cowboys he wouldn’t have a business at all.
Steps sounded beside her. She glanced around to see Charlie’s father walking up to her, and her heart jolted with sudden fear.
“There’s really nothing to worry about ma’am. Ole Joe is as gentle as a dog, and Charlie’s not going to let him fall off.”
Violet knew she probably looked wild-eyed and hysterical. But for the past few months she’d had nothing but worries and fears. Especially the fear of losing her son.
Swallowing nervously, she did her best to nod at Charlie’s father. “I’m sure you’re right. I’m just a littie... nervous. You see, Sam’s never been on a horse before.”
“I figured as much when I asked him about riding.” He thrust his hand toward Violet. “I’m Charlie’s father, Roy.”
Even though he was the sheriff, shaking hands with Roy wasn’t nearly as disconcerting as when Charlie had wrapped his big fingers around hers.
“I’m Violet. Your son—”
With a knowing smile he held up his hand. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. I’m just glad you’re here.”
Glad? With the man being a lawman, Violet would have figured he would be suspicious of any strange woman settling into his son’s vacation home.
“You don’t want to know why I’m here?”
Roy Pardee chuckled, and Violet decided if Charlie possessed just an ounce of his father’s laid-back charm, he’d be nigh impossible to resit
“If you can keep Charlie’s mind off his job, I don’t care why you’re here.”
Violet was about to ask the man what he meant by that when Charlie led the horse and Sam over to them.
“Well, Sam, it looks like your mama is chomping at the bit to get you off Joe,” Charlie said to the boy.
He lifted Sam from the horse’s back and set him down in front of Violet. She was relieved her son didn’t whine or cry in protest. But in the past twenty-four hours, she’d noticed that Charlie seemed to bring out the little man in her son. She could only suppose that Sam was either eager to have Charlie’s admiration or he was scared the Ranger would scold him for misbehaving.
“Can I ride later, Charlie?” Sam asked. “Are you still gonna look for cows and coyotes?”
He nodded at the child, then glanced at Violet. Her white face angered him. The woman worried about everything she shouldn’t, rather than the things she should.
“We might even look for sidewinders, Sam.”
Violet glared at him through narrowed eyes. “Come on,” she said to Sam. “It’s time you came back to the house with me.”
As the two men watched her go, Roy’s expression turned to one of wry speculation. “I believe you ruffled her feathers a bit.”
Charlie grunted. “I meant to ruffle her. She’s going to make a mama’s boy out of Sam, and I hate to see it.”
Roy glanced at his son. “Justine told me Violet had recently been widowed. I expect that would make any woman a little overprotective.”
“I’m sure it would. A little. But not to the point of obsession. Mom never treated me that way and you know it. If she had, I would have grown up a sissy.”
“Your mother never had to deal with the death of her husband,” he pointed out, then, adjusting the brim of his hat on his forehead, he added, “Charlie, sometimes you expect too much out of people. Especially yourself.”
“What’s that suppose to mean?” Charlie asked sharply.
Roy’s brief smile was that of an indulgent parent. “Once you figure it out, son, you won’t have the problem anymore,” he said, then slapped him affectionately on the shoulder. “Enjoy the horses. I’ve got to get home and pack a bag. Randall and I have to head to Las Cruces in the morning, and I’m afraid we’re going to have to stay over a day or two.”
“Thanks for bringing them over to me, Dad. And be careful on your trip.”
As he turned to go, Roy tapped the badge pinned to his breast and grinned. “Careful is my middle name, son.”
Charlie waved, but he didn’t
Steps sounded beside her. She glanced around to see Charlie’s father walking up to her, and her heart jolted with sudden fear.
“There’s really nothing to worry about ma’am. Ole Joe is as gentle as a dog, and Charlie’s not going to let him fall off.”
Violet knew she probably looked wild-eyed and hysterical. But for the past few months she’d had nothing but worries and fears. Especially the fear of losing her son.
Swallowing nervously, she did her best to nod at Charlie’s father. “I’m sure you’re right. I’m just a littie... nervous. You see, Sam’s never been on a horse before.”
“I figured as much when I asked him about riding.” He thrust his hand toward Violet. “I’m Charlie’s father, Roy.”
Even though he was the sheriff, shaking hands with Roy wasn’t nearly as disconcerting as when Charlie had wrapped his big fingers around hers.
“I’m Violet. Your son—”
With a knowing smile he held up his hand. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. I’m just glad you’re here.”
Glad? With the man being a lawman, Violet would have figured he would be suspicious of any strange woman settling into his son’s vacation home.
“You don’t want to know why I’m here?”
Roy Pardee chuckled, and Violet decided if Charlie possessed just an ounce of his father’s laid-back charm, he’d be nigh impossible to resit
“If you can keep Charlie’s mind off his job, I don’t care why you’re here.”
Violet was about to ask the man what he meant by that when Charlie led the horse and Sam over to them.
“Well, Sam, it looks like your mama is chomping at the bit to get you off Joe,” Charlie said to the boy.
He lifted Sam from the horse’s back and set him down in front of Violet. She was relieved her son didn’t whine or cry in protest. But in the past twenty-four hours, she’d noticed that Charlie seemed to bring out the little man in her son. She could only suppose that Sam was either eager to have Charlie’s admiration or he was scared the Ranger would scold him for misbehaving.
“Can I ride later, Charlie?” Sam asked. “Are you still gonna look for cows and coyotes?”
He nodded at the child, then glanced at Violet. Her white face angered him. The woman worried about everything she shouldn’t, rather than the things she should.
“We might even look for sidewinders, Sam.”
Violet glared at him through narrowed eyes. “Come on,” she said to Sam. “It’s time you came back to the house with me.”
As the two men watched her go, Roy’s expression turned to one of wry speculation. “I believe you ruffled her feathers a bit.”
Charlie grunted. “I meant to ruffle her. She’s going to make a mama’s boy out of Sam, and I hate to see it.”
Roy glanced at his son. “Justine told me Violet had recently been widowed. I expect that would make any woman a little overprotective.”
“I’m sure it would. A little. But not to the point of obsession. Mom never treated me that way and you know it. If she had, I would have grown up a sissy.”
“Your mother never had to deal with the death of her husband,” he pointed out, then, adjusting the brim of his hat on his forehead, he added, “Charlie, sometimes you expect too much out of people. Especially yourself.”
“What’s that suppose to mean?” Charlie asked sharply.
Roy’s brief smile was that of an indulgent parent. “Once you figure it out, son, you won’t have the problem anymore,” he said, then slapped him affectionately on the shoulder. “Enjoy the horses. I’ve got to get home and pack a bag. Randall and I have to head to Las Cruces in the morning, and I’m afraid we’re going to have to stay over a day or two.”
“Thanks for bringing them over to me, Dad. And be careful on your trip.”
As he turned to go, Roy tapped the badge pinned to his breast and grinned. “Careful is my middle name, son.”
Charlie waved, but he didn’t
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