Page 15 of A Rancher's Bride
Breathe out.
Breathe out.
It took a few more breaths before the tension eased just from the thought of him. That was the first time he’d ever wrapped his arms around her in a way other than a friendly clap on the back. It sucked that she’d been on the verge of tears.
No, that was a good thing,her brain shouted.That wasnotthe moment for him to look at you like anything other than a friend. Definitely coworkers would be the limit.
Competent—at least he believed she was competent enough to be invited to the gala with him, and good Lord,thatthought took a good dozen breaths to relax her way out of as well.
Silver Stone ranch was in trouble. Kelli knew it, and not just because people liked to speak where she could overhear. She’d been around for long enough to see the signs. It felt as if the whole ranch was at a tipping point.
The troubles were through no fault of their own, just time and circumstances, which was really unfair considering the family’s positive presence to the community.
Breathe out.
It took an hour to loosen up, slowly moving from sitting in one spot and working on her breathing to moving into her relaxation routine. Upward dogs and downward dogs and twisting rotations that worked out the kinks from not just her long day but her impact with the floor at the bar.
Thankfully, by the time she slipped under her quilt she was relaxed enough to fall asleep almost instantly, eyes popping open five minutes before her alarm was set to go off at six a.m.
The next day passed quickly. Kelli timed the end of her first shift to coincide with chore time so she could visit with Caleb’s little girls as they cared for their pet goats.
“Come here, Meany,” Emma said firmly as she pointed to the ground in front of her, grinning when one of the dapper creatures danced over and batted his nose against her side. “Good boy.”
“He doesn’t know you’re talking to him,” Sasha said authoritatively to her younger sister. “He just wants food.”
“Don’t say that,” Kelli interjected. “You can teach goats their names. Even train them to come when they’re called.”
Sasha twirled toward her, jaw dropping.
“Yep.” Kelli slipped off the top railing as the girls moved in closer. “Lots of animals are smart enough for that, but goats especially. They were one of the first animals people tamed—domesticated—way back when. Of course, some of that wasn’t just so that they could be enjoyed as pets,” she admitted.
Emma wrinkled her nose. “People eat goats. But notourgoats.”
“No. Eeny, Meany, and Miney are not on anyone’s menu, but that doesn’t mean eating goat meat is bad. We respect people’s choices.”
Sasha was nodding slowly. “Daddy says that, lots, because some of my friends are vegetarian.” She looked around before lowering her voice conspiratorially. “I like hamburgers.”
“Me too,” Kelli whispered back. “With bacon.”
Emma’s little-girl snicker carried over the sound of her dropping grain in the feed trough. “You put bacon on nearly everything.”
Kelli was about to deny it when she gave it a little more careful thought. “Pretty much.”
That got both of them laughing. Kelli joined them in the pen to help clean the sleeping straw.
The girls worked hard, or as hard as easily distracted kids could, pausing only when a cheerful voice broke in. “I can’t find my cookie testers.”
“We’re in here, Auntie Lisa,” Sasha called, poking her head out of the shelter. “Wanna help?”
“I’ll wait until you’re done,” Lisa said. A moment later, the three of them joined the dark-haired woman at the gate, her pleasant smile encompassing Kelli without a blink. “You have time for a snack?”
“Kelli says there’s always time for snacks,” Sasha announced cheerfully as she climbed over the gate instead of opening it. She and her sister took off for the backdoor of the house at a full-out run, leaving Lisa chuckling.
“The Kelli-isms she spits out sometimes kill me,” Lisa offered. “That kid’s got a full-blown case of hero worship.”
Which made no sense whatsoever to Kelli, but ever since it had been pointed out to her, she’d been doing her best to make sure she watched her p’s and q’s around the girls. “I like them. I guess she knows that.”
Lisa tilted her dark head toward the house, tucking her bare hands into her pockets against the moderate cold of the January day. “Join us. Tamara’s feeling well enough she’s sitting in the living room. She’d love to see you.”
