“Yep.” Noel obviously had more to say, and Jace chose to wait her out. It didn’t take long.
“And you’ve never once thought about dating her?” Noel’s voice was quiet. She was the only other person who knew the details of his relationship with Samantha and how things had gotten rocky before Gunner was born.
“Nope.” Okay, that was a lie. But thinking about it and acting on it were two entirely different things.
“Samantha would want you to move on, Jace.”
The mention of his wife’s name ignited a pang of sadness. He knew Noel was right. Samantha would want him to live his life and be happy. But that didn’t mean getting married again was in the cards for him. It was easier to not argue with Noel, though. “Bonnie’s boyfriend might object.” He flashed Noel his best, “So there,” expression.
“Hmmm.” With that, Noel raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced.
“She’s just Gunner’s nanny, Noel.” The tone in his voice would normally make the men who used to work under him snap to attention. Too bad it didn’t work as well on his sister.
Chapter Six
Jace’s boots created a satisfying thud on the porch steps as he descended. It was six o’clock in the morning. He remembered well how Grandpa was always awake early, and he’d spoken with the ranch foreman, Cabe Yates, about when they started work.
There were many times Jace would scramble from his bed as a kid, throw on cowboy boots that were way too big, and go running off after Grandpa to help with the ranch chores. Noel would stay behind with Grandma and help with things around the house until Grandma passed away. By then, Noel insisted on keeping up the house herself for the first half of the day before joining them at lunch.
Grief tightened around his heart while his resolve to keep this ranch running grew stronger. But to do that, he had to learn the ins and outs of what it took to maintain it.
Cabe started working for Grandpa when he was only eighteen and had stayed on for nearly thirty years. There was no one better to teach Jace about the ranch.
Jace got settled in his F-150 King Ranch pickup. He drove past the garage and wondered whether Bonnie was awake yet, or if she was still asleep. She always arrived at work ready to face the day. Was she an early riser as well?
Not that it was any of his business.
He drove along the dirt road that led through the trees that acted as a visual barrier between the house and the large barn beyond.
It was there that Cabe had his own quarters in the apartment above. Cabe, a self-proclaimed bachelor, had been working for Grandpa for nearly as long as Jace could remember.
The older gentleman waited for Jace, his back pressed against the barn wall. As soon as Jace stepped out of the truck, Cabe walked forward, a hand outstretched. “Good to see you again, Jace.”
“You, too.” Jace had been out several times in the last week to talk to Cabe and get an idea of what all he needed to get acquainted with there on the ranch. Today, he’d be jumping in and taking over for Grandpa.
They were big shoes to fill.
As though Cabe could read his mind, he gave a definitive nod. “Your grandfather would be real proud of you.”
“I appreciate that. I just hope I can get everything figured out. Working here over the summer as a kid doesn’t exactly qualify me as a rancher.”
The idea that he might fail Grandpa in any way bothered him more than he cared to admit.
Cabe shot him a sympathetic look. “Your grandfather believed in you. Always did say you were a natural. I’ve worked with him for nearly thirty years and not once did he speak of you with anything but pride.” He tipped his head toward the pistol at Jace’s hip. “That your grandfather’s piece?”
“It is.” Jace placed a hand on the wooden hilt. Grandpa carried it with him everywhere on the ranch. It’s what Jace learned to shoot with, too. Wearing it himself made Jace feel closer to Grandpa somehow.
He also knew how important it was to be armed while working the ranch.
Cabe—always the type to get right to the job at hand-–seemed ready to set the reminiscing aside. “First, I’ll introduce you to the guys your grandpa hired to help around here. They are unloading feed around back.”
As they walked around the barn, Jace saw two men in their late twenties working together to unload bags of feed and stack them in the barn. They both immediately stopped what they were doing and stepped forward.
Cabe cleared his throat. “This is Jace Echolls, Jethro’s grandson. Jace, this here is Brady,” the men shook hands, “and this is Elvin.”
Jace shook the second man’s hand as well. “Good to meet you. Had you worked for my grandfather long?”
Brady tipped his head in respect. “Five years next month, sir. He was a good man. I’m sorry for your loss.”
