Here With Me: An Ex-boyfriend’s Dad, Age Gap Small Town Romance (Sugarland Creek Book 1)

Well, shit. Literally.

I knew she’d be surprised to see me, but I didn’t anticipate her falling into a wheelbarrow of horse shit to avoid me.

Now I’m stuck with Ruby, who’s taking her sweet time showing me every inch of the ranch.

We’ve been inside every barn, storage shed, hay loft, and pasture.

I’ve also pictured a dozen places to sneak around with Noah if she’d give me a chance to explain why I’m here.

Assuming she’ll even want to talk to me.

“If you want the retreat tour, you’ll have to get it from Noah or one of the boys. I’ve gotta get back to stall duty before Ayden covers me in shit next.” She laughs as she drives us back to the stables.

“Does it matter where I start?” I ask as she parks next to my truck.

“You’ll have to ask Noah. She’s kinda the boss when it comes to the schedule.”

I open my door and hop out. “I thought Ayden was the boarding operations manager?”

“He is, but Noah trains most of the boarders, which means the schedule depends on her and what she has to do. No one really understands her madness, so we just roll with it. Best you do, too.”

“Duly noted.”

“You’ll need to back up your truck on the other side of the barn and set up away from this entrance. Noah brings out the horses on this end, and you’ll just be in her way.”

“Alright, sure.” I don’t need to give Noah more reasons to hate me by pissing her off at work.

“She just texted she’s leavin’ her house and should be here in a few minutes. She’ll let ya know where to begin.”

I head to my truck and then drive to the south side. Once I’ve backed in close enough to the concrete block, I unlock the back of my rig where all my tools and machines are kept. Instead of a cub trailer, I opted to get a built-in shoeing rig so I could still pull a trailer when I moved locations. Now it’s a nice convenience to have.

I clip my leather apron into place over my jeans and then grab my hoof stand and tool kit from the back seat of my truck. Mr. Hollis printed out the shoeing cards of each horse from Mr. Ryan’s last visit. It tells me their toe length, angle of the foot, and what size shoe they use. Each horse will vary on their specific activities, but it’s still useful to have ahead of time. Some of the horses are new since the last time Mr. Ryan was here, so I’ll have to spend a bit more time on them.

It’ll take a few weeks to get caught up and then maintain a routine between Noah’s training schedule and the trail horses’ daily riding.

Unsure of where to begin, I fuss with my equipment and supplies while I wait for Noah.

When her truck appears and she parks next to mine, she stares at me through the windshield. With a shake of her head, she opens her door and walks toward me.

My heart falls to the pit of my stomach at being face-to-face again. It’s only been a week since our night together, and I haven’t stopped thinking about her. Even if she left the morning after and hasn’t responded to my calls or messages, I’m still happy to see her.

“You stalkin’ me?” Her voice is coated in irritation.

I ignore her accusation and take a step. “Are you okay?”

“From fallin’ in horse shit or because you miraculously showed up on my ranch?” She crosses her arms.

“Pretty sure I should be the pissed one here.” I mimic her stance. “If you’d bothered to respond, I could’ve told you I was the new farrier, and you wouldn’t have been so shocked to see me that you’d fall into a pile of horse shit.”

She drops her arms and narrows her eyes. “You knew?”

“Not at first, but I put two and two together once I learned your last name. I figured we’d talk later, and I’d tell ya then. But since you couldn’t return a text, I reckoned ya could find out the hard way.”

She shoots me a death glare. “So you knew before we slept together?”

I swallow hard and answer honestly, “Yes.”

“That woulda been nice to know.” She walks around me, and I follow.

“Would it have mattered?”

She ignores my question as she grabs a lead rope, then opens one of the horse’s doors. “This is Buttercup. He leaves tomorrow, so you’ll start with him. Then I’ll note which ones are a priority on your sheet. After you do the boarders, you’ll move to the trail horses, and then finally, our personal horses. I assume Ruby showed you their locations?”

“She did.”

She brings Buttercup out, and after sniffing me, he lets out a whine.

