
Back in the Saddle
Author
Karen Templeton
Reads
18.7K
Chapters
13
Chapter One
âSo I gather you know a fair amount about horses?â
With an actual sigh, the getting-up-there Boston terrier slid down on the exam table in front of Zach Talbot and promptly went to sleep. This might take a while, wake me when sheâs done.
She being the auburn-haired Texan female of indeterminate age whoâd brought the dog into Zachâs clinic three times in the two weeks since sheâand her daughter, sheâd mentioned more than onceâhad moved into the old Hufsteter place a ways out of town. Completely renovated, sheâd said. Beautiful house. Reminded her of home.
Not that Zach minded chatter, as a general rule. At least it kept him from curling up in a ball inside his own head. However, since heâd yet to find anything really wrong with the little dog, other than a general slowing down due to old age, he was guessing Dorelle Keyes had ulterior motives. Motives that Zach strongly suspected had something to do with this hitherto unseen daughter.
One hooded doggy lid briefly fluttered open as if to say You got it, buddy, before drifting closed again, and Zach met Dorelleâs sharpâoh, so sharpâgreen gaze.
âAs part of my practice, sure.â After gently rubbing the dog between the earsâwhich got a soft groanâZach scribbled down a couple notes for Shantelle at the front desk to add to Edgarâs chart, then glanced back at Dorelle. Remembered to smile. âWhy?â
âOh. Well, Malloryââ the daughter ââis thinking about buying a horse for her boy. Sheâs...â Dorelle glanced around, then practically mouthed, âDivorced. And his daddy has custody at the momentââ Her red-lipsticked mouth slammed shut, as though sheâd realized sheâd gotten stuck in that narrow wedge between discretion and oversharing. âAnyway, when we noticed the stalls out back, that was the first thing we thought of, how much Landon might like to have a horse to ride when heâs here. So I was wondering if maybe you knew of someone local who might be selling. And you strike me as somebody we could trust.â
His mouth twitching, Zach adjusted his glasses. Although his own mother had always said he had one of those faces. However...
âHorses take a lot of work, maâamââ
âAnd while I appreciate that your mama obviously taught you to respect your elders, trust me, no woman past a certain age actually likes to be maâamed.â
âMy apologies, mâMrs. Keyes.â
âApology accepted. And second... I know how much work horses take. Malloryâs daddy was a rancher. So we know what to do. We just donât know who to see. Landonâs eleven, by the way. Far as Iâm concerned he shouldâve had his own horse long ago. But life had other ideas.â
Not for the first time, Zach got the feeling the woman was deliberately baiting him. As though sheâd been given instructions not to blab about personal matters, but if someone asked...well. It would only be polite to answer, wouldnât it? Too bad for her, then, that Zach was sorely lacking in the curiosity department.
Although his own full plate probably had something to do with that. Not to mention a deeply entrenched sense of self-preservation that kept most locals from developing anything even remotely like real relationships with the outsiders who flitted in and out of Whispering Pines. The town was no Taos or Santa Fe, heaven knew, but northern New Mexicoâs clear, high desert air and pristine forests attracted its fair share of tourists and temporary residents. Especially during ski season, which was right around the corner. Granted, Zach could be as cordial to visitors as the next townie. Friendly, even. Especially since they often brought dogs, and he was the only vet in town. But get himself all tangled up in their lives?
Nope.
However, he smiled, focusing on the topic at hand. âHas your grandson said heâd like to ride?â
âOh, my goodness, yes! He already has, actually. A few times out on a farm north of LA. Where we were living, you know.â
Clearly Zachâs cueâagainâto ask what had brought them to Whispering Pines. Except he honestly didnât care.
Heidi wouldâve, though. Because his wife hadnât known the meaning of aloof, embracingâoften literallyâeveryone she saw as if they were best friends...
