by Krista Lakes
“So, how did you get to be in charge of the trouble makers?” he asked as they approached the entrance.
“I'm their social worker,” Mia explained. “They were assigned to me.”
“You seem to care an awful lot for a social worker,” Carter remarked. He paused slightly by the door and held it open for her. She looked over at him. He had an open face and an honesty to his eyes that told Mia he didn't mean any harm by the comment.
“I do care a lot about them,” she said slowly, doing her best not to be defensive. She probably cared more than she should about them, but that wasn't something he needed to know. “They're good kids.”
“You say that a lot,” he replied.
Mia glared at him for a moment. “That's because it's true. They are.”
He nodded as they entered the barn.
The smell of horse and hay was stronger inside. The stalls were large and spacious with plenty of storage room off to the side. Mia didn't know much about horses, but she knew a stable like this had to be top of the line. It was nicer and certainly bigger than her apartment.
Inside, Grayson was already up to his elbows in soapy water leaning over what Mia assumed was a watering trough. He had on yellow gloves that were about six sizes too big, but with a grin to match as he scrubbed. Alexander and Lily were in one of the stalls, both with shovels. Despite the smell coming from that particular stall, they both were laughing.
“Make sure to get all of it,” Laura advised, standing off to the side and observing.
Mia leaned against the door frame and watched her kids. They were happy, and it made her heart swell. This was going to be good for them. All of them. They wanted so badly to please, and here, they could really feel useful.
“They look like they're going to do a good job,” Carter said, watching the kids work under Laura's watchful eyes.
Mia nodded, watching as Alexander enthusiastically scooped a very large load of something Mia didn't want to think about out of the stall.
“Gonna be sore tomorrow, though,” Carter said with a laugh as he watched the boy struggle to balance the shovel without spilling it.
Mia laughed. “That load's nearly as big as he is.”
Carter's laugh was low and musical. It made Mia want to laugh along with him without needing a joke. She turned, and their eyes met. He had such a great smile. Friendly. Warm.
“How long have you worked here?” Mia asked, doing her best not to get lost in his eyes. “I don't think I've seen you in town, and it's not that big of a town.”
Carter shrugged. “I've been with the ranch for a long time, but I've never been able to stay as long as I'd like here.”
Mia's brows came together as she tried to figure out what Carter did at the ranch that allowed him to leave and come back like that. “I guess I should ask what your job is then. I thought you were the ranch manager, but...”
Carter looked puzzled at her for a moment. “Laura is the ranch manager.”
“So, what's your job?” Mia asked, trying to think of another job that would put him in charge without having to be in town all the time.
A slow smile filled Carter's face, and his eyes started to sparkle. He chuckled, enjoying his new secret. “If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not going to tell you.”
Mia crossed her arms and glared at him, but it just made him chuckle again. Apparently, he wasn't as intimidated by her “tell me now” stare as her kids were.
Fine, she thought, turning away from him. I'll just look him up later. I've got pretty good Google skills.
“Laura, will we get to work with the horses today?” Lily asked Laura, drawing Mia's attention.
Laura shook her head. “Not today. I needed to see what you knew how to do. Next time we'll work with the animals.”
Lily looked crestfallen, but then quickly picked up her shovel and grinned. She waved to Mia and went into the next stall, ready to earn her place at the ranch.
“Would you like a tour of the ranch?” Carter asked Mia.
She turned, surprised by his question. He stood in the doorway, all sexy jeans and easy smile and for a moment, Mia completely forgot how to speak.
“Um, don't I need to watch them?” she finally managed to get out, stumbling over every word. “You know, make sure you're getting your money's worth?”
Carter chuckled. “I'm sure Laura will make sure that they are working hard and being safe,” he assured her. “Tour?”
Her bottom lip was between her teeth as she hesitated for just a moment. She glanced over to see Laura showing Alexander a better way to shovel and telling Grayson he was doing a great job.
“Okay, I'll take your tour,” Mia said, putting a smile on her face. It would be fun. Maybe she'd even get some hints to his identity.
“Excellent,” Carter replied, a grin filling his handsome features. “I'll give you the twenty-five-cent version.”
“Isn't it usually a 'ten-cent' tour?” Mia asked, puzzled as she followed him out of the barn.
Carter winked at her. “My tour is worth the extra charge.”
Chapter 4
Carter
Carter wasn't exactly sure what had prompted him to offer Mia a tour. There were a million things that he needed to do, and walking a social worker around the ranch wasn't one of them. Yet, now that he had made the offer, he found he was actually excited to show her around. He was curious what she was going to think of the place.
He took a step back from the big barn doors and motioned grandly to them. “Here, we have the barn and the stables.”
She laughed, her nose crinkling slightly and her eyes sparkling. The sunlight hit her light brown hair and made it gleam. It caught him by surprise, and he lost his train of thought for a moment. She was beautiful. She turned her smile onto him, and his stomach tightened with desire and something much deeper.
“Where are all the horses?” she asked, glancing about. “I didn't see any in there.”
