by Kate Pearce
“Three would be good, please. I know Big Mac is semi-retiring, but what about Dave?”
“He still comes out occasionally.”
Blue got himself some coffee and sat back down at the scarred kitchen table. “How’s Jenna doing?”
Ruth turned to look at him. “In herself or with the workload?”
Blue narrowed his eyes. “With the work. From what I remember, she’s a slip of a thing.”
“She’s taller than me, and I’ve never met a cow or a horse I couldn’t master,” Ruth retorted. “Why don’t you come out and say that you don’t think she’s up to the job?”
“I didn’t say that. I was just asking how she was coping. She’s only just qualified, right?”
Ruth put a plate with six pieces of bacon, three eggs, and four pieces of toast on the side in front of him.
“She was working for a couple of years at some horse racing stables near Sacramento.”
Blue dug into the plate of food. “So what made her come out here?”
“When Ron had his knee replacement surgery she came to help Dave, and she fit right in. I like her. She’s good with the animals and she listens to her elders and betters.” Ruth pointed the spatula at him. “Some people could learn a lot from her.”
“I’ve been listening to officers for years, and I can’t say it did much for me.” Blue chugged down some coffee and then attacked his second egg. “But I promise I’ll be nice to her, okay?”
“You’d better be. She’s going to be helping you choose the horses for the guests.”
Blue hastily swallowed his mouthful of food. “She is?”
“Can’t think of anyone better.” Ruth turned back to the stove. “You want more eggs?”
Blue eyed his plate. “Nah, I think I’m done. Thanks, Ruth. Where’s January this morning?”
“She’s around here somewhere. She was talking to Roy about where we’re going to put all these guests who’ll be turning up in a year or so.”
“Where are you thinking?”
“There are the old bunkhouses, for a start.”
“Hardly luxury accommodation.”
“That’s what January said, but they would work if we did school trips and for volunteers. She’s thinking about detached log cabins or something fancier for the real paying guests.”
“Sounds expensive.”
“Chase can afford it.” Ruth wiped out the cast iron pan and left it sitting on the back of the stove to cool down.
“So you’re happy to take his money now?”
Ruth winked at him. “Sure, it’s for a good cause—Morgan Ranch.” She looked past Blue to the door. “Morning, Billy.”
Blue tensed and stayed where he was as his father made his quiet way into the kitchen. After twenty years away, Billy’s sudden reappearance at the ranch still set Blue’s teeth on edge. Walking out on four young sons after confessing to murdering your wife and baby made one hell of a mess of your kid’s head. Sure, the murder was unproven and there was renewed hope that his mother and sister were actually alive, but still . . .
“Morning, BB.”
Blue briefly met his dad’s eyes as Billy sat opposite him and then rose to his feet.
“I’ve got to get on.” He picked up his plate and mug. “I’m still catching up on Chase’s chores.”
“I could do those for you, son,” Billy offered.
“It’s okay.” Blue rinsed his plate under the faucet and put it in the dishwasher. “I’ve got it covered.”
“You be careful now,” Ruth warned. “That nice doctor said your ribs still weren’t healed.”
Billy half rose from his seat. “Are you sure—?”
“I’m good.” Blue kissed Ruth’s cheek and headed for the door. “I’ll be down in the barn if anyone wants me.”
Apart from my father, who I’d rather not see at all.
He put his boots on in the mudroom and walked across the wide circle and down to the barn on the opposite side. With his newly approved budget from Chase he’d already started adding new horses to the old twelve-stall barn, which was now filling up nicely. January said they’d probably need to build another smaller, family barn at some point, but until things got off the ground the original would have to do.
His ancestor, William Morgan, the original landowner, had built the barn in the 1850s. Blue loved it in there. The slightly lopsided hand-sawed beams, the birds nesting in every tiny crevice swooping down to grab corn or nest-building material from the unsuspecting horses below. The chicken coop was at one end and the manure heap on the continuing slope that made things a lot easier to dispose of.
On the far side of the barn, January, his brother’s fiancée, was standing with Roy, the ranch foreman. She had a clipboard in one hand and was gesticulating wildly with the other. Blue fought a grin. It had taken him very little time to decide he liked January and that she was perfect for his nerdy older brother. She was as straight as they came and had no compunction in telling him and Chase where they were going wrong. She was also as passionate about the ranch as he was.
“Hey,” she called out to him and beckoned him over. The humongous engagement ring Chase had given her caught the sun and almost blinded him.
He pretended to stagger and shielded his eyes. “Damn, that diamond’s big.”
“It’s obscene,” January said proudly. “I told Chase to take it back.”
“And?”
“He said it was ethically sourced and that if I gave it back I’d be depriving a village in Africa of a new school.”
“That’s remarkably specific.”
“That’s Chase for you.” January shrugged. “You know what he’s like. He probably flew out there, mined the diamond, and built the school himself.” She said it with such goofy fondness that he had to grin back at her.
“Yeah, knowing my bro, he probably did.” Blue gestured at the clipboard. “What are you planning now?”
