Page 7 of Boston (Coral Canyon: Cowboys #12)

CHAPTER

FIVE

“ S o then I had her come over to help me with the roasters, which was so stupid, because I’d already extended all of them.” Boston paced in his studio apartment, not even pausing under the kitchen duct that blew the cold air the hardest. “And that’s when I gave her my phone number.”

“Well, that’s good news.”

“It’s insanity ,” Boston said to Cash. “Why would she think I know anything?”

“Because you’re amazing,” Cash said in his usual slow, calm voice. “She clearly saw it.”

Boston scoffed. “I was the first person she met is what you mean.”

“That’s not it,” Cash said. “Ask yourself this, brother: Why not you?”

Boston blew out his breath. “Because I’ve been here for four months? Because she has a brother-in-law who’s worked here for years? Heck, Jeremy’s come up with half the things we do here.”

“Yes, but he doesn’t execute them,” Cash said. “He’s management. You’re boots on the ground. She needs to know the intricacies before she can manage them.”

“Maybe.” But what Cash said made sense. He breathed in and out again and sank onto the edge of his love seat. “When are you coming home?”

“After Tulsa,” Cash said, his voice suddenly more guarded.

Boston considered asking him why, but he wasn’t sure Cash was ready to say why. If they stood face-to-face in the same room, Boston would be able to read him better. He’d inherited his father’s dark looks, something all the rodeo journalists never ceased to point out.

“Want to tell me what’s going on?”

Cash sighed too, as if he’d been waiting for the question. “Not really,” he said. “What I want is to come stay with you for a couple of nights when I first get there. Is that doable?”

“If you don’t mind sleeping on an air mattress.”

“I don’t,” Cash said. “The rental I got isn’t available until the third, so it’ll literally be two nights.”

“You’re not staying with your folks?” Surprised colored his question and streamed through him.

“No,” Cash said. “My daddy’s eyes are too much for me right now.”

That spoke volumes, and Boston found himself nodding. “You’re welcome here anytime.”

“I might’ve been able to stay with my grandparents, but that’s a whole thing too.”

“Yeah,” Boston said, because he’d been pulled in many and varied directions throughout his life too, and Cash sounded so tired. “I love you, brother. Thanks for listening to me freak out.”

Cash chuckled. “I like it.”

Boston ducked his head and studied the carpet under his boots. “You can do the same to me, you know. No judgment here. No eyes on you.”

“I know,” Cash said. “And I will. Just not right now.”

“Okay.” Boston nodded. His phone buzzed, and he added, “I have to go. One of my alarms is going off, and I don’t even know what it’s for.” Pure exhaustion filled him, though today’s trail ride with the Silver’s had gone exceptionally well.

Cash chuckled again. “Yep. I’ll talk to you soon.”

The call ended, and Boston sighed as he lowered the phone. “Help him, Lord,” he prayed. “I don’t know what he has going on, but Cash is a good man. Surely You would bless him with what he needs to be happy.”

As Boston finished up, he had the distinct feeling that he deserved the Lord’s blessings too. He once again bowed his head and let the tingling feeling of the spirit rush across his skin and down his spine.

Yes, the Lord wanted him to be happy too. Perhaps He’d put Boston in Cora’s path on purpose. Perhaps he wouldn’t lose his job by buddying up to her and educating her on everything that happened here at Silver Sage.

His phone buzzed again, and pure irritation shot through him. He lifted his device, ready to throw it through the window.

Then he saw the start of the text that had just come in. Hey, cowboy. It’s Cora, and I ? —

He sucked in a breath, the image of her in those jeans and tank top, her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail that swung as she rode filling his mind.

He suddenly couldn’t swipe on his phone fast enough.

Hey, cowboy. It’s Cora, and I was just wondering what your schedule is tomorrow? I have a morning meeting with the kitchen staff at the resort, and then I’ve heard there’s a new mac and cheese place in town that I’m dying to try.

Boston’s mouth watered, and he wasn’t sure if it was because she’d mentioned his favorite food, or that he was reading a text from the prettiest woman he’d met in years.

No matter what, he wanted to say yes, but she hadn’t actually asked him for a time to meet.

My schedule is

Because if you can spare a couple of hours in the middle of the day, I’d love to treat you to lunch so I can pick your brain about all things Silver Sage.

The wind in his sails deflated a little bit, and Boston scoffed as his thumbs hovered over the screen. “Of course she’s not going to ask you out,” he muttered to himself. He didn’t want Cora to do that anyway.

If one of them was going to make the first move, Boston would like it to be him.

“But what’s my move here?” He set his phone on the coffee table in front of him and looked out his front window. He’d been in a slight state of panic since last night, when he’d found out he had to take the Silvers out on today’s trail ride.

He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, trying to center himself enough to think rationally. He’d already called Cash and freaked out. He didn’t need to do that here.

Check your schedule.

His eyes popped open, and he picked up his phone again.

The lodge and resort kept two separate calendars, and his boss kept one for events as well as one for his office schedule.

The Outdoor Excursion Manager, Ernie, kept a fourth schedule, but Boston already knew he’d be out this weekend with a hunting group and that next week, he had three days to go out to Ramsfire Ridge, his favorite birdwatching spot in the whole of Wyoming.

Just the thought of seeing the golden and bald eagles he’d come to know in the past few years since discovering his love of hiking, camping, and birdwatching calmed him even further.

When he’d first gotten the job offer here at Silver Sage, he’d been thrilled to learn that they owned a small patch of land that butted up against the public land where he’d found peace among the wildlife.

He’d proposed a birdwatching-slash-camping trip, especially after he’d learned the Silvers had an off-grid cabin up there.

