by Lexi Post
That’s what he was afraid would happen. “Do you think it’s the loss of his grandfather or just the way he is?”
“I have no idea. I was there the day after the old man passed and Wyatt was a mess. I barely spent fifteen minutes with him. I guess we’ll find out.”
Except it wouldn’t be Cole and himself who would have to deal with the man, which brought him to his real reason for catching Cole. “Or rather, Riley will find out.”
This time Cole let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, that. If Wyatt’s like you say, that’s going to rub Riley all the wrong way. Damn.”
“What’s her story?” He tried to make it a nonchalant comment, but from the odd look Cole gave him, he didn’t quite pull it off.
“I don’t know much about her. She was the stable manager for one of the land developers in Phoenix. He was losing money hand over fist, selling off his horses to make up for it. Then his planned community didn’t get approved by the city and he went berserk, taking it out on a new colt. She called animal welfare on him.”
“She called out her boss? That’s biting the hand that feeds you.”
“I don’t think she cares who feeds her as long as the horses are treated right, which made her perfect for Last Chance. I had a lot of help there for a while. Logan and Trace had both moved into my grandparents’ place, but they’ve since moved out again. Then Dillon stayed for a while.”
“Your little brother?” Last he’d seen of Dillon, he was dancing to the tune of his mother’s fiddle.
Cole nodded. “Yeah, he’d finally had it with my mother, but he missed breeding his horses, so as soon as he had something to hold over her head, he went home. Now Riley is the only dependable ranch hand I have. You wouldn’t want more work, would you?”
Work with Riley O’Hare? He had to wonder how that would go over. “Do you think Riley would be open to another hand? She seems…” He wasn’t sure how to word it without making her sound cantankerous.
“Short? Demanding? Impatient? Straight as an arrow?”
He chuckled. Cole obviously new Riley well enough. “All of the above.”
“She doesn’t make it a secret that she needs help, so she can’t exactly be picky. Besides, you know horses, so you two would get along well. Why? Did she piss you off?”
“No, just got irritated a couple times. She has a way about her.”
Cole took another swallow of beer. “You mean when she gives orders. That’s her military background. She’s a veteran.”
That had never occurred to him, but now that he had that piece of information, a lot of the other pieces of her personality fell into place. “Did she see action?”
“Yeah, but she hasn’t spoken about it. You know how it is. You can’t make someone talk about stuff like that if they don’t want to, right?” Cole’s gaze held more understanding than he was comfortable with.
He lifted his beer. “Right.”
Cole clinked his glass in agreement. “She wasn’t with the land developer very long. I think she moves around a lot.”
“When I asked her how long she’d worked at Last Chance, she said for her it was a long time.”
Cole gave another heartfelt sigh. “If she leaves, I’m screwed. Trace and Logan still help out, but with three more horses and who knows how many more we’ll be receiving this year, I can’t afford to lose her. I pulled Trace from picking up horses to taking the calls on cases. Logan has his daughter with him four days a week, so I need him for the bigger projects on the three other days. It would certainly help me sleep better at night if you’d think about taking on more.”
He wouldn’t admit it, but knowing Riley was there made him hesitate. With both of them being used to command, it might not work. “I’m still settling in. Let me think about it.”
“That’s all I can ask.”
“Hey, Cole! You ready to get your ass kicked?” Mason’s voice had everyone in the bar turning toward him.
Cole held his arm up then stood. “Cutter, give me four more drafts.” He dropped cash on the bar.
“Not running a tab?” Garrett wouldn’t be surprised if Cole didn’t drink another beer all night. He wasn’t the type to drink and drive.
“Don’t need to. I plan to win any drinks I need off of Mason.” He leaned down as if anyone could hear him. “He’s still a pissant lightweight. Three beers and I’m home free.”
Garrett grinned. Some things never changed.
Cole clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Think about my offer?”
“I will.”
Cole scooped up two drafts in each large hand and headed for the back.