“He doesn’t like men,” she states flatly. “I’ll have to stay with him so he doesn’t try to kill ya.”

“I can’t tell if you’re bein’ serious or not.”

She holds up the rope. “Take him and find out if you don’t believe me.”

“I’d rather not risk it. I’ve been kicked enough to last me a lifetime. But I do wanna see him walk first.”

“I can tell you anythin’ about this horse ya need to know. Level heel. Thick frogs. No fungus. Size four shoe.”

“Unless you wanna do my job, I need to witness his walk.”

“Fine.” She pinches her lips together as if she doesn’t want to cause a scene with Ayden and Ruby nearby. “Go to the end of the aisle.”

I go to the doors and then turn around just as Noah leads him toward me. Buttercup has a steady walk, and his hooves land at a good distance apart. His shoulders move freely, which means he’s maintaining his balance as his neck moves up and down in time with the rest of his body.

“Now turn around and walk away from me for a few seconds.”

With a huff of irritation, she does as I say. If I didn’t know any better, Noah Hollis isn’t used to taking orders, and she’s not a fan of it either.

Once they walk ten feet, she turns him around and comes back toward me.

“Well?” she asks as she approaches.

“He looks good and healthy. Nice gait.”

“Told ya. I’ve trained him for the past four months.”

“And you’ve done a great job, but in order to do my job, I need to assess each horse properly before I work on them.”

“You’ll have to get someone else to walk them for ya, then because I’m either in the corral, at the trainin’ center, or workin’ on the fundraiser,” she says, following me back outside.

“What fundraiser?” I ask, intrigued.

Her shoulders relax. “It’s in a couple weeks. I’m raisin’ money for a charity that helps rescued and injured horses. It’ll be like a mini rodeo with barrel racin’, mutton bustin’, show jumpin’, and more.”

Wow, impressive. That’s a big undertaking, but I don’t say that. She’s being snippy with me, and I’m not about to go soft on her now.

There’s a post to secure the rope, and once he’s clipped in, I rub my hand over his back and let him sniff me.

“My clipboard’s on my rig if you wanna mark which order I have to go in, and then I won’t bother you again till I need ya.”

I avoid looking at her face when I dismiss her, but by the way she scuffs her boots on the ground, she’s not any happier with me than she was before.

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt ya,” I tell Buttercup when he stomps his back foot, almost as if he’s mocking Noah’s actions. I resist the urge to laugh while dragging my hand down his leg to check his hoof.

“Before I forget to tell you, Shelby and Taylor Alison Swift’s stalls are next to each other, and they don’t like being apart too long. So you’ll wanna let them say goodbye and give them a couple minutes together before you switch them out.”

I snap my head up, wondering if she’s fucking with me. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah, I know dependency can be bad, but they’ve been next to each other for two years. Taylor Alison Swift is Mallory’s horse—my little cousin—so she’s not goin’ anywhere since Mallory lives here. Shelby’s been here for a few years and is a full-time boarder since their owner lives in the city. We let them stay together since neither will be leavin’.”

Standing, I meet her eyes. “You have a horse named Taylor Alison Swift?”

She blows out a deep breath. “Yes. We call her Miss Swift if ya must know.”

“So you’re a Swiftie?”

“We’re not doin’ this…” She points at me, then motions between us. “Business talk only.”

“Said who?” I grab my toolbox kit and wheel it to Buttercup’s front leg.

“Me. You’re a ranch employee, and I’m a professional horse trainer on said family’s ranch. The only reason we’d need to talk is to discuss the horses.”

I get into position, then situate Buttercup’s hoof between my legs and squeeze my thighs to keep it in place. He nudges my head and nips at me, pulling a chunk of hair before Noah notices and scolds him.

“Guess ya weren’t lyin’.” I laugh, grabbing my buffer and hammer to raise the clenches.

“Nope.” She stands next to me, then hands me my shoe pullers once I’m done.

“Thanks,” I say, changing out the tools and then going around the shoe until I can effortlessly pry it off. “I take it his owner is a female?”

“Yes.” She hands me my hoof knife.

