“Other way,” Matt directed him, and Sam reversed directions so fast Matt chuckled.
“I don’t think he even knows what currying is,” Jessica said. Now that Sam wasn’t next to the horse, she’d relaxed somewhat.
“You don’t mind, do you?”
“No. You’re very kind. Very patient.”
But she still seemed stiff, which meant she was probably mad about him interfering yesterday.
Matt wanted to clear the air. “Listen. I’d like to apologize for yesterday.”
She looked genuinely puzzled. “What for?”
“Sticking my nose in your business.”
“With Sam?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, no! In fact, you were right, and as you see, he made it home okay.” She watched Sam drag the steps across the dirt.
Matt watched her and fiddled with the currycomb. She didn’t act like one of the wealthy Fremonts—or the way he always thought a Fremont would act if he’d run across one in town.
But she was one. Yeah, she was wearing jeans and a denim shirt, but there was something about the way she wore them. They fit just so, and the black leather belt with the heavy silver buckle she wore was obviously well made. When she tucked her blond hair behind her ear, he saw little silver hoop earrings.
He’d seen other women wearing similar outfits, but Jessica looked different. Classy.
Out of reach.
Still, he was glad she wasn’t the type to carry a grudge. Even though he’d go back to his ranch and never see her again, knowing that they’d parted on less-than-genial terms would have eaten at him. He’d be a fool to feel that way, but there it was.
“Are these okay, Mr. Winston?” A red-faced Sam indicated the old wooden steps that dozens of boys had stood on to perform chores in the stables.
“Call me Matt, Sam. Those are the ones. Pull them right around here.”
He positioned the boy and stood behind him, showing him how to hold the currycomb and brush Black Star.
“It’s sticky.” Sam made a face.
“That’s the dressing,” Matt said in a low voice. “Just comb it on through.”
The whole time he was conscious that Jessica watched them. He hadn’t quite figured her out yet. But he sure would like to.
* * *
“HEY, THERE YOU ARE, MATT.” Carrying a clipboard, Rex Trowbridge approached them. “Hi, Jessica, Sam. Say, Matt, you planning to mingle anytime soon? You need to set a few hearts to fluttering so the bids will run up.”
Matt gave him a look that made Jessica laugh. At the sound, both men glanced at her. She saw a flicker of masculine interest in Rex’s eyes.
She saw considerably more than a flicker in Matt’s. It was a steady beam that told her he found her attractive right at that moment and didn’t mind her knowing.
What an unexpected lift. How long had it been since a man had looked at her that way?
How long had it been since she’d wanted a man to look at her that way?
Flattered and a little nonplussed, she said, “Seems to be a good turnout.”
“Yeah,” Rex said. “We’ve even got a couple of news vans out here. Have you been interviewed yet?” he asked Matt.
“No.”
“Now don’t be shy.” Rex was grinning.
“You’re pushing it, Rex.”
“And lovin’ every minute.”
“How’s that, Matt?” Sam interrupted them. While they’d been talking, he’d been industriously combing through Black Star’s mane.
“Looking good, Sam.” Matt covered the boy’s hand with his and edged the comb over to a spot he’d missed.
Matt had strong, sure hands with a gentle touch. Sam smiled up at him with the pure trust of a child, and Jessica’s breath caught.
It might be a very expensive afternoon, because she was going to pay any amount of money to bring that expression to her son’s face again. This was a man she could trust, a man who made her son happy.
And he made you happy for a minute, too, didn’t he?
Matt gave his horse a pat. “Okay, Sam. Looks like we’re done.”
Sam looked disappointed, but he didn’t argue.
“Go ahead and put the stairs away,” Matt directed.
Sam instantly hopped off the wooden steps and began dragging them back to the stall. He didn’t respond so quickly when Jessica asked him to do his chores around the house.
“You know, you ought to ride your horse in the show ring during the bidding,” Rex suggested. “He was in the brochure picture and all.” Then he added with a chuckle, “Maybe we could auction him off, too.”
“I’ll ride him in the ring, but I wouldn’t want folks to think they were kicking in money for Lost Springs when they were just buying my horse,” Matt said with a significant look at Rex.
Buying his horse?
Rex grinned. “Can’t blame me for trying. We’re going to start in about half an hour. If we can get the loudspeaker system to work, there’ll be an announcement. All us fine bachelors will be sitting by the podium.” Touching the brim of his hat he strode off.
Matt was murmuring to Black Star as he curried the mane between his ears.
“Are you selling your horse?” Jessica asked. If he was, then that would defeat the purpose of bidding on him at the auction.
Matt’s jaw tightened, and he nodded. “That’s why I brought him with me from Texas.”
“You didn’t tell Sam, did you?”
“No. I wouldn’t do that.” He glanced at her, then turned his attention back to the horse. “Sam’s taken a shine to him, though.”
“Sam’s ‘taken a shine’ to horses in general.”
“If you’re in the market for a horse, you could do a lot worse than Black Star. I’ve raised him since he was a colt and he’s a fine animal.”
Jessica heard him swallow and stared at him. “You love that horse, don’t you?”
