Cupcakes and Cowboys (Sunset Plains Romance Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

hard to carry everything on back of one of the animals. We’re not riding the range.”
    “Oh. Right.” Jase felt stupid, and then angry at Mason for laughing. He was here to learn—if he already knew how ranch life worked, he would’ve stayed in L.A.
    An old and battered Ford pickup, the blue paint chipped and fading into rust near the tailgate, was filled to overflowing with wire, wooden fence posts, and tools.
    “Hop in,” Mason said.
    Jase nodded and opened the door with a loud creak, revealing a bench covered in a neutral brown fabric, frayed to the point of ripping. Dust filtered through the air, and the dashboard was dark from sun rot. A musty, humid smell filled the cab. Jase struggled for a moment with the hand-crank, finally getting the window lowered.
    Mason revved the engine, and they headed down a dirt road away from the main house and outbuildings.
    “Nice truck,” Jase said. It was worn, but sturdy and hardworking, just like a cowboy.
    Mason grunted. “It’s the ranch’s. My truck is a lot nicer kept than this one.”
    Jase leaned his arm out the window, relishing the feel of the warm summer breeze playing with his hair. “I think this truck holds a certain charm. How often do the fences need repairing?”
    “Depends.”
    Jase gritted his teeth, trying to hold back his frustration. “On what?”
    Mason shrugged. “Weather. If the cows knock them down. Lots of things.”
    Maybe Mason was just a man of few words. That was a common trope in westerns, and tropes were usually based in reality. Jase took a slow, deep breath, then said nothing.
    Mason drove for fifteen minutes down a well-worn dirt path, just wide enough for one vehicle. Tall grass blew gently in the breeze and fences lined both sides of the road. The land stretched out forever, trees visible in the distance. The flat expanse was so unfamiliar after the hills and beaches of L.A.
    Jase saw the damaged fence moments before Mason pulled to the side of the road and parked the truck. The sun just crested the trees, bathing the ranch in golden light. Jase didn’t see any cows nearby though. Maybe they were in another pasture?
    He got out of the truck, striding over to the damaged fence. It looked as though it had been trampled by the animals. Posts were at crazy angles, some of them knocked all the way down, some of them snapped in two, and a six-foot section of barbed wire had been stomped into the soft mud.
    Jase reached out to examine the fence. “How do you keep the cattle from trampling the fence more often?”
    “It’s electrified.”
    Jase jerked his hand back, glaring at Mason. “Thanks for the warning.”
    “It’s not electrified right now—lightning struck the fence and flipped the breakers. That’s how the steers got through. We’ll turn the fence back on once we’ve fixed it.”
    Jase wasn’t so sure Mason would’ve warned him if it had been turned on. “So what do we do?”
    Mason reached into the back of the truck and pulled out a shovel. “I’ll set the posts in the holes, and you’ll fill ‘em back up with dirt. I’ll replace the ones they busted.”
    They worked for an hour in silence. Jase tried to begin a conversation a few times, but Mason’s one-word grunts were definitely feeling personal. Jase thought back to the way Mason’s arms had lingered around Cassidy when they hugged, and wondered if he viewed Jase as a threat. Was Mason that insecure?
    The sun slowly rose, heating the air until sweat beaded on Jase’s forehead and soaked his collar. Mason did most of the work, only occasionally giving Jase instructions. They finished up the fence as the sun reached its zenith. “Let’s head back for lunch,” Mason said. “Then we’re going into town to pick up the antibiotics the vet called in for the sick cows.”
    Jase nodded. He helped Mason pick up the tools, then climbed into the truck for the short drive back to the bunkhouse.
    “What’s a typical day like?” Jase asked.
    Mason shrugged.