Cowboy Kisses

by Diane Michele Crawford

  When Nora went into the house, Sarah grinned. “Everything Nora makes is terrific.”

  Kenzie took a bite of a shrimp puff and discovered that Sarah was right. It was terrific, and so were the tarts. By the time the girls had finished taste-testing, Kenzie hardly had room for the tuna sandwich she’d brought with her.

  “How long has Nora been in the catering business?” she asked.

  “She had cards printed about a month ago,” Sarah replied, munching on an apple. “The job on Friday is her first.”

  “If everything tastes this good,” Kenzie said, taking another one of the strawberry tarts, “she’ll be booked solid.”

  “I hope so. Nora was really nervous about starting her own business, but Hank, Steve, and I convinced her to give it a try,” Sarah told her. “We’ve been raving about Nora’s cooking for ages.”

  “How long have you worked here?”

  “Two years.” Sarah paused to munch on a shrimp puff. “Steve was here a year before I came.”

  “Which horse is yours?” Kenzie asked.

  “I don’t have one, but Hank lets me exercise some of his. He also put me in full charge of the horses we use for riding therapy, so they seem like mine,” Sarah said, smiling. “Most of the horses have been donated to the program by people who don’t ride anymore or whose kids have lost interest or gone off to college.”

  After the girls had given Nora their verdict on her baked goods, they headed back to the stable. Kenzie saw Steve and two guys she didn’t know closing the gate by the nearest corral.

  Sarah quickened her pace and Kenzie hurried to keep up with her. When they reached the corral, Steve said, “Kenzie, I want you to meet Dennis and Greg, the rest of the Lucky R crew.”

  Greg, the younger-looking of the two, nodded and looked shyly at Kenzie for a minute, then glanced at Sarah, who blushed and fiddled with her hair.

  “I guess you’re anxious to get back to work,” Steve said, his amused eyes skimming Kenzie’s dirty jeans. “We all know how much fun ranch-hand day is.” Greg and Dennis groaned in unison.

  “Come on, men.” Steve pointed to the house. “Nora needs our help.” He grinned slyly at Kenzie. “The only thing I like better than Nora’s food is pizza. With anchovies.”

  “See you around, Kenzie,” Dennis said as he and Greg followed Steve.

  Sarah had disappeared. Sighing, Kenzie went back into the barn and got to work.

  Two hours later, Kenzie closed the gate on the last clean stall. Her back hurt, her arms ached, and her hands were blistered from gripping the shovel so tightly. Wondering what her next assignment would be, she went in search of Sarah.

  Kenzie found her in the paddock with the palomino whose name Kenzie had discovered was Nugget. “Hi,” Kenzie said loudly so Sarah could hear. “What do I do now?”

  “How much do you know about riding therapy?” Sarah asked.

  “I read the article in the paper,” Kenzie told her, “but aside from that, not much.”

  “Do you know about sidewalkers, spotters, and leaders?”

  “No,” Kenzie admitted.

  Sarah handed Kenzie the lead line attached to Nugget’s bridle. “Then I’ll teach you. You’ll have to fill in anywhere you’re needed, if there aren’t enough volunteers from the center. Good volunteers are really hard to find,” she added, swinging into the saddle. “Let me show you the basics,” Sarah went on. “The sidewalker’s job is to keep the rider secure on the horse.” She motioned for Kenzie to stand beside her left leg. “If the rider is kind of unsteady, put your hand on his leg.” She wobbled in the saddle, and Kenzie grabbed hold of her jeans.

  “Don’t pull,” Sarah instructed. “You might knock somebody off balance. Gently does it.”

  “Sorry,” Kenzie replied, resetting her hand lightly on Sarah’s lower leg.

  “If your rider starts to fall, try pushing him back into the saddle...” But instead of demonstrating, Sarah suddenly dismounted and began mumbling about spotters and leaders. Confused by the change in her, Kenzie strained to understand what she was saying and gathered that the spotters helped the riders mount the horses safely, while the main responsibility of the leaders was controlling the horses.

