When I turned back around, it was their turn to laugh. Once they were able to control themselves, they explained how the rest of their day went, and I couldn’t help joining in their amusement of getting back at Liam. I only wished I had been a part of it. Liam was a good guy, but we all picked on each other to keep things lively around here.
Over the rest of dinner, Grace told us about how she ended up at the ranch with her sister. It made my blood boil to hear how her ex-coach screwed her team over. The jackass took everything and left everyone high and dry without so much as an explanation. Who the fuck does that? Grace was lucky that Thomas and Declan put family first on a lot of things.
By the time we finished dinner, I was hooked. I needed to know more about her. What she liked, what she didn’t like, how she took her coffee, how she fell in love with riding, what her dreams were.
My heart stopped when I thought about it. I never wanted to get to know a woman more than what she looked like without clothes. I was thirty-four, and I couldn’t remember the last time I was truly interested in a woman. Thomas and Declan always told us that when we found the one, we would know right away. After meeting Grace, it felt like I had been slammed in the chest by a longhorn.
Scott and I walked Grace to the bunkhouse before parting ways. It took everything in me not to ask for a goodnight kiss after thinking about how her plump lips would taste all night.
“What do you think of Grace?” I asked Scott as we walked to the house.
“She’s nice.”
I stopped short. “What do you mean? Just nice?”
“What do you want me to say, Ty? She’s pretty, she’s smart, she’s funny, she’s adorable, she’s sassy at times. She’s Blake’s sister.” He emphasized the last point.
I knew what he was thinking. We shouldn’t think of Grace the way I was. The way I was hoping he was, too. After just meeting her a few hours ago, I felt more of a connection to her than I had with any other woman. I wanted her, and it sucked that she was only just passing through. Blake told us weeks ago about how she was actively looking for a team for Grace to join.
“Maybe she wants to have some fun while she’s here. Even though you won’t admit to it, you were flirting with her just as much as I was, and she was flirting right back with us.”
“Yes, I flirted. Sue me.” Scott opened the door to the mudroom with more force than necessary. I caught the wood before it slammed against the side of the house.
“You don’t have to get all grumpy about it. I was merely pointing out that this is the first time I’ve seen you show any interest in a woman. In years. If Grace is up for it, maybe she would be the best person to dip your toes back into the water with.”
“Are you crazy?” He spun around, his eyes wide open.
“What?” I shrugged. “I was just putting it out there. I know I want to get to know Grace, and I figured maybe you might want to as well.” I squeezed past him into the kitchen, after I placed my boots carefully by the back door.
“I’m going to ask her to dinner again tomorrow. You can join if you want.” I grabbed a glass of water before heading to my bedroom to shower and hit the hay. I could only hope I might run into her in the morning since we would be out inspecting the south fields. I regretted not asking her for her phone number after dinner.
The next morning,I looked everywhere for Grace. Both barns, the dining hall, the arenas, but I couldn’t find her. I didn’t want to go to the bunkhouse this early in case she was still asleep. Plus, my goal was tocasually ask her to dinner again when I accidentally bumped into her.
Scott and Travis beat me to the barn due to my detour and were almost ready to leave by the time I entered.
“Didn’t find her, did you?” Scott called from Jameson’s stall.
“No.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing.”
“What’s a good thing?” Travis stopped Bear, his bay gelding, in front of my stall.
I paused brushing my chestnut mare, Foxy, down. “Nothing,” I lied, not looking at him, even though I knew it was hopeless. The three of us had been a team for almost seven years. They were my brothers, and I knew Travis wasn’t going to let this go.
“Grace,” Scott said as he brought Jameson out of his stall.
I rushed to finish Foxy, saddling her up in record time.
“What about Grace?” Travis asked.
“Ty wants to get to know her more.”