by Vivian Arend
What he should be doing instead of sitting here with her was making headway on the mess in his office, but part of him couldn’t bear to leave. “What you got planned for the day? I’ll be around if you need me. I try to take a couple days off each week, or at least the morning or afternoon. Me and the boys rotate. I’ve got Sunday and Wednesday when it works—the girls have early dismissal most Wednesdays.”
“I need the girls this morning, if you don’t mind. If you’d take care of them this afternoon, I’d appreciate it. My sisters are coming to visit, so that means we could go to town. But don’t worry. I’ll still have dinner on the table for six.”
He was going to get to see more of the Coleman clan? “They’re welcome to stay and eat with us,” he offered before snorting. “Which is kind of ironic because you’re the one who’s going to cook it.”
Tamara grinned then eyed her watch. “I’ll extend the invite. I’d better run. I’ve got a few things to do before breakfast.”
She rose to her feet and vanished.
Caleb sat back down, successfully ignoring the office chores as he spent another half hour thinking about how nice it was to have a reasonable conversation with a woman.
The final days of his marriage with Wendy had been all about drama. It was strange, though. Tamara had shouted at him louder yesterday than Wendy ever had, his ex-wife’s complaints delivered in quiet, well-modulated tones alternated with soundless judgement.
In spite of Tamara’s temper, she didn’t seem to carry a grudge.
Later that morning he was checking supplies when Kelli marched past at high speed. “Visitors, boss.”
Caleb put aside his clipboard and stepped after her, watching with curiosity as a truck hauling a small trailer pulled in next to the barn. The trailer slipped close to one of the arenas, and Caleb watched in admiration as the driver tucked it in sweet as possible before stopping perfectly next to the fence.
The doors opened and two people got out, and he moved forward to greet them, recognizing them from the family resemblance. Dark hair, dark eyes, similar images to Tamara who was marching across the yard at high speed, Sasha and Emma following a little slower.
The next moment Tamara was wrapped in a three-way hug. The Whiskey Creek girls liked each other.
Caleb moved within hearing distance as Tamara stepped back to introduce the girls. “Meet Sasha and Emma. Girls, this is my big sister Karen and my little sister Lisa. Although I think we’re pretty much all the same size these days.”
Karen waved at the girls.
Lisa pulled off her hat then squatted to eye Sasha and Emma more closely. “Nope,” she said. “You two can’t be Sasha and Emma because you’re way bigger than I thought you’d be. I’m sure Tamara isn’t allowed to be a nanny for any one old enough to drive a car.”
Emma snickered.
Sasha raised a brow, and Caleb jerked to a halt, recognizing his own expression on his daughter’s face.
Tamara noticed him then, gesturing her sisters toward him. “Guys, this is my boss, Caleb Stone.”
Karen shook his hand. Lisa rose to her feet with a grin, brushing her hands against her thighs before coming forward to offer another firm handshake. “Nice place you got here,” she said.
“Thanks.”
Karen assessed the ranch with a judgmental eye. “You keep separate barns for the horses and the other animals?”
Caleb glanced at Tamara to discover she was rolling her eyes. He was tempted to wink at her for some strange outlandish reason. “We do now. Don’t have a lot of animals other than horses at the moment. Cattle are on the range with their own shelters where needed.”
Karen nodded before glancing back at Tamara. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Hush. I know plenty.” She turned to Sasha and Emma. “Remember those extra chores I was telling you about?”
Sasha’s stoic expression faded into suspicion. “More chores?” She glanced over at Caleb. “Daddy?”
Oops. “I said it was okay.”
Dustin strolled up right around then, smiling appreciatively at the three women. Caleb considered leaning over and smacking him one across the back of his head.
“Ladies.” Dustin tipped his hat before twisting to Tamara. “Ashton says he’s prepared the side shed for you. Next to the old chicken coop.”
“Point me in the right direction, and I’ll bring the trailer. Probably the safest way to get them into the yard,” Karen said.
