by Mandy Harbin
“When did you decide to work with horses?” he asked as he reached out and copied her actions, pulling a piece of grass and twining it around his fingers.
“When I was little, I always wanted a pony.” She shrugged and looked at him through his lashes. “What little girl doesn’t, right?” She didn’t wait for confirmation. “We moved around a lot, but the only places my dad could afford were dumps in the middle of nowhere. Usually someone had horses around. For years I’d find myself watching caretakers tend to them, and one day, a nice old man saw me watching and offered to show me.” She couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Mr. Peters. Everyone thought him old and crotchety, but he’d always been nice to her. “We only lived there a couple of months after that, but I soaked up everything he taught me. By the time I’d hit high school, my dad owed money to half the county.” She looked over the water, remembering those formidable years of her life, and regretting she had to spend them with a father like that. “Anyway, no ranch would hire me because I was either too young, a girl, or an Attree. I waited tables for a bit, and when a local ranch changed owners, I jumped at the chance to apply. I worked as a ranch hand while I continued to wait tables. I was exhausted all the time, but I loved it.”
“And how did you end up here?”
She cocked an eyebrow at him.
“I know the official details. I want your version.”
She licked her lips. “I caught the eye of a rancher who already worked here.”
“Presley.”
She nodded slowly. “He was a regular at the diner. Always sweet. Tipped well.” She laughed without humor. “One day we got to talking and I told him about working with horses. He got me an interview with the ranch manager at Buckley, but I don’t think either of them expected Mr. Winthrop to be there that day. I’m just glad I actually knew enough to get the job legitimately.”
“I’m just glad you know what a tablet and Google is,” he said with that dry humor of his.
“Ha. Ha.” She crossed her arms over her legs and shook her head. “Do people realize how much of a comedian you are?”
“Actually, no,” he said and pulled as he leaned back on his hands and looked up at the sun. “That’s how I usually prefer it.”
“Well, I feel special, then,” she said offhandedly, but immediately regretted it. He sat up, looked at her, opened his mouth, but frowned as if he’d checked the words and had decided not to let them free. “I was a little worried about your technology skills before coming to the ranch.”
“Huh?”
“You’re doing really well gathering the information I need. I was worried you’d be someone without any business sense and I’d have to start with the very basics first.” Was that a backhanded compliment? She huffed and opened her mouth, but he lifted a hand to stop her. “No offense, but I knew nothing about you. I still don’t know much. Well, other than what we just talked about and what my people gleaned from their research the night we met.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t call the IRS to get my tax records.”
His mouth flattened.
“Oh my god,” she said slowly, staring at him in disbelief. “You did.”
“Not the IRS. At least I don’t think so.”
How could he have done that? “You realize that’s a huge invasion of privacy, right? I mean, I get you pulling records on the ranch, but on me personally? That was none of your business.”
“Hey, hey,” he said softly as he touched her shoulder. Electricity shot down her spine from that one little caress, numbing her senses and igniting a reaction much stronger than the anger she’d felt seconds ago.
Need. She felt an enormously heavy sense of need.
The air was suddenly thick and tangible. Her heart banged in her chest as if trying to break free. Her mouth painfully dry as another area of her body stole all the moisture.
From a gentle touch. One not meant to be sexual at all.
She swallowed and looked away, her breaths quickening. Why was she so attracted to him? Why couldn’t she control it? But more importantly, why was his hand still on her?
“Brindle?”
She rose, severing their connection, and dusted off her rear. “We really need to head back.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just very thorough when it comes to business, and I needed to know how much training you needed in financial matters. If you’re not secure in your personal finances, then that will bleed into the business you own.”
“I got it. I grew up poor, so I don’t know how to balance a checkbook. Seems like a legitimate assessment for a billionaire to have about someone like me.”
“That’s not fair.”
She sighed, feeling a little defeated because deep down she knew she wasn’t being fair, but she still felt hurt. “You’re right. We need to get back.” Besides, he felt he was entitled, so in his mind he hadn’t done anything wrong. If she never got an apology out of her worthless father, it wasn’t fair to expect one from someone who hadn’t done something out of malice.
“I’m sorry,” he said slowly, almost as if he were tasting the words for the first time. She looked up at him, and he had the cutest little crinkle between his eyebrows. “Yes, I’m sorry,” he said with more confidence and looked at her.
“Apology accepted,” she said softly.
“Okay, enough of that,” he said stiffly and walked toward his horse. “Those monthly reports aren’t going to generate themselves.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “Not yet, anyway.”
He was back to being all business. As she made her way to Sebastian, a part of her was relieved that whatever connection they’d had earlier disappeared.
But only part. The other side, the side that still tingled at the phantom touch on her skin, was more confused … and slightly disappointed.
It had only been two days. How long would it take for this attraction to finally settle?