Jeremy had given him the go-ahead to develop the program, something Boston was still working on, as it snowed a lot in Wyoming, and he’d only been able to go out twice so far.

“That’s next week,” he said to himself. “You’re supposed to be in the office tomorrow morning.” And then he usually got an assignment in the lodge or around the grounds somewhere.

Surely if he had an “appointment” with Cora, Ernie couldn’t contest it.

He deleted what he’d started to type, and then wrote: I’m in the office in the morning. I work with our special events, and I usually get some sort of outdoor assignment in the afternoons I don’t have assigned excursions. Which tomorrow, I don’t. So I can do a meeting, if I can clear it with Ernie.

I’ll text Ernie right now.

“Wha—?” Boston didn’t know what to think. He’d been very careful to call their lunch a meeting, and she hadn’t corrected him. Perhaps she really did just want to use him for what he knew.

How had he gotten a different vibe from her? He pressed his eyes closed to go through all of the encounters he’d had with her.

Catching her on Goldie, lassoing the horse, and watching her go through a fairly fast panic attack before riding off.

Meeting her the next morning as his boss, having her threaten to give him the worst job ever if he spoke about the incident with Goldie, riding with her along the Wicker Road Trail.

Everything that had happened during the campfire….

Giving her his number.

Having her use it.

He says he can spare you tomorrow afternoon , Cora said. I’ll stop by the administrative offices when I’m ready to go, okay?

Am I driving? he asked.

If you could , she said. I don’t have a car yet.

Boston couldn’t even fathom that, but he’d never lived in a big city with robust public transportation either.

I can drive.

He shot to his feet when he realized he’d be stuck in the cab of his truck with the lovely Cora Silver for almost an hour as they drove to Coral Canyon together.

Boston’s stomach roared at him, and he should put something in the microwave, eat, shower, and get to bed.

Instead, he grabbed his cowboy hat from the hook beside the door and headed outside.

It only took a few minutes for him to arrive at the stables, and Boston didn’t care who saw him out here.

He opened the doors to the barn and stepped into the dimmer depths, glad for the air conditioning and the scent of horses, hay, and happiness.

He took a deep breath of it and went straight to Coach. “Hey, buddy.” Coach never said too much, but he sure was an excellent listener. Boston couldn’t help looking down the row to where Goldie lifted her head over the half-doorway too.

He stayed with Coach and stroked his hand down the horse’s neck. He’d left his phone back in his apartment, and he didn’t miss it while he told Coach, “What am I doing? She’s my boss.”

Coach simply looked at him with his big ole eyes, and Boston imagined him to say, It’s fine. Maybe she doesn’t feel the same things as you. Maybe she really just wants to meet to go over things here at the lodge.

“Yeah, maybe.” Boston moved over to the shelf and reached up high to get down the pineapple candy he kept there. “Don’t tell Cotton, okay?” He gave Coach a candy first, much to the displeasure of Dolphin who whinnied and then buzzed his lips at Boston.

“Just for that, you might not get one,” Boston told the horse. He gave candy to Baywatch, Bacon Bits, and Goldie, then Cascade, Canyoneer, and finally stood in front of Dolphin. “You did great today, buddy.”

He did give him a pineapple candy before migrating back to Coach. “Okay, I’m going to be okay. We’ll just play this by ear, right?”

Coach stood still while Dolphin nickered from down the aisle.

“Are you going to come hunting with me?” he asked the horse. “And what about all the way out to the eagles? It’s a long way.” He glanced down the row again. “I can take Goldie, I guess, if you’re not up to it.”

Coach gave him a side-eye then, and Boston chuckled. “Fine, you can come.” Feeling calmer than before, Boston returned to his apartment and picked up his phone, only to find he’d missed a call from his cousin Joey.

He tapped to call her back as he moved into his kitchen. She picked up on the third ring and said, “Hey, do you have a sec?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I was just taking a break with the horses.”

“Oh.” Joey paused. “What for?”

Boston suddenly understood Cash on a whole new level. “It’s nothing. I just left my phone inside is all. What’s up?”

“Adam and I want to have a summer barbecue and bonfire in his backyard on the weekend. What are you doing?”

“I have a hunting excursion.”

“Dang it.” Joey sighed. “When can you do it?”

Boston had just looked at his schedule, thankfully. “Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, but it’s fine. You don’t need to hold it for me.”

“But we can,” Joey said. “I’m still waiting to hear from Beth, so I’ll let you know.”

“Okay,” Boston said.

“And, no pressure, but Lynnie and Matthew will be here, and Corrine is wondering if she can bring her boyfriend…so we’re inviting everyone and their plus-one. It doesn’t have to be a romantic plus-one. You could bring a friend from the lodge or whatever.”

“Okay,” Boston said. “And Corrine is bringing her boyfriend?” His cousin was brave if she was truly going to bring her high school boyfriend to a Young family function. “How does Uncle Luke feel about this?”

“I guess they’re taking him camping with them in a couple of weeks and everything,” Joey said.

“You’re joking.” Boston’s father would’ve never done that.

Joey giggled. “We’re all saying Uncle Luke is turning into a completely different person.”

“It’s a little weird,” Boston said. “And I might bring a friend. Let me know when it is.”

“Sure thing.” Joey hung up, and Boston wandered over to the microwave, wondering if he could consider Cora a friend by the time the bonfire happened, and if she’d come with him if he invited her.

“Just see if she flirts with you tomorrow during your ‘meeting’.” He got out his microwavable meal, stirred it up, and put it back in for a few more seconds.

Yeah, that was what he’d do. Just see if he could get a better read on Cora tomorrow, and then he might know if he should put her in the friend category, or the boss one, or if maybe, just maybe, there could be something else between them worth exploring.