The Rancher and the Runaway Bride Part 2
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Susan Mallery
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Chapter Six
“Cooperate, damn you,” Brady Jones muttered when the large gelding took an unexpected side step and bumped him. Brady scrambled back to keep from falling on his butt. “I own you,” he reminded the horse. “Keep this up and I’ll sell you for glue. Or dog food.”
Rita laughed. “That’s telling him, boss. Remind him who’s in charge and how you hold his life in your hands.” She stroked the horse’s head. “Are you scared, big fella? Don’t be.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “He’s all bark and no bite. Yes, it’s true. Cheap talk. Can you say cheap?”
The horse snorted.
“She’s got a way about her, that one does,” McGregor said as he finished shaping the shoe and returned to the horse’s side. “Come on, laddie. Don’t be givin’ an old man trouble.”
The farrier bent over and deliberately bumped the gelding’s right front shoulder. The horse obligingly shifted his weight to the other three legs and allowed the man to pick up his hoof.
“Good boy,” the Scotsman crooned. “Stay steady just a wee bit longer. We’ll be gettin’ you a nice new shoe. The ladies will be impressed.” He set the shoe over the hoof and grabbed a handful of nails from a pocket in his oversize leather apron.
A few minutes later the shoe was in place, the edges filed to insure a perfect fit. McGregor released the hoof and straightened.
“I do fine work, if I say so myself. No doubt you’ll be thinkin’ the same, Brady.”
“You’re the best, McGregor. I appreciate you taking the time to see to my horses.”
Rita giggled. Brady shot her a quick look and winked. The old Scotsman was the best farrier in the business. He was also the only one close enough to come by on a moment’s notice. The gelding had thrown a shoe the day before. Until it was replaced, he couldn’t be worked.
The horse stamped his foot as if checking the fit. He tossed his head, then blew out air.
“See,” McGregor said. “He approves. You’ll be wantin’ me to look at the other three?”
Brady nodded. “I think that back shoe is coming loose.”
“Shoddy workmanship, and not mine. Who have you had around pretendin’ to shoe these horses?”
“Your nephew. Remember? You took off for a cruise.”
“Aye. I remember.” McGregor looked at Rita and smiled. “The Caribbean, it was. Very lovely. You ever been?”
“No. I haven’t.”
“You’d like it. Lots of pretty girls, but not as pretty as you.”
“Aren’t you sweet?”
Brady held in a sound of disgust. Not only was McGregor old enough to be her father, but his lines weren’t that good. Yet women everywhere always fell for him. “It’s the accent,” he muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?” Rita asked, but the glint in her blue eyes told him that she’d heard his comment.
“Nothing.”
“Gee, I could have sworn you said—”
“Rita.” Brady cut her off with a look designed to remind her he was her boss. She wasn’t the least bit intimidated, either.
She turned her attention to McGregor and said, “I adore your accent. It’s very charming.”
“Accent? Me?” McGregor moved around the gelding and lifted his left rear hoof. “You’re the one who sounds funny, lass.” He tapped at the shoe. “This one’s loose, like you said. I’ll be havin’ a talk with my nephew. I taught him better than this. The boy’s lazy. You know how young men are. Still, that’s a lame excuse for bad work.” He smiled at his pun, then set the hoof down and headed for his truck. “Let me get another shoe and I’ll replace it.”
The gelding shifted, again bumping into Brady. He pushed back. Unfortunately, the horse didn’t budge. “What’s your problem?”
“He’s establishing dominance,” Rita said.
“I thought we’d taken care of that already.”
“Not really.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I think the basic problem is that he doesn’t understand enough English to know that you’re threatening him. Otherwise, I’m sure he’d be terribly respectful.” She spoke seriously, but the corners of her mouth twitched.
“Right,” he said, fighting a grin of his own. “Sort of like you.”
“I’m very respectful.”
“To whom?”
She laughed.
