Let Me In by Carolyn Faulkner Page A

uttered, and even just in the way he looked at the place. He was interrupted a couple of times by his men, who very politely tipped their hats to her then launched immediately into a description of whatever their problem was, as if they were eager not to take up too much of his time. She listened to him talking to them even as she tried to appear not to be doing exactly that, but it gave her an insight into who he really was. His men called him by his first name – not Mr. or Sir, but Mace. He spoke to them as equals. She couldn't hear a condescending tone in anything he'd said, and these appeared to her – at least – to be average cowboys, not foremen or anything like that. He did eventually introduce her to his foreman, a man by the name of Asa Cunningham, who was at least as big as Mace was and seemed to be very much of the same temperament.
    She had to admit to herself that she was impressed. He might be one of the most powerful men in the state, and he was the boss man here, but he certainly didn't seem to lord it over anyone – except her, she realized with a grimace.
    He apologized to her after every interruption, to which she always shrugged. It was no skin off her nose at all and she let him know that. "I understand that this isn't just your home, but an active business, too. It needs running, regardless of who's visiting."
    He liked that she was so easy going about that. Some of the women he'd dated weren't anywhere near as patient with all of the inevitable interruptions, and hadn't hesitated to let him know it. Those were the ones that he didn't usually see again.
    The first barn he took her into was a deliberate choice. It was where the expectant mares and foals were, and she'd melted just as he'd intended her to at the sight of a mamma with her baby. "Do you like horses, or are you afraid of them?"
    Her eyes were so soft and loving he had to swallow down a lump in his throat, and parts of him that shouldn't have at that kind of a look were swelling dramatically. "Oh, I adore them – and cats and dogs – but I've always had a soft spot for horses."
    "Do you ride?" he asked as they wandered slowly through the barn.
    She shook her head. "I've always wanted to learn to, but I never had the money."
    One mare in particular seemed much more interested in them than the others, and had her head over the stall door, her baby close at her side. She seemed to recognize Mace, and whickered to get his attention. He walked over and rubbed her muzzle and she seemed to melt as Randa had a feeling she would if he stroked her pretty much anywhere like that. "May I pat her?" She came to stand next to him, looking up at him, but without touching the horse, which was a very smart thing to do.
    He liked her asking him for something – for permission to do something, in particular – and those heavily swollen parts liked it more than anywhere else on him, clenching painfully to let him know that. Whether or not she intended it to, it kind of reinforced the submissive vibe he got from her – despite the fact that she acted all defensive and feisty. "Yes, you may. Lady here is an old hand at foaling and she's pretty easy going about her babies. Not that all of them are. Good girl for asking," he praised, watching her color brightly – and he would have sworn he'd seen her shiver, too, although he couldn't be too sure that that wasn't wishful thinking on his part.
    Since he knew she liked horses, they toured that barn as well as the stables, meeting even more cowboys who greeted him more like a friend than a boss. He caught one of them and asked him if he'd saddle two horses for them.
    "May I watch them being saddled?"
    He was again impressed at her interest in the basics. "Yes, you may. I'm sure Rusty'll let you help him, some, too, although I doubt you'll be able to lift a saddle."
    He stood off to one side and watched her, almost but not quite jealous of Rusty, who was the perfect person to teach her – patient to the bone,