Jake had been inspecting the fence when he saw her. Brown, tousled curls, cowboy boots that were definitely new, tight-fitting jeans that definitely suited her; she was not from around here.
"Well look-ee here, who maght you be?"
Molly turned around, surprised to find anyone near their house. She hadn't thought they had any direct neighbors to worry about. "Oh hi, my name's Molly Matthews. My sister and I just moved back in," she introduced herself as she headed towards the fence to take a closer look. He was pretty cute, in his own set of work jeans and checkered blue shirt, with a Stetson on his head. He'd clearly been at work for a little bit, but she couldn't say she minded that look on him.
"Jake Rodgers, how ye do?" He held out his hand, giving hers a rough shake, chuckling to himself when it took her by surprise.
"Good," she smiled eventually, getting a momentary smile back.
"Ye say y'all moved back here?" he asked now, thinking he sort of remembered their old neighbors, but it had been a long time.
"Oh yeah, we used to live here until my daddy passed away 14 years ago. My sister Jennifer dragged me back when she lost her job," she explained briefly, trying not to think about her father too much. The last thing she wanted to do was to cry in front of this handsome stranger the first time they met.
"I remember ya now, I bin wonderin' what happ'ned to ya. Ye daddy was a good man, happy as a hog in mud. So ye's bin raised on concrete huh?" Jake nodded, remembering playing chase with her way back when. His older cousin Blake, who'd lived with them for a bit, had hung out mostly with Jennifer so he didn't remember the older Matthews girl.
"I've been what?" Molly asked confused, having no idea what that meant, though she thought she understood the comment about her father being happy with his life here.
"Ye provin' may point there, but I meant ye bin citified, raised in the city," he explained with a chuckle, checking out her brand new country outfit again. It couldn't have been more obvious than if she'd left the tags on them. Hers didn't have a mark on them, unlike his.
"Oh yeah, mama moved us to Phoenix," she nodded now, not sure what else to say. She didn't like the feeling that he was making fun of her. She took in his appearance now. "So, you live next door? Do you guys still have horses?" she asked, not sure where that memory had come from but remembering her daddy teaching her some basics on one of their smaller ponies or watching him and Jake's father riding the stallions and mares round the paddock and the fields.
"Yes ma'am," Jake nodded. "Anyway, it's tahm to put the chairs in the wagon. I'll see ye 'round some tahm," he said when he realized he needed to get back to the ranch and take care of the stables. He inclined his head with a tap to his Stetson and headed back towards his family's ranch without waiting for her to say anything.
Molly looked after him a little perplexed. She didn't have a clue what he'd just said to her.