Suited to be a Cowboy (2 page)

After dinner he changed clothes and headed for the shed
out back. He heard Sherry’s whinny before he had the door open. “Hey, girl. Did
you miss me today? Want to go for a ride?”

The horse tossed her thick, mahogany mane and snorted as
she peered over the stall door, sounding as if she was laughing.

“I know, I hate keeping you cooped up all day, but I don’t
want you getting lost or hurt in the woods.” He glanced up at the windows he’d
installed, one on each wall and all open to allow a cross-breeze, no matter
which way the wind was blowing. “I’m doing the best I can, but soon, real soon,
we’ll have plenty of acreage and you can run to your heart’s content. For now,
let’s saddle up and ride.” Jimmy threw a blanket over Sherry’s back, placed the
saddle over it, and tightened the cinch straps before leading the mare from the
shed. Still holding the reins, he placed his left foot in the stirrup and mounted.
“Ready, girl? Let’s go.”

Jimmy led her over a seldom-used four-wheeler trail
through the woods until they reached a gravel road, which led to a clearing
with a brook running through it. Jimmy had spent many happy hours traveling the
countryside on Sherry’s back, but he considered this isolated spot their best
find. With ample grass for grazing and water to drink or cool off in, it was a
small piece of paradise where he could sit and think and dream.

He dismounted and led Sherry to the stream. Perched on a
rock, Jimmy studied the clouds as the horse drank her fill. Amused, he spoke. “What
do you think of that one, Sherry? It has all the curves of a woman I met in
town today. Is it an omen of some kind, do you think?”

The horse swung her head up and let loose a shrill whinny.

He chuckled and pulled a long stem of grass to chew on. “Don’t
like me talking about another filly, do you? That’s okay. I haven’t a clue who
she is or where she’s from. Still, she sure was pretty.”

Sherry tossed her head a few times and ran circles around
the clearing, stopping to graze only a few feet away from where he sat. He
moved to lie down, the tall grass making a comfortable cushion on which to
stretch out his tired body. His eyelids closed against the glare of the setting
sun and it wasn’t long before sleep claimed him.

*
* * *

Walt’s was the lead truck in their little convoy. Although
he tended to flirt outrageously, Walt was good company and he soon realized
that Melissa could give as good as she got. It all served to help pass the time
and she found she enjoyed the ride to Kentucky…until
they pulled onto the racetrack to find her ex-husband waiting with the potential
buyers.

She thanked Walt and jumped down from the cab ready to
send Marcus on his way while the men unloaded the stock. The sale of her horses
had nothing to do with his running of Dehavilland Downs. If he hadn’t been the
father of her only son, she would have sent him packing when the marriage
ended.

Still fuming, she motioned him to one side and confronted
him. “What are you doing here?”

“Why, darling, I’m overseeing the sale of our horses.
Surely you wouldn’t expect me to leave something so important in your incapable
hands.” Marcus wore an evil smirk that did nothing to cool her anger.

“How dare you! These are
my
horses.”

“Oh, I dare. I can fetch a much better price for them than
you can. My share of the proceeds will compensate for the pittance I’m allowed
for managing the track.”

“These are my buyers and my horses. You get paid
handsomely for what you do and you’re not getting one red cent of my sale
money. Now get off this track before I call security and have you removed for
good.”

“Tut, tut, darling. Such a temper. What would Aaron say if
you followed through on that threat?”

That thought gave her pause, but only for a moment. “Oh, I
think he’d understand well enough, given the way you’ve kept in contact with
him. Not! And don’t call me darling. You gave up that right when you walked
out.”

She palmed her cell phone and began to dial.

“All right. You’ve won this round, but you’ll be sorry.
Those buyers will strip you bare of the horses’ real worth, but you’re on your
own. Know that I’ll be laughing from my position on the bleachers.”

Melissa breathed a sigh of relief as he stomped off. He
could watch the proceedings or not. She really didn’t care. With a smile fixed
on her face, she signaled the jockeys to start the show and turned to her
buyers, a mix of men and women from all over the states. Wanting to at least
appear professional, she greeted each one in turn and gave a running commentary
on each horse’s capabilities.

Two hours later, she’d fetched handsome prices for all but
two of the horses. One threw a shoe and she’d had to remove him from the
trials. Another was off his mark, a direct result of the train wreck, no doubt.

The bills of sale were neatly printed out and in her
briefcase. All she had to do was fill in names and amounts and have the buyers
sign both copies, one for each of them.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. I’m staying
at the Kentucky Motel. It’s only a couple miles from here.” She passed out
pre-printed maps for their convenience. “To conclude our business, please stop
by with your certified checks to receive your bills of sale and permission
slips enabling you to load your horses. I’m certain you’ll be more than
satisfied with your purchases from Thoroughbreds R Us. Thank you for coming.”

