He doesn’t brag, correct me, or even reassure me that he’s got it handled.
But Tanner has got her handled.
It takes some doing; he has to dismount Mr. Grant and wrestle Daisy away from the weeds while I hold his coil of rope. But if I’m honest, he gets the job done more quickly than I ever have.
Once Daisy is compliant, Tanner tosses me the slack of the rope.
I give him a smile and toss it back. “Nah, go ahead and take her to the pasture with the rest of the herd. Good job,” I tell him.
And I mean it. He did great.
Tanner rides up next to me while we head back to the herd. Nobody says anything until I find a reason to pick at him. “You know you didn’t have permission to saddle Mr. Grant.”
He huffs. “Did I do it wrong?” I expect him to look smug, but Tanner’s expression is anything but. He’s all wide-open innocence. I’d think he was craving my approval if I didn’t know any better.
“No. You did it right. That’s not the point.”
A slow smile spreads across his face, and something cold inside me melts despite my resistance.
He looks good on Mr. Grant, which makes my heart thud in my chest. I’m picky with who gets to ride my horses, yet I like looking at him like this.
“I figured it was better than standing around waiting for my boss to tell me what to do.”
I can’t help but smile back at him. “I’m not your boss.”
“Today you are.” Oh god, did he just wink at me? Not fair. Especially with lashes that go with hypnotic brown eyes.
I take a second to gather myself. “You’re a famous rodeo star, from what I hear. I doubt you’re used to anyone telling you what to do.”
Tanner laughs. “What you don’t know about my life amounts to a heck of a lot.”
He’s right. I have a massive chip on my shoulder, and I don’t know what his life is like.
“Why don’t you tell me about it while you help me fix the fence?” I offer.
“I’ll help you fix the fence, but trust me, you don’t want to hear me whine about my life.”
Now, I’m definitely interested in finding out more. I’ll let it go for now.
I’ll bet he knows just how to leave a girl wanting more.
Fixing the fence goes a hell of a lot faster with two people rather than with just one. That might make me Captain Obvious.
But it chaps at me. I’m so used to doing all of this alone.
After I broke up with my ex and finally got everything legally and financially untangled from that man, I came here to do everything on my own.
Randall and all his machinations ended up setting me back years from my goals. After that, I pressed fast-forward and decided to do it independently.
At first, Tanner reminded me of Randall, from the muscly legs and shoulders to the cocky attitude. Randall’s body was built at the gym, but he was no good at getting shit done at my rental properties as he said he would. He half-assed most of the fixes. Hell, he barely could even manage to change the locks.
But as the day wears on, the comparison fades. Tanner works hard and doesn’t question anything I tell him, even when I’m unreasonable. If anything, he works twice as hard.
By lunchtime, the two of us have made a much more significant dent in the chores than I typically finish in a single morning.
“You don’t have to stay,” I tell him, unpacking the cooler that Joy has left for us in the barn.
Tanner furrows his brow.