He was glad Cole hadn’t invited him to play. He wasn’t up for the camaraderie just yet. Being around others meant having to answer questions, especially with men he knew. He planned to ease back into life in Canterbury and Wickenburg one day at a time.
One person at a time.
Riley closed the gate on the newly repaired south corral. Phoenix was running circles around his mom, his little head going up and down. So far, he seemed to only have external scars from the whipping he’d taken from her last employer.
Lucky watched from where he stood next to Macey. The two colts were starting to enjoy each other’s company, but Lucky was always hesitant to make the first move of the day. In another half hour, Macey and Nizhoni would be standing in the shade with Tiny Dancer, and the two young ones would be playing despite the heat. Black Jack liked to think of himself as the leader of their little band and usually stayed with the mares. She understood his need to be with others. She may not be a social animal herself, but being alone was dangerous.
In the north corral, Lady stood watching. She’d done fine with Cyclone on their walk a couple days ago, but Riley wasn’t going to risk her with the other mares and young ones quite yet. She’d have Garrett put Lady’s companions in with her when they arrived. As far as she was concerned, Cyclone needed a day to chill, but she hadn’t ridden Domino in a couple days.
She pushed away from the fence and started for her horse. Domino was a sweetheart. Unlike her owner, she got along with everyone. That’s probably the only reason the two of them worked so well together.
“Hey, girl. You up for a ride today?”
The black and white paint set its head over the stall door.
“I thought so. Let me get your gear.” Striding over to the tack room, she pulled down Domino’s bridle and saddle. Dumping them in the middle of the barn, she had to admit, the price she’d paid for her horse was far less than she was worth, despite the scumbag’s attempt to squeeze out every penny. Domino was priceless.
Heat prickled across her skin at the thought. Having something she valued wasn’t smart, but even the thought of moving on without Domino had her hands fisting.
She shook off her uncomfortable feelings and opened the stall door. Clicking her tongue, she waited as Domino walked out to stop at the pile on the floor. “Have I told you what a bright spot in my day you are?”
The horse’s ears shifted to listen to her.
She set about prepping Domino for the saddle. She’d never had a horse stand so still while being saddled before. Everything about Domino made her easy to love. “I wish I knew who your trainer was. Too bad your good behavior couldn’t wear off on a couple of the horses around here.” She sent Cyclone a dirty look, but he wasn’t paying attention to her. He was staring at the open barn doors.
At the sound of a truck, she finished cinching the saddle then grabbed up the bridle. “Come on, Domino. Let’s see who’s here.” She patted the horse on her neck and the two of them walked out into the hot Arizona sun together.
She’d expected to see Garrett with the horse trailer, but instead it was Cole and Lacey on their way off the ranch. He put the truck into park and hopped out, leaving the driver side door open.
“Where you headed? I thought you were working on the deck today.” She waved back the way he’d come.
His jaw tightened. “Apparently, I forgot I’d told my
mother we would see her for my parents’ anniversary celebration. It’s their thirty sixth.”
Oh, that wasn’t good. Who celebrated their thirty-sixth? She looked past him and waved to Lacey. The woman shook her head, obviously not happy. That Lacey and Cole’s mom didn’t get along was a well-known fact.
If she were to choose a side, it would be Lacey’s after what Cole’s mother had pulled, but she no longer had to worry about family dynamics. “You just going down for the day or overnight?”
Cole ground his teeth before answering. “It’s supposed to be all weekend.”
At his tone, it sounded as if he’d try to find a way to leave a lot earlier. She didn’t blame him. Again, not her problem. “Okay.”
He moved his gaze to her horse. “I don’t like leaving you here alone, especially with more horses coming and…”
When he didn’t finish, she grew impatient. “And?”
“It may be a bit uncomfortable having Wyatt here, but do me a favor and cut him some slack. He just lost his grandfather, who he was very close to, as in practically raised him.”
