“You’re welcome. But I don’t like the idea of you hurting yourself. Next time, you get someone to help you, okay? Little bit like you doesn’t need to be carrying such heavy stuff.”
“It’s not that heavy.” She looked to the ground. Little? Her? He must be talking about how short she was, because there was definitely nothing else little about her.
“Hey, everything okay?” the deep voice asked.
“Oh yes.” She laughed nervously. “I better pick everything up. I hope nothing’s broken.”
She moved down the steps, surprised when he followed her. Both of the lids had stayed firmly on, thank goodness.
“I’m Linc by the way. What’s your name?”
“Marisol.”
“Nice to meet you, Marisol.” He stacked the containers on top of one another. “Now, where am I taking these?”
“Oh, you don’t have to carry them for me.”
There was a beat of silence. Even though he didn’t say anything she could feel his disapproval and his determination.
She relented. “Uh, if you could carry them over to my car for me, that would be great. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You, uhh, you work here?” she asked. She made small talk all day long. One of the key factors of her job was working out whether someone wanted to chat or they wished for some quiet. If they wanted to talk then she had to drive the conversation where needed. But it seemed when it came to talking outside of work, she was hopeless.
“I do. I’m the ranch manager.”
Wow. That seemed like an important job for a ranch this big. She stopped at her small, beat-up car.
“This is what you drive?” There was that note of disapproval again. It made her cringe.
“Yes,” she said so quietly it was likely he didn’t even hear her reply. She opened the trunk and he stuck the containers inside.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just that even in the dark I can tell this car needs some work.” He ran a hand along the side of it.
“It’s my aunt’s,” she confessed. Even though her aunt never drove it. She had a brand-new Range Rover. “I’m just borrowing it.”
Linc made a low noise that she couldn’t decipher.
“Thanks for carrying my stuff and for, uhh, rescuing me before.”
“No pro
blem,” he replied easily. “You ever need a knight in shining armor. Or a hero in cowboy boots, you know where to find me.”
She forced herself to laugh, knowing he was joking.
But a hero in cowboy boots was exactly what she needed.
9
Charlie stood nervously outside the church.
This was it. Her big day. Her stomach was tied in knots, her heart racing. She thought she might throw up.
Calm, Charlie.
Abby and Ellie stepped up on each side of her. Each of them clasped hold of one of her hands.