Page 10 of A Montana Childhood Promise (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #3)

CHAPTER NINE

Noah’s dreams had been plagued with what could have been. He’d never had such a restless night in his life, and all because when he closed his eyes, he saw her.

If what he had before was a crush, then what he had right now was bordering on an obsession. Jane consumed him. From the moment he woke up to the time he climbed beneath the covers.

He wouldn’t have been able to come up with a reason to dislike her if he tried. Jane was an angel. She was perfection. And the fact that no one had managed to sweep her off her feet was a miracle.

They’d made progress when they’d gone out.

He could feel it in the marrow of his bones.

The way she’d been looking at him? It set his soul on fire.

He’d nearly kissed her, for goodness’s sake.

If it hadn’t been for that couple that bumped into them, the spell would have never been broken, and she would have seen just how good they could be together.

Jane would be here this afternoon, and the anticipation was killing him. He was tempted to go see her for lunch, insist on taking her out, but they’d already done their celebrating.

Easy .

He had to take it easy if he didn’t want to backpedal the progress they’d made. They had time, and he’d waited this long to get close to her. What was a couple more weeks or months, even? However long it took for him to win her over completely, he’d do it.

Jane had said that she’d be at the ranch after her shift at The Wounded Heroes Project. By Noah’s account, that meant she’d be arriving close to three o’clock.

It was five minutes to three, and Noah already knew how he was going to play this.

He’d gotten Bo to agree to let him give Jane the grand tour and show her what she’d be asked to do.

It would give them some time one-on-one without making it feel like he’d pushed himself into her life—even though that was exactly what he’d been doing.

What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. He had no intention of her finding out that he’d pulled the strings to get her that promotion.

As far as he was concerned, she’d earned it.

He would have requested it eventually, anyway.

So what if there were going to be a few secrets between them? She didn’t have to know about his wealth, either. When she finally fell for him, he’d tell her. By then it would be too late for her to walk away from him.

It was the perfect plan.

When her car pulled up about ten minutes later, his heart practically stalled in his chest. She was beautiful. Clad in jeans and a t-shirt with the logo of his charity printed across the chest, she was the epitome of his dream girl.

It was as if they were the only two people in the world—the way her eyes connected with his.

They were far enough apart that neither one of them would have been able to hear the other, and yet with the way she looked at him, he felt he knew exactly what she would be saying to him in this moment or at least how she felt.

A smile pulled at her lips, and she shoved her hands into her pockets as she moved toward him. “Hey, cowboy,” she purred, “finishing up for the day?” She took a swipe at his hat and placed it on her head.

He had to give her a second take—not only because she stole his hat, but that voice! Gah, that voice that shattered any resolve he might have had to go easy on her. What he wouldn’t give for the chance to drag her behind this barn, push her against it, and kiss her until she couldn’t stand upright.

Noah shoved those inappropriate thoughts to the side and grinned at her like he was fully prepared to play the game she’d started.

But he wasn’t. Already, he knew he was in too deep.

“Actually, Bo is busy today, so he’s gonna have me show you around.

” He cocked his head, and his grin widened.

“But you’re gonna have to keep up. That okay with you, sweetheart ? ”

His pet name for her threw her off guard, but only for a moment.

Maybe it was the way he emphasized it that made it feel less personal, or maybe she was just in a good mood.

Either way, she leaned into their little flirty game.

Her fingertips dug into his bicep as she shifted closer.

“Oh, I think I’m more than capable of keeping up. ”

He muttered a curse under his breath as she brushed past him and headed for the barn.

She was toying with him! That’s what this was.

Jane still had no intention of acting on it.

And Noah couldn’t bring himself to care.

He knew how easy it was to slip from friendship into something more when secure defenses weren’t put into place.

He was determined to find the weaknesses in Jane’s and get past them.

Noah hurried after her, sidling beside her in no time. “Today I’ll show you around—let you see where we keep the tools and such. For the most part, you’ll be working with the horses since you won’t be here in the mornings.”

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “And if I could be here in the mornings? What then?”

He shrugged. “Then you’d have to brave the little demons with feathers.”

Jane stopped and turned to face him. Then she threw back her head and laughed. “You’re not talking about the chickens, are you?”

Her laughter made it hard for him to keep a straight face, but he managed it. “Oh, I’m definitely talking about those little devils. You don’t know just how bad they are. They’ve got talons and beaks that will rip you to shreds if you so much as touch one of their eggs.”

She laughed again. “Have you forgotten that I collected the eggs from the chickens my parents owned? I think I could handle some egg gathering.”

He snorted. “Those chickens were pets. These guys?” He let out a whistle and shook his head. “They’re a different breed.”

Still, she seemed amused. “Well, perhaps I should make it a point to stop by here in the mornings and gather the eggs so some poor soul doesn’t have to brave those little misunderstood angels.”

He scoffed. “They’re far from angelic. I haven’t had to collect their eggs in a while, but last time I did, it wasn’t a pleasant experience.”

Jane snickered but didn’t comment.

He led her into the barn. “Since you’ll be working with the horses, you’ll be responsible for mucking out their stalls, refilling their hay, and brushing them down.

You’ll want to check the water levels, too.

Come on. I’ll show you the grooming supplies and where you’ll find the stuff to clean the stalls.

