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“I’m sorry, I fail to see how caring for animals precludes you from being considered a cowboy.”

Riley shook his head. “You misunderstand. I served in the military.”

She blushed white hot. Right. That’s why he was so much more familiar than the rest of the young men. Riley was someone she’d seen a lot of at the country club. “I’m so sorry. I’ve seen you around the country club, too, right?” She’d been so distracted with the build of her home and Zeke that she hadn’t taken time to really get to know the men, other than Shane, who came and went from the site.

“That wouldn’t surprise me. I’m one of the group therapy leaders.” Riley put down the bucket he’d been using to hold the drywall texture.

Her blush burned even hotter. He worked for Shane like she did. Now she really felt sheepish. She could brush off her humiliation and blame it on the fact that she didn’t work with the therapists or anyone besides Shane, for that matter, but that wasn’t who she was. Part of the reason she liked working for Shane was that he allowed her to take any approach to how she did her job. And she’d dropped the ball when it came to meeting his staff.

When this whole house fiasco was dealt with, she would be sure to make more of an effort when it came to those working at the country club.

Agatha turned back to the conversation they’d been having. “Well, if it makes any difference, I think you are just as much a cowboy as anyone else around here. My son was a transplant too. He grew up in the city, and when he said he wanted to come out here to the middle of nowhere and work, he did. Being a cowboy isn’t what you do. It’s the way you live your life. If you ask me, a cowboy is a man with integrity who takes care of those he loves.” She gave him a small smile, hoping it would cover up her embarrassment. “And it doesn’t hurt to know a thing or two about horses.”

“You’ve got a lot to learn about the cowboys around here, ma’am.” Riley chuckled. “But I appreciate the sentiment. Men like Zeke Callahan and Tuck are the backbone of places like this. It’s not just how they live their lives or how they take care of their families. It’s how they care for the whole community even when they have better things to do with their time and money. You will never find folks like them in any other place.” He touched the brim of his hat and gave her a nod. “I’m going to do a once-over through the rest of the house, and then I need to get back to the club for my shift.”

Riley’s words weighed on her, not uncomfortably so, more like they grounded her somehow. He was a transplant too. He’d likely heard all there was about the strict cowboys that lived in this area—especially Zeke. There wasn’t anything more complimentary that he could have said about the man who remained such a quiet force to be reckoned with.

These thoughts and more were all that consumed her mind as she moved from one room to the next, seeing but not really seeing the things that had been completed and had yet to be started.

If there was one thing she had learned in the last week or so, it was that there was more than met the eye when it came to Zeke Callahan.

And he wanted to be with her.

Agatha’s insides fluttered wildly, making her feel like a young woman again. Since that evening when Zeke had come by to tell her he was interested in her, they’d been very cautious about who might see them together. Zeke would eat breakfast with her and take her to the site like they’d been doing since the beginning, but he had dinner with his family much like she did with Thomas. The few moments they’d managed to steal away to be with each other didn’t seem like nearly enough. She wanted to continue to get to know him the way everyone else seemed to.

Before she had a chance to realize what was happening, a hand shot out from the laundry room and pulled her into the darkness. She gasped, her eyes finding Zeke in the dim lighting as he moved her just enough to the side to shut the door.

Darkness consumed them, and it took a bit for her eyes to adjust. Zeke’s low voice was the only thing that made her feel like she wasn’t floating in the utter darkness where they were—that and the thin streak of light coming from beneath the door at their feet. “I couldn’t wait a single second more before I could do this.” Zeke gently placed his finger beneath her chin and tilted her face toward him.

He brushed a whisper of a kiss against her lips, and the rest of her body reacted in kind. Warmth spread to all her extremities as she leaned into his touch.

Agatha released a soft sound of pleasure, a smile gracing her lips. “And here I was thinking you were avoiding me.”

“Never,” he whispered before bestowing another kiss to her lips. “We need to get out of here.”

She laughed. “Now? There’s too much work to do. Besides, I think everyone would notice if we left together and didn’t come back.”

“No. I need to take you out on a proper date.”

“But we can’t be seen—”

“Not in town. But I’m taking you out of that cabin and we’re going to spend the evening together.”

She blinked, barely able to make out his features. “But what about Thomas?”

“I’m sure you can come up with an excuse. Tell him that one of my daughters is going to take you to town to pick out some new tile for the bathroom. That shouldn’t be too hard to sell, should it?” His warm whispers slipped around her, drawing her in and making her feel lighter somehow.

“You want to take me on a date?” she whispered, her thoughts hazy.

“I want to take you on a date.” His fingers grazed her neck as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, setting off thousands of new goosebumps.

All the things that held her back from starting a relationship with anyone over the years were easily shoved to the back of her mind. She’d been through so much over the last few months that she deserved to find some happiness for herself. “Okay,” she murmured. “Where are we going to go?”

“You let me worry about that.” He kissed her quickly, then pulled back. “Just make sure your excuse is believable, and I’ll pick you up at six.” Zeke nudged her to the side and then pulled open the door.

She winced as the bright light covered him from head to toe, but that initial sting quickly dissipated when his smile came into view. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and they seemed to shine more than usual.

It was probably the sunlight reflected there, but she could pretend the brighter look was due to the way he felt about her.