Betting on Texas

by Amanda Renee

  Jesse continued with the riding lessons on a saddle stand and after an hour, Miranda finally built up the nerve to attempt to ride Lone Star. Once horse and rider were acquainted, he lifted her into the saddle and let her walk around the smaller corral. When she felt a little more secure, they rode into the north pasture to check on the cattle.

  Jesse explained he would be moving cattle to another pasture tomorrow. While he didn’t expect Miranda to pitch in, he gave her the courtesy of knowing he was bringing in a few hands to help him and they would be milling about.

  Mable had packed a lunch and given it to Jesse before Miranda came downstairs. They found a quiet place to eat under the shade of some oaks. Jesse tied General Lee to a nearby tree. Miranda remained atop Lone Star.

  “Are you coming down?”

  Miranda shook her head.

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t think I can. I lost all feeling in my rear end about two hours ago.”

  Jesse laughed and helped Miranda off her horse. Had he forgotten she never rode before? Miranda walked, legs bowed, to a tree. Her thighs quivered as she eased herself down.

  “Leave me here,” Miranda said as she closed her eyes. “Come back for me tomorrow.”

  “No way.” Jesse tried to hide a triumphant smile. “You’ll get used to it. By the end of the week you’ll be riding like a pro.”

  Miranda’s eyes shot open.

  “You mean I have to do this again?”

  “Sure.” Jesse handed her a neatly wrapped turkey on rye sandwich. “Every day we need to ride out and check the cattle. Fences need to be checked. Troughs and mineral feeders need to be filled. Soon you’ll be riding out here on your own.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “You better start thinking.” Jesse sat down beside her. “What will you do if you win this bet, Miranda? All of this will be your responsibility. Then what will happen? It’s not a lot of cattle, but you have to know what you’re doing all the same.”

  Miranda didn’t answer him. Instead, she ate her lunch in silence. She didn’t see much sense in keeping the cattle after she won. None of this would be a factor.

  “Ready to head out?” Jesse repacked General Lee’s saddlebags.

  “A little help over here?” Miranda attempted to climb into the saddle with little success.

  “My pleasure, ma’am,” Jesse said as he tipped his hat. On Miranda’s first bounce in the stirrup, he firmly placed a hand on either butt cheek and hoisted her up.

  Miranda shot him a look. “I said a little help, Mr. Langtry. Not help yourself.”

  Back at the stables, Jesse explained two of the horses required medication on a daily basis. He taught her how to grind their pills in a small electric coffee bean grinder, mix in molasses and then add the concoction to an oral syringe. Fascinated, Miranda even offered to assist him when he administered them.

  Jesse explained feeding schedules and the signs of colic she needed to watch for. He went over daily grooming routines and saddle maintenance. Overwhelmed, Miranda didn’t know how she would remember it all. Her head started to spin with the overload of information he was tossing at her.

  The sun was low in the western sky when they heard the sound of a loud bell.

  “What was that?” Miranda asked.

  “The dinner bell. What else?”

  Miranda had noticed the triangle shape bell on the porch, but she figured it was the remnants of a broken wind chime. Heaven knows why Mable would start ringing the blasted thing. No one else was there except Jesse and her.

  “Tradition,” Jesse said, answering her unasked question. “Things are finally returning to normal around here.”

  The aroma of country-fried steak made her realize how hungry she was when she walked into the kitchen. They ate as Miranda told Mable all about their day. Jesse laughed at her enthusiasm, but frowned the moment she said she’d had fun.

  “What’s wrong, Jesse?” Miranda questioned sarcastically. “Is there a little flaw in your plans to drive me off the ranch?”

  Jesse kept his head down, cut up his steak and ignored her.

  “You thought I’d whine all day didn’t you?”

  “I figured you would enjoy it, once you got the feel of things.”

  Miranda knew it was a lie. She wished Jesse truly felt that way. Life would be easier if she didn’t have to keep looking over her shoulder all the time to see if he was about to stab her in the back. Just the same, she was sure he felt like someone stabbed him in the back when he lost the ranch. Maybe his heart suffered the most damage instead.

  “Mable, I came up with some great ideas for the picnic. Jesse and I ate lunch in the most perfect spot for some relay races for the kids. We can have a hayride out there.”

  “See, child? Planning this shindig is half the fun.”

  Despite her aches in places she didn’t know she could ache, Miranda enjoyed the time she spent with him today. For the most part, he was civil and left the snide remarks at home. He had an endearing side to him. One she wanted to get to know better.

  “I think you’ve done enough for one day.” He rose and helped Mable clear the table.

  Do I need my hearing checked?

  “You mean I have the rest of the night off?”

  “Yep. I’m giving you a chance to work on the house instead of staying up until the wee hours of the morning. But only because you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.”

  Jesse excused himself and went to sit on the porch. Miranda offered to clean the kitchen but Mable would have no part of it.

