He’s nodding before I get it all out. “Yes. I’ll work really hard for you, King. I won’t let you down.”
King bends down until he and Eli are at the same level. “I’m not hiring you as a hand, Eli. I’m asking you if you want to be my son... forever.”
“Yes.” Eli’s chin starts to wobble until he gets a hold of himself. “I love you, King.”
My heart does a somersault, and I reach up to wipe the wetness from my eyes. “I love you too, son.”
I wrap my arms around Nat and Eli. From this point forward, they are my family. Forever.
Chapter 21
King
It’s early morning a week later, and I’m in the barn with Ryan. “The cattleman’s ball is next month.”
Ryan shrugs like it’s no big deal. “So?”
I just laugh. “So... I’ll be out of town. I’m going to Texas with Nat to meet her parents.”
Ryan picks up a bale of hay and walks across the barn. I do the same and follow behind him. “Okay, what’s that got to do with me?”
“Well, I need you to go and represent the ranch.”
He stops then. “Why me? Why can’t Chance or Griffin go?”
“Well, I already asked Griffin to help with the author that’s coming to visit next month and well, Chance, I mean...” I stop when Ryan holds his hand up. “No reason necessary.” Of all of us, Chance is the quietest and probably the worst one to send to a cattleman’s ball. He tends to say whatever’s on his mind and most usually piss people off when doing it.
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
We toss the hay and walk into the barn’s office. I point to the calendar when he walks in the door. “See, I circled it real big so you wouldn’t forget. And look, Ryan, when I say you’re representing the ranch, I mean it. No drinking or acting a fool, and why don’t you take a respectable date?”
He smirks. “All the women I date are respectable women.”
“Really? Is that why I had to have the birds and bees talk with Eli last week when he saw you in the back of your truck with some woman?”
“She was delivering from the feed store and was nice enough.”
I shake my head. Eventually, he’s going to grow up. At least, I keep telling myself that. “How about Mia? Why don’t you take her?”
He starts to laugh and doesn’t stop, eventually holding his side. “I don’t even think Mia owns a dress. And I mean, she’s frumpy. I don’t think she goes on dates.”
Right at that moment, Mia walks in the office looking between Ryan and me. I can tell just by looking at her that she heard everything Ryan said. “Hey, Mia.”
She says hey, puts her head down, and walks past the two of us to her desk. Ryan shrugs his shoulders. “I have some cows to move.” He walks out the door.
“Mia, I’m sorry to ask you this, but I need someone to go with Ryan and keep him in line. Can you go to the cattleman’s ball with him next month? Nat, Eli, and I will be out of town, and I need to know it’s going to go smoothly.”
She starts to stutter. “I don’t... I really would rather not...”
“I wouldn’t ask if I really didn’t think it was important.”
She lets out a sigh. “Okay, yeah, I’ll do it.”
“Great. Nat said she’d go shopping with you to get your dress beforehand. I really appreciate everything you do for the ranch, Mia. We couldn’t do it without you.”
Her lips turn up at the corners, but it’s obvious the damage is done. She heard Ryan, and I don’t know what I can do to fix it. It’s obvious to everyone here she’s had a crush on him forever, but my immature brother doesn’t have a clue.
“Oh, yeah, Nat needed you. I told her if I saw you, I’d send you up to the house.”
“Okay,” I tell her, already turning to go. I stop at the door, feeling guilty even though I wasn’t the one that called her a frump. “You okay?”
She smiles, but it’s fake. “Yeah, I’m good. I just have a lot of work to get done today.”
I nod and walk out of the office. Once I get outside, I jog up to the house. I search all downstairs and the place is empty. It’s a Wednesday, so Paulina is in town shopping. I go up the stairs to the wing of the house where Nat’s room is and knock on her door.
“Come in,” she calls.
I walk in, and my mouth hits the floor. I push my way in the room and shut the door firmly behind me. Nat is lying on the bed in nothing but her bra and panties. I swallow hard. “Nat... what are you doing?”
She raises up on her elbow. “Well, I’m trying to seduce my fiancé.”