Tori closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath, and forced a smile for the boy. “As fast as Coaldust and I allow. We’ll be in single file, remember? And no passing.”
“Aw, man, it’s like a sissy ride.”
“Prove you can handle Snowball, and you can try some jumping in the arena later. She loves to jump.”
The boy’s face brightened. “Really?”
“Sure. But I need you to prove you’re a good listener. Not just to me, but to Snowball.”
“Yes, ma’am. I will.”
Crisis averted. Hopefully.
Chapter Five
Time on the trails above the riding stables had cleared Garret’s mind. He checked over his shoulder once more to see Cocoa plodding behind him and Trudy. The brown mare hated being ponied along, but on days like today, leading another was the only way Garret could get a decent ride in himself while still seeing to the exercise needs of other horses in the stable. He and Trudy had both been cooped up too much lately. All the horses had. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d made it to the trapper’s cabin back in the mountains.
He rounded the last bend in the trail and Canyon Crossing Stables came into view. His heart swelled with pride. The ranch was tidy and neat with classic white board fences crisscrossing the green, rolling bench-land above the creek. The three main buildings — house, arena, and stables — formed a U at the end of the drive. Noah Cavanagh’s truck sat close to the corral for the second day, with the farrier hard at work on Boomerang’s hooves.
Garret had work to do, too. He nudged Trudy into a trot, and the lead rope tightened for a second before Cocoa decided to cooperate.
An old gray minivan turned into the drive. Seriously? Noela Bergstrom had uncanny timing, putting off riding Cocoa for days on end then showing up when Garret’d had enough.
She swung out, her three boys tumbling out of the van’s side door, and stood watching his approach with her hands on her hips.
Like it was his fault she hadn’t let him know she was coming — not that he’d have believed her, since something always came up. Garret dismounted at the stable doors.
“Cocoa,” Noela crooned, rubbing the mare’s face. Of course, Cocoa leaned into the caress.
“Didn’t know you were coming today.” Garret kept his voice mild.
“Dougie wanted to ride.”
He glanced at the ten-year-old. “Still can. I’ve worked the kinks out of her. She was mighty restless earlier.”
“I’ll grab her tack.” Noela pointed at the fence and skewered her boys with a look. “You three wait right here and don’t move an inch.”
“What’s that guy doing?” Darren, the middle boy, pointed at Noah’s mobile forge.
“Shoeing Boomerang,” said Garret. “Noah is a farrier who comes every six weeks or so to take care of all the horses’ feet.”
“Even Cocoa?”
“Yep. It’s part of the deal when you board a horse at Canyon Crossing.” Their website called it spa treatment. The previous owners had left it up to the individual owners, but Garret’s dad had quickly seen that led to haphazard care and more veterinary calls. They’d upped the board per horse and rolled the service in.
“Is that why it costs so much?” asked Dougie. “Mom says we might have to sell Cocoa.”
Noela parked her saddle on a rack by the corral rails. “You talk too much, Dougie. Take Cocoa’s lead from Garret and bring her over here.”
The kid rolled his eyes but did as he was told. Noela made quick work of tacking up then adjusted the stirrups to fit her son before boosting him into the saddle. She opened the gate into the arena and slapped Cocoa’s rump as Dougie rode past.
“Can I watch that guy?” Darren wanted to know, still eyeing Noah.
“If you sit on the fence beside my dad and don’t get in the way.”
“That old guy’s your dad?” Davey, the youngest brother, asked. “I don’t have a dad. He died.”
Garret knew how that felt, but he hadn’t bothered to let anyone in Saddle Springs know his family dynamics. “Yup. Come with me.” He boosted the two boys up on the top rail and introduced them to his father.
Noah glanced over. “Curious what I’m doing?”
“Yeah.” Darren peered over. “But I’m too far away to see.”
The farrier chuckled. “That’s a good distance. You make sure to let me or Mr. Morrison know if you need down, okay?”
