“At first, yes. But as you practice, it’ll become second nature.”
Colton tossed out his rope again, and a few moments later, he had it perfectly coiled. “Look, I did it.” He held it up. “It looks just like yours.”
His enthusiasm warmed Noah’s heart. This was what he loved about teaching kids. Sharing in their sense of accomplishment.
“Remember what I said yesterday about practice, patience and persistence?”
“Yeah.”
Noah lifted a brow, careful not to look too stern. “How about we say ‘yes, sir’?”
A hint of pink crept into the kid’s cheeks. “Yes, sir.”
Noah smiled then. “You exercised both patience and persistence as you practiced coiling that rope until you finally got it right.”
The kid was quiet for a moment. “Can I keep practicing?”
“Not only can you, you have to.” Noah tossed his rope out. “The more you practice—” he began to reel it in “—the more used to it you become.” He held up his freshly coiled rope.
“Awesome.” Colton practically beamed as he made another attempt.
Noah, however, found his thoughts preoccupied once again by the boy’s mother. Why did it chafe him so that Lily had questioned his integrity?
He glanced from Colton to Lily to one of the hands who was tending to the horses. Because in his world, integrity was everything. A man without honor was nothing but a coward in his book. And for some strange reason, he wanted Lily and her children to see him as honorable.
He shook his head. Ridiculous. Why should he care what they thought? They were strangers. Which made his reaction even more preposterous.
“How come I’m not on a horse?”
He jerked his gaze back to Colton, annoyed that he’d allowed himself to be distracted. “There are two parts to roping. Rope handling and horsemanship. You have to learn both, though we won’t put the two together for a while yet. We’ll work with a horse during your next lesson.”
“Next lesson? You mean we’re done already?”
“We’ve been working for almost two hours.” And Lily had been watching them from the second row the entire time.
Colton’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Time flies when you’re having fun.”
“Yea— Yes, sir.”
Noah ruffled the kid’s sandy brown hair. “Good boy.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father take a seat beside Lily.
She smiled as they talked, making Noah uneasy. What were they discussing? Colton? The weather? After Dad’s little talk the other day, not to mention his comment about Lily being pretty, there was no telling what the old man was apt to say.
Noah cringed at the possibilities.
“Okay, Colton, how about we plan to meet again Monday morning?”
“Aww, but I’m just getting good.”
“All right then, you can keep practicing while I go talk to your mother.” Because the more he saw Lily laugh, the more he wanted to know what she and his father were discussing.
A few minutes later, he hopped the fence to join the three of them. “What’s going on?”
Hands clasped, forearms on his thighs, his father looked up at him. “Lily here was just telling me that she plans a lot of charity events back in Denver.”
“That’s nice.” He glanced at Lily. Dressed in jeans and riding boots with a navy blazer over a white T-shirt, she looked ready for English riding. Something she wasn’t likely to find at Abundant Blessings Ranch.
“Big events.” Dad’s dark brown eyes glinted with pleasure. “Like grand openings.”
Noah glared at his father, knowing good and well what he was up to. He wanted Lily to help them. Well, Noah wasn’t biting.
“Mommy gave me the best princess birthday party ever.” Piper moved behind her mother, snaking her arms around Lily’s shoulders.
“I see.” Birthday parties. Kids’ parties, at that. Not exactly the kind of event he had in mind.
“She also hosted Denver’s Oil Baron’s Ball,” said Dad.
Noah lifted his hat to scratch his head. Okay, so that was a little higher up the scale. Still, that didn’t mean Lily should help him.
Straightening, his father twisted to give Lily his full attention. “Did you know that Noah is in the process of expanding our little riding school?”
She peered up at Noah. “I heard mention of rodeo lessons.”
Noah cleared his throat. “Actually, we’re expanding to a year-round rodeo school.” He shifted from one foot to the next. “The new arena is still under construction, but it should be ready sometime in August.”
“Is that the building going up next door?” She pointed in the general vicinity.
“Sure is,” Dad answered before Noah even had a chance. “The grand opening is set for Labor Day weekend to coincide with the annual rodeo in Ridgway. Problem is that Noah doesn’t have any time to promote or plan the event.” He shrugged. “Not that he really knows much about that sort of thing.”
Noah shook his head. He knew the old man was trying to help, that he wanted the rodeo school to succeed every bit as much as Noah did, but sometimes he just didn’t know when to shut up.
“Dad, I—”
“Mom could help you. She knows all about planning stuff.”
Noah jerked his head to discover Colton standing beside him. “I thought you were practicing.”
The boy lowered his gaze. “It wasn’t as fun without you.”
Noah’s heart swelled, though he quickly tamped it down. “Your mom is on vacation, Colton.”
“I know, but she always says parties and stuff aren’t really work.” He looked at Lily. “Right, Mom?”
The poor woman seemed to be at a loss for words. She was no more interested in giving Noah her help than he was in receiving it. Yet while he’d come to accept that he did, indeed, need some sort of help, he’d prefer to hire someone local. Someone familiar with rodeo. Not a city girl who was afraid of horses.
