Learnin' The Ropes

by Shanna Hatfield

“I wondered about that by his reaction,” Ty said with a chuckle. “Give him a few years and he’ll forget all about it.”

  “Doubtful, but possible.” She slid off the stool and walked to the door. “Thanks again for letting us stay.”

  “It’s your ranch. You can go anywhere you like,” Ty said, only half-teasing.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I see this shop as your domain. Well, yours and Baby’s.”

  Ty laughed at the thought of the dog. She seemed to think he came to the ranch just to be her pet human. She usually stayed with him as long as he was in the shop, but she’d wandered outside an hour or so ago.

  “Baby allows me to hang out here with her. If I ever get on her bad side, I’m done for.”

  A light twinkled in his eyes that made it hard for Lexi to keep walking instead of throwing herself into his arms and kissing him until she was lightheaded. As Ty turned off the lights and picked up his phone, she waited at the door. Once he closed the shop door, he walked with her toward her house through the cool evening air.

  “So your middle name is Jaxton?” Lexi asked as they strolled along, in no hurry to reach her back gate.

  “Yeah. I don’t know where Mom came up with it, but there it is, just the same.” Ty had never been fond of his odd middle name. He didn’t know why his mother couldn’t have called him something simple like David or Andrew.

  “I like it,” Lexi said, with a saucy grin. “Tyler Jaxton Lewis. Has a nice ring to it, for a bad-boy grease monkey, anyway.”

  “Is that so?” Ty tossed her an observant look. “Bad-boy grease monkey, huh? What makes you think I’m a bad-boy? Haven’t I been on good behavior since I got here?”

  Lexi stopped at the gate and realized she had started something she wasn’t sure she could finish. Teasing Ty wasn’t like joking with one of the other guys. There was too much attraction and tension snapping between them.

  “You’ve been on very good behavior,” she said honestly. “I couldn’t ask for a better employee. But that bad-boy image isn’t about what you do or how you act.”

  “It’s not?” He wondered if she had seen through his aloof façade.

  “Nope.” Nervous, she twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

  “Then what is it about?” Curiously waiting for her response, he shoved his hands into his pockets. The desire to touch her was about to get the best of him.

  “Stuff,” she said, unable to admit her thoughts.

  “That’s not an answer.” He took a step closer.

  So close, in fact, she could see the moon reflected in his eyes and smell his wonderful manly scent while the warmth of his presence permeated her being. “Sure it is.” Unnerved, she turned toward the house with plans of escape. When she spun around, Ty grabbed her around the waist and started tickling her. She nearly doubled over giggling as he relentlessly ran his fingers along her sides, easily holding her captive with one muscled arm.

  “Still not going to tell me?” His warm, minty breath caressed her ear. His nearness left her limbs languid while her heart raced.

  “Nope,” she said, struggling to get away. He tightened his arm around her and went back to tickling. Gasping for breath, she slapped at the hand ruthlessly tickling her. “I give! Stop tickling me! Please!”

  “Okay, but only if you tell me why you think I’m a bad-boy,” he said with a smile in his voice and his eyes. He didn’t release his hold, but rested his hands on her waist instead of tormenting her sides with tickles.

  “Because…”

  “Because why?” Ty ran a teasing finger down Lexi’s side. An involuntary shiver raced through her.

  “Because you…” Lexi took a deep breath. Before she could stop herself, words exploded out of her mouth. “Because you look like one with that square jaw all covered with stubble and sexy hair and bedroom eyes not to mention that hard body carved out of granite,” she said. Heat seared her cheeks as she pushed him away and ran inside the house.

  Frantically slamming the door and locking it behind her for good measure, Lexi buried her face in her hands, mortified at what she’d just said. How did her thoughts find their way past her lips? She meant to tell him it was his sweatshirts and work boots and rock music that gave him away as a bad-boy.

  With a careworn sigh, she twisted her hair around her finger again. It was going to be extremely difficult running the ranch while hiding in the house to avoid seeing Ty. She couldn’t possibly face him again.

  Stunned by her words, Ty watched Lexi retreat inside the house. She thought he had sexy hair and a granite body? And bedroom eyes?