Melissa shook hands with everyone as they left and turned
to pick up her briefcase full of papers, surprised and annoyed to find Marcus
right behind her. She groaned inwardly. How much had he overheard? The last
thing she needed was her ex showing up at the motel and harassing her, or
worse, intercepting her buyers.

“I thought I told you to leave.”

“And I did, but I wanted to apologize for my behavior
earlier. I was a bit put out when you arrived and hadn’t notified me of the
impending sale. You know I’d be happy to handle that for you.”

“Thanks, but there was no need, the sale being ranch
business and all.”
There, that should
show him.

“Come to dinner with me tonight?” he asked, pulling the little
boy lost facial routine that had always worked for him in the past.

“Nope. I’m busy.” She grabbed her briefcase and walked
away, beginning to get a mad on when he strode beside her. “Isn’t there
something you should be doing? Like work?”

“I miss your company. Is that so bad?”

Melissa snorted a laugh. Not very elegant or ladylike, but
she couldn’t help it. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m serious. Can’t we have dinner, talk about old times?
We had our share of good ones.”

“Did we? I don’t rightly remember.” She unlocked the rental
she’d arranged to have on hand and climbed in behind the wheel. Marcus held the
door, preventing her from closing it. “I have to go.”

“Call me?” he asked.

“Nope.” She gave a mighty tug and the door slammed shut.
She reversed out of the parking space and drove away. The nerve of the man. Had
she really been that easy a conquest when they’d been together? Yes, she had,
but since she’d taken over the ranch, Melissa had grown a new backbone and her
ex wasn’t going to get to her ever again. She didn’t want him, didn’t need him,
and she sure as heck didn’t love him anymore. With a carefree laugh echoing
through the car, she pulled up in front of the motel office and went inside to
register. All in all, it had been a very good day.

Chapter Two

Melissa returned from her travels feeling pretty pleased.
Ever since she’d inherited the ranch, she’d felt like a fish out of water.
True, she loved horses and her grandfather had known that well enough, but she
didn’t know anything about breeding them, caring for them, or anything.
Thankfully, the foreman did.

Old enough to be her father, Brian had patiently walked
her through the ropes time and time again. She was learning—not fast enough by
some standards—but she wasn’t about to quit and sell out without even trying.
Besides, she loved the ranch and it was a great place to raise a family.

Her only sore spot during the sales trip was having to
deal with her ex-husband. Even the train wreck didn’t compare to his annoying
presence. “Melissa, I’m sorry.” “Melissa, come back home.” “Melissa, have
dinner with me.” It soon became tiresome. Not once had he asked about his son.
Not once! She’d been so angry, she hadn’t wanted to talk to him, let alone see him.

And by taking the horses to the track herself, she’d
inadvertently let him know where they were living. He still managed Dehavilland
Downs, the horseracing track that she’d inherited from her mother, but if she
had to deal with him again, she’d go crazy. Maybe it was time to look for a new
manager. Melissa had been greatly relieved when her business concluded and she
could board the plane for home.

She parked her car in front of the house and the front
door opened. Aaron, her boisterous nine-year-old boy, came running to meet her.
God, he was a welcome sight. She’d never been away from him overnight, never
mind being gone for over a week.

“Hi, Mom. How was your trip? Did you sell all the horses?
Can we go get my game now?”

“Whoa, Aaron! Slow down and take a breath or two.” She
hugged him tight, having missed him terribly, even with the daily phone calls
keeping them in constant touch. “My trip was fine. I sold all but three horses,
and what game are we talking about?”

“Moo-
oom
, I told you the other
day.
Halo
broke and I emailed the
company, but they wouldn’t help.”

Startled, she held him a little away from her. She didn’t
remember any such conversation. It must have been the night of the sale. Marcus
kept calling and she was so annoyed, that even the sound of her son’s voice
hadn’t calmed her. “You emailed the company? How? From where?”

He stepped back, shuffling his feet, staring down at the
ground.
Guilty.

“Their email was on the box, and I, ah, used your
computer.” His brown eyes pleaded with her to understand as he looked up. “You
weren’t here and I
had
to, Mom. I
just had to.”

“Uh-huh, and where was Sheila when this was going on?”

“Watching her soaps. When I told her, she said not to
bother her with silly stuff.”

