A Rancher's Heart

by Vivian Arend

  “You crazy break with traditionalists. What is it?”

  “Jalaj Patel, but he asked the crew to call him JP. He’s Indian. We’re the only ranch in the area that serves dahl as often as beans.”

  Tamara grinned before glancing at her watch. “You ready for breakfast? Or do you want to wait and eat with the girls?”

  He rose to his feet along with her, a little uncomfortable as she reached into the fridge and pulled out a container of eggs. “You don’t have to do that.”

  She stopped, laying the food on the counter so her fists could settle on her hips. “Caleb Stone, you hired me to do a job, so let me do it. You want to eat now or later?”

  He ignored the twitch of pleasure that struck to see her standing her ground. “I’ll wait.”

  “What time will the girls be ready for breakfast, usually?”

  “Seven fifteen. Bus picks them up at seven forty-five and drops them off at three thirty.”

  She nodded decisively then basically shooed him from the kitchen. “Go do whatever. I’ll have breakfast at your usual time. If you can be here today, that will help ease us into the routine.”

  He picked up his coffee cup and went to the pot to top it up. “I intended to eat with the girls. You being here doesn’t change that.”

  He added a shot of cream to his coffee before lifting his mug in the air in a salute. No choice but to go and face his office and the paperwork he hated.

  “Caleb,” she interrupted before he left the room. “How do you like it?”

  Sheer willpower kept him from stumbling. “Excuse me?”

  Tamara gestured toward his hand. “The coffee. Is it the way you like?”

  Oh. Coffee, not sex. “I like it stronger.”

  She nodded. “More kick in the pants. Got it, boss.” Then she turned to the fridge and started going through it, moving on with her day.

  Caleb forced himself to move on with his, sliding down the hall to his office with that strange sense that more than just an additional person had entered the house.

  There was a force of nature.

  Tamara used the next forty-five minutes to finish exploring the kitchen, doing inventory on supplies and starting a shopping list. Cooking for the family wasn’t enough to scare her. She’d spent enough time during her university days taking turns on the chore with her roommates, and later making large batches of stuff to exchange with her friends. Not to mention cooking for the horde of her extended family when they got together.

  She could make more than toast, although the menu would get a little repetitious after a while, but that wasn’t her biggest challenge.

  She had half an hour each morning to figure out more about the little girls, then an entire day to go through before they were home. The empty hours loomed.

  Luckily, she still had this morning to distract her. She went with what was simple. There was a plethora of cereal in the cupboard, plenty of bread and eggs. She set the table with a few choices including juice and cut fruit and the biscuits cooling on the counter.

  Then she sat down with fresh cup of coffee from a new pot—Caleb was right, she’d made the first batch far too weak—and planned out her day, pretending having open spaces was a complete treat.

  Ten minutes later she looked down at her chore list and laughed. What a bunch of baloney—she could hear her cousins cursing her shitty attitude.

  So what if she was going to be home all day instead of turning up for a shift at the hospital? She had a ton of work to keep the house running efficiently, and ignoring that fact was insulting to everyone who worked at home.

  She closed her notepad with a smack just as Caleb returned to the room.

  He glanced at the table, hesitating before clearing his throat. “It looks good, but we usually eat breakfast at the island. It might be better—”

  Tamara held up a hand. “You’re right. I’m not looking to mess with their routine. It’s enough of a change for me to be here.”

  “I should have warned you.” His shoulders relaxed in relief, and he helped her grab the plates and move them to the island. “If we’ve got more than four for breakfast, we do eat at the table. It’s just that usually it’s only me and the girls, and when Ginny is here, she joins in at the side.”

  “Which side?” Tamara asked, thinking back to yesterday’s faux pas with sitting in Ginny spot.

  Caleb’s thoughts must’ve gone there as well. He pointed to the far end of the island. “There.”

  Tamara placed her plate on the opposite end of the counter, moving to adjust the stools. “Then I’ll sit over here. It’s a small enough change.”