âDr. Talbot? Is everything okay?â
With an actual jerk, Zach pulled his head out of his butt to meet Dorelleâs gaze again. âYeah, sorry...â He cleared his throat. Smiled. âActually, my brother Josh is the foreman up at the Vista Encantada Ranch nearbyââ
âOh, yes, we passed it the other day when we were out exploring. And your girl out front, she said your brother worked there. One of âem, anyway.â
Shantelle was young yet. Sheâd learn. âThe Vista breeds champion quarter horsesâwhich wouldnât be suitable for your needsâbut from time to time they foster rescues, too. I seem to recall Josh saying something about an older gelding thatâd been used to teach another rancherâs kids to ride. I havenât seen the horse yet myself, but Iâm sure you and your daughter would be welcome to go out and meet him.â
Dorelle lit up as if someoneâd flipped a switch. âThat sounds perfectââ
âDad-deeee!â
âLiam! No!â
The groggy little dog scrambled to his feet as, at the doorway to the exam room, Zachâs older son grabbed his baby brother around his middle and yanked him back. âSorry, Dad!â Jeremy grunted out around the redheaded, windmilling blur that was his three-year-old brother. âGrandma just dropped us off. Man, heâs fast.â
âSo were you at that age,â Zach said, then squatted in front of the pair, ruffling the little oneâs rust-colored curls. âIâm almost done, squirt. You wait outside with Jeremy, okay?â
But Liam threw himself so hard into Zachâs arms he nearly knocked him over. He had no idea why the boy was so clingyâcertainly a lot more than his older brother had beenâbut his hugs never failed to overwhelm Zach, with love and fear, both.
âOh, donât send them out on my account,â Dorelle said behind him, more gently than Zach wouldâve expected. Yes, it was obvious she loved her daughter and grandson, but until that very moment he wouldnâtâve pegged her as a softy.
Even so, the boys knew the rules. Or at least Jeremy did. To Liam, the concept of boundaries was still a little sketchy. So Zach detached himself from his son, then stood, trying for stern and failing miserably when those big, brown, getting-wetter-by-the-second eyes tilted up to his. So who was the softy now?
âGo with your brother,â he said, steeling himself against those eyes, so much like his mamaâs Zachâs own stung. âI wonât be long. Why donât you think about what you want on your pizza while youâre waiting?â
That did the trick. âPeesa?â Liam breathed, as if this was the most awesome suggestion ever.
âYep. Now scoot.â
After the boys left, Zach turned to find Dorelle watching him with one of those expressions, God help him.
âNeither one of âem looks much like you.â
âTruth,â Zach said with a smile. âAlthough I was apparently as blond as Jeremy when I was his age.â
âWhich is?â
âSeven. Eight in a few months.â
âAnd the little one?â
âLiamâs three. He looks...â His throat caught. Damn. âHe looks exactly like his mother.â
âShe must be one gorgeous creature.â
Zach hesitated. âShe was.â
Dorelle sucked in a short breath. âIâm so sorry, Dr. Talbot. I didnât know.â
Somehow, he doubted that. And it was the end of what had been a very long day, one that had left Zach so tired he could barely see straight. Meaning he found himself sorely lacking patience for whatever game this woman was playing.
âReally?â
The womanâs eyes briefly widened before she released a short laugh. âI suppose I deserved that. Since Iâm sure itâll come as no surprise that digging up information is a hobby of mine. Especially when I find myself in a new place and donât know anybody. But I swear to you, this is the first Iâm hearing of it.â She hesitated, then asked, âHow long?â
Oh, what the hell. âTwo years,â he said, and she bit her lip, shaking her head. Then she pushed out a little breath.
âFolks tend to keep to themselves around here, donât they?â
âPretty much.â Although Shantelleâs keeping it to herself was nothing short of a miracle. Town nosy-body in training, that one.
âYeah, it was the same way back in Springerville,â Dorelle said. âThere were absolutely no secrets between neighbors, but we had that circling the wagons thing down. And oh, dear Lordââ Her hand flew to her cheek. âYou thought I had matchmaking on my mind, didnât you?â
Zachâs mouth twitched. âI had wondered.â
âOh, dear boy, no. Not that youâre not cute as a damn button, but I did think you were married. Not a whole lot to do around here. Just like Springerville. One learns,â she said with a slight, almost regal, bow, âto make oneâs own entertainment. Although we really are looking for a horse. Talking about it, anyway. And I thought...â
Her eyes clouded. âMy daughter Malloryâs had some challenges of her own, this last little while. And this past year or so has been particularly hard on her. Not that sheâd ever admit it, God knows. But if you ask me, she didnât buy a house out here in Nowhere, New Mexicoâno offenseââ
âNone taken.â
Dorelle nodded. âAnyway. She didnât buy that house except for one reason, and that was to hide.â
âFrom?â Zach asked before he caught himself.
