Free The Rancher's Untamed Heart by Nicole Jordan Page B

cancer a few years before that.”
     
    I winced and reached out, squeezing his free hand briefly.
     
    “That’s rough, I’m sorry to hear that,” he said.
     
    He nodded.
     
    “Your parents?” he asked.
     
    I tried to resist the urge to roll my eyes again.
     
    “They split when I was a kid, and each remarried a while back,” I said. I took a sip of my own margarita.
     
    “They live nearby?” he asked.
     
    “No, he lives in Washington state, and she lives in Florida,” I said, “They’re as far away from each other as they can get and stay in the country.”
     
    He winced.
     
    “That bad?”
     
    I nodded.
     
    “How did you end up in Texas?” he asked.
     
    “I didn’t end up here, I lived here until I was eleven, and as soon as they stopped dragging me all over the country, I came right back,” I said.
     
    “Good call, no reason to leave,” he said.
     
    I laughed.
     
    "That big a fan of Texas?" I asked.
     
    "Well, what's not to like? I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, that's for sure," he said.
     
    "Yeah, I have to admit, I am with you," I said, "I came back as soon as I could, went to college at A&T."
     
    "What did you major in to become a U-S-D-A inspector?" he asked, drawing the letters out.
     
    I did roll my eyes this time.
     
    "I love my job," I said, tartly.
     
    "I'm sure you do," he said, taking another swig of his beer and not looking me in the eyes.
     
    "I majored in Agriculture," I said.
     
    “Oh, are you going to tell me how to run my ranch?” he asked.
     
    I raised my eyebrows and put my margarita down hard, almost splashing it on the table.
     
    “Look, I do like you, Clint, you seem like a nice guy, but you can’t keep pulling that,” I said.
     
    He looked at me and said nothing.
     
    “I love my job, and I enjoyed getting my degree, and I haven’t said the first thing about what you could change on your ranch to be more modern,” I continued, “I don’t think that new is always good, and your way is obviously working for you, just stop being so damn defensive.”
     
    He looked a little sheepish.
     
    "I'll get off your back," he said.
     
    "You'd better," I warned him.
     
    We both were silent for a minute. The bustle of the busy restaurant around us provided a welcome distraction.
     
    I really liked Clint, but if he was going to keep fussing at me for my job, I didn't know how much time I could spend around him.
     
    "How did you get your job?" he asked.
     
    I looked at him, wary.
     
    "Are you going to make jokes?" I asked.
     
    "No," he said, and uncrossed his arms. "I'm trying not to be defensive. You like your job, how did you get it?"
     
    I smiled at him.
     
    "Well, I came down here and applied everywhere I could. Got an interview, thought I would stay a few months until I found something better, but it turns out that I really enjoy it," I said.
     
    Just then, the food came. Big steaming oval plates of way too much Mexican food to eat in one sitting. We both thanked the waitress and then turned our attention to our meals.
     
    "Oh, yes," I said to Clint, "You pick a good restaurant. I hate small portions."
     
    "Girl after my own heart," he said, smiling a slow, sweet smile at me.
     
    I could feel myself melting. I stretched my foot out until I found his jeans-clad leg and stroked his calf.
     
    His smile widened.
     
    "What made you stay?" he asked, stretching his leg out closer to me.
     
    "I love getting out to see all the different ranches," I said, "I thought that I wanted to choose one ranch and settle down, become a long-term employee and make a lot of good changes, but I haven't seen a chance for something like that."
     
    "Long as you aren't stuck in an office?" he asked.
     
    "Pretty much," I said, and sighed. "That's what I thought would happen for the first few years after college. I've been able to get out in the fresh air for two years, and I don't think I could go back."
     
    "When did you graduate?" he asked.
     
    I eyed