leaped up to follow her, barking orders as older brothers will, all of which Rosie ignored.
“Not there. He needs shade. They live in the mud, dumbbell.”
“I’m not a dumbbell.”
“Are, too!”
“Am not!”
“No name calling, Chad!” Natalie yelled, but the children continued volleying insults as if she hadn’t spoken.
Rosie moved through the garden, which now sported more bare dirt than plants, looking for the perfect place to release her captive. “Toads don’t live in the mud,” she informed her brother. “They only burrow into it during the day to keep cool.”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Yes, sir!”
And so it went. Zeke attended the exchange for a moment. “I’d almost forgotten,” he said softly.
“Forgotten what?”
“How kids love to bicker. I was one of six. From dawn ’til dark, there was never a moment’s peace. It’s a wonder my parents aren’t bald from tearing out their hair.”
His friendly, easy manner helped Natalie to relax. She set her glass on the grass beside her and looped her arms around her bent knees. “Six kids? I can’t imagine. Chad and Rosie are bad enough. Sometimes I want to knock their heads together.”
“Times them by three, and you’ll have a fair idea of what my childhood was like. Four brothers and a sister. I’m the second oldest.”
“My sympathy is all with your sister,” she said with a laugh. “How on earth did she survive five brothers?”
“She was the baby. We went pretty easy on her.” His eyes went soft with memories. “Not to hear Bethany tell it, of course. Mostly it was Hank, the youngest of us boys, who gave her a hard time. One against one, she held her own fairly well, giving back as good as she got. I think it was healthy for her, actually. She grew up to be one spunky lady.”
His expression told Natalie that he loved his sister deeply. “And your brothers, what are they like?”
He frowned thoughtfully. “A lot like me in looks, and in other ways as well, I guess. Jake and Hank have a cattle ranch. They also raise and train quarter horses. The twins, Tucker and Isaiah, are vets, specializing in large animals. I own The Works, a ranch-supply store on the west side of town.”
Natalie’s dad had frequently patronized The Works before injuring his lower back. Now he leased out his alfalfa fields to neighboring farmers and lived on the proceeds and monthly stipends from his disability insurance. “I’ve been to The Works. It’s a nice store.”
He shrugged. “It provides me with a good living, and selling ranch supplies is right up my alley. My father is a third-generation cattleman. There’s some truth to the saying that an apple never falls far from the tree, I reckon.”
Natalie found it interesting that all five boys had pursued professions linked to their father’s. “And your sister, what does she do?”
“In addition to being a fabulous wife and mother, she recently opened a riding academy for handicapped kids.”
“What a great idea. A few years back, I saw a television documentary about a riding academy like that. Seeing the joy on those kids’ faces the first time they got in the saddle nearly brought tears to my eyes. It gave them such a sense of freedom. I hope your sister can make a go of it.”
“No worries. She’s married to Ryan Kendrick.”
Practically everyone in Crystal Falls had heard of the Kendrick family. They were richer than Croesus. “Ah. No worries, indeed.”
Zeke smiled. “Ryan’s very supportive. In fact, I think it was him who came up with the riding academy idea in the first place. Being married to a paraplegic, he’s more sympathetic to the plight of handicapped children than most people are.”
“Your sister is a paraplegic?”
“A barrel-racing accident at eighteen. Teaching kids to ride is a wonderful way for her to stay active. She’s always loved horses. She was the state champion three years running in barrel racing and had her eye on the nationals.”
Now that he
“Not there. He needs shade. They live in the mud, dumbbell.”
“I’m not a dumbbell.”
“Are, too!”
“Am not!”
“No name calling, Chad!” Natalie yelled, but the children continued volleying insults as if she hadn’t spoken.
Rosie moved through the garden, which now sported more bare dirt than plants, looking for the perfect place to release her captive. “Toads don’t live in the mud,” she informed her brother. “They only burrow into it during the day to keep cool.”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Yes, sir!”
And so it went. Zeke attended the exchange for a moment. “I’d almost forgotten,” he said softly.
“Forgotten what?”
“How kids love to bicker. I was one of six. From dawn ’til dark, there was never a moment’s peace. It’s a wonder my parents aren’t bald from tearing out their hair.”
His friendly, easy manner helped Natalie to relax. She set her glass on the grass beside her and looped her arms around her bent knees. “Six kids? I can’t imagine. Chad and Rosie are bad enough. Sometimes I want to knock their heads together.”
“Times them by three, and you’ll have a fair idea of what my childhood was like. Four brothers and a sister. I’m the second oldest.”
“My sympathy is all with your sister,” she said with a laugh. “How on earth did she survive five brothers?”
“She was the baby. We went pretty easy on her.” His eyes went soft with memories. “Not to hear Bethany tell it, of course. Mostly it was Hank, the youngest of us boys, who gave her a hard time. One against one, she held her own fairly well, giving back as good as she got. I think it was healthy for her, actually. She grew up to be one spunky lady.”
His expression told Natalie that he loved his sister deeply. “And your brothers, what are they like?”
He frowned thoughtfully. “A lot like me in looks, and in other ways as well, I guess. Jake and Hank have a cattle ranch. They also raise and train quarter horses. The twins, Tucker and Isaiah, are vets, specializing in large animals. I own The Works, a ranch-supply store on the west side of town.”
Natalie’s dad had frequently patronized The Works before injuring his lower back. Now he leased out his alfalfa fields to neighboring farmers and lived on the proceeds and monthly stipends from his disability insurance. “I’ve been to The Works. It’s a nice store.”
He shrugged. “It provides me with a good living, and selling ranch supplies is right up my alley. My father is a third-generation cattleman. There’s some truth to the saying that an apple never falls far from the tree, I reckon.”
Natalie found it interesting that all five boys had pursued professions linked to their father’s. “And your sister, what does she do?”
“In addition to being a fabulous wife and mother, she recently opened a riding academy for handicapped kids.”
“What a great idea. A few years back, I saw a television documentary about a riding academy like that. Seeing the joy on those kids’ faces the first time they got in the saddle nearly brought tears to my eyes. It gave them such a sense of freedom. I hope your sister can make a go of it.”
“No worries. She’s married to Ryan Kendrick.”
Practically everyone in Crystal Falls had heard of the Kendrick family. They were richer than Croesus. “Ah. No worries, indeed.”
Zeke smiled. “Ryan’s very supportive. In fact, I think it was him who came up with the riding academy idea in the first place. Being married to a paraplegic, he’s more sympathetic to the plight of handicapped children than most people are.”
“Your sister is a paraplegic?”
“A barrel-racing accident at eighteen. Teaching kids to ride is a wonderful way for her to stay active. She’s always loved horses. She was the state champion three years running in barrel racing and had her eye on the nationals.”
Now that he
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