by Marin Thomas
“Hey, Dad, you’re up.” Ricky stopped inside the barn and gaped at the two male adults. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Brody said, schooling his expression. “Your father and I were discussing ranch business.”
“You wanna play a video game, Dad? I’ve got this—”
“I need to speak to your mother.”
“She’s gone,” Ricky said.
“What time will she be back?”
Ricky looked at Brody.
“Kat didn’t say.” Brody nodded to Dwayne. “Ricky’s waiting for your answer.”
“Answer to what?”
“Do you wanna play Xbox?” Ricky said.
“Yeah, sure. Wait for me in the cabin.” Ricky dashed from the barn then Dwayne faced off with Brody. “Keep your nose out of my business with Kat and Ricky.”
Brody hoped to do exactly that but worried he was fighting a losing battle. “Make sure you don’t keep Ricky waiting.” Brody stopped at the barn door. “You might want to pick up after yourself. Kat doesn’t like messes.”
As far as messes went, Dwayne was a big one, but Brody wasn’t much better.
Chapter Six
“Hang on, boy.” Kat adjusted the Easy Soaker boot on Tiger’s hoof, early Friday morning, then waited for the gelding to put weight on his leg. Her patient refused. Exasperated, she pulled up a stool and massaged his fetlock joint, hoping to coax him into cooperating.
The barn was quiet. The local weatherman had been correct for a change and the rain he’d predicted by the end of the week had arrived after midnight. A light drizzle continued to fall, but Kat welcomed the moisture now that the hay had been baled and safely stored in the equipment barn.
“C’mon, Tiger. Give it a try.” She coaxed his hoof deeper into the solution of warm water, Epsom salt and Betadine. Kat had babied the hoof with medicated soaks and poultices, but the healing process was slow going.
“Having trouble with Tiger?”
Kat jumped inside her skin and spun on the stool.
Brody. How long had he been spying on her?
“He’s acting like a typical male,” she said.
“How’s that?”
“Stubborn.”
The corner of Brody’s mouth quivered. “Be a good boy, Tiger.” Brody grabbed a soft brush from the grooming kit hanging on the stall door and cleaned the horse’s coat in long, even strokes. Tiger responded to the pampering by putting weight on his injured hoof.
“You have the magic touch,” Kat whispered. They worked in silence—Brody brushing, Kat massaging. From her seat on the stool, she studied Brody’s muscular thighs visible beneath the gelding’s belly. Her face heated when she pictured his strong legs squeezing the sides of a bull.
“How long have you been rodeoing?” she asked.
“I’ve competed on and off through the years for fun, but I became serious about the sport two years ago.”
“Do you have brothers or sisters who rodeo?” So far Brody had been tight-lipped about his personal life.
“I don’t have any family left.”
The odd note in his voice caught Kat’s attention and she stopped rubbing Tiger’s leg. “Tell me about your folks.”
“I was an only child and my parents were up there in years when they had me,” Brody said.
“How long ago did they pass away?”
“I can’t remember off the top of my head, but it was before I married.”
Married? Kat sucked in a quiet breath. The day she’d convinced Brody to stay on at the ranch, he’d denied that he had a wife or girlfriend waiting for him in Lubbock. “Where’s your wife now?”
“Ex-wife. She moved to California after our divorce.”
Kat hated prying but…” How long have you been divorced?”
“A little over two years.”
During the past week Kat had asked Brody a few personal questions, hoping he’d share his past with her. She wasn’t sure why he was willing to talk now, but fearing he’d clam up any second she bombarded him with more questions.
“What was her name?”
“Kelly.”
“We’re you high school sweethearts?”
“No. I met Kelly right after I graduated.” He chuckled. “She was stranded on the side of the highway with a flat tire. I changed her tire and in lieu of payment, I asked her out on a date. She said yes.”
“How old were you when you married?”
“Twenty.”
“That’s young.”
“So is having a baby at seventeen.”
Touché. “Don’t think I didn’t get crap about that from my grandparents.”
“How did your parents react?” Brody asked.