I bite back my laughter as she keeps Buttercup calm while handing me tools as if she’s memorized every step of my process. As I remove the excess dirt and scrape away the dead sole, she rubs his head and, eventually, hands me my loop knife.

“You sing to all your horses?” I taunt when I catch her humming a Taylor Swift song.

“You gonna tease me about the one thing that’s keepin’ this horse from kickin’ you? Pretty bold, Mr. Underwood.”

“Mr. Underwood?” I scoff, shedding the frog until it’s a nice V-shape. “Does that mean I should call you Miss Hollis?”

She lowers her gaze and glares while handing me my rasp.

“I’d prefer ya didn’t.”

I double-check for any flakey sole and inspect for defects or infections before I smooth and flatten the entire bottom. Then I flip the rasp over and run it over the hoof again.

“You hand Mr. Ryan all of his tools or am I just special?”

“Don’t get excited. I’m only helpin’ to make sure you’re doin’ it right.”

“Oh, now you’re supervisin’ me?” I ask, using my hoof knife again to scrape more of the sole until it feels waxy.

“These horses are very important to me and the ranch, so yes, I wanna make sure you’re qualified before lettin’ you run wild with them,” she states, handing me my nippers.

“You think your dad would hire me if I wasn’t?” I ask, trimming around the hoof wall and making sure the toe isn’t too thick.

“He was desperate. He woulda hired anyone.”

I scratch my cheek. “Ouch.”

“Prove yourself to be good, and it won’t be an issue.”

“Have you forgotten who I am?” I grab the rasp again and smooth everything down.

“No. Sadly, I haven’t gotten amnesia.”

“I rode bulls for a livin’ and have worked with horses for years. Are you really gonna question my ability to trim their hooves?”

“It’s not personal.”

I finish up with my tools and then set his hoof down so I can look at it.

“It feels that way to me, Noah. I’d never question your ability to train a horse even though you’re young, a little self-absorbed, and overconfident. I’d give you the chance to do your job before I questioned your abilities.”

“Did you just—” Her jaw drops as she shakes her head. “I’m not self-absorbed. I’m great at what I do. One of the best ’round here, actually. It’s why I book a year in advance and make twice as much as any other professional trainer within a hundred-mile radius. I’ve donated hours of my time to organize this fundraiser! I’m already not taken seriously in this industry, and I don’t need any more men tellin’ me how I’m overconfident.”

“Oh, excuse me, I shoulda added…” I smirk at her after I’ve taken a second look at Buttercup’s hoof and set it back down. “It’s not personal.”

Without waiting for a response, I walk to my rig and turn on the forge machine. It runs on propane, so it needs a few minutes to heat. Normally, I’d trim all their hooves first and then put on the shoes, but since she wants to witness my process, she gets to see it from start to finish now. Maybe then she’ll be satisfied enough to stop doubting me.

While we wait, I grab the size four shoe and return to Buttercup’s hoof to see how it’ll fit. It needs to be bent in at the top a little, so I grab my hammer and pound it a few times.

“That was uncalled for, and you know it.” Noah’s bitter tone has me holding back an amused laugh.

“If you can’t take criticism, then don’t dish it out.”

“I didn’t criticize you.”

“You told me to prove myself, Noah. Same damn thing. You think since Mr. Ryan retired and referred me to his clients, I didn’t have to interview for this job? I was out here a month ago to show your father exactly what I could do.”

“You were?”

“Yeah, I didn’t see ya then. I swear I had no idea who you were until that Ian kid said your last name. At that point, it was too late. You and I both wanted that night to happen, so I won’t apologize for not tellin’ ya sooner. As far as you ignorin’ my calls, well, that’s on you. I wasn’t gonna have an important conversation with your voicemail.”

“You coulda texted and said it was urgent or somethin’…” She bites down on her lower lip as if she’s trying to find a way to blame this on me. “If I’d known it was important, I woulda picked up.”

Grabbing my tongs, I place the shoe inside the forge, then close the door. Once I go back to Buttercup, I set his hoof on the stand so I can clean and smooth over the top. As I do, I check for flares, hairline cracks, or bruising.