He set a hand on Colton’s shoulder. “Colton, that’s not fair to your mom. You all are here because she wants to spend time with you and Piper, not some grungy old cowboys.”
“That’s okay,” chimed Piper. “We can help, too.”
“Yeah,” said Colton. “We’ll still be together.”
Dad stood then. “I’m afraid Noah’s right, kids. It’s not fair to volunteer your mother like that.”
Noah’s brow lifted. Dad was the one who started this whole discussion.
“Thank you for understanding.” Lily reached for Colton’s hand. “This summer is all about my kids.”
“As it should be.” Ignoring the unexpected wave of disappointment that came over him, he studied the woman laughing with her children. Lily might know how to put on a good party, but she was the wrong candidate for this job.
Chapter Three
Lily stood at the top of Hurricane Pass the next afternoon, savoring the breathtaking view. At more than twelve thousand feet, it felt as though she was on top of the world.
Brown, barren peaks stretched out before her as far as she could see, while lush green mingled with patches of snow across their rocky slopes. She drew in a long breath of crisp mountain air. Simply glorious.
This was exactly what she’d envisioned when she decided to bring the kids to Ouray. Jeep rides in the mountains, exploring God’s creation...togetherness.
“What do you guys think?” She eyed her children, who had finally stopped throwing snowballs at each other long enough to join her.
“Spectacular!” Her daughter tossed her arms wide in typical Piper fashion.
“It’s okay.” Hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie, Colton squinted against the sun. “It would be cooler on a horse.”
Lily tried to keep her groan to herself. S
he was beginning to regret ever having taken the kids to Abundant Blessings Ranch. All she’d heard about the past four days was horses, riding, roping... Not to mention how she should help Noah with the rodeo school’s grand opening.
Her gaze drifted to the glacial blue waters of Lake Como just below where she stood. She was not here to plan an event. Especially the grand opening of a rodeo school. Spending this summer as a family, teaching her children to enjoy the simple things in life was what was important to her.
What could be simpler than spending time on a real ranch with good, hardworking people and beautiful animals?
Horses might be beautiful, but she still didn’t want to be around them. Or their cowboy owner.
You could at least consider helping Noah.
The thought stiffened her spine. And allow herself to be taken advantage of, the way she had when she was with Wade Davis? No, thank you.
When they returned to town a few hours later, Lily walked along Main Street with her children, allowing them to peruse a couple of souvenir shops while she relished the remarkable view. Unlike most towns where the mountains sat in the distance, Ouray was literally enveloped by them. No matter which way she looked, the mountains were right there. Only part of what made this town so appealing. Throw in the gorgeous Victorian-era buildings, friendly people and colorful baskets of flowers hanging from every lamppost, and she was smitten.
“Afternoon, Lily.”
She turned to see Clint Stephens. “Hello, Mr. Stephens.”
Hands dangling from the pockets of his Wrangler jeans, he glanced around. “Where are Colton and Piper?”
“In the gift sho—” She spotted the pair exiting the store. “Make that right here.”
“Hi, Mr. Stephens.” Their collective greeting revealed how genuinely happy they were to see him.
“What have you kids been up to today? Did you do anything fun?”
“We went to the top of the world,” said Piper.
“Top of the world?” Clint eyed Lily as a motorcycle rumbled past.
“We took a Jeep tour up to Hurricane Pass.”
“Oh.” He looked at Piper again. “Then I guess you were way up there.”
“I’m hungry.” Colton moved beside Lily. “What’s for dinner?”
She was surprised he’d gone this long without asking. Save for a small snack, he hadn’t eaten since lunch.
“Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought, but I’m sure we can find something at the house.”
“I’m on my way over to Granny’s Kitchen to grab some dinner.” Clint looked at each of them. “Would you three care to join me?”
Piper gasped while her brother’s eyes and smile grew wide.
“Could we?” said Colton. “We haven’t eaten there yet.”
Beside him, Piper prayed her hands together. “Please...”
Lily noted the sun hovering over the town’s western slope. “I guess it has been a while since we’ve gone out to eat.” Besides, she really wasn’t up to fixing a meal tonight. “Are you sure you don’t mind, Mr. Stephens?”
“Course not. It’ll save me from eating alone.”
“Okay then.”
Inside the quaint restaurant situated on a corner farther down the street, the four of them sat down in a booth by the window, allowing them to enjoy the view.
“Granny’s Kitchen is as close to home cooking as you’re going to get.” Clint removed his cowboy hat and slid in beside Colton. “And everything on the menu is good.” He ran a callused hand through his thick salt-and-pepper hair.
A waitress approached. Blonde, closer to Clint’s age and very well put together, from her perfectly styled short hair to her chic red patent leather ballet flats. “Looks like you’ve got some company, Clint.” She set four waters on the high-gloss wooden table top, then handed menus to each of them, along with crayons for the kids, before laying a hand on Clint’s shoulder.
“Hillary, this is Lily—” he gestured “—and her children, Colton and Piper.”