âLife. Her life, anyway. And I donât like it, not one little bit. Frankly it scares me, if you want to know the truth. Like sheâs given up. And thatâs not like her.â Her forehead puckered, the brunette looked down at the dog, whoâd fallen back asleep. âSo it occurred to me that getting her looking for a horse for Landon might...I donât know...break whatever this is thatâs got hold of her. Start to, anyway.â Softly smiling, she met Zachâs gaze again. âThatâs all I was about, I swear. I wasnât trying to fix you up.â
âI appreciate that.â
âGood.â Dorelle reached over to snap a leash on the snoozing dog before lowering him to the floor, where he blinked, yawned, then sat back down, slightly shivering. âSo youâll call me after you talk to your brother?â
âIâll ask him later. I donât have regular appointments on Saturday afternoons.â
âThank you so much.â
However, as Zach herded his sons to their little blue-and-white house next door to the clinic, Dorelleâs comments about her daughter swirled inside his overworked brain like afternoon dust in the sunshine.
Clearly he needed a hobby. Or at least a nap.
* * *
âHi, Mom!â
Seeing her sonâs ginormous grin swallowing up the entire, if admittedly tiny, phone screen, Mallory Keyes felt her heart swell in her chest. If her precious boy was happy, then she was happy. Nothing else mattered.
Even though it killed her, not being able to touch him, smell him, every day. But Landon deserved a normal life. Well, as normal as the son of a shattered Hollywood power coupleâGod, she hated that termâcould expect. And never let it be said that Mallory couldnât roll with the punches. Or set her own druthers aside in order to do what was best for her son.
And at least they had smartphones.
âHey, baby,â she said, steeling herself for that inevitable moment when the kid would groan and go, âMom? Really? Baby?â He was eleven, after all. But that moment apparently was not today. Thank God. âHowâs it going?â
âGood.â He shoved his hand through shaggy, blah-brown hair that softened what promised to be some pretty fine bone structure, heaven help them all. âGot an A on this project we had to do in science. Without Dadâs help, youâll be happy to know.â
âI am. What was the project on?â
âHow mold grows. I had to keep samples in the fridge, it was so cool. Except Cristina kept trying to throw them out.â
Their housekeeper. Sixty if she was a day, built like a warship, heart of gold. âSounds about right. She making you keep your room clean?â
âYou better believe it,â Mallory heard in the background, and Landon rolled his eyes. Gray, like hers.
âThis is not a bad thing, Poky.â
âSo I guess I canât pull the âIâm just a kidâ thing, huh?â
âNope.â
âToo bad.â Then he grinned again, and her heart went kaplooey. âSo when can I come see your new house?â
âWe already discussed this. Over fall break.â Landonâs new school was on some weird year-round schedule, so he got two full weeks off in October. âDid you get the pictures?â
âYeah, it looks really cool.â He frowned slightly. âHey. You okay?â
Malloryâs chest pinched again. Five years ago, Landon had been too young to fully understand the implications of the accident that changed all their lives. But more recently heâd apparently become more sensitive to her ongoing challenges, even though she rarely gave voice to them. Partly because the less she did, the less power they had over her, partly because sheâd always detested complaining. Mostly, though, because she never wanted Landon to feel sorry for her. Or more importantly, that his motherâs being in a wheelchair would have any negative impact on his life.
Sometimes, though, when the pain snuck up on her, she couldnât hide it from him as well as sheâd like. And considering everything leading up to his new living situation, trying to pretend her life didnât affect his was probably naive. If not downright stupid.
