Bronco

by H. P. Mallory

  “Stop scaring the prey, Rue,” he answered with that lopsided grin of his. Rue threw her head back and laughed heartily. Then she turned to take stock of the dining table which was just behind her.

  “Hmm,” she said as she pointed out two empty seats. “You both can take a seat over there.”

  I nodded and smiled at the other people at the table as Jake led me to my seat. My mouth was already watering at the delicious smells in the air. I couldn’t even remember how long it had been since I’d had a real home-cooked meal.

  I took my seat and Jake sat down next to me as he turned to face the other three people at the table. “Has everyone had a chance to meet our newest recruit?” he asked as Rue took her seat beside Brady.

  “No,” I started as the other men said the same.

  “On the far side of the table is Elliot,” Jake started. I smiled at the youngish guy with the mop of orange hair and matching freckles. “Next to him is Ned.” Ned nodded at me. He must have been in his eighties, he had such deeply etched wrinkles. “Ned and Elliot help with the horses. Then you remember Brady,” Jake continued as I smiled at the man in question. “And that brings us to Rue.”

  “Nice to meet you all,” I said as I glanced down at my plate which looked more like Thanksgiving dinner than a random night in the middle of the week dinner. “You eat like this every night?” I asked.

  “Pretty much,” Rue answered.

  “Rue is a pain in the rear but she can cook,” Brady grumbled although a smile turned up the ends of his lips.

  “Shut up, you old fool,” Rue responded with a little fake swat to his face. “You know you need me.”

  He waved a dismissive hand at her. “I guess.” Then he looked at me and winked. “She keeps this place going, and she cooks all the meals for our guests, too so I ‘spose it’s true—I do need her.”

  “Well, everything smells wonderful.” I settled my napkin into place on my lap and then eyed the food on my plate, beyond eager to dig in.

  Rue bowed her head and the men took their hats off. Brady quickly blessed the food and you could have knocked me over with a feather because I hadn’t been expecting this. Why? I wasn’t really sure. Maybe because we’d never bothered to say grace when I was growing up so I wasn’t used to it?

  “So, Summer, what do you think of the ranch?” Ned asked.

  “I think it’s great,” I answered with a smile. I noticed that Elliott didn’t look up from his food once. Maybe he was shy.

  “And is the cabin to your liking?” Rue asked.

  “The cabin is great.” I looked at Brady then. “Thank you.” Then I swung my gaze to Jake. “And I’m sorry about kicking you and Bob out.”

  He shrugged. “As long as you don’t mind Bob coming to visit every now and again, we’re doing just fine in the apartment.”

  “You met Bob, huh?” Rue asked. “She’s a sweet little thing.”

  “Yes, she is,” I answered honestly. “Although she isn’t exactly little.”

  Rue laughed and nodded her agreement as Ned faced me curiously. “You’re from Connecticut,” he started.

  “Yes,” I replied with a smile, feeling suddenly uncomfortable because all eyes were on me.

  “Well, we are glad to have you here through the summer,” Rue finished.

  “Thank you,” I answered, relieved she wasn’t further digging into my past. I had to wonder if Liza had told Brady more about me than she’d said she had.

  We chatted about mindless stuff for a bit longer and a strange, homey feeling settled over me. Yes, this family style thing was totally new to me but I liked it. Halfway through dinner, Brady wiped his mouth and set his napkin beside his plate. “Summer, I’m not sure how much Liza told you about Springhill and what we do here, so I’ll just start at the beginning and fill you in.”

  I set my fork down and folded my hands in my lap. “Okay.”

  “We’re just a plain old working ranch. I have a thousand head of cattle and for the last dozen years or so, from spring and going all the way through summer, we’ve allowed people to come visit and help out. They view it as a sort of vacation, if you will.”

  That was the strangest vacation I’d ever heard of, but whatever.

  “The first group is set to arrive in a week, so you’ve got a lot to do before then. Rue will help show you around the main house and give you your daily chores. I expect you to help her with whatever she needs.”

  “Sure.” I’d do whatever I needed to in order to keep this job and a comfortable place for Aria.

  Rue walked to the kitchen and scooped another helping of mashed potatoes onto her plate. “Your job won’t be too difficult. Just helping me in the kitchen, cleaning up and keeping people happy. Riding wears them out pretty good, so they don’t usually need much in the evenings after dinner.” She held the plate out to Brady, who took it and then she took Jake’s plate and spooned more of everything onto it. Apparently, he had a big appetite. “And I don’t ever see these two after dinner, so you’re more than welcome to ride that mare of yours tonight after we get this all cleaned up. That is, if you’re not exhausted from all that driving.”

  “That would be great, thanks,” I said and meant it.

  Brady sipped his beer. “As I was saying, Jake and I will gather the cows in before our guests arrive. Then, next week, we’ll push them out to the east pasture, and I’ll let the guests help with that one.”

  “Do they bring their own horses?” I asked.

  Jake coughed. “God, no,” he said around a mouthful of food. “Most of them can barely ride.”

