Tripp jumped forward to close the gate and latch everything securely. “Thanks,” he said with a nod to the cowboy.
“Let me know how it goes,” the cowboy said. “I meant what I said. I really have the feeling you’ve got something special there.”
Something special. Hannah shivered. Exactly what she’d been praying for. A horse who needed her as much as she needed it.
“What are your plans?” Hannah turned to Tripp as she fastened her seat belt.
“Plans?” He adjusted his hat and put on his sunglasses.
“Training plans.”
Tripp shrugged. “Ask the horse. I just show up. The rest is up to her.”
“No. You can’t mean that. You’re a trainer. I imagine you’ve trained dozens of animals.”
“More than dozens and generally, they trained me,” he murmured with a lift of his brow.
“How can I help?”
“You can do all the administrative chores so I can train this horse. That’s the deal.”
“You put me down as co-trainer.”
“Hannah, that was honorary. The challenge was your idea and I’m giving credit where credit is due. You’re enabling me to train. Assistant trainer aside, I don’t want to see you in the same pen or stall with that horse, ever.”
“That’s not your business...” She clamped her mouth shut before she could finish and allow an opening for Tripp to give her one of his lectures.
“You’re pregnant. Don’t do anything that could compromise your or your baby’s health. That horse is wild and unpredictable, and you’re not taking risks on my watch.”
She offered a tortured sigh. Apparently, lecturing was on today’s menu anyhow.
“I’m not going to ride.” Hannah took a deep breath and crossed her arms. She had no intention of doing anything that would put this pregnancy at risk. At the same time, she wasn’t going to let anyone, including her enigmatic boss, tell her what to do.
“You heard me. My stable. My rules.”
“What exactly does that mean? You want me to sit at a desk all day?”
“It means you’re going to do what you signed on for. Keep the books, manage the schedule, order the supplies and answer the phone.”
If Hannah bit her tongue any harder she was pretty sure she’d draw blood. But she’d learned a long time ago that it was a waste of time to go through when you could go around. If there was a way around the stubborn cowboy, well, she was just the gal to find that road.
* * *
Tripp downed the last of his coffee and opened the door of the bunkhouse.
May had turned to June in the blink of an eye, bringing with it warm temperatures and sunshine. At nearly six, the sun had managed to paint the sky in gold and burnt umber as it stretched sleepy fingers toward daylight.
He stepped out to the gravel yard, enjoying the quiet. When he turned the corner, a lone figure stood silhouetted at Calamity Jane’s fence. Murmured words had the mare leaning closer.
Hannah.
She reached a hand through the fence to stroke the horse’s mane.
Unbelievable. They brought Jane home on Tuesday and here it was Wednesday. Less than twenty-four hours and already she had bonded with the mare. Somehow between yesterday and this morning, Jane had figured out that touch was a good thing. Tripp wasn’t certain who should be applauded: Hannah or the horse.
As Tripp got closer, Jane’s ears perked, and she whinnied as if warning Hannah of his approach. Two females in cahoots. Just perfect.
Hannah whirled around to face him, pushing her dark waves back. “Did you see that?”
He was dumbstruck at the sweet expression she gave him. A smile lit up her face all the way to her brown eyes, which fairly sparkled with happiness.
Tripp caught himself before he stumbled.
“Did you bring her a treat?” he asked.
Hannah laughed. “Excuse me. I do not bribe horses. Jane happens to appreciate me just the way I am.”
“Is that so?” Tripp moved closer, resting his arms on a rung of the high pen fence. Jane raced around the circle, kicking up dirt and sand, the tilt of her head proud. There wasn’t a more awesome sight to behold on all of Big Heart Ranch.
Overhead, a hawk circled in the clear powder blue sky, doing a lazy dip before he landed on the branches of a mighty elm tree.
“What are you going to do today?” Hannah asked, her voice eager and enthusiastic.
“I’ll let her run the pen, get her used to me. Just like yesterday. She’s committed to ignoring me. I’m committed to not letting her.”
Hannah smiled. “She’s watching you right now.”
“Yeah. That’s exactly what I want. She’s a little jealous of all the attention I’m not giving her at this moment.”
“Most trainers would force her to bend to their will.”
“That’s how either the horse or the trainer gets hurt. Though it’s not my place to be critical, there are many right and wrong ways to train a horse.” He paused. “I’ll stick with what works for me.”
“Can I help?”
Tripp kept his voice low, his eyes on Jane. “Are we going to have this same discussion every day?”
“There has to be something I can do.”
“There is. May not seem like much, but having you in the office frees me up so I can take my time out here with our friend.” He turned and met Hannah’s gaze. “You are vital to the success of this challenge.”
“Vital. That sounds very important.” Her tone said she was being sarcastic again.
“Yeah. You do your job, and I’ll do mine.”
“Tripp, look.” Hannah’s attention was focused on the pen behind him.
He turned back in time to see the horse mouthing the gate latch and nearly opening it wide. Tripp chuckled. “I wouldn’t have believed that if I hadn’t seen it.”
Pulling a bandana from his pocket, he tied the gate near the bottom. “This will do for now. I’ll have Dutch add an extra latch.”