  He’d been told many times he was good-looking. Women had said he was handsome. A few had even commented on his physique. But none, not one, had ever made him feel like Lexi did with her unexpected appraisal. He knew it was honest by the way it made her face flame red and sent her running into the house in embarrassment.

  Thrilled, he whistled as he went back to the bunkhouse. It had been a great day. First, the arrival of his nephew and then Lexi confessing she was attracted to him. He would mark this day on his calendar. It was one he didn’t want to forget.

  Lesson Six

  A Horse of a Different Color

  “Ya can’t live on this ranch and not learn how to ride.

  It’s jes a matter of keepin’ the horse between

  yerself and the ground.”

  Ty dreamed something held him down, paralyzing his legs. Startled awake, he sighed, realizing it wasn’t real until he tried to move his legs and couldn’t. He felt as though a heavy weight covered him and fought to wiggle his feet.

  Terrorized, he fumbled for the bedside lamp and flicked it on.

  In the glow of the light, he glared at Baby. The dog stretched across both of his legs, sleeping soundly.

  “I should have known it would be you,” Ty said, jostling the dog. She twitched and whined, moving only slightly as she settled back into sleep.

  “Baby, you get off this bed right now,” he said firmly. Forcefully moving around, he worked one leg loose from beneath her weight. “I mean it. Get up.”

  Casually raising her head, Baby glanced at him to see if he was serious. Concluding he was, she yawned and climbed off the bed, standing at the bedroom door.

  “Who let you in here? You know you aren’t supposed to be in the bunkhouse.” He scolded as Baby continued to stare at him. “Did you let yourself in?”

  Ty got up and took the dog by her collar, marching her down the hall and out the front door. “Be good, Baby.” He wondered how she found his room, but then decided Baby seemed to have an innate sense about where he was and what he was doing.

  He returned to bed and glanced at the clock. It was only four in the morning. He could sleep for another hour. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. After tossing and turning for several minutes, he gave up and got ready for the day. It was his turn to cook breakfast, so he didn’t mind having some extra time to get the meal on the table.

  By the time everyone else was up, Ty had breakfast ready and his bedding in the wash. Baby left her white hair all over his comforter. As soon as he finished with breakfast, he planned to clean the floor, noticing the white trail the dog left behind. He wondered if she was okay with all the hair she shed.

  “Did I hear you talking to someone this morning? Calling someone Baby?” Jimmy teased as he sat down at the table. “You got a girl coming out here we don’t know about?”

  “That’s right, Jimmy.” Ty scowled at him, not quite ready for a round of teasing this early in the day. “I’ve got a girl that sneaks in after you all turn in for the night. She’s sweet and funny with big eyes and white hair and questionable breath.”

  Swede cackled and slapped Jimmy on the back. “Sounds like your kind of girl.”

  Jimmy’s ears turned red as he glowered at Swede then Ty.

  “So the dog was in the house?” Gus asked, helping himself to another muffin. Ty was handy in the kitchen as long as it was simple food or something he cou
ld mix from a box or a can.

  “I woke up with her on my legs and couldn’t move.” Now that the moment had passed, Ty realized it was funny. “I still can’t figure out how she knew which room was mine.”

  “She’s got yer scent. Someone forgot to lock the front door last night and she probably jes marched right in and made a beeline to yer room,” Swede said.

  “I’d much rather wake up to a girl on my bed than that beast,” Cal said with a wicked grin. “Even if she did have bad breath.”

  “Wouldn’t we all,” Keith said, elbowing his brother as he waggled his eyebrows. “Wouldn’t you, dude? Someone tall with dark hair and green eyes, maybe?”

  Ty ignored their comments and tried not to brood on Keith’s observation as he buried himself in his work. The only time he’d caught a glimpse of Lexi was when she hurried past the shop door or windows. If she was trying to avoid him, she was doing a great job.

  Several days after their interlude by the gate, Ty needed to run into town for parts. He generally checked with everyone before he went to make sure no one else needed anything. He walked toward the barn and found a pile of Baby’s fur outside the side entrance.