“Are ya ignorin’ me now?” she asks when I stay quiet.

“When I’m done puttin’ on his shoe, you can leave. Buttercup and I will be just fine without your presence.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I don’t need a babysitter. You can watch me to ensure I’m good enough, but after that, go back to your job so I can do mine.”

“Fisher…”

“It’s Mr. Underwood.” I glance up just in time to catch her rolling her eyes. With one hand on her hip, she shakes her head as if she’s not used to someone defying her. Or annoyed that I am. Honestly, it’s kinda hot. Full pouty lips draw my eyes to her face, and I wish I could lean in and kiss them.

“Fine, I’m sorry.”

I walk around her to the machine and check if the shoe is ready. After inspecting it, I set it inside for a few more minutes.

“Did ya hear me?” she asks my back.

“Yes, loud as a donkey.”

“Aren’t you gonna say anythin’?”

I turn around with only a few inches between us. It’d be so easy to lean down and taste her sorry lips.

“What for, Noah? Snoopin’ through my wallet when I was asleep? Or for ditchin’ me without so much as a goodbye? Perhaps for ghostin’ me, which even havin’ to say that word at my age should be a felony. Possibly for insultin’ my credibility as a farrier?” Instead of inching closer like my dick wants, I widen my stance and cross my arms over my broad chest. “So which one are you sorry for?”

She grinds down on her teeth, clearly unhappy about being called out. Her eyes flicker to the ground as if she’s contemplating her next move and her leg twitches. For a second, I’m worried she might knee me in the nuts. She’s definitely close enough to cause substantial damage.

“Okay, first…I wasn’t snoopin’ through your wallet.” Her gaze moves up and finds mine. “I just wanted to see your ID so I knew how old you were.”

“Is that what scared you off? My age?”

“No, not really. I figured you were about twice my age. Maybe not quite, but it wasn’t the problem.”

So something ran her off…

I lower my arms, but I have to interrupt our conversation to finish Buttercup’s shoe. Once I grab my tongs and take the shoe out of the forge, I mold and smooth it down.

“Can you bring me a bucket of water, please?” I ask when I realize I forgot to grab one.

Without responding, Noah walks into the barn, and I proceed to test the shoe against Buttercup’s hoof. It burns against it as I place it on and off a few times. Some of the edging needs to be adjusted, so I go back to my rig and put it in the forge so I can hammer it down again.

Once Noah returns, I take it out and tweak it. Then I check it against Buttercup’s hoof and decide it’s nearly perfect. Before nailing it in, I place it in the bucket of water to cool it down.

While I wait, I continue our conversation. “Tell me what the problem was. Maybe I can fix it?”

She inhales sharply through her nose and pinches her lips before exhaling slowly. “You can’t. It’s not somethin’ that can be undone.”

“If it’s not my age, then you gotta give me somethin’ else here. You didn’t know I was workin’ here, so I know that ain’t it. What else is there?”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if it was something we did that turned her off, something I did, but by her moaning and screaming that almost made me go deaf, I doubt that was the issue. We shared a strong and intense connection that night. From the way she was begging me not to stop, it wasn’t one-sided. Even now, seeing her again and being close enough to touch, a spark lingers between us that she’s trying to pretend doesn’t exist.

The pulse in her throat moves as she swallows hard as if she can’t physically get the words out. My heart hammers at the idea of there being something so wrong about us being together that I won’t be able to fix or change.

She shakes her head. “I-I don’t think we should be havin’ this conversation here. Or ever. It was just one night. There’s no reason we can’t be professionals and work on the same ranch.”

My brows furrow at her quick dismissal of us.

“Noah, tell me.” I step closer until we’re nearly touching, until our arms brush, and I can smell her floral shampoo. “Please.” Tipping up her chin, I lean in and test how far she’ll allow me to go. Even with her jabs, I can’t stop thinking about tasting her lips again.

Her shallow breathing comes to a stop when my mouth breaches hers, but then she slams her eyes closed and blurts out, “Your son!”

I rear back, nearly falling on my ass because those are the last two words I expected to hear.