  “Practice leading Nugget around the paddock at a slow pace,” Sarah suggested, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Get used to his movements. When our riders are up to trotting, you’ll have to jog alongside.”

  Kenzie had a thousand questions, but before she could ask a single one, Sarah hurried off, head hanging, just as Greg came into the paddock carrying a toolbox. Greeting Kenzie with another of his shy smiles and a half-wave, he got to work quickly, replacing a rusty hinge on the paddock gate.

  Kenzie suddenly realized that Greg was the reason for the sudden change in Sarah. “I guess falling riders aren’t the only ones who need help around here,” she whispered in Nugget’s ear.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The last thing Kenzie felt like doing when she got home that night was cooking. She was exhausted, and all she wanted was a lifetime soak in the bathtub.

  Instead, after she washed quickly and changed clothes, she fixed macaroni and cheese, a green salad, and steamed carrots. Even Adam had to admit that it tasted pretty good.

  Halfway through the meal and Kenzie’s description of her first day on the job, a call came for Mr. Sullivan. He came back to the table looking depressed. “We didn’t get the bid on the Matson Company job,” he said, pushing his unfinished dinner aside.

  “You still have bids out on two other contracts, don’t you, Tim?” Mrs. Sullivan asked.

  He nodded. “But companies are cautious about dealing with an outfit that has financial problems. They’re afraid to take a chance on our pulling out of debt. Right now we’re still very close to involuntary bankruptcy.”

  His words made Kenzie’s appetite disappear. The thought that Sullivan Electronics might fail had never occurred to her. She’d just assumed that with her father’s electronics know-how, the company would be successful very soon. She now knew how wrong she’d been.

  Adam reached for Kenzie’s plate. “Are you finished?” He had dishwashing duty. “And by the way,” he added, “I’d appreciate your changing your clothes, or at least your boots, before I pick you up at night. No one’s going to buy a truck that smells like manure.”

  Kenzie shoved her chair back, ready to make an angry retort.

  “That’s enough. Adam,” Mr. Sullivan admonished sternly before she could speak. “Let’s get this table cleared.”

  After her long-awaited bath, Kenzie called Jeanette. When Jeanette answered, Kenzie hurried through the highlights of her work day. Then she asked, “Did I miss anything today at the club?”

  Jeanette snorted with disgust. “Not unless you enjoy watching Lisa Gray throw herself at Paul.”

  Kenzie raised her eyebrows. “I thought Lisa was going with some guy in college?”

  “They broke up a few weeks ago. She spent most of the day flirting with Paul.”

  “What did he do?”

  Jeanette hesitated. “Well, he didn’t exactly ignore her.”

  “Lisa’s okay,” Kenzie said. “We had a class together last year.”

  Jeanette gasped. “Get a grip on yourself, Kenzie! You’re not letting Paul go without a fight.”

  “Jeanette, Paul and I aren’t going together,” Kenzie pointed out.

  “You could if you spent more time with him. He likes you a lot.”

  “I like him, too, but—”

  “But nothing!” Jeanette interrupted. “When’s your day off? We’ll spend the whole day at the club. Paul’s there every afternoon.”

  “I’m not a member anymore,” Kenzie reminded her quietly.

  “You can go as my guest.”

  Kenzie hesitated. After so many years as a member, being a guest at Silver Hills seemed strange. Then she shrugged. Why not? “Okay. My day off is Friday.”

  “Great!” Jeanette exclaimed. She filled Kenzie in on the latest g
ossip about their crowd, and when they finally hung up, Kenzie almost felt as if she’d spent the day at the club herself. Almost, but not quite.

  By the time Adam dropped her at the ranch the next morning, some of Kenzie’s sore muscles had stopped protesting. Steve Calvert was waiting for her by Ali’s stall. “Hank wants me to work with you and Nugget this morning,” he said. “Our first summer group of kids from the center is coming this afternoon for riding therapy.”

  So soon? Would she be ready after only a few hours of training?

  Steve was watching her closely. Shaking off a sudden surge of anxiety, Kenzie gave him a big smile. She didn’t want him to suspect for a second that she doubted her ability. “Sarah had me practice sidewalking yesterday,” she told him.