Tamara waved at the girls. “Lead on.”
They all had to wait because Emma had grabbed her sister’s sleeve and was tugging on it hard, shaking her head.
Sasha turned back hurriedly. “Emma doesn’t like chickens.”
That was news to Caleb. Damn—he’d gotten rid of the chickens because of his ex’s complaints, but she’d never said a word about Emma’s fears. He hesitated. Maybe he should override this idea of Tamara’s before it was too late.
But Tamara took the news in stride. “No worries. We’re not getting chickens.”
The slow smile that curled over Emma’s face was reassuring, yet not. She gave her head a happy toss then caught Sasha by the hand and led her back at high speed across the yard and toward the chicken coop.
Meanwhile, Caleb eyed Tamara and wondered how she’d managed so much mischief in just twenty-four hours, including corrupting his foreman and, it appeared, his brother.
The rest of the group followed except for Karen who returned to her truck to back in the trailer.
Ahead of them, the small shed still needed some work, but the fence was once again vertical, and there was an additional lean-to roof over one side. He could’ve sworn it hadn’t been there the day before.
Caleb and Dustin took up the rear. Lisa and Tamara were chatting away happily, talking over each other that way that women did without being annoyed. They both wore form-fitting jeans, and he wasn’t about to admit that his gaze lingered far too long on Tamara’s hips as they swayed from side to side front of him.
Then he glanced at Dustin, elbowing him hard in the ribs when he noticed that his kid brother was also eyeing the women’s butts.
“Stop that,” he ordered.
“Huh?” Dustin said in a shock before grinning. “Oh, come on. You were doing it, too.”
Caleb wasn’t about to admit any such thing.
They all gathered at the gate outside the pen, waiting as Karen backed the trailer into position.
Tamara turned to him. “Ashton said you used to raise fryers. Maybe when spring comes around, if you want to start that up again, we can decide if this is still the best place for Eeny, Meany and Miney.”
Caleb was curious as all get out by now. “What? No Moe?” he asked.
“She’s pregnant, so I left her back at our ranch. Figured you didn’t need that kind of trouble right off the bat,” Karen told him, joining them at the doors to the trailer.
Dustin pushed ahead of Caleb, as eager as the little girls to see what would happen next. “What did you bring?”
He leaned around Tamara just as Karen opened the doors and they were all greeted with a chorus of mahhhs.
Goats.
Three of them, judging by the names, and they must’ve been tired of sitting in the trailer because they rushed forward at high speed, barreling into Dustin and knocking him to the ground.
The following aftermath was hard to describe. The entire area was full of little girls screaming, young ladies shouting, and his brother starting a half-dozen times to swear then remembering his nieces were present.
The goats ran in circles, jumping over each other and anything in their way. If they’d run away in a straight line, it would’ve been a lot less chaotic, but for some reason the creatures remained close to the familiarity of their trailer. Although they didn’t want back in it, and they didn’t want into the yard that was now open to them after Caleb had fought his way through the squirming horde and pulled the gate aside.
Considering it was chaos, Caleb c
ouldn’t help but be pleased because while Sasha was making most of the noise, screaming at the top of her lungs, a wide grin on her face, she wasn’t the only one.
Emma wasn’t screaming, but she let out the occasional sharp bray as one of the goats brushed by her hard, sending her off balance. She toppled over into Dustin who had just about made it up to his feet.
Lisa went one way and Karen went the other, and finally the three grey and white creatures were somewhat contained in a square between the trailer, the girls, and the yard.
Over the screaming and bleating rang the soft sound of laughter, and he glanced to his right to discover Tamara clutching her stomach, her entire body shaking. Gaze pinned on Dustin as he rolled to his feet, arms flung wide as he stampeded after the smallest and darkest of the animals.
“Dusty, for God’s sake, stop chasing them,” Caleb ordered.
His youngest brother straightened up so hard and fast that he tripped again, and just when it seemed he would regain his balance, the biggest of the goats lowered his head and took aim at his butt. It was a firm enough tap to send Dustin sprawling to his face on the ground.