  Caleb took his cup and went for another cup, sniffing the new stronger batch she’d made with appreciation before settling into the chair next to where she intended to sit.

  There was no time to feel awkward because an instant later Sasha and Emma rushed into the room. They tossed their backpacks on the dining room table before they turned and stopped dead, examining Tamara.

  That ever-present suspicion was strong in Sasha’s eyes, as if Tamara was going to sprout horns and grab a pitchfork at any moment.

  Caleb seemed oblivious. He slid off his stool and opened his arms. “I thought you two were hibernating for the winter.”

  They scooted in for a hug before climbing on what had to be their usual stools.

  “Anybody want a fried egg, and if yes, how do you want them?” She pointed at Caleb. “And unless you change your mind all the time, I should be able to get it right after you’ve told me once.”

  Caleb reached for a biscuit and the jam. “Sunny side up, if you can.”

  “Emma and I want ours cooked all the way through, not yucky like Daddy’s.”

  Tamara glanced at Emma but she was reaching for a bowl and the cereal, so Tamara went with it. “Sunny side up, and two not yucky, otherwise known as over-hard. Got it.”

  She put the food together, including one for herself, then joined them. Other than watching Emma make longing eyes at Caleb and her plates, the rest of breakfast went off without a hitch.

  It was the calm before the storm, followed by the mad rush of brushing teeth, gathering school supplies and forgotten homework, then she and Caleb walked the girls to the front road just in time for the yellow bus to appear on the main highway.

  “You have to put the shelter up soon, Daddy. It’s going to start snowing, and we need our castle to hide in,” Sasha informed him.

  “I’ll put it on the to-do list.” He ruffled Emma’s curls and gave Sasha’s ponytail a tug before kissing them both and sending them on the bus.

  The bus driver eyed Tamara curiously before glancing at Caleb. “Going to have snow before the week’s out,” he warned, an echo of Sasha’s words. “Better make sure the girls are bundled up tight.”

  Caleb mostly grunted in response. He gestured to Tamara. “Dan, this is Tamara, the girls’ nanny. She’ll be the one meeting the bus most days. She’s okay.”

  “See you this afternoon.” Dan glanced back into the bus before closing the doors and heading into town.

  A moment later, Caleb took his leave as well. “If you need me, my cell number is on the fridge. You don’t have to worry about lunch. I’ll eat with the crew since it’s Walker’s first day back.”

  He tipped his hat then strode across the grass toward the barns without another word.

  Tamara watched him go, giving in to the urge to admire the view.

  It was a truth that had to be admitted—the man looked good coming or going.

  Chapter Five

  Tamara went back to the house and did up the breakfast dishes before exploring the house more thoroughly.

  The second door off the kitchen led into a conveniently located laundry room, two hampers full of dirty wash waiting. She got a load going then checked out the downstairs play area before wandering back through the living room. All the pictures she admired the night before were slightly familiar now, which meant she could look closer. Some of Caleb and his brothe
rs and sister when they were growing up. A few with a couple who had to be his mom and dad.

  Lots of Sasha and Emma when they were young.

  The house was cozy, but well lived in, and most definitely not clean to the corners.

  It was tidy, though, and comfortable, and Tamara couldn’t find very much to complain about. She added a few things to her chore chart, along with a few questions for Caleb.

  She poked her head into the girls’ rooms, just to get the lay of the land. Sasha’s room was a bit of a bear pit, clothing strewn everywhere—it looked as if she’d tried on three or four outfits before getting dressed, like some miniature fashion diva.

  Emma’s room was tiny, with a smaller-than-normal bed and dresser. Her closet was open, and the toys were arranged in neat rows on the shelves, as far from the mess in her sister’s room as imaginable.

  The hall bathroom that the girls shared was somewhere between messy and neat, and Tamara smiled as their unique personalities began to stand out.