“They weren’t in the picture. My mom ended up pregnant with me at fifteen, but had no idea which of her boyfriends had fathered me. My grandparents raised me from birth and my mother ended up dead at seventeen from a methamphetamine overdose.”
“I’m sorry.”
Kat shrugged. “To tell you the truth I never missed having a mother. My grandparents were the best people in the world and I’m glad Ricky had the chance to know them before they died.” Kat was somewhat of a private person but she’d happily share her life story if it kept Brody in the barn a while longer.
Since Dwayne had arrived at the ranch, Brody had stopped taking his meals with her and Ricky. Kat was stuck listening to Dwayne’s obnoxious tall tales at the dinner table. Ricky, bless his heart, hadn’t discovered the real reason his father remained with them longer than usual—Kat refused to pay him to leave.
“I know I thanked you already, but I’m grateful to you for bringing in the hay crop.” Wednesday, Brody had raked hay, then yesterday he’d run the baler through the field and stacked the hay bales in the barn all by himself.
“Glad I was able to help.”
The first thing Kat did each morning when she woke was peek out the front window to see if Brody’s truck remained parked in the yard. He’d confessed himself that he wasn’t any good at staying in one place very long. Even though Kat hoped Brody would work for her until the Bakers returned in May, she wasn’t counting on it.
Brody brushed Tiger’s rump, then his haunch and across the girth until he stood next to Kat. The heat from his thigh felt as though it seared the side of her face.
“There’s a rodeo in San Marcos a week from tomorrow. I’ll muck out the horses stalls in the morning before I take off.”
If Brody was mentioning the rodeo, then he intended to remain at the Wild Rose at least another week. Time would tell if she’d misjudged him. “I wish I could go along and watch you ride,” she said.
Brody chuckled. “No, you don’t.”
“Why not?” Kat stood and set the stool aside.
“I stink at bull riding.”
Startled by his honesty, she asked, “Then why do you rodeo?”
“Keeps me on the move.”
“I guessed right.”
Brody’s gaze caressed Kat’s face. “Guessed right about what?”
“You’re a runner.” She raised a hand. “Not that it’s a bad thing to roam from town to town.” But it sure wasn’t what Kat wanted for her and her son. Her dream was to remain in one place long enough to make memories.
Brody tugged a strand of hair that had escaped Kat’s ponytail. “You’re right about the running part.” The quiet admission pulled at her heartstrings.
Drawn by the swirling emotion in Brody’s dark eyes, Kat leaned closer. How long had it been since she’d kissed a man? Forever. Brody’s gaze settled on her mouth and her pulse quickened.
“Don’t,” he whispered.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t want me to kiss you.”
“I don’t.” They both knew she was lying.
Brody lowered his head. Kat lifted her face. At the last second she considered turning away, then his breath caressed her lips and she nixed the idea. His mouth settled against hers. His scent—a mixture of soap, aftershave and d
amp leather—surrounded her. She tunneled her fingers through his hair, knocking his hat to the ground. He deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth.
She felt the first tingle in her toes then the tickling sensation moved to her breasts. A moan worked its way up her throat and escaped her mouth.
“Figured you were sleeping with the boss.”
Brody broke off the kiss and Kat teetered on her boot heels. What rotten timing. “What do you want, Dwayne?”
“For starters, some of what you’re handing out for free.”
In a quick move, Brody snatched Dwayne’s shirt collar and backed him up against an empty stall door. “Watch how you speak to the lady.”
Dwayne shoved away from Brody. “Since when have you been a lady, Kat?”
“Knock it off, Dwayne.” She crossed her arms, hoping to hide her thundering heart. “Did you come in here to say goodbye?”
“Hey, haven’t I spent quality time with Ricky this week?”
Quality time—yeah, right. Ricky did his school lessons in the afternoons while Dwayne napped on the sofa.
