Page 5 of Undone

The corner of my mouth quirked up in victory.

“But here’s the thing. I don’t have any wiggle room in our budget to pay you, and I don’t feel right about letting you do it for free, even if you are staying here in exchange. It’s not like we’re struggling for space around here, so you being here obviously isn’t that much of an imposition.” I frowned at that, but he continued. “My dad always said that if you can’t afford to pay your workers a fair wage, then you can’t afford to own a ranch. And I believe the same thing.”

He looked so dejected that I almost forgot that I was still simmering at him. I would need to keep my guard up around him…but maybe I could help him out.

“I think I have a solution,” I said. “I’m not sure if Shannon told you, but I’m applying for a grad school coding program, and I need a portfolio piece. I’ve got a bunch of other client work, but obviously, it all reflects their taste and not mine. I’ll take on the Lost Valley websitefor no chargeifyou let me make all the final decisions on the layout and content, so I can use it as my premier piece for my application.”

Josh scowled and I could tell that there was an argument on his lips, so I waited him out. I knew it wasn’t easy for him to hand over the reins to anything, even if it was something he didn’t know much about.

“But what if I hate it?”

I laughed. “I promise, you won’t hate it. I’m good at what I do.” I scooted over on the swing. “Come sit, I’ll prove it.”

Josh walked over reluctantly. The way he warily eyed me up and down made me think he was a little afraid to get close to me. That was information I filed away to dissect another time. First I had to prove myself. He sat down on the far side of the swing and the old thing groaned.

I scrolled through my phone, trying to decide which of my past projects would sell my point. The wedding photographers and party planners wouldn’t do, even though they were lovely sites. The corporate sites for attorneys and accountants were professional and sleek, but probably not in line with the vision that Josh had for Lost Valley. I settled on the children’s summer camp in the Poconos and a nature photographer who had lots of shots of horses and cows.

“Check these out,” I said, handing my phone to him. “And don’t just glance at them. This redesign is going to take the user experience into account, so go through these examples like you’re interested in doing business with the site’s owner. Think about if you like how the page navigation is laid out, and the color schemes. And make note of what you don’t like too.”

I watched Josh’s face as he navigated through the sites I’d pulled up. His pessimistic expression softened as he worked his way throughthem, and at one point he actually uttered “wow” when a particularly impressive page popped on the screen.

“These are really good,” he finally said. “I think I like this one best, though.”

When he held up my phone it was my site, and the photo on the screen was of me. The picture was from the nature photographer’s “portraits” page, and I knew it was an amazing shot. The image of me was in black and white, close-up, with just the hint of a grin on my face.

I blushed. “Oh, that photo is heavily edited. I don’t look like that in real life.”

Josh stared at the picture, then raised his eyes to meet mine. “Well, I think you do.”

We both went silent for a second until Josh cleared his throat and handed my phone back. “I’m impressed. And I’d be foolish not to agree to the deal even though it’s going to be hard giving you final say.”

“Hard because it’s me, or because you’re a control freak?”

“Oof.” He doubled over like I’d punched him. “How about neither? I just like things the way I like them. We might have different tastes.”

I nodded. “True. But part of the reason why I said I wanted to meet with you is so I can get a feel for what you like, and then add my spin to it. Remember, you might have ideas, but I know whatworks. And in the end, this isn’t just about executing your personal vision—it’s about getting more paying butts in saddles and more interest in Shannon’s breeding program.”

Josh brightened. “Speaking of…would you be willing…”

I knew what he was going to say before he finished. “Nope.” I shook my head vigorously. “Don’t even think about it.”

He frowned and said nothing. The accident wasn’t something to be discussed lightly. I wondered if he had any clue how much of a lasting impact that injury had on me. I needed to change the subject.

“So should we make this official?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’ll sign whatever you have. I’m in,” Josh answered with an earnest expression on his face.

I threw my head back and laughed. “Notthatofficial. We’re friends. I’m not actually charging you anything—there’s no need for a contract. All we have to do is shake on it.”

Josh smiled sheepishly at his oversight. “That’s always been my preferred way of sealing a deal. The cowboy way, no paperwork needed. Spit and a handshake?”

I recoiled in mock horror. “No thanks, let’s skip the spit. A plain old handshake works for me.”

I held my hand out, and Josh met my eyes as he reached for it.

We hadn’treallytouched since I’d arrived, except for the moment in the hallway when he’d grabbed me, and the instant his big hand wrapped around mine, I realized that there was a good reason why I’d kept my distance for all these years. Because the sensation of his skin against mine was an immediate flashback to everything we’d been to each other once upon a time. His hand was rougher than I’d remembered, weathered by time and hard work, but somehow it still managed to feel gentle as it enveloped mine. I tried not to think about how much I used to love how he always towered over my smaller frame, or how ranch life suited him and his muscles were now sculpture worthy.

I pulled my hand out of Josh’s with a start. I couldn’t risk catching feelings for him; I had a job to do.

---