Page 24 of For Always
Tyler looked over to her. They were still walking and she was staring straight ahead, holding her purse under her arm.
“It used to be that way,” Tyler admitted. He hadn’t thought about that aspect since he’d been back, but Gabriella was absolutely right.
“My parents where childhood sweethearts. They married at seventeen and started their life here. I saw my dad doing everything from milking goats to mucking stalls. And my mother could clean a bathroom better than any housekeeping staff I’ve had in all my adult life. She could also cook a fantastic pot roast and smoothly negotiate half off the price for a piece of furniture.” Tyler rubbed a hand down the back of his head. “They were great people.”
“And now you’re wondering if you can be as great as they were if you choose to run this place?
Her question came as they approached the entrance to the garden his mother had fondly tended. Suddenly, Tyler wanted to know if Gabriella liked the garden too. He led them under the trellis covered in ivy.
“I know absolutely nothing about tending a garden,” he said when he watched her looking around.”
“This is beautiful,” she said and walked ahead of him. “I love how the colors blend seamlessly together. It’s probably vibrant and cheerful in the daylight.”
“It is. And the cattle are large and healthy. The horses sturdy and from good bloodlines. Everything around here works the way it should. But I bought in exercise equipment because that’s how I function. Back in L.A. I spend the bulk of my day either in my home gym or filming at a studio gym. So, yes, I guess you’re right,” he told her. “I don’t know if I can run this place. I don’t know if I have what my parents did.”
She turned slowly until she faced him. They were a few feet apart because he’d been following behind her.
“Then you make it what you want. You run this place the way you want to. Not the way they did.”
“What if I can’t?” he asked the question that had been on his mind since the moment he set foot back on this ranch.
“But what if you can?” she proposed instead.
“Stay with me tonight,” he said and slipped his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching out for her.
Her reply was immediate. “No.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m working for you.”
“Not because you don’t want to?” he countered. He needed to hear her say it.
“Tyler,” she started and then sighed. “We’ve gone over this already.”
“You’re right,” he told her with a quick nod. “We’ve gone over the fact that you came to Hobbs Creek to do a job. So let’s not rehash that. What if you weren’t here to work? What if you and I just met? Would you stay?”
She held her bag in front of her, fingers clenching it tightly.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.” He took one hand out of his pocket and ran a finger along his chin. “You’re a decisive woman. You were offered a job, you accepted and you showed up. You were told to leave because there was no job. You said okay and you packed up. You were told there might be a chance again at that job. You said fine and you stayed. Not once did you say you didn’t know, or that you had to think about it. You decided and you acted. That’s what you do.”
“You don’t know me,” she replied quietly.
“But I’d like to get to know you,” he said. “I’d like to find out what your favorite meal is. Mine used to be shepherd’s pie. Are you right-handed or left-handed? Do you snore? Electric toothbrush or regular? Autobots or Decepticons?”
She smiled.
“I kind of like Megatron,” she replied.
He grinned, loving the fact that she actually knew who the Transformers were. “It figures.”
When they stood in an oddly comfortable silence surrounded by the scent of flowers for a moment, he decided that was enough for the night. If he stood here with her any longer he would be tempted to pick her up and carry her to his bedroom. And while that sounded good, it wasn’t her coming to him willingly.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” he said and turned to head back to the entrance.
When she called his name and touched his arm, Tyler stopped. He looked over his shoulder to see her standing at his side.