Needing a moment to gather her composure, Kat turned her back on both men and removed Tiger’s soaking boot. She dried the hoof with a clean towel then slathered a medicated poultice on the abscess. After covering the area with gauze pads she enclosed the hoof in a small-size infant diaper, which she secured with a layer of vet-wrap followed by duct tape. Satisfied the wound would stay clean she led Tiger into his stall, then faced Brody and Dwayne. Both men were locked in a stare-down.
“Get out of my way. I’ve got work to do.” Kat stomped out of the barn. Damn Dwayne for interrupting the most romantic kiss she’d ever experienced. And damn Brody for awakening her sensual side—a romantic tryst was the last thing she needed in her life right now.
Or was it?
“SHE’S A HOT LITTLE NUMBER, ain’t she?” Dwayne said after Kat left.
Ignoring the jerk, Brody packed the grooming brush away then turned to leave. Dwayne blocked his exit.
Brody resisted punching the jerk in the nose. Pretty face aside, what had Kat seen in this guy? Don’t be too quick to judge. Dwayne might be the biggest loser on the planet, but he didn’t cost a child her life.
“Kat’s holding out longer than usual.” Dwayne poked his finger at Brody’s chest. “Because of you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Listen close. This is how it works. I show up unannounced, get in the way and generally irritate Kat until she gets sick of me.”
Jerk. “Then what?”
“Then she pays me to get out of her hair.” Dwayne shoved his extra height in Brody’s face. “You told her not to give me any money, didn’t you?”
“Kat’s a smart girl. She doesn’t need me or anyone else to advise her how to handle leeches.”
“You sure talk big, for such a puny guy, don’t you?”
Brody shoved Dwayne with such force the man stumbled and banged his shoulder against the edge of the barn door. “You don’t scare me, cowboy. You’re nothing compared to the two-thousand-pound bulls I wrestle each weekend.” Brody left out the fact that most times he ended up with his face planted in the dirt. “Kat wants you gone, so hit the road.”
“You’re the hired hand. You don’t get any say in how things go down between me and Kat.” Dwayne straightened his shirt. “Ricky’s my kid, not yours. You stay the hell out of my way.” A minute later Brody heard a muffler backfire and the crunch of spewing gravel as Dwayne sped off.
Real smooth, Brody. What had gotten into him—standing up for Kat and Ricky? But Dwayne’s indifference toward Ricky had rubbed Brody the wrong way. Ricky was alive and well. No matter how Dwayne had screwed up in the past, the man had an opportunity to make amends to his son. Brody would give anything for a second chance to be a better father to Angel.
He pushed the wheelbarrow to the far end of the barn then led a horse named Belle from her stall and hitched her to the center post. He grabbed the shovel and began mucking.
If he expected his mind not to stray, then he’d sorely misjudged his cognitive abilities. He couldn’t stop replaying the kiss he and Kat had shared. Her taste lingered on his lips and he could still feel the way her soft mouth molded to his…. Damn. He hadn’t been interested in a woman since his split with Kelly. Why now?
Better yet, why Kat?
Maybe if you’d indulged in an occasional one-night stand with a buckle bunny your testosterone levels wouldn’t be off the charts. There was a valid reason Kat’s kiss had blown him away—he was sex-starved. He hadn’t been intimate with a woman since his divorce.
No matter what excuse he offered, Brody didn’t dare become involved with Kat. She was the kind of woman who held a man accountable for his actions. No way in hell Brody could live up to her expectations nor did he want to. He’d failed one woman in his lifetime. He refused to fail another—especially one on the road to making a better life for her son.
“HEY, KAT?”
Kat counted to ten in her head before answering Dwayne. Following his and Brody’s confrontation in the barn last Friday, she’d spent the week devising ways to get rid of Dwayne. The scumbag had thwarted all her efforts, so she’d decided to simply throw him out. “What?”
Dwayne walked into the kitchen scratching his bare chest. “Where’s my clean laundry?”
Kat nodded to the duffel bag propped against the cabin door. Dwayne’s boots rested on the floor by the bag and his coat, hat and truck keys sat on top.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re leaving.” She kept her voice down, aware of Ricky watching TV in his bedroom down the hall.
“Is this some kind of April Fools’ joke?”