“They're out in the pasture while it's still nice out,” he replied. He motioned off toward the paddocks. “You want to see them?”
She nodded eagerly. “They're part of the tour, right?”
“The best part,” he assured her, feeling a smile fill his face. He was glad he'd asked her to go on this tour. If she kept up this level of enthusiasm, it would be an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. It was always nice to show things to someone who enjoyed them.
“We'll walk through the arena to get to Paddock Number Three.” He motioned to the large building connected to the stables and started walking toward the small side door leading inside.
The air was slightly cooler inside the arena. It was a huge space that was used for training and exercising the horses when the weather was bad. The scent of clean wood and fresh water filled the building. He could hear the three kids' laughter echoing in from the attached stables.
“This is nice,” Mia remarked. She was looking around; her arms wrapped loosely around her torso. She smiled and shrugged at him. He picked up his pace slightly, wanting to get her to a part of the tour she would really appreciate. He wanted to see her smile light up the room again.
“So, what's the kids' story?” Carter asked, opening up the door to head outside. “How'd they end up with you making sure they pay for broken windows?”
“Because I'm the best,” she replied, giving him a confident smile that made him like her more.
“Is that so?”
She nodded. “I asked for this case. It's a hard one, but I wanted to help.” She looked out at the mountains and sighed. “They didn't have anyone. Their mom abandoned them, and they've gotten into some trouble in the past. Mostly running away and having issues with authority, but it makes their record look bad. When I got them, the state was getting ready to split them up.”
Carter thought of how the older brother had tried to help little Grayson. Granted, breaking into his ranch wasn't the best idea, but it showed love. “The last thing those kids need is to be apart,” he
said.
“No kidding,” Mia agreed. “I took their case because I knew I could keep them together. They deserve a good life. So, thank you for helping them. It really means a lot.”
She smiled up at him, blushed, and then hurried along the path toward the open space. It was a quick walk through the arena to the paddock. The sun had come out from behind a cloud, illuminating the beautiful mountain views. Three paddocks nestled around the barn and arena for the horses to graze and be outside. They then gave way to wild meadow-lands that rose into foothills leading to the craggy mountains.
The breeze ruffled her hair, and she tucked it shyly behind an ear as they walked. It was still warm enough to be comfortable, but the wind coming down off the mountains had the smell of snow. It wouldn't be long before winter arrived.
Carter leaned against the wooden fence and put his fingers in his mouth. He blew out one long, loud, and clear whistle and was secretly pleased with how Mia's eyebrows raised at the sound. It was childish, but he was rather proud of his ability to whistle.
Five horse heads perked up from the meadow and looked in their direction. Carter whistled again, this time adding in a short burst at the end for emphasis. Four of the horses went back to grazing, but the fifth started to obediently trot over.
Mia watched with wide eyes as his beautiful white mare came to the fence. The mare nuzzled Carter's hands, searching for sugar cubes or treats.
“She's beautiful,” Mia whispered. Carter had to agree.
“You can pet her,” Carter said. He reached up and scratched the mare's soft white neck. “She's very friendly.”
Mia approached the fence slowly, her smile growing as she came closer. “I haven't been around horses since I was young,” she told him.
She walked up to the fence next to Carter and stepped on a loose rock. Her balance wobbled, and she grabbed at the fence. He reached out to steady her, his hand going to the small of her back. Touching her sent heat coursing through his body that he wasn't expecting.
She regained her balance and chuckled, shrugging off the mishap with a smile. He had to force himself to let go of her since his hand didn't want to leave her body. She smiled up at him before reaching out her hand for the horse to smell. The mare presented her soft neck for Mia to touch.
“Her name is Hopeful Dreamer,” he told her as the mare nickered softly and bumped her nose against his shoulder. She still wanted a treat for coming when called. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sugar cube. “Here,” he told Mia. “You can give it to her.”
Mia's face lit up like a little kid's, and again he felt a warmth fill his core. Her excitement was contagious, and he loved getting to share in it. She grinned a little wider and held out her hand for the sugar cube before offering it palm up to Hopeful Dreamer.
Hopeful delicately took the treat like the lady she was. Mia giggled and turned to face him. The wind caught her hair, and she brushed it out of the way, her eyes dancing. Her face was alight with excitement, and the beauty of it took him off guard for a moment. She was stunningly attractive, and cute when she was angry, but when she smiled, she was downright stunning.
“She's beautiful,” Mia told him, her eyes and smile going back to the horse.
“Thank you,” he replied. Hopeful shifted her body parallel to the fence so that Carter could scratch her rump. The horse leaned into his hand as he scratched her white coat.
Mia copied the motion and laughed as Hopeful groaned with pleasure. “She's like a big puppy.”
Carter laughed and moved his hand to a better scratching spot just as Mia did. Their hands collided, sending another jolt of heat straight through him. Mia's cheeks pinked slightly, and he had to look away so that he wouldn't stare.
The pink suited her and made his thoughts drift to other things that would pink her cheeks.
“How did you get into this?” Mia asked, carefully petting the horse again. “Horses, I mean.”
