Renee Andrews - Heart of a Rancher

He leaned toward her, reached out and rested his hand on top of hers. The warmth of his palm covered her skin, his fingers gently wrapping around the sides of her hand. “It’s good you got to spend that time with him.”

“I feel as if I just dumped a lot on you,” she said, blinking past the tears and forcing a smile. “Don’t know what came over me.”

He returned the smile, the mood shifting and the tension between them easing with the gesture. Then he squeezed the top of her hand before sliding his away. “It’s the open country, sitting on the porch and having no reason to hold back on your thoughts and feelings. Kind of like sitting out by an open campfire and sharing all your secrets.”

“The kind of thing you’d do at a dude ranch, right?”

“Exactly.” He straightened in the rocker, scooted forward and Dana knew he was about to leave. “You still think my dude ranch will work?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. And it’ll be very rewarding when I prove to my brother that I picked a wise investment.”

His smile grew, dimples popping into place, and he stood. “So Ryan Brooks doubted the success of an Alabama dude ranch? After six banks all thought it was a terrific idea and couldn’t wait to loan me money? In fact, I’ve still got all their letters of praise telling me why it’s a fabulous idea, if he’d like to see them.” At her soft laughter, John added, “Seriously, I do appreciate your taking a chance on this, especially when no one else would.”

“I’m making an investment based on my instinct more than on marketing history, of course, but Daddy told me to follow what feels right.” She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “And this feels right.”

“Investing in an Alabama dude ranch?”

She wanted to make sure he understood and put a lot of thought into her words. “The dude ranch is what’s on the surface, but that’s not what I’m investing in.”

He’d taken a step toward leaving, but he stopped and turned, leaned against the porch post. “You aren’t investing in the dude ranch?”

The moonlight behind him created a beautifully sculpted cowboy silhouette, but even in the shadow, she could see the question in his eyes, the slight tilt in his face saying he wondered if she’d changed her mind. That couldn’t be further from the truth. On the contrary, after learning even more about this intriguing man tonight and seeing how deeply he cared for others and how strongly he felt about this beautiful ranch, she’d reaffirmed her decision.

“My father always said that when you invest, you aren’t investing in things, you’re investing in the heart behind the product, in the soul that makes it work. I’m not investing in an Alabama dude ranch. I’m investing in you.”

He took another step then turned, and even though his face was in shadow, Dana knew he smiled at her now. “I plan to show you that’s a wise investment,” he said.

She returned his smile. “I’m counting on it.”

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