Page 34 of A Rancher's Heart
The doors opened and two people got out, and he moved forward to greet them, recognizing them from the family resemblance. Dark hair, dark eyes, similar images to Tamara who was marching across the yard at high speed, Sasha and Emma following a little slower.
The next moment Tamara was wrapped in a three-way hug. The Whiskey Creek girls liked each other.
Caleb moved within hearing distance as Tamara stepped back to introduce the girls. “Meet Sasha and Emma. Girls, this is my big sister Karen and my little sister Lisa. Although I think we’re pretty much all the same size these days.”
Karen waved at the girls.
Lisa pulled off her hat then squatted to eye Sasha and Emma more closely. “Nope,” she said. “You two can’t be Sasha and Emma because you’re way bigger than I thought you’d be. I’m sure Tamara isn’t allowed to be a nanny for any one old enough to drive a car.”
Emma snickered.
Sasha raised a brow, and Caleb jerked to a halt, recognizing his own expression on his daughter’s face.
Tamara noticed him then, gesturing her sisters toward him. “Guys, this is my boss, Caleb Stone.”
Karen shook his hand. Lisa rose to her feet with a grin, brushing her hands against her thighs before coming forward to offer another firm handshake. “Nice place you got here,” she said.
“Thanks.”
Karen assessed the ranch with a judgmental eye. “You keep separate barns for the horses and the other animals?”
Caleb glanced at Tamara to discover she was rolling her eyes. He was tempted to wink at her for some strange outlandish reason. “We do now. Don’t have a lot of animals other than horses at the moment. Cattle are on the range with their own shelters where needed.”
Karen nodded before glancing back at Tamara. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Hush. I know plenty.” She turned to Sasha and Emma. “Remember those extra chores I was telling you about?”
Sasha’s stoic expression faded into suspicion. “More chores?” She glanced over at Caleb. “Daddy?”
Oops. “I said it was okay.”
Dustin strolled up right around then, smiling appreciatively at the three women. Caleb considered leaning over and smacking him one across the back of his head.
“Ladies.” Dustin tipped his hat before twisting to Tamara. “Ashton says he’s prepared the side shed for you. Next to the old chicken coop.”
“Point me in the right direction, and I’ll bring the trailer. Probably the safest way to get them into the yard,” Karen said.
Tamara waved at the girls. “Lead on.”
They all had to wait because Emma had grabbed her sister’s sleeve and was tugging on it hard, shaking her head.
Sasha turned back hurriedly. “Emma doesn’t like chickens.”
That was news to Caleb. Damn—he’d gotten rid of the chickens because of his ex’s complaints, but she’d never said a word about Emma’s fears. He hesitated. Maybe he should override this idea of Tamara’s before it was too late.
But Tamara took the news in stride. “No worries. We’re not getting chickens.”
The slow smile that curled over Emma’s face was reassuring, yet not. She gave her head a happy toss then caught Sasha by the hand and led her back at high speed across the yard and toward the chicken coop.
Meanwhile, Caleb eyed Tamara and wondered how she’d managed so much mischief in just twenty-four hours, including corrupting his foreman and, it appeared, his brother.
The rest of the group followed except for Karen who returned to her truck to back in the trailer.
Ahead of them, the small shed still needed some work, but the fence was once again vertical, and there was an additional lean-to roof over one side. He could’ve sworn it hadn’t been there the day before.
Caleb and Dustin took up the rear. Lisa and Tamara were chatting away happily, talking over each other that way that women did without being annoyed. They both wore form-fitting jeans, and he wasn’t about to admit that his gaze lingered far too long on Tamara’s hips as they swayed from side to side front of him.
Then he glanced at Dustin, elbowing him hard in the ribs when he noticed that his kid brother was also eyeing the women’s butts.