“I wish Clementine could have seen that,” Hannah said.
“Where is she?”
“Rue is going to bring her to daycare this morning. The doctor is going to do eye exams in the childcare classrooms today.”
“You talked to Clementine about the horses, especially this one, right?”
“We had a chat, and she repeated the rules back to me.”
He nodded. “The local vet, Trent Blaylock, will be by at nine or so this morning to check on a few issues. If you could follow him around with Dutch, I’d appreciate it. I’d like to work with Jane without interruptions around that time.”
“Of course.”
“All you have to do is make note of his recommendations and leave your notes on my desk. Trent is easy to work with.”
“Will do.” She paused. “Lucy asked me to help with a church fund-raiser she’s working on.”
“Okay?”
“That means I have to go to a meeting Friday morning. It’s at the chow hall.”
“Fine by me.”
“Thank you. But, um, where is the chow hall again?”
“Here at the boys’ ranch, right next to the administration building. It’s the cafeteria.”
“Got it.”
Tripp left Hannah at the corral and headed to the stables. Flipping on the lights to his office, he sat down at his desk and blinked. He was a tidy man but things were tidier than usual. Hannah had left paperwork with sticky notes indicating his signature was needed. The May accounts had all been checked and verified and were ready to close out with checks sent.
A pang of guilt stabbed at him. He needed to call and tell Slats to back off. Except the cowboy was in Texas this week for a rodeo and probably not picking up his phone.
Still, he could leave a message.
Tripp look
ed around to be sure Hannah hadn’t slipped into the stables.
He hit auto dial and to his surprise, the cowboy picked up.
“Slats, this is Tripp Walker.”
“I was going to call you today.”
“Yeah, well, I want to cancel that request. You know the one.”
“There’s something you ought to know first.”
“Whatever it is, I don’t want to know.”
The woman worked for him; if there was something he needed to know, he’d find out himself. Hiring Slats had been a bad idea and for the first time in years, Tripp knew that he was dipping into dangerous territory. You hang around in low places, you become a low place.
He looked up when Hannah quietly stepped into the room and moved to her desk.
“Bill me and I’ll drop a check in the mail.”
Tripp didn’t give Slats a chance to respond. He hit the end button, stood and tucked his phone in the back pocket of his jeans.
“I’ll be with Jane if anything comes up.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir isn’t necessary.”
Hannah didn’t look up from the spreadsheet on the computer screen. “My grandmother had her issues, but she taught me proper respect for my elders.”
First Dutch and now Hannah. “I’m not that old,” Tripp grumbled under his breath as he headed to Jane’s pen. The sorrel mare followed Tripp around for two hours, stopping when he stopped and changing direction at his pleasure.
He put a light blanket on her back and she barely reacted. If he didn’t know this horse was from the Bureau of Land Management he’d have never believed the fact. The horse was a lover, longing for affection and giving back the same.
“Whoa,” he said with a pat to the mare’s bare backside. “Good job, Jane.”
Tripp looked up in time to see Dutch walking back to the stables alongside Rowdy.
“How’s Rowdy doing?”
“Vet says he’s ready to ride.”
“Great, and how’s he behaving?”
“Settled down some. I think this fella’s going to fit right in.”
“Great. Until we’re sure of his temperament, keep him scheduled with the certified instructors only.”
“You sure that’s necessary?” Dutch asked.
“Something’s not right yet,” Tripp said. “Be careful with him. Jane here is less twitchy than Rowdy, and that’s not a good sign.”
“Will do, boss.”
“Dutch, don’t forget I need an extra latch for this gate.”
“On my list. I’ll be going to town this afternoon. Need anything else?”
“Check with Travis before you go.”
“I already did. Won’t be any flies on me today. Between you and Travis, I’m working from can to can’t.” Dutch paused then looked pointedly at Tripp before glancing around.
“Something on your mind?” Tripp asked.
Dutch stepped closer to the pen. “I’m not privy to all the information like you are, but I hear tell Hannah might be a Maxwell.”
“How’d you squirrel that information?”
“I pestered Rue until she finally let it slip.” Dutch shrugged. “I’d have to be half-dead and living under a rock not to figure something was up around this place. You getting an assistant and all was the kicker.”
Tripp faced the weathered cowboy. “Did you just insult me?”
“Nope, just stating the facts. You’re not exactly a social being, so you getting an assistant and signing up for the hundred-day challenge, well, it sure seemed the world must have been knocked off kilter a bit.”
When Tripp offered a death stare, the weathered wrangler raised his hands.
“I tells it like I sees it.”
“Lucy and Travis have been promising me an assistant for a long time. That’s no secret.” Tripp grabbed his lead rope from the fence and wrapped it up.
“And the challenge?” Dutch persisted.
“You don’t expect me to stay here at Big Heart for the rest of my life, do you?”
“Why not? That’s my plan. I figured it was yours, too.”
Tripp stared at him. Did everyone think he was a fixture here at Big Heart? A man without dreams of his own? He shook his head. Maybe he’d done that to himself, put his dreams on the back burner because it was safer that way.
