Page 31 of Tempting Wyatt

It’s not my vacation. I’m behind on my deadline, and this ranch is the most inspiration I’ve had in months. But I don’t correct him.

He takes a step back, his eyes raking over me like he’s trying to determine my clothing size. “I’ll see If I can rustle you up a shirt.”

WYATT DOESN’TCOME TO DINNER.

I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of me—either because of how awkward my presence made dinner last night or because showing me around the ranch ran him behind today.

The steaks are the size of the dinner plates, and everything smells amazing. Laurel informs us that Miss Lottie, the ranch cook, worked all day to make this meal.

I see the older woman standing with Willow at the grill outside, along with the ranch foreman Wyatt introduced me to. I watch through the window as they hand him a large cooking pan full of meat. For the ranch hands, I’m assuming.

When I see Willow hand him several more covered pans, I turn to where Isaac is joining us at the dining table.

“How many people work here?”

He scratches his chin. “Somewhere around twenty. Wyatt would know for certain.”

“And they live on the property?”

Isaac pulls out a chair for me. These Logan men are something else. A girl could get used to this.

“Some of ’em. The hands stay in the bunkhouse. The foreman has his own cabin not far from the one you’re renting. Miss Lottie has a cabin beside the cowboy camp but stays with her sister in Livingston on weekends.” He hands me a plate as Sutton and Laurel join us. “We employ a horse trainer and a breeding specialist but they live closer to the equestrian center that Willow runs.”

Willow comes inside and sits by me at the table. “How was your day as a hand, Ivy?”

“Good.” I grin. “Tiring. Long. But really good.”

She points a finger at Isaac, who just opened his mouth to say something. “No pervy commentary needed from you.”

Isaac grins. “I was just gonna ask if she was planning to do it again tomorrow.”

I can’t help but smile. “Gonna try. I’m hoping to spend this week getting the lay of the land, as long as Wyatt doesn’t mind.”

“You know,” Willow begins as she cuts half a steak into thin slices and places it atop a bed of field greens, “maybe at the end of the week, you could come to the center I run. See how we train the horses.”

“I’d love that.” I watch her, wishing I’d thought to do the same with my steak. I can’t finish it or even half of the baked potato, though working on the ranch did work up an appetite.

“Will, don’t forget we have to finish those vaccinations this week,” Isaac reminds her.

She nods while chewing her food. “On it.” She pauses,glancing around the table. “Where’s Wyatt tonight? Still working?”

Isaac shrugs. “Didn’t see him anywhere near the barn.”

“If he’s not careful, he’s going to end up like Dad,” Sutton mutters.

Willow’s fork clanks loudly against her plate, and then silence falls like a heavy, wet blanket over the entire table.

Laurel freezes where she stands, holding a bottle of salad dressing. “Excuse me,” she mumbles, setting the bottle on the table before scurrying back toward the kitchen.

Willow glares at Sutton. “Nice, little sister.”

Sutton frowns, looking genuinely confused. “What? It’s the truth. Everyone told Dad to take it easy, and he didn’t. And now he’s gone. Nobody seems concerned that Wyatt is acting just like him.” The pain and fear are audible in her voice as it trembles. She turns from Willow to Isaac, and it’s like I’m watching live-action theater. “And when Wyatt drops dead from a heart attack at forty, then what? You take over and do the same, right?”

Her eyes are filled to maximum capacity with unshed tears. If she blinks, a flood is coming.

Willow sighs heavily but says nothing as she pats Sutton’s shoulder gently.

Isaac’s brow furrows. “Come on, Button. You know I’m not going anywhere. And neither is Wyatt.”