Tamara covered her mouth with her hand, but it was too late. She couldn’t stop, and now he was chuckling along with her.
It was almost anticlimactic when Tamara grabbed a bucket from beside the fence and gave it a shake.
The sound of grain against metal was all it took for the three goats to turn in her direction. She made a few clicking sounds with her tongue, and the goats stepped forward as if she were serving gourmet food.
She backed up, clicking again before glancing at Caleb with a soft-spoken message. “For the love of God, don’t do anything like flap your arms. I thought Dustin was trying to fly there for a minute.”
Caleb didn’t move except to offer a wink.
Her eyes widened for a second before she focused back on the goats, backing up steadily as they followed her into the pen.
The instant they could, Karen and Lisa closed the gates, trapping them all in as Tamara emptied the pail into the feed trough then stepped aside to let the goats enjoy their first dinner in their new home.
She glanced at Sasha and Emma. “As long as you don’t ask Uncle Dustin to help, you won’t have nearly that much excitement when you’re taking care of them.”
Dustin was back up like a yo-yo, brushing himself off and smiling good-naturedly at his own downfall. “If I’d known what you were doing, I wouldn’t have gone off half-cocked.”
Lisa looked him over before pinning her lips together, as if refusing to grin at his expense.
It appeared all the Coleman girls were a bit of trouble. Caleb glanced at Karen. “I’m surprised you didn’t pull out a harmonica and Pied Piper them into the pen.”
Karen brushed her gloves against her thigh. “I’m the horse whisperer, not the goat whisperer,” she teased back.
The next half hour was spent teaching Sasha and Emma what they had to do to take care of their goats.
Caleb backed off and left Tamara and her sisters to the task. He ended up on the far side of the fence with Dustin. Ashton joined them as well, checking the proceedings with great curiosity.
“Like my fencing repairs?” Ashton said with a bit of a gloat.
“You might’ve warned me we were getting goats,” he chided Ashton.
The silver-haired foreman shrugged lazily. “Tamara said you told her she had total responsibility if the girls wanted animal chores. I figured you put this one on yourself.”
Huh. Caleb had to agree. “You’re right, I did.”
Dustin rested his arms on the railing as he watched the girls and the goats with fascination. “How come I never got to have goats?” he asked.
“Because you had everything else, I guess.”
Oh hell. Tamara was right.
At Sasha’s age and earlier, Dustin had already been in the barns with their father. Maybe the situation had been a bit different because there’d been a lot more adults around, but still.
Caleb glanced at the girls working excitedly with the animals, and when Emma put her hands to her cheeks and laughed out loud, he felt that same sense of hopeless wonder strike all over.
There was no way he could do this without screwing up, but at least now he had someone helping him see the forest through the trees.
Tamara slipped into the bench seat at the coffee shop, putting down the tray and dividing the food among them.
“I still can’t believe you asked me for goats,” Karen said. “Those things are going to make your life miserable.”
Tamara shrugged. “I want the girls to have chores. Caleb doesn’t want them in the main barn, and you said goats would be better than pigs.”
“I said the girls would probably like goats better than pigs, but raising pigs would’ve been easier,” Karen corrected her.
“Cute kids,” Lisa slipped in. “I know you tried to get away without spilling details on the phone, but now you have no choice but to answer, or I’ll hold your coffee hostage.” She held it out of range while Tamara waited patiently. “Go on. How are you enjoying being a nanny slash housekeeper slash cook?”
Tamara glanced at her sisters. They were both waiting, true interest on their faces. She was lucky to have them in her life. “It’s not much different than being a nurse. I mean, at the hospital I didn’t have to cook, but there was always cleaning involved. I don’t mind the cooking, and the girls are…we’re getting along.”
“Is it weird living in someone else’s house?” Karen asked.
“Yeah, it is, but did you see that lake? I can’t get enough of the view.”