Matt gave a quick nod, but said determinedly, “He’s just a horse. Now, I have to admit he might be too much horse for young Sam right now, but not after he’s had experience.”
“Why are you selling him when you don’t want to?”
Matt was silent for so long, Jessica didn’t think he would answer her. “Money.” He exhaled. “Bad drought in Texas last year meant we had to buy feed for cattle in the summer instead of letting them graze. It appears this summer won’t be much better.”
“I’m sorry.” The words came automatically, but Jessica realized she meant them.
He looked down at her. “Thanks.” He didn’t look away, but held her gaze.
Jessica didn’t look away, either.
She didn’t know how long they stood in the stable yard, just staring at each other, because oddly, she didn’t feel the slightest bit awkward. It was probably only a few seconds, but in those seconds Jessica felt herself emotionally connecting with someone other than her immediate family for the first time since her husband had died.
She shouldn’t be feeling anything for this rancher—but it was nice to know she could.
CHAPTER FIVE
SHOULD SHE TELL MATT she was going to bid on him? Find out what kind of date he’d planned? Not that it mattered. All she wanted was for him to spend some time with Sam.
A lot of time.
Sam came running back. “Now what do we do, Matt?”
“Now we go eat lunch,” Jessica said.
“I want to stay here with Matt,” Sam announced. “I could help him.”
Jessica was gearing up for another public parent-child power struggle when Matt spoke.
“Wish you could, Sam, but Black Star and I’ve got to meet with a couple of fellas in a few minutes. Maybe you can come see me after the auction.”
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br /> Come see me after the auction. The words prompted an idea. Why not really come see him—at his ranch? Sam was missing out on the horse camp, so why couldn’t they go to Matt’s ranch instead? It would be a more authentic experience than camp, anyway.
She wasn’t ready to buy a horse—no telling what Rachel would do—but taking Sam to the ranch would let him see what it was like to be a cowboy.
Naturally Jessica would go with him. It would also give them some much-needed time away from Rachel and make it clear to her son that she, Jessica, was the one in charge, not his grandmother.
Would Matt agree?
Jessica didn’t plan to give him a choice. If she made the winning bid, she got to choose the date, right?
Would a couple of weeks on a ranch count as a date?
She’d convince him. After all, he needed money. She had money. They’d work something out.
“You hungry, Sam?” she asked after she’d finally pried him away from Matt.
“Man, am I!”
Jessica handed him a few dollars for meal tickets and got in the line for brisket, sausage and chicken.
She and Sam ate barbecue, then went in search of Liz and Tara. They found them reminiscing about their school days with a harried-looking Lindsay.
Tara saw her first. “Hey, Jessica! We saved you a seat in the front row.”
Everyone knew Rachel Fremont disapproved of the auction and Jessica felt about a million pairs of interested eyes watching her take her seat. She could hear whispers buzzing through the arena. They probably couldn’t wait to see how she could behave with Fremont-like decorum while shouting out bids for a man.
Tara had meant it when she said “a” seat, so Jessica tried to get Sam to sit on her lap.
“Mom...” he protested.
Jessica made Tara and Liz squeeze over so Sam could share her seat on the risers. He was getting big. Or there was the possibility that she was getting big, which didn’t bear thinking about.
A few of the bachelors had taken their places on folding chairs around the auctioneer’s podium. Feminine murmurs accompanied by the flutter of brochure pages eddied around them.
“Oh, my, my, my, my.” Liz stared admiringly as a couple of the guys grew tired of sitting and jumped up and started posing for the women.
“Lindsay promised it wasn’t going to be like that,” Jessica murmured, mindful of her son taking all this in.
“Jessica, I realize this is serious business, but you are just too serious.” Tara poked her shoulder. “Lighten up. You’re supposed to be having fun!”
One of the men undid two buttons on his shirt.
“Yeah!” Tara put two fingers in her mouth and let out a piercing whistle.
So much for Fremont decorum.
“Cool!” Sam leaned forward. “Can you teach me to do that?”
When Tara nodded, he switched places with Jessica, and for the next several minutes, Tara whistled and Sam spluttered.
Tara’s whistles loosened up the women, not that they needed much encouragement.
“We want men!” The chant started somewhere—Jessica suspected with Liz—and was quickly picked up.
Moments later, the auctioneer strode to the podium and cheers erupted.
Matt still hadn’t taken his place. Had he changed his mind? There were a couple of other cowboy types that Jessica could bid on, but Sam liked Matt and his horse.
She liked Matt...and his horse.
What if he was selling Black Star right now? That would be disastrous. Nearly convincing herself that she was only concerned on Sam’s behalf, Jessica twisted around, trying to see outside the show arena as the auctioneer picked up the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have been asked to announce that this is the last chance to buy a raffle ticket for the beautiful Log Cabin quilt donated by the Converse County Quilt Quorum.”
There wasn’t a mad dash for the exit, even if it was a beautiful quilt.
“All right then,” the auctioneer continued. “Before we get started, Ms. Lindsay Duncan has a few words she’d like to say to you.”
