by Marin Thomas
“I don’t want to drive that far for part-time work.”
“What do you need a paycheck for? Hank earns a decent living off his oil leases.”
“I pay my own way.” Ruby might invite boyfriends to move in with her to share expenses, but she’d always covered her half of the bills. Irritated by Stony’s questions, she lost her cool. “You want to know why I need a job?”
He dipped his head.
“Because I’m bored out of my mind. And if that’s not a good enough reason, then how about the fact that my daughter is happier when I’m not around? Mia would rather spend time with her grandfather than with me.”
Stony’s mouth curved upward. “Sounds like happy times out at the Devil’s Wind.”
“I know my way around bars.”
“I bet you do.”
Ignoring the snide remark, she said, “I can take care of myself.”
“Does that mean you’ll keep your hands off my customers?”
“Roughnecks and cowboys aren’t my type.”
“What is your type, Ruby?”
“If I knew, I’d be married. Will you give me a job or not?”
“Part-time. Afternoons. I open at one.”
“You want me to work when no one’s here?” And make nothing in tips.
“Take it or leave it.”
“What employment forms do I need to fill out?”
“I’ll pay you cash under the table.”
Figures. The men in Unforgiven followed their own laws.
“You look like your mother,” he said.
Who would have guessed her mother had been so popular in this town?
“I saw Cora come and go. She spent a lot of time in the mercantile.”
So I heard. “When do I start?”
“Whenever you want.”
“Are you open on Sundays?” Tomorrow was Saturday, and she and Hank were taking Mia to the Humane Society.
“Open seven days a week.”
“See you on the Sabbath.”
“You gonna pay for that tequila you drank the other night?”
“Deduct it from my earnings.” When she left the saloon, she spotted Hank’s truck at the gas station. “Thanks for putting on the new tire,” she said when she reached the business.
Kurt scribbled on a piece of paper, then handed it to Ruby. “Give that to Hank.”
She shoved the bill into her pocket.
“And tell him that he should replace the other three tires soon.”
“I’ll give him the message.”
A half hour later Ruby parked in front of the ranch house. Joe’s pickup was gone and the horses were in the corral, but there was no sign of Hank or Mia. When she entered the house, she heard voices coming from the second floor.
“Mom can buy me an air mattress in Guymon.”
“I want my granddaughter to have a proper bed. I’ll order a new one from Sears. They’ll deliver it.”
Ruby inched closer to the stairs.
“Can I use the dresser for my clothes?”
“You can use whatever you want.”
Hank must have emptied the drawers.
“You think my mom will mind if I move up here?”
In a way Ruby did mind Mia sleeping upstairs. She’d miss their nightly chats. It was easier to talk about sensitive subjects in the dark than the broad daylight.
“Your mom wants you to be happy.”
“She says she does, but I’m not sure.”
“She cares.”
“Did she say that?”
“Your mother’s giving me a chance like you asked her to.”
“She wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”
“I admire your mother’s honesty.”
“Hank?”
“What?”
“Do you think my mom will forgive me for . . . you know . . . ?”
“Your mom already forgave you.”
Ruby pressed her hand against the nauseous feeling flaring up in her stomach. That Mia was still uncertain of her mother’s love shamed her.
“Will you go for a horseback ride with me later? I need more practice.”
“These old bones don’t stick so good to the saddle anymore.”
“We don’t have to go far.”
“Maybe Joe will take you for a ride. Think I’ll lie down now.”
Ruby hurried over to the front door and closed it loudly. “Anyone here?”
Mia came to the top of the stairs. “Did you just get home?” There was that four-letter word again . . . home.
“Yep. What have you been up to?” Ruby asked.
Mia descended the stairs. “Hank said I can use the bedroom now that the paint is dry.”
“I think it’s nice that you’ll have your own room.”
“If anything happens to Hank in the middle of the night, I’ll probably hear him,” Mia said.
“It’s good that you’ll be close by.”
“Did you get a job?”
“I did.”
“At the diner?”
“I’m waitressing at the bar.”
“Oh.”
Not caring to talk about the saloon or her new boss, she said, “I was thinking maybe it’s time I learned more about the horses since we’re not leaving.” Yet.
Mia’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
“You could go over the basics with me.” Ruby set her purse on the stairs. “Like teach me how to climb on and steer.”
Mia laughed. “Let’s go.”
“What about Friend? Isn’t he coming?”
“He’s taking a nap with Hank.”
Ruby followed Mia outside. When she cut across the driveway, Ruby said, “Aren’t we going the wrong way? The horses are in the corral.”
“First you have to learn about the tack. That’s the ropes and saddle and stuff.”
Ruby knew what tack was but allowed Mia to ramble on and share what Hank had taught her when they went into the equipment room in the barn.
“This is called a bit. It’s the part that goes into the horse’s mouth.” Mia removed the harness from a peg. “Pretty Boy doesn’t mind his, but Sugar doesn’t like the bit and backs up when you try to put it on her.”
“What’s this?” Ruby ran her fingers over a leather strap.