Ah, so Cole was afraid she’d bite the kid’s head off the second he tried to tell her what to do. He was right. “Tell you what. The first time the boy pisses me off, I’ll call you. Then you can honestly tell your mom you have an emergency at the ranch.”
Instead of being relieved, he appeared startled. “He’s not a boy. He’s nearing thirty.”
Really? And he was that attached to his grandfather’s horses? She hated to tell Cole, but it could get ugly fast. “I’ll still call you.”
He didn’t look reassured, but then again, she wasn’t going to make it easy on him. The sooner he realized he needed to delegate, the sooner life at the ranch would run smoothly.
Finally, he sighed. “I would appreciate that. I know you know what you’re doing. I wouldn’t have hired you on if I didn’t. Do the best you can with him. That’s all I can ask.”
“Look at it this way. If he has the horses’ best interests at heart, we’ll get along just fine.” She chuckled at the doubt in Cole’s green eyes and slapped him on the arm. “Go do your duty. It’s the right thing to do. I’m sure I’ll manage just fine. It’s not like I haven’t before.”
“I know. I’m working on getting more help.”
The horn blared from the truck. “Come on, Cole. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get back!” The sweet smile Lacey threw her husband was full of shit.
He glanced over his shoulder at his wife before facing her again.
“Go.” She nodded toward the truck. “I can handle this.”
“Right. Thanks. Remind me to give you a raise.”
She raised her brow. “I will.”
With a quick nod, he strode back to Lacey. As he drove the truck down the long dirt drive, she shook her head. Only Cole would drive slow enough to avoid kicking up dust. Then again, with the destination he was headed for, she wasn’t all that surprised he dragged his heels.
Turning back to Domino, she gave the horse a hug. “Thank you for being so dependable, sweet thing.”
Her horse leaned her head against her, perfectly happy with her, flaws and all. Hell, compared to herself, Domino was damn perfect. “Okay, enough of the gushy stuff, let’s ride.” Fitting the bridle on Domino, she gave her one more pat then mounted.
Once more she scanned the area before kicking her mount into a gallop down the dirt drive to Cole and Lacey’s house. She reined her in as they reached the path Whisper had worn across the desert with her regular trips on Spirit from her trailer to the main house. Tempted to follow it and give Domino some good exercise, she glanced back over her shoulder.
A dust cloud from an approaching truck, told her that would have to wait. Turning Domino around, she gave her her head, the horse slowing automatically as she approached the parking area in front of the main house again.
“What the hell?” Recognizing Whisper’s blue truck, she dismounted.
Trace drove, Uncle Joey in the middle of the front bench seat and Whisper on the passenger side. The truck came to a stop and Whisper jumped out. “Hey, I need you to look after this for me.”
Riley strode forward as Whisper headed for the back of the pick-up. “I thought you were on your way to Vegas?”
Whisper opened the tail gate. “We are, but this guy was on the side of the highway.” A small dog licked Whisper’s face. “Don’t worry, Riley’s gonna take care of you until I get back. I know it’s hard to believe, but you’ll be safe with me.”
Riley stared at the four-legged animal. “What are you talking about?”
Whisper stepped back from the truck. “Come on. Time to get down.”
The dog paced across the tailgate and whined.
“Come here.”
The dog sat on its haunches, refusing to leave the truck.
“Riley, come here.”
“Oh, I thought you were talking to the dog.” The woman’s tone of voice certainly made it sound that way.
Whisper rolled her eyes as if that was the stupidest assumption. “He won’t come down because he thinks I’m abandoning him. That’s what his last owners did.”
She knew that feeling, so she walked over. “Now what?”
“Now, go over to him. Let him sniff your hand.”
She’d been around dogs. They slobbered all over a person. “I’ll only do this for you.” She gave Whisper a serious look. Walking up to the tailgate, she let the dog sniff her hand. Its tail started to wag just as it licked her. “Ugh.” She pulled her hand back.
“Give me a break. You get more germs feeding your horse. Think of him like a little horse.”