Darren sighed. “Okay.”
Garret headed back to Trudy, who stood patiently waiting for him. He led her into her box stall before removing her tack.
“Hey.” Noela’s voice came from the door.
He glanced over as he reached for the curry comb. “How’s it going?” She’d be full of tales of woe, he was sure of that.
“I was meaning to talk to you about Cocoa, but Dougie spilled the beans.”
“So you are thinking of selling?”
“I hate to.” She grimaced. “Life is so crazy. The boys are in every sport known to mankind and, with the weird hours I can pick up at Manahan’s, it seems we’re always racing around. Cocoa is getting the short end of the stick.”
He leaned an arm over Trudy’s back and studied her. “You’re good with horses.”
“I love them. I miss riding so much. It’s one of the things Jay and I did together all the time and even with the boys when they were all small enough to ride with us. He’d put Davey in a carrier on his back and Dougie in front of him.”
Garret had met Jay a few times before his untimely death. A logger, he’d been killed by a rogue tree coming down. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not on you. But... I’m just not sure what to do. Would you buy her from me?”
He shook his head. “I don’t need another horse, but you could try the Rocking H. Last I heard, Spencer Haviland was looking for another mount or two.”
“They live so far from town, I’d never get to see her.”
“Well, isn’t that the point? When you sell something, it belongs to the buyer.”
Noela rolled her eyes. “I know that, Garret. But I’m not sure I want such a drastic solution. Maybe I could lease her to the Flying Horseshoe. Do you know if they’re looking for horses for tourists to ride?”
“Not a clue.” And he didn’t want to speculate, not when he’d spent his entire ride writing music in his head to avoid thinking about certain hazel eyes.
Something poked at the back of his mind. “What do you do with the boys while you work?”
“Jay’s parents watch them. They wish the hours didn’t shift around so much — I mean, they know it’s not my fault, but still — but they appreciate bonding with their grandsons.”
“You’re good with horses.”
Noela blinked. “Uh, yes? They’ve been part of my life since I was a kid.”
“I should probably talk to my dad first...” But why? Garret shook his head. “Or not. Listen, we could sure use some help around here on a regular basis. As little as two or three hours a day would make an immense difference, but honestly? We could pay someone for six hours a day. Thirty hours a week. Interested?”
She stared at him. “Are you serious?”
“Totally. With Dad’s declining health, he can’t do as much as he used to.” Garret poked his thumb in the direction of the farrier’s truck. “To be honest, that right there is about his level these days. Keeping the flow of horses to Noah and talking the poor guy’s ear off while he attends their hooves. Dad can hardly get into the saddle and, when he does, he can only manage a few minutes of riding. Then, when he’s dismounted, he’s done for the day and needs a heating pad and some painkillers.”
“I had no idea.”
“He probably wouldn’t want word getting out. But it leaves more and more of the work to me every day. That’s all the cleaning, all the exercising, all the health management, all the repairs, everything.” Five years ago, Garret had been Tuck’s assistant. He hadn’t realized how much things had shifted unt
il right now. Talking to Noela was not precipitous. It was necessary.
“So you’re seriously offering me a job. A real one, with regular hours, not out of pity.”
“Why would I pity you? Because you’re widowed? I’m sorry about that, of course, and I can only guess the stress of raising three kids alone. But I also see how hard you work and how adjusted the boys seem to be. If you want a job, you’ve got it. You can even set your own hours.” He turned back to Trudy, running the brush down her flank. “Pray about it, and let me know.”
“Garret?”
“Hmm?” He glanced over. Oh, man, tears welled in her eyes. Way to make a guy uncomfortable.
“Thanks. I’ll talk to Jay’s folks and come back to you with available hours. Is that okay?”
“More than.”
“I should go rescue your dad from Darren and Davey.”
Good idea. And rescue Garret from chitchat. Would anyone think there was something between him and Noela because he hired her? Even though she probably had five or ten years on him?