“The lead rope. Hank attaches it to the halter. It’s kind of like a dog leash.” Mia brought Ruby a piece of rope. “This one’s called a war bridle. It’s made of hemp, not leather.”
“I’m really impressed that you know what all this stuff is used for.” Ruby was more confident than ever that she’d made the right decision to allow Mia to have her own horse.
“I think you should try riding Lonesome first.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because Sugar doesn’t like anyone to ride her, and Pretty Boy likes to run.”
“What does Lonesome do?” Ruby asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t ridden him.”
“Maybe we should wait for Joe—” Ruby stopped talking when Joe waltzed into the barn.
“My mom wants to ride Lonesome.”
Joe’s mouth stretched into a slow, easy smile. “She does, huh?”
“I don’t think she can handle Pretty Boy, and Sugar hates people riding her.”
“Mia’s right. Lonesome is your best bet.”
Her daughter’s eyes lit up at Joe’s praise. Until just now Ruby hadn’t realized that in her determination to protect herself, she’d denied Mia what she’d needed most—a man to look up to. Sean had been the closest Mia had come to experiencing a father-daughter relationship, but Ruby’s self-doubts had ripped that away from her. If Mia latched on to Joe and Hank, Ruby would never convince her to leave the ranch.
All these
years a promise had held Hank prisoner at the Devil’s Wind—his vow to wait for Cora. And Ruby suspected Joe stayed because the barren land asked so little of him and nurtured the hurt and pain of his son’s death. As for Mia’s infatuation with the bleak landscape . . . it had more to do with Hank than the horses. The old nags were only a means of communication between grandfather and granddaughter. Hank provided Mia with a sense of security that Ruby had never given her.
“I guess I’ll ride Lonesome,” Ruby said.
“I’ll bring the saddle and meet you girls at the corral.”
“No laughing at me,” Ruby warned.
“I’m gonna wake up Hank.” Mia veered toward the house. “He’ll want to see this.”
Chapter 20
“When are we going to get there?” Mia asked. She and Ruby sat in the backseat of Joe’s truck. He drove and Hank rode shotgun.
“We’re almost there,” Joe said.
As far as Mia knew, they were visiting the Humane Society to make a donation. If her daughter thought it odd that the horse trailer was hitched to the back of Joe’s truck, she hadn’t said anything. Ruby had changed her mind about telling Mia she could foster a horse. She’d decided it was best to see the condition of the horses before agreeing to bring one back to the ranch. If the animals were too bad off, Ruby didn’t want to chance one of them dying in Mia’s care and leaving her heartbroken. Ruby had put Hank in charge of making the call after they assessed the boarders.
“Here it is.” Joe slowed down, then turned left at the entrance to the facility. There were several corrals, a metal barn, and two smaller buildings.
“Look.” Mia pressed her face to the window. “They’ve got goats, a cow, and a two sheep in that pen.”
Joe parked, and they piled out of the pickup. A young woman met them outside the barn. “Howdy.” Her smile widened when she noticed Joe. “Welcome to the Humane Society. I’m Ellen. What brings you by today?”
“Hank is gonna make a donation,” Mia said. Before she caught her breath, she asked, “Do you have any horses here?”
Ruby tried to make eye contact with the woman, hoping to convey a silent message to speak with her in private, but the brunette batted her eyelashes at Joe and asked, “Is this your daughter?”
“I’m her mother, Ruby Baxter, and this is her grandfather, Hank McArthur.” She nodded to Joe. “He’s the ranch hand.” She ignored the twinkle in Joe’s eyes—he knew she was jealous.
“We have five horses boarding with us. All are geldings between the ages of fifteen and twenty-two.”
“Where’s the twenty-two-year-old?” Ruby asked.
“Follow me.” Ellen led them into the barn, where large industrial fans circulated the warm air. She stopped in front of a stall with a sliding door. “This is Hombre. He’s a Thoroughbred. He’s been bought and sold his whole life. I think he’s tired of moving and just wants to stay in one place.” She clicked her tongue. “Say hello, Hombre.”
The horse spun away from the door, sticking his rump in their faces. Ellen laughed. “Takes a while for him to warm up to people.”
They moved to the next stall. Two tan horses with white patches shared the space. “These guys are brothers and escape artists,” Ellen said. “Their owner couldn’t keep them contained.”
“Why are they so skinny?” Mia asked.
“The last time they ran off, they got lost for three months and didn’t have much to eat.” Ellen waved them to the next stall. “This is Bob.”
Bob was black with a large white spot across his back.
“I’ll show you how he got his name.” Ellen clapped her hands. “Hey, Bob, are you hungry?” The horse moved his head up and down. “Do you want to eat?” More bobbing. “Is it okay if I give all your food to Hombre?”
“I get it.” Mia laughed.
“Bob’s not very social. He kicks if you get too close to him. We can’t adopt him out to just anyone.”
“You said there were five.” Mia hadn’t appeared impressed with any of the horses.
