Colt laughed, and crinkle lines appeared around his eyes. “After we get the groceries put away, I’ll start the grill. And you’re not wrong—you’ll need it.”
Oh boy! “Well, why don’t you let me put the groceries put away? And then, cowboy, you can get your personal items put away. There’s plenty of room in the bathroom for your toiletries, and there should be some space in the dresser for your clothes. We divide and conquer. This way, we can get dinner started that much sooner.”
“I like the way you think, woman.” He swatted her rear as he walked away, and she couldn’t help but wonder how she had ever done without the man. That didn’t mean her life had been bad or anything. But his presence shone a light on just how lonely she’d become.
Alone on a spacecraft, adrift in an endless void of space. And now there was a ship and fellow traveler in her docking bay.
She pinched herself, just to be certain that she wasn’t dreaming. That Colt was real and not a mirage. She winced at the pain. Yep. He was real, all right. Before she became caught up in her thoughts and forgot the groceries or dinner, she put the items away, thankful for the man and his generosity, his care.
She loved having him here, and wondered when she should bring up her coming back to the ranch after her Bermuda trip. By the time she had the groceries stored and had removed the chicken marinating in Soyaki from the fridge, Colt had unpacked his toiletries, put a few items she was curious to inspect more closely on the nightstand, and started the grill.
She chopped veggies to roast in the oven and started a pot full of water for the rice, while he did the manly thing of manning the grill and cooking the chicken. Cooking like this together felt downright homey. She enjoyed it, the preparation of their meal as they worked to create dinner. Normally, when she traveled, she didn’t give much thought to food. But with Colt, she liked the process of it, and felt that it was a time for them to talk and get to know one another. While the veggies and rice were cooking, she set the table, opened the bottle of wine, poured a glass for herself, and grabbed a longneck bottle of beer for Colt. Avery had fun setting the table, and positioned their place settings with their seats catty corner, making the sitting arrangements more intimate. She put stone trivets on the table. Once the veggies and rice were cooked, she brought them over and set them on the table to make it easier to serve.
Colt waltzed inside, the chicken sizzling on the platter. Because he was a gentleman first and foremost, he removed his Stetson and hung it up on a coat peg by the front door before joining her. When they sat down to dinner finally, she said, “The chicken looks great. So how was your day, cowboy?”
He dished out chicken onto both their plates and put the platter with the leftovers on the table. She had the distinct urge to run her fingers through his hair.
“Productive. I was able to clear my slate quicker than I thought,” he replied, adding veggies and rice to his plate.
With her wine glass in hand, she asked, “And what exactly is it that you do on the ranch? I just realized I don’t know what your job is; you’ve never mentioned it.”
A grave shadow passed in front of his eyes but quickly disappeared. “I’m in charge of the horse stables.”
“Oh, really? What does all that entail? I assume you spend a considerable amount of time outside with the horses.”
He took a long drink of his beer before he responded. “I do spend my fair share. We have a stable overall of a smidgeon over six hundred horses. We need that high a number with the sheer volume of trail rides we administer throughout the year. The ranch has two stables on the property. We have the main stable on the grounds nearest all the action—the hotel, and lowland cabin rentals. That stable houses our current active slate of horses. We like to rotate horses in and out. Give them two weeks on the trail and two weeks off, in order to help keep them healthy and hopefully free from injury.”
She passed him the rice to refill his plate and leaned on her palm. “That many? It’s no wonder you have such a hard time taking off work. Do you do all the work yourself?”
He laughed and shook his head. “No. There would be no way I or anyone would be able to manage an operation this size on their own. We have horse handlers, the trainers, the guides, the stable caretakers who muck the stalls and help care for the horses. There are feeding schedules, medicines, and supplements to manage for each horse.”
"Sounds fascinating. How do you keep track of all of it?"
"We have a computer system database, where we store each horse’s veterinary records, supplement list, medicines, injuries, personalities, what stall they are located in, and where they are at in their rotation working the trails.”
His job was massive. She remembered the way he was with his horse, Tank, and her heart fluttered. It was no wonder that she had fallen for him. “I’m impressed. I’d like to see the stables before I leave next Friday.”
He appeared to consider her words before he replied, “Perhaps. If there’s time. Do you have to leave next Friday? Is that departure date set in stone?”
Her heart trembled. Did he want her to stay longer? Was he experiencing similar feelings? “Yes, I do, unfortunately. Normally my schedule is loads more flexible, but I have this charity gala event I could not get out of even if I tried. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious if there was a way you might be able to stay a bit longer. You could even stay with me if money was an issue.”
Inside, she was dancing a jig. He wanted her to stay with him. She tilted her head. “Colt, do you really mean that?”
He threaded his hand with hers, his gaze full of warmth. “I do. There’s something here, Avery, between us, that runs deeper than a mere casual relationship. I don’t usually connect with someone the way we have. And I’m interested to see where we could take it.”
“You have no idea how much I wish I could accept your offer. Truly. But I have to be in Vegas next weekend. After Vegas, I head to Houston for a few days to work with the team at NASA on some new programs they’re designing to monitor my comet, and then I go to Bermuda,” she murmured, not hiding her disappointment.
Colt’s expression closed off and she felt the distance he erected. “How long will you be there again?”
“Two months.”
Dissatisfaction shrouded his features as he nodded and stared at his empty plate. She didn’t want to wait two months. Hell, she didn’t want to go a day without him. “You could come with me, Colt.”
His gaze whipped to hers, his brows raised. “What?”
“Come with me, to Bermuda. I’ve got this great house on the beach that I’m renting. There’s a pool, and a hot tub, and an observation deck on the roof, which is where I’ll be putting my equipment. It’s already paid for, so money wise, you wouldn’t have to worry about a thing. Think about it, we could make love on the beach, or in the hot tub at night beneath the stars.”
“Isn’t that frowned upon, public displays like that?” he asked, his lips curling.
“The house is on this private beach, Cooper’s Island, at the end of Bermuda. We can swim in the ocean. It will be our own little private paradise. You’ve got your passport, right?”
“I do. You’d really want me to come with you?” he asked her with delighted astonishment filling his gaze.