Rancher's Son

by Leigh Duncan

  “You having fun?” Ty asked, concerned. The little boy in his arms was as thin as a bird and his bones felt just as fragile.

  Jimmy tipped an awe-filled face up to his. “Mr. Ty,” he said, his eyes wide. “This is the best day ever.”

  Ty blinked. It killed him that the kid—Millie’s son—had reached the advanced age of five without ever sitting in a saddle. Riding a horse was just a part of life on the Circle P. He wanted more for the boy than a couple of loops around the yard. He wanted to make the occasion truly special. They’d gone around twice more when he bent low over the boy.

  “Now, pardner, you handled that so well, I think you’re ready for the next step. See here, this here’s how you hold the reins.” Ty demonstrated, showing the boy the same way his father had taught him. “You think you can do that?”

  “Yeah,” Jimmy breathed. He reached for them.

  “Use your other hand,” Ty corrected. He showed the boy how to leave his stronger arm free for important work.

  They tried again, and this time, Jimmy did just fine.

  “Like this, Mr. Ty?” Jimmy held out his hands.

  “Perfect.” Ty had been so young he didn’t remember the first time his dad let him hold the reins, but Jimmy seemed to be a bright young boy. If someone took the time to teach him, he’d catch on quickly. “Okay now, tug a little bit to the left.”

  While Ranger stood still, Jimmy pulled to the right.

  Ty scowled. “The other way, boy. Don’t you know your right from your left?”

  “No. What is it?”

  Wondering when kids learned such things led to questions Ty didn’t want to ask. Questions like how many hours a day Jimmy spent in front of the television and had Millie devoted any time at all to teaching the boy things a child needed to know. He touched the kid’s shoulder. “This is your left side.” Gently, he pressed the boy’s other arm. “And this is your right. Now, try tugging to the left.”

  Ty pressed his knee to Ranger’s side just as Jimmy gave the leather straps a tentative pull. A horse as well-trained as Ranger responded to both leg and rein commands, and the big head swung to the side.

  “See, that’s how you tell him which way to go. You pull on the reins. Now, let’s go to the right.”

  Jimmy gave another pull while Ty signaled the horse again. The boy giggled.

  “Okay, now we’re gonna take another walk around the yard, but this time you tell Ranger which way you want him to go.” Ty lightly placed his hands on his thighs, ready to catch the kid if he started to tumble. He needn’t have bothered. With Ranger responding to his knee commands, they took another loop around the yard.

  “Can I ride him by myself, Mr. Ty?”

  “We might want to start you off with something a little closer to the ground. Ranger’s a big horse for a big rider. Someone my size. You grow a bit more and we’ll see what we can do.” He forced himself to ignore the voice in the back of his head that reminded him Jimmy wouldn’t be on the Circle P by the time the kid grew tall enough to handle a full-grown horse.

  Ty let Jimmy ride until color faded from the western sky. Though they’d stayed within the perimeter of the camp, beyond it animals had begun to stir. Squeaks filled the air as clouds of bats rose from the palm trees to fly in search of mosquitoes. From somewhere closer to Big Lake came the throaty cry of a large cat. Ty didn’t know about anyone else, but he thought one encounter with the local wildlife was enough for one day. He took the reins from the boy and signaled Ranger to a stop.

  “We can do this again tomorrow if you want to,” he suggested. At Jimmy’s enthusiastic nod, he left the child in the saddle and dismounted. Before the kid got any ideas about taking an unauthorized solo ride, Ty lifted him and placed him safely on the ground. Expecting Sarah to rush over, gushing about how good Jimmy had looked on Ranger and asking a million questions, Ty scanned the surrounding area.

  The social worker wasn’t standing by the fence rail waiting for them. In fact, she was too busy talking with Matt Henson and John Padgett to even notice they’d finished their ride. Something twisted low in Ty’s gut and his mouth pulled to one side.

  “C’mon, kiddo,” he said, clasping a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. “Let’s go see what Ms. Sarah’s up to. And then, I think I’ll rustle up another slice of that apple pie.”

  * * *

  “SO, IF I’M HEARING YOU RIGHT, I should plan on two years before I see a dime of profit, and probably five until I earn enough to pay myself a decent salary.”

  To a man, the group standing in the circle nodded.

  “That’s about right,” offered Matt. He scratched absentmindedly at a two-day growth of beard. “Over half of new businesses fail, mostly because the owners don’t have a financial cushion to see them through those first crucial years.”

  “And a plant nursery?” Skepticism filled Elliott’s eyes. “Things beyond your control could put you out of business before you even get off the ground. If you were bringing a new invention to market, you’d face a host of problems. But with tropical flowers, you’ll have all those and more. Insects, drought, a cold snap…”

  Elliott’s words were so chilling Sarah shivered and buried her hands in the pockets of her sweatshirt. She hadn’t intended to seek advice from the investment brokers. What had started out as a way to avoid watching Ty give Jimmy his first riding lesson had turned into a crash course in business finance. The guys had proven distracting, all right.

  Just not like she’d hoped.

