The Rancher Meets His Match by J. Margot Critch

Author:J. Margot Critch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-05-04T20:14:36+00:00

* * *

Trey folded his arms across his chest as he and Misha stood on the back deck, watching Dez play in the garden. Although, play for Dez was quite different than it was for other boys his age. He’d brought Misha to his home to meet the boy. He told himself that it was because Misha would be able to understand his passion. They would relate better to one another than any other woman Trey had been with. It felt like the right thing to do.

Misha watched him, too. “Is he filming?”

“Yeah, it’s all he does these days. He and a couple of friends get together and do all kinds of things. They know how to edit things to look new and flashy, and they even go old school with stop-motion animation.”

“That sounds pretty fun.”

“It’s not what I was into when I was in third grade, but he’s happy, so I’m happy.” Misha smiled up at Trey, and, uncomfortable as he was under her scrutiny, he returned her smile.

He couldn’t believe what he was about to do. He’d never introduced Dez to any woman he’d had in his life, but Misha didn’t feel like the other women. Trey found that Misha was not only his partner—in and out of bed—but she was quickly becoming his friend. He reasoned to himself that it would be fine to introduce Dez to a friend, right? It felt right, and while he knew that he and Misha might not always be romantically—no, sexually—linked, he hoped that he could always count her as a friend.

He raised his hand. “Hey, Dez,” he called out. The boy looked up, looking almost perturbed. As if he hadn’t realized that Trey and Misha had been watching. “Come on over here.”

“You just ruined my shot,” Dez called back.

“Just get over here, would you?” Trey called back. The kid was precocious, that was for sure.

Thankfully, he listened and stood and walked over to where they were waiting for him.

“I don’t have a lot of time,” Dez said, looking up at the sky, gauging the sun’s position. “I’m burning daylight.”

He heard Misha stifle a giggle. Everyone loved a kid with an attitude, until it was their own. “Dez,” Trey said, his voice firm, sending his son a warning. While he liked Dez to express himself, and he didn’t want to dissuade him from his favorite activities, Trey also tried to instill a deep respect for other people. “Is that polite?”

Dez frowned. “No, sir.” As if it was the first time he’d seen her, Dez’s attention turned to the woman beside him.

“Dez,” Trey said to his son. “I’d like you to meet my friend, Misha.”

Dez looked at her for a few moments, as intently as if he were studying her. Finally, he held out his hand to Misha, and she shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Misha,” he said.

“It’s awfully nice to meet you, as well, Dez,” Misha returned.

“You know, I told my dad that I don’t kiss any of my friends goodbye.

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