The gelding took another step. Brady saw it coming and ducked under the animal’s head. The horse was just as quick. He shifted back, catching Rita unaware, pulling her forward and making her stumble. As Brady moved to keep her from falling, the gelding stepped between them. Rita hit the ground, knees first.
Her shoulders were shaking. Fear darted through his chest. Had she hurt herself? He grabbed the halter and forced the gelding back two steps, then crouched down beside Rita.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She rolled onto her rear, and looked at him. Tears streamed down her face, but they weren’t from pain. She was laughing. “He’s so bored,” she said, motioning to the horse. “He’s been bugging me ever since you brought him in. I think he hates not being outside with the cattle.” She brushed the moisture from her face. “No horse has caught me so off guard since I was fourteen.”
Her reaction surprised him, then he reminded himself that it shouldn’t. Rita wasn’t like other women he’d known. Working on his ranch for only a few weeks proved to him that she was tough and sensible. Competent, not that she would consider his assessment much of a compliment, however he might mean it that way.
“You fell pretty hard,” he said, and touched her left leg. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
He squeezed her knee, trying to feel for swelling or tenderness. As he slid his hand a few inches down her shin, then up her thigh, he watched her face, looking for a hint of pain. He ignored the pleasure touching her brought. This wasn’t about desire, it was about making sure she was all right. Even so, it was difficult not to let his hand linger on her knee.
When he paused in his actions, she shrugged. “It’s a little sore from the fall, but I’m fine. I’m tougher than I look.”
“I know.” He stood up, then held out his hand to help her to her feet.
As she straightened, they were standing very close. He was once again reminded of their brief hug last week when her trial period was over and he said she could stay on. He swore under his breath. Every time he was close to forgetting that hug, along with the kiss he’d stupidly given her, something happened to make him remember. He didn’t want to remember. He wanted to take the whole thing back. It had been inappropriate behavior, and not his style at all. He’d had female employees before and had never once been tempted.
He couldn’t explain the impulse that had made him kiss her, and he couldn’t forget.
Rita didn’t seem to be having the same problem. She stepped up to the gelding and took his large face in her hands. “Don’t do that to me again,” she told the animal. “You know better.”
The horse snorted gently, as if apologizing.
“Like I believe that,” she said.
“Believe what?” McGregor asked as he entered the barn.
“Anything a man says to me. You all tell wonderful stories that don’t have a lick of truth.”
“I’m wounded, lass. At least let me share a story or two before you start accusin’ me of somethin’. In fact, I’ll think up a good one to tell you at the barn dance next week. What do you say? Surely an old gent like myself deserves a wee bit of your time.”
Rita blinked in surprise. “I didn’t know about any dance, but I don’t think—”
McGregor made a noise of disgust and glared at Brady. “Did you mean to be keepin’ the lass to yourself?”
“No. The subject never came up in conversation.”
“Typical. These young men. They don’t know what’s important in life.” McGregor moved to the gelding and lifted the animal’s rear hoof. “Next Saturday night there’s a barn dance in town. Everyone’s invited. It’s at the lodge, so it’s not really a barn, but it’s called that. There’s lots of music and food. Perhaps a wee bit of drink, too.” He held the metal shoe against the hoof, then lowered the animal’s leg.
Brady, who hadn’t been to one of the town dances in months, found himself suddenly eager to go. To dance. Specifically with Rita. Down boy, he warned himself.
“They’re a lot of fun,” Brady said, hoping he sounded casual. “You’ll know a lot of people there.” At her questioning look he added, “The cowboys all go. Even Tex. You don’t need a date.”
“But you will need a few dancin’ partners,” McGregor said, then pounded the shoe into the right shape. “I believe I’d like to claim one dance for myself.”
Rita bit her lower lip, then nodded. “I’d like that,” she said, sounding hesitant.
Brady wondered why. Was it going to a place where she didn’t know many people, or was it attending the dance itself?
“A two-step?” McGregor asked.
Rita smiled. “Perfect.”