“What about my son?”

Finally, she looks at me and her expression forms into one of distress. “We used to date. It’s been a while, but we were together on and off for most of my high school years and up until I was twenty.”

“Jase? You…and…Jase?” I point at her and an imaginary shadow of my son next to her.

Her lips stay sealed as she nods.

I brush a hand through my hair, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I not only slept with a woman twenty-two years younger than me, but she’s my son’s girlfriend.

Well…ex-girlfriend.

But I don’t think technicalities matter much anyway. The two of them dated. They have a history. One I wasn’t a part of because I only tried to reconnect with my son a few months ago. Long after they were dating and broken up. Long after he would’ve told her what a piece of shit father he had.

“Jesus Christ…” Those are the only words I can form. Of all the reasons I imagined she ditched me, this was never on the fucking radar of possibilities.

Instead of continuing to stand like a shell-shocked idiot, I retrieve the shoe that’s plenty cooled down and finish the job. I make sure it fits properly and then hammer in the four nails. After that, I place his hoof back on the stand and do one final filing with my rasp.

Once that’s completed, I set it down and then watch Buttercup stomp a few times to ensure it looks right.

“When did ya realize?” I finally ask her, moving my tool kit to the horse’s other front hoof. I drag my hand over his back and down his leg so he doesn’t get spooked.

“When I saw your ID,” she says, standing next to Buttercup and rubbing her palm over his nose to keep him calm. “There aren’t many Underwoods in Sugarland Creek. I figured with your ages that you were probably related. The more I thought about it, the more similarities I saw between y’all. Then I remembered you talkin’ about how often you used to travel, and it just made sense from what Jase had told me.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me? It woulda been a much nicer blow to my ego if I’d known the truth.” Though it wouldn’t have made it any easier knowing the one woman I wanted was strictly off-limits.

“I never expected to see you again, so what was the point in tellin’ ya?”

“You didn’t think we’d run into each other with me livin’ in Sugarland Creek?”

“I figured it was a possibility, but it didn’t mean anythin’ would happen. Had I known you worked here, I woulda handled this differently. But I was embarrassed about the whole thing.”

“About what?”

“About havin’ a one-night stand with my ex’s dad. I’d never even had one before and when I actually do, it’s with the one man I shouldn’t have slept with in the first place. Also, I was nervous you’d tell Jase. He’d never forgive me if he found out.”

“So he doesn’t know?”

She shakes her head. “No, we’ve remained friends, but I haven’t talked to him in a few weeks. I was surprised to find out you were here because I thought for sure he woulda told me.”

Damn, that hurts.

It also makes me wonder how close they’ve remained if she’s concerned this secret getting back to him would ruin their friendship. Most exes don’t stay friends. But I don’t know enough about my son’s past to even have an opinion on how he is with other people. He’s quiet with me but could be different around those who didn’t abandon him.

“Yeah, we’ve had a rocky relationship, so I’m not surprised he hasn’t told anyone about me. That’s my fault, not his.”

“He’s told me,” she admits. “Well, his side of the story anyway.”

Sadly, his side is the only truth he knows. I never told him what I tried to make Damien do, and I hope he’ll never find out.

“I’d really appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell him, Noah. I’m here to rebuild my relationship with my son, and it’s still very rocky. I—”

“I wasn’t plannin’ to,” she reassures me. “No one knows except for Magnolia.”

I blow out a breath. “Great.”

She chuckles. “Yeah, I told her while I went home to shower, so don’t plan on it being a secret for long.”

“Any chance I can bribe her to keep her mouth shut?” I ask, half teasing, half serious. If Jase finds out, he’ll never talk to me again. His one- and two-word responses will dwindle to complete silence.

“That’s a good question…” She snorts, then shakes her head. “Nah, she knows whatever secrets I share she takes to the grave.”

I nod in appreciation. I’ve done a lot of shitty things as a father when I was at my lowest point in life, but this would be irreversible. Even if I don’t know a lot about Jase’s high school and post-graduation life, I’m pretty certain hooking up with any of his exes would put me on his permanent shit list.