She sighed. Nothing would pry the woman from her soap
operas and they were on every weekday afternoon. Maybe next time she traveled,
she’d disconnect the service. Immediately ashamed of her spiteful thoughts, she
remembered that there weren’t too many people willing to live on a ranch this
far from town. And Sheila was an excellent cook, even if she was old-school and
not interested in video games.

“Well, I’m here now and you survived. Let me shower and
change and I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.”

Aaron escorted her to her room, chatting non-stop all the
way.

“Satin’s Pride
borned
a colt. He’s
a beauty. Marmalade has kittens in the barn, five of them, and Streamer humped
Angel’s Lace.”

Melissa laughed aloud. “Where did you learn that word?”

“Humping is what Brian told me when I asked what they were
doing.”

“I see.” She’d have to have a talk with Brian, although
she knew he could’ve used much stronger words than that. “I’ll go see the new
arrivals after I get changed. I won’t be long.”

Showered and dressed, she slipped into her office, going
straight to the computer. As she waited for it to boot up, Melissa wondered if
he’d deleted any files this time. Most of the important ones were password
protected, but Aaron was extremely smart for his age and had accessed them
before. She didn’t even think he knew how to send an email.

She opened the program and had a look. Fifty-seven new
emails. Geesh! She’d deal with those later. About to open the sent mail folder,
she noticed that one email halfway down the column had a little button beside
it, indicating that it had been replied to. With a sinking feeling in the pit
of her stomach, Melissa opened the message.

She skimmed it, realizing it was in response to her ad,
but she ignored the details and scrolled down to the reply.
Oh. My. God.
Melissa put her hands to
her head as embarrassment fueled her anger. What must this man think of her?

“Aaron! Get in here!”

“Yes, Mom?’ he asked from the doorway.

Melissa took a few calming breaths as she turned to face
her son. “Come here, Aaron.”

He did so, his posture that of going to an execution—his
own.

“Read this to me.” Melissa had scrolled back up to the
original message. He started reading. When he got to the part about the
application for a job, Aaron stopped and looked at her, his expression curious.

“You’re wondering why I asked you to read this to me?”

He nodded.

“Well, this gentleman has applied for a job here. Now read
the reply that he thinks was sent by me.”

Aaron’s face blanched of all color as he saw the words. He
backed up a step and Melissa grabbed his arm to keep him at her side.

“When did you start using language like that?”

He shrugged. “The wranglers say it all the time.” His
voice was subdued, yet defensive. “I was just so mad at the game’s people.
Sorry, Mom.”

“Aaron, the wranglers work for me. They do
not
live in my house and they know
better than to cuss like that when I’m around. You
do
live in my house and you know the rules.”

“But, Mom, I just want to be one of the guys. You know?”

Her heart reached out to him, knowing how badly he wanted
to fit in here.

It had been less than a year since their lives had
suffered two major upheavals. His father had walked out on them one day last summer
and never came back. Then shortly after Christmas, her grandfather died, leaving
them the ranch, and she’d decided to move. The ranch had always felt more like
home than anywhere else they had lived.

“Yes, I know, but can’t you just be happy being one of the
good guys?” She thought of the handsome businessman who’d rounded up her horses
earlier that week, deciding to share it with Aaron. “Let me tell you a story…”

“Wow, Mom. He really did that? No saddle, no rope,
nothing?”

“Yes, he really did. And no cussing either. Understand?”

Aaron nodded.

“Now, how are we going to fix this?” She pointed to the
computer screen.

“I should send an apology. Right?”

“Right, and the next time you want to use the computer,
ask. If I’m not here and Sheila’s busy, check with Brian. Okay?”

“Okay.”

With her help, Aaron composed an apologetic message and
sent it off. When he left the room, she downloaded and read the attached
application. This guy was just what she’d been looking for. He might live and
work in the city, but his heart was with horses. She printed out his
application and set it aside. She’d check his references later.

Melissa thought again of her handsome city wrangler. He’d
looked spectacular astride that horse, business suit or not. His deep, southern
accent had almost melted her insides. And he’d smelled good too. It wasn’t like
her to impulsively hug strange men, but she’d been so doggone grateful. The
muscles she felt under that pinstriped suit hadn’t been earned sitting behind a
desk. City boy…probably worked out at a local gym.

She shook her head and turned her attention back to the
matter at hand…that of checking the remaining emails for prospective employees.
Melissa hurried through them, aware that Aaron was waiting for her. Only seven
in all captured her interest. The rest were unsuitable.

She’d hoped to hire a female for the position, but none
had applied and she couldn’t put off hiring someone any longer. Right now, though,
she needed to spend time with her son and see the new additions to ranch stock.
She printed out the
possibles
to check into further, and
had just shut down the computer when Aaron appeared at her door.