Brady turned away, annoyed to find himself wanting to claim his own dance. Dammit, he wasn’t jealous of McGregor, he wasn’t jealous of anyone. He had no claim on Rita. She was just an employee. A young employee, he reminded himself, thinking of the nine years between them.
“And maybe a waltz,” the Scotsman teased.
Brady stepped around the gelding and headed for the back of the barn. “I’ll write you a check for the shoeing,” he said.
“Just for the one,” McGregor called after him. “The second one is repairing a bad job. No charge for that.”
Brady grunted in reply. He knew what the problem was, but knowing it and fixing it didn’t seem to be the same thing. If he was jealous of someone who wasn’t the least bit interested in Rita, what would happen if someone who was came sniffing around?
He crossed to his desk and jerked open the upper right drawer. His checkbook lay on top. As he sat down, he told himself to get over it and fast. So what if Rita got to him in a way that left him hard and wanting? So what if no one had affected him like that in years? So what if she wasn’t Alicia? She was still a woman with secrets. A woman with a past, and he of all people knew the danger in that.
He scrawled out the amount, then signed the check. Ten minutes later, the farrier came in to collect it. They chatted for a short time. When McGregor left, Brady tried to ignore the sounds from the barn. He didn’t want to think about Rita with the horses, of her doing her chores, of the way she would look bending over to spread straw or raising her arms high to grab a feed sack.
He rested his elbows on his desk and rubbed his temples. He had it bad.
“Brady?”
He glanced up and found Rita standing in the doorway to his office. Her long braid hung over one shoulder and down the side of her right breast. He forced his gaze to her face. Some dark emotion flickered in her eyes. “Yes?”
“I, um…” She twisted her hands together in front of her waist. Worn jeans emphasized her round hips and shapely thighs. He told himself not to notice. “Would you rather I didn’t go to the dance?”
He leaned back in his chair and motioned for her to take the seat across from his. “No. Why?”
She sat down. “I’m not sure. You seemed a little put out by my conversation with McGregor. He was just joking. I knew that. I don’t want you to think I took his flattery seriously.”
Brady winced. Bad enough to act like a jerk, worse to be caught. “I’m sorry, Rita. That wasn’t it at all. You’re welcome to go to the dance or anywhere else. Your free time is just that. Yours. I think you’d have fun, so I hope you’ll go. McGregor is a great dancer, if you don’t mind some theatrics along the way.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I might even claim a dance myself, seeing as you have this thing for old men.”
That earned him the smile he’d been waiting for. As her mouth curled up, her eyes began to sparkle. “I consider humoring the elderly my good deed for the day.”
“When have you humored me? Weren’t you the one encouraging insurrection with my horse just a few minutes ago?”
“Hardly.” Her humor faded a little. “Are you or Tex going into town in the next few days? If either of you are, I need a ride. I have to buy a couple of things.”
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry, Rita. I should have thought of that. You’ve been trapped out here on your afternoons off.”
“I don’t mind,” she said quickly. “I like being on the ranch. A couple of the cowboys have invited me to ride in with them, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing that. Until now, shopping hasn’t been an issue, but I’d like to buy something for the dance.”
So much for being a thoughtful employer, he thought grimly. He paid her in cash, as he did all his employees. The people who worked for him often didn’t have bank accounts. But he hadn’t considered that she might want to spend some time in town. And maybe not alone.
He’d told her not to make trouble with the men and she’d listened. “You don’t have to avoid all social contact with the men,” he said, careful to keep his voice neutral. “If you would like to see one of the cowboys off the ranch, no one will interfere. What I’m trying to say is when you’re on your own time—”
She cut him off with a wave. Faint color stained her cheeks. “I know what you’re saying. That’s not what I meant. There’s no one that I want to see that way. I mean, they’re all very nice men and I appreciate the time they’ve taken to befriend me, but it’s not anything else.”
Did that include him, too?
The thought came out of nowhere, and Brady wished it back to that spot. “Okay,” he said slowly. “That’s clear. I have to go into town day after tomorrow. You’re welcome to take the afternoon off and ride in with me. My business will keep me busy for a couple of hours. Is that enough time?”