Would Tori think that?
Not that Tori’s opinion mattered. He hummed his new tune loudly while he curried Trudy, but it didn’t completely block his thoughts.
“Man, you are a thousand times more patient with those kids than I am.” Meg removed Domi’s tack and began to brush him.
“Ryan’s a good kid. Most of them are. They just need to be heard.”
“I like my own kids just fine. It’s other people’s kids I’m not so fond of.”
Tori laughed. “Just wait until Aiden’s that age.”
“Spare me.”
“And then Sophia. She’s just like you, Meggie. You and Eli are going to be in so much trouble.”
Meg made a face. “How come you never went crazy like I did?”
Tori lifted off Snowball’s saddle, and Matt came to tote it to the tack room. She reached for the curry comb. “My question is the reverse. How come you went crazy, when we had the best parents and best examples in the world?”
“Million dollar question, I guess. Somehow it didn’t seem enough. Too boring. Too... safe.”
“I like safe.” Sometimes it seemed she liked it too much. Was it time to shake things up? Step out of her comfort zone? “I’ve been thinking of becoming a teacher.”
Meg paused and looked over. “You’d be good at that. Especially junior high.”
“You think?” Kids Ryan’s age presented a big challenge, but she loved the way they were still vulnerable children wobbling back and forth into maturity. It was definitely a time of life when a steadfast adult who believed in them could make a big difference.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Aren’t you going to tell me how much you’d miss me if I left the Flying Horseshoe?”
Meg shrugged. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, honestly. Most kids do eventually leave home. Except in ranching communities, lots of times they settle a long way from their parents. But, yeah, I’d miss you.”
“Wow, tell me how much I mean to you.”
“Just giving the facts. Dad and Mom have Eli and me and James to help run the ranch. And Ollie and the staff.”
Of course, Meg wouldn’t consider Lauren part of the family business, since she still worked out of the veterinary clinic.
“Yeah, well. I’m looking into it.” But college was a last resort. First she’d make another solid effort at catching Garret’s eye. Why did he refuse to notice her? What could she do about it?
She’d think of something.
Chapter Six
Garret sat at the grand piano, his fingers warming up as they danced across the keyboard. Voices and laughter from the foyer warned him that the wedding party had arrived for the rehearsal. He wrenched his gaze away from the propped-open double doors and stared up at the sunset glow through the round stained glass window above the platform.
“New song?” James’s voice came from over Garret’s shoulder.
He startled, but his fingers kept playing. “Hey.” What was he playing, anyway? Oh, the melody that had been coming to life in his mind over the past few days. “Uh, yeah. Just a song I’m writing.”
“Lyrics?”
Hazel eyes with glints of green and brown and gold.
Gazing into the windows of your soul—
What? His hands dropped discordantly. How had he even noticed Tori’s eyes? Because the words were certainly not about anyone else.
“You okay?” James’s eyebrows pulled together in concern.
“Fine.” Garret glanced around.
Everyone stood still, staring at him with worry and concern etched on their faces.
“Really. It’s all good.” He launched into Ode to Joy, practicing for the processional. Avoiding his friends.
Pastor Roland came in from the side door, rubbing his hands together. “Everyone’s here?”
Looked like it to Garret. Bride, groom, parents, wedding party, a few close friends.
“Let’s gather together here at the front and ask God’s blessing on this evening.”
Garret didn’t miss the roll of Sawyer’s eyes or the way his arm draped loosely over Tori’s shoulders as they drifted toward the platform in the midst of the group. He didn’t miss the way Tori stiffened and shifted away, but not enough to dislodge the bronc rider’s arm. He didn’t miss the unease in his own gut at the sight.
No, Garret. Remember. Remember it’s dangerous to get too close to people. Dangerous for them. Dangerous for you.
All he had to do was remember the wedding eight years ago. A small church in Kentucky. His glowing bride, her radiance so full of promise. And not two hours later, a crash that claimed Jenna’s life. Destroyed his.
