Brant shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I wasn’t in the mood.”
“Exactly.” Ty gazed at him. “You’re never in the mood to pound on someone. Eventually, I got that through my thick head and stopped hitting you.” He glanced over at Aria. “I worked out the worst of my anger thanks to him, and we’ve been best friends ever since.”
“That’s a great story.” Aria’s expression was soft as she turned to Brant. “Why wouldn’t you want him to tell it?”
“I was okay with hearing it the first twenty or thirty times.”
“We don’t tell it that often,” Rosie said. “Just when someone new shows up.”
He suddenly had a horrible thought. “Promise me you won’t tell it to the summer session kids.”
Cade laughed. “No worries, bro. We want them to tremble in their boots at the sight of you. That story’s going back under the bed while you’re the nighttime chaperone.”
“Good.” But now he wished he hadn’t accepted that responsibility. It could seriously interfere with his plans regarding Aria. “They’re arriving Wednesday, right?”
Rosie nodded. “The last one comes in around five, so they’ll all be here for the welcome dinner.”
Ty drained his glass of lemonade. “Are you ready for them?”
“Somewhat.”
“Everything’s pretty much under control,” Herb said. “Don’t you think so, Cade?”
“Sure.” Cade leaned back in his chair. “We’re good.”
Brant knew from personal observation that wasn’t exactly true. He’d planned to offer his services this afternoon while Lucy and Linus enjoyed quiet time.
Ty didn’t look convinced, either. “So the cabins are all cleaned, everything’s working in the bathhouse, the fences are all repaired, the barn roof’s in good shape, the—”
“Maybe not all of that’s done,” Cade said. “But Damon and Phil are due back from her dad’s tomorrow night and they’ll come out Monday to tackle some of those things. You guys are on vacation this weekend. Go have fun.”
“We’ll have fun helping,” Whitney said. “We talked about it on the way up and figured you’d all be rushing around getting ready. Let us pitch in. It’ll make us feel more like we’ve contributed to the cause.”
Rosie looked relieved. “I’d be so grateful. We didn’t notice until after Damon and Phil left that we have some dripping showerheads in the bathhouse. They’re old and might need to be replaced. And Cabin Two has a leak in the roof and a crack in one of the windowpanes.”
“I’ll leave the roof and the window to Damon and Phil,” Ty said. “But I might be able to fix the showerheads. You with me, Whitney?”
“I’m no plumber, but I can replace a showerhead.”
“That’s more than I can do,” Cade said. “You got anything that doesn’t involve hammers and wrenches?”
“Actually, I do.” Rosie looked at him. “My cleaning crew, Sister Mary Meticulous and Sister Mary Methodical can’t make it.”
Brant grinned. “You’re joking.”
“Actually, she isn’t,” Cade said. “They’re new in town and they’re biological sisters, not nuns. Their slogan is Make Us a Habit. So what happened? I thought we’d nailed that down.”
“They emailed late last night and they have a family emergency in Billings. I didn’t see the email until this morning, and I tried a couple of other places, but no luck. It’s short notice on a holiday weekend.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Lexi said. “Cade and I can start on the cabins this afternoon.”
Rosie beamed at her. “You’re a gem. I could handle it myself except that I haven’t finished planning the menus for the first couple of weeks and obviously they’ll be different from the winter menu. I—”
“I’ll help you with that,” Aria said. “And I promise it won’t be too fancy. I could do it this afternoon, except I’m not sure if Brant needs me to spend more time with Linus.”
He shook his head. “They could use a siesta. I was planning to leave them alone for the next couple of hours. Unfortunately, about the time they’re ready for more interaction you’ll probably have to leave.”
“Yeah, I should take off around three-thirty so I can change clothes and talk with Josh. No worries. I’ll see them in the morning.” But she looked sad.
