"What do you mean?" she asked, finishing off the last of her drink.
"Businessmen I know are ruthless and hard core. Nothing gentlemanly about them."
Caitlin took a moment to reminisce about her granddaddy, the man who raised her and taught her the ways of the ranch and life. When a neighbor needed help either financially or with physical labor, granddaddy was the first to step in and start working. She had lost count on the number of barns and roofs he had help build and fix. The best part, he expected nothing in return but a simple thank you. How little of that she had remembered until a few days ago when she found the ledger and Garrett had reminded her of Marshall's generous ways. He was the only man she knew that could charm a cow into giving chocolate milk. "Granddaddy was a rare breed," she said with an intense love for the man she had lost.
Pain and sorrow settled in his features and brought out the young boy who hid in a grown man's body. "Let's get back to work," he said, standing and slapping his Stetson against his thigh. As he sauntered towards the barn, Caitlin noticed how his jeans showed off his long muscular legs. Heat rushed to her cheeks. "You love Garrett," she said looking away.
They returned to their earlier rhythm and added whistling and humming. Though Scott remained a mystery, she found herself warming up to him. Or was it all part of a plan? She closely watched him the rest of the afternoon, but discovered nothing else. "Thank you," she said after the last board was hung.
"No problem. I'll swing by tomorrow and help with the fence."
"Sure." It's not that she wanted him here again, but it offered the best opportunity to learn more about his mysterious trip to Valley View and how it included her. She removed the leather gloves and wiped her hands on her jeans, now covered in sawdust, dirt, and blood. "Ouch."
Scott took her hand to which she balked, but never pulled away. "You best get something on those." Blisters, both closed and broken open, covered every inch of her palms. They looked into each other's eyes, never blinking. Scott leaned in, ready to brush his lips against hers, but stopped. "I'll see you tomorrow." He ran to his truck and sped out the drive.
"Unbelievable. No one wants to kiss me. Is there something wrong with me? Not that I wanted him to kiss me, but still…I'm calling Jen. She'll have an answer, or at least insight." The pink and purple sunset left her awestruck and the pain and fatigue settling in every inch of her body seemed far away. "I can't wait to share this with kids who only ever see buildings and cars."