“I’m not a hundred years old, Dutch,” he finally muttered. The words like you hung in the air between them.
The old cowboy frowned. “No need to be disparaging.”
“You asked.” Tripp checked Jane’s feed bucket.
“So that’s all you know about Hannah?” Dutch asked.
Tripp wordlessly stared him down. Dutch knew good and well that Tripp wouldn’t tell him anything, even if he did know something. The wrangler couldn’t keep a secret to save himself.
“That’s what I figured you’d say,” Dutch muttered.
“Everything go okay with the vet?” Tripp asked.
“Hannah and Trent are still in your office, jabbering.”
“Jabbering?”
“Yeah. Don’t know about what, but it looks serious. Those two are getting along like long-lost friends.”
Tripp stepped into the stables. Sure enough, through the glass windows of his office he could see that Hannah seemed to be lecturing the vet. Trent nodded thoughtfully as though he hung on her every word.
Suddenly Trent smiled and offered Hannah a quick hug.
A strange emotion wrapped itself around Tripp. If he had any interest in Hannah, he might have suspected it was jealousy. Except that was a crazy notion. The last thing he needed in his life was a woman. If he did, it sure wouldn’t be Hannah Vincent.
Not only was she trouble, but she was an opinionated, bossy woman. A single mother with more baggage than he had time to deal with and more on the way.
The vet met his gaze as he exited the offices. “Hey, Tripp. I don’t know where you got Hannah, but she’s a keeper.”
Tripp nodded. A keeper? Confused, he turned.
When Hannah’s gaze connected with his, her lips curved into a smile. A pink blush warmed her cheeks, and for the second time that morning he was hit with a jolt in his midsection. He quickly looked away.
“Looked like you and Trent hit it off,” Tripp said as he sat down and fiddled with the papers on his desk.
“We did. He’s a nice guy. Turns out we know a few of the same people. In Colorado, no less.” A musing smile lit up her face.
“Trent’s father is an Oklahoma senator,” Tripp said, trying to connect the dots between Hannah and the blue blood family.
“I know,” she said.
Dutch stuck his head in the door. “I’m headed into town now.”
“Oh, Dutch, may I go with you? I got an email the supplies I ordered are in.”
“Surely. I’ll meet you at the ranch truck.”
She turned and looked at Tripp. “I’ll have the vet visit notes typed up and on your desk as soon as I get back.”
“This afternoon is fine.” Tripp glanced at the clock. “What about your lunch break?”
“Oh, I’ll have a yogurt when I get back.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be eating for two?”
She frowned. “You’re an obstetrician in your spare time?”
“Have you been to one lately?”
“It’s on my list.” She cocked her head and gave him a slow assessment. “Burr under your saddle?”
“Not that I know of.”
She opened the bottom drawer of her desk and reached for her purse. “Maybe you’re right about lunch. Today’s the meat loaf special at the diner. I’ll take Dutch with me.”
“Great,” Tripp muttered as she left. He’d been so rushed he hadn’t even packed a lunch today, and he was pretty sure he’d memorize
d the contents of the mini-fridge. Opening the door, he stared. An apple and a jar of crunchy peanut butter stared back at him.
If he had more sense, he would have offered to take Dutch and Hannah out to eat himself. He reached for the apple. No one ever accused Tripp Walker of having too much sense.
Chapter Five
Hannah slid into a chair at the table in the chow hall on Friday morning. The combination cafeteria and gathering room for special events had enough long laminated picnic-like tables and chairs for the entire ranch. The walls were covered with framed, enlarged photographs of ranch events. Hannah spotted Tripp in more than one picture, always with the horses and the ranch children. Her heart did a little leap at the rare smile that had been captured in one particular photo. The man related to four-legged animals and kids. Adults, not so much. Why was that?
She glanced at the big schoolhouse clock and paced back and forth, becoming more and more nervous.
“Hannah! You’re early.”
Hannah turned at the oldest Maxwell’s voice. Lucy’s administrative assistant, Iris, trailed behind, talking on her cell phone while writing on a clipboard. Both wore red T-shirts bearing the Big Heart Ranch logo. “So glad you’re here,” Lucy continued.
“I’m happy to help, though I don’t know what I can do.” And I have no clue why you would want me to help.
“We need some fresh ideas and you’re part of the brainstorming process,” Lucy said, clearly reading her mind. She put a folder on a table and sat down. Iris placed a legal pad next to Lucy and slipped into a chair.
“Sorry I’m late,” Emma Maxwell Norman called as she pushed through the glass doors. “Meeting with the twins’ teacher. They’ve been fighting over a boy in class.”
Lucy chuckled. “And so it begins.”
“Not funny, Luce. They’re three—that’s too young for relationship issues. Zach is going to have to deal with this tonight.” Emma frowned and sat down next to Hannah. “Hey, Hannah. How’s Clementine liking the childcare program?”
“I think it’s safe to say she loves it. She gets up early every morning to get ready. The program challenges her and she talks nonstop about all her new friends.”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” Emma said. “The reports I’ve heard have been glowing. Clementine is very bright.” She leaned closer. “Probably gifted, and she loves the interaction. The teachers adore her.”
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