He wasn’t sure if that was because she was worried that her brother would still be uncooperative, if she was disappointed that she wouldn’t get to pet Linus and Lucy, or if she felt guilty for having fun while Josh languished in a wheelchair. Could be all of that, but he could only fix one of those issues. “Fifteen minutes earlier won’t hurt anything. Come on down to the barn about three-fifteen. I’m sure they’ll be rested by then.”
“All right.” Her smile banished the sadness from her eyes. “Thanks.”
“Hey, they’re your horses. If you ever disagree with what I’m doing, you have the right to question it.”
“That wouldn’t be very smart of me. I’m not the expert here.”
“You know a lot more than you think you do.” If they’d been alone he would have followed that comment with a hug or a kiss. Instead he turned to Rosie. “What can I help with? I can clean or work in the showers, too, if you need me.”
“Just don’t let him plan the menu,” Cade said. “I think we established last night that he has no imagination when it comes to food choices.”
Brant gave him the stink-eye. “Kids don’t want imaginative food choices.”
“You’re right about that,” Rosie said with a laugh. “So you’re welcome to sit in on the menu discussion if you want.”
He was tempted because it would mean spending time with Aria, but he wasn’t really needed there. “I wouldn’t mind, but I noticed that some fence posts in the pasture look a little wonky.”
“Yeah, that’s on the list,” Herb said. “The oldest ones out there have rotted. I picked up replacements at the lumberyard today. I thought I’d start this afternoon, if you want to help.”
“Be glad to.” He knew his foster father could still operate a posthole digger as well as the next guy, but the work would go faster with two people and they’d always enjoyed sharing a job whether it was delivering foals or digging holes in the ground.
As was the tradition at Thunder Mountain, everyone worked to clean up the kitchen before heading off in different directions to accomplish their chores. When Brant was ready to leave with Herb, he glanced toward the table where Rosie’s and Aria’s heads were bent over a couple of well-worn cookbooks. He resisted the urge to give Aria’s shoulder a squeeze before walking out the door.
“See you ladies later,” Herb said.
“Three-fifteen.” Brant knew Aria didn’t need reminding, but it allowed him to add a comment and maybe get her to look up.
She did and, bonus, she smiled at him. “I’ll be there.”
He felt unexpected warmth in his chest. It was different from the lust he’d experienced this morning, which had settled mainly in his groin. “See you then.” He walked out with Herb.
The warm feeling remained as he pictured meeting her in front of the birthing stall. And it wasn’t because he planned to seduce her, either. She needed to spend time with her horses and he’d have the privilege of sharing the experience. That was special.
He helped his foster father gather up tools and gloves and stow them in the back of the truck. Herb put on one of the battered straw hats he kept in the barn for this kind of job. Brant decided to do the same and leave his Stetson in the tack room. Those straw hats had seen a lot of use and wearing one reminded him of the old days.
Pulling the brim down to shade his eyes, he walked ahead of the truck and opened the pasture gate so Herb could drive through. Then he hopped back in.
“I’m glad you like her,” Herb said.
“Me, too. Makes things easier.” He didn’t need to ask who they were talking about.
“I wasn’t sure you two would get along. She’s got her life planned out a
nd I pity the person who throws a monkey wrench into those plans.”
“Like her brother?”
Herb sighed. “You know, in the beginning, I was all for this idea of hers. I’ve seen how horses can heal a person. Raising a foal to maturity is a privilege I’ve never had, but I can imagine the deep bond such a project would create. But Josh isn’t buying in.”
“Have you met him?”
“Not that I know of. I wasn’t his horse’s vet. Sheridan’s a small town, so I’ve probably run across him somewhere or other, but I don’t remember him. You must have known him, though.”
“Not really. I hate that Aria’s gone through all this for his sake and he doesn’t seem to give a damn.”
“Doesn’t sit well with me, either.” Herb stopped the truck next to the first rotted post and turned off the engine. “She’s a nice girl—I mean a nice woman. Rosie’s warned me about calling adult women girls. But at my age, Aria seems like a girl.”
“I’m well aware that she’s a girl.”