  Miranda put the finishing touches on her distressed dresser. With Jesse’s help, the three of them managed to get it up the living room stairs, which weren’t much wider than the kitchen staircase.

  Miranda almost dropped her end of the dresser when she saw her room. The trim molding was bright white. The tape removed. A white coverlet with antique lace throw pillows completed the bed. Lace curtains hung from the windows and two little white end tables sat on either side of the bed.

  “It suits you, doesn’t it?” Mable beamed.

  “Oh, I love it!” Miranda hugged her friend as she continued to look around the room. “How did you do all of this?”

  “The lace I had for years. I never had a use for it until now. The coverlet was something I picked up for you, as a gift,” Mable stressed. “Beau stopped by this morning and said he had these two white antique tables he wanted to give you as a housewarming present and while he was here, we painted the trim.”

  The room was everything she envisioned. Quaint, cozy and tranquil. It was something out of a magazine. It was her dream bedroom. And it was perfect.

  “I don’t know what to say.” These people barely know me. “Thank you so much. It’s exactly how I pictured it would look.”

  “Now you have one room completed in your house. A room for you alone.” Mable nudged Jesse in the ribs to get her point across.

  “I’m going to shower and change real quick, so I can ride over and thank Beau.”

  “He’ll be here in about an hour. I invited Beau and Aaron over for coffee and peach pie.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Miranda saw Jesse’s face fall.

  Chapter Seven

  Miranda opened her eyes and looked around her new room. Sunlight streamed through the window. Combined with the pale yellow walls, the room radiated such warmth. She would give anything to curl up and sleep for another couple of
hours.

  The kindness and help from Mable and her new neighbors took Miranda off guard. She wouldn’t have gotten such support in Washington, even from people that she knew. Double Trouble was starting to feel like a home with her bedroom finished. Now she had the rest of the house to tackle, along with whatever Jesse threw her way.

  She was not about to lose the bet and give up the ranch—he would be the one sent packing.

  Yesterday put Miranda a little more at ease. She felt more comfortable around the horses, even though she figured Jesse was trying to scare her more than teach her. Those big horned cattle were another thing altogether. Even though Aaron told her they were gentle giants, she didn’t want to meet up with one of them in the middle of the night.

  Miranda flung the covers off and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

  “Oh!” She grabbed her thighs. “Ouch!”

  She attempted to stand but didn’t have the strength in her arms to push herself off the bed.

  “Ouch!” It was no use. She couldn’t stand upright. Every muscle burned.

  “I expected as much.” Mable walked in and helped her off the bed. “I’ll start you a nice hot bath so you can soak for a bit.”

  She led Miranda to the bathroom and turned on the faucets in the claw-foot tub.

  “It happens to the best of them, child. I knew you would be sore today.”

  “I don’t think a bath is such a good idea.” Miranda braced herself on the sink to keep from falling. “Once I get in that thing, I won’t be able to get out. I’ll take a shower.”

  Even then, she wasn’t quite sure how she would manage to swing her legs over the high sides of the tub.

  “Are you sure?” Mable asked, getting her a clean towel. “A hot bath will do you a world of good.”

  “I’m sure. Afterward, I’ll stretch and it should limber me right up.”

  Mable gave her some privacy. Muscles she never knew she had radiated pain when she moved. Heck, it hurt even when she breathed. She eyed the tub again as she gingerly pulled her T-shirt over her head. Give me strength.

  * * *

  JESSE SAT IN THE KITCHEN with a piping-hot cup of coffee in hand. Mable extended an open invitation to breakfast and whenever the mood struck him, he took her up on the offer. Today was just such a day. The aroma of fresh bread made his stomach stand up and take notice. A chef he wasn’t and no one could beat Mable’s breakfasts.

  He feigned concern when Mable told him Miranda would be a few minutes longer due to her aching muscles. He could only imagine how sore she must be. But that was exactly how he wanted her to feel. Sore enough to realize this isn’t her style of living and go home.

  Mable cracked open fresh eggs from the henhouse and whisked them into an iron skillet. After all these years, she refused to use a nonstick pan. They were cheap and poorly made, in her opinion. In another skillet, she tossed slices of bacon. They immediately sizzled and the aroma permeated the air. He hated to admit it, but Mable’s cooking even outdid his own mother’s, although you would never hear him utter those words aloud.

  Mable served him up a plate and joined him at the table, cup of coffee in hand. Much to his surprise, he found himself bragging about how well Miranda did yesterday in between bites of food.

  He told Mable about moving the cattle to the north pasture. He wasn’t planning to take Miranda, but now he rethought the idea. It would be a good experience for her.

  “More like you are trying to scare the girl plumb off this ranch,” Mable chided. “I have news for you, mister. All you will succeed in doing is causing her to sell off every head of the cattle you call yours. She’s not about to give up this place, Jesse. So if you care anything about that herd of yours, I suggest you rethink your plan.”

  He knew Mable was right, but he had to scare some sense into her and she feared the cattle. Then again, he wasn’t sure how much sense she had after buying a ranch, sight unseen.

