even with ornery cattle and horse – and apparently prickly women. She watched him saddle Mace's mount, who was a big gelding by the name of Balthazar, and when he was done with him, she asked if she could attempt to saddle her small mare.
Rusty was impressed with her, too, Mace could see, and she did a very good job, proving that she had paid close attention. She even – almost – managed to get the saddle up on the mare's back, but she had to have a little help. Mace's heart was in his throat when she picked it up, worried she might hurt herself, but he let her do it without a word, although he'd remained tense and ready to rescue her the entire time and he knew Rusty was reacting the same way.
The other man let her lead the horses out to where they would mount up, then nodded to the two of them and left with Mace's thanks.
Chapter Nine
When they were on their way – at a slow walk so that she could find her seat – out onto the range, Mace sidled his horse close alongside hers and said, "Well, you can have a job on the ranch any time you like, Miranda."
She chuckled but she was flattered, too. "Why would you say that?"
"Because I can already see that you have a good head on your shoulders, you listen well, and you learn quickly. All traits I like to have in the people that work for me."
"Well, thank you."
"It's a compliment, but it's true. If you ever get sick of the bank, you can come work for me."
She was fire engine red now, she was sure. "Thank you."
Their ride was beautiful – if slow and uneventful – and she got a view of the enormity of his family's holdings. When they got back to the stable, Rusty was still there, and he was the one who got to help her dismount, much to Mace's disappointment. "Is Rusty going to groom them now?"
"Yes, probably," he answered, watching her eyes following after the horses as if Rusty was leading her, too.
"May I help him with it?"
When she kept putting things she was asking him that way, he was going to be hard pressed to deny her anything. "Yes, you may," he replied indulgently, realizing that he'd just agreed to be bored to tears at watching someone learn to groom a horse properly, but since it was her, he was going to get to spend this time watching her, so it really wasn't going to be a hardship in the least. And it wasn't. He got several wonderful views of every angle of her, so much so that he thought he was going to burst at several points.
When she was finally done, and she'd thanked Rusty heartily, she returned to his side. "Happy?" he asked suddenly, and she gave him a flash of a smile that he had a good idea she didn't use very often.
"Yes," she answered quietly, and, with her tugging so gently on his heartstrings, he fell in love with her right then and there, knowing that she was not even necessarily very fond of him, so he was going to have to play it very cool indeed.
"Good, I'm glad," he said, while they walked back towards the ranch house. He'd put a proprietary arm around her waist, and didn't let her move away from him as she tried to almost automatically, as if she didn't even think about it, but just balked because he was holding her. "Hungry?" She had to be starving, he'd bet. He knew he was, and she'd done much more work than he had.
But she just shrugged. "If you are."
He almost stopped, but decided against it. He was their chef that evening, on the back patio where there was an elaborate kitchen, complete with a gourmet grill for cooking out. The tossed salad and several dressings were already on the table, along with the dinner plates and silverware and various other accouterment. Baked potatoes were in the small oven, and they were timed to be done when he pulled the steaks off the grill. He had, in the warming oven, a basket of very good French rolls he'd grabbed from the bakery in town last night before coming home, and there was fresh, artisanal butter he'd bought from a local woman who actually hand churned the stuff.
She had
Rusty was impressed with her, too, Mace could see, and she did a very good job, proving that she had paid close attention. She even – almost – managed to get the saddle up on the mare's back, but she had to have a little help. Mace's heart was in his throat when she picked it up, worried she might hurt herself, but he let her do it without a word, although he'd remained tense and ready to rescue her the entire time and he knew Rusty was reacting the same way.
The other man let her lead the horses out to where they would mount up, then nodded to the two of them and left with Mace's thanks.
Chapter Nine
When they were on their way – at a slow walk so that she could find her seat – out onto the range, Mace sidled his horse close alongside hers and said, "Well, you can have a job on the ranch any time you like, Miranda."
She chuckled but she was flattered, too. "Why would you say that?"
"Because I can already see that you have a good head on your shoulders, you listen well, and you learn quickly. All traits I like to have in the people that work for me."
"Well, thank you."
"It's a compliment, but it's true. If you ever get sick of the bank, you can come work for me."
She was fire engine red now, she was sure. "Thank you."
Their ride was beautiful – if slow and uneventful – and she got a view of the enormity of his family's holdings. When they got back to the stable, Rusty was still there, and he was the one who got to help her dismount, much to Mace's disappointment. "Is Rusty going to groom them now?"
"Yes, probably," he answered, watching her eyes following after the horses as if Rusty was leading her, too.
"May I help him with it?"
When she kept putting things she was asking him that way, he was going to be hard pressed to deny her anything. "Yes, you may," he replied indulgently, realizing that he'd just agreed to be bored to tears at watching someone learn to groom a horse properly, but since it was her, he was going to get to spend this time watching her, so it really wasn't going to be a hardship in the least. And it wasn't. He got several wonderful views of every angle of her, so much so that he thought he was going to burst at several points.
When she was finally done, and she'd thanked Rusty heartily, she returned to his side. "Happy?" he asked suddenly, and she gave him a flash of a smile that he had a good idea she didn't use very often.
"Yes," she answered quietly, and, with her tugging so gently on his heartstrings, he fell in love with her right then and there, knowing that she was not even necessarily very fond of him, so he was going to have to play it very cool indeed.
"Good, I'm glad," he said, while they walked back towards the ranch house. He'd put a proprietary arm around her waist, and didn't let her move away from him as she tried to almost automatically, as if she didn't even think about it, but just balked because he was holding her. "Hungry?" She had to be starving, he'd bet. He knew he was, and she'd done much more work than he had.
But she just shrugged. "If you are."
He almost stopped, but decided against it. He was their chef that evening, on the back patio where there was an elaborate kitchen, complete with a gourmet grill for cooking out. The tossed salad and several dressings were already on the table, along with the dinner plates and silverware and various other accouterment. Baked potatoes were in the small oven, and they were timed to be done when he pulled the steaks off the grill. He had, in the warming oven, a basket of very good French rolls he'd grabbed from the bakery in town last night before coming home, and there was fresh, artisanal butter he'd bought from a local woman who actually hand churned the stuff.
She had
Similar Books
