They stopped at a stall. A short piece of rubber with a clip on the end hung from a metal ring mounted in the wall. Beau snagged the clip and snapped it onto the horse’s halter. Beth leaned against the stall door. His arm brushed her leg as he reached down and flipped open the lid on a green plastic trunk against the wall. She flinched at the casual contact and shifted her weight to her other foot, away from him. He picked out a round rubber brush, which he rubbed briskly over the
animal in little circles, starting at the neck and working his way towards the tail.
“This here’s a curry.” Beau said softly. For a moment, Beth wasn’t quite sure if he was talking to her or the horse. “You always use the curry on the horse first. They like it. It’s like getting your back scratched.”
“Oh,” Beth pushed away from the wall, then stood, shifting her weight from foot to foot. “Do you want me to wait somewhere for you?”
“Nope,” the cowboy answered without turning his attention from the horse, “It’ll just take me a minute to brush Star down. He’s a two year old, out of Snicker by Morning Star. The old man was real happy with him.”
Beth bristled at the “old man” comment. She watched the cowboy, examining his face for a clue. Was that a dig about her father? His face was unreadable, no hint of a smile or a frown, just concentration on the task at hand. He really did look like a cowboy, from his scuffed leather boots to his well-worn straw cowboy hat. Muscles rippled under the thin cotton T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. His hands were sure and gentle as he groomed the horse and, for a moment, Beth remembered how good it felt when those strong, sure hands had touched her when he lifted her into the truck. Just the thought of his touch made her heart do a little flip. She scowled, irritated at herself. She was acting like a lovesick teenager.
“Problem?” Beau asked as he glanced at Beth.
“No,” Beth answered quickly. The corners of Beau’s mouth twitched up in a smile. She pulled herself up to her full 5’5” and tried to look confident, while inside her stomach churned at the thought of riding one of these big animals. And of being so close to someone who made her so crazy.
“You ever been on a horse?” he asked.
“No, but I’m sure I can handle it just fine,” she lied. She used to pride herself on being a professional, being able to deal with any situation. Then Quinn screwed her over, destroying her confidence. She second guessed every decision she made now.
“Probably none of my business, but your daddy said you’re engaged. How’s your fiancé feel about you moving out here?”
“It didn’t work out.” After Quinn, she had sworn off men and had turned her attention to her career. Yet she still dreamed of having a home of her own, a family of her own. Someday. “It was just as well. I don’t have time for a relationship.”
“Then your daddy died and you got stuck out here, right?” He peered at her from under the brim of his cowboy hat.
She stuck her chin out, “I’m not stuck here. I can leave anytime I want.”
He snorted and looked her up and down, “So, what if you are successful and you get this place. What then? You gonna stick around? Just leave your life in the city behind?”
Her chest rose as she sucked in a deep breath. The thought of working with this man for the next year irritated her. “One step at a time. I’ve got to learn the ropes and run the ranch well. That’s all I’m worried about right now.”
Beau nodded once, then turned his attention back to the job at hand. Questions swirled in Beth’s head. She’d turned in her resignation the same day she’d walked in on her co-workers watching that video of Quinn and that girl. She couldn’t go back. No way could she show her face there again. There was nothing to go back to. She had no choice. She had to win the ranch. As she mulled over the situation, he unhooked the horse from the tie, and led him into the stall, where he slipped the halter off. The animal rubbed his face vigorously against the cowboy, who responded with a laugh that was deep and pleasant.
A voice from the hay loft above startled Beth.
“Beau, you want me to toss some hay down to Star?”
“That you, Katie? When did you get here?” Beau looked up.
“‘Course it’s me, Beau! Got home from college yesterday. You were gone to town when I stopped by.”
“Glad you’re back. And, yeah, I’d appreciate it if you could toss some hay down.” Beau turned to Beth and pointed up, “This kid is a
natural when it comes to horses. A real tomboy that can ride and rope with the best of ‘em.”
“Will do!” a girl’s voice called from above.
“Thanks, kiddo!” He slid the door closed, then moved down to the next stall and took the leather halter off the hook. “After you do that, would you come down here and help me get Dingo ready for the Boss?”
“Be right there,” the voice called back.
Beau brought a dark brown horse with black legs out of his stall. The clunk of boots on the ladder caught his attention and he turned towards the end of the aisle. Dark, dusty boots were followed by faded jeans that hugged the curves of a woman, not a kid. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She jumped to the ground and turned. Her eyes locked with Beau’s and a big grin spread across her face, revealing perfect white teeth. Beth watched the two of them. Beau looked stunned, his eyes wide and his chin about to hit the ground. Katie jogged down the aisle and launched herself at Beau. He caught her in his arms and the young woman hugged him tight.
He grabbed her by the forearms and held her back at arm’s length. His eyes traveled up and down her body. “Holy cow, Katie, you’ve grown up!”
The girl spun around and grinned, “Thanks for noticing!”
Beau cleared his throat and blinked, then glanced at Beth. “Katie, this is Beth Jameson.”
Katie stepped forward and shook Beth’s hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Jameson. Charlotte told me you were okay with me working here again this summer.”