  I frowned. “So, you just let beginners come ride your horses?” That was mind-boggling. I wasn’t even sure that Jake could handle Aria, and that was assuming he was a pretty good rider. Putting a beginner on Aria would be like strapping them to a loaded rocket and wishing them luck.

  Jake shrugged. “They’re good horses. And we keep an eye on them so no one gets hurt.”

  We finished eating and the guys left Rue and me to clean up, letting me get my first taste of how chores worked around here. After dishes, Rue gave me a tour of the house and I was impressed by the sprawling floor plan.

  The main floor had a great room that was filled with squishy couches and a giant fireplace. I tried to ignore all the carcasses of deer and creatures nailed to the walls. The rustic look never was a personal favorite of mine, but everything about this place was unquestionably homey.

  Rue showed me the three bedrooms downstairs and the four upstairs. There were a mix of twin beds, and bunks, definitely plenty of room for a couple of families. “How long has the ranch been a vacation spot?” I asked.

  “Brady had the idea about ten years ago after his father passed away.”

  “So, um, you and Brady are…”

  She laughed. “Brady and I are old friends who work together.”

  I didn’t pry even though I also didn’t totally believe her, but if that was the story she wanted to dish, I wasn’t going to challenge her. It wasn’t my business.

  She opened a narrow door to a linen closet and counted the towel sets. “I was surprised when he hired Jake.”

  At the thought that I could get some background information on Jake, I was all ears. “How long has he been here?”

  “Five years now.” She looked at me intently. “He had a rough go before he got here... and he’s really found himself on the ranch.” I looked away and fidgeted as soon as I thought about my own background. “We all have scars, honey. It’s what makes us who we are.”

  I blinked rapidly and smiled, though I couldn’t think of a single thing to say in response.

  She smiled and walked us back to the kitchen. “Why don’t you go on to bed? You probably had a long day.”

  I smiled. “Are you sure?”

  “You’re going to need your rest for tomorrow.”

  She was right, so I told her goodnight and headed out, swinging by the barn first to check on Aria.

  The barn was dark and cold. In f
act, the nights cooled off fast here in general. Back home, Aria would have been under blankets and lights, so this was about as Motel 6 as it could get. I wandered through the dark and sighed as I wrapped my fingers around the bars and closed my eyes. Rue was right, this has been an incredibly long day.

  “Summer?”

  I jerked upright and twisted toward the voice, stepping into the middle of the walkway. Jake flicked on the overhead light and flying insects immediately attacked it. As soon as I saw him, I gulped down my embarrassment. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. I forgot you slept over the barn!”

  “No problem. I was just headed up to bed and thought I heard something.”

  Now I felt dumb and totally awkward. I didn’t say anything because it seemed my tongue was no longer able to form words.

  “You’ll have to let me know if I did the shavings right.”

  I lifted up on my toes and peered over the wall. Sure enough, fluffy pink shavings were piled high and banked up the sides and in the corners of Aria’s stall.

  He’d actually gone and gotten Aria shavings? After that talk we’d had where he’d basically teased me for my pretentious ways? I couldn’t believe it. I was stunned, awed and so completely grateful, I could barely contain myself.

  I tried not to go overboard with the gushing when I turned back to him, but I did want to throw my arms around him and give him a giant hug. But I held myself back. I wasn’t sure why but I did all the same.

  “Thank you, Jake. This was really sweet of you and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome, Posh. I’m gonna turn in and get some shut eye,” he said as he flicked off the light. “We gotta be up early tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight,” I answered as I turned on my toes and started out of the barn.

  “Goodnight, Summer,” he responded and I couldn’t help my smile.

  Chapter Five

  Summer

  I woke up the next morning and realized that for the first time in a long time I’d slept through the night. The recurring nightmares that usually struck me each and every night hadn’t and the stiff heaviness that coursed through my body seemed like it had lifted a little. Maybe this place was exactly what I’d been hoping for—somewhere I could leave the past behind.

  It was a little before six when I walked out of the cabin. I stopped by and checked on Aria who was happily eating her hay.

  “Ready?” I heard Brady’s voice followed by the sound of hoof beats against the hard ground outside the barn.

  “Let’s get ‘er done,” Jake chimed in with a big and alert smile that said he’d been up long before I had. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and silently cursed him for looking so damn good so damned early in the morning.

  I walked to the end of the barn aisle and peered outside the large double doors to see the two of them heading out. I took another peek at Aria and she appeared to be settling right in. So, I headed out to the main house, where I was greeted by Rue—a grin on her face and a cup of coffee in her hand, which she handed to me.

  “For you. You sleep well?” she asked as she held the front door open for me and then led me through the hallway to the kitchen.

  “I did. Thank you,” I answered as I tried to stifle a yawn. I could have easily slept another hour or three.

  “Don’t worry,” Rue said with a big smile. “You’ll get used to waking up so early.”

  “I hope so,” I answered as I took a big gulp of the coffee which tasted like heaven. “So, I saw Brady and Jake head out already. I figured they’d be here for breakfast?”