Herb chuckled. “I thought so. There’s a vibe between you two.”
“I admire what she’s attempting to do.”
“I’m guessing that’s not all you admire.”
“Yeah, I like her.”
“Is that so?” Herb nudged back his hat and gave him a long look. “She’s not your type.”
“Actually, she is my type. Like you said, she has her life all mapped out and doesn’t want anybody disturbing her plan. I won’t.”
Herb was quiet for a while and Brant had learned to respect those silences. Finally he spoke. “I don’t pretend to understand how things are these days. All I wanted at your age was to find the right girl—woman—settle down with her and have babies. I met Rosie and that was it. We didn’t have the babies, but that worked out okay.”
“Speaking from my own selfish viewpoint, it worked out great.”
“It did work out great. I wouldn’t change a thing.” He looked over at Brant. “But you don’t want what I wanted, do you?”
He considered his answer because he’d rather not insult his foster father’s choices. “I’m like a Plains Indian, moving from place to place dragging my possessions behind me on one of those contraptions they used.”
“A travois.”
“You’re so damned smart, Dad. I swear you could go on a game show and clean up.”
“That doesn’t interest me at all, but I get what you’re saying. You and Aria are two ships passing in the night.”
“Guess so, but that’s hard to do in a landlocked state like Wyoming. Maybe we should be eighteen-wheelers passing in the night.”
Herb apparently got a kick out of that one. He couldn’t seem to stop chuckling. “I wouldn’t use that analogy when you’re speaking to the lady. Women don’t appreciate being compared to a semi.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Making his foster father laugh was one of his favorite things to do. “You think the ship comment works any better though? Those ocean liners are huge.”
“Good point. Don’t say anything like that.” He smiled. “I know what kind of man you are, son. You’ll treat her with respect for whatever time you spend together. I’m not too worried about either of you. You’ve always been self-sufficient and she seems to be, too. Whatever happens with her brother, she’ll have that foal to love. I wonder if Linus was always supposed to be for her.”
“You could be right. She adores that little guy.” He hadn’t envisioned maintaining contact with Aria after the training was finished. Usually he made himself scarce once he’d socialized a foal. They needed to bond with the people who would be caring for them every day.
Logically he should treat the situation with Linus the same. He never wanted to give a woman the wrong impression, so he’d make sure Aria didn’t expect him to hang around.
Herb reached for the door handle. “Ready to tackle those ornery fence posts?”
“You bet.” He was smiling as he climbed out of the truck. Having the trust of a man like Herb Padgett was pure gold. He wouldn’t trade places with anyone.
10
ARIA WALKED DOWN to the barn energized by all that had happened today—Linus’s first experience in the pasture followed by a scandalous hour with Brant behind the barn. Then she’d met his best friend.
Learning how they’d become close had been an eye-opener. Not too many teenaged boys would have stood there and allowed themselves to be pounded on. Brant was even more unusual than she’d thought, and she’d been impressed from the moment he’d stepped into Lucy’s stall the night before.
Impressed and fascinated. She’d never met anyone quite like him. And when they were together she didn’t obsess about Josh.
Instantly she felt guilty. If she didn’t figure out how to help her brother, nobody would. He might be his own worst enemy, but she was his very best friend. She mustn’t lose sight of the goal—getting Josh on his feet.
When she stepped into the cool recesses of the barn, Brant was waiting for her at the far end. He’d propped his back and one booted foot against the side of the stall. He’d also traded his Stetson for an old straw cowboy hat. Seeing him wearing it reminded her that he was a hardworking cowhand who didn’t care about fashion and wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.
His smile told her that he was happy to see her. His eyes told her he’d like nothing better than to pull her into his arms. God, help her, she wanted him to.
But instead of closing the gap between them, he stepped back and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I promised myself I wouldn’t kiss you, so you’d better stop looking at me like that.”
“How am I looking at you?”
“Like a chocoholic eyeing a plate of fudge.”
