~~*~~
Travis kept watching over his shoulder the whole time he worked the gelding, wondering what Annie was doing, but each time he looked she was still in the same spot, standing on the lowest rail with her arms crossed over the top rail and her chin resting on her arms. She had grown so much since Christmas. She was like a mini-adult now.
When both he and the gelding had had enough, he rode over to the fence and took off his hat to get a bit of the cool breeze.
She grinned. ‘You look good when you take off your hat, Daddy. Cody doesn’t—his hair sticks to his head.’
Travis tried to hide his grin—he knew exactly what Annie meant. Lots of men suffered from hat-hair. It gave him great pleasure to hear that Cody was one of them. He patted the gelding’s neck and raised an eyebrow. ‘Wanna cool him down for me?’
Annie’s eye flew open wide. ‘Can I?’
‘Sure. Just walk him … and take it easy.’
By the time Travis slid off the horse, Annie had squeezed through the fence and now stood with her back to it. She looked like a younger version of Karen, in her tight jeans and cute little cowgirl boots. He was proud to be her father, but also more than a bit frightened as he suspected she was going to be a handful as soon as she discovered boys.
Shaking off those thoughts, he went about shortening the stirrup leathers to the highest hole. She accepted his offer of a leg up, climbed on with grace, and took the reins like an expert. The horse began walking slowly, at first with Travis at his side. When she looked down at him and frowned, he moved to the fence to watch.
They looked good together, his daughter and this young gelding, and he was proud of how well she rode him. It was kind of a shame he’d be selling him. Then again, Travis knew there’d never be a shortage of horses for Annie to ride wherever Karen and Cody lived. He hoped they were taking Annie’s welfare into account with this move of theirs.
He wondered if they’d given any thought to Annie when they decided to move. It was risky after all, taking Annie out of state without consulting him. He could challenge it, and he’d have a good chance at winning. But would he want full custody of Annie? Would he and Denver provide the right family balance for a young girl? Wouldn’t she need her mother as she grew into a teen? He’d have to give it more thought—perhaps see how the summer went—see what Annie wanted to do.
Rubbing his chin, he once again focussed on her riding. ‘Heals down, Annie.’
Annie glared at him, rolling her eyes. ‘I know, Dad.’
When she dropped her heals, he grinned.
She did a few more laps of the arena, then stopped in front of him and jumped down. They walked the gelding back over to the barn and Annie hosed him down while Travis put the tack away. Then they gave him a feed and made their way to the house for some lunch.
Travis stood at the kitchen sink while Annie slowly finished her peanut butter and jelly on white bread. After she washed it down with a glass of milk he smiled. ‘You best go change into shorts and your tennis shoes. Alex should be here soon.’ Just saying her name made his heart start thumping. He took a deep breath, willing it to settle.
She raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you going to play too?’
‘Me? No way.’
‘But you will watch, won’t you? I’ve been practising—I want you to see how good I’ve gotten.’
He could have kissed her for giving him a valid reason to hang around for a bit while they played. ‘Yeah, I’ll watch.’
~~*~~
Alex had been anxious from the moment she’d gotten into her car, and now, seeing the sign reading Welcome to Gold’s Ranch, her heart began racing even faster. She wanted to think it was excitement at having a tennis student again after such a long hiatus, but she knew it had as much to do with her student’s father as with her student.
Annie raced out the front door the moment Alex pulled up, and as she opened the car door Annie grabbed her hand, giggling.
‘Alex! You came. I can’t wait for my lesson.’
‘How nice to have such an enthusiastic student,’ Alex replied, smiling.
She squeezed Annie’s hand, then let go to grab her cap and water bottle off the back seat. When she turned back around Travis was standing there behind Annie. Dressed in a long-sleeved cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up, jeans and western boots, he was clearly not joining them for tennis. A mixture of relief and disappointment settled over her.
‘Hi Alex. Thanks again for doing this. You know you don’t have to.’
Alex made a face and shrugged. ‘You make it sound like it’s an imposition. Actually Annie is doing me a favour, getting me motivated again with something I’ve been away from for far too long.’