Little was the operative word in that statement. The dog couldn’t be more than twelve pounds. He, if it was a he, was mostly white with some brown spots scattered over his body. Not really spots so much as blobs of light brown to match the desert.
“I need you to take care of him until we get back.”
“Me?” She snapped her head around to give Whisper a scowl. “Why me?”
Whisper gestured down the road toward Cole’s home. “Because he’s too busy and she’s not an animal person. You are.”
Crap. Everyone was gone. Even Dr. Jenna. “Can’t you bring him to Dr. Jenna’s office. Doesn’t she do boarding?”
Whisper took the two steps that brought them nose to nose. “Did you not hear what I just said?” She pointed to the dog. “He was abandoned. You want me to stick him in a room full of other dogs who have been abandoned for the weekend?”
Riley had never backed down from a fight, not even when the dude was twice as big as her, but staring into Whisper’s steel gray eyes, her instinct told her she needed to treat the woman like a commanding officer. “I see your point.”
“Good.” Whisper turned to the dog and laid a hand on its neck. “I’ll be back in a few days and then we’ll go home.”
The dog looked at her as if it understood.
“You’re going to stay with Riley here until I get back.” Without warning, she scooped the dog off the tailgate and set him on the ground. Immediately, his nose caught a scent and he followed it to a pile of dog poop left behind by Butterball, Dr. Jenna’s English bulldog.
Riley grimaced before turning her attention back to Whisper. “What’s his name?”
Whisper slammed the tailgate closed. “I don’t know yet. That will take more time than I have right now. He looks like a Jack Russel Terrier, but I doubt he’s pure, which is a good thing.” She brushed her hands together and headed for the passenger door. “We have to get going if we’re going to make the first night’s show. Uncle Joey has his heart set on it.”
Great. On top of caring for all the horses and dealing with Wyatt, now she had a mutt to babysit. If Cole didn’t get his act together soon, she was outta there.
“Hey, watch him.” Whisper stood on the running board of the truck and pointed to the dog who just wandered into the barn. “Don’t let him out of your sight. He’s domestic. Dou
bt he had more than a fenced in yard before. This open space is bound to be overwhelming.”
Overwhelming? For a dog? She nodded as if she understood just to get them out of her hair. Then she strode for the barn. The dog better not disturb the horses or it was going into its own stall and staying there all weekend.
He was abandoned. Or maybe she’d just keep him in there while she was in the barn. Only if he didn’t behave.
Trace honked the horn behind her, and she stopped to wave them on. Satisfied they were on their way, she stepped around the corner into the shade of the barn. A scuffle inside had her scanning the area, but there was no dog.
“Well, shit. Where are you Dog?”
She headed for the open stall at the back when Dog came out, a rat in its mouth. She stopped. “I guess your good for something.”
Dog trotted over and sat directly in front of her. His right paw lifted, and he pawed her jeans.
“Yes, I see you got a rat. That’s good.” His big brown eyes were wide as he looked at her, one eyebrow lifting slightly higher than the other. “What? I said that was good.” For Pete’s sake. “Good boy.”
Dog wagged his tail, apparently happy with that before standing and trotting outside.
“I hope you’re going to bury it, too.” She followed Dog and kept an eye on him as she walked to Domino. So much for a good long run. She patted the horse on her back. “I wonder if the little guy could keep up.”
Dog stopped beneath the large mesquite tree on the other side of the dirt road that led to Cole’s and dropped the rat. Annette wouldn’t be excited to find the dead animal so close to her front porch.
Riley started for the tree, but halted as the dog began to dig. This looked promising. Turning back to Domino, she grasped the reins and walked her toward the shady side of the house, all the while watching Dog. She didn’t want to lose him. As much as she admired Whisper, she was also cautious. The woman was unpredictable, often carrying a Glock, she called Sal, in the waistband of her jeans. Anyone who named their gun had a special relationship with it.
When Dog finished his hole, instead of dropping the rat in it as she’d hoped, he lay down in the dark earth.