“Nope.” Dwayne had been at the Wild Rose as long as Brody—approximately two weeks. But unlike Brody, Dwayne had worn out his welcome.
“What if I don’t want—”
Kat held out a bank draft from her checkbook. She hated that she’d given in to him.
He read the check then laughed. “You must want me gone real bad.”
“Throw on a shirt, say goodbye to Ricky then leave.”
“Gettin’ kind of stingy.” He fluttered the check in front of Kat’s face. “You’re lucky you got a good job.”
“If you don’t want the money, give it back.”
Dwayne yanked the check out of Kat’s reach. “What about Ricky? We had plans next week.”
This was the first she’d heard of any plans. “If you want more time with your son, hire a lawyer and file for joint custody.”
“That’s cold.” Dwayne pulled a shirt from the duffel and slipped it on. He gestured to the oven where a tuna fish casserole baked. “You could feed me before I—”
“You’re leaving, Dad?” Ricky walked into the room.
“Your mom says it’s time for me to go.” Dwayne sent Kat a nasty glare.
“But—”
“Until next time, Ricky.” Dwayne saluted.
It was wishful thinking on Kat’s part, but she hoped there wouldn’t be a next time.
“Can I come with you?” Ricky followed Dwayne outside.
“I got no way to take care of you.”
“I can take care of myself. Let me come, please, Dad.”
Kat stood in the doorway, silently cursing Dwayne. He couldn’t even look his son in the eye.
“I got things to do. You’ll just be in the way. Besides, you got your schoolwork.”
“I can do my homework in the truck while you’re driving.”
Dwayne put his hand on Ricky’s shoulder and pushed him away from the driver’s side door. “This isn’t my truck. Now go on. Your mom—” Dwayne’s eyes pleaded with Kat for help. After he realized she wasn’t coming to his rescue, he said, “Your mom needs you more.”
Dwayne threw his duffel into the front seat, then revved the engine and drove off without a honk. The ass hadn’t even given his son a hug goodbye.
Kat braced herself a
s Ricky walked back to the cabin. Instead of throwing a tantrum he asked in a subdued voice, “Is Brody gonna eat with us now?”
“I don’t know. If he’s hungry he’ll show up when I ring the bell.”
Evidently Brody wasn’t hungry, because Kat and Ricky ate alone. She attempted to fill the silence with questions about the history lesson Ricky had completed in his workbook, but after several one-word responses she gave up. Kat cleared the dishes from the table and Ricky took a small bowl of tuna fish casserole out to the barn for Spot. Another hour passed and no Brody, so Kat fixed a plate for him.
Brody opened the trailer door on the fourth knock. “Hi,” Kat said. His face in the shadows, she couldn’t read his expression. Their kiss had happened seven days, thirteen hours and eight minutes ago—but who was counting? Ever since the kiss, Brody had acted polite but cool toward Kat. “I hope you like tuna fish.”
“Hey, Brody!” Ricky sprinted across the drive. “You wanna hang out?”
“You know how to play poker?” Brody asked.
“No.”
“I’ll teach you.” Brody opened the screen door, took the dinner plate from Kat’s hand then ushered Ricky inside. The door shut in her face.
“You’re welcome,” Kat muttered.
“MOM SAID YOU’RE going to a rodeo in San Marcos tomorrow. Is that your gear?” Ricky pointed to the canvas bag on the floor by the recliner.
“Yep.”
“Where’s the rest of your stuff?” Ricky’s gaze shot around the trailer.
“I don’t have much else.” Except a few pairs of jeans and shirts. And Angel. He had a framed photo of his daughter—the only one Kelly had allowed him to keep. He sat at the table and dug into the casserole Kat had brought him. “Your mom’s a good cook.”
“I know. Do you have an iPod?”
“Nope.”
“Then what do you do while you’re driving to all your rodeos?”
“Watch the road.”
“Real funny. Do you play games on your cell phone?”
“I don’t carry a cell phone.” The fewer connections he had to people the better. “What do you do if you get bored?”