She laughed. “Is that so?”
“Yeah.” His voice was husky. “And I guarantee if you start sampling the fudge we’ll use up all of your fifteen minutes.”
She’d always been proud of her willpower. Then she’d kissed Brant Ellison. The prospect of feeling his mouth on hers drove every other thought from her mind.
“They need you more.” Taking a deep breath, he turned and opened the stall door. “They’re waitin’ on you.”
Humbled by his selfless gesture, she nodded and walked inside. Both Lucy and Linus came over, which made her heart squeeze. “Hey, there, my sweetie pies.” She took a piece of the carrot Rosie had given her and fed it to Lucy while stroking Linus’s coat. “I can’t believe how soft he is.”
“I know.” Brant stood in the open doorway. “Another good reason to get him used to being handled. The kids will all want to pet him.”
She glanced in his direction. “I’m glad you’ll be around to monitor the interaction so they don’t overdo it. Please tell me you didn’t have to wake them up just for this.”
“Nah, they were moving around when Herb and I got back from setting fence posts. Lucy was looking for more food. We have to keep it coming while she’s nursing Linus.”
“I’ll bet.” She returned her gaze to the horses and managed to rub Lucy’s nose and scratch Linus’s neck at the same time. “This project would have cost me a small fortune if Rosie and Herb hadn’t stepped in.”
“I can tell you feel obligated to them and I won’t minimize the gesture, but they love having a foal around and I’m sure putting his pictures online has brought loads of publicity to the academy.”
“I hope so. I’m sorry the birth didn’t happen when the students could see it.” She thought of how that would have changed things, specifically her relationship with him. “But not real sorry, to be honest.”
“I’m not, either.”
She gave Lucy another piece of carrot and a pat before crouching and using both hands to caress the foal. “He seems to like being stroked.”
“That’s a guy for you. Loves that stroking part.”
Lust gave her insides a tweak. “No fair making comments like that.”
“Sorry. When I’m watching you fondling him it’s tough to keep my m
ind from going there.”
“Did you get the postholes all dug?”
He chuckled. “Holes dug and posts in. Until this minute I hadn’t thought of that as a sexual image, either. Ah.” He blew out a breath. “I know a safe topic. The menu. Did you and Rosie get it figured out?”
“We did. I think it’s workable and won’t break the budget.”
“Good. What about Josephine Talley, the woman she hired to help cook for the first semester kids? Is she still on board?”
“She should be back from visiting her daughter before the students get here.” Aria ran her hands over Linus’s chest and laughed when he tried to nibble on her shirt.
“Don’t let him eat your clothes. They can pick up bad habits really fast.”
“I won’t let him.” She gently moved his nose away. “That’s not for you, kid.”
Linus gave her a long, blue-eyed stare. Then he turned toward his mother and soon was completely involved in nursing.
Aria stood. “I’ve been replaced. I think that’s it for now.” She gave Lucy the last piece of carrot and left the stall.
“And look at that.” He closed and latched the door before turning toward her. “You have five minutes to spare.”
Stepping closer, she smoothed her hands up his broad chest. “Must be your turn, then.”
He pulled her in tight. “I should warn you I worked up a sweat digging postholes.”
“Ask me if I mind.” She took off his hat and held it while she ran her fingers through his hair. It was still slightly damp.
“Do you mind?”
“That you work hard enough to sweat?” She breathed in the scent of earth and healthy male. “As it happens, I like that about you.”
He gazed down at her. “You know what I like about you?”
“What?”
“Everything.”
She flushed with pleasure. “Thank you.”
“But I can be more specific. For one thing you’re smart.” He kissed her forehead. “And you have amazing eyes.” He kissed the bridge of her nose. “And cheeks like satin.” He placed a kiss on each one. “I’d kiss your other cheeks, too, but I only have five minutes so I’ll save that for tonight.”
Cowboy All Night (Thunder Mountain Brotherhood, Book 5) Page 10