Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 120708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
“Does the whole family belong to this country club?” I leaned over and asked Tanner.
He laughed. “Yes. Hard to believe, right? A bunch of ranchers belonging to a country club.”
I shook my head. “No, it just doesn’t seem like your dad or Ty—hell, even Brock—would fit in here.”
Tanner leaned in closer and the smell of his cologne filled the air around me, causing me to take in a long, deep breath. I’d missed that smell more than I had wanted to admit. “You’ll find this hard to believe, but my granddaddy formed this country club.”
“What?” I asked, surprise in my voice.
“Yeah, he and one of his good friends. Of course, back when they started the club it was mainly just a place for the guys to go and play some golf and some poker, and God knows what else they did. Granddaddy’s best friend was the one with the money to back it all, pretty much. Granddaddy did put in a good chunk, though, and my father is still part owner to this day.”
“No!” I said again, peeking over at Ty Senior. He looked ready to crawl out of his skin. He kept tugging on his tie and asking Stella if he could take it off, to which she simply glared at him and said no.
“They had the golf course designed and built before they even had the main building started. Then it became a place for Howard to entertain his business partners, and less of a place for them to escape and sit and smoke cigars and hit a few rounds of golf.”
“So was your mother joking when she said Brock was treating for dinner?” I asked.
Tanner laughed. “Yes. We don’t get charged for anything here at the country club, and honestly, we don’t ever really come here. My dad will maybe play a few rounds of golf, but my brothers and I never picked up the game.”
“Too busy riding bulls and roping calves?”
“Something like that,” he said with a wide grin.
My eyes immediately went to the dimple in his cheek. His smile made it even more pronounced. My entire body tingled with how close he was to me.
Tanner picked up his glass of beer and took a drink. Something made the hairs on the back of my neck prickle up. I took a look around the country club and nearly choked on my own tongue. Sitting a table down from us was Lindsey. Our eyes met, and she flashed me a fake smile. I forced my own smile back. I looked away and attempted to focus on what Tanner and Ty had been talking about, but every single time I glanced back her way, she was staring at Tanner.
Her gaze slipped to mine and I glared at her. I wanted to hold up a sign and tell her to back off, he was mine. The sound of Blayze’s voice made me look away before I did something I’d regret.
“Miss Timberlynn, is it true you’re buying a house here?” Blazye asked.
I could feel Tanner’s gaze on me, and I realized I had yet to tell him. I was positive someone in his family had already told him by now, but I had hoped to tell him myself tonight.
“It is. I won’t be living very far from y’all’s ranch, as a matter of fact.”
Blayze’s little blue eyes lit up. “How far will you be?”
“Maybe twenty minutes or so from your front gate,” I answered with a shrug.
“The Covey ranch, is that right?” Tanner asked.
“Yes. I, um, I went and saw it a few days ago with Kaylee. It was perfect for what I need. It’ll be a wonderful fit for me.”
Tanner flashed me a smile as he said, “I’m really happy for you, Timber. I think you’re going to love it here.”
My heartbeat picked up when he used the nickname once again. He genuinely looked happy for me. It wasn’t like I didn’t think he would be happy; I just didn’t want him to be upset that I hadn’t mentioned it yet. “I think so as well. What about you?”
“What about me?” he asked as he finished off his beer and motioned to the waiter for another one.
“You mentioned Chance not wanting to go back out on the road with you. What are you going to do?”
“I’ll be your new partner, Uncle Tanner! I can do it, you know!” Blayze announced.
Tanner leaned forward and looked around me at his nephew. “I do believe you could do it, buddy. You have to stay home and finish school, though.”
Blayze leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. “Stupid school.”
Tanner chuckled, and so did I.
“I loved school,” I said, causing Blayze to look up at me.
“You did?”
“Yep. I was involved in a few extra things at school that made me love it even more.”