A chill shot down Joaquin’s back as he waited to hear what would come out of his nemesis’ mouth next. Normally, he didn’t mind Rocky’s shenanigans, but when it came to Cassie, he was a bundle of nerves.
“So, Miss Lady, how do you know our Tanner?” Rocky continued.
The rest of the men at the table looked on with interest. They were all nosey and just salivating for a chance to get intoJoaquin’s business. Since he arrived at the ranch a year ago, he had kept to himself, not divulging much about his life. It was none of their business. Now was their chance to get the answers to the questions that had never been answered.
Cassie, being a cautious person, gave surface level information to appease the crowd.
“We met when I was deployed over in Syria. Joaquin was a civilian contractor for our unit. Our relationship quickly became more than friends and we spent every minute we could together. We got separated during an attack and I’ve been searching for him ever since. I heard about this ranch that Mr. Harvey started and decided to take a chance. I guess fate was on my side because here he sits.”
Everyone was fascinated by her tale, as short as it was. They wanted more, but not even Rocky was crazy enough to pry after finding out about the attack. He knew what it was like to hold pain inside. They all did. By the time lunch was over, the fellas seemed to have a new respect for old Tanner. Mr. Harvey, being a romantic, decided to give Tanner the rest of the day off so he could get reacquainted with his love.
“Tanner, you just go on and take the rest of the day off. We’re almost finished vaccinating the calves. The rest of us can manage without you for the afternoon. I’m fine with you having some time off.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate your kindness.”
He rose from his chair as giddy as a kid on Christmas. All he could think about was getting her alone. Seeing her again had awoken his libido. The need to bury himself inside her was at the forefront of his mind, but he knew better. They hadn’t seen each other in a while. They needed to talk first. Plus, his sit-downair wasn’t very pleasant. His stand-up air was even worse. He needed a shower.
Five
Cassie
Cassie almost lost her mind when she first saw Joaquin sitting in that dining room. He looked so good. But there was something different about him. His eyes held a ton of pain, and he had lost a bit of weight. He was also missing his sharp tongue and sense of humor she loved so much. In fact, it seemed her outgoing cowboy had become an introvert. What the hell?
“Darlin’, I’m gonna run down to the bunkhouse and take a quick shower. I’ve been out in nature all day and it has a distinct scent,”
“Oh, I can go with you. I’d love to see where you live.”
“No!” he answered a bit too quickly, making her think he was up to something.
“Why not?”
“It’s a shared space, darlin’. No privacy. Trust me, you don’t want to see the bunkhouse right now. Let me get cleaned up and I’ll be right back.”
Shrugging, Cassie acquiesced. There was no need to start a fight on their first day back together. If he wanted to shower alone, then she would let him. Though she didn’t understand because there was nothing she had never seen before.
“Fine, if you won’t let me go with you, I’ll stay here and help Miss Bee with the dishes.”
With that, she grabbed the empty plates and started stacking them. Miss Bee was nice enough to show her where the kitchen was and let her get started running a sink full of bubbles.She was lost in her thoughts when she was joined by the sweet lady who seemed very motherly.
“It seems like you’re good for Tanner. He’s been here a little over a year and today is the first time I have heard him say more than three words at a time.”
“Really? That’s surprising. The Joaquin I know was a chatterbox. He was always laughing and making smart remarks. I guess things have changed for him.”
By the time the dishes were done, Cassie felt like she was ready to stretch her legs. She had seen the guys head out on their horses and she was curious about the ranch where Joaquin lived. It was obvious the people there were kind and hard-working. They felt like a huge family, which was nice. All she had in the world was her brother. She always wondered what it would be like to have a bunch of siblings, aunts and uncles looking out for you.
With permission from Mr. Harvey, she walked out the back door and started out toward the first barn she saw. Cassie had always loved animals and figured there would be plenty in the barn for her to love on. Before she could get halfway there, she heard the sexy voice of her love calling her name.
“Cass, girl, where you headed?”
Spinning around, her eyes locked on a freshly showed Joaquin. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight. Good Lord, had he looked that good sitting at the table? He was a fine-looking specimen standing at his full six foot four inches, eyes closed by the sun, but somehow focused on her. He was a walking, talking dream lover who stepped out of a cowboy romance.
“Hey, handsome. You clean up well.”
She watched as a blush covered his face. A small smile emerged as if he was embarrassed by her attention. Cassie thought it was cute. She waited for his comeback line, but it never came. He just kept staring at her with his hand extended for her to take.
“Let me show you the ranch. It’s a wonderful piece of land. I think you’ll love it.”
“I was just headed to the barn to see the animals.”