  That’s all there was on that side of the house, and she crossed the living space to the wing that extended to the west. Another bathroom—this one filled with the scent of Caleb’s soap, woodsy and sharp in her nostrils.

  The next door opened on an office. She supposed there was a desk somewhere under all the paper and rubbish. A filing cabinet in the corner had a couple doors that couldn’t close because of the paperwork sticking out of the top. There might’ve been a credenza, and a number of chairs, but mostly piles of paper and an astonishing collection of dirty coffee cups.

  Obviously Caleb spent time in here. How he found anything, though, she had no idea.

  She collected the cups without disturbing anything, pulling the door shut with difficulty. Then she hesitated.

  “Ahh, fuck it.” She gave in to the devil of curiosity, pushing open the final door and peeking inside.

  Unlike the previous room, this one was neat as a pin. Bed made as crisp as if he’d been in the military, the entire room was spartan. A dresser as small as Emma’s was topped with a picture of the girls, their arms wrapped around each other, bright faces beaming with a field of wildflowers behind them.

  It was the only decoration in the room.

  The only other thing in the room was a bed, bigger than a single, but nowhere near large enough for a man the size of Caleb.

  She closed the door and backed away without peeking any further, feeling somewhat guilty that for whatever reason he’d given her the master suite, including his king-size bed.

  Another thing to include on the list of topics to be discussed.

  Tamara worked until lunch then decided it was time to explore the rest of her environment. May as well check to see how her horse was settling in. She pulled on a pair of boots and a warm coat, dropping a hat on her head.

  She glanced in the mirror by the back door and all but froze.

  A week ago she’d been garbed from head to toe in nursing scrubs. Today she looked more like her older sister than ever, Karen’s cowgirl gear as much a part of her as breathing.

  It felt—strange. Tamara hadn’t dressed like this on a regular basis for over ten years. She still put in her time and helped out with the Whiskey Creek ranch when necessary, but it hadn’t been her life, the ranch business. And yet now, it was, in a way.

  She’d missed it. More than she wanted to admit.

  She strolled outside, saying hello to the couple of dogs who rushed to greet her before guiding her toward the main barn. There were at least a dozen trucks parked near a long low building to the south that she suspected must be the bunkhouse.

  To the north was a lake, and she found herself intrigued. That was one thing that was different from the territory where she’d grown up. Tamara stopped and pivoted in a slow circle, looking over the land. The mountains were much closer here, sheer and dangerous, the craggy peaks already painted with white, and the cold wind that blew toward her warned Dan’s prediction was right.

  It was nearly Halloween. She could count on one hand the number of times there hadn’t been snow by that point growing up.

  Past the ranch house was a small cottage she assumed was Dare’s, and she wondered if one of the boys would move into it. Just like her cousins did at home, constantly rotating houses so that everyone was as comfortable as possible.

  Her gaze drifted over more outbuildings then danced back to the lake, the shining surface tempting Tamara forward. Not that she needed another dip in icy water, but it was pretty, and she promised herself a chance to walk along the bank, maybe with the girls, that evening.

  Now she headed toward the barn, stepping cautiously as she entered to make sure she wasn’t interrupting.

  The sweet smell of hay struck her like a memory, and she closed her eyes and leaned against the nearest wall, using her other senses to experience the moment. Animals moved slowly, the sound of creaking boards. Somewhere someone was dragging a rake, the scratching sound far more soothing than nails on a blackboard but just as distinctive.

  Yeah, she’d missed this a hell of a lot.

  “I didn’t hear anything about the Stones hiring another woman hand, so you must be the nanny.”

  Tamara snapped her eyes open to come face-to-face with dark brown eyes set in a very young face. The woman wore her brown hair in two tight braids, her cheeks tanned from the sun. She was short, at least six inches shorter than Tamara who was modestly tall for a woman at five foot eight.

  “I am. Tamara Coleman.”