“Ready, Mom?”

*
* * *

This was the first sick day he’d taken in over three
years, and yet Jimmy felt guilty as he stood in his home office, peering out
the window. His personal assistant was more than equal to the task of running
the office in his absence, her perfectionist ways having pulled him up by the
bootstraps several times since he’d hired her.

He wasn’t physically sick. It was more emotional, a lack
of ambition. Maybe he needed a vacation, although he hated to spend his
hard-earned money on something so frivolous. He could always vacation at home, free
to ride Sherry every day. He snickered as the thought reminded him of a woman
he’d once dated with wine-colored hair.

A break from routine appealed to him. He could pack a
lunch, ride into the hills, and enjoy some quiet time away from phones,
computers, and work pressures. Maybe after a week or so, he’d be so bored he’d
be anxious to return to the daily grind. Doubtful, the way he felt at the
moment, but maybe.

Or he could start searching for a ranch. He had enough
saved for a good down payment, but he didn’t want to go broke buying stock and
running the place. Still, if he sold the firm and the cottage, he’d have enough
to buy some stock.

Roots…owning a ranch meant roots, something he’d never
had. Raised in foster care, he had no family, no heritage, no
roots
…nothing to offer a committed
relationship, so he’d remain single, maybe adopt a few kids and give them the
security he’d lacked. He wanted family, a sense of belonging, but he’d resigned
himself to never having children of his own.

The computer pinged behind him, signaling that he had
mail. With a heavy sigh, he sat down to see who it was from, surprised when he
noted the email of the rude rancher he’d applied to. Curious, he clicked on the
message and began reading.

Dear
Mr. McGovern,

My
name is Aaron and I’m 9 years old. Mom told me I had to write and apologize for
the message I sent you. It was supposed to go to the company that built Halo. My
game is broken, and when your email came, I thought it was from them. They
won’t help me. Mom is angry, and I owe you an apology. I’m not supposed to
cuss, even
tho
I didn’t say it out loud. Mom says
writing it is just as bad. I’m sorry.

Aaron

Jimmy’s lips curved upward as he read the message. By the
time he’d finished, he was laughing out loud
.
Nine years old and computer savvy? Sounds like his mother has her hands full
with that one.
He wondered if he still had a chance at the job. Or would
they be too embarrassed to hire him after Aaron’s little fiasco? His spirits
lifted with the boy’s missive.

He wrote back, accepting the apology. He’d just hit send
when his phone rang.

“Jimmy? I’m having trouble with the Gibbs’ account. I know
you’re sick, but it won’t balance.”

“Fax me the trial balance so I can look it over.”

“Thanks, Boss.”

“No problem, Marla.”

Jimmy waited for the fax, noted the error, and faxed it
back. He stood and stretched, anxious to get outside, enjoy a day in the sun, and
ride for as long as he wanted to. At least it would make his sick day
worthwhile. He whistled a happy tune as he went out and saddled Sherry for a
morning ride. For the first time in many years, he swept his cares and
responsibilities aside in favor of a relaxing day in the saddle.

By the time he returned, a second email had arrived. The
job was his! And could he start at the beginning of the month, only two weeks
away. He made a quick phone call to his assistant at the firm. Not only would
she cover for him, she’d buy him out if he decided to sell. Marla also had
friends who had recently lost their home to a fire and were looking for a
furnished place to rent.

Sorry for their loss, yet elated at the news, Jimmy agreed
to rent to them. He shot off an acceptance email to M. Dehavilland and then
started making plans. He’d need to change the insurance coverage on the house,
disconnect the utilities, and put his personal items into storage until he
bought his own place. He’d have to make a list, make sure he didn’t forget
anything. Things were happening so fast.

Sherry would be more content too. They were moving to a
horse ranch in Colorado!
She’d have plenty of acreage to roam. He punched the air. Yes!

No! He’d forgotten to mention Sherry. Should he write back
now and ask if they could accommodate his horse? Or would that make him seem
incompetent? Heck, it was a horse ranch for
cryin
’
out loud. One more would never be noticed. With that decision made, he prepared
for his move.

*
* * *

Aaron was so excited, he half-led, half-dragged Melissa to
the barn and up the ladder to the loft where an orange tabby cared for her
kittens. Not surprisingly, six of the seven kittens were orange, or orange and
white, but the seventh one was pure white.

“They’re beautiful, Aaron. How old are they?”

“Mama kitty
borned
them two days
ago. Can I have that one, Mom? I’ll take good care of him.”

“The white one?”