Page 2 of A Rancher's Bride
Luke and Caleb glanced at each other, exchanging anoh shit, he didn’t go therelook.
“Death wish?” Caleb asked Luke drily.
“Brain dead. It hasn’t registered yet that the body is soon to follow.”
Walker glanced at them, his lips twitching before he pulled his serious expression back in the line. “Spill the beans,” he ordered Dustin.
Their youngest brother rolled his eyes. “Number one, you guys have zero sense of humour. Just thought I should point that out in case you were under some misconception. Number two, it really is none of your business, but because you look as if you’re ready to draw and quarter me, no, I’m not dating one of the Fields sisters. Not because they aren’t awesome, but two of them are way too old for me and Rose is a good friend. But Rose’s best friend, Kandi with a K, is damn hot.”
Luke was going to develop an eye twitch trying to keep a straight face while enjoying a side-eye exchange with Caleb and Walker. “Kandi?”
“…with ak. Awww, that’s sweet—” Walker began, only to be interrupted as their nieces climbed on the fence, shouting for Caleb.
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.”
“Papa.Paaapaaa.”
Caleb smacked a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “The summonses have been pronounced. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
Walker took off in one direction, and Dustin and Caleb in another, and suddenly Luke stood alone in the arena with Chili Pepper nudging his pockets, looking for treats.
“Looks as if all the Stone boys have hot dates tonight,” Luke teased at his own expense. He slid a hand along Pepper’s neck and gave her a pat as he led her toward her stall. “You and me, we’re doing fine. Only we need to talk about this habit you have of wanting control. I don’t mind sharing the reins now and then, but when a guy says he wants to be in charge, he means it.”
He twisted on the spot as he opened the gate, and the creaking floorboards beneath his boots fell silent for a brief moment. Long enough to let a light snicker reach his ears.
He sighed mightily, shaking his head in exasperation as he looked up into the hayloft. “Your eavesdropping is going to get you in trouble someday, Kelli James.”
“Maybe, but in the meanwhile, it sure is damn educational.” She swung into view, slipping past the railing to drop to her jean-covered butt on the outer edge of the loft. Her well-worn cowboy boots hung toward the floor, kicking lazily as she smiled down. Her dark-brown hair twisted in two braids over her shoulders, brown eyes snapping with mischief.
Luke leaned a shoulder against the pen. “Since you’re here, make yourself useful. Grab a couple of brushes and you can help give Pepper a rubdown.”
What the woman should’ve done was get to her feet and head to the side wall where the ladder was. Not Kelli. She gave him a quick nod then flung herself headlong, falling from a height that was enough to break her fool neck considering she was nearly a foot shorter than his six-foot-two.
Luke lurched forward involuntarily to catch her. No matter that he’d seen her do this dozens of times over the years, it still caught him by surprise. At the last second, she caught hold of the pipe attached to one wall and used it to guide her to the floor.
She smacked down with one heck of an impact, but at least her feet were the first to land and not her head.
He bit his tongue and refused to give her the pleasure of cursing or scolding her. She already knew he thought it was a reckless move.
Kelli was light on her feet—he had to give her that. And she didn’t dawdle as she grabbed what she needed.
Luke headed in the other direction to scoop up feed for the mare, tossing some oats in a nosebag before joining Kelli at Pepper’s side.
She handed him a brush. “Any orders, boss?”
He deliberately loosened his jaw to keep from grinding his teeth. “You’re exceptionally annoying tonight,” he said calmly. “I’m not your boss, and you know it. Ashton is.”
“You’re still in charge more than I am, so technically I can call you boss.Boss.” She glanced at him judgmentally before giving his butt a firm smack with the stiff brush bristles. “And my good day just got even better because you have shit on your ass, and I don’t.”
Luke sighed. He hadn’t gone unscathed during his time bouncing off the ground thanks to Pepper’s lack of enthusiasm for him as a rider. “Comes with the territory,” he muttered before getting to work. “Glad you had a good day, though. What were you doing?”
Kelli went on to tell him what she’d been busy with, helping their foreman Ashton deal with some of the rowdier stock. As she spoke, her hands kept moving, the bristles sliding smoothly again and again. Confident and sure, just like always.
She’d been a part of Silver Stone ranch for nearly as long as they’d been running the place without their parents. And it didn’t surprise him to hear that Ashton was using her for some more delicate tasks, although it did worry him at times that she was out the middle of the herd with animals big enough to crush her with a thoughtless move.
But even now as Pepper adjusted her stance, Kelli slid forward, almost as if she was dancing with the horse. She slid an arm around her neck and used Pepper’s momentum to reach up her withers.
“I think tomorrow you should let me help,” Kelli said firmly.
