Page 4 of Snowed In With the Maverick
“Be careful what you wish for,” Mike said, ruffling his nephew’s hair. “There are only twenty-four hours in a day.” He looked at his watch. “We’d better head out if we want to get in line for popcorn before the show,” he said to Daniel.
“Can I use the bathroom before we leave?” Cody asked.
“You mind taking him?” Daniel asked Mike. “There’s a bathroom in the office there. I’ve got something I need to talk to Seth about really quick.”
Mike and Cody disappeared into the office, and Daniel gestured down the path toward the barns. “Let’s walk,” he said.
“Movie night, huh?” said Seth. “So wholesome.”
“Maggie’s out of town with Braden, so we said we’d take Cody for the night. He’s never seen the ranch and asked to visit on the way to the movies.”
Daniel’s boyfriend, Mike, was close with his twin sister, Maggie, and had played the role of Cody’s caregiver for several months while Maggie was out of the country doing international health care work in South America. Seth wasn’t surprised that Daniel enjoyed spending time with Mike’s nephew—something about his nature made him a natural with kids, even though until recently he’d never talked about wanting some of his own one day.
“How domestic,” Seth said.
“Shut the hell up,” Daniel said, but Seth noted a trace of a smile on his lips, and that same dozy lovebird look in his eyes he’d had since getting together with Mike earlier that year. The two had met at the Tenacity Social Club, where Mike was a bartender part-time, and despite some initial differences they’d had to navigate related to their families and their very different backgrounds, they were now a solid pair.
Their biggest challenge had been the fact that Mike’s family owned a ranch that struggled to compete with corporate giants like Taylor Beef, but with Daniel’s help, things were finally looking up. Now, they were making it work, living together in a cozy cabin on the Cooper ranch, where Daniel was throwing himself into revitalizing Mike’s family business.
It was enough to make Seth want to roll his eyes, but the truth was, he was happy for his brother. Mike was a great guy, and now Seth found himself, despite being the second eldest of six siblings, the only one of the Taylor brood still single.
Which he’d no doubt hear about from his father that night at dinner, as per usual. If he hadn’t already promised to go by and make some decisions with his father about the winter’s seasonal workers, he’d be tempted to cook up an excuse to skip it.
The gravel path crunched under their boots as they made their way down the path between the barns, past the corral where the smell of horse sweat and manure hung heavy in the crisp late fall air and the clang of tools echoed from the equipment storage and maintenance area.
Down in the fields, the calm lowing of cattle and the rhythmic clip-clop of hooves sounded in the air as the Triple T ranch hands on horseback moved their herd between pastures. The acres of lush green grass were now the golden fields of fall, and it wouldn’t be long before the most profitable ranch in the state, owned by Bronco’s wealthiest family, was blanketed in snow for the winter.
The sun shone bright, but it was still cool enough that Seth’s breath made little clouds in the air. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his jacket, watching as the herd moved in what looked from afar like an undulating dark wave.
Despite the amount of backbreaking labor involved in ranching, the area always held a sense of peace and tranquility. The vastness of the land, the gentle rolling hills and the grazing cattle had always brought a level of serenity to Seth’s life, so no matter how much his real estate ventures picked up, or whatever happened with this dino dig, at his core, he was a rancher.
“Hey, listen,” Daniel said, his voice a little deeper than usual, the voice he used when what he was about to say was meant to be taken seriously.
Seth waited, and when Daniel didn’t speak for a few seconds, he looked over and noticed that his brother had pulled a small black box from his jacket pocket. Daniel turned it over in his hands, then flicked it open with his thumb, revealing a platinum band inside.
“Is that what I think it is?” said Seth, raising an eyebrow. “Not only have you gone all domestic, but you’ve also gone crazy too? Trading in the sports car for a minivan next?”
Daniel chuckled and shook his head. “Feels that way sometimes,” he said. “Just wanted to ask… I don’t know.” He paused. “Just wanted to ask what you think.”
Seth took the box from his brother’s hands and examined the ring, which was lightly etched with lines and grooves. “I like it,” he said. “Not my style, but Mike’ll love it.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Daniel said. “I mean what do you think of me asking Mike to marry me?”
Seth passed the box back. “I think I’ve never seen you this happy. Not a bad idea to lock that down. Before he comes to his senses.”
“Very funny. And I think we all know that there’s not a wedding ring on this planet that would be your style,” Daniel said.
“Hey, hey,” said Seth, feigning offense. His brother wasn’t far off, though. “That’s not true. I’m just…prioritizing experiences over…shiny things. Living in the moment.”
“Uh-huh,” said Daniel. “Living in the moment, alone.” He shoved the box back into his pocket. “Let’s keep walking.”
They continued down the trail out to the back pastures. “So what’s your plan?” asked Seth.
“I’ll wait until after Thanksgiving,” said Daniel.
“You mean you don’t want to treat Mike to his first Taylor family Thanksgiving and Dad’s reaction before he fully commits?”
Daniel’s face clouded over. “That, I’m not looking forward to.”
