She couldn’t seem to get her heart rate under control. “Do you have time to eat?”
He grinned at her. “Sure. I showered and dressed early because I smelled like horses.”
She was going to pass out if she didn’t start breathing. “We can’t have that.”
Ryan giggled. “I took my bath, too.”
Cullen ruffled the child’s hair. “You smell good, too.”
“Come into the kitchen. Supper’s about ready.”
She nodded to the sink. “Wash your hands, Ryan.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Cullen took charge and they both washed up while Shelby poured milk and tossed the salad.
After drying off, Cullen helped Ryan to his seat, then waited until she sat down before taking his chair across from her. She busied herself fixing Ryan a plate, but she could sense Cullen watching her.
Ryan drew her attention. “Say grace.”
“You’re right, it’s time to say grace.” Since Ryan hadn’t learned the entire prayer yet, Shelby spoke the words her grandmother had taught her as a child.
“Amen,” Ryan said loudly.
Shelby picked up the bowl of mashed potatoes and handed it to Cullen. He took two spoonfuls and then two slices of meat loaf. He looked at her. “Sorry, my mouth has been watering since you invited me to dinner.”
“Then go ahead and eat.”
She loved hearing his words of praise as she dug in to her own food. But she wasn’t nearly as hungry as she thought.
“Cullen, if you tell me the schedule you keep for the horses, I could help with feeding them.”
He frowned. “You don’t need to do that, really.”
“I know I don’t, but I’d like to help out. Your family has been so generous to us. And taking on four horses is a lot of work.”
“Well, since I get off duty about five o’clock, I’ll handle the feeding in the morning, and in the afternoon when you get home, I’ll show you how I do everything. I’ve been working on cleaning the tack room. Everything needs a good cleaning, and the leather needs to be conditioned.”
“It’s been a while, but I think I remember how. My grandmother was strict about all the equipment being kept in good condition. The barn and tack room were cleaned and well organized, too. She’d say, ‘We don’t want any varmints living in here.’”
Cullen smiled. “I like your Southern drawl.”
“It slips out every so often.” She blushed and pointed to the bowl of potatoes. “Would you like more taters?” She turned to Ryan. “How about you, sugar? Do you have a hankerin’ for more taters?”
Ryan laughed, and Cullen joined in. “She must have been something, your grandmother.”
“Ivy Townsend made us the best home my sister and I ever had. We didn’t have a lot growing up, but living on the farm was wonderful. All the animals, and even the chores, it was good.” Shelby felt the emotions tighten in her throat. She wanted to give Ryan the same kind of life. “I still miss her.”
“You have part of her with you,” Cullen told her. “And you have her stories to tell Ryan.”
“I just wish she could have seen him...”
Ryan reached over and patted her hand. “Don’t be sad, Aunt Shellie.”
She put on a smile. “Okay, I won’t.” She loved this little boy. “Sorry. Hey, how about some ice cream for dessert?”
After they finished the meal, Shelby took Ryan to bed. Cullen checked for monsters again, then he left the room to give her time to say good-night. With the timer set on his tablet, Shelby kissed the boy, walked out and closed the door.
She came into the small living room, where Cullen was waiting for her.
“Is Ryan settled in for the night?”
“Yes, he had a pretty busy day. Thank you for the monster check.”
“My pleasure. Thank you for dinner. As usual, the food was delicious.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“You saw how much I ate.” He studied her for a moment, then rushed on to say, “About this morning—”
“It’s okay, you don’t—”
“Yes, I do need to explain. I’d just gotten off the phone with my dad. He knows just what to say to get me riled up. He was badgering me about coming back to Denver and rejoining the force.”
“But you have a job here,” she said.
“Exactly what I told him, but he doesn’t listen.”
She didn’t know the entire story about this man. “So you want to go back?”
“I’m not sure, but probably not. My career is pretty much over in Denver.”
She wanted so badly to ask him why, but she couldn’t invade his privacy. “Well, then don’t let him tell you what to do. It’s your decision and your life.”
He smiled. “Thank you.” He didn’t move. “I still overstepped this morning. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me.”
“If I was, you wouldn’t have been invited for dinner.”
“Good.” Those gorgeous eyes watched her closely. “Just so you know, I might refrain from kissing you again, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the experience. I also can’t guarantee that I won’t do it again.”
Chapter Eight
A week later, Shelby was at the All Occasions Catering storefront located next to the café. In the past the space had served mostly as a prep station and warehouse for their reception supplies.
Shelby planned to change that look.
She’d spent the past few days sectioning off an area with white lattice panels, and adding a small round table and two chairs. A cozy spot so couples could sample foods and cakes for their weddings. In the window she added a display of flowers and the newly printed sign for All Occasions Catering.
She walked out of the kitchen in the back with a sampler plate of hors d’oeuvres: her spring rolls, baked wontons and mini crab cakes. Her heart pounded hard as she placed the food in front of the engaged couple, Nicole and Colby.
“Since you hadn’t specified exactly what you want to serve at your reception,” she said, “I thought I’d get a little creative.”
The future groom popped a wonton into his mouth. “I want these.” He turned to Nicole. “Could we also have steak?”
