Dax Fletcher couldn’t recall a time he’d met such an intriguing little filly. Soon-to-be divorced Vicky Steely was just the sort of welcome he’d never expected in Kessler County. Beasley, Texas wasn’t exactly known for accepting newcomers. Folks around here were families that went back generations. Like the Steely’s, he nodded to himself. Steely J’s, he’d learned from the young baker, had been around for multiple generations.
Leading Vicky to his table, he pulled her chair out for her, noting the surprise on her face. “Blame my mama,” he winked and rounded the table to face her.
“No, it’s fine. I was just surprised. Been a long time since anyone pulled a chair out for me. Or bought me anything other than an appliance.” She saluted him with an éclair and shook her head.
“Husband wasn’t much on gestures then?” He had to admit, he was curious as to why such a lovely woman would be in the midst of a divorce. Either she was a secret shrew or her husband was a dumbass. He was betting on the latter.
Wincing, Vicky set her éclair on her plate and reached for her coffee. “No. He wasn’t much on anything but that damned bar. Or busty young gals.” She sighed and waved a hand. “Sorry. I don’t want to ambush you with my sob story. Tell me about yourself instead. You’re not from around here.”
The simple fact that she stated it instead of asked reminded Dax that he was the outsider here. Not that he wasn’t used to that. He’d been an outsider most of his life.
Sipping his coffee, Dax nodded. “I’m not from anywhere really. I was an army brat as a kid and I guess I’ve just sort of been a drifting cowhand all my adult life.”
“A restless spirit then,” she smiled and nibbled her éclair.
“So my mama always said. But it’s more like I’ve just never found anyplace that felt enough like home to stay.”
“So you’re working on a nearby ranch?”
Dax wiped his mouth with a napkin and nodded. “Sure am. The Wild Acres. Owned by a couple of brothers—“
“The Blackston boys,” Vicky nodded, her green eyes sparkling a bit. “You’ll like it there. Aiden and Conner are terrible boys but their ranch is one of the biggest in the county. And from all I’ve heard they run it as well as their daddy did.”
“Terrible boys, huh?” he chuckled and pushed the last éclair toward her.
She generously split it, taking one half before pushing the other half toward him. “Yes, terrible boys. The oldest, Aiden, dated my daughter Jenna for a while. Broke her heart.”
“Yet you still like him,” he noted out loud. He supposed he’d experienced enough West Texas hospitality that he shouldn’t be surprised by that. But he’d reckoned Vicky would be a Mama Bear with her kids.
“I know. I should be chasing him around town with a machete, right? But honestly? I think in their case it was more of the both of them being horses asses than anything. Both so stubborn and ornery. They’ll be a match made in heaven if they ever get their act together.”
Snorting, Dax leaned back in his chair and studied the woman in front of him. She looked far too young to have grown children and was far too good to be on the back end of a divorce. Yeah, her husband must be a real dumbass. Watching her wipe gently at her lips, he noticed that she still wore her wedding bands and he wondered why someone so insistent on acknowledging her soon-to-be single status wouldn’t have tossed them in the river already.
“Anyway, will you be living at the ranch?” She cupped her coffee cup with both hands and eyed him over the rim as she took another sip.
“Actually, no. The bunkhouse is full so I’m looking for a rental. I’ve been all over town with little success. People are sure suspicious around here.”
Quirking an eyebrow, she gave him a sassy grin. “I imagine the fellas around here aren’t too keen on having such temptation around their wives and daughters.”
Gwaffing, Dax muttered, “Right. Temptation.”
She giggled a bit and finished her coffee. “I suppose you’ve tried the boarding house out near the quarry?”
He nodded. “All full. The Inn’s got a couple of long term rooms for rent, though. I suppose as a last resort I could move in there. I don’t have much to move anyhow.”
Grimacing, she set her cup back into its saucer and shook her head. “No, the Inn is okay but it’s no place to call home.” She was quiet for a moment, looking at him from beneath her lashes.
He noticed that her hands were trembling slightly as she took a deep breath and steadied her gaze on him. “I…I actually have a rather large house that I’m currently occupying by myself. And I’m probably completely insane right now. I mean, I hardly even know you, but—“
“Why Ms. Steely, are you askin’ me to move in with you?”
Vicky sputtered a laugh and shook her head. “Sort of? Though I was thinking more along the lines of renting you a room or something. I might even rent out the other rooms if things work out with you.”
He was quiet, trying to gage whether or not she was regretting the idea. He knew it had to have been the most impulsive thing Vicky Steely had ever done—she didn’t seem the type—and the last thing he wanted was to take advantage of her.
“I live on the outskirts of town. You’d have your own bathroom,” she added with a shrug.
“Are you sure?” Looking around the empty bakery, he nodded his head slightly in the direction of the young woman eavesdropping from the counter. “You aren’t concerned of what people might think?”
Vicky leaned forward in her chair and rested her elbows on the table. “Dax, my husband of twenty-odd years left me to shack up with his twenty-something slut. I hardly think any further gossip this town will throw at me could hurt much more than that. So yes, I’m sure.”
“Then I accept. Thank you.”
She leaned back and smiled, causing Dax’s breath to hitch in his throat. “You’re welcome.”
This, he decided, could be either the best thing to ever happen to him or the biggest mistake of his life. Let the crapshoot begin.
