by Myra Johnson
“Eva,” Joseph prodded, “come on this side so you can pet her better.”
Instantly, Eva drew back, shrinking into the shelter of Seth’s arms. “No, I’d be too scared!”
Christina lowered herself to eye level with Eva. “It’s okay, sweetie. Gracie doesn’t mind at all if you’d rather pet her through the fence. Or maybe sometimes I can bring her over to your backyard and you can pet her with the porch rails between you. How does that sound?”
Eva looked to Seth for reassurance before giving a tentative nod.
Then a snort sounded behind him, and horse slime slithered down his shirt collar. While he squeezed his eyes shut with a disgusted groan, laughter surrounded him. “Yeah, yeah, very funny.” Pushing up from the ground, he grabbed the reins dangling from his neglected horse’s bridle. “Sorry, Tango. Haven’t forgotten you, girl.”
“Can we go riding now, Dad?” Joseph pleaded. “And can Christina and Gracie go with us?”
Christina took a step back, and any remaining shred of confidence disappeared. “Oh, I don’t think—”
“You’re a ranch girl now,” Opi insisted with a grin. “Gonna have to give it a try sooner or later. And you couldn’t have a better teacher than Seth.”
* * *
Not sure how it happened, and definitely wondering why she’d gone along with the idea, Christina found herself on horseback. Sugarbear, she’d been informed, was a sorrel gelding and the gentlest horse on the place.
“Nothing to worry about,” Seth’s grandfather insisted as he adjusted her stirrups. “You can hold right there to the saddle horn. Long as you sit tall and don’t drop the reins, Sugarbear will follow right along with the other horses.”
“Sit tall. Don’t drop the reins,” Christina repeated. The hard-shell safety helmet Bryan had buckled under her chin only served to remind her that horseback riding could be dangerous. Didn’t matter that on Saturday she’d watched an eighty-five-year-old grandmother eagerly climb into the saddle to ride this very same horse and live to brag about it.
Seth’s kids certainly showed no fear, at least not of horses and riding, which was one huge reason Christina felt she had to go through with this. How could she hope to help these children overcome their deepest fears if she refused to face her own?
Joseph grinned at her from atop Spot, an aptly named Appaloosa pony that strongly resembled an overgrown Dalmatian. Seth held Eva in front of him on Tango. Both children wore helmets like Christina’s, which stirred grudging appreciation for Seth’s protective parenting—this aspect, at least.
“Y’all ready to ride?” Seth shot a glance her way, the same look she’d seen last weekend as he sized up the ranch guests’ horsemanship skills. Or lack thereof, as in Christina’s case.
“We’re not going far, are we?” She released her grip on the saddle horn long enough to make sure her helmet sat securely.
“A couple miles or so. Same trail we use for all the greenhorns.” Was that a snicker she heard beneath his words?
Bryan patted the toe of Christina’s sneaker before stepping out of the way. “You’ll be fine. Enjoy the scenery.”
The trail led past the lakeside picnic area and across a shallow creek, then zigzagged upward along an easy hillside slope. Cedars, live oaks and junipers fought for toeholds in the rocky soil. A squirrel chattered overhead, catching Gracie’s attention as she trotted along beside Sugarbear, but the dog did no more than look up and sniff the air. She must have understood Christina still needed her on alert.
From somewhere in the distance came the tap-tap-tap of a woodpecker.
“Do you think it’s a pileated?” Joseph asked.
Seth cocked his ear toward the sound. “Probably a ladder-backed. Never seen a pileated woodpecker around here.”
“Rats. I really want to see one in real life.”
“I’ve seen one,” Christina said. The casual conversation had helped her relax a little. “There’s a nature preserve near where I live in Arkansas, and you can spot them in the tops of the pine trees.”
“Cool! Dad, can we go there sometime?”
Following behind Seth, Christina thought she detected the slightest tensing across his shoulders. “No need to go all the way to Arkansas,” he said stiffly. “There are plenty of pine trees and pileated woodpeckers in Texas.”
