyes as he offered his hand. “Ava. Nice to meet you.”
“Man, my mama will be happy you’re here,” Ryder said. “She always complains there ain’t never enough girls.”
Ava laughed. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Let’s see about getting you two settled in the bunkhouse.”
“Come on, it’s this way,” Ryder said, taking off at a run.
“You sure it isn’t an imposition for me to stay here, Mr. Big Crow?”
“Call me Cash.” He slung Ava’s duffle over his shoulder as they started to walk. “No. We’ve got room. Without sounding like a prude… Since our kids are around and curious as little monkeys, I’m afraid I’ll insist you two stay in separate sides of the bunkhouse.”
“That’s fine,” Chase inserted. “Me’n Ava are just friends.”
“Yes, just friends,” Ava reiterated. “I’ve never been out West and Chase is my tour guide in exchange for my videotaping skills.”
“That’s smart, havin’ a record of your rides so you can go back and look at them.” Cash said.
“Hey, every little thing helps, right?”
“Right. We’ll get started in the mornin’ after I finish chores.”
“Sounds good. When is Colby coming?”
“Day after tomorrow when the stock is scheduled to arrive. Might be a long couple days for you, Chase, with the amount of stock I’d like you to test out.”
“I can’t wait. Seems I’ve been in a holding pattern for too long.”
Cash nodded. “It’ll be good to find your seat again.”
Then Ryder was jumping up and down in front of them. “Can I help ya pick a bunk? Please?”
“Sure. But no top bunk, okay?”
“’Kay,” and he was off like a shot.
“Ryder is a little enthusiastic about you bein’ here, if you haven’t noticed.” Cash glanced at Ava. “Any questions?”
“One that I hope isn’t too weird.”
“Shoot.”
“Does the bunkhouse have Wi-Fi?”
“Yep. Them young bucks that come here can’t be away from the cyber world for two whole weeks.”
A planked porch ran in front of the bunkhouse. Two doors denoted the two sides. One door was open and Ryder popped his head out. “Got it all picked out!”
“Cool beans.” Chase ducked inside. The room was rustic. No air conditioning. No running water. A ceiling fan spun above and another fan placed in front of the window pulled cool air from outside. “This is a great place, Cash. Same set up on the other side?”
“Yeah. A communal bathroom with showers on the back side.”
“You really have sixteen bull riders here at a
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