by Leigh Bale
“Why did you adjust the nose strap so loose?” Lily asked.
He secured a small buckle at the side of the horse’s nose. “So there won’t be any pressure on her nose unless she raises her head up unusually high. The headsetter works off the horse’s pull and will help train Toots to keep her head low for cow work.”
Taking the reins, he led Toots out to the circular arena. Lily followed and Nate couldn’t deny a thrill of excitement at having her near. He glanced at her, enjoying the heightened color in her cheeks. “You sure look pretty today.”
She frowned at the compliment.
He couldn’t decide if she was always this beautiful or if her pregnancy made her this way. He felt like showing off for her, but realized that wasn’t right for a man his age. He could ride well and he knew it, but somehow he realized this woman didn’t care about show. What she needed in her life was reliability. A man who would stand beside her and treat her right.
Like always, she’d dressed in blue jeans and boots, her long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail that bounced as she walked. As she stepped up on the bottom rung of the corral, Nate couldn’t help wishing she’d leave it long around her face once in a while. His fingers itched to touch the silken softness and he decided to clamp an iron will on his stray thoughts.
She looped her hands over the top rail to hold on and see better at the same time. “What are you going to do with her first?”
After mounting, he loped the horse around the arena, turning her now and then to get a feel for her movements and how she took his hand, feet and leg commands. “First I’m gonna warm her up and see how she feels with me in the saddle. We’re just gonna make friends.”
“Well, don’t let me disturb you. I’ll just get the horses some fresh water.” She stepped down off the railing and turned.
“It’s already done,” he called.
She pivoted, looking surprised. “You didn’t need to do that.”
He smiled and tugged on the brim of his cowboy hat. “My pleasure.”
The horse turned and Nate pretended not to see Lily’s frown. He expected her to leave, but she stayed while he worked the horse. Knowing she was watching made him feel strangely giddy inside. He wanted to display his skills for her. To prove he could handle this little mare.
Instead, he focused on the horse. No matter what, he could still feel Lily’s gaze resting on him. Watching his every move with intense scrutiny.
As he trotted Toots, Nate realized the horse was carrying her head awfully high. To remedy this, he gave several short tugs on the reins. She stiffened, fighting him just a bit, so he added a little more strength to the tugs. Nothing that would hurt the horse, but just enough to get her to back off from the pressure. Toots lowered her head and he immediately quit the succession of light tugs. That was her reward for doing what he wanted.
“Good girl.” He patted her neck to show his pleasure.
Again and again, Nate turned the horse, demanding she keep her head low. When she turned left or right, he taught her to pull her nose in tight. This technique would help her in cattle work when she had to keep a cow from racing back to the main herd. After all, that was the purpose of a good cutting horse: to never, ever take her eyes off the cow.
Toots quickly learned how to back off the pressure from Nate’s foot commands and his tugs on the reins. The horse took very little repetition to learn and was soon doing just what he desired.
For fifteen minutes, he worked with Toots. Then he rode her over to the fence to chat with Lily and let the horse rest.
“She’s getting it,” he said. “I’ve never worked with a horse that responds so fast.”
Lily reached over the fence and rubbed the horse’s muzzle. “Yes, but she’s over-rotating a bit when she turns to her right.”
“You noticed that, huh? She works her left side pretty well, but I’m going to have to correct her bad habit on the right side. She’s trying. The mistakes she’s making are just honest mistakes. And she’s not requiring a lot of instruction to show her what to do. I wish we had some live cows to practice her on. She’s almost ready for real action.”
“I think we’ll be able to take care of that problem soon enough.”
“What do you—”
“Hi, Nate.” Hank came out of the house wearing a leather vest over his plaid shirt.
“Good morning, Hank. You’re looking rested.”
Hank chuckled and brushed his graying hair back from his forehead before putting on his crumpled old cowboy hat. “I feel good, too. My daughter fixed me breakfast. Best pancakes I ever ate, although they would have been better with butter and syrup instead of fresh fruit.”
“Dad, we talked about this.” Lily’s voice held a mild scolding quality. No doubt she’d insisted Hank eat what was good for him.
“You hungry?” Hank directed the question to Nate.
“No, I ate before I left home.”
“Then go ahead and work. Who do you want to ride next? I can get the horses saddled and ready for you.” Hank headed for the stable.
“It doesn’t matter at this point. I’ve got to get to know them all, so bring out the next one you think I should have and we’ll talk about their strengths and weaknesses as I see what they need help on.”
Within twenty minutes, Nate returned Toots to the stable where he quickly removed the saddle, ensured she was dry and had plenty of water, then fed her a pellet of molasses and compressed hay. The horse gobbled the treat right down, then waved her head as if asking for more.
“You’re gonna spoil her.”
Nate turned and found Lily close behind him. She laughed at his surprised expression.
“Yeah, but it won’t hurt her.” He wasn’t sure if she was staying close to him today to see if he knew what he was doing, or if she might be starting to like him. He hoped it was the latter.
“Now I know your secret,” she said.
He felt a bit out of sorts to be caught giving a treat to the horse. “Try it sometime. Pretty soon, I’ll have these horses coming right over to me hoping I’ll give them one.”