  From the way Matt and his friends put it, her plan to turn her passion for gardening into a business that would produce enough income to let her quit her job at DCF simply wouldn’t fly. She wouldn’t be able to support herself, much less take in one or two foster kids.

  Oh, she had savings. Enough to see her through if she walked away from her day job. But not enough for start-up costs and living expenses. At least, not five years’ worth.

  John Padgett broke in. “There is an alternative. You could invest. The market is turning around. I’m working with several companies that practically have a guaranteed—

  “Uh-hum.” Matt cleared his throat. “Save it for the office, John. We’re not here to drum up new business.”

  Before Sarah could say she didn’t mind, something slammed into the back of her legs. Her knees buckling, she stumbled forward a step. Several sets of hands reached to steady her. The others could have saved themselves the trouble. One strong arm wrapped around her waist and kept her upright.

  “Watch out, boy. You almost knocked Ms. Sarah off her feet.”

  “Sorry, Ms. Sarah.”

  “Jimmy,” she said, quickly stepping out of Ty’s embrace. “It’s okay.”

  “Did you see me, Ms. Sarah? Me and Ranger are pals. I steered him all by myself.”

  All too aware of the brooding male presence behind the little boy, Sarah fixed her focus on Jimmy’s upturned face. “Ranger and I are pals.”

  Jimmy’s cheeks scrunched. “Oh. Did you ride Ranger, too?”

  “No, I meant… Well, yes, I…” Her thoughts created a log jam that her mouth couldn’t get past.

  Oblivious, Jimmy rushed on. “He’s high off the ground, isn’t he? I was afraid I’d fall, but Mr. Ty, he held me tight.”

  And, there it was again. At the little boy’s words, the afternoon came rushing back. Miles and miles of beautiful scenery, hours on horseback, the phone call that nearly turned disastrous, the snake—she saw it all. Yet everything paled in compar
ison to the strength of Ty’s arms around her, the press of his chest against her back, the outdoorsy scent he wore like a cologne.

  Yep, there she was, right back in the one place she’d been trying to forget.

  Sarah ignored the shiver that passed through her in order to focus on Jimmy. “I’m sure you did a terrific job. Did you thank Mr. Ty?” She took a breath and held it, hoping she could look the big rancher in the eye without doing something mortifyingly stupid—like throwing herself into his arms. She found his feet first, and let her gaze slowly climb the muscular body of the man who’d saved her life but destroyed her equilibrium. Finally reaching his face, she tightened her gaze at the strained expression that darkened his brown eyes. “Everything okay?”

  “Sure.” Ty gave an oddly endearing shrug. “Just wondering what was going on is all.”

  “The guys were giving me a little financial advice.” She gestured to the group. “I appreciate it.” Sarah raised her chin. “You’ve kept me from making what could have been a terrible mistake. It’s clear that I need to give the whole nursery idea a lot more thought before I jump into it.”

  She turned to Jimmy. “I think it’s about time you had a bath, mister.” She pretended to sniff the air above the boy’s head. “You smell like a horse.”

  “Me and Mr. Ty was gonna find us another slice of that apple pie.” Jimmy frowned.

  “Mr. Ty and I,” Sarah corrected. “You already had two slices of the world’s best pie with supper. Any more, and you’ll get a stomach ache.”

  A yawn punctuated Jimmy’s “But I’m not sleepy.”

  “Duly noted.” Sarah took the little boy’s hand in hers. “Now, let’s go get you bathed and ready for bed.”

  Ty’s fingers on her forearm stopped her as she passed him. “You’ll come out to the campfire later?”

  Though the question stirred the desire to do exactly that, Sarah shook her head. “It’s been a long day and I still have progress reports to write. My boss will expect to read them the minute I get back. Besides, I came on this cattle drive to help look after Jimmy.” She let the “not hang out with cowboys” go unsaid, but it didn’t matter. Ty’s hand dropped from her arm.

  Sarah turned away so Ty couldn’t see her wince. That last bit had been a little harsh considering he’d saved her life earlier. And just now, he’d given Jimmy the attention and encouragement the little boy deserved. But seeing the rancher in his element had shown her a side of Ty she hadn’t expected. It left her feeling vulnerable, uneasy. She didn’t trust herself to be around him and though walking away was the hardest thing to do, it was also the safest.

  * * *

  REFUSING TO STARE AFTER Sarah like some moonstruck calf, Ty resolutely turned his back while she and Jimmy made their exit. For the next few minutes, he listened to the financial planners give an account of their day. As Elliott boasted about rounding up the most cows and Matt tried to outdo his brother, Ty put in a word here or there, but after a few minutes he had to admit his heart wasn’t in the conversation. No matter how bold the claims or how wild the tales, nothing compared to the memory of holding Sarah. His arms folded across his chest, he fought to get the attractive redhead out of his thoughts and failed.

  There was never any shortage of mind-numbing work on the Circle P and, spotting Seth across the yard, he started for the cattle pens. He hoped the foreman’s report on the roundup would give him something more to think about than the way Sarah had curled against his chest.

  “By my count, we got fifty-five head in the pens,” Seth said.