âIâm doing okay, honey.â
âReally?â
She smiled. âYes, really. Okay, the move wore me out some, but it was worth it. It is so gorgeous out here. Sometimes you can drive for miles without seeing another car.â
His brows crashed. âThat must be weird.â
Mallory laughed. âIt is, a little. But youâd be surprised, how fast you get used to itââ
âGotta go, Cristinaâs calling me to dinner. Talk tomorrow?â
âYou bet, sugar.â
The calls were never long enough. And every single time, when they ended, Mallory felt as if somebodyâd hollowed out her chest. Which in turn made her question, yet again, whether sheâd made the right choice, leaving behind her only child.
Except the only other option would have been selfish. If not downright cruel. Granted, the kid was a toughie, but she could tell he needed a break. Not from her, but from the attention she invariably attracted every time she set footâor wheelchairâoutsideâ
The landlineâs shrill ring made her jump. Mallory glared at the thing for a good second or so before wheeling over the tiled floor to answer it. A little testily, maybe. Why Mamaâd insisted on installing the blasted thing, sheâd never know, since they both had cell phones, for pityâs sake.
âHello?â
âOh... Iâm sorry,â said a nice male voice on the other end. Real nice. Granted, in all likelihood it probably belonged to someone who did not match the voice, because thatâs the way these things usually worked, but a girl could dream. âI was trying to reach Dorelle Keyes?â
âSheâs not in right now,â Mallory said in a somewhat less pissy tone. âMay I take a message?â
A pause preceded, âIs this her daughter, by any chance?â
Mallory tensed. It was highly unlikely the paparazzi wouldâve sniffed her out way up here, let alone unearthed an unlisted number. But these days she wasnât taking any chances.
âIf you leave your name and number,â she said, grimacing at her reflection in the mirror on the other side of the room, âIâll be sure to have Mrs. Keyes get back to you.â
âItâs Dr. Talbot. Edgarâs vet? Sheâd asked me to check with my brother about a horse for her grandson?â
The relieved breath Mallory had been about to release snagged at the base of her throat. To hear Mama tell it, this Dr. Talbot would put Michelangeloâs David to shame. And say what you will about her mother, the woman definitely knew hot when she saw it.
So much for not matching the voice.
âUm...you still there?â
Mallory wrenched her gaze away from her wretched reflection. Way too many nights of lousy sleep had definitely taken its toll. âSorry. She was supposed to run that by me first.â
âI take it youâre Mallory, then?â
Call her crazy, but she was guessing this guy had no idea who she was. Meaning either he hadnât put two and two together, or Mama hadâfor onceâkept her trap shut. Or maybe he was just playing it cool?
âThatâs me. Only nothingâs been decided about the horse. Since weâre still getting settled inââ a half-truth, since once the renovation had been completed all theyâd had to do was dump stuff in closets and drawers and they were basically done ââI hadnât really given it much thought yet.â
âCompletely understandable. But if you are interested, my brother says he has a palomino that could be perfect for your son, especially if heâs inexperienced. Not a youngster, but a lot of good years left. No health issues. Even-tempered as they come. And nobody knows horses like Joshâhe wouldnât steer you wrong.â
And neither would this man, she bet. Although how sheâd deduce that from a five-minute conversationâand especially given her backgroundâshe had no idea. Something about his no-nonsense approach, maybe. But after so many years of never feeling as if she could truly trust anybody, of having to constantly watch her backâit felt...good. Even if it was only an illusion.