Lisa had been admiring the coffee shop, and now motioned toward the opening between the area where small tables and comfy chairs were arranged and the space next door filled with knick-knacks, candles and glorious flower blooms. “Well, I think it’s neat you’ve got new places to check out. Buns and Roses—cute name for a shop.”
Karen made an appreciative noise as she took a bite from the enormous cinnamon roll in front of her. “And tasty. Yeah, I can see you’re enjoying spreading your wings a little.”
“Things are going well,” Tamara assured them. “Still got to figure out a few things with the girls. Caleb’s a bit of a stick in the mud at times, but I knew that when I signed on for the job. He’s fine to work for. I’m glad I’m here.” She took a deep breath and asked the burning question. “Is it bad back home? I mean, the rumours about me?”
Karen and Lisa exchanged glances before Karen spoke. “It’s not terrible, but it’s a good thing you’re not there.”
Lisa nodded her agreement. “I think it’ll die down sooner with you not around, but speculation is running wild. Everything from you seduced a patient, to you absconded with the hospital fundraiser money.”
Tamara leaned her head against the wall beside her. In a way, she was surprised her secret had remained buried for as long as it had, but she’d known when she did it she was risking her career.
Years ago she’d discovered a good friend’s mother was dying. That had been tough, but when Allison’s mom failed to tell her children the news, that had been the straw that pushed Tamara over the line.
Allison had already lost her dad to the disease, and the pain of not being there for her mom would have been heartbreaking.
So Tamara had ignored her nursing vows, and instead of keeping a patient’s information confidential, she’d let it slip to Allison who had been able to return to Rocky in time.
Tamara’s actions were wrong, and she’d been fired when the news finally came out. Didn’t matter that it was years earlier—she’d screwed up.
And with one fell swoop, years of training and her career were history.
She sighed. “You know if I told the truth, that wouldn’t make it any better, because somehow, someway, people would still get it twisted.”
“Worse, it would hurt Allison and her family. We know.” Karen laid a hand over hers. “Hon, we don’t think you did anything wr
ong. Allison got to be home with her mom during her last months. I’d have been tempted to do the same thing.”
Lisa nodded. “We won’t tell anybody what you shared, but I am glad you told us. Makes it easier to put up with the bullshit.” Her sisters and Caleb’s sister, Dare, were the only ones Tamara had told the truth.
“Well, I know you guys can keep your mouths shut.”
The three of them looked at each other. They’d never complained in public about how annoying their particular…situation was.
“I just think it’s better nobody knows.”
“We agree.”
But they were still thinking about it. “Dad’s having a hard time, isn’t he?”
Lisa nodded reluctantly. “The guys at the coffee shop keep poking him for details, so whatever you do, keep your mouth shut with him. Sharing what happened is not an option because that would end in a big old mess.”
“You seem extra distracted.” Tamara poked her older sister. “Dad troubles?”
Karen shook herself. “What? No. He’s been grumpy lately, wondering what the truth is about you leaving, but he hasn’t been any worse than usual when it comes to the ranch. Working with the cousins has made life a lot better, and the rest of the ranches are more than happy to take my advice. With Jesse back, I think we’re going to do some good things with the stock. In fact, I was thinking about combining bloodlines more—”
Lisa shoved the plate of goodies toward her and spoke loudly to cover her words. “Eat. No breeding talk at the table.”
Coughs of surprise rose from the two men at the table next to them. The one with dark hair smiled before looking away, but the blond made eye contact, a wide smile on his handsome face. Lisa flushed, then wiggled her fingers in greeting.
Tamara smacked at her sister’s hands. “Stop that. I live around these people now.”
Lisa leaned around her to check out the guys again. “Which is why I’m perusing the menu.”
Good grief. “Karen was about to tell us why she’s moping,” Tamara reminded Lisa.
Lisa waved a hand, easing her chair back so she had a better view of the neighbouring table. “Oh, that. She’s pouting because old Freddie Wilson crawled out of that ancient RV he’s been entombed in for half of forever and asked her to a Halloween party.”