His bride smiled sweetly. “Honey, do you know what it would cost to feed steak to all your friends? Dad won’t allow it.”
Shelby wanted to stop this argument. “I might have a compromise.” She raised a hand. “One moment, please.” She hurried into the back to the large kitchen. She removed two additional sampler plates from the warmer and added a little garnish. Picking up some flatware, she brought the dishes to the table.
She stood back and checked the lovely presentation of the entrées, meat and fish. The groom sliced off a piece of meat, and began to chew. It didn’t take long before his eyes rounded. “Wow, this is delicious. What is it?”
Shelby couldn’t help but smile. “Roasted pork sautéed with apples, along with carrots and green beans. We could switch out one of the vegetables for potatoes if you’d like something a little more substantial.” She looked at Nicole. “You have the pecan-crusted salmon, with the garlic mashed potatoes.”
Shelby took notes as the couple made their choices for their menu and scheduled another appointment with Colby’s mother to discuss catering the rehearsal dinner, too.
Thirty minutes later, she said goodbye to the excited couple and went through the back door to the café, where she found Bess in the kitchen going over the food supplies.
“I scheduled a wedding reception for September eighth.” She handed Bess the deposit check and the signed contract.
The older woman looked over the paper. “I told you that roasted pork would be their choice, along with the wontons and spring rolls.” She shook her head. “I remembe
r a time when it was chicken or steak. My word, what’s this town coming to?”
Shelby laughed. “I hope this brings in more business for you.”
The older woman smiled. “For all of us. You get a commission off the catering.” She cocked an eyebrow. “I hope to keep you and Ryan in Hidden Springs for a long, long time.”
Shelby’s thoughts turned to the sheriff who she realized had become a part of her and Ryan’s life. Why couldn’t she dream? “I want that, too.”
* * *
THAT AFTERNOON, CULLEN had come home early from work. There hadn’t been anything pressing at the station, so he’d left. After changing out of his uniform, he went out to the barn. Cleaning stalls had been his haven this past week. After a year of endless wandering, he had a renewed focus...for a short time anyway.
After letting the horses out into a small pasture for some exercise, he saddled Danny Boy. He headed out along the trail and put the gelding through a brisk run. His brother was right—the large chestnut was a good saddle horse. He slowed the animal to a walk and took the route back along the road, checking for any bad sections of fence.
He also took time to enjoy the miles of green pastures and massive mountain peaks that seemed to touch the sky. He released a deep breath, and the stress of the past week eased in his chest. Being a small-town sheriff hadn’t been as intense as his work in Denver.
Maybe what he thought was a bad idea to move here might not be so terrible after all. The Circle R was a pretty piece of land. It would be nice grazing for a small cattle herd, and for horses, too. Although it had been a long time since he had lived on a ranch, he’d found he enjoyed the routine with the new boarders.
He let Danny Boy take the lead as his thoughts turned to the other boarders, especially the pretty brunette with the big blue eyes. Her being here distracted him, a lot, but he also knew she wasn’t the type to have a causal fling. And that was all he was interested in.
Then there was the boy. Ryan was special in many ways, and not just the obvious. In his world of pictures and videos, he managed to connect with horses. Cullen found he wanted to help the child discover more.
At the sound of an approaching car, he looked toward the gravel road and saw the familiar compact. Shelby and Ryan were home. He waved, feeling a tightening in his middle section. No use denying that the woman got to him, and he couldn’t seem to keep his distance.
Shelby pulled the car to the side of the road and got out as he rode closer.
“Hi,” she called.
Another zing hit him in the chest. “Hi, yourself. How have you been? I haven’t seen you in a while.” He wondered if she was purposely avoiding him.
She smiled. “Busy working. I booked a wedding reception.”
He braced his forearm on the saddle pommel. “That’s great.” He leaned down lower, pushed his hat back and saw Ryan in the backseat. “Hey, kid. How was school?”
Ryan waved. “Hi, Cullen. I played with Noah at school. He wants to go riding with me. Can he?”
“Ryan.” Shelby looked embarrassed. “I told you not to ask yet.”
Cullen frowned. “It’s okay.” He loved that the boy talked to him. “Before I say yes, we should make sure it’s all right with his mother.”
Ryan nodded. “Can Addy come, too?”
Cullen smiled. “Maybe, but remember Addy’s mom is going to have a baby, so she might not make it, but I can ask.”
“Okay.”
Cullen’s horse shifted. “Why don’t you do some more practicing? Come and ride back to the barn with me.”
“Really?” Ryan turned to his aunt. “Can I?”
Shelby hesitated and looked at Cullen. “If you’re sure. I don’t want to interrupt your ride.”
“I’ve been riding for a while. I was heading back to the barn.”
“Okay.” She helped her nephew out of the car.
Cullen climbed off the horse, went to the fence and lifted Ryan over the whitewashed wooden railing.
He caught Shelby’s concerned look, and he resisted the urge to reach out and soothe her. “Don’t worry, I’ve been working with Danny all week. He’s got a great temperament, and he’s well trained.”