  Taken aback, he looked around, expecting to see Baby wounded for the amount of fur left behind. He couldn’t see any blood, but worried about the dog all the same. He called her name, but she didn’t lope out to meet him.

  A search through the barn and outbuildings didn’t reveal her in any of her usual hiding places. He checked the bunkhouse and even stuck his head in the main house, calling for the dog and getting no response.

  No one else seemed to be around either. It wasn’t unusual for Ty to be the only one on the main place as the rest of them did spring farm work or rode out to check on fences and the cattle.

  What was unusual was for Baby to be gone. Since he’d arrived, she stuck to him like a shadow.

  At a loss of where else to search, he phoned Swede. “Hey, Swede, I’m heading into Burns to pick up some parts. Do you need anything?”

  “Nope. I’m all set. Ya might check with the boss, though,” Swede said in his gravelly voice.

  Ty’s gut clenched at the mention of Lexi. He changed the subject to the missing dog. “Have you seen Baby?”

  “Nope. But don’t worry about her. She wanders all over this ranch and half of creation and hasn’t forgotten to come home for dinner yet.”

  “Okay. I just… never mind. Thanks, Swede.”

  Ty disconnected and took a deep breath before calling Lexi. He tried to sound calm and uninterested when she answered.

  “I’m going to town for parts. Do you need me to pick up anything?” Ty asked, relishing the sound of her voice when she’d answered. It made him think of something smooth and silky.

  “Nothing today, but thanks for checking,” Lexi said. She managed to avoid running into Ty since she completely embarrassed herself the other evening. Even talking to him on the phone, heat crept up her neck. She needed to address what had happened and the inappropriate comment she’d made, but was dreading it worse than a trip to the dentist.

  “Ty, about the other night, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…” Lexi said, struggling to find the right words to express how much she regretted blurting out what was on her mind. Before she could continue, he cut her off.

  “Don’t, Lexi. It’s fine. I shouldn’t have tickled you like that. We can pretend it never happened.” He remembered every second of how Lexi felt in his arms and wanting, more than anything, to feel her there again. In an effort to ease her obvious discomfort, he changed the subject. “Have you seen Baby? She disappeared and there is a huge pile of her fur out here by the barn.”

  “I guess we forgot to tell you that Baby molts twice a year,” Lexi said with a laugh in her voice. She could just picture the look on Ty’s face when he came across the pile of Baby’s hair.

  “Molts?” he asked, trying to understand what Lexi was saying. “You mean she sheds like that twice a year?”

  “That’s right. She needs brushed every few days when she’s shedding. I brushed her this morning and forgot to throw the fur away. Sorry if it startled you,” Lexi said, realizing the pile of fur could be a little disturbing.

  “I’m just glad she’s okay,” Ty said, relieved the dog was fine. He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d become quite attached to the behemoth canine. “Do you know where she is?”

  “The last time I saw her, she was in the barn pouting. She gets a little upset when she sheds. I think it damages her pride.” Lexi understood the dog all too well. She’d been hiding from Ty herself and now it looked like the dog was, too. So much for the Rockin’ R females. Ty had them all shame-faced and sulking around.

  “Okay. I’ll just head into town, then. Are you sure there isn’t anything you need?” Ty walked into the bunkhouse to change his shirt before heading to town.

  “I’m fine, but thanks. Talk to you later.” Lexi disconnected the call. What she really wanted to do was go along with Ty. A few hours locked in a vehicle with him sounded both terrifying and wonderful.

  Ty returned from Burns with the parts and worked right through dinner. Swede offered to bring him a plate, but Ty brushed him off, intent on finishing the project. The last streaks of sunlight were fading into the twilight when he slid out from beneath the truck he was working on to have his face washed in licks from Baby.

  “Well, hello to you, too,” he said, sitting up on the mechanic’s creeper and rubbing the dog’s head. Baby grinned at him as he got to his feet and turned toward the bathroom. Ty was surprised to find Lexi watching him, holding a plate in her hand.

  “Swede said you missed dinner. Figured you’d be hungry by now.” Lexi held the plate out in his direction. “Baby was ready to come out of hiding, so we came to see you together.”