Beth smiled. “Glad to have you. And, please, call me Beth.”
Beau tugged his hat down over his eyes and broke in, “Okay, now that introductions are out of the way, let’s get these horses ready.”
Beth felt out of place as she watched the cowboy and the young woman work with the big animals. They shared brushes and bantered as they groomed the horses and saddled them up. Would she ever feel that sense of closeness with another human being? Even after
years with Quinn, they hadn’t connected like that. She watched Beau’s hands, sure and firm.
“Looks like Katie’s got you ready to go,” Beau said, breaking her train of thought. She was thankful that he had been concentrating on the task at hand. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed the flush creeping up her cheeks.
Katie elbowed Beau, then nodded to Beth and pointed towards the horse’s rear end, “Dingo’s a gelding. You know what that means?”
Beth’s eyebrows rose and she shook her head.
The young woman grinned. “Means his nuggets’ve been cut off.”
Beau cleared his throat and cut in, “That’s not really approp—”
Katie looked sideways at him and grinned, exposing deep dimples. “Seriously? You’re the one who taught me that phrase!”
Beth hid her own smile. Either Beau didn’t want to make a bad impression on her, or he was completely off-balance because the tomboy who used to help him out had grown up while she was off at college. She suspected it was the latter.
He huffed out a breath, then ran his hand over her mount’s shoulder. “See the way his coat is kinda spotted?”
Beth nodded and Katie provided, “That’s called dapple gray.”
While Beau saddled his horse, Beth examined the subject of their discussion. The poor thing appeared to be ancient. He stood with one hip stuck out and a hind leg up and resting. His nose nearly touched the ground, and Beth was pretty sure he had gone to sleep. Beau’s mount, on the other hand, seemed to be wide-awake. His ears s
wiveled toward the sound of his master’s voice and he looked back at Beau every now and then.
Digger was nearly black, and had a wide white streak down his face. His powerful hindquarters quivered with excitement, as though he was about to explode, his feet shifting in the dirt. Beau positioned a colorful blanket on the horse, then settled the saddle on its back. Beth almost asked why he slid the saddle back a touch, but didn’t want to sound stupid. She loved the way the muscles in his arms bulged when he
lifted the saddle, and she noticed a tattoo of a five pointed star on his right forearm. It gave a hint of the danger that might lurk under that cool surface.
Beau and Katie unhooked the horses and led them down the aisle, into the bright June sunshine. The girl held the gelding’s head and whispered to him while Beau helped Beth.
Getting up into the saddle was less of a chore than Beth thought it would be. Beau took her left hand in his and placed it on the saddle horn. He stood right beside her, his body molding against hers as their hands stretched up. “Hold on to the saddle horn with this hand,” he said, patting her left hand. Then he let go and ran his hand down her body, along her side and down her leg.
She caught her breath, her lips parted in anticipation. He tapped her leg and said, “Lift your left leg up and put it in the stirrup.”
It took her two tries to get her foot in the stirrup, but she managed to do so without ripping her snug jeans. He stepped back a little, only inches behind her. “Now, bounce with your right foot and push with your left while you pull yourself up.”
She bounced, jumped, pushed and pulled, but the feel of his hand cupping her butt made her gasp. He pushed her up, then released as she swung her right leg over the horse.
She looked down and he grinned up at her. “You did it.”
Her heart pounded in her chest, either from the exertion or the proximity of him. Whatever it was, it made her feel as off-balance as he had looked when he saw Katie in the barn. She forced herself to look away from him, settled into the seat and sucked in a deep breath. She wiggled her right foot, but couldn’t seem to get her toes lined up with the stirrup. She tensed as Beau walked around the rear of the horse and grasped her foot to guide it into the stirrup. His touch was so sure and confident. Nothing halfway about him, Beth thought as she watched him mount his own horse in one fluid motion.
He looked at her and smiled, which was disarming and distracting. She reminded herself that he was an employee – and her competition - not a date.
Katie reached up and patted Beau on the knee, “Y’all have fun.”
Beau looked down at her and said, “Why don’t you saddle up Raisin and come with us?”
The girl glanced at Beth, then winked at Beau, “You go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”
She walked back into the barn, ponytail swinging. Beau watched her go, then shook his head and turned to Beth.
“Haven’t ever ridden before, have you?” Beau asked. Before Beth could answer, he continued, “You don’t know what you’ve been missing.”
He pulled his horse beside hers and gave her a quick lesson in riding, dropping his own reins to do so. Beth held her breath as he leaned next to her, his strong, tanned hands over her pale, trembling ones, as he showed her how to hold the reins. He smiled at her with his lop-sided smile. His leg brushed against hers. They were so close, she felt his muscles tense as he used his legs to control his mount. His shoulder touched hers, and she could feel him, smell him. He sat straight in his saddle, and looked at Beth. Their eyes met and neither spoke, until Beau broke the spell and urged his horse forward.
“Just follow me.” He tossed over his shoulder, “We’ll go slow. And don’t worry about Dingo there. You’ll be fine on him. Just do what I told you.”
A black and white dog appeared from around the corner of the barn and fell into step with the horses. His long, silky fur looked like the dog in the portrait in the living room.