Ellen walked to the rear of the barn. “This is Poke. Because he loves to poke his nose in everyone’s business.”
Mia gasped. “It’s a baby horse.”
“He’s a miniature pony. He’s sixteen, and you can’t ride him because his leg is deformed.”
“What happened to him?” Mia stuck her hand between the bars, and Poke nuzzled her fingers.
“Got his leg caught in a fence, and the broken bones didn’t heal properly.”
“He’s a boring color,” Mia said.
“I don’t know,” Ruby said. “He looks like a big Nutter Butter cookie.”
“It’s a good thing his personality isn’t boring.” Ellen’s gaze swung to Joe. “How would you like a tour of the vet clinic?”
“Mia and her grandfather would love to see where you treat the injured animals,” Ruby said. She nodded to Hank. “We’ll wait out here for you.”
“The clinic is this way.” Ellen smiled at Joe before she walked off.
Ruby stabbed the toe of her athletic shoe against the cement floor.
“What’s the matter? Can’t decide which one Mia should pick?”
Ha-ha. He knew darn well why she was agitated. “Ellen sure seems fascinated with you.”
“I know.”
He could have pretended to deny her charge. “What are you going to do about her?”
He leaned against the stall door, crossed his boots at the ankles, then shoved his fingers into his jeans pockets. “Why are you asking?”
Why was she doing this? “You know what?” She waved a hand in front of her face. “Never mind.” She had no claim on Joe. Besides, why would he want to become involved with a woman who was just waiting for him to slip up? She should leave the barn, but Joe’s stare held her captive.
He pushed away from the wall and moved closer, forcing her head back to meet his gaze. “I’m a grown man, Ruby. I know when a woman is interested in me.”
Could he tell she was testing the waters with him?
“But I’m not looking for a young girl.”
Don’t ask. “Are you looking at all?”
His eyes focused on her mouth. “Maybe.”
His honesty earned him a token of Ruby’s trust, and she wanted to see how things played out between them.
“Mom.”
Ruby stepped away from Joe and met Mia at the entrance of the barn. “How was the tour of the clinic?”
“Okay. Hank’s filling out paperwork to make a donation and I wanted to see Poke one more time.” Mia walked over to the stall and rubbed the pony’s nose.
“He seems like a sweet horse,” Ruby said.
“He’s not that much bigger than Friend.”
“I was thinking,” Ruby said. “You’ve learned a lot about horses from Hank. I bet you could take care of one of your own.”
Mia whipped around. “Are you saying we can take Poke home?”
“Yes.”
Mia threw herself at Ruby, almost knocking her down.
“What’s all the excitement about?” Hank shuffled toward them.
“Mom said Poke can come home with us.”
“Is that right?” Hank cleared his throat. “You want a horse you can’t ride?”
“I don’t care.” She looked at Ruby. “Will Poke like Pretty Boy, Sugar, and Lonesome?”
“I think your grandfather can best answer that question,” Ruby said.
Mia tugged Hank’s shirtsleeve. “I want Poke, but I don’t want Pretty Boy to be mad at me, either.”
Poke stuck his tongue between the bars and licked the back of Mia’s arm. “Eew!” She laughed.
“Poke’s a charmer,” Hank said. “He’ll do fine with the other horses.”
“I’ll back the trailer up to the barn.” Joe and Hank left Ruby and Mia
alone.
“Did Joe bring the trailer because he knew you were gonna let me get a horse today?” Mia asked.
“I wanted to be prepared in case you saw one you liked.”
“Why are you letting me have a horse?”
“Because you’ve proven that you’re responsible enough to care for one.” And I’m trying to show you that I respect the young woman you’re becoming.
“What happens if we move?”
“Wherever we go, Poke goes.”
Mia gave her another hug, and Ruby savored the sweet feeling of knowing she’d made her daughter happy.
Chapter 21
“Am I doing it wrong?”
Stony’s deep chuckle pissed Ruby off. Her new employer sat on his butt with his boots propped on a table, his golden eyes watching her sweep the floor.
“Or maybe you just like staring at my boobs.”
“You got your mama’s figure, all right.”
As long as the only things she shared with her birth mother were the woman’s looks and big bosom, Ruby could live with that. She set aside the broom, then sprayed cleaner across the top of a table and wiped the stickiness away.
An hour had passed since she’d arrived at the Possum Belly and not one customer had walked through the door. “Why are you open on Sundays if no one comes in here to drink?”
“The men gotta go to church and repent before they start another week of boozing it up.”
She pulled out a chair and sat across from him. “Enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re doing your best to make me feel uncomfortable.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Is it working?”
“Not a chance. Don’t get your hopes up that I’ll quit anytime soon.”
Ruby thought she saw a glimmer of respect in his eyes, then decided she was mistaken. Men like Stony appreciated women for only one thing—sex.
“I’m surprised you came home after all these years.”
“The Devil’s Wind is not my home.” What did she have to do to make people understand that?
“Touched a hot button, did I?”
“Stating a fact, is all. Hank never brought me to the ranch after I was born.”
