Star Bright by Catherine Anderson Page A

that first day, comin’ up to the house to tell me you had arrived.”
    Rainie recalled the paunchy, slow-moving man she’d seen. She took a bite of chicken fried rice. “He’s still able to work with horses?”
    “Don’t let his looks deceive you. The old codger can move like greased lightnin’ when the notion strikes him. He’s like a second father to me.” He flashed her one of those heart-stopping grins. “That’s fittin’, I guess. He’s my godfather. When I was a kid, he made me recite my catechism while we did stable chores together. I learned the Apostles’ Creed at the business end of a pitchfork.”
    “It must be nice to have so many people in your life that you’ve known since childhood.”
    “It is nice,” he agreed. “I sort of take it for granted, though. It’s how I grew up. My dad started out poorer than a church mouse, with only this spread as an asset. He was dumber than a rope about quarter horses and had to count on the knowledge of others to get his start. Later, when he became successful, he never forgot the people who’d helped him get there. He treats ’em like family, and in turn, they’re as loyal as family. If this place went tits-up tomorrow, Toby would stand by me to the end.”
    Having experience with only the corporate world, Rainie was more accustomed to a dog-eat-dog mentality. “I can’t imagine.”
    “Around here, it’s the norm,” he said with a laugh. “Not to say I don’t have new employees who’d leave in a blink. But mostly I try to hire people I think will stay on, and then it becomes my aim to make it so good for them here that they’ll never consider quittin’.”
    Rainie remembered his refusal to pay her less than what he felt was fair.
    “Bein’ a good boss is one of the things that my dad drilled into all of us. ‘When the clover’s high, share the pink,’ he says. And he’s not just blowin’ smoke. Right after I got off on my own, I felt rich, havin’ the workin’ capital he gave me in my bank account. And trust me when I say spendin’ it wisely didn’t come naturally to me. That was somethin’ I had to learn. First crack out of the bag, I bought myself a brand-new Ford pickup, tricked out like you wouldn’t believe. I was so damned proud of that truck. When my dad saw it, the first thing he asked me was, ‘When did you last give your hired hands a raise?’ Truth was, I hadn’t given anyone a raise yet, not even Toby. Dad let me know in no uncertain terms that takin’ care of my employees came first. New rigs and luxuries for me always had to come second. I felt guilty every time I looked at that damned truck until I was able to give Toby and all the others an increase in wages.”
    “You’re very fond of him, aren’t you? Your father, I mean.”
    Cheek bulging, he nodded. “More than fond of him. My dad is—” He broke off and wiped his mouth with the paper towel. “Well, he’s indescribable, one of the best men I’ve ever known.” Sighing with satisfaction, he tossed the napkin on his plate and rocked back on the chair. “Enough about me. I’ve talked your ear off. What’s your father like?”
    Here they came, the personal questions she’d been dreading. Only he’d caught her off guard, and Rainie couldn’t think how to dodge the query. She decided that giving him tidbits of information would do no real harm. “My father passed away when I was seventeen.”
    His expression went suddenly solemn. “Ouch. That’s mighty young to be losin’ your dad. It must have been really hard on your mom.”
    “She was no longer with us when he died. We lost her to ovarian cancer when I was twelve.”
    “So you were left all alone at seventeen?” His dark eyes filled with appalled incredulity. “Shit. That must have been rough.”
    Most people tried to console Rainie with platitudes when they heard about her parents’ deaths, but Parker said nothing more. Instead he stared at the desktop as if he couldn’t conceive what