Travis placed his hands on Annie shoulders, looking at Alex. ‘Did you bring a racquet, or do you want to use one of ours?’
‘Would you mind if I borrow one of yours? It’s not something I thought to bring with me from home.’
He leaned down and spoke close to Annie’s ear. ‘Can you please go in and grab the racquets and balls, and meet us over at the court?’
As Annie raced back into the house Travis smiled and nodded toward the court.
Alex got out and closed the car door. ‘You do know you’ve built me up for quite a fall if it turns out she’s a better player than me.’
Travis laughed. ‘She’s eight. I don’t think she’ll be better than you.’
‘I wouldn’t count her out because she’s young.’
‘We’ll see. I’m pretty sure she spends more time with the horses than with a tennis racket, but hey, I think it’s great that she’s got so much enthusiasm. Hopefully, if she concentrates on sports, she won’t discover boys so quickly.’
They made their way around the side of the house toward the court, and Alex was surprised at how tidy everything looked. You could hardly tell there’d been a party other than by the flattened grass, the wooden dance floor, and some tables leaning up against the side of the house.
When they reached the court, Travis opened the gate and ushered her inside. While they waited for Annie to return, she could feel Travis watching her every move. Although it was unsettling, it wasn’t unwelcome. But she had to break the silence.
‘So … how’s Denver this morning? Has he even surfaced yet?’ She gave Travis a conspiratorial wink.
‘Actually, he was up early, and spent the morning cleaning up out here while I worked the horses.’
‘What, no hangover?’
‘Not really. I think he spent way more time dancing than drinking. He’ll be tired by tonight, but he’s okay.’
‘And what about you?’ she asked.
‘I’m not much of a drinker anymore. Not since Annie was born.’
Alex blinked slowly, thinking about her father, and wishing things had gone differently for him.
They both looked up as Annie raced onto the court, the racquets tucked under one arm and a tin of balls in her hand. ‘Can I serve first?’
~~*~~
Alex watched as Travis poured glasses of lemonade for the three of them. She’d enjoyed this first lesson with Annie, but had definitely taken notice when Travis disappeared from the sidelines, presumably to go back to his horses. She was glad he’d returned as they’d finished.
‘Did you enjoy the lesson?’ Travis asked, looking at Annie.
Annie grinned from ear to ear as she set her glass on the table. ‘It was awesome, Dad. Alex is the best coach I’ve ever had.’
‘And have you had many coaches, sweetheart?’
His sarcasm was dripping, but Alex wasn’t too sure Annie would have gotten it. Until Annie grinned.
‘No, just Alex. But I know she’s the best coach anyway.’
Alex smiled at the compliment. ‘And Annie is by far one of the quickest learners I’ve coached.’
‘That’s great to hear,’ he said, pull
ing a chair out to sit across from Alex. Then he faced Annie. ‘So, when you get rich and famous, you’ll remember your Dad, won’t you sweetie?’ He made a sad face which only served to make Annie giggle.
‘Sure I will, even if you are old and wrinkly, and in a wheelchair.’
‘Hold on there, I won’t be that old. And I certainly hope I’m not in a wheelchair, knock on wood.’ He tapped the table, then reached over and tapped the top of Annie’s head.
Annie giggled again, turning to Alex. ‘When can I get another lesson? Can I have one every day for the whole summer?’ She gave Alex a cheeky smile that suggested she knew it was a lot to ask for, and then smacked her hand over her mouth trying to hide it.
‘Every day?’ Alex pulled a face that she hoped conveyed incredulity.
Annie’s eye opened wide. ‘Yeah, why not?’
‘Hmm, I could probably do two or three times a week … until I work out what I’m doing.’
Annie’s eyes grew wide, and Travis focussed on her as well, both clearly waiting for further explanation.
‘You do know I’m from Australia, right Annie?’
‘Sure, but that’s okay.’ Annie frowned, shaking her head.