“More than enough.” She rose to her feet and smiled. “Thanks, Brady.”
He watched her walk out of the office, trying to ignore the sensation of being sucker punched. It had just been a smile. Nothing more. So why had it hit him like a blow to the gut? And lower?
* * *
Randi Howell, a.k.a. Rita Howard, tried to dispel the butterflies dancing in her stomach, but however much she imagined calming pictures and words, those darned butterflies just kept acting up. It was as if they moved to a wild music only they could hear.
Nerves, she thought in disgust. When would she be able to control her emotions? They were just going to town, yet she was as tense and nervous as she’d been when she’d first run away from her wedding to Hal Stuart.
Maybe it was that all small towns looked alike, she thought as she stared out the side windows at the stores lined up on the single main street. This one could have been any of a dozen she’d driven through as she’d hitched rides to escape from Grand Springs. Familiar yet unfamiliar, reminding her that she’d chosen to run instead of stand up for what she wanted.
Don’t think about that now, Randi told herself. She didn’t want to ruin her afternoon. So as Brady pulled the truck into a parking space, she took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind.
“Everybody knows everybody,” he warned as he turned off the engine. “You’re going to get a lot of questions and be the favorite topic at dinner for the next couple of days. Think you can handle that?”
“As long as what they’re saying is nice.”
“A pretty girl like you? What else would they say?”
She laughed. “You’re as bad as McGregor. All hot air and flattery. Here I was thinking you had substance.”
He winked. It was all just a game. Harmless conversation. Yet she couldn’t help but be pleased by his words. No one had ever told her she was pretty, not even in jest. Whether or not Brady meant the compliment, she was going to hang on to it with both hands.
She slid out of the seat and slammed the door behind her. Brady paused on the sidewalk and pointed up the street.
“We have a general store on the corner. Some folks call it a department store, but that’s stretching things a little. There’s clothes, shoes and other female kind of stuff.”
“Gee, what would that be?”
Confident Brady looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. “You know. Creams and junk.”
“Makeup?”
“That, too.”
“Creams and junk. What a way you have with words.”
He shoved his hands in his front pockets. “Just because I’ve brought you into town doesn’t mean you have the right to say anything you want to me.”
“Sure it does. Here you’re not my boss. You’re just a guy who’s terrified of female stuff.”
He rocked back on his heels. “I’m not afraid.”
Wondering what it was about this man that made her want to have fun, she stretched out her hand and touched his cheek. “You ever have a facial, Brady? You could use something to tighten those pores.”
He jerked his head away as if she’d burned him. “My pores are just fine.”
“And those little lines around your eyes. They have stuff to prevent that.”
He turned toward the storefront next to them. The large plate-glass window reflected the street. Brady frowned, then smiled, as if checking his wrinkle quotient.
Randi covered her mouth to hold in her laughter. Who would have thought this big, tough cowboy would be so easy to tease?
“I don’t know what you’re—” He glanced at her and drew his eyebrows together. “You’re laughing!” His voice accused her of an unforgivable crime.
“No, I’m not.” She swallowed hard and forced her expression to stay neutral.
“You’re mocking me. I don’t have a problem with my pores, or my eyes.”
She gave in to humor and chuckled. Brady grinned. “I’ve been had,” he complained. “You should warn a man when you’re going to take advantage of him.”
“You love the attention.”
“Hey, I’m the strong, silent type. You want to continue to make fun of me, or do you want to shop?”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Tough decision. Can I really pick either one?”
“Why do I put up with you?” He placed his hand on the back of her neck and pushed her forward.
“Because there isn’t another alternative.”
She was proud of herself for managing a relatively long, coherent sentence. It was hard enough to keep breathing, let alone talking, while Brady was touching her neck.
She told herself it was an impersonal gesture at best. That it didn’t mean anything. He was treating her like a little sister. Funny, though. She didn’t feel like his little sister. She felt strangely alive and happy. Being here with him—she couldn’t explain it, it just felt so right.
