Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 103159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
“Six months!”
“Granted, he was holding me. I was around the same age as you when I was on my first pony. Three. I remember it still to this day. Something about being up on that horse and riding alongside my father and Uncle Tanner… I think I fell in love with riding from that moment on.”
“And roping? What made you want to do that?”
He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Probably watching my uncle Tanner. While Blayze was obsessed with bulls, I was obsessed with horses. I knew it would be Tanner’s footsteps I followed and not my father’s. Although, my plan is to work here on the ranch with Blayze. Ranching is my true passion.”
“You don’t have plans to go professional?”
“I did, but the older I get, the more I realize that I’m not interested in that life. Bradly is, and I can see him going far with bull riding. From what everyone says, he’s better than my father and his combined. And Uncle Ty. He was about the same age when his daddy put him on the back of a bull out in the pasture. I remember one time no one could find him, and Aunt Merit and Uncle Dirk where worried sick. I think he was about ten. He was eventually found at Uncle Ty’s in the pasture, lying down next to a bull, reading.”
I grinned. “Like, reading a book?”
Hunter laughed. “Yes. Bradly loves to bull ride, but he also loves to read. If given some down time, you can always find him reading.”
“What does he like to read?”
“I’m not entirely sure if he has a favorite. I’ve seen him reading everything from biographies to suspense books.”
“What do you like to do in your spare time? And I know I’ve already read what you wrote for the show, but is that all true?” I asked.
Hunter thought for a moment. “I guess anything that keeps me in motion. I love to ride, but you already know that. I also love spending time with my family.”
“That’s obvious. I adore your entire family.”
He smiled. “They’re great. Game night is one of my favorite times, Christmas is always fun and a bit crazy. Birthdays as well. Oh, and I also like to garden.”
“What? As in like, flowers or veggies?”
He looked at me and winked, causing a sensation of flutters in my stomach. “Both. That, I owe to Grams. She loves to garden, and when she saw me take an interest in it, she took full-on advantage. I aspire to have a garden like hers.”
“Did you know what degree I’m going for?”
Hunter tilted his head and thought about it for a moment before he answered. “I don’t know. If you told me, I forgot. I think I told you I was going for finance.”
“It’s environmental horticulture.”
“No shit!”
I laughed. “Yes. I’ve always been fascinated by plants, gardens, you name it. My mother has a huge garden at our house back in Bozeman. I don’t ever remember her buying vegetables at the store, she always grew them.”
“That’s my grams. What do you want to do with your degree?”
It was my turn to shrug. “I don’t know. I had a big ranch outside Bozeman offer me a job. They want someone to handle their crop production. Plus, they want to go organic with their cattle, and are looking for the best ways to do that with growing their own feed.”
“Are you going to take the job?”
I looked straight ahead. “I don’t think so. I mean, the job sounds amazing, but I don’t think I’m ready to commit to anything just yet.”
When I turned back to look at him, he was watching me closely.
“Why did you pick finance?”
“Seemed like the logical thing to do. I want to help Blayze run this ranch, and once my father fully retires—which I think he’ll do after I graduate—then someone has to handle the money and numbers. God knows we can’t trust Blayze with that.”
I laughed. “That’s mean. I’m sure your brother is great with numbers.”
“He’s okay, but he’s better at managing the cattle and that side of the ranch. We both agreed when we were younger, he’d be in charge of the animals, I’d be in charge of the money.”
My brows rose. “You both already decided? What if Joshua or Nathan want to help run the ranch?”
“They’re a lot younger than us, and if that’s something they want to do, then we’ll bring them on.”
We rode for a few moments in silence. “It really is a family business.”
He nodded and smiled. “Okay, so from here we need to get off the horses and walk the rest of the way up.”
“Do we need to tie them?”
“Nah, they’ll wait here for us.”
Hunter took my hand when we hopped down, and my heart felt like it leaped in my chest. Goodness, I loved the way my body reacted when Hunter was near me, brushed against me, or touched me in any way.