  The woman shoved a hand forward and shook Tamara’s with a grip worthy of a man twice her size. “Kelli James.” She looked Tamara up and down once before wrinkling her nose. “Those clothes look brand-new. When Ashton said you’d brought a horse, I was hoping you’d actually know which was the working end of a shovel.”

  Tamara let out a snort of amusement. “The clothes are new, but trust me, I know shit when I see it. I can clean it up or dish it out along with the best of them.”

  The irritation in Kelli’s expression vanished between one breath and the next. “Good. I couldn’t take another prissy princess in here, prancing around like some high-strung filly. You want me to show you where we stashed your horse? Ashton found a spot where you can access her without getting in the way of the ranch operations.”

  “That would be great.” She eyed the other woman, then made a judgment call of her own. Kelli seemed the type to appreciate plain speaking, “You don’t look old enough to work here during the day. You playing hooky?”

  Kelli gave her a dirty look. “Twenty-six, thanks so much.”

  “Bullshit. Dustin looks older than you.”

  “Ha. The kid turned nineteen a few weeks ago and figured that meant he was old enough to ask me for a date.” She glanced at Tamara. “He’ll probably ask you too.”

  “Even though I’m so old?” Tamara teased.

  “Now who’s slinging the bull?” They stopped beside a stall, and Stormy came forward, sticking his nose over the gate to bump Tamara affectionately as Kelli came around the side. “He’s a pretty creature.”

  “Stormy is a sweetheart and exactly what I need when I ride.” Tamara brushed her hands on her jeans. “You’re right. All my gear is new. I’ve been working a job off the ranch for long enough it’s been important to have a trustworthy ride for the few days I did get to ride. My sister Karen knows horses, and she picked Stormy out for me a number of years ago.”

  “She picked well.” Kelli ran a hand over Stormy’s nose, petting him affectionately before sneaking a carrot from her pocket and feeding it to him. She turned back to Tamara. “I’ll show you where we put your saddle and the rest of your gear, then if you want, I can take you on a little tour.”

  “I don’t want to keep you from your work,” Tamara protested, wondering how quickly she could get in more trouble with Caleb, stealing away his workers.

  Kelli waved off her protest. “I’m not working right now, I just like to hang around the place. Acting tour guide gives me an excuse.”


  Within a few minutes it was clear Kelli wasn’t exaggerating—she loved Silver Stone, and she knew all its history, and everyone who’d worked there, and all the animals.

  “That one is Cherry Blossom. Ashton figures the last owners were either fat and lazy, or mean and lazy because the horse gets damn skittish when you try to put more than a blanket on her back.” Kelli folded her arms and rested them on the cross post outside the arena where an older man with silver in his hair was walking a horse in circles. “She’s going to be a great ride. I look forward to getting up on her.” She glanced at Tamara before gesturing to herself with a hand. “Me with all my massiveness works well as a starter package for the jittery horses.”

  “You’re not scared?” Tamara knew the answer, but she was interested to see how Kelli would respond because the other woman was turning out to be an absolute crackup.

  Sure enough, Kelli made a rude noise before shining a wide grin Tamara’s direction. “Hell, it’s fun to get up on big things that buck.”

  She winked, and Tamara outright laughed. “We’re going to get along well, you and I.”

  Kelli punched her good-naturedly in the arm then gestured toward the gate. “Want to meet Ashton?”

  Tamara glanced at her watch. “I’d better save it for the next time. I got a few things to do before the bus arrives, and I should do a little more unpacking.”

  “Tomorrow, then,” Kelli said. “If you think you can get away for a couple of hours, I’ll make sure I’m free to take you on a longer tour. We can ride—I’ll take you to Heart Falls.”

  No use in mentioning she’d already seen them, up close and personal like. “I’d like that.”

  Kelli walked with her toward the parking lot. “You moving into the cottage, or Ginny’s room?”

  Oh. That explained why Caleb wasn’t in the master bedroom. “Not the cottage—I need to be in the house to help with the girls. I’m right next to them.”