Page 40 of Christmas with the Cowgirl
“Well,” Riley said later as they got back in Nic’s truck to leave, full from the luscious lunch Maggie had insisted they join them for, “now you’ve done it.”
His mind was still reeling after all the bits of chatter he’d heard around that huge table.Ten people who all clearly knew each other well and liked each other.A big family who had welcomed Riley as one of their own.And now him.Because he knew Maggie Rafferty had meant every word she’d said.
“What did I do now?”he asked, bemused by it all.
“You’ve got Maggie Rafferty vouching for you, which gives you free rein anywhere in Last Stand.”
“She really is that big a deal?”
“She is.”
He could feel her looking at him as he negotiated the long driveway out to the main road.When they got to the gate he stopped the truck and turned to look back at her.
“I appreciate what she said.But I appreciate what you said even more.”
She lowered her gaze.“I meant it.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper.She was staring down at her hands.A rancher’s hands.No fancy fingernails here, and even though she wore gloves a lot, those hands were tough, strong.And in that moment, more than he’d ever wanted anything, he wanted to feel those hands on him.In every and any way he could think of.
The sensation was so fierce it left him a little shaky inside.He turned his gaze forward again, afraid that if she looked at him, she’d read his thoughts in his eyes, his expression.She was that perceptive.
He made himself think about driving, mapping out in his mind the route back to her place.For this city boy it was a challenge, looking for landmarks instead of street signs, but he managed to get them back to the gate to the Garrett ranch with only one wrong turn.Which, he’d noticed, she hadn’t mentioned.
“Decided to let me fumble around?”he had asked.
She’d shrugged.“Best way to learn and remember is make a mistake or two.”
And now as they pulled off the road onto the long driveway, she smiled at him.His stomach took that tumble again.“See?You found your own way, and—”
She broke off as her phone chimed a signal.She pulled it out in a rush.“Dad,” she said, as if that explained all, which Miles supposed it did.She listened for a brief moment, then said only, “We’re at the gate now.Be there in two minutes.Don’t you rush over there.”
She shoved the phone back in her jacket pocket.“Foal’s coming.A little hurry-up would be good.”
He’d heard her back at the Rafferty place, thanking the blond brother for a camera monitor he’d set up for them, and Miles assumed this was why.Clever, really, especially with her father not as mobile as he usually was.
“Where?”
“Far end of the big barn,” she said.
He hit the gas, a bit harder than he was comfortable with.He remembered there were three barns within sight of the house.One, she’d told him, had been converted into housing and facilities for the hands, one was for storage and the occasional stallion they had on hand, the big one for the rest, horses she had in training, her father’s and the foreman’s preferred mounts, and her own precious King.
He made it through the arc in the driveway without skidding, although he kicked up a lot of dirt.She never even looked—her gaze was fastened on the destination.He got as close as he could and began to slow.And long before he would have felt safe with her doing it, she was out of the still-moving truck and running for the barn.
He was out himself and about to follow when he saw her father trying to maneuver the front porch steps with his crutches.When he saw the man wobble rather frighteningly, he changed direction.When he got there Mr.Garrett had regained his balance, but had two more steps to go.Miles steadied him the rest of the way, which earned him a rather fiercely intent look when they got on level ground.
“I’ve been there,” he said.“Broke my ankle a few years ago.It sucked.”
“Does it still?”
He grinned.“Nah.Now it’s kind of cool to have a couple of aftermarket parts.”At the man’s look, he explained.“They had to put in a couple of pins.Enough to be interesting, but not so much it sets off metal detectors.”
Riley’s father laughed, and that made Miles feel oddly good.“You go on,” the man said.“I’ll be fine now, and Riley may need some help.You never know how these things are going to go.”
He hesitated, but her father nodded toward the barn, so he went.He thought every step of the way that he knew exactly nothing about this, and he’d be more likely to get in the way than help.But he kept going, even as he thought moral support was going to be the best he could do.
He heard her the instant he stepped into the barn.Her voice, low, soft, loving, almost stopped him in his tracks.A sudden scenario slammed through his mind, of that same voice, in that same tone…aimed at him.
It took him a moment and a deep breath to get moving again.He followed that voice to the stall to his right, the bigger one he’d noticed when they were doing the feeding yesterday.It had been empty then, and she’d told him the pregnant occupant was out getting some December sunshine, while it was here.