âIâm sure he wouldnât,â she said, rearranging her long sweater over her thighs, even though her legs didnât really register the chill in the air. âBut there are...logistics to take into account. Iâm still not entirely convinced this is a good idea.â
âYour mother said you grew up on a ranch, so I assume you know what goes into caring for a horse?â
His unwitting understatement made her smile. And ache, a little. An indulgence she rarely allowed herself. âI did. And I do. Thatâs not the issue. But I honestly donât know how much time weâre going to spend here.â Her gaze drifted across the spacious family room opening to the flagstone patio and the pond beyond, its surface rippling gold from the reflection of the stand of yellow-leafed aspens on the other side of the property. Truthfully, the property had wrapped around her heart from the moment sheâd opened the images in the Realtorâs email. âAnd taking on a horse is a huge commitment.â
âSo this is a vacation home?â
âSomething like that.â
The vet was quiet for a moment, then said, âIf it eases your mind, the Vista has excellent boarding facilities.â
Mallory smiled, wondering what heâd wanted to say, but hadnât. âAnd youâre an excellent salesperson.â
He mightâve laughed. âHard to make a decision without knowing all your options. Tell you whatâwhy donât you and your mother meet me out there, see the horse for yourself? Make up your mind after that. You know where the ranch is, I gather?â
âI do, but...â Mallory paused. âIâll think about it. Howâs that?â
âFine by me. But if youâre serious I wouldnât wait too long. As great a horse as I suspect this one is? I imagine heâs gonna find a new home without too much trouble.â
âAnd would that be you trying to close the deal?â
âJust being up-front with you, Miss Keyes.â
Nope, he had no clue who she was. Mallory smiledâsheâd loved her work, heaven knew. And sheâd appreciated being appreciated, no lie. But sheâd found actual fame tedious at best and nerve-racking at worst. Sheâd never thought sheâd live for the day when she wasnât recognized, but now that that day had arrived she felt positively buoyant.
But this business with the horse...a prod, Mallory thought this was. One initiated by her mother, perhaps, but clearly with the universeâs approval: to get up off her duffâin a manner of speakingâand actually move forward with something instead of only talking about it. A bad habit sheâd slipped into over the last little while.
But the move to Whispering Pines had been Malloryâs idea, so there was that. Even though her decision had clearly flummoxed her poor Realtor. Why not Jackson Hole? Or Vail? Or even Taos, if she had her heart set on New Mexico?
Mallory hadnât gone into details. Her reasons were her own. Not that she couldnât see the womanâs point, that here was pretty much nowhere. Only, what no one understood, was that nowhere was exactly where Mallory needed to be right now. As in, somewhere where no one could find her. Watch her. Pity her.
Somewhere where she could truly start over. Something sheâd avoided doing until now, even if she hadnât fully realized that. And sometimes starting over really did mean starting from scratch. From nothingâ
And good Lord, sheâd wandered off again, hadnât she?
âYou know how much your brotherâs asking for... Whatâs the horseâs name, anyway?â
That got a low, rumbly chuckle. âWaffles.â
âYouâre kidding? Thatâs adorable.â
âThatâs one way of looking at it. And Josh usually only asks for enough to cover his costs. Weâre not talking prize stud here or anything. The two of you can hash that out, if you decide to take him.â Another chuckle. âThe horse, I mean.â
âWould tomorrow work?â Mallory pushed out of her mouth, surprised how hard her heart was beating. âI know itâs Sunday, butââ
âNo, tomorrow would be fine,â Dr. Talbot said, sounding a little surprised himself. âIâll probably have my kids with me, though.â
âNot a problem.â Then she smiled, even as her heart twanged with missing Landon. âBoys? Girls?â
âBoys. Two of them. Loud. Constantly moving. Fight every five minutes. Youâve been warned.â
At that, a laugh burst from Malloryâs chest. âHow about early afternoon, if that works for you?â
âOne-thirty? Thatâll give us time to get home from church, get them fed.â
Church. Sunday dinners. An ordinary life she dimly remembered. Missed more than sheâd realized. âSounds good.â Sounds wonderful...
âBuzz at the gate, somebodyâll let you in.â
âWill do,â she said, then ended the call, holding the phone to her chest as she heard the front door open. If she wasnât mistaken, that weird, tingly feeling in her chest was...excitement. Lord, she was in a worse way than she thought. Because damned if she wasnât looking forward to meeting this forthright-to-a-fault dude with the low, rumbly voice.
âHey, honeybunch,â her mother called out. âWeâre home!â
And no way on Godâs green earth was she sharing that tidbit with her mother.
Edgarâs little nails scritched across the tile as he scurried over to Mallory, then stood on his hind legs so she could scoop him into her lap. Because she loved the scrawny little bugger beyond all reason. Mama followed shortly, fluffing her hair and wearing that look in her eyes that Mallory wished she could figure out how to banish once and for all. Not that she had anything against her motherâs chronic optimismâheaven knows she wouldnât have made it this far without itâbut all that cheerfulness did get tiring.