‘Well, I hope it is,’ Alex said with a chuckle. ‘But what I meant is just that … I mean, I may not … oh, I don’t know what I meant. But for the time being, two or three times a week works for me.’
Annie’s face beamed, but Travis stared at her with an eyebrow raised, as if waiting for even more explanation.
She seriously didn’t know yet what she wanted to do. There was nothing pulling her back to Australia in any great hurry, but did she want to stay here? The house was fabulous, and she’d soon have the fruit and veggie shop to keep her busy, but that didn’t mean she had to run it indefinitely. She could sell the business and the freehold, or sell the business and keep the freehold. But if she started up tennis coaching with school kids over the summer, it would tie her down for at least a couple of months. Was that what she wanted? It would mean a delay to getting anything happening in Australia, but then again, it was winter there.
Annie finished her lemonade, and then wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. She cocked her head as she appeared to remember something, and then turned to look directly at Alex. ‘Will you come to the rodeo with me next weekend? Dad says he’s going to be too busy to hang out with me, and wants me go with Cousin Stacy, but I don’t want to hang out with them—Tammy’s just a baby.’
‘Annie, you can’t ask that of Alex. Besides, Tammy isn’t a baby. She’s not that much younger than you … what, she’s maybe six or seven?’
‘Dad,’ she dragged the word out and rolled her eyes. ‘She’s six, and trust me, she’s a baby. She can’t even ride a horse yet—I know, because I asked her last night. I’ll die if I have to hang out with her at the rodeo. Can I go with you, Alex?’ She turned back to Alex, her eyes imploring.
Alex remembered what it was like when she was Annie’s age, and her mother made her do things with Casey and Taylor who were two years her junior. At that age, two years was a quarter of one’s life, and it seemed an insurmountable difference. ‘I hadn’t really thought about going, but I suppose I should. You know, I’ve never been to a rodeo.’
‘Never?’ Annie’s eyes flew open wide with disbelief. ‘Then you have to go. Everyone goes. Dad and Uncle Denver will be riding. And there’s gonna be barrel racing and all kinds of other stuff. Mom wanted to ride, but Cody has to be at his new job so they couldn’t stay.’
When Annie’s eyes dropped to the table for a moment, Alex wondered if she missed her mother, but when she looked up, she had a smile back on her face. ‘It’ll be so much fun—and even more fun if I can hang out with you.’
Taking a deep breath, Alex grinned. ‘Well then, I guess it’s a date, Annie.’ She looked at Travis, who shrugged apologetically. ‘I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather go to my first rodeo with.’
Annie beamed. ‘For all four days, right?’
Travis turned back to Annie. ‘Sweetheart, I think you’re pushing your luck there a bit. The frog jumping goes all four days, but you don’t have to watch every one of the frogs. Let’s say you just watch some of them … maybe a few on Saturday and the finals on Sunday?’
Annie didn’t answer straight away, but finally sighed. ‘Okay, but we have to watch all the rodeo, right?’
Alex looked at Travis, marvelling at the look of pride on his face. Then she turned back to Annie. ‘Of course, I wouldn’t dream of missing any of the rodeo.’ She hoped she wasn’t getting in over her head with this.
‘Thank you,’ Annie said as she got up and ran around the table to give Alex a big hug. ‘It’s going to be so much fun, you’ll love it. I promise.’
Chapter 16
Alex shifted at the kitchen table, moving her iPad out of the glare of the late afternoon sun as she chatted with her sisters using FaceTime.
‘I think it’s great that you’re getting back into coaching, even if it turns out to be just the one girl. But I bet lots of kids will take up the offer of lessons over summer. And seriously, you’d be mad if you didn’t take advantage of getting two summers this year.’ Casey’s face wrinkled into a half frown. ‘Or are you thinking of staying even longer?’
Alex moved the screen again, fiddling with it to avoid answering her sister. Did she want to stay longer in California?
‘I don’t know what I’m thinking at this stage. I mean, it’s really comfortable here … and I know this is going to sound stupid, but sometimes I feel like I’ve come home … like this is where I belong.’