“Well, then, can we—”
“Let’s talk about it later, son.” Seth’s tone was gentle but left no room for argument.
His negativity grated on Christina. Even with what Bryan had told her about Seth’s bitter custody battle, this apparent compulsion to shield his children from new experiences wasn’t healthy. Not for the children, and not for Seth.
Maybe it would be wise to change the subject. They’d crested the hill and now rode abreast through a broad meadow of coarse brown grasses. “Doesn’t look like you’ve had much rain this summer,” Christina remarked.
“Some years are drier than others.” Seth kept his eyes forward and continued across the field.
Five more minutes of silence and Christina decided to try another tack. “So, Joseph, school must be starting in a couple of weeks. Will you be in third grade or fourth?”
“Fourth, but I don’t go to the real school. Daddy and Omi teach me.”
“Oh.” Homeschooling certainly had its merits, but Christina had a feeling Seth had chosen this option for all the wrong reasons.
She’d about decided there was no safe conversation topic where Seth Austin was concerned, when he halted his horse abruptly and turned to her with a challenging grin. “Tell us more about yourself, Christina. What did you do before you came to work at Serenity Hills?”
“I was recovering from my accident,” she answered carefully. At Gracie’s whimper, she took a slow, deep breath before continuing. “These last two years have meant a lot of hard work and more than a few adjustments. That’s why I’m especially grateful to your grandmother for giving me this job and a chance to put my life back together.”
Seth’s jaw muscles flexed. He glanced down, then up again, and his expression softened. “I sometimes forget others have been through hard times, too.”
Eva had been quiet for most of the ride but now reached up to pat Seth’s cheek. “It’s okay, Daddy. If you get sad, you should just pet Gracie and she’ll make it all better.”
A strangled laugh burst from Christina’s throat, while at the same time her eyes welled with unexpected tears.
Seth covered his daughter’s hand with his own and winked at Christina, surprising her with a smile. “Out of the mouths of babes, huh?”
“You’d be amazed how much wiser children are about some things than we are.”
With a thoughtful nod, Seth wheeled Tango around and continued across the meadow. Sugarbear, the ideal trail horse, followed without any prompting from Christina, and she had to admit she’d felt perfectly safe on the horse’s back.
At least until Seth grinned over his shoulder and suggested, “Ready to go a little faster?”
“No!” Christina locked her fingers around the saddle horn.
“Aw, come on,” Joseph urged. “Fast is more fun!” He tapped his pony’s sides, and Spot took off at a bouncy trot.
Sugarbear’s muscles quivered with his eagerness to keep up, and Christina fought a wave of panic. Gracie had already picked up on her agitation and instinctively tried to block the horse’s forward movement. Now concerned for her dog’s safety, Christina called, “Please, can’t we just keep it at a walk?”
Seth shouted at Joseph to slow down, then turned and rode back to Christina. With a restraining hand on Sugarbear’s reins, he spoke quietly to the horse until he settled.
“I—I’m sorry,” Christina gasped, her heart thudding. All she wanted was to get down off this horse and bury her face in Gracie’s neck.
“Hang on, it’s all right.” In one swift movement Seth swung himself and Eva to the ground. After planting Eva firmly out of the way of the horses, he came up beside Sugarbear and held up his hands to Christina. “Let’s take a break. I’ll help you down.”
Too relieved to think beyond the moment, she transferred her grip from the saddle horn to Seth’s broad shoulders. With his strong arms supporting her, she slid from the saddle and collapsed against him.
“Easy, easy.” Seth soothed her with gentle pats as if she were a jittery colt. “Man, you’re really shaking. Never meant to scare you like that.”
Aware of Gracie’s wet nose on her elbow, Christina freed one arm from Seth’s protective hold and clutched the dog’s ruff. As her breathing slowed, she became all too aware of Seth’s firm chest beneath her cheek, along with the steady, reassuring beat of his heart. If she thought her legs would hold her, she ought to put some distance between them. He was her employer, after all. Besides, how many times would he come to her rescue like this before he convinced his grandmother she was unfit for the job?