  “The rest isn’t hard,” Steve said. “Hank, Dennis, and I do the actual instructing.”

  Kenzie stroked Ali’s neck and gave him a sugar cube. “Sarah isn’t an instructor?”

  “No. She fills in if we need her, but most of the time she’s a leader.”

  “The leader controls the horse for a rider who doesn’t have the strength,” Kenzie said promptly.

  “Most of the kids who are coming today haven’t ridden before, so they’ll all need leaders.” He moved closer until his face was only inches from hers. Then he sniffed. “As much as I like the perfume you’re wearing, you’ll have to wash it off before the sessions this afternoon.”

  Kenzie gazed into his brown eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “Perfume attracts insects that might spook the horses,” Steve answered softly. He was close enough to kiss her….

  What's the matter with me? Kenzie thought, flustered. Quickly she took a step backward.

  “Nugget’s saddled and ready to go,” Steve said in his Deputy Ramrod tone of voice.

  Kenzie gave Ali a final pat before following Steve into the paddock where Nugget was saddled and waiting. She waved at Greg, the ranch hand of the day, and gave Nugget one of Ali’s sugar cubes.

  Kenzie’s training session with Steve proceeded without problems. She’d been afraid he would give her a hard time, but he was patient and thorough, traits she imagined made him a good instructor for riding therapy. When the session was over, Kenzie loosened Nugget’s girth and tied his lead rope around a fence rail of the paddock where he’d stay until the lessons began.

  “One of the counselors from the center called and said they have plenty of volunteers today.” Steve told her, “so I’ll put you in as a leader.”

  “Thanks!” Kenzie said, surprised that he hadn’t found some fault with her.

  There was something very appealing about Steve Calvert, she thought as he draped an arm around her shoulders in playful roughness. “We’ve got just enough time to saddle a couple of horses before lunch, cowgirl,” he said, leading her into the barn.

  Once inside, Steve stood still. There was something in the way he looked at Kenzie that made her catch her breath. And then he kissed her.

  That unexpected kiss sent sweet chills through her. She responded instantly, thrilled by the touch of his soft lips on hers.

  The next thing she knew, Steve was pulling away as though she’d bitten him. “Sorry,” he muttered. “That won’t happen again.” Abruptly he started walking down the aisle between the stalls, pointing out the horses that needed to be saddled.

  Kenzie stared after him. Why was he acting like they’d done something wrong? She wasn’t at all sorry they’d kissed. But what if Steve hadn’t liked kissing her?

  She went into Ali’s stall and buried her face in the Arabian’s silken mane. “Why am I falling for a guy who isn’t interested in me?” she mumbled aloud, then answered her own question. “Because, like Mom says, you can’t choose who you fall in love with.”

  Her own words startled her. Love? Is that what she was starting to feel for Steve? No way! she told herself. She’d only known him for a few days, and for most of that time, he hadn’t even been nice to her.

  “Kenzie?” Sarah called from outside Ali’s stall. “I’ll help with saddling and then we can have lunch—if you want to have lunch with me, that is,” she added shyly.

  “Sure.” Kenzie smiled.

  “No goodies from Nora today so we can eat in the willow grove.”

  “Sounds perfect,” Kenzie agreed.

  After Sarah helped Kenzie saddle the horses that would be used in the afternoon session, they took their lunches to a picnic table in the welcoming shade of the willow trees.

  “Do the guys ever have lunch at the same time we do?” Kenzie asked casually. She felt uncomfortable at the thought of facing Steve socially for a while. The therapy riding sessions were different—that was business.

  “Sometimes, but not often.” Sarah took a bite of her sandwich, then cleared her throat. “Uh—Kenzie, my sixteenth birthday is this Saturday. I was wondering if you’d want to come to my house that evening for a barbecue. I mean, if you’re not busy or anything.”

  Ordinarily, Kenzie would have been hoping for a date with Paul on Saturday night, but not anymore. “I’m not busy,” she said. “What time?”

  “Six o’clock.” Sarah grinned broadly, her blue eyes shining. “I’m so glad you can make it!”