  Rue shook her head. “They had to get an early start. They ate over an hour ago. They’ve got a wide line of fence that’s down at the far corner of the ranch. Some of the cattle got through last night. Got a call from one of the neighbors.” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “They’ve got their work cut out for them.” She waved a hand at me. “It’s good. Gives us time to orient you on what you’ll be helping me with. I’ve got some bacon and scrambled eggs ready for you, and there’s a bowl of berries in the fridge over there.”

  I grabbed my plate and sat down. Rue made up one for herself and sat across from me. It was quiet for a few minutes and I felt awkward, like I should fill the void of silence. But the last thing I wanted to do was talk about myself, and the last thing I wanted was for Rue to start asking questions about me. Once it looked like she was about to do just that, I headed her off.

  “You’ve been here for twenty years?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  I set my fork down and looked at her.

  “When Brady’s dad was alive and this place was just a working cow ranch rather than the added vacation thing we have now, my husband worked here. He managed the place.”

  “Oh. You’re married?”

  She nodded and then shook her head. “I was but I’m not no more!” She smiled over at me. “And praise the Lord for that.”

  “That bad huh?”

  “Yep. He was a mean son-of-a-bitch.”

  I took a sip of coffee and didn’t know how to respond. “Well, congratulations,” I settled on finally.

  “I’ll take them, baby girl,” she said and then nodded as if to say the story was far from over. I was happy to hear it because I didn’t want the spotlight on me and I also had to say that Rue was an interesting woman and I wanted to know her backstory.

  “Even though I was married at the time, I fell for Brady in a very big way,” she continued with a little smile that meant she was still under the big man’s spell.

  “Oh.” I didn’t really know what else to say because I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to ask more or if I should just wait for her to offer up whatever she wanted to.

  “Yeah. Kind of foolish. Got Brady’s ass kicked, but in the end, that bastard I was married to left and I moved in here.”

  “Are you and Brady married then?”

  “No. Not in the ‘let’s go to church and put on a ring’ married. We are common law married and that’s how we like it. We don’t need the paperwork and all that. Neither one of us were super successful in past relationships so we agreed to do things our own way.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “What about you? You have a boyfriend?”

  I laughed as I thought about it and the fact that I hadn’t even had a date since my mother made off with my last one. In general, I steered completely clear of men. I figured if I never allowed a man to get close to me, I couldn’t get hurt. “No. Definitely not.” Silence set in again and I felt like she was waiting for me to explain. “I haven’t had time,” I started. “I’ve got goals for Aria and me, and I’ve been working toward them.”

  “Goals?”

  I nodded and glanced down into my half empty cup of coffee. “Starting a new life, that sort of thing. Men just don’t fit into my plans at the moment.”

  “I understand.” She nodded at me and gave me a sweet smile. “Well, I’m always here if you need someone to talk to.”

  A pit welled in my stomach because the last person who’d offered to be there for me was my dad, and memories of him did nothing but cause a sinking feeling in my gut. “Thank you.”

  “We better get started,” Rue said with an apologetic smile.

  We rinsed our plates and Rue gave me the lowdown on how the kitchen was run and how the meals were planned each day for guests.

  “Once we’re done here, you’ll have to head on into town,” she started after finishing her lengthy explanation on meal planning. “Brady called Sharon last night after dinner, and you’ve got yourself a job interview.”

  I couldn’t help my surprise. “Awesome!”

  It seemed my life was starting over again right here in Colorado Springs. And I was happy. Happier than I could remember being in a long while. The people surrounding me seemed genuine and good—the types of people you could trust and become close with. But the pit in my stomach warned me not to get close to anyone or it would lead to disaster. If nothi
ng else, I’d learned that caring about anyone only led to disappointment and heartache.

  Chapter Six

  Jake

  I couldn’t stop thinking about her even though I was annoyed with myself because Summer was someone I had no business thinking about. Usually, I wasn’t attracted to high-maintenance and she was it and then some. But, there was also a lot more to her than her high society manners, I was sure.

  As my glove caught on the barbed wire for the hundredth time, Brady yelled at me.

  “What is with you this morning? Do you need a nap, a new set of panties, what the hell?”

  “Got me.”

  I rubbed my nose on my sleeve and blinked at the sun coming over the horizon. I hadn’t slept last night. I’d just tossed and turned. It was so bad that Bob slept on the floor. But I’d be damned if I was going to tell Brady that I was exhausted this morning because I couldn’t get images of Summer naked and sprawled out below me out of my head. The last thing I wanted was him riding me about her again.

  What bothered me most about my current fixation on the shapely little strawberry blond, was that it wasn’t just her body that I couldn’t quit thinking about. It was the way she sat at the table, all prim and proper. It was the way she got nervous whenever I looked at her like a man looks at a woman. It was the way she was so dedicated to that horse of hers. And it was the way that haunted look came into her eyes that hinted to a troubled past.

  It was clear that she didn’t belong here, and I wanted to know where she was from and how someone like her ended up here, in the middle of nowhere. That horse was obviously expensive and that saddle, good hell, must have cost more than my truck. Speaking of trucks, that was another mystery about her too. That truck and trailer were about to rot off their wheels and yet she was carrying around tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of preciousness on the inside. There was a whole lot more to her story, and while I was a big fan of keeping secrets, I really wanted to know hers.