Feeling steadier, she gripped his biceps—another mistake, considering how her pulse spiked—and pushed away. Unable to meet his gaze, she mumbled an apology. “We should probably head back now...somehow.”
Somehow, of course, meant climbing into the saddle again, and Christina would almost rather walk the whole way.
Joseph rode up behind his father. “Dad, is Miss Christina okay?”
“She’ll be fine, son.” Still bracing Christina by her forearms, Seth peered hard at her as if to convince himself. “We’ve got to remember she doesn’t ride every day like we do.”
Christina straightened and cleared her throat. “I’ve been on a horse before.” She struck a defensive pose. “Once. When I was...nine.”
Seth’s lips twitched. As he shared a look with Joseph, a rumble began in his throat, and they both laughed out loud. Turning to lift Eva into his arms, Seth said, “These kids have been riding since they were nine months old. When Eva turns seven in a few months, she’s getting her own pony.”
“I want a yellow one with a pink mane,” Eva stated. “Like this one.” She pulled a tiny toy pony from her pocket and held it out to Christina.
“Oh, that’s adorable.” Feeling more herself, Christina shared a teasing look with Seth as she gave the toy pony’s nose an admiring pat. “When your daddy finds a real pony with a pink mane like this, I’ll be first in line to see it.”
“Don’t hold your breath.” Seth’s smile softened, and he cocked a brow. “Think you can handle Sugarbear at a slow walk back to the barn?”
Christina sucked in a breath. “Key words being slow and walk.”
“You got it.”
* * *
Once Seth had delivered Christina safely back to the barn, she and her dog slipped away before he could make sure the horseback ride hadn’t totally traumatized her. She’d seemed all right, even joined in the conversation as Seth pointed out interesting wildlife along the trail. He’d found himself speaking in the same easygoing tone he used to distract Eva whenever she got scared.
It felt entirely different to focus his concern on an adult woman, though—an attractively intriguing woman who did unnerving things to his insides. He could still feel her trembling against him in those moments after he’d helped her down from the horse. If not for his experience with Eva’s fear and shyness, he’d have a much harder time empathizing with what Christina must be going through.
But did he want to? It would sure be easier if he didn’t find himself caring so much. How could he not like and admire her for the inner strength she exhibited—yes, even in the face of his surliness about her dog?
As Opi helped Seth and Joseph put away tack and brush down the horses, Omi came out to ask how the ride went. Seth answered with a noncommittal “Fine,” and when Omi gave up prodding him for more, she took the children to the house to start lunch.
Opi proved a little harder to evade. “Christina sure took off in a hurry. Hope you didn’t insult her again.”
“I did not insult her.” Seth grabbed a broom to sweep some loose straw out of the barn aisle. “I think she actually enjoyed herself...mostly.”
“Mostly?” Opi snorted. “What exactly did happen out there on the trail? It’s just you and me now, so spit it out.”
“It was nothing, all right? She got a little shook up when Joseph wanted to go faster. We had a—a moment.” Seth’s fists tightened around the broom handle as he remembered holding Christina in his arms.
Cornering Seth between a tack trunk and a stall gate, Opi fixed him with a cool stare. “You’re starting to like Christina, aren’t you?”
“What’s not to like? She’s turning out to be a real good housekeeper.” Seth plied the broom around his grandfather’s boots. “You’re in my way.”
“You’re getting in your own way, if you ask me.” Opi rolled his eyes and stepped aside.
“I suppose that’s a commentary on my personal life?”
“Hmm, that would imply you actually had a personal life.”
Seth glared at his grandfather. “Now who’s getting insulting?”
“Just sayin’.” Whistling the tune to a romantic country ballad Seth had been hearing on the radio, Opi sauntered out of the barn.