“I’m sure you’ll make good friends with every horse on the place.”
I hope so, he thought to himself. But what he really wanted was to be friends—good friends—with Lily. Maybe even more than friends. But training horses had taught him the most important lesson of all: patience.
* * *
Monday morning, Nate drove down Main Street in town, heading back to the office after meeting with a local rancher. He wanted to complete a watershed study before he drove out to Emerald Ranch to work with the horses that afternoon. As he passed the bank, a flash of red caught his eye. Lily wearing a red sweater came out of the pawn shop, walking fast as she hurried toward her father’s truck parked in front. She didn’t notice Nate as he drove by. He almost honked the horn to draw her attention but thought better of it. What was she doing in the pawn shop?
He drove two more blocks before he made a U-turn and returned to the store. Parking his truck in the back, he went in through the side entrance.
A little bell tinkled overhead as he opened the door. Carl Jutledge looked up from the front cash register. Window cases lined the room, filled with an odd assortment of jewelry, guns and coins. The air smelled musty, the lighting dim. The whole place had a sleazy feel about it.
“Morning, Ranger. What can I do for you?” Carl grinned, showing yellowed teeth.
“A young woman was just in here.” Nate felt a bit uncomfortable inquiring about Lily’s personal business, but he had to know what she’d been doing.
“Yeah, so?”
“What did she want?”
Carl’s eyes narrowed. “She ain’t stolen nothing from you, has she?”
“Of course not. I’d just like to know what she wanted.”
Carl showed a worried smile. “The way I see it, it ain’t none of your business.”
Nate leaned his elbow on the counter, trying to appear casual as he held a twenty-do
llar bill between his fingers. “You’re right, but I might be able to make it worth your while.”
Carl’s small eyes wavered between the greenery and Nate’s stoic expression. “In that case, she sold me this. It’s a rare beauty.”
Carl reached for a cloth-lined dish and placed it on the counter. Nate sucked in a slow breath when he saw the size of the sparkling gem displayed in a band of white gold and set off by numerous smaller diamonds. The ring Lily always wore around her neck. Her mother’s engagement ring, with a sizable rock that must be worth a tidy sum.
Nate reached to pick it up. “May I?”
“Sure! It’s quality, I can tell you.”
“How many carats is it?”
“Three and I’ve confirmed ownership. She had the papers and everything. This diamond’s certified. Excellent color and clarity. A real beauty. Worth a small fortune.”
Nate gave a low whistle. “Why did she sell the ring to you?”
Carl shrugged. “Said she needed the money. You interested?”
A dark feeling settled in Nate’s chest. He’d heard a few things around town about Hank’s overdue bills. And from the looks of their hay supply, Nate figured Hank was low on funds. Without asking, Nate realized Lily had pawned her ring so she could help take care of the ranch. But this was her mother’s ring. Nate didn’t believe Lily would pawn it unless she was utterly desperate for cash.
“Did she say where she got the ring from?” Nate asked.
A totally fake, sad look filled Carl’s eyes. Nate knew it was all for show, just to make a sale. “She said it was her momma’s ring. Her daddy gave it to her the day her momma died. She hated to part with it, but she figured her mom would understand.”
Nate bit back a harsh breath. Lily had sold a priceless heirloom from her mother to keep the ranch safe. Once again, Nate couldn’t help admiring Lily. She’d selflessly put aside her own needs to take care of her dad. And all Nate wanted was to make Lily smile.
* * *
That evening, Nate was working with one of the colts at Emerald Ranch when Bill Stokely and his son rode up on horses. Herding approximately twenty red and black Angus cows in front of them, the two men waved.
Nate paused, letting the horse beneath him catch his breath for a moment. Lily walked out to greet the Stokelys, then waddled over to the gate, opened it wide and let Bill herd the cows into the pasture. Hank stood in the middle of the yard, his mouth hanging open in surprise. Obviously he hadn’t known anything about this.
“Well, I’ll be.” Nate chuckled beneath his breath. Somehow, Lily must have made a deal with Bill. Pawning her mother’s ring wouldn’t pay for this many cows. So how had she convinced Bill to give her the beefs?
Nate stepped off the colt and tied the animal to the fence, which would let the horse get used to standing at a tie. Nate then sauntered out into the yard to chat. What he really wanted was information.
“What’s going on?” Nate asked Hank.
The two men stood beside the railing of the fence, watching Bill move the cattle farther into the pasture. In one mass, the beefs moved away and then immediately went about grazing on the rich feed.
“I have no idea.” Hank leaned his arms against the top rail of the fence.
Lily soon joined them, securing the latch on the gate while Bill ensured the cattle were okay.
“You want to tell me what this is all about?” Hank asked his daughter.
Lily lifted one booted foot up to rest on the bottom rail of the fence. She didn’t look at her father, but gazed at the cows. “I made a deal with Bill.”
“What kind of deal?”
“He’s agreed to let us use his cows for training our cutting horses. In exchange, we’ll board the cows here at our place for free.”
“What?” The word burst from Hank’s mouth like a nuclear explosion.