She nodded. “I know that you’ll take care of him.”
No matter what she said, he could see she wasn’t convinced. “If you’d like, you could come with us. You could ride Sassy. She’s in the pasture, but it shouldn’t be too hard to bring her in.”
Her eyes lit up. “You sure?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean it.” So much for keeping his distance. “We’ll meet you at the barn.” He watched Shelby get back into her car, then he hoisted Ryan up into the saddle and climbed on behind him. He handed the reins to the boy. “Okay, take us back to the barn.”
The child held the leather strips securely, remembering how he’d been shown. Cullen made a clicking sound, and the horse began to walk.
By the time they got back to the corral, Shelby had retrieved the mare, had her bridled and was coming out of the barn with the saddle.
“That was fast.”
Shelby swung the saddle over the horse’s back. “I am when I want to do something that’s fun.” She tossed the stirrup across the seat and tugged on the belly clinch, making sure it was secure.
“That should do it.” She looked at him. “Unless you want to test it.”
He was impressed. “You seem to be doing fine. Doesn’t she, Ryan?”
At the boy’s nod, his aunt sent him a big smile that had more of an effect on Cullen.
She climbed onto Sassy, tugged the reins and wheeled her mount around and followed them out of the corral. Together they followed the path along the trees and stream.
Shelby rode alongside Cullen. She knew it wasn’t a good idea to get too friendly, but she wanted Ryan to have this experience. Since his mother’s death, he’d had some bad moments, but Cullen and going riding were the two things that he’d focused on.
“It’s a lovely day,” she said to break up the silence.
Cullen looked up at the cloudless sky. “Yeah, usually spring here means thunderstorms. Of course, we always need the rain.”
She enjoyed the easy sway of the horse. “I remember sitting on the porch as a kid as the rain sheeted off the roof.”
“I take it you liked country living,” he said.
“Yes, though it was hard work. My sister and I had a lot of responsibilities at a young age.” She rested her hand on the pommel as they rode along the path. “We were three women running a farm. Grandma Ivy couldn’t afford to hire anyone, so we took care of two horses, Jake and Moe, and one cow, Daisy.” She smiled. “We milked the cow, collected eggs from our two-dozen chickens and we raised a few pigs to sell, or slaughter.” She stole a glance at him. “Those sows were too ornery. Not friendly at all.”
“And I thought my brother and I had it rough taking care of horses. We lived on a small ranch outside of Denver, while my dad worked for the force. It really wasn’t a working ranch. Dad leased out most of the land for grazing.”
She was curious as to why he’d been estranged from his family. “Does your brother live in Denver?”
“No, Austin travels a lot on the rodeo circuit.”
“Do you stay in touch?”
He shrugged. “I guess we haven’t talked in a while. My job made it difficult. Usually if I call his cell phone, he gets back to me.”
“What’s his event?”
“Bull rider.” Cullen tossed her a sexy grin. “He’s crazy. Someday he’s going to get badly hurt. I think he caught the rodeo bug hearing all Trent’s stories about his dad, Wade Landry, and his best friend, Rory Quinn. Rory is Brooke and Laurel’s dad, and both men are National Final Rodeo champions.”
Shelby enjoyed listening to Cullen ta
lk. He seemed to be the most relaxed and open while on horseback. “So Wade Landry had once been married to Leslie?” Shelby asked.
Cullen nodded. “They divorced when Trent was about fifteen. People say it was because of Trent’s brother’s death. Wade blamed himself for his son’s death, and the family never recovered from it. After the divorce, Leslie moved to Denver, met my dad, and the rest is history.”
“It’s good that you are able to reunite with Trent.”
“Yeah, I’m glad I have this chance to get to spend time with him and his family.”
Cullen shifted in the saddle. He wasn’t crazy about talking about himself. Now that Leslie was gone, there was no reason to put up a front. He and Neal Brannigan didn’t get along. God help him, he’d tried over the years.
Suddenly he noticed Danny Boy’s reins had gone slack. He glanced down at Ryan to discover he was sound asleep. He quickly secured his arms around the child.
“I think we lost one.”
Shelby looked over, and Cullen could see the love in her eyes for this little boy. “Poor thing, he had a busy day. I hate getting him up so early, but I don’t have much choice right now.”
They turned the horses around to head back to the barn. “I guess living in the country has its disadvantages,” Cullen said. “Doesn’t he get to nap at the school?”
“Most days.” She glanced again at the boy. “Sorry, he must be heavy.”
“I think I can handle his sixty pounds.” Cullen tightened his arms around the child, not wanting him to fall. “Why don’t we schedule Ryan’s friend to come out on Saturday, or Sunday. Do you have either day off?”
“Sunday. Should we invite Addy, too?”
He nodded. “I’ll check with Kase. Since Laurel is on bed rest, he might not want to leave her.”
They were just about to the corral, but he noticed how quiet Shelby was. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “I hate taking up all your time off, Cullen. You should spend it with your family.”
“I’ve spent more time this month with Trent than I have since we were kids. Just ask him. He was in the army for about a dozen years. He decided to retire when Wade died and left him the Lucky Bar L.”
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