Chapter Four
Dawson sat at his temporary desk in Brindle’s office trying to focus on last year’s quarterly statements. He’d read over the second quarter three times now, and it had nothing to do with analyzing the figures. His protégé sat a mere feet from him, and he he’d been stealing glances at her all afternoon. He’d been at the ranch a little over two weeks now, and his attraction for Brindle seemed to intensify with every passing second. This was not like him. At all. He was a man of control. Prided himself on that quality. He was convinced this one woman shattered whatever it was that allowed him to be so aloof when it came to the females he worked around. Never had he ever felt the need to seduce a woman within the realm of his business dealings. Seduce? Rather, he’d never felt the need to give in to his baser instincts and just take her on the desk where she worked. There’d be none of the finesse that came along with seduction.
What really got under his skin, however, was the realization that this attraction wasn’t just physical. He’d thought of her as his protégé, but the truth of the matter was Brindle’s instinct for ranching business far exceeded his. What she didn’t know about general business, she picked up right away, and that intrigued him. She was intelligent, if not a little unsure of herself. Which, God help him, he found incredibly enduring. Even now as his gaze flashed her way, he caught her chewing her lip and clicking her mechanical pencil several times before pushing the lead back in and repeating the process. He’d been around her enough to learn her signs, so he was sure something on the report she reviewed stumped her. Rather than ask him, she attempted to wade through it on her own. Normally, he had no problem letting people do their jobs. This was something she had to become comfortable with if she wanted to succeed. But he’d be lying to himself if he said he had no desire to rush to her side, help her understand whatever it was she was tackling, and coddle her. So no, his attraction wasn’t just physical. There was this strong, deep rooted need—need—for her.
He’d never needed anything in his life.
The phone rang, and she reached for it withou
t looking up from the printout. “Buckley Ranch … Hi, Dr. Nez … Okay, okay, Kaya.” Brindle’s gaze met his as she said, “We’ll be right there.” She hung up the phone and said, “Autumn is ready.”
“The baby horse is coming?” he asked as he stood.
Brindle chuckled as she rose, grabbed her cell phone, and put it in her back pocket. “The foal. But yes, Dr. Nez is with her. She knows how important it is to me to limit human interaction, but she’s watching and waiting.”
She strode to the door, and he followed her out of the office. “Kaya?” he asked, not sure what it referred to.
“That’s her name. Dr. Kaya Nez. She hasn’t been practicing very long, and when I gave her a shot, she was thrilled to get Buckley Ranch as a client. Any who, she keeps trying to get me to call her by her first name. I’m starting to cave.” She chuckled.
He hit unlock on his SUV when they got outside as he pondered her statement. Since he’d been working with Brindle, he’d learned she knows quite a bit about this industry, but was she making a rookie business mistake not hiring the best of the best?
“What?” she asked once they climbed in. After clicking her seatbelt, she looked at him. “I can see the gears in your brain cranking.”
“That’s physically impossible,” he muttered as he backed out.
“Dawson,” she said slowly, not acknowledging his dry humor.
“Dr. Nez doesn’t sound very experienced. I know a veterinarian isn’t cheap—”
“I can’t afford a full time veterinarian.”
“That’s not what I’m suggesting. You do, however, have veterinary expenses budgeted. If not enough funds are allocated to that category to cover bringing in someone who is at the top of their field, we need to look at where costs can be cut in other areas.”
Brindle glared at him, and damn if that didn’t stir his blood. In all parts of his body.
“Just because she’s a recent grad does not mean she can’t do an excellent job. Contrary to what you think, an education doesn’t make someone superior.”
“I didn’t say that, nor do I think it,” he said gently. Normally, he’d be quick to berate someone for talking to him like that. If his board members were watching, they’d be wincing and waiting for the tongue lashing he would give without a moment’s hesitation. But that instinct was rendered useless around Brindle. Not only that, the idea of anyone offending her had him coming to her defense, even when that offending party was him. “I just mean we need to hire the most experienced personnel.”
“Dr. Nez was raised on a Native American reservation. Her ancestors have raised horses for generations. Horses are her life. She knows more about them than anyone on this ranch. If I could afford to hire her full time, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Just because she hasn’t been licensed very long does not mean she’s not the best in my eyes.”
And like that, he’d been taken to task by a woman who barely batted an eyelash. “You are absolutely right. I should have asked why you decided to work with her, rather than assume you felt you couldn’t afford to go with someone more—well, someone else. I apologize for that.”
She exhaled slowly. “Thank you.”
“I’m not the enemy here, Brindle,” he murmured as the pulled up to the stalls closest to Autumn’s pasture.
“I know,” she said, looking away. “Sorry for snapping at you.”
He wanted to smile at her reluctant tone, but thought better of it as he got out of the truck.
They walked around the barn and toward the fence. A woman with long black hair braided down her back looked toward the east as a man sat on a pole next to her facing away from the forces.
“What is Trent doing here?” Brindle said, but her tone told him she wasn’t really asking, just stating it more out of frustration.
Presley. The man roused Dawson’s inner caveman. Knowing he’d had a relationship with Brindle was bad enough, but knowing the man would still be here when he had to leave? That not only ate at him, but left nasty bite marks.
“He’s flirting with her,” she said incredulously.
