Dan spent the night in the bunk house he had stayed at while helping with works. Thank you Lord for working things out. He rejoices as he drives down the road to Tylee's house.

"Morning Boss!" He calls with a smirk as she walks from the barn back to her house.

"If you recall you haven't quit your other job yet." Tylee smarts and continues to walk past him. She had gotten the courage to carry on a conversation with someone after two years of no one on the ranch. The idea of actually having a two way conversation made her smile and shrink back all at once. Dan chuckles and follows her inside.

"Would you like to come into town with me?" He asks sitting down at the table.

"Becca." She replies handing him a cup of coffee.

"Thank you." She nods in reply.

Breakfast is eggs and sausage burritos. After eating Dan heads back to the Rockin' Chair Ranch to put in his two weeks notice. Tylee went out and saddled Willow Wind. She drives to the south side to fix a stretch of fence; after riding to the corner and checking the recently set post she called the cattle up and fed them. The early December weather had not reached its low temperatures yet so the water troughs weren't frozen over. Tylee stops to eat the sandwich she had packed, hobbling Wind so she can eat as well.

After feeding the remainder of the south side Tylee goes back to the house and gathers the horses. She sorts three off before unsaddling Willow Wind and turning her out with the others. Daisy follows her to the house laying down on the rug while Tylee fixes herself supper. After she eats she feeds Daisy and Jake then gets in the shower.

***

The last two weeks of working at the Rockin' Char Ranch couldn't go by fast enough for Dan. Clyde enjoyed giving him a hard time the entire fourteen days; teasing that it was all because of a girl. Dan brushed it off with good nature keeping up with his daily responsibilities. Finally he is packing his stuff and driving to Hearts Bond Ranch to be the 'bunk house boy.' Dan is pleasantly surprised when he pulls up to the bunk house, he was growing fond of, and Tylee's pickup was there.

"Afternoon official boss." Dan calls with a smirk as he walks in the already open door.

"No more 'boss'!" She declares chunking the roll of paper towels she had at him.

"Why not?!" He teases setting his bag down.

"Because I said so."

"But Tylee is so formal." He whines earning a glare from her.

"No boss and no Ty." She tells him. He doesn't miss the pain in her voice when she says 'Ty'. He wanted to know the story behind the nickname, but didn't dare ask.

"Papaw called me that." She mumbles as if she read his mind.

After things are cleaned up in the bunk house and his things inside they go back to Tylee's for supper.

"So do you have family your very close to?" Dan asks as they eat.

"Not really. My aunts, uncles and cousin's came when Papaw and Granna were around, but they haven't been down in about two years." She tells him.

"That's too bad. I guess I'm used to having my family's support." He says feeling a little guilty.

"No reason to feel guilty family is good to have around. Papaw always tried to get them more into the ranch, but they never did."

"Do you like running the ranch?"

"Yeah, it keeps me busy."

"That it does." His comment makes her blush a little.

After they finish eating Dan helps her wash the dishes. Her phone rings; she glances at it before setting it on the table and walking away.

"Your not going to answer that?" Dan asks pointing to her phone.

"Nope." Tylee pushes it toward him so he can see the caller ID. Becca. He nods and lets it ring.

***

Dan has been working with and for Tylee for a month. He has managed to get a vague idea of what most of the ranch looks like, thanks to feeding and water problems. 

"How the heck did she do all this?" He mutters as he chops ice for the umpteenth water trough. Four days a week one of them feeds half the cattle. Checking fence, fixing water, riding through the cattle, and pulling calves fill up the remainder of their time. As much as he has enjoyed it all its exhausting.

After finishing the Tuesday feed rounds he heads back to the barn to unhook the feed trailer and help with the evening chores with the horses. 

"What else needs to be done?" He asks as he walks into the barn where Tylee Is putting up the feed buckets.

"Go home." She replies with a satisfied smirk.

"I was being serious."

"So was I, everything is done. Early evening." She tells him. He can't help a smile

"Would you like to have supper?"

"Sure."

The two walk to her house. After they eat they agree on a movie and sit on the couch together. The movie they chose is Second Chances.

"Have you ever seen it before?" She asks.

"I haven't." He tells her with a smile. She returns the gesture with a bright one.

As the movie goes on Dan wraps his arm around her. She smiles at him and lays her head on his shoulder. It felt so right for her to be in his arms.

Lord let this work out if it is in your will.

As the movie goes on the more Dan feels like he should ask her to be his girlfriend. He has always liked her, but the past month they have gotten to know each other a lot. Getting to know her didn't look very promising when he first met her, but he is glad that she opened up.  

"What you thinking about?" Her soft voice broke his thoughts.

"Oh, nothing." He tries his best to blow it off as no big deal.

"Dan I know you better than that."

***

Tylee could tell something was on his mind.

"Us." His comment catches her completely off guard. "Do you.... want there to be- to be a..."

"Us?" She finishes for him finding herself becoming more vocal and confident with him everyday.

"Yes." He whispers. She can tell he is a little nervous and she has a hard time not giggling. The confident caring and out spoken man was hard to envision nervous. She assumed that since he brought it up that he did.

"Papaw would like you, so would Granna... I like you." She whispers as they stare into one another's eyes.  

"More than just a ranch hand?" The twinkle in his eye gives away that he teasing.

"More than a ranch hand." She giggles and nods.

"What would you think if I told you that I liked you. As more than a boss?" He earns a glare at 'boss'.

"That you were the dumbest man I have ever met." She giggles at the hurt face he displays.

"Why am I considered dumb?"

"Because you like a hermit that knows more about four footed animals than a human." Tylee playfully slaps his shoulder as he lets out a hearty laugh.

"That's what made me fall in love with you." His voice serious, but in a caring and loving way. She doesn't know how to reply to that. Thank you sounds so nonchalant.

"Your patience is what made me fall for you." She whispers still holding his gaze.

"Tylee will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes," She whispers a smile slipping on to her face. Dan's smile is as big as they come as the one word slipped from her lips. Tylee snugs into his chest with his arms around her. Neither can quit smiling.

"What's your middle name?" Dan asks randomly.

"MacKay, why?" She tells him looking up and into his eyes.

"Future reference." He shrugs keeping a straight face while cracking up inside.

"Has anyone told you that you are a dork?" She asks giggling a little.

"My sister enjoys telling often."

"How many siblings do you have?" Family was one thing they hadn't talked about a lot.

"A little sister and two little brothers, so three. Hannah, Weston and Isiah. Weston is 22, Hannah is 20 and Isiah is 18." He tells her.

"And you are 24?" Dan nods.

"You are so observant. You are... 21?"

"How did you figure it out?"

"You said you have been doing it all by yourself for four years, and you only had one year with your Papaw around so I put a few things together." He uses his finger it pull imaginary puzzle pieces from the air.

"Very clever." She tells him with a nod before laying her head back on his chest. Dan smiles and tightens his arms around her ever so slightly. Nowhere could top were he was now.