  “I’m glad you did.” Ty ducked into the bathroom to wash his face and hands. If only Lexi had greeted him half as eagerly as the dog. The image that stirred in his mind made him grin in the bathroom mirror. Hastily running his hands through his tousled hair, he was going to attempt to subdue it then decided maybe it was better left alone. After all, Lexi had called it sexy.

  Lexi set the plate on a clean corner of the workbench and sat down on the stool next to Ty’s. He lifted the foil covering from the plate to find slices of baked chicken, rice pilaf, steamed mixed vegetables and two dinner rolls slathered with berry jam. His stomach grumbled in anticipation and he smiled at Lexi.

  “I know this didn’t come from the bunkhouse,” he said, taking a bite of the moist, tender chicken.

  “I had leftovers,” she said, not wanting to admit that when Swede mentioned Ty skipped dinner, she hurried into the house and made a special one. She needed to eat something anyway, so it wasn’t like she was making an extra meal. At least that was what she told herself as she seasoned the chicken, made the rice and cooked the vegetables. The rolls were out of the freezer, as was the jam. Although she had a dozen things she needed to be doing this evening, somehow making dinner for Ty seemed like the highest priority. When she found Baby hiding on the back porch, she cajoled the dog into joining her to visit Ty.

  She and Baby were both pathetic when it came to the handsome mechanic.

  When he finished the excellent meal, Ty thanked Lexi for dinner and offered to walk her back to the house. Quickly turning off the lights and tools in the shop, Ty carried the plate and followed Lexi back to the house in the semi-darkness. Ambling down the walk, they discussed what was happening on the ranch and the fact that Lexi hadn’t discovered any more clues. She found her dad’s box of yearbooks, but the one from his senior year was missing.

  When they reached the back door, Lexi wasn’t quite ready to say good night as she turned and imploringly looked at Ty.

  “I should probably turn in and let you get your rest.” He handed her the plate and scratched Baby on the head, trying to ignore his longing to follow Lexi inside.

  “That’s too bad,” Lexi said, stepping inside, but leaving the
door wide open. “I’ve got an apple crisp in the oven and was hoping I could find someone to help me eat it.”

  “I wouldn’t want you to be forced to eat alone.” Ty offered her a teasing grin as he followed her into the kitchen. Baby trailed him in and sat down by the door. The smell of apples and cinnamon filled the space, making Ty’s mouth water even after the big, delicious meal he’d just consumed.

  Quickly washing her hands at the kitchen sink, Lexi took the crisp from the oven and set it on a hot pad to cool. After she took plates from the cupboard, she chatted with Ty about equipment repairs while the crisp cooled and she made coffee. She put large servings on two plates then scooped vanilla ice cream on top. A drizzle of caramel sauce completed the dessert and she slid a plate across to him.

  He savored the first warm, heavenly bite and rolled his eyes in pleasure.

  “Like it?” Lexi asked, grinning at him.

  “Yes, ma’am, I do.” Ty took another big bite. It was quite possibly the best apple crisp he’d ever had. Hot from the oven with ice cream melting in a creamy pool with just a hint of caramel, it was sweet perfection. The hot coffee was good, too. Some of the boys in the bunkhouse were not skilled in the art of making coffee and Ty missed a good cup of morning java.

  “I’m glad I could twist your arm into having some.” Lexi’s green eyes held a teasing light as she looked at him. She tumbled into the warm liquid orbs of blue that stared back at her. She watched a muscle work in Ty’s jaw as he studied her. The longing that radiated from him fed her heart and reflected what was in her own.

  If she wasn’t terrified of his reaction, of being rebuffed, she would bridge the chasm keeping them apart. Instead, she held his gaze, feeling caressed by Ty although he didn’t touch her.

  Ty suddenly felt everything go into slow motion as he watched Lexi take a bite of her dessert, a tiny drip of caramel on her lip. When she ran the tip of her tongue out and licked it away, his pulse picked up tempo while his hands grew clammy. Her cheeks were a rosy shade of pink and her beautiful eyes, highlighted by her lush, black lashes, sparkled with golden flecks.