What had been left, Chantelle had demolished.
Tori wasn’t like Chantelle, but it didn’t matter. The common denominator of all disaster was Garret Morrison. He couldn’t pursue Tori. One of them — and probably both — would face an unprecedented catastrophe, and that was unfair to her.
Not that she was likely interested in him, anyway.
But, as Pastor Roland said amen, their gazes tangled for a brief moment. Garret hadn’t imagined anything. She was definitely aware of him... like he was of her. He forced his gaze back to the stained glass window as he began to play again. Music, his defense against everything.
Garret always seemed to hide behind his music.
For half a second, he’d seemed aware of her. It happened just often enough that Tori was sure it wasn’t all in her imagination.
But then he looked away. Always. Why didn’t he act on his attraction? What went on inside Garret Morrison’s brain that kept him aloof?
Maybe it was her. Something was wrong with her. She wasn’t pretty enough. Ambitious enough. Smart enough. Something... but what? She might not be as thin as Denae or as bubbly as Lauren or as composed as Cheri or as focused as Carmen, but she wasn’t so terrible, was she?
“Ladies, please go to the ready room with Bonnie and, gentlemen, please come with me to the office. Garret, you’ve got a repertoire of songs to play as guests are being seated, correct?”
Garret nodded and switched to Love So Amazing with not so much as a transition.
“Ushers, please take your place at the back, ready to escort guests to their seats. The last to be seated—” the pastor checked his notes “—will be Michelle Archibald, then Russ and Gloria Delgado then, finally, Lisa Williams.”
Lisa, the bride’s mom, cast a glare at her ex-husband’s current wife, while Michelle twined her fingers with Stewy’s, leaning into him without acknowledging Lisa. The divorce and remarriage had been more than twenty years ago, but it was only in the past year that the two women could be in the same room without altercations of some kind.
Every time, it reminded Tori how thankful she was that her own parents remained happily married. Dad’s devastating accident had certainly been a trial for them, but they’d grown even closer, proving the ‘in sickness and in health’ part of their vows.
Tori pushed the thought away and followed the female contingent of the bridal party toward the back, Garret’s music setting the tempo. Too bad her heart didn’t feel like dancing.
“Pizza’s here!” called Trevor’s dad. “Come on into the fellowship hall and let’s ask God’s blessing on the remainder of this evening.”
Garret followed the group of family and friends out of the sanctuary and down the corridor.
“Hey.” James fell into step beside him. “You’re kind of quiet tonight. Everything okay?”
“I’m fine.” Garret found a smile and offered it to his friend. “There’s just a lot going on out at Canyon Crossing with my parents’ health and all.”
James slowed. “What’s happening?”
“I’m not sure. They are both far more tired than they used to be, and I’m concerned. Of course, they refuse to see the doctor.”
“I’m guessing that means you’ve got a lot extra on your plate.”
“Yeah. It will be okay, I’m sure. Just a hurdle right now.”
“You can admit it’s a problem, you know. Even ask for help.”
Garret forced a laugh. “It’s not that bad. Besides, you guys are in your busy season, too. Everyone is.”
James stopped, blocking the doorway to the fellowship hall as he stared in Garret’s eyes. “Friends do what needs to be done to help each other out. Give us the chance.”
A great thought, and one he could see Tori’s brother believing. It’s how the Carmichaels and Delgados and Havilands operated, for sure. But the Morrisons were still newcomers. They weren’t woven into the fabric of Saddle Springs like the ranching families who’d settled Mustang County before the railroad opened the West.
“We need more than a temporary hand, to be honest.” Garret looked past James’s shoulder, his gaze colliding with Tori’s. “I hired Noela Bergstrom to help out. She needed a job with steadier hours, and she’s intuitive with horses. She’s taking on some of the exercising and cleaning.”
The Cowboy's Belated Discovery Page 4