  “Thanks for inviting me.” Kenzie meant it. She liked Sarah, and was looking forward to knowing her better.

  “It won’t be a big party,” Sarah went on. “Just my family and you and Steve.”

  Kenzie choked on the apple she was eating. She took a gulp of soda and gasped for air. “Steve Calvert?”

  Sarah nodded. “Is that a problem?”

  Kenzie managed a weak smile. “Oh, no,” she fibbed. “No problem at all.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  While Kenzie stood in front of Nugget later that afternoon, holding him gently by both sides of his bit, one of the volunteers lifted a small eight-year-old girl named Emily into the saddle.

  “No!” Emily shouted, her spindly legs flailing wildly. Beneath the protective helmet she wore, Emily’s eyes were wide with fear. Two of the other children picked up on Emily’s panic and started crying.

  Kenzie hated seeing the kids so upset. She wanted to say something comforting, but Steve had told her to let the volunteers handle things like that. Her job as a leader was to control Nugget and to help Emily pay attention during the lesson.

  Soothing words from the volunteer soon calmed Emily and the little girl allowed herself to be seated on Nugget’s saddle. As soon as a safety belt was secured around her waist, the volunteer handed Kenzie the lead rope.

  The minute Kenzie and Nugget began to walk, Emily started screaming again. She dropped the reins and slumped forward, clutching the front of the saddle with both hands.

  Steve strode over to Emily’s side. “Hey! Looks like you’re getting a head start on your exercises,” he said cheerfully. Emily stopped screaming and glared at Steve, who kept right on talking. “Before we start lessons, you do stretching exercises for a few minutes.” He grinned at her. “Are you sure you haven’t been here before?”

  Emily shook her head, but Steve’s words apparently gave her enough confidence to loosen her white-knuckle grip on the saddle. “Kenzie’s taking you and Nugget over there,” Steve pointed across the paddock, “for exercises. The other kids haven’t practiced, so don’t go showing off.”

  To Kenzie’s surprise, Emily actually smiled. Kenzie really admired the way Steve had handled the situation.

  Two volunteer physical therapists from the center showed each rider a specific stretching exercise. Some of the children did the exercises easily. Others, like Emily, had less control over their muscles and struggled hard.

  Fighting the sudden tears in her eyes, Kenzie squeezed them shut. A strong hand tightened on her shoulder, and she heard Steve’s voice saying, “One of the rewards of this program is watching the kids improve, Kenzie. They’ll amaze you.”

  Kenzie sniffled and gave him a grateful smile. She felt a little better.

  After exerc
ising, the riders, each with a leader, a spotter, and a sidewalker, split into four groups. Because there were more riders than usual, Hank had asked Sarah to help instruct.

  She joined Kenzie’s group. “Today we want you to get used to being on a horse,” she told the children. “We’re going to show you how to sit in the saddle and hold the reins.”

  After Sarah helped each child individually, the leaders walked the horses behind one another around the paddock, keeping plenty of distance between them.

  Emily dropped the reins several times, and she had trouble staying upright. More than once the sidewalker had to support her in the saddle so she wouldn’t slip. But Emily didn’t cry. She seemed to be enjoying herself, Kenzie thought.

  When the session ended, the spotters helped the children dismount and settle into wheel chairs.

  Kenzie patted Nugget and gave him a sugar cube for a job well done. He’d been the perfect horse for a frightened little girl. When Kenzie noticed Emily watching with interest, she tied Nugget to the fence and went to the little girl’s wheelchair.

  “What’d you give the horse?” Emily demanded.

  “A sugar cube.” Kenzie took another from her pocket. “Maybe you’d like to give him one.”

  The little boy sitting in the wheelchair next to Emily scowled. “I don’t like horses.” He was one of the kids who’d cried at the beginning of the session.

  “I don’t like horses either,” Emily agreed, scowling, too.

  “I think you two need a little sunshine to melt those frowns off your faces,” Kenzie declared. Suddenly she had an inspiration. “Only members of the Sunshine Club can feed sugar cubes to the horses.”

  Emily’s expression didn’t change. “What’s the Sunshine Club?” she asked suspiciously.