” Noah brushed past her, his hand grazing hers.

It was just a moment, the barest of touches, and yet sparks of electricity seemed to shoot through his bloodstream like he’d stuck a fork into a socket—at least this electrical current could be enjoyed.

Noah glanced back at her, noting she hadn’t reacted.

In time. Be patient. She just needs to warm up to the idea.

He had to keep reminding himself that he’d witnessed the evidence of her attraction. He couldn’t forget it.

The door to the tool closet was ajar, and he pulled it open to reveal the shovels, rakes, and pitchforks among other objects they had.

“This is where you’ll get what you need to clean out the stalls.

I’ll help you with the first one so you get the hang of it.

” Noah let the door close, and then he moved toward an area with buckets. “You’ll use these, too.”

Jane kept her attention on him the whole time. Dang, she was good. No wonder his team at the charity had hired her. That sort of attention wasn’t something that they found frequently.

“Here are the grooming supplies. For the most part, you’ll only need to use the brushes and the hoof pick. But occasionally, you might need to utilize this.” He held up a metal loop attached to a handle. “This is a shedding blade. It will help release loose hair and mud if the horse needs it.”

She nodded, her eyes shifting from the blade to his face.

Boy, she was beautiful. Those full lips, her high cheekbones, and those eyes. They were the warmest shade of brown he’d ever seen, and when she smiled, they practically glowed.

Jane nodded. “And the hay? Where do I find that?”

He startled, realizing she’d interrupted his staring.

Clearing his throat, he rubbed the back of his neck and then jutted his chin in the right direction.

“The guys usually bring in a couple bales so they’re easier to access.

We store the rest of it outside under tarps, so it doesn’t get wet.

Here, I’ll show you. You’ll need the pitchforks to move it. ”

“This is so much fun,” she murmured, and he arched a brow, unable to bite back the smile.

“You really like this sort of thing?”

“Of course I do. I told you, remember? Living a simple life? I would be all over that. Sometimes I wonder if I was meant to be born in another time period—when we didn’t have electricity or cars?—”

“Or plumbing?”

Jane made a face, and he chuckled. She folded her arms and tilted her head, her eyes dancing with amusement.

“Okay, you got me. I definitely couldn’t live without running water and a sewer system.

But lights?” She shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind living by candlelight.

” The way her voice lowered with a sort of reverence had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

She was serious. Jane wasn’t the type of person who needed a lot.

While she’d admitted that splurging occasionally was fun, it wasn’t part of her dream.

It made him wonder if he could keep his wealth a secret from her. Would it be so bad to pretend to be penniless if it meant he could call her his own? Then again, would she really push him away if she found out he had billions to his name?

Not worth the risk.

“So,” she drawled, pulling his hat from her head and placing it against his chest. “Show me how to clean out these stalls so I can get to work. I have a feeling it’s gonna take me a little longer the first time around.”

He shook his head in disbelief. A girl who dedicated her life to serving others was ready and willing to roll up her sleeves and shovel horse dung—calling it fun . “You’re a little crazy, aren’t you?”

She stopped in her tracks and faced him, her mouth falling open even though the corners tipped up slightly. Her eyes gave away just now unoffended she was. And yet she gasped like he’d told her that she’d never be allowed to each chocolate again. “I beg your pardon, cowboy, but I am not crazy.”

Noah folded his arms. “Okay, not crazy. But you have some pretty strange interests.”

“What do you mean by that? Because I think living on a ranch is fun?”

“Maybe.”

Jane moved toward him, her hands on her hips. “Well, I seem to recall a time when a certain cowboy—” She flicked the brim of his hat as she said it, “—used to be interested in rocks.”

He didn’t react. What would she think if she knew he still had a small collection? Worse, what would she do if she knew he’d kept every single one she’d given him—both the rare finds and the basic pebbles?

She’d definitely think him a little crazy.

Her eyes widened, and she laughed.

Wait, what?

Jane’s laughter continued, and she shook her head. “You still collect them, don’t you?”

He cleared his throat. “Actually, I haven’t added to my collection in a while.”

“And what’s a while ?” Her smile was as wide as ever.

Noah shrugged.

She laughed again. “Okay, cowboy. Maybe you’re in the wrong field. Did you ever consider going into geology or something? What did you go to college for?”

“Business.”

This time, she paused and looked at him contemplatively. “Really?”

He nodded. What else was he going to do after he’d made it big with the money his parents had given him?

He’d made the right investments, and he needed to know what to do next.

Most of his classes had been online. He hadn’t gotten his degree from a fancy university like Caleb had, but he had all the credentials he needed to feel confident in what he was doing.

“Why?” Her question wasn’t really accusatory. It was more curious than anything else. “Not to be rude or anything, but I didn’t see you as being the business type.”

He forced himself to ignore the fact that she’d envisioned him at all. “And what did you see me being?”

Jane shrugged. “I dunno. Working with rocks. Or doing something like me.”

Noah blinked, and his lips parted with surprise. “Like you?”

“Sure. You were always hanging around when I was doing service projects for church. You seemed to like it, too. I just figured that might be something you would be interested in.”

She wasn’t wrong. And the fact that she’d figured that out all on her own had his insides all in knots. This woman got him, and she didn’t even know it yet.