to imagine her sophisticated aunt being with a salt-of-the-earth man like Orlando. She had a picture in her mind of who people should fit with and for her it was always someone from a similar background. A man who’d been raised for the cowboy lifestyle—working hard and loving the land—just as she had. She wondered now if that was narrow-minded, something Delaney had never thought about herself.
It wasn’t a help for her already jumbled nerves, but she didn’t have much time to examine those feelings as she heard a truck rumble down the driveway.
“Have fun,” Jeanne Marie told her, wrapping up two more muffins in a napkin. “And take these to your new man. He’s going to need the energy for what I imagine you have planned.”
Delaney grabbed the napkin and gave her mother a quick kiss. She did, indeed, have plans for Cisco. The thought of the fun she was going to have with him turned her nerves into excitement.
The roller coaster in her tummy went dipping and twisting again as Cisco climbed out of his truck. She was pleasantly surprised to see he’d shed his sophisticated Miami clothes and this morning looked like a true Texas cowboy in his plaid shirt, crisp jeans and sturdy leather cowboy boots. Even his hat looked custom-fit, the sort of hat any of her brothers would be proud to wear.
“You cowboy up pretty nicely, Mr. Mendoza.”
“Thank you, Ms. Fortune Jones. I’m honored to be here.” He reached into his truck and pulled out a pair of leather work gloves and a small gift bag. “These are for me,” he said, slapping the gloves against his thigh. “This is for you.” He held out the gift bag.
Delaney looked over her shoulder toward the house. For a moment she wondered if her mother or one of her siblings had told Cisco about her weakness for presents. As the youngest of seven, Delaney had been the recipient of countless hand-me-downs. Clothes from her sister, Stacey, and saddles from her brothers. Her parents had always made her birthday special, but that came around only once a year and it wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy her.
“You didn’t have to—” she began, then stopped when she noticed Cisco grinning at her. “But I’m glad you did.”
She pulled a piece of folded tissue paper out of the bag and unwrapped it. Inside was a delicate gold chain with a small charm in the shape of the state of Texas hanging from the end.
“I hope you don’t have one like it,” Cisco said. “I saw it in a store in Vicker’s Corners and it reminded me of you.”
“It’s adorable.” Delaney cleared her throat when the words came out in a whisper. “I love it.” She did, too. The necklace was perfect for her. She wasn’t sure whether that meant she should trust Cisco’s taste or be wary of how smooth of a charmer he could be.
“May I put it on you?” The deep rumble of his voice brought her out of her musings.
She nodded but didn’t release the necklace. “Why did you get this for me?”
A look of surprise flashed across his face. “You’re doing me a big favor, Delaney. I wanted to thank you.”
“I haven’t done anything yet,” she countered.
“A thank-you in advance?” His smile was genuine.
She uncurled her fingers from the chain and dropped it into his palm. “Are you sure you’re not trying to get me to go easy on you?” She turned and lifted her braid out of the way as he reached his hands in front of her.
“Would it work?” His breath was warm on her neck.
As he spoke, he used one finger to push a stray strand of hair out of the way. A ripple of awareness shot down her spine in response. She shook her head a tiny bit, not trusting her voice.
“Then put me through the paces, Delaney.” He clasped the necklace together and turned her to face him. “I’m all yours.”
Delaney tried to ignore the satisfying warmth that traveled through her at his words. A man like Cisco wasn’t for her, she reminded herself. This wasn’t his real life. He didn’t belong in Horseback Hollow even if he’d shown up this morning looking the part. His boots might be sturdy, but they were brand-new.
* * *
By midday his boots were already broken in, along with the rest of him. When Cisco had told Delaney to put him through the paces, he hadn’t realized what he was asking. As he loaded a final bale of hay onto a truck in one of the far pastures at the ranch, every part of his body ached. This was definitely different from a five-mile run around South Beach and an hour at the gym. The sun shone high in the western sky, spreading patterns of golden light through the clouds.
They’d been working steadily since the morning. Delaney had saddled up a couple of horses first thing, and they’d started their day checking the fencing on the north end of the ranch. Cisco could hold his own on a horse, but Delaney rode as though she’d been born in a saddle. As he closed up the truck’s gate, the ranch hand behind the wheel gave a short wave and the truck slowly made its way back toward the barn.
He lifted his hat off his head and wiped one sleeve across his brow. It felt as if the temperature had risen several degrees just in the past hour.
“How are you holding up?” Delaney asked as she hoisted herself on the large horse she road. She looked more amused than concerned.
Cisco swung his leg into the saddle. “I’ll survive,” he said with a smile. “I knew running a ranching operation was a lot of work, but I didn’t appreciate how much until today.” He brought his horse to the side of hers. “The men have a lot of respect for you, Delaney.”
It was true. Deke Jones had greeted them on their way to the barn earlier this morning, but Delaney’s father had been heading to Lubbock to check out some new equipment. He hadn’t officially put Delaney in charge in his absence, but it had been clear the ranch workers looked to her for guidance.
She was a mighty force wrapped up in an adorably tiny package.
“My dad keeps this place running like clockwork. The men know what they’re supposed to do without much input from me. My brothers used to help out quite a bit but they’ve all got their own lives and families now. Well, Galen doesn’t have a family, but he’s busy.”
“Don’t downplay your role on the ranch.”
For the first time, she looked really flustered. “I’m not, but I think you’re giving me more credit than I deserve.”
“Or maybe, cielo, you give yourself less.”
Her eyes tracked to his for a moment and he saw a rare flash of uncertainty there. He realized Delaney Fortune Jones might not be as sure of herself as she led people to believe.
She looked up to the blue sky then, holding her straw cowboy hat to her head. “Let’s race back. Mom wants us to eat lunch with her and she’ll have it ready by now.”
“Did you just tell the time by looking at the sun?”
A hint of color crept up her cheeks. “It’s a habit. I don’t wear a watch when I’m out on the property.” She adjusted the horse’s reins in her hands. “Ready?”
He nodded and gave his horse a