When they reached the store, he released her neck and grabbed the door. As he pulled it open, he motioned for her to go first. Polite, charming, funny, sensitive, amazingly good-looking. Her original question still stood. Why wasn’t he married? Were all the women in the county blind, or was there something she couldn’t figure out? Some flaw he’d kept hidden, or maybe something from his past?
He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward the center aisle. “Female clothing to your right. Creams and junk to your left. Shoes are upstairs. I have a meeting with my banker, so I’ll be gone for about an hour and a half.”
She turned her head so she could see him. “I’ve shopped before. Amazingly enough, on my own. So far I’ve avoided major disasters and shoplifting. I’ll be fine.”
“You have enough money?”
The question touched her, mostly because his concern was involuntary. He was the last of the good guys.
“My boss just gave me a raise. I’ve got plenty.”
“Have fun.”
He disappeared out onto the street. Randi looked over the store, then started toward the racks of dresses against the far wall. She needed something for the dance. Maybe she would pick up another pair of jeans and some T-shirts, too.
An hour and fifteen minutes later, she stepped onto the escalator to the ground floor. She’d bought a simple summer dress, on sale, along with a pair of jeans and two shirts. In the shoe department, she’d found an inexpensive pair of pumps. Everything she’d purchased had cost less than the cheapest dress in her closet in Grand Springs. If it didn’t have a designer label on it, her mother didn’t want it in the house.
Those clothes weren’t her, she thought as she moved down the center aisle, glancing left and right, looking for Brady. It had taken her a long time to finally figure out she didn’t care about who made the clothes as long as they fit and were comfortable. Keeping up with the latest styles didn’t interest her, nor did she worry about a trendy haircut. Thank goodness, because with her unruly curls, she was destined to always look a little messy.
She reached the front door, then turned back to face the store. On the far side, in the middle of the “creams and junk” department, she saw Brady talking with an older woman. From the way they chatted and laughed, they must be old friends. That made sense. Growing up near a town this small, Brady probably knew just about everyone.
As she crossed the store, she tried to ignore the flickering in her stomach. The butterflies had returned. She sighed. She wanted her nerves to be about coming to town, not about Brady. While he was nice and handsome and a lot of good things, he wasn’t for her.
She paused in the middle of the teen department and stared at him. He was so different from Hal. Not just in looks, but in temperament and style. Hal was the kind of man who measured every action based on how it would look and how many votes it was worth. So different from his mother, Olivia, the beloved mayor of Grand Springs. Hal was more like Randi’s mother—cold and always calculating. One the other hand, Brady acted a certain way because he believed it was right, regardless of who might or might not be watching. Hal was a politician down to his bones. Brady was just a man.
She’d known her ex-fiancé for years, yet, looking back at their courtship, she could easily admit she’d never known him at all. Brady had been in her life two-and-a-half weeks, yet she felt that she understood him and the code by which he lived.
Brady looked up and saw her. “You about finished?” he asked.
She nodded and held up her bags. “I’ve bought as much as I can carry. That’s when it’s time for me to leave.”
He walked over and relieved her of most of her purchases. “I thought we might stop at the ice cream shop on the way out of town. I’ve got a taste for a hot fudge sundae.”
Randi raised her eyebrows. “It’s nearly four o’clock. You’ll spoil your dinner.”
“I know. You have to promise not to tell Tex.”
Ice cream and hot fudge? How could she resist? “I’d love to join you,” she said. “If we try really hard, I’ll bet we can eat just as much dinner, too.”
“Deal.”
They shared a conspiratorial glance, then headed toward the street. Even though it was a temporary situation, Randi enjoyed fitting in. Brady was different off the ranch. Freer. Or maybe it was both of them. She’d been worried about coming into town, but she was having fun. Somewhere in the past couple of weeks, Brady had become a friend. Even if he didn’t know the truth about her, even if she needed to keep her secrets, she believed that he would be there for her if she ever needed him.
For the first time since running away, she didn’t feel alone.