Casey shook her head back and forth slowly. ‘No, it doesn’t sound stupid. You spent the first five years of your life in California, so I’m not surprised it feels like home.’
Alex sighed with relief that Casey got it, but that wasn’t the only thing. ‘And of course we have a huge financial interest to look after here.’
‘Yes, that’s true. And we’re grateful you’re there with your financial brain to sort through it all for us, right Taylor?’ Taylor bumped her shoulder into Casey and took the centre of the screen for a moment, nodding and smiling.
Alex squinted, thinking. ‘When you get right down to it, what have I got to go back to in Melbourne? A tiny little apartment, no job, not even a pet.’
‘Hey, what are we, chopped liver?’ Taylor said, pushing over in front of the screen again. ‘You do have all your family here, you know.’
‘I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant … oh, you know what I meant. You both have everything you want there in Melbourne … I have nothing to go back to.’
The twins looked at each other and smiled. Taylor answered. ‘You’re right, it sounds like things are going really well for you there, but we miss you, that’s all.’’
Alex sighed. ‘You have to come over—both of you—for a visit, if nothing else. After all, we’ve got a beautiful house to live in.’
Casey turned to Taylor, who rolled her eyes at Alex. ‘Yeah, and you’ve probably already claimed the best bedroom.’
Casey gave Taylor a high-five, and then turned back to the screen. ‘And you say there are good looking cowboys there in Masons Flat?’
Alex grinned, remembering Denver’s party and all the men she’d seen. She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips as she pretended to give it some thought.
Casey glared at her. ‘Come on, spill it. I can tell you’re hiding something. What’s going on over there … what’s making you think you might want to stay?’
‘I suppose it’s a few things.’
‘Such as?’ Casey quirked a brow.
‘Well, for one thing, it’s summer here now.’
‘Uh, yeah, we established that, but that won’t last. What else?’
Alex took a deep breath, trying to put her wispy thoughts into words. ‘You can’t imagine how good
it feels, knowing I can walk down any street without fear of bumping into Liam or any of our old friends. And then there are those shops and the saloon restorations. It’s all very exciting.’
‘And the cowboys. You didn’t answer me about the cowboys.’ Casey, who had been in and out of more relationships than anyone else Alex knew, was quite possibly nearing the end of her current relationship.
Alex grinned. ‘There are certainly some good looking and single cowboys here in Masons Flat if last night’s party is anything to go by. And they’ve got moves on the dance-floor like you’ve never seen.’
The twins looked at each other, eyes wide. Casey replied. ‘I do like the sound of that. Maybe a trip over isn’t such a bad idea. If I put in for some time off now, I could possibly get away next month.’
‘Oh, I could probably swing some time off next month, too,’ Taylor chirped in, ‘of course it would have to be the end of the month. We’ve got Summer’s wedding coming up, and I’m going to be a bridesmaid, remember?’
Alex had forgotten. Summer was Frank’s daughter, which would have made her their step-sister if their mother and Frank had married. Summer was a couple of years younger than Casey and Taylor, but she and Taylor had hit it off due to a shared interest in cooking. ‘When, exactly, is the wedding? I should put it in my diary. I assume I’ll be invited?’
‘You have been invited, and Mum’s already accepted for all of us. She’s even bought a dress—like a proper mother-of-the-bride sort of dress,’ Taylor replied.
‘Wow, you’re going to think I’m losing it, but seriously, I don’t remember a date being finalised.’
Casey pulled a face. ‘Maybe I forgot to mention it. Anyway, it’s at their place, in Willows, on the fifteenth of June. They’re doing up the barn so we can all get drunk and stumble back to the house if need be. Oh, and their place is huge so we’re all staying there.’
‘All of us? You mean, like, Mum and Frank too?’
Taylor pushed Casey over so she could answer. ‘I think so. They have this huge ranch house, with like six bedrooms or something, but they’ve also booked all the rooms at the bed and breakfast so whoever isn’t at their house will be in town. It’s all sorted—so you have to come. I figured you’d be back well before then, but you’ll need to book a flight soon.’
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