Lily faced her father, her hands clenched by her sides. Her expression looked tight as a bowstring, her eyes narrowed with ferocity. Nate braced himself for the coming storm. He wanted to intercede, but figured this was between Lily and her father.
“Now, Dad, don’t you say one more word about it. We don’t have any money to buy cows, but we need them. This pasture is sitting idle. That small herd of cattle isn’t going to do any damage to our field. It’s a good deal and we need this. So just leave it alone.”
Hank blustered like a charging bull, but what could he say? Lily was right. She’d done what she had to do. But from the surprised expression on Hank’s face, Nate got the impression that Lily didn’t often stand up to her dad with this much conviction. She’d put her foot down and Nate was curious to see if Hank let her have her way.
“And you might as well know,” she continued in a gentler voice, “I’ve paid off what you owe and bought another load of hay from Bill. He’ll be delivering it tomorrow.” She glanced at Nate. “I’ll pay what we owe you for the oats just as soon as we sell one of the horses.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nate smiled, enjoying her spunk and integrity. What a woman!
An exasperated breath whooshed from Hank’s lungs. “But how did you pay for it?”
“That’s not your worry. It’s taken care of and we should have enough feed to get by for a few months until we can harvest our own hay.” She glanced at Nate. “Can I depend on you to help?”
“Of course, but I’ll do everything. You’ll stay in the house,” Nate said, realizing she was smart, too. In fact, he liked everything about this woman. She knew what needed to be done and went about tackling it in spite of gargantuan odds against her.
“Thank you.” She nodded, holding her chin slightly higher. In her eyes, he saw a twinge of fear and a whole lot of courage. This little woman was a scrapper. Gentle and practical on the outside, yet made of cold, hard steel on the inside.
Hank’s face reddened, and he opened his mouth and closed it several times, as if he wanted to argue. But he didn’t. How could you argue with intelligent logic?
Finally, Hank turned and leaned against the railing again. Nate had to cock his head to hear his next words. “Well, Bill got the better deal.”
Nate hid a smile, but he didn’t laugh out loud. And that’s when he realized he loved her. It struck him like lightning. He’d been wondering about his feelings since the moment he met her, but refused to believe in love at first sight. But now, he couldn’t fight it. He loved her. More than his own life.
A full, joyful feeling filled his chest to overflowing. He loved this woman for the adversity she continued to face head-on and the levelheaded way she tackled her problems. He loved her for loving her father. For stepping forward and doing what had to be done. Her gentle, yet insistent, way of handling Hank’s blustering temper. The way she served him nutritious meals and quietly went behind his back to take care of the ranch when he was too sick to deal with it on his own. And what’s more, Nate wanted her for his own. The thought of always watching this woman from afar, yet never being able to show her how much he loved her, made his heart sink into despair. Somehow, he had to gentle and win her trust.
She might not ever be able to love any man again, but he had to try. Loving Lily was simple, but convincing her to marry him might not be so easy.
Chapter Thirteen
The truck rattled across the Bailey bridge as Dad drove them into town. Dressed in a loose-fitting flower-print dress and toeless high heels, Lily closed her eyes until they passed over the river. She hadn’t yet overcome her fear from the flood and closing her eyes made it easier to bear.
As they transferred from dirt road to pavement, she turned her head and studied the red brick church from afar. She’d been home for weeks now, but finally agreed to attend church with Dad. They’d arrive for Sunday services in a matter of minutes and the tension headache she’d been fighting all morning pounded against her temples.
No doubt she knew most of the people in the congregation. What if they started asking her questions about her past? What if they wouldn’t accept her? The loose dress was
meant to hide her pregnancy, but it did little good. People would naturally ask about her absentee husband. The last thing she wanted was for folks to know she’d unknowingly had an affair with a married man. Nate hadn’t revealed her secret, which had earned him a little more of her trust.
In Lily’s book, Tommy had committed adultery. And she had unwittingly participated. She’d repented her transgressions and abandoned her old lifestyle, but she didn’t feel forgiven. Maybe she never would.
“Dad, I’d rather not tell everyone I’m not married,” she said.
He tossed her a frown, his blunt fingers gripping the steering wheel. He looked handsome in a western suit and turquoise bolo tie. “And just how do you propose we keep it a secret? Word has already spread through town. With your small frame, it’s easy to tell you’re very pregnant. If they haven’t already heard, folks are bound to ask where your husband is. And then it’ll come out that you don’t have one.”
“It’s no one’s business.”
“That might be true, but you’re gonna have to live your life. I never taught you to hide, darlin’. If you make a mistake, you make it right and move on.”
His terse voice did nothing to ease her misgivings. In fact, just the opposite. How could she ever make this right? She didn’t want to fling her pregnancy in everyone’s face. If Dad still couldn’t accept and forgive her, how would everyone at church do so?
How could God ever forgive her?
“I’m not hiding, Dad. I’m working on the Rodeo Committee and trying to help you with the ranch. I’m trying to make this right. What more do you want from me?”
His face reddened with anger and his low voice rumbled. “Nothing. I don’t want one thing from you, girl. I never did.”
Tears pricked the backs of her eyes. She turned away so he wouldn’t see. And when he pulled into the church parking lot, he got out and turned to look at her.