âSo your Dr. Talbot called,â she said, and Mamaâwhoâd been unloading grocery bags onto the city-block-sized quartz counter in the kitchenâjerked up her head. Surprised, maybe, but not in the least bit guilty.
âMy goodness, he works fast,â she said, grabbing two jars of peanut butter and carting them over to the pantry. âI didnât expect to hear from him so soon.â Shoving up her sweater sleeves, she returned to the counter, scooped up a half dozen boxes of pasta. âI assume he was calling about the horse?â
âHe was. And thanks for cluing me in, by the way.â
Mama gave her a look. âIt wasnât anything I planned, for goodnessâ sake. But I was there, you know, with Edgar, and the thought popped into my head. Like these things do. I really didnât mean to go behind your backââ Her face fell as she clutched the boxes to her chest. âYou didnât go and say something dumb, did you?â
Mallory stuck out her tongue, then sighed. âNo, youâll be glad to know I managed to act like a civilized human being.â
âWell, thatâs a load off my mind. So whatâd he say?â
âThat his brother has a rescue that might work.â
âHe does? How wonderful! Isnât Dr. Talbot the nicest man? And, oh, he has two of sweetest little boys. So what did you say?â
Mallory steered her chair into the kitchen and snagged an apple out of the bowl on the counter, polishing it against her jeansâ leg before biting into it. Honestly, trying to follow her motherâs train of thought was like playing pinball. Blindfolded.
âWe have a date,â she said, chewing, smiling slightly at her motherâs gasp. âTo see the horse, Mama. And you seriously need to give it a rest.â
âNot a chance, missy. Not after what Russell did to youââ
âHe didnât do anything to me. Which weâve been over a million times. It just didnât work out. These things happen.â Her mother made an if-thatâs-what-you-want-to-tell-yourself face. âIt was for the best, Mama,â she said gently. âYouâve got to let this go. I have.â Mostly.
Tears welled in her motherâs eyes. âYou really think this is for the best for Lannie?â
âFor Godâs sake donât let him hear you call him that. And would you rather he live in a house where nobody was happy? Really?â Her appetite gone, Mallory wheeled over to dump the apple core in the under-counter garbage can. âAlso, thereâs a new Mrs. Eames, as you may recall. So, onward and all that.â
Mamaâs eyes brightened. âSo does that meanââ
âNo,â Mallory said, knowing exactly what her mother meant.
âWhat am I ever going to do with you?â Mama said with a dramatic sigh, only to come over and plant a kiss on top of Malloryâs head before collecting her dog and sashaying out of the room, leaving a trail of Giorgio in her wake.
Mallory smiled, only to release a sigh of her own. Because that was the question of the century, wasnât it? Not so much what Mama was going to do with her, as what she was going to do with herself. Since frankly she wasnât all that keen about spending the rest of her life without male companionship. Without love and affection and, okay, sex. True, things didnât work the same way they had, but they still worked. She definitely still...yearned, as Mama might say. But she wasnât so much of a fool as to think all she had to do was join an online dating service andâbam!âsheâd be swarmed by seventy billion takers.
And not only because her legs were basically useless. There was also that whole who-she-used-to-be-before thing to take into account.
But to admit that she yearnedâor dreamed, or wished, or whatever you wanted to call itâwould a) make her sound as though she felt sorry for herself, which, no, and b) give her mother ammunition. Which, hell no.
Still. What was the harm in indulging a few tingles? A curiosity about the supposedly gorgeous man attached to the sexy-as-sin voice? A man with a sense of humor? And kids? Boys, no less? What was the worst that could happen? Sheâd get to spend an hour outside, on a beautiful fall day, with a decent guy. And she might even end up with a horse for her son out of the deal. Could be worse, right?
Heh. Maybe she didnât want to know the answer to that.
Harlequin










