“Old coot.” Seth aimed a swift kick to the barn wall.
When the toe of his boot splintered a rotting board, his frustration was instantly redirected. Just one more sign of all that needed to be done to keep this place up and running. With business declining over the past couple of years, the ranch had done well to cover basic operating costs. Add unanticipated repairs on top of routine maintenance, and expenses shot up faster than a rodeo cowboy getting thrown from an angry bull.
Personal life? No time for anything beyond being the best dad he could be while making sure the ranch would still be here for his kids someday.
Chapter Five
With three of the cabins reserved for the following weekend, by midweek activity around the ranch had picked up again. Seth spent a good portion of his time making repairs in and around the barn, which allowed for some quality father/son time with Joseph. The kid was getting pretty good at slinging a hammer, and when Seth enlisted his help measuring boards, it offered a chance to work on Joseph’s math skills. They hadn’t slacked off completely on schoolwork over the summer, but it would soon be time to return to a more consistent homeschooling routine.
The thought reminded him of the subtle tightening of Christina’s lips when the subject of school came up during their horseback ride. Was she not in favor of homeschooling in general, or was this another judgment on Seth’s overprotective parenting?
He couldn’t let it bother him. Didn’t he have the right to raise his kids as he thought best?
On Thursday morning as Seth headed to the toolshed to find another two-by-four for his barn repairs, he glanced toward the house and saw Christina sitting on the bottom porch step, Gracie stretched out at her feet. He didn’t think anything of it until the back door opened and Omi came out with Eva.
Seth tensed for Eva’s scream and quick retreat into the safety of the house.
It didn’t happen.
Releasing Omi’s hand, Eva crept down the steps and settled next to Christina. Seth held his breath while his smiling little girl put her arms around the dog’s neck and accepted wet doggy kisses.
Okay, so this shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise. For the past few days Eva had grown more and more comfortable petting the dog through the porch rail, just as Christina had suggested. But to see his child so perfectly at ease, nothing separating her from the animal who only days ago had sent her leaping into the arms of the nearest adult—well, it was nothing short of amazing.
Joseph called to him from the barn door. “You com
ing, Dad?”
Still awestruck, he nodded toward the house. “See that?”
“Yeah, cool.” The boy didn’t sound nearly as impressed as Seth. “Eva likes Gracie now. Miss Christina’s been taking them on walks sometimes.”
How had Seth missed that? “Really? When?”
Joseph’s mouth quirked. “Um, once while you were training Tango, I think. And yesterday when you took me with you to the hardware store. Eva told me after we got back.”
Guess it proved how preoccupied Seth had been with ranch chores. Or maybe he wasn’t as attentive a father as he liked to believe.
“Da-ad.” Joseph made a growling noise. “You said you were getting a board.”
Obviously, his son was getting bored waiting on Seth to get his head back in the game. “What do you say we take a break? We can get a cold drink and say hi to Chri—to Eva.”
“Great!” Joseph took off at a jog, and Seth was glad the boy hadn’t tuned in on his slip of the tongue.
Yep, that’s all it was, a slip of the tongue, and nobody—including himself—had better read anything more into it.
By the time Seth caught up, Joseph had dropped to his knees next to Gracie and was rubbing his face against her fur. He and Eva both giggled as the dog literally lapped up their affection.
Christina looked up with an uncertain smile. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself.” Hands on hips, Seth shot a meaningful glance at his grandmother, seated on the top step. “I feel like I missed a huge milestone in my daughter’s life.”
“You’ve been busy,” Omi replied.
Her tone put Seth on the defensive. “Things needed doing.”
Christina stood. “I think that’s my cue to get back to work. Kids, Gracie and I—”
“Hang on.” Seth pressed his eyes closed briefly as annoyance gave way to gratitude. “Sorry, guess I’m still in shock. I haven’t seen Eva hugging on a dog this way since before—” His breath caught. “Anyway, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Christina’s chin shifted. “You know, I—never mind.”