“Are you jealous?” Dawson asked curtly. Where the question came from he had no idea. He hadn’t even been able to check it before spitting it out.
She gaped at him. “No. Absolutely not.” Before he could formulate a retort, she stormed toward the pair at the fence. Dawson quickly followed. “I don’t pay you to sit around, Trent.”
“Good afternoon to you, too, Brindle.”
Dr. Nez whirled, looking confused. To keep matters from exploding, Dawson offered his hand and said, “Hello. I’m Dawson Winthrop. This is my grandfather’s ranch.”
She clutched his hand. “Oh, Dr. Kaya Nez. Sorry to hear about your grandfather. He was a nice man.”
“Thank you. So what do we have here?”
“Well,” she said slowly as she glanced between Dawson and Brindle. He briefly looked at her, and watched her gathering herself and turning her attention to the veterinarian. “I stopped by to see how our Autumn was doing and noticed she’s pacing. It’s a sign she’s going into labor.”
“She’s pissing again,” Trent said.
“Go away, Trent,” Brindle said.
“I’m finished with my work. Figured I’d hang around and watch the mare foal.”
“Then come back later,” Dawson said, each word distinct, brooking no argument. The other man looked at him, hesitated only a second before giving him a short nod, jumping off the post, and walking away.
“I’m sorry about that, Dr. Nez said quietly. “He just showed up and wouldn’t leave.”
“No, I’m sorry, Kaya,” Brindle said. “No one should be bothering you when you’re working.”
“Oh, it’s okay,” she said with a chuckle. “Trent is harmless. Besides, the way Autumn is acting, it’ll be hours before her water breaks.”
“How do you know that, Dr. Nez?” Dawson asked.
“Please, call me Kaya. And Autumn is restless. She’s moving around a lot. Urinating frequently. And see,” Kaya pointed toward the horse. “Her tail is up, and she keeps looking at her flanks. She’s definitely in labor.”
“So that’s good, right?”
“Yes,” Brindle answered for her. “But this is Autumn’s first. If any mare feels threatened—which even sensing bad weather can cause—she could go days in this phase.”
“I don’t think it’ll take that long. But hours? Yes.”
Hours? “And you’re going to sit here and just watch?”
The two of them laughed. “You should see your face,” Brindle said. “You look absolutely horrified.”
“I doubt that,” he said dryly, though he was sure by their giggles he hadn’t hid his initial reaction to staring at a horse for hours on end, doing nothing else.
“We don’t have to stay and watch,” Brindle said to him, and then she looked at Kaya. “Call me when her water breaks.”
“It’ll probably be the middle of the night.”
“I don’t care.”
“You got it,” Kaya said and turned toward the horse again.
“Let’s head back to the office. I want to finish going over that report before calling it a day.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Kaya called over her shoulder.
“Likewise.” He pushed his hands into his pockets and followed Brindle back to his truck. “If she doesn’t call before lights out, I want you to wake me.”
“You want to watch the foal being born?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “Not sure how that’d make you assess business any clearer, but you got it.”
“Who knows when I’ll get a chance to see something like that again.”
“Play your cards right, and I’ll invite you back to my ranch one day.”
“It’s not your ranch yet,” he said with a chuckle. “You still have to see a profit before it’s officially signed over to you. But I guess you could always buy another one if the stipulation in grandfather’s will isn’t met.”
As they ro
unded the truck, she laughed. “Oh, this place is as good as mine. Keep showing me all the regular business stuff, and I just might be offering you a job.”
His head fell back on a guffaw as he grabbed the driver’s side door handle. “Sweetheart, you can’t afford me.”
“Maybe not, but life isn’t all about money.” She winked at him before climbing in, and that one little gesture shot fire down his spine.
Yeah, she was right. There was much more to life than money, but the one thing he found himself wanting more and more, needing more and more, he couldn’t have. But maybe, just maybe, when this month was over, he could find ways to setup events for Buckley Breeding Ranch and ensure he’d get to spend more time with her. He smiled as he got in. He couldn’t give in to his need for her now, but later? It was a possibility, and that was more than he had this morning.
* * * * *
Trent chewed the piece of straw as he watched his ex and that rich boy walk away from Kaya. He wasn’t much into Indians, but that woman was beautiful. He’d make an exception in her case.
At least he’d been trying to when Bindle and moneybags showed up cramping his style. That man had been sticking his nose everywhere for over two weeks now, and Trent was ready for him to scamper off to where he’d come from. It was hard enough trying to get tail with Brindle hovering around. Brindle was too uptight—always focused on work—even when they’d been dating. Too bad. She’d been a good lay even if her thighs had been locked shut. It had taken him time, but he’d gotten them open. After he was through with her he couldn’t just stop calling and pretended she didn’t exist like she was one of the other women he’d hooked up with. Nope, they worked together. Now, she was technically his boss, though women were really only good for one thing.
And he wanted that thing from little miss Kaya.
As soon as the two cock blocks left, he’d go back over there and work his magic. The mare wouldn’t foal for a while now, so there was plenty of time for him to pull Kaya aside and roll around in the hay for a bit.