James arched a brow. “Goats?”
She nodded. “We use them for goat’s milk.” She could smack herself in the forehead right now. He probably already knew what goats on a ranch were for.
“Mind if I tag along?”
“Mind if you… why would you want to do that?”
“I haven’t seen a goat since—” He cut himself off and rubbed the back of his neck. “You know what? Never mind. I’m just going to head out, if that’s okay. I’ll be back tomorrow same time if that works for you.”
She nodded, her voice stuck in her throat.
“Great. Then we can discuss some other little things you can look for when you’re taking care of your animals. You’d be surprised at how often it’s those small things that go unnoticed that turn into bigger things.” He chuckled. “I was at the country club and Shane has a horse with an abscess. I’ll be getting my supplies and draining it. He didn’t notice until the horse started limping, but he might have caught it sooner if he’d checked her hooves more regularly.” He waved his hand dismissively. “You don’t need to know any of that.”
She moved closer to him. “But I do. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. I need to know what to look for on a daily basis so I can give early intervention if necessary.”
He gave her a funny sort of look, his eyes appraising her. It was that discerning stare that made it difficult to sit still for very long. But it was also that look that made her feel seen and listened to.
Life was so utterly confusing sometimes. Her hormones needed to get their act together and start listening to the boss. And the boss said that James Pratt was definitely off-limits.
Friends.
That’s all that they would be.
With maybe a professional respect for one another.
She inched closer to the gate and gave him a small smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Without waiting for a response, Constance spun on her heel and strode out of the corral and toward the house. She’d made it to the porch before she realized that she’d told James she was going to check on the goats. If she turned around now, it would appear as though she’d been distracted. And he’d probably think it was he who had been the culprit. But if she went inside, then he might think she was lying only to get away from him.
Slowly, she turned around and stared at him from across the property, only to find that he’d gotten swept up in watching Brielle once more.
Constance’s hands tightened into fists at her sides. Why couldn’t she ever make someone look at her like that? Honestly, it didn’t even have to be James. She just wanted to be seen—to have someone know her from the inside out.
But there was no one. She hadn’t dated a single person in high school. Nor did she date anyone after she graduated. She’d followed her father’s rules, yes, but it wasn’t that hard when there wasn’t anyone to tempt her.
But now? The temptation stood only fifty yards away in a corral with the horse he helped bring into this world. And the only one he had eyes for could care less about him.
She let out a groan and whisked her way into the house, letting the storm door slam shut behind her.
5
James
Shane was an idiot. It didn’t matter how much James tried to distract himself from her; all he wanted to do was watch Brielle. Something in his brain must be broken. Hadn’t the breakup beenhisidea? He’d realized what was best for the both of them and he’d made it happen.
So why was he standing in the middle of a corral watching the one woman he let get away and wishing he could turn back time? The temptation to charge across the dirt and grass and confront her once again was stronger than he’d like to admit.
His foot took one step, and he just about took another when a truck he didn’t recognize pulled up to the house. James stood stock still as a tall man in a cowboy hat, black shirt, and jeans emerged from the cab. Brielle pulled her reins to the side and urged her horse into a canter toward the side of the corral where the stranger stood.
James’s whole body burst with jealous energy forcing him to turn away as Brielle slid from her saddle and closed the distance between the two of them. She perched on the railing and grabbed his hat from his head to put on her own head.
He could hear her laughter all the way across the property.
There was one thing he knew without a doubt at this point. Brielle wasn’t as broken up about their history as he was. She didn’t seem to be interested in him in the slightest. Whoever this cowboy was, he wasn’t a local. James hadn’t seen him around town. He could be from another county or from out of state.
What was he doing?
Torturing himself, that’s what.
James clenched his hands into fists. The energy it took to ignore what was taking place over there was completely overwhelming.