  Ty removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “We’re ahead of schedule.”

  It seemed he’d underestimated the enthusiasm of his guest wranglers. When he’d planned out the cattle drive, he’d allowed three full days to cull fifty cows from the larger herd. This new crop of riders had accomplished the task in less than half the time.

  “Best send word to Doc Watson.” Ty had asked the vet to come to the bunkhouse near Big Lake and inspect the cattle before they left their temporary camp for Kissimmee. “If he can handle the examinations and vaccinations tomorrow, we’ll get on the trail a day earlier than we expected.”

  “Already sent one of the boys back to the main house with a message. Got any idea what we’re gonna do with these folks in the meantime?” Seth’s chin jutted toward the fire pit where Matt and his buddies were stacking kindling and logs. “They won’t want to sit around camp all day.”

  “The Garrisons’ll probably welcome the chance to head down to Big Lake. I’ve never seen anybody so crazy about birds, have you?” While Seth laughed, Ty paused for a moment. “Make sure to send one or two of the boys with them.”

  Seth’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, but when Ty didn’t volunteer any more information, the foreman didn’t ask. “I’ll send Randy,” he said, suggesting the senior wrangler. “And the rest of our guests? Any ideas for them?”

  Ty scanned the sky where stars twinkled against a cloudless backdrop. “What do you think? A good day to go fishing?” They always brought a few rods along, just in case.

  Seth nodded. “Weatherman says a cold front’s moving in by the day after next. Fish should be bitin’.”

  “Okay then.” A drop in temperature always made the fish hungrier. “You’ll let Doris know so we can have a fish fry tomorrow?”

  Seth smacked his lips. “Good eatin’, that. Care for a friendly wager on who catches the first one?”

  “You got somebody in mind?” The four businessmen seemed like the type who’d spend a week each summer fishing for marlin aboard a chartered boat. Bass and bluegill, catfish and tilapia probably wouldn’t hold their interest long. That left Sarah and Jimmy as their only choices in a game where the stakes were high.

  “My money’s on the kid,” said Seth.

  Ty hiked one brow. “Not many lakes in New York City. I doubt the boy’s ever held a fishing pole.”

  “I’m countin’ on beginner’s luck,” Seth said with a smile.

  That left Ty to back Sarah, and his thoughts wandered until he envisioned her in his arms again, this time as he showed her how to cast a fly rod. Deciding that the next day had definite possibilities, he shook hands with Seth to seal the bet.

  Whistling, Ty headed for the bunkhouse where he stocked the fishing gear in a closet under the stairs. Within the hour he’d spread an assortment of flies and lures across the kitchen table and was happily rigging rods for the morning. While he loaded a new line on the last of the poles, he couldn’t quite decide which he looked forward to the most—the chance to spend more time with Sarah or the grin Jimmy would have when the boy landed his first fish.

  * * *

  BUT AT BREAKFAST THE NEXT morning, Jimmy showed his sullen side.

  “I don’t want to stay with Ms. Doris.” He pushed food around his plate without taking a bite. “I rode Ranger yesterday. I did real good. Kelly gets to ride by herself. Why can’t I?”

  Ty was on the verge of telling the child to mind his manners when Sarah waved him off. “You’re too little to ride on a horse all by yourself. Mr. Ty can’t hold you on his lap all day.”

  “No fair.” Jimmy’s little arms crossed firmly across his narrow chest. Using his feet, he pushed away from the table.

  Ty took one look at the kid who was trying so hard to get his mad on, and swallowed a chuckle. He clamped one hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You’ve got to work on not looking so cute when you’re angry, pardner.” He let sympathy for
the child creep into his voice. “As it turns out, we’re going to let the horses take a rest today while we do a little fishing.”

  Jimmy’s posture stiffened and the little boy squinted up at him. “I don’t want to.”

  Ty had been around the kid long enough to recognize his words as shorthand for I’ve never done that before. He stared at the little guy. Something tickled in the back of his throat and he swallowed, hard.

  “Fishin’s easy.” Ty drew in a deep breath. “I’ll teach you everything you need to know. You eat some breakfast now, before we head to the lake.”

  Across the table, concern bloomed in Sarah’s eyes. “I thought you said we had to stay away from the water.” She turned to one side. Her hands hidden from Jimmy’s sight, she made a gesture as familiar to every UF alumni as the school’s orange and blue.

  Recognizing the Gator Chomp, Ty tried to put her fears at ease. “Normally, that’d be true, but we won’t actually get in the water. There’s a dock not far from here. It’ll be safe enough.”

  Aware that he couldn’t very well take Jimmy on a fishing expedition without Sarah’s buy-in, Ty searched her face. A slow breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding seeped across his lips when he saw the trust sparkling in her hazel eyes. He stared at the woman whose smile brightened the entire room. He shook his head, puzzled by an odd sensation that he was looking at his future. At her enthusiastic “Sounds like fun,” he tried the image on for size.

  The woman brought new meaning to the word bossy. She found him sadly lacking as father material. She worked at a demanding job a hundred miles away from the ranch that occupied all his time and effort.