  Miranda appeared in the doorway and hobbled to the table.

  Oh, I can’t resist.

  “Good morning, sunshine.” Jesse rocked his chair backward on two legs. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

  Miranda sat down very carefully. Mable placed an oven-warmed plate of hot breakfast before her. After a cup of coffee, she fingered the two aspirin Mable had laid out next to her juice glass.

  “Aspirin? How about a shot of tequila and some morphine?” Miranda grumbled.

  Jesse couldn’t help himself. He found her condition so comical he started to laugh. Miranda looked from Mable to Jesse and back again.

  Mable shook her head. “You sure do have a sense of humor, child.”

  “Who’s joking? I need something stronger than these.” Miranda winced as she lifted the aspirin to her mouth.

  “Lucky for you, most of your work is in the stables today,” Jesse reassured her. “I’ll be out moving cattle, so I won’t be back for a while. I thought about taking you with me, but I think we’ll save that for another time.”

  Relief swept over Miranda when she found out she wouldn’t be riding today.

  “Unless you care to join us?”

  “Jesse.” Mable waved a spatula in Jesse’s direction.

  “I’m kidding, Mable.”

  “You’re going to trust me with the horses all by my lonesome?” Smug as she was, Miranda was terrified to have that much responsibility where they were concerned.

  “There are only a few horses staying behind and I already turned them out. My best cutters in training are coming with me.”

  Miranda forgot about the other riders. She assumed they went everywhere with their own horses in tow.

  Jesse stood up and took a list out of his pocket. “This is what I need you to do today.” He handed the list to Miranda. “Most of it you already know, some of it I will show you before I leave.”

  Miranda glanced at the novel he handed her. Oh, he has to be kidding!

  “Is this a list for the month?”

  “Oh, dear,” Mable said as she cleared the dishes.

  “Honey, it’s what needs to be done today.” Jesse grabbed his hat from the wall. “I’ll meet you outside in five minutes.”

  Miranda laid her head on the table. “Heaven help me.”

  * * *

  OUTSIDE JESSE GREETED his brother Cole, Aaron, Beau and Clay Tanner.

  “Why don’t you ride out and I’ll catch up with you in a bit. I need to show Miranda a few things before I go.”

  “I bet you do, little brother,” Cole teased. “Word around town is she’s quite a looker.”

  Jesse gave his brother a playful shove. “She’s a handful and not in a good way.”

  The brothers were still joking with each other when Miranda appeared on the porch. Cole let out a long wolf whistle.

  “That is one fine-looking woman you got there, bro.”

  “Cut it out, Cole.” Jesse watched as Miranda attempted to make a very bowlegged attempt down the stairs. “The woman hates me.”

  “Hey, Jesse, what did you do to the little woman last night?” Clay called out from the stables. Everyone joined in on his amusement.

  “Oh, didn’t he tell you?” Miranda said flatly. “He ravaged me. Which is why I’m walking all funny today.”

  The men roared. At least everyone except Jesse.

  “Go on. Get out of here, will you?” Jesse shooed them away with his hat.

  “Now you’ve gone and got them all riled up.” Jesse motioned for Miranda
to follow him.

  “If they get turned on by an exhausted cripple, more power to them.”

  Miranda hobbled over to a long steel cooker on the back of a trailer and inhaled the scent.

  “Beau towed it in. Mable’s making barbeque for tonight.”

  Jesse explained how to use saddle soap and showed her where all the leather was to be cleaned and conditioned. She knew how to do most everything else on the list. He felt he was more than fair with the chores he gave her. None of it was backbreaking work. While he wanted the ranch for himself, he didn’t want to kill her in the process. Today would be an easy day for her. At least she would have a break from him.

  Jesse went over the last of the instructions and rode off.

  * * *

  IF I HAD THE ENERGY TO CRY, I think I would. What have I gotten myself into?

  Before she dove into the tasks of the day, she attempted to call Jonathan again. Annoyed he never tried to call her back yesterday or respond to her email, she punched his number into the keypad of the phone in the stable office.

  “Hello.”

  Incredible! Stunned that he’d answered, she almost dropped the phone. “So, you’ll answer the phone when a strange number appears on your caller ID, but not when my cell phone does. How convenient.”

  “Miranda?”

  “Yes it’s me, you twit! You set me up!”

  “Listen, sweetheart. I’m late for a meeting. I’ll catch up with you later. But whatever you do, don’t give up the ranch.”

  Click.

  Miranda slumped into the worn leather chair behind Jesse’s desk. I can’t believe he hung up on me! It was way past the question of if he set her up. It was why he set her up. And why was he adamant that she hold on to the ranch? There had to be an explanation. Judging by his duck and dodge tactics, it couldn’t be a logical one. She knew it was pointless, but she attempted to call him again.

  Voice mail.

  She wasn’t surprised. At this rate, she may never know his reasons. But she’d be damned if she would give up.