Carter looked out at the mountains, his gaze going distant as he remembered. “When I was about Alexander's age, I got into some trouble. My uncle decided that I needed to learn what hard work was and made me work on his ranch.”
Mia's head cocked slightly as she looked up at him. “This sounds like a familiar story...”
“Maybe a little.” Carter chuckled. “I hated it at first. It was hard work, but then I grew to love it. These animals, they grow on you.”
Mia nodded. “I can believe that.” She laughed as Hopeful moved closer to get more scratches. Mia happily obliged.
Carter smiled. “Hopeful Dreamer is my favorite mare here. She's gentle, smart, and an excellent mother.”
“She's definitely friendly,” Mia agreed. She motioned to the mare's extended belly. “Is she pregnant now?”
Carter nodded. “Due in the next few weeks.”
Mia frowned and Carter had to resist the temptation to reach out and smooth the crease from her brow. He liked her smiling much better than frowning.
“Do horses usually have babies in the fall?”
“No,” Carter said, shaking his head. “Foaling is usually in the spring or summer, so this is pretty late. She had some artificial help.”
Hopeful Dreamer looked at the two of them and made a low huff sound. They'd both stopped scratching her, and she wanted more. Mia laughed and went back to scratching her rump. Hopeful's eyes closed with pleasure.
“I don't know much about horses. I had a few riding lessons as a kid, but...” Mia shrugged. “Do you know if the baby will be a boy or a girl?”
Carter's fingers untangled a long white lock of mane as he stroked the mare. “We'll find out when it's born.” He smiled at her. “You had riding lessons?”
“Yeah.” She looked at him, then at the horse, then back to him. “You don't really want to know my life's story. I'm sure it's not terribly interesting.”
“It is to me.”
“Okay.” She seemed to evaluate him for a moment as if deciding whether he was telling the truth or not. He grinned at her. She apparently liked it and decided he was really interested. “My mom had some issues, and I've never met my father. I was put into foster care when I was six. It wasn't exactly a happy childhood.”
“I'm sorry to hear that,” he said softly. She shrugged as if it didn't bother her, but he could see her in a new light. She fought for her kids because she knew exactly what it was like to be one. Her strength impressed him.
“When I was ten, I moved to a new foster house. The neighbors had a horse, and that summer, they gave me lessons.” Mia slowly pat Dreamer, as if the motion soothed her while she remembered. A slow smile came across her face. “It's probably one of the best memories I have.”
“Do you still ride?” Carter asked, watching her. She had such pain inside of her. He didn't know what made her so special, but all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and protect her from everything. He wished he could somehow give her a different, happier, childhood.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “The horse was sold that fall, so it didn't last long. I never really had the opportunity again.”
“You didn't ask for more lessons?” he asked.
“Oh, I asked,” she told him. “But I was a foster kid. There's barely enough money to keep a kid clothed, let alone get them expensive lessons.” She let out a mirthless chuckle. “I stopped asking after a while.”
Something inside his heart squeezed tight.
“Do you want to go for a ride sometime?” he asked, the question popping out before he had time to think about it.
She looked up at him surprised. “Seriously?”
“I'm always serious,” he informed her.
“That would be nice,” she replied with a smile. “I'd love to get back on a horse. Thank you.”
“It's a date, then,” he replied. He loved the way her cheeks pinked again.
“I meant, with the kids,” she stammered. “Because that's why I'm here.”
“Of course,” he promised. “Whatever
you want.”
Mia looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted before she got the words out. He internally cursed whoever was interrupting them. He was enjoying this time with her.
“Mia?” Lily called out as she came over, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the horse. “Laura says that's all she has for us today.”
“Already?” Mia sounded surprised. She glanced down at her watch and did a double take. “That went fast.”
Carter checked his own watch to see that an hour and a half had already passed. It had felt like only seconds with Mia.
“Okay, I'll be right there,” Mia told Lily. She pulled her hand away from the horse and turned to face Carter directly. “Thank you for the tour. I'd love to see the rest of the place sometime.”
“I'd like that very much,” he assured her. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she smiled, and he liked the way it looked on her. She was open and easy to read, which was rare in Carter's world. Despite knowing her for less than two days, he trusted this woman and found himself looking forward to running into her again. His first impression of her had been right.
She hesitated for a moment, and Carter hoped it was because she didn't want to leave.
“I guess we'll see you next time,” she said. She smiled and then quickly went to join Lily. She put her arm around the younger girl's shoulder and together they walked into the barn.
Carter turned back to Hopeful Dreamer and smiled as he shook his head. He'd enjoyed their conversation more than he'd expected. It flowed easily, not to mention she was easy on the eyes.
“A woman is the last thing you need right now,” he told himself quietly. He would leave the ranch as soon as the threats stopped. For all he knew, things could be wrapped up and his need to be here gone by the end of the week.
For the first time since his arrival, he found himself hoping he got to stay longer. He was already looking forward to the next visit.
“It's a bad idea,” he said to himself. “I should stay away from her.”