“Where to put the guest cabins.” She pointed down the slope. “We’ve got to keep them away from the pigs and the manure heap, but close enough to the barn and house for the guests to easily get up here to eat and ride. I was thinking the natural slope down toward the creek would work well.”
Behind him he heard the sound of an approaching truck and instinctively turned toward the noise, seeking the nearest shelter. Old habits died hard. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to walk down a street without expecting the worst.
“How many cabins are you planning to build?” He forced himself to act like a normal person having a normal conversation while still hating having his back turned to the approaching visitor.
“Half a dozen at first. Two bedrooms and a shared bath in between them.”
“Sounds good.” Blue fought not to turn his head as a prickle of awareness crept up his spine. “So basic, but not too basic.”
“Exactly.” January looked up from her clipboard. “Hey.”
“Hey, January.”
Roy touched the brim of his cowboy hat. “Morning, Miss Jenna. Have you come to see the pigs?”
Blue turned then and looked down at the diminutive new vet he’d last seen at the spring branding. She wore a blue hoodie, jeans, and big work boots. Her reddish brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, making her look about twelve, although local rumor had it she was in her mid twenties.
“Hey.”
She briefly met his gaze. “Hi.” And then she looked over at Roy. “I’d be happy to see the pigs if they need me. I actually came out to talk about the horses. Do you have time to do that?”
Roy pointed at Blue. “Talk to this guy. He’s going to be dealing with most of new horse stuff. I’m going to concentrate on the ranch hands and all the ‘magic’”—Roy made bunny ears with his index fingers—“that happens in the background to keep everything rolling along.”
Blue nodded at Jenna. “I’ve got plenty of time to talk.”
She looked him up and down as though he was a less-than-satisfactory specimen. It didn
’t faze him. He’d been stared at by the best the Marines had to offer, and he’d never backed down from a challenge.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jenna asked. “Ruth said you had a concussion.”
“I did. I’m fine now.” He wasn’t, but he was tired of being asked about it and more than ready to just get on with the job of separating from the military and moving forward with his plans for the ranch.
“He’s not fine,” January chimed in. “He’s got busted ribs, but he’s too much of a hero to mention them.”
Blue gave her his death glare but she just grinned. She really was becoming like a sister to him.
“Roy and I are going back to the house to show Ruth the potential location for the cabins. I’m sure you and Jenna can deal with the horse thing?” January looked expectantly at him.
“Sure. Where do you want to talk?” Blue gave his attention back to Jenna. “We can go back up to the house, or you can check out the horses I’ve already added to the string.”
“I’d like to see the horses first.” Jenna picked up her medical bag, which was almost as big as she was. Blue instinctively went to take it from her, but she stepped swiftly out of his reach. “I’ve got this.”
He held up both hands in mock surrender, which she didn’t notice because she was already moving ahead of him. January snagged the hem of his T-shirt, holding him still.
“Be nice to her, okay?”
“I wasn’t planning on being anything else,” Blue muttered. “She’s the one with the problem. Not me.”
“She’s just new here and shy. Give her a break.”
“As I said, not a problem for me.” He detached her fingers from his dark blue T-shirt and returned them to her. “I’ll be as sweet as sugar.”
January snorted. “I’d like to see that.” To his relief, she winked at him and started back up the slight slope to the house with Roy, leaving him with nothing to do but follow the new vet into the barn.
She was standing in the center aisle, her bag at her feet.
“I see Sugar Lump, Sunflower, Messi, and Nolly, so who’s new?”
Blue pointed at the three stalls farthest away. “I put them over here so you could check them out before I let them mingle with the others.”
“Cool.” She stripped off her gloves and tucked them in the back pocket of her jeans. “Where shall we start?”
* * *
A while later, Jenna put down the horse’s rear left foot and straightened up.
“There’s a stone in there.”
“Do you want me to get it out?” Blue produced a wicked-looking knife. He’d spent the last hour or so propping up the wall, answering her questions and obviously keeping an eye on her. He wasn’t openly keeping a score sheet, but she was pretty darned sure that she was being judged.
“It’s okay. I’ve got it.” She readjusted her grip, picked up the affected foot, and used the tip of her hoof pick to ease out the small pebble wedged between the metal shoe and the hoof. “That’s it. I’d get her reshod if I were you. That gap’s going to cause problems.”
“Good catch,” Blue said as she wiped her hand on her jeans. “I’ll get that done as soon as possible.”
The sun had risen overhead, and inside the stable it had gotten warm enough for her to start sweating. Apparently Marines didn’t sweat, and the dark blue T-shirt stretched across Blue’s muscled chest looked remarkably wrinkle free.
Jenna straightened her spine and waited as Blue made a note on the horse’s chart.
He looked up. “Are we finished here?”
“I’ve just got to draw some blood.” Jenna reached for her bag only to have Blue get there faster and offer her the sealed sampling kit.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
She concentrated on her task, all too aware of Blue’s assessing gaze on her. She swabbed the horse’s neck. “I’m quite competent, you know.”
