The Trouble with Cowgirls

by Amanda Renee

  Lane touched the brim of his hat in dismissal and crossed the parking lot to Carina. He stood beside her at the fence, silently watching the teenage girls weave their horses around the dirt course.

  “My mom doesn’t like you, does she?” Carina asked after a solid five minutes.

  Lane inwardly laughed. “Where did that come from?”

  “I heard her talking to Ella about you this morning.” Carina’s focus remained on the riders. “She sounded mad. Did you know her when she used to visit here?”

  Lane looked over his shoulder, hoping Lucy would come rescue him. He feared answering her question would provoke more questions, but he didn’t want to lie, either. “I did.”

  “Were you friends?”

  Lane suppressed a groan. “We were.” Please, kid, don’t ask me anything else about your mother.

  “What is that called?” Carina pointed to the horses.

  Lane silently thanked the good Lord above for the subject change. “They are barrel racing. The object is to get your horse around the barrel and across the finish line in the shortest time.”

  “Like dressage, but no gates or jumping.” Carina’s expression didn’t change. “They have bad form.”

  Lane chuckled. When it came to riding, English definitely had a more rigid posture than Western’s loose one-handed reining. “Dressage and barrel racing are two very different competitive sports, but they have a lot of similarities, too. You know, I could show you around the rodeo school and we can even stop over at the hippotherapy center afterward and see some of their horses.”

  “Hippo?” Carina made eye contact with him for the first time during their conversation.

  “Hippotherapy. It’s where they utilize the horse’s movements as a form of physical and occupational therapy to help people overcome disabilities and injuries.”

  “The horses help them?” Carina’s face brightened.

  “They sure do. What do you say I give you the grand tour?”

  Carina looked toward the stables. “My mom really doesn’t like you.”

  Lane followed Carina’s gaze and saw Lucy watching them in the distance. “I wouldn’t exactly say that.”

  “I would. And if she doesn’t like you, then I like you.”

  Well, that figures. Do the exact opposite of what you think your mother wants. He guessed he could reason with her logic. He was fairly certain he’d done the same thing at her age.

  Lane fought the urge to remind Carina her mother was experiencing the same learning curve she was. He feared by doing so he’d cause her to stop talking, and from what Lucy had told him yesterday, Carina hadn’t done much talking to anyone lately. He found it impossible not to smile in Carina’s presence. He hadn’t met Lucy at that age, but knowing what he did about her and her family, he pictured her acting exactly the same way toward her mother.

  “Listen, I’m sorry about your dad. I lost mine to cancer when I was ten. If you ever want to talk about it, I’m here. If not, that’s fine. And before you ask, no, your mother did not put me up to saying that.”

  Carina held his gaze, not saying a word. He feared he had pushed her too far, too soon. “Can I meet the barrel racers?”

  “Sure. Let’s go.” Lane gave Lucy a quick wave to reassure her Carina was all right. She didn’t wave in return, just turned and walked away with her head down. Carina would probably cringe if she realized how much she and Lucy were alike.

  He hadn’t thought about it for years, but he hadn’t felt as though he could confide in his mother, either, when his father had died. It’d been different for his mom. She’d watched his father battle cancer for a very long time and he would never forget what she said the morning he died. “It was a blessing... He’s no longer in pain.” As a ten-year-old who had just lost his father, Lane hadn’t seen it as a blessing. It had been the worst thing imaginable. That was when he’d gotten involved with horses. He’d hung around the Ramblewood Feed & Grain looking for odd jobs after school. Once he’d worked a few summers on a neighboring ranch, Curly hired him on at Bridle Dance. It hadn’t hurt that his summer girlfriend stayed on the same ranch. As much as he felt he deserved Lucy’s job, he didn’t think it would be that easy to walk away from the place he’d cut his teeth on.

  Lane introduced Carina to Sandra, the rodeo school’s barrel racing instructor. He sat on the top fence rail as Sandra explained the sport. Carina met some of the racers, a few not much older than she was. The more she spoke about horses, the more her visible nervousness began to fade away. It gave Lane an idea. He’d have to run it by Lucy first, but he didn’t see how she could say no. Then again, when it came to Lucy, nothing was logical. Including his renewed feelings toward her. He couldn’t love her and he couldn’t hate her, either. Somehow he didn’t think the middle of the road would satisfy him.

  * * *

  LUCY HADN’T CONSIDERED the ramifications of seeing Lane with her daughter. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t erase the vision of him with their son. She didn’t regret having Carina, but she could’ve had both. She could’ve had her son and her daughter. The way it should have been. The way it would never be.

  “Well, aren’t you just as pretty as the day is long.” The silhouette of a man formed in the entrance of the stables, the voice slightly familiar. “I heard you were back in town, breaking hearts all over again.”

  “Rusty?” Lucy said as his face came into view. “How are you?” She gave the older man a welcoming hug and kiss