that stuff. I’ll reimburse you for whatever you lay out.”
He dismissed her with a flick of his wrist and Janie realized it was going to be a struggle to get him to take any payment from her, even for expenses he laid out on her behalf. There wasn’t enough chili in the world to repay him for all the help he was promising.
Strangely, she believed he’d do it all, too. Unlike her first impression of him, when she’d doubted he’d show to help with the fence, he’d proven himself reliable. He’d gone above and beyond, handling the fence repair before she even woke up, and recruiting help to do it. And tonight, taking the initiative regarding her hay harvest. She wasn’t exactly in a position to not accept his help.
“Thank you.” The words didn’t seem nearly enough to express her gratitude.
“Don’t mention it.” His gaze captured and held hers for a moment before he broke away and went back to poking his spoon into the ever-lowering level of chili in the bowl. She remembered she had yet to start on hers and took a bite herself.
“So, anyway, when the equipment is ready to go, I’ll start harvesting.”
“On top of your regular work at Rohn’s.”
He glanced at what Janie knew was a look of doubt on her face. “It’s not a big deal. Really. We take a breakfast and a lunch break during the day. I’ll just skip one or both. Work straight through, get done early, and head over here to work until dark. The sun sets later and later every night.”
“You can’t—”
“Sure I can. I’ll get to Rohn’s early and put in my day’s worth of work over there. Then I can pop over here to your place in the afternoon. I like to wait until after the sun’s dried the dew on the fields before mowing, anyway.”
She let out a sigh. Who was she to argue? Tyler sure seemed capable enough and seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing. Better than she did, she supposed, even after having spent so much time here with her grandfather growing up.
“All right. It sounds like a good plan.” As Janie spooned another mouthful between her lips, she formulated a plan of her own.
She’d have to run out and go food shopping tomorrow and figure out a schedule of meals to make for the week. If Tyler really was going to skip his meal breaks at Rohn’s just to help her out, the least she could do was make sure there was a good meal ready and waiting in case he showed up hungry at her back door.
The worst part was, now that she’d anticipated his being around, she really liked the idea. Making plans about a wild cowboy based on not much knowledge and an association of only twenty-four hours was bound to end badly. Even given that, she couldn’t hold down her mood as it lifted, simply from the thought of having his company.
She needed to get out more if the prospect of one visitor did this to her. But for the near future, she wouldn’t worry about forcing herself out of the comfort of her home. Tyler would be coming to her, at least until the haying was complete.
God help her, just the thought of Tyler being around had her heart beating faster. She was surely doomed.
A glance at Tyler’s bowl told Janie he was way ahead of her in the eating department. Then again, Tom and the hands always had wolfed down their food. She’d never known if it was because they had worked up such a big appetite during the day or if all men ate like that.
“I can heat up some more if you’re still hungry.”
“Nah. I’m good. Thanks.” He leaned back from the table. “Gotta watch my girlish figure. Your chili’s so good I’ll eat until I bust if I don’t stop now.”
Wearing a grin, he ran a hand over his stomach. His abdomen was so flat, she doubted he had anything to worry about, but she accepted the compliment. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”
“More than like it. If you keep feeding me like this, I’ll be like a stray dog hanging around your back door day and night, waiting for table scraps.”
Tyler
He dismissed her with a flick of his wrist and Janie realized it was going to be a struggle to get him to take any payment from her, even for expenses he laid out on her behalf. There wasn’t enough chili in the world to repay him for all the help he was promising.
Strangely, she believed he’d do it all, too. Unlike her first impression of him, when she’d doubted he’d show to help with the fence, he’d proven himself reliable. He’d gone above and beyond, handling the fence repair before she even woke up, and recruiting help to do it. And tonight, taking the initiative regarding her hay harvest. She wasn’t exactly in a position to not accept his help.
“Thank you.” The words didn’t seem nearly enough to express her gratitude.
“Don’t mention it.” His gaze captured and held hers for a moment before he broke away and went back to poking his spoon into the ever-lowering level of chili in the bowl. She remembered she had yet to start on hers and took a bite herself.
“So, anyway, when the equipment is ready to go, I’ll start harvesting.”
“On top of your regular work at Rohn’s.”
He glanced at what Janie knew was a look of doubt on her face. “It’s not a big deal. Really. We take a breakfast and a lunch break during the day. I’ll just skip one or both. Work straight through, get done early, and head over here to work until dark. The sun sets later and later every night.”
“You can’t—”
“Sure I can. I’ll get to Rohn’s early and put in my day’s worth of work over there. Then I can pop over here to your place in the afternoon. I like to wait until after the sun’s dried the dew on the fields before mowing, anyway.”
She let out a sigh. Who was she to argue? Tyler sure seemed capable enough and seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing. Better than she did, she supposed, even after having spent so much time here with her grandfather growing up.
“All right. It sounds like a good plan.” As Janie spooned another mouthful between her lips, she formulated a plan of her own.
She’d have to run out and go food shopping tomorrow and figure out a schedule of meals to make for the week. If Tyler really was going to skip his meal breaks at Rohn’s just to help her out, the least she could do was make sure there was a good meal ready and waiting in case he showed up hungry at her back door.
The worst part was, now that she’d anticipated his being around, she really liked the idea. Making plans about a wild cowboy based on not much knowledge and an association of only twenty-four hours was bound to end badly. Even given that, she couldn’t hold down her mood as it lifted, simply from the thought of having his company.
She needed to get out more if the prospect of one visitor did this to her. But for the near future, she wouldn’t worry about forcing herself out of the comfort of her home. Tyler would be coming to her, at least until the haying was complete.
God help her, just the thought of Tyler being around had her heart beating faster. She was surely doomed.
A glance at Tyler’s bowl told Janie he was way ahead of her in the eating department. Then again, Tom and the hands always had wolfed down their food. She’d never known if it was because they had worked up such a big appetite during the day or if all men ate like that.
“I can heat up some more if you’re still hungry.”
“Nah. I’m good. Thanks.” He leaned back from the table. “Gotta watch my girlish figure. Your chili’s so good I’ll eat until I bust if I don’t stop now.”
Wearing a grin, he ran a hand over his stomach. His abdomen was so flat, she doubted he had anything to worry about, but she accepted the compliment. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”
“More than like it. If you keep feeding me like this, I’ll be like a stray dog hanging around your back door day and night, waiting for table scraps.”
Tyler
Similar Books