Lily held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Hillary.”
The woman took hold, her grip firm. “Are you in town on vacation?”
“For the summer, yes.”
“Well, we’re glad to have you.” Hillary eyed each of them. “I’ll give you minute to look over those menus.” With that she was gone.
Noting the familiarity between the two, Lily watched the older man. “Is that your wife?”
“Hillary?” Clint blushed. “No, she’s just an old friend. My wife died three years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I won’t try to kid you, it was rough. But God has a plan.”
“Yes, He does.” Reaching for her water, she eyed the waitress behind the counter. Either Clint was unaware of Hillary’s feelings toward him or simply refused to acknowledge them. Whatever the case, Lily suspected they were more than just friends.
After turning in their orders, Lily rested her forearms on the edge of the table, curiosity niggling at her brain. After all, with Colton taking lessons, she owed it to herself to learn as much about his instructor as she could.
“Tell me about this rodeo school Noah plans to open.”
The man smiled like any proud father. “Noah’s always had a gift for teaching and a heart for kids.” He unwrapped his silverware and set the napkin in his lap. “This school has been his dream ever since he left the rodeo circuit.”
“He was a bull rider?” Lily regretted the surprise in her voice.
Clint’s amused grin was worth it, though. “Yes, but horses were always his specialty. He gets that from his mama.”
“Why was the rodeo school Noah’s dream?” Colton watched the older man intently.
“He...went through some hard times.” Fingering the unopened straw atop the table, he continued, “The rodeo—horses, in particular—helped him get back in the saddle, so to speak.”
Hard times? That could be almost anything. Drugs. Alcohol. But she wasn’t about to pry.
“What kind of hard times?”
“Colton!” Lily cringed.
“It’s all right.” The corners of Clint’s mouth tipped upward once again. “Can’t blame the boy for being curious.” He looked at Colton. “Noah lost some people that were very special to him.”
“Like his mommy?” Crayon still in hand, Piper looked up from her colorful place mat.
“That’s right.” Clint turned his attention to Lily. “Rodeo helped him cope.”
She watched the man across from her. “Was he any good?”
Clint’s grin seemed laced with as much sorrow as pride. “When you have nothing to lose, you tend to put it all out there.”
Nothing to lose? What did that mean?
Curious, Lily wanted to know more. So after the kids went to bed that night, she searched the internet for Noah Stephens and came up with a plethora of articles, photos and videos.
She clicked on the first link.
After the deaths of his wife and unborn child...
Lily found herself blinking back emotion. Though her ex-husband was still very much alive, she understood how it felt to lose someone you love. But to lose a child, too... She couldn’t imagine how painful that must have been.
She clicked on another link. The man had no fear. Every time he went out there, it was as though he was challenging God to take him, too.
When you have nothing to lose, you tend to put it all out there, Clint had said. Rodeo helped him.
She swiped at a wayward tear that trailed down her cheek. No wonder the rodeo school was so important to Noah. And he did seem to be good with the kids. In fact, Colton had rarely responded so well to a stranger.
Still...
She drew in a breath. That didn’t mean she had to help him.
* * *
&
nbsp; Monday was a busy one for Noah. Aside from lessons and numerous people wanting trail rides, he still needed to run into town to drop off his ad for the July Fourth edition of the newspaper. Next week, thousands of people would flood Ouray for its annual Fourth of July celebration, which was as unique as the town itself. Giving Noah the perfect opportunity to let everyone know about the rodeo school. Some of those visitors might even be persuaded to return in September for the school’s grand opening and Ridgway’s Labor Day rodeo.
But first he needed to concentrate on helping Colton with his riding lesson.
Boots firmly in the dirt, he watched as Colton made a practice run around the arena. He was surprised by how quickly the boy was catching on. The fact that he had a positive attitude was a big help. It seemed that whenever Colton showed up, whether to work or learn, he was ready to give it his all. A far cry from the cantankerous, smart-mouthed kid Noah had met last week. Sure, there’d been a few complaints, but overall, the kid was as eager to help as he was to learn. Like he’d found his calling. Or just someplace to direct his pent-up anger.
And Noah was more than happy to help.
He took hold of the quarter horse’s bridle as the kid approached. “Good job, Colton.”
“That was fun.” The boy leaned forward to stroke the animal’s mane.
Sonic nickered in response.
“You hear that? I think Sonic likes you.”
“He’s a good horse.”
“Yes, he is.” Not to mention experienced, which was why Noah had chosen him. “Now, when you’re roping and riding, you’re going to need your hands to control the rope.”
The kid cocked his head, his brow marked with confusion. “So how do you hold on to the reins?”
“You don’t.” Noah couldn’t help grinning. “Let me show you something.” He moved beside the horse. “Let go of the reins.”
Colton complied.
“Now pull your legs together so they’re pressing into Sonic’s sides.”
“Like this?”
Noah knew the boy was doing it correctly when Sonic dropped his head and began to back up.
Her Colorado Cowboy Page 3
