Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
JB sighed and looked at the baggage carousel that had started to beep in warning and move with the arrival of baggage. “Yeah. It sucks that they’d create something that looks so cool to ride on and you can’t touch it.”
There was a moment of silence when JB cursed himself and his idiocy. This guy probably thought he was a moron. JB wasn’t so sure he was wrong.
“Probably one of the few perks of working at the airport.” JB looked over at Cole, who was giving him the tiniest of smiles. “You can sneak rides late at night when no one’s around.”
Before JB could react to that smile, Cole slipped between some other passengers to grab a medium-sized suitcase that looked like it was made of steel. He set it on the floor at his feet and reached for a second one. And then a third.
“Holy crap,” JB mumbled. “How much gear did you bring?”
“This is it,” Cole said. He shifted the bag onto his shoulder and bent to grab two of the suitcases. JB dove in and snatched them up, leaving the third for Cole. At least they weren’t too heavy.
“You good? Should we get one of those trolleys?” JB inquired.
Cole shook his head. “I’m good.”
From there, they made fast work of getting out of the terminal and over to short-term parking. But JB didn’t breathe deeply until they were off airport property and heading deeper into the great open expanse of Texas.
In the passenger seat next to him, Cole stretched out his long legs and seemed to sag in his seat. He was so quiet, JB was pretty sure the poor guy had fallen asleep. He kept the music low and settled in. The drive from the airport to the ranch was slightly under two hours. Far too long to try to make idle chitchat, and JB was fine with letting his guest sleep on the drive.
But as they got within half an hour of his home, Cole shifted in his seat, sitting up to stare out the front windshield. A knowing smile tugged at JB’s lips as his companion took in the rolling green hills against the pure blue of the sky. It was a beautiful patch of land, a bit of heaven. Every time he saw it, there was a part of him that wondered how he’d ever managed to leave it for eight years while he was in the Army.
Not that he regretted those years. He’d always known that his whole life would be the ranch. Joining the Army had been his only real chance to see some of the world, do something different, if only for a while.
“This…this is amazing,” Cole said in a near whisper.
“Yep, it’s pretty awe-inspiring. Like God set down a little slice of heaven just for us. That’s Hill Country for you.” JB pointed out the window. “That rise over there marks one of the borders of the Alexander ranch. We’ve got a quarter of a million acres that we manage.”
Cole’s head snapped around so that he blinked at JB. “Two hundred and fifty thousand acres? Seriously?”
JB laughed. “Yep. And we ain’t even the biggest in the area. The King Ranch is shy of hitting that million-acre mark, but if you talk to them, you can expect them to round up.”
Cole shook his head. “I’ve been putting off buying a house because I didn’t want to worry about mowing the lawn, and that wouldn’t even be a full acre.”
“Get a goat. A goat will help keep that under control.”
A low chuckle left Cole. “I’d be worried about the goat eating more than the grass.” He paused and frowned. “And Dom sneaking over to my house to put the goat in pajamas.”
“Dom’s the redhead, right? Goofy grin?”
“Yeah, that’s him. The office practical joker. Though we all seem to take our turns.”
“Even you?”
Cole shrugged his massive shoulders. “I’ve never started one, but I’ve helped Quinn a couple of times.”
“Sounds like a good team to work with.”
“The best.” There was no missing the quiet sigh that accompanied those two words while Cole turned his head to look out his window.
JB reached over and patted Cole’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Rowe will get shit sorted out in Cincinnati. You’ll be back there in no time. Just think of this as a little R ‘n’ R.”
They finished the last of the drive in silence. JB pulled the SUV through the open gates and rumbled across the cattle guard, a sense of relief hitting him as they wound down the familiar dirt drive. He needed to get Cole settled in the guest house and then he could check in with his foreman, Owen. There was too much work that needed to be done, and he couldn’t afford to take more time lollygagging about.
And judging by the amount of gear Cole brought, he had plenty to keep him busy.