Jessica clapped politely as a smiling Lindsay stood at the podium and thanked everyone for coming and encouraged them to bid high. “And a special thank you to Fremont Construction for donating the extra bleachers.”
“Aw-right, Jessie!” Tara whistled and Sam spit a bunch.
Jessica smiled, and wondered how soon her mother-in-law would get a report of the afternoon’s activities.
The auctioneer returned, gave them the rules for the afternoon and instructions for paying. “So ladies, put your hands together for our first bachelor, Dr. Robert Carter.”
“So that’s Lauren’s Rob,” Liz said. “Tara, he deserves a whistle.”
Tara and her protégé obliged.
“Now where did I put my checkbook?” Liz had already raised her hand for the opening bid.
“Liz, I can’t believe you’re bidding on him!” Tara laughed. “What are you going to do if you actually win him?”
“Take pictures and send them to Lauren.”
But Liz had severe competition. The bids went higher and higher. Each time she raised her arm, there was an immediate response from another bidder. She frowned. “Who is that?”
Jessica leaned forward and looked down the row. “Sugar Spinelli.” How very interesting.
“How high can she go?”
“As high as she wants.”
Sugar raised the bid.
“And it looks like she wants Rob,” Jessica said.
“Oh, well, then. Let her have him. I only wanted to tweak Lauren. I had no intention of getting into serious money. For serious money, I’ll buy someone available.”
Liz shook her head at the auctioneer when he looked at her questioningly.
A few minutes later, Sugar Spinelli had bought the first bachelor amid thunderous applause and whistling.
“Ow!” Sam took his fingers out of his mouth. “I popped my ear.”
“You’re blowing too hard,” Tara said.
Sam rubbed his ear. “Mom, what’s going on, anyway?”
Jessica explained the general gist of a bachelor auction in terms designed to avoid psychologically scarring a nine-year-old boy.
At that moment, Matt Winston finally joined the others on stage. He tied Black Star’s reins to a support pole and sat in one of the folding chairs.
“Hey, there’s Matt!” Sam tried whistling to get his attention, but got frustrated and waved instead.
“And do we have a bid from...?”
Jessica shook her head and captured Sam’s hands. “No waving.”
“Who’s going to buy Matt?”
Jessica made a promise she hoped she would be able to keep. “We are.”
After that, the auction seemed to take forever. There were serious bidders and serious bids. The women paid amounts high enough to make even Jessica blink.
Liz and Tara tried to draw her into financing the bidding wars with a group bid, but Jessica shook her head.
This was ridiculous. Why take a chance? She should just go make a donation and ask for Matt. An anonymous donor had already done that with another bachelor. Lindsay was a friend. She’d tell her how much it was.
But the moment when she could have done such a thing was past.
The auctioneer took a drink of water. “Ladies, here’s another chance for the date of your dreams. Matt Winston.”
* * *
BEING NEARLY LAST was the pits. By now, all these women were probably broke.
Matt had been late to the auction because he’d had a few nibbles about Black Star, which should have encouraged him, but ended up making him feel sorry for himself. And that made him mad because he didn’t have any right feelin
g sorry for himself. So he had to sell his horse. Big deal. He’d been a lot worse off in his life.
And this getting a sponsor business...he just didn’t have the guts to go out and ask for money the way Rex did. No, that was going to take some thinking. Maybe whoever bought the date with him would put him in touch with organizations who were into that sort of thing.
As his turn grew closer, he tried remembering everything Frank had told him. He picked out a woman in the bleachers and gazed soulfully at her, but she avoided his eyes and eventually grabbed the hand of the woman sitting next to her and left.
He should have mingled. He was going to regret not mingling. He was going to ride Black Star around in circles and nobody was going to give a plug nickel for him.
He kept stealing glances at Jessica and Sam. As far as he could tell, she hadn’t bid on anyone, which pleased him, though it shouldn’t.
As soon as the winning bid was placed on the man who’d been sitting next to him, Matt untied Black Star.
The auctioneer paused and took a drink of water. Matt swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. Water would be really great right now. Then he heard his name.
He swung into the saddle and rode Black Star right up onto the stage.
He might have been imagining it, but to him, the applause was louder than it had been for a while.
Black Star had learned a few tricks and Matt set out to show him off. He pulled the reins tight, which was the signal for the horse to arch his neck and paw the ground.
The audience “oohed” and the applause swelled.
“Our next bachelor, Matt Winston, is the owner of Winter Ranch in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Matt’s riding his horse, Black Star!”
Another signal and Black Star bowed.
“He’s looking for a strong woman who’ll stick with him through thick and thin,” the auctioneer said. “So, ladies, who’ll give me our minimum bid?”
Matt didn’t even have time to say a quick prayer before, incredibly, there were two bids—one of which sounded like it came from a young boy.
He couldn’t help it. He looked toward Jessica and Sam. Sam was waving his hand in the air and Jessica supported his arm so the auctioneer would know it was a genuine bid.
She wasn’t looking at him, but he looked at her. Her face was pale, except for a little bit of color on her cheekbones.
The Rancher and the Rich Girl Page 6