Page 50 of Winning His Wager

The experimental grasses weren’t Fletcher’s main area, he was more into the drones and how they were going to be useful on the ranch, but Dylan found the idea of the new strains fascinating. She exchanged emails with one of the technicians. She was going to send Dylan actual heirloom seeds that had been developed by her own great-grandfather more than a century ago. Dylan was going to grow them and report back how they did in Wyoming’s climate.

Then Travis and Fletcher were there again. Dylan reached for Fletcher’s hand when he reached for hers. Then he pulled her close. “Ready to go see the drones?”

“Definitely. I do think this place here is on my top five favorite places in the world, you know. Lily, she’s the lab tech, she’s going to send me some heirloom seeds—squashes, tomatoes, and some specialty lettuces I’ve never seen before—that have actually been passed down in her family for decades. She goes to school at FCU part time, and she is trying to see how the seeds perform in various climates for a potential thesis topic. I told her I’d be happy to help out. In our garden.”

“I think that sounds perfect.” Fletcher slipped his arm behind her waist. Dylan leaned against him slightly. It just felt right.

“The software that the smaller drones will operate on will monitor growing conditions and soil health,” Travis told her. “We’re designing them to be able to fly under current drone flight regulations. They’ll have far more sophisticated software than what is already out there and a better camera. But we’re trying to make sure we can keep costs of each unit down as well. Lucas Tech out of St. Louis is helping with the actual manufacturing of the housing for the drones.”

“I can’t wait to see them. I’ve been reading the white papers you’ve sent Fletcher. I really want to see the big guys. The ones with the enhanced speed.”

Travis explained to her more of what he was hoping to do with those larger drones—they were intended to monitor herds based on RFID tags, or by actual facial recognition of the animals themselves eventually. Even infrared heat for body mass was mentioned. And other things, like monitoring water tanks and checking fences and all aspects of the ranch life she’d been reading up on. It would make the industry a lot more efficient. Make a huge difference in food production, for sure. There was drone technology out there already, of course, but this was entirely next level. Beyond next level. And Fletcher got to be a part of it.

“It’s about a ten minute drive to the facility where the drones are being manufactured,” Travis told them. “Ready for a tour? To see the giant bugs? My wife says that’s what they look like.”

“It’ll just take a few hours,” Fletcher said. “And then we’ll go eat. Check out the city. How does that sound?”

“Perfect.”

For an adventure, this one was turning out perfect.

32

There wassomething going on in her head. No denying that.

Fletcher just waited. When Dylan was really bothered by something, it took a little while for her to get it out. The constant chatter other times was just a smoke screen. A way to hide what she was really feeling.

He’d put that together fast the first time he’d seen her dealing with one of her younger sisters during a crisis. He hadn’t even known what the problem was, but Dylan had just come in and started talking.

Until she had it solved and her sister okay again.

But she was letting him touch her. Like she didn’t realize he was doing it. She was touching him too. Little brushes that damned near had him shooting off into orbit.

He wanted that woman. He just didn’t quite know how he was going to convince her that she wanted him permanently. It had to be permanently. He couldn’t settle for anything less. But if he rushed her, she’d hightail it right back to the family inn and hide herself away in the attic.

Dusty and Sage had captured his brothers quickly. In dangerous circumstances, really. That wasn’t something he wanted to repeat. The trauma of what she had seen would already stay with her forever.

He wascourtingher. That was what he was doing. Fletcher had nevercourteda woman in his life. But she made him want to do that, to treat her gently. Softly.

To show her that she would always be safe with him, for one thing. To show her that she could trust him. Depend on him. Because unlike her father, Fletcher would never just rip the world out from underneath her. No matter what. To show her that they could belong—with each other.

“I had emails from Quade and Meyra both. Meyra and Brandt have set the date. She wants me to help her plan her wedding when I get back. They are movingfast.Quade just asked about how his family is doing.”

They’d run into Quade Davis’s aunts, sisters, and cousins at Houghton Barratt’s house after they’d met that billionaire inventor, and he’d shown them the drones at his private facility near his mansion in Barrattville. Brandt Barratt, Meyra’s fiancé, was also the first cousin of Houghton Barratt. Fletcher had spent a lot of time with Brandt, helping the other man find properties to expand his own business in Masterson. He liked him, considered him a friend.

“Are they having the wedding here or at home?” Fletcher asked. Brandt had told him personally that time was just too damned short. He wasn’t wasting another damned minute without Meyra.

Well, Fletcher could understand that himself.

If he had his way, he’d carry Miss Dylan Geraldine Brown Talley right to Ethan Masterson’s church out there in Tyler Township, where his parents had been married and where they were buried, and he would have Pastor Masterson marry him and Dylan together forever.

And then they’d get started on their first Fletcherling. As quickly as they possibly could. At least the practicing part. But that was a bit unreasonable right now—since he’d only kissed the woman, after all.

He might just be jumping the gun a bit. At least for her.

For him, well, Fletcher felt like they’d wasted enough time. He’d known her since October. That was long enough for a determined man to wait. Even if he hadn’t known exactly what he was waiting for.

“They are getting married in Masterson. He said it’s better for her there. Will be far less stressful than bringing her and the entire fam down here. He really understands her. It’s so sweet and romantic. And he said he wants to give his parents some time away, considering what happened to them recently. They are just waiting until his sister’s fiancé is back on his feet fully. Sometime in May. But—and don’t tell anyone I told you this—she’s moving in with him this weekend. She just needs to tell her family first. Not that it will be a big shock. I mean, she’s sleeping in the suite at the inn with him. Uncle Gerald is kind of flipping at that part, but I’m sure he’ll catch on to what they are doing in there eventually.”

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