“Are you starting to get sassy with me?” he asked with a lopsided grin as he met her gaze, his Texas drawl more pronounced.
His jade eyes sparked with humor, and as usual, his hair was naturally wavy with a mind of its own, making him almost impossible to resist.
But she wasn’t capitulating this time.
“I think I have to be,” she told him firmly, knowing if it were up to him, she’d be inside for weeks. “Look, I’m fine. You know I’m fine. Let me start doing my job now.”
The dining room was silent as Gabe appeared to be debating. Chloe could see the contemplative expression on his face. Really, he was her boss, and he had the right to tell her if he wanted her to work or not. But she knew this wasn’t a power play for him. He was genuinely concerned about her.
“Okay,” he finally said with a slow nod. “But we aren’t going to hike the ranch. Are you able to ride?”
Chloe smiled at him. “Of course.” She’d grown up on a horse, and had even done some amateur barrel racing when she was a teen. Her love for all things equine had been her motivation for doing an additional residency to feel comfortable taking care of horses. This was exactly the job she’d always wanted.
This position was her dream one. She loved taking care of all animals, but horses were her passion as much as they were Gabe’s. She’d taken the position at the clinic in town to decide what she really wanted to do, and to see if caring for the area horses in addition to small pets would be enough for her. Working every day with horses without having to leave Rocky Springs was the perfect opportunity.
“Okay. You ready?” Gabe asked a little unhappily.
Chloe hopped out of her chair with lightning speed. “Yes!”
“Don’t worry about pulling on boots right now. We’ll be riding.”
Chloe sprinted to her room and put on a pair of old sneakers, shoes that had seen plenty of barns and stables. Gabe had arranged for all of her belongings to be brought to the ranch, and she’d stored pretty much everything except her clothing. Not that she had a whole lot. She’d planned on buying new things once she bought a home. Most everything she had right now was either useful or sentimental.
“Put on a jacket!” Gabe bellowed from down the hall.
Chloe smiled. It wasn’t exactly cold. Fall in Colorado was unpredictable, but they were seeing unseasonably warm weather. She dug a fleece jacket out of the closet and pulled it on, wondering when Gabe was going to stop treating her like she was as fragile as blown glass.
They met in the hall. Gabe was just leaving his room in a pair of work boots with Chase right on his heels. Despite his orders to her, he was wearing a flannel shirt and jeans…minus a jacket.
“Where’s your hat?” Chloe asked curiously, noticing that she hadn’t seen Gabe in his old Stetson since she’d been here.
“Don’t have it anymore,” he answered, looking uncomfortable.
“I kind of think you could afford to buy a new one,” she teased.
He shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the same. It was Dad’s. He gave it to me. I’ve had it since I was a kid.”
All thoughts of joking with him fled immediately. “I’m sorry. It must have been difficult to lose something that was so special. What happened?”
She followed Gabe as he walked down the stairs. He was silent until he reached the bottom. “I lost it in a pen with a new stallion. He was nervous and trampled the shit out of it until it was shredded all to hell.”
“Were you hurt?” Chloe asked, concerned. A nervous stallion and man were not a good mix in close proximity to each other.
“Naw. But the hat didn’t survive.” He shot her a grin over his shoulder.
She smiled in spite of her attempts not to be amused by his comment. “I really am sorry. It hurts to lose something that sentimental.”
“Hey, I survived. Dad’s been gone a long time. Maybe it was past time for me to stop trying to be him,” Gabe answered frankly.
Chloe grasped his bicep instinctively, causing him to turn around and look at her. “Were you trying to be your dad?” Chloe remembered Gabe’s father, and he’d been larger than life, a big man who hadn’t been afraid to voice his opinions loudly. Chloe remembered how well Gabe’s father could tell a joke, and how outgoing he’d always been.
“I think maybe I was. I felt guilty for a long time about selling off most of his business interests. But oil and cattle weren’t something I was good at managing.”
Chloe’s heart squeezed as she looked at Gabe’s earnest expression. “You don’t need to be anyone else, Gabe. You’re pretty damn good just the way you are.”
His eyes bored into her, and Chloe wanted to squirm as he stared at her. “You think so, beautiful?” he asked gruffly.
She swallowed, uncomfortable with his intense scrutiny. “Yes.”
“I’m not nearly as likeable as he was, and I’d rather run a horse ranch than continue his legacy.”
“You are who you are,” Chloe answered breathlessly as Gabe crowded her against the wall next to the door. Unfortunately, she thought she liked him just the way he was way too much.
“Exactly,” Gabe answered as he placed his hands on the wall, one on each side of her. “I finally figured that out when I threw that old hat away.” He paused before adding, “What do you need to throw away to find out who you are, Chloe Colter?”
She realized exactly what he was asking, but she didn’t have the answer. “I don’t know. I feel different since I broke things off with James, but it’s going to take awhile before I figure out what I really want. I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to make him happy, and I never succeeded.”