“So I’ve been told.”
She looked over at him. “Then you don’t have to watch me all the time.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m watching because I like to learn new things. If I was caught out here on my own with an emergency, I’d like to be able to handle it.”
Now she felt like a heel. “You can do the last blood test if you like. It’s not hard, and it is a good skill for a rancher to have.”
“Sure.”
He eased away from the wall and came to stand beside her, bringing the scent of warm man and citrus to add to the peppery smell of the horse.
She finished capping the blood sample. “I meant for the next horse.”
“Ah, okay.” He didn’t retreat, but began to stroke the horse’s neck. “Everything looking good so far?”
“Yes.”
Her gaze followed the rhythmic stroke of his long, scarred fingers, and she almost dropped the tube.
She cleared her throat. “I think we’re done with this one.”
“Only one more to go, then.”
“You can take the blood sample first if you like and then leave me to it,” Jenna said quickly.
His hand went still. “As I said, I’d rather stick around, if that’s okay with you.”
She stowed the sample in her bag and picked it up. “I just meant—”
“That you don’t like me hanging around. I get it. But I’m the one who is ultimately responsible for these horses, and I want to make sure I picked good ones.”
“I understand that.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
She met his gaze. “It feels more like you’re waiting for me to mess up.”
His frown deepened. “I have a right to expect the best veterinary care for my animals.”
“And you don’t think I’m good enough, right? Let me guess. You’d prefer a man.”
“I have no problem with you being a woman. But I guess I’d prefer someone with more experience.” He didn’t look away his blue gaze cool.
Wow, well, that was direct. She raised her chin. “I spent two years dealing specifically with horses at a racing stables after I left college. I’m knowledgeable about all the latest treatments and I graduated first in my class with honors. Would you like to see my references?”
“Yeah, actually I would.”
She blinked at him. Her uncle hadn’t asked to see anything. “Then I’ll look them up for you. Would you prefer Dave to come up here until you’re satisfied I’m competent?”
“No, we’re good.” He gave the horse one final pat and walked toward the door. “Ready for the next one?”
She hastily closed her mouth, picked up her bag, and followed him into the end stall. He certainly didn’t believe in beating around the bush.
“This one’s my favorite.” Blue rubbed his knuckles over the quarter horse’s brown nose and was almost knocked over as the horse responded with a head but. “He’s a sweetheart.”
“Geldings usually are,” Jenna murmured as she found her stethoscope. “There’s a lesson in there for mankind, don’t you think?”
His crack of laughter surprised her. “So it’s not just me? You’re just generally down on all males?”
“I’m . . . not down on you.”
“Right, you haven’t forgiven me for telling you how to do your job at the spring branding yet, have you?”
“That’s not true. You apologized and—”
“You blew me off.”
Jenna sighed. “Look, you have no idea how hard it’s been for me the last six months. Every time I go out on a call I’m asked when Uncle Ron or Dave will be coming out to give their seal of approval to my silly newbie feminine medical decisions. I’m getting kind of tired of it.”
“It’s hardly my fault if most ranchers are idiots.”
“They aren’t idiots.”
“You’re defending them now?” Blue asked.
“I’m trying not to whine and think the whole world is out to get me.”
“Out here it takes a while for people to accept new things
.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
“Which means you have two choices. Stick it out and prove them wrong, or run back home. Where is home, by the way?”
“Los Angeles.” She shuddered. “I don’t want to go back there.”
This time his smile held more than a hint of a challenge. “Then you’re going to have to man up and show everyone what you’re worth.”
“Woman up, you mean?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Whatever works for you.”
“You’re giving me advice now?”
“Just passing on the benefit of my experience.”
“Like you ever had a problem fitting in here. Your family founded the darn town.”
He handed her the blood testing kit. “Which means I went into the Marines thinking I was special. I had to make a quick decision about whether I was willing to do what it took to stay in the Corps or drop out whining like a little kid.”
“You stayed.”
“I manned up. Hence my giving you advice.” He met her gaze. “Now show me how to do the blood test, and I’ll leave you to finish up alone.”
* * *
Prickly.
Yeah. That about summed up Jenna McDonald. Like one of those little hedgehogs he’d seen on the Internet. Cute, but deadly. He liked her determination and the way she went about her work. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t check out her references, though. He’d bet the ranch that her uncle hadn’t bothered to call them himself.
Not that she wasn’t competent from what he’d seen. He also understood her current prickliness because most of the ranchers around Morgantown had dealt with Big Mac for forty years and didn’t like change. They’d only accepted Dave because he was Mac’s son, and Jenna was something else altogether. He didn’t have a problem with her being female. He’d learned during his military service that women were just as capable as men.
“Blue?”
He looked up to see Jenna emerging from the barn. He’d gone to check on the feed bins and traps set out for the various vermin that liked a free meal.
“I’m in here.”
She came over to him lugging her bag, strands of her hair stuck to her cheek and her long-sleeved T-shirt clinging to her curves. Blue made himself look her in the eye.
