Second Chance at Sunflower Ranch (The Ryan Family #1)(12)

“Well, at least you’re glad I’m home,” Jesse said as he got behind the wheel, rolled up the windows, and turned the A/C on high. “Grady is treating me like he’s afraid I’ll take Addy away from him. Mia is acting like I’m Lucifer come up from the pits of hell. And Addy…I don’t know if she’s got room for another guy friend in her life or not. And why is he here again on the same day anyway?”

Tex stuck his nose right against the vent and wagged his tail.

“Or maybe you just want some cool air and don’t give a damn who you ride with,” Jesse said. “You got any idea why Mia is acting so harsh?”

Tex licked him on the hand and whipped around to the side window to watch a rabbit bounding across the pasture.

“Maybe tomorrow I won’t let her be boss if she’s going to treat me like something she stepped in out in the pasture,” Jesse chuckled. “Whatever her problem is, she can get over it, old boy”—he reached over and scratched the dog’s ears—“because I’m here to stay. I probably should never have left. Dad needs me now, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Tex barked once in agreement.

“I’ve had enough traveling in dry desert places and wondering if I would ever get home to see green grass again. I’m ready to settle down and maybe even give the folks some of those grandbabies they seem to want.” Jesse braked and parked in front of the tool shed.

Tex sat still when he opened the truck door.

“Are you planning on going with me to fix that fence or not?” Jesse asked.

He could have sworn that the dog nodded his head. “Well, then sit tight. I’ll be right back with what we need.”

He tossed the tools and supplies in the back of the truck, along with an extra set of gloves. The one thing he forgot was water, so he was almighty glad that the little chore only took an hour. The way the sun was beating down on him, he could feel dehydration setting in by the time he’d finished the job and got back to the barn.

Tex bounded out over the top of Jesse’s legs the second that the truck stopped, and the dog set up a howl as he chased a rabbit into a mesquite thicket not far from the barn. Jesse didn’t stop to watch the race but rather headed straight on into the tack room and went to the refrigerator for a bottle of water.

Mia came out of the tiny bathroom and propped her hands on her hips. “I’ll take care of this. You can call it a day.”

“I don’t need any help, Mia. I want to work the rest of the day in here. I need to reacquaint myself with where everything is. Tomorrow, I’m going to make sure my old four-wheeler and my dirt bike are completely in running order. I want to know if I’ve got all the tools I need or if I need to make a trip over to Bonham,” Jesse said.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Her green eyes flashed anger.

“All right then, I’ll make a suggestion. You said that you needed to do some computer work in the office when we were eating breakfast. Maybe you could do that, and let me have some time out here,” Jesse said.

“I’m nineteen years old, and I’ve worked on this place more in the past few years than you have. Hell, I’ve worked on a ranch more than you have since you left this one.” Mia glared at him.

“Yes, you have, but I’ve got about twenty years of life experience that you don’t have, and I had eighteen years of ranch work under my belt before I left here, so you can shed your pissy attitude. It would break Mama and Daddy’s heart to know that the two of us couldn’t work together, so let’s start all over and try to get along.” Jesse pulled a wooden box out from under the worktable.

“Hmphh,” Mia all but snorted. “Don’t test me.”

“Same back at you.” Jesse started to reach out and brush a spider from her hair but kept his hands to himself.

She inhaled so deeply that she almost busted the buttons off her shirt, and then let it out in a whoosh. “I don’t like you.”

“That’s plain as a snout on a hog’s nose. I don’t have any idea why, but you can get over it,” he chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded.

“Your mother could get on a soap box pretty quick when she was your age. She had that same fire in her eyes, and the same attitude,” Jesse said.

“Don’t you bring Mama into this,” Mia said. “This is between us.”

“I think maybe you’ve got a burr under your saddle because of something else going on in your life. You blushed when Pete mentioned Ricky. Who are those boys anyway?” Jesse asked.

“That’s my business and not a bit of yours. I saw the way Mama was lookin’ at you. I know you were friends, but you left her behind, so leave her alone now. She and Grady are good friends. She doesn’t need another guy friend.” Mia glared at him.

“You don’t even know me. I’d hoped we could get along with each other. The folks have sung your praises every time I’ve talked to them. Why have you taken such a dislike to me when we’ve just met?” Jesse asked.

“Integrity,” Mia answered, then stomped across the room and slammed the door behind her.

*



Addy’s hair was still damp from her shower when she checked Sonny’s vital signs and wrote down her findings on his chart. With the new trial medicine, Grady insisted that Sonny’s blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature be recorded twice a day. Bless his heart, he’d stopped by that morning for a second time just to see if she was all right. He’d said he could feel the tension at the breakfast table, and he wanted to know if she needed to talk. She had assured him that she was fine, and he’d given her a friendly hug and gone on his way.