Page 27 of Here With Me

“Follow me. He should be in the office.”

As we walk down the center aisle, I notice how clean and organized it is, unlike most of the ranches I’ve worked on. At least two dozen custom Tuscany stalls occupy the space, and by the looks of it, all of them are filled with boarders. This barn is twice the size of what I was expecting.

Horses peek their heads over their doors as I go by, and one jerks his nose up, trying to nibble on my sleeve.

“That’s Nibbler. Got that name for a reason.” Ayden chuckles when I stop to pet him, and the horse tries to eat my shirt again. He’s going to be a fun one to work on. Most experienced horses don’t mind their hooves being cleaned, but some get anxious and feisty, biting at my clothes and making it harder to focus when they attempt to undress me.

Brushing a hand down my arm to wipe off his slobber, Nibbler releases a loud sigh when I step out of his reach.

When Ayden and I approach the office, the door swings open, and out walks a woman. My heart pounds in anticipation of seeing Noah, but it’s not her.

“Hey.” She lowers her gaze down my body and then meets my eyes with a flirty smirk.

“Ruby, this is the new farrier, Mr. Underwood,” Ayden says.

Her clothes are worn and dirty like most ranch hands, so it’s obvious she works here. “About time. You got your work cut out for ya.” She playfully pats my bicep as she walks past me.

Glancing at Ayden, he barks out a laugh. “She’s harmless but doesn’t sugarcoat it. Mr. Ryan was supposed to be here six weeks ago, and that was a delay from his usual appointment three weeks before that.”

“Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.” I was still contracted for jobs on the other side of the state when Mr. Ryan reached out, and he must’ve left sooner than he told me. That means it’s been at least nine weeks since their last hoof clean.

Ayden motions for me to enter the office, and when I do, a tall and barrel-chested man stands from behind a desk.

“You must be Fisher.” He reaches for my hand, and then we shake.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Sit, sit. Lots to go over before my team puts you to work.”

Between Ruby’s warning and Ayden’s comment, I have a feeling this ranch is about to become my second home.

ChapterSeven

Noah

“New eye candy alert,” Ruby singsongs as soon as I walk into the stables.

“Who?” I lead Buttercup into one of the grooming stalls and securely crosstie him in place.

“New farrier. He’s in the office with your dad. But goddamn, I nearly tripped over my boots gettin’ a good look. Might’ve squeezed his bicep when I walked past him, too.”

I snort as I remove the saddle and set it on the stand. “Didn’t you and Nash just celebrate your eighteen-month anniversary?”

She holds up her left hand and wiggles her bare ring finger. “I can still appreciate the view when he looks like a souped-up cowboy who walked right out ofYellowstone.”

Magnolia and I have binged that show more times than I can count, so now she has my undivided attention.

“Tell me more.” I grab a brush and begin grooming Buttercup. We had a long training session this morning since he’s scheduled to leave tomorrow. The owner bought him on a whim without realizing he wasn’t professionally trained, and he bucked her off within thirty seconds of getting on him. After four months of daily cross-training, Buttercup’s time has come to an end. But since I’m a perfectionist and my own worst enemy, I can’t let my boarders leave without one final session to ensure they’re ready. Mrs. Clark came twice a week to ride him under my guidance so she’s as prepared as she possibly can be when I’m no longer around.

“He’s basically a Luke Grimes dupe. Maybe a smidge older. Dark hair to his shoulders. Scruffy jawline. Brown eyes with wrinkles around the creases. Tall and muscular. My soon-to-beDaddy.”

Staying focused on Buttercup’s grooming, my heart pitter-patters as her description matches Fisher’s. There’s no way he’d just show up and apply for a job here because I ignored his calls.Would he?He knows my last name, and it wouldn’t take much internet research to find out where I live and work, considering Sugarland Creek’s population is just over two thousand people.

That’d be some next-level stalker shit only considered sexy in romance novels.

“So basically, what wet dreams are made of?” Ayden barks out an amused laugh.

“You know it.” Ruby chuckles.