He hitched a brow. “You saying I’m cute? I’m not real sure I like that word.”
She could only imagine that he’d much rather she thought he was handsome, good-looking or manly. “Well, sometimes you just have to wear the boot if it fits, you know what I mean?” She chuckled, and it might have been her imagination, but she thought he pushed his shoulders back and sat straighter as if trying to look anything but cute. She found it priceless.
He grinned, so sexy and his eyes dug into her. “Yeah, okay, so I guess if you think I’m cute, then I’ll be cute. But one day, when I’m not your boss, I might want you to think of me as more than just some cute guy, you know.”
Her smile dimmed as his words echoed through her mind. Could she dare hope? “I can’t answer that question right now. But who knows? In the future, that might be a really nice idea since we do have so much in common.”
* * *
Rita was going to enjoy this job. She had not really ever had the opportunity to live, even for a short time, in such wide-open spaces, and when she and Levi had ridden around on the property earlier that day, she had thoroughly enjoyed it. It was as if she could breathe easier. As if all the pressures and fear that had been weighing her down eased up in those wide-open spaces. And there was no denying that she had enjoyed spending time with Levi. Yes, it could end up posing a problem, but she would worry about that later. Right now, she was really thrilled about the job opportunity. About realizing Levi truly seemed to be genuinely nice, even kind. And listening to the way he’d talked about being a boss and having worked for others to get perspective…she had a feeling he was very fair. He had been with her. And right now, that was a very strong and positive indication that he was who he appeared to be. A good person.
He had said that dinner would be served at the chow hall, where the cook, who was a man named Scotty, fixed all the meals, and she was very welcome to join them for all meals. Or there was food in the cabinets if she preferred to make something herself, and she could use any of the ranch vehicles or his truck to go into town and get anything she wanted. He’d also invited her to the roping the ranch hands were having after dinner. It was just a friendly roping challenge at the arena they enjoyed in the evenings.
She decided to walk over and join the meal. She was going to be there for a little while, so she might as well meet the guys she would be working around. Plus, she wasn’t that fond of her own cooking, so it sounded like a great opportunity. Levi had offered to come by and pick her up if she had wanted him to but she told him that she was very capable of walking over from the cabin; it wasn’t that far a distance down the dirt road that they had ridden earlier.
It was a lovely evening for a walk. A cool breeze had blown in, a very much-needed cool breeze. Earlier, it had almost felt like the air from a hot blow-dryer. She had already taken her shower and it was nice knowing that she wouldn’t need another one before bedtime. Then again, she had never been to a roping. She’d seen the arena was dirt and with the breeze, it could be dusty hanging around there, and she might get gritty. It was a two-edged sword, it seemed, but it didn’t matter; she would take another shower if needed because the roping sounded interesting. And Levi would be there.
Most people would think someone who grew up in Amarillo, surrounded by ranches and cowboys, would have been around rodeos and ropings. But she’d grown up in a small house with a tiny backyard on a cramped street with more small houses and cramped backyards. Dan and her in-laws had lived in a more upscale area, but they were accountants and not into anything that had to do with the cowboy way of life. She couldn’t wait to bring Toby here, for the two of them to go on walks and to watch him play on this dirt road. He loved to play in the dirt; he was going to have a blast.
She was almost to the ranch house when she heard an approaching vehicle and turned to spot Levi driving toward her in the ATV. He slowed as he approached her, so the trail of dust following behind him blew off to the side before he reached her. Thoughtful was another adjective to add to the list of words that described him. He hadn’t wanted to cover her in sandy dust.
Smiling, he pulled to a halt. “Want a lift?”
Her stomach fluttered. “Sure, I’ll take a lift the last fifteen feet.” She laughed and got into the seat next to him. He looked over at her and she was very aware how close they sat on the bench seat meant for two.
“You look like you’re enjoying the country life.”
“I am. Very much.”
“Great.” He drove the rest of the way to the chow hall and then parked in front. “I told the guys you were probably coming to eat with us, thought I’d give them a heads-up. They are all ready and are probably going to be on their best behavior. But I just need to point out that they are cowboys and, you know, sometimes things slip. Hopefully you won’t hear any cursing or things like that but you never know. They’re good, hard-working men.”
“Hey, I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
“I know. It’s just that they work for me, and you are a lady and I expect them to be on their best behavior. If you have any trouble out of any of them, which I don’t expect, I’m just letting you know to let me know. Okay?”
“Okay. Thank you.” She had a feeling that these guys understood they had a good deal and that they probably didn’t want to do anything that would upset their boss or jeopardize their jobs.
When they walked into the building, the sound of laughter and conversation filled the air. As eyes turned toward them, the room immediately went silent. Talk about feeling in the spotlight. Wow.
The cowboys ranged from all builds and looks and ages. And they were all looking at her. Wanting to put them at ease, she smiled and tried not to feel uncomfortable or intrusive. Impossible. This was their domain and she was the one entering it. Hopefully they didn’t resent that. When they all removed their hats, Levi introduced her to each one as they passed and each one shook her hand and tipped their head at her. There were so many names she could hardly remember them all, but there were nicknames like Rawhide and Ricochet. By the time she reached the kitchen area and the big guy standing behind the buffet table wearing an apron and a grin, she knew he had to be Scotty.
He held his hand out. “Great to meet you, ma’am. I hope you enjoy the food—hope it’s made to your satisfaction. It’s just plain chow but when Levi told me a lady was going to be present, I tried to fancy it up a little bit. I added a few extra dabs of Cool Whip to my chocolate pie and made the tea a little sweeter.”
The tough-looking man with the bald head and the big Marine tattoo on his forearm smiled at her and, to her surprise, seemed like a genuine teddy bear. She had a feeling that if he wanted to be fierce, he could be very fierce.
“Thank you. I love whipped cream and chocolate pie, so I’m sure it’s going to be an extraordinary treat.”
Chapter Seven
Levi enjoyed watching Rita’s reaction to his ranch hands’ reaction to her. They were good guys but they could be rowdy and he had given them the law this morning in a major talking-to on behavior that would be exhibited around Rita. In no way, shape, or form did he want her to have a bad experience while on his ranch here or in Montana. And his guys knew that he meant he would fire them on the spot if any of them treated her without respect or kindness. She might be a guest, but he was determined that she was going to have a good experience while she was employed by him. He expected it of his men toward any female but after what he had learned about Rita, it was all the more important considering her perception of male bosses had been so skewered to the bad lately.