tell Sam. I know about your little challenge.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you help me?”
“Sam needs a dose of her own medicine now and then.” Cole pushed his cowboy hat back with one hand. “Besides, it’d be pretty funny to see her in that dunking booth. She takes herself too seriously.”
“So you’re going to tell her I fixed the fence?” Ethan couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Reckon there’s no reason not to—because that’s exactly what you’re going to do.” Cole’s face drifted back into his usual scowl. “Now get over here, you’re not getting out of this without some work.”
Ethan scrambled to follow the cowboy’s orders, his heart light for the first time in days. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Sam’s face when Cole gave her the progress report, or hear the inevitable scream when Sam realized what she’d agreed to. He checked his watch and winced. They’d be cutting it close.
He took the tool from Cole and got to work.
Sam almost swallowed her gum as she glimpsed Ethan and Cole riding toward the barn on Miss Priss and Salsa—laughing. She’d figured Cole would have torn Ethan to shreds after hours of fence repair—both physically and emotionally. But the smile Ethan wore as the twosome dismounted by the stable was brighter than the stars beginning to poke through the navy sky.
She hesitantly made her way toward them, automatically reaching out to take Miss Priss’s reins from Ethan.
“I’ve got her.” Ethan’s hair, mussed, sweaty and without an ounce of leftover gel, flopped on his forehead and he shookit back with a grin. “A man’s got to finish what he starts, right?” He nodded once at Cole before leading Miss Priss into the barn.
Sam turned toward Cole and fisted her hands on her hips. “Okay, what happened out there? You two left as Felix and Oscar from The Odd Couple, and came back all buddy-buddy.”
Cole unbuckled the girth and tugged the saddle from his mount’s back. “Ethan did it.” He hefted the saddle onto the fence rail.
“Did what?” Sam reached out to balance the saddle while Cole removed the blanket from the horse.
“Repaired the fence.”
Sam shook her head. “Impossible.”
“He did the work. Why would I lie?” Cole draped the blanket over one arm and held out both hands for the saddle.
Sam dropped the leather seat over Cole’s arm a little harder than necessary and he staggered backward under the sudden weight. “He knows nothing about fences. Or riding. Or horses.” Her blood pulsed fiery hot in her veins. No way did Ethan stroll out to the pasture and easily repair a barbed-wire fence, even with Cole’s help. Who did he think he was, The Lone Ranger?
“He’s a fast learner.” Cole turned toward the barn with a little shrug. “What can I say?”
Sam’s eyes narrowed as Cole disappeared into the shadows of the stable. Beside her, Salsa nickered and Sam rubbed his hairy cheek. “Those two are up to something.” Salsa tossed his neck as if in agreement.
Reality sounded like a clanging dinner bell and Sam sucked in her breath. If she kept to her word, she was now officially an entrant in the Appleback fair dunking booth. Her stomach flipped at the thought of that cold, dirty water. Cole must have somehow heard about the challenge and lied about Ethan’sprogress as a joke. That would explain Ethan’s sudden aptitude for fence work.
Ethan strode back outside to the paddock and looped his arms over the top rail. “Did you hear the good news?” He grinned.
She tugged at Salsa’s reins to lead the horse forward, but Ethan followed close beside her. “So? Did Cole tell you?”
Sam turned to go around him, but it was like backing a trailer into a narrow driveway—hard. She stopped walking. “He lied to me about your work, if that’s what you mean.”
Ethan’s expression tightened. “Do you really think I’m that incompetent?”
“Maybe not at accounting or consulting or whatever
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you help me?”
“Sam needs a dose of her own medicine now and then.” Cole pushed his cowboy hat back with one hand. “Besides, it’d be pretty funny to see her in that dunking booth. She takes herself too seriously.”
“So you’re going to tell her I fixed the fence?” Ethan couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Reckon there’s no reason not to—because that’s exactly what you’re going to do.” Cole’s face drifted back into his usual scowl. “Now get over here, you’re not getting out of this without some work.”
Ethan scrambled to follow the cowboy’s orders, his heart light for the first time in days. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Sam’s face when Cole gave her the progress report, or hear the inevitable scream when Sam realized what she’d agreed to. He checked his watch and winced. They’d be cutting it close.
He took the tool from Cole and got to work.
Sam almost swallowed her gum as she glimpsed Ethan and Cole riding toward the barn on Miss Priss and Salsa—laughing. She’d figured Cole would have torn Ethan to shreds after hours of fence repair—both physically and emotionally. But the smile Ethan wore as the twosome dismounted by the stable was brighter than the stars beginning to poke through the navy sky.
She hesitantly made her way toward them, automatically reaching out to take Miss Priss’s reins from Ethan.
“I’ve got her.” Ethan’s hair, mussed, sweaty and without an ounce of leftover gel, flopped on his forehead and he shookit back with a grin. “A man’s got to finish what he starts, right?” He nodded once at Cole before leading Miss Priss into the barn.
Sam turned toward Cole and fisted her hands on her hips. “Okay, what happened out there? You two left as Felix and Oscar from The Odd Couple, and came back all buddy-buddy.”
Cole unbuckled the girth and tugged the saddle from his mount’s back. “Ethan did it.” He hefted the saddle onto the fence rail.
“Did what?” Sam reached out to balance the saddle while Cole removed the blanket from the horse.
“Repaired the fence.”
Sam shook her head. “Impossible.”
“He did the work. Why would I lie?” Cole draped the blanket over one arm and held out both hands for the saddle.
Sam dropped the leather seat over Cole’s arm a little harder than necessary and he staggered backward under the sudden weight. “He knows nothing about fences. Or riding. Or horses.” Her blood pulsed fiery hot in her veins. No way did Ethan stroll out to the pasture and easily repair a barbed-wire fence, even with Cole’s help. Who did he think he was, The Lone Ranger?
“He’s a fast learner.” Cole turned toward the barn with a little shrug. “What can I say?”
Sam’s eyes narrowed as Cole disappeared into the shadows of the stable. Beside her, Salsa nickered and Sam rubbed his hairy cheek. “Those two are up to something.” Salsa tossed his neck as if in agreement.
Reality sounded like a clanging dinner bell and Sam sucked in her breath. If she kept to her word, she was now officially an entrant in the Appleback fair dunking booth. Her stomach flipped at the thought of that cold, dirty water. Cole must have somehow heard about the challenge and lied about Ethan’sprogress as a joke. That would explain Ethan’s sudden aptitude for fence work.
Ethan strode back outside to the paddock and looped his arms over the top rail. “Did you hear the good news?” He grinned.
She tugged at Salsa’s reins to lead the horse forward, but Ethan followed close beside her. “So? Did Cole tell you?”
Sam turned to go around him, but it was like backing a trailer into a narrow driveway—hard. She stopped walking. “He lied to me about your work, if that’s what you mean.”
Ethan’s expression tightened. “Do you really think I’m that incompetent?”
“Maybe not at accounting or consulting or whatever
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