Needing Her (From Ashes #1.5)(63)

I still didn’t respond; if it was a weekend, it happened at least twice a day. But that was something even Tyler didn’t know. My body started involuntarily shaking and I hated that I was showing any sign of weakness in front of him.

“Never again, Cassi,” he whispered while he studied my face.

My eyes flew back to meet his and my throat tightened. He sounded like he was in pain just talking about it and I had no idea why. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me want his arms wrapped around me. I cleared my throat and forced myself to continue to meet his gaze. “Cassidy.”

“What?”

“My name is Cassidy.”

“Oh.” He looked a little sheepish. “My apologies, I didn’t realize.”

“No. Um, Tyler doesn’t like it. He calls me Cassi. I just wanted to tell you my real name.” Really I just wanted to hear it in his gravelly voice.

He smiled softly as he studied me for a minute and took a sip of his black coffee. “I like Cassidy, it fits.”

Oh damn . . . yep. I was right in wanting to hear him say that. My arms were covered in goose bumps and I even shivered. Yeah—his voice was that sexy.

When I didn’t say anything he walked around to the table and held out a chair, waiting for me to sit in it. We sat in silence for a while before I finally looked up at him again.

“This might be rude, but can I ask you something?”

One side of his mouth lifted up in a smile. “I think I already cornered the market on rude questions this morning, so go ahead.”

And cue the freaking dimples! I got so lost staring at them I forgot to ask my question and his smirk went to a full-blown Gage smile. At this rate I’d need to start wearing a sleeping mask and earplugs around him in order not to make myself look like an idiot. Though I’d look ridiculous either way. “Well, um, Tyler said you live on a ranch?”

“I do.”

“I was kind of thinking you’d look more like a cowboy . . .”

Gage’s laugh bounced back off the walls, and I felt my body relax just listening to it. “And how exactly were you expecting me to look?”

“You know, boots, hat, big belt buckle, super-tight bright blue jeans,” I replied, a little embarrassed.

“Well I definitely have the boots, and the hats, but I don’t think my sisters or Mama would ever let me dress like Dad.”

“Oh.”

“My dad even has the big mustache, looks like Sam Elliott.”

It took me a second to figure out who that was, and then I laughed. “Seriously?”

“Swear, they could be twins.”

“I’d love to see that. So where was your hat last night?”

He shrugged. “I leave all that at the ranch.”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t wear them as a fashion statement, and I definitely don’t have any kind of work that would require them here in hippie town.”

“Hippie town?” I deadpanned.

“Just wait until we go out anywhere. You’ll see.”

I nodded. “What kind of work? What kind of ranch do you have?”

“Cattle ranch, and whatever needs to be done that day. Taking care of the animals, moving the cattle to different parts of the ranch, fixing fences, branding . . .” He drifted off. “Just depends.”

“How many cows do you have?”

“About sixteen.”

Okay, I understand I don’t know a thing about ranches, but I figured you’d need more than sixteen cows to make it a cattle ranch. “You have sixteen cows?”

He huffed a laugh and smiled wide at me. “Hundred. Sixteen hundred.”

“Dear Lord, that’s a lot of cows.”

He shrugged. “We’ll be getting more soon, we have the land.”

“How many acres is the ranch?”

“Twenty.”

“Hundred?”

“Thousand.”

“Twenty thousand acres?!” My jaw dropped. Why on earth would anyone need or want that much land?

“Yes, ma’am.” He spun his mug around on the table.

“ ‘Ma’am’? Really?”

One of his eyebrows raised. “What?”

“I’m not some grandma—I’m younger than you.”

Gage rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean you’re old, it’s respectful.” When he looked at my expression he shook his head and chuckled. “Yankees.”

“Uh, get a clue, cowboy . . . I’m not from the North.”

“You’re not from the South either. Yankee.” He smirked, and if I thought that was going to melt me, when he added a wink I knew I was done for.

“Are you going on about Yankees again, bro?” Tyler asked, walking into the kitchen.

Gage just shrugged and his green eyes met mine from under those dark brows again. “She didn’t like that I called her ‘ma’am.’ ”

“Get used to it, Cassi, we may be in the city, but it’s different here.”

I grumbled to myself and Gage laughed.

“So what are you guys talking about?” Tyler sat in the seat on my other side.

“Their huge ranch with too many cows,” I answered.