Sassy Cowgirl Kisses by Kathy Fawcett
Chapter 14
The sun was rising the following morning as Sassy and Freda got to the ranch offices. In spite of the early hour, ranch hands were already there, drinking coffee and talking about the day ahead. Among them were Ash and the other West men.
Freda walked over to the breakfast table, while Sassy dropped her purse on her desk and booted up the computer.
“Good morning, Mister West,” she said pointedly to Ash.
“Guilty,” Ash said sheepishly.
Sassy smiled and continued her greetings. “Good morning, Mister West, and Mister West… and Mister West.”
Ash, Gunnar, Rowdy and Gray all laughed good naturedly.
“You know we’re on a first-name basis, Sassy,” Rowdy said. “It’s too early in the morning to be pickin’ at us; wait until we’ve had more coffee.”
“Okay fine,” she smiled. “I’m not pickin’, it’s just that a certain somebody forgot to mention his last name when we met. But I think it’s great that your family is still so involved and invested in West Ranch, after what, 140-some years?”
“We’ve had a few strays jump the fence,” Gunnar chimed in, talking, no doubt, about Colton and Pike, who went off to other ventures. Colton was one of the busiest developers in West Gorge, and Pike was an artist, with a growing number of galleries anxious to sell his original landscapes.
Ridge, the current patriarch of the family, had more or less retired; his interest wandering after losing his first wife, Randi Lynn. Upon marrying Casey a few years back, he fully handed the reigns to Gunnar so he could “enjoy his honeymoon.” Apparently, it was still going strong, four years later.
“Well now, don’t forget a few others came along to take up the slack,” Gray said. “I guess that’s the upside of having a large family—like Freda, here. The Lang clan easily rivals the Wests in number. Right Freda?”
Freda nodded, having wandered over with her coffee and a breakfast burrito to join the conversation. The ease of which Sassy envied.
“How about you, Sassy,” Rowdy asked. “Do you have a big family?”
Sassy smiled before answering, not wanting to sour the easy banter in the room.
“Nope, just me and Mom,” she said, “since Daddy passed.”
The men collectively frowned and shook their heads in sympathy.
“Naw, it’s okay,” Sassy assured them. “Daddy was a stock broker. A job that doesn’t take a small army, the way West Ranch does.”
Her tone and comment managed to lighten the mood again, and everyone moved away to refill their mugs and grab a bite to eat. Everyone that is, except Ash. He stayed near her desk, his dark eyes shadowed in concern.
“How long ago did your daddy pass?”
His tone was quiet and confidential, which touched Sassy.
“Nine months ago,” she answered. “Beginning of my last year in college.”
“That’s gotta hurt.”
Sassy shrugged, but gave his comment a nod. It was clear by the way Ash planted himself next to her desk that he wasn’t going anywhere until he got an authentic answer from her. It was, she thought, an unusual display of empathy for a man so young.
“It hurts worse than a splinter from a fallen log in a creek,” she said at last, looking up. Then, with a slight smile, added, “it’s probably not a boo boo that can be kissed away by a handsome cowboy.”
Ash’s eyes remained compassionate, Sassy noted, until the corner of his mouth pulled up in a partial grin as he arched one gorgeous eyebrow.
“Maybe that depends on the cowboy, ma’am.”
He bowed his head slightly and touched the brim of his hat before turning to walk away, leaving Sassy a bit speechless, and a bit stirred at the thought.