Beth nodded towards the dog, “Is that one of my father’s dogs?”
“Yup. That there’s Shep. He’s a Border Collie, which is a real smart breed anyway, but he’s even smarter than most. Shep didn’t let your daddy get too far out of his sight. He’s sort of taken up with me since the old man died.”
The dog looked up, one ear cocked, at the sound of his name, but never broke stride. He looked more intelligent than the little teacup
dogs that some of her neighbors in the city owned, particularly the ones with little bows in their hair who were carried around in little doggie purses.
They rode past the big house and turned right just past the smaller cabin. Beau kept up a running, if brief, description of the ranch. Beth tried to listen as he told her what was kept in each pasture, but she couldn’t keep her mind off of him. He was way too dangerous for her to get involved with. She preferred accountants, lawyers – professionals with a future. This guy was just a cowboy, a ranch hand, with no future.
Unless she failed.
Beth frowned, irritated with herself for even thinking that way. He was her employee. She was the boss. And if she had any intention whatsoever of winning her father’s challenge, she’d better focus on the job at hand and quash the lust.
“What’s wrong?” Beau asked. He turned in the saddle and stared at her, his brow furrowed.
“Nothing.” Beth answered as she glanced down to check her grip on the reins.
“You sure do frown a lot for nothing bein’ wrong,” Beau drawled, slowing his horse to allow Dingo to draw even. Only two or three inches separated her legs from his. A chill ran down her spine.
“You shiverin’? It’s got to be at least 80 degrees out here today.” Beau said, his crystal blue eyes focused on Beth.
“Not cold. Just nervous I guess,” Beth said, as she met his gaze. She held it for a few seconds, then broke it, afraid she might give something away with her eyes.
“You never visited the ranch before. Why not?” Beau asked as the horses continued to walk along at an easy pace.
“My parents separated when I was a kid. He moved down here, and I stayed in the city with Mother. When it was time for visitation, my father came to the city to see me, when he could be bothered to show. Then I got caught up in college and a career,” Beth clamped her mouth closed, surprised that she revealed so much so quickly. She was usually more reserved. She’d never made friends easily. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.
They continued on in silence. The soothing rhythm of the horse’s walk calmed her nerves, and she closed her eyes for a moment to listen to the sound of their hooves on the dirt path and the creak of the leather. Wispy clouds floated across the brilliant blue sky. The orderliness and cleanliness of the white wooden fencing that crisscrossed the rolling hills appealed to her.
“The old man loved it out here. He was really in his element.” Beau’s voice grew thick, “I miss him.”
Suddenly, Beth’s horse snorted and reared up, throwing her forward. The saddle horn dug deep into her stomach, forcing the air out in a rush. The leather reins burned through her fingers. She grabbed for mane, twisted her fingers into the coarse hair and held on for dear life. Her feet slipped from the stirrups, and Dingo jerked from side to side, whinnying frantically. Beau grabbed the bridle and everything jerked to a stop.
She wasn’t sure who was breathing harder, her or her horse.
“Damned rattlesnake! Scared Dingo.” Beau sounded out of breath, too. “You okay, Boss?”
Beth turned to look at the man who had now saved her twice. His dark eyebrows were bunched into a frown, and his display of concern gave her a little thrill. It had been a long time since she felt like anyone cared about her.
She put her hand to her stomach where the saddle horn had dug into her. It ached like crazy. She felt dizzy and scared, but tried to take even, deep breaths and stay calm. She told herself to keep it together, make a good impression. She opened her mouth to tell him she didn’t feel good, but to her utter horror, her vision narro
wed.
CHAPTER NINE
Beau leapt out of the saddle and caught Beth just as she fell to the side. He stumbled backwards and fell, taking her with him. They landed in a tangle on the trail, their arms and legs entwined. The full length of her body pressed against his. Her emerald eyes fluttered open and she stared at him, her face only inches from his own. He could feel her heart thudding in her chest.
Shep stood just off the path, growling as the hair on his back bristled.
She looked at him for a moment, her green eyes slightly unfocused, then they opened wide, “Oh!”
He grinned, “Hi, there.”
She froze as her eyes darted all around. “The snake?”
“It’s gone. Shep chased it off.” His hands settled on the small of her back.
Her brow furrowed and she pushed herself off of him, “I’m sorry about that.”
“Quite all right,” he said, as he stood. He extended his hand out to her. “You okay?”
She grasped his hand and let him pull her to her feet. “I’m fine,” she muttered.
He dusted himself off and she followed suit, then turned to her horse. Shep stood at attention, keeping the gray horse from running off. Luckily, Dingo had calmed as quickly as he panicked and stood with his nose nearly to the ground. Beau snagged Dingo’s reins with one hand and held the stirrup with his other. “Best thing to do when you fall off is get right back on.”
She narrowed her eyes and stared at him, then her chest rose and fell as she took several deep breaths. Her eyes flicked from him to the horse. “Maybe you’re right.”
She hesitated a moment, then swung her leg up and over and settled into the saddle. She let out a shaky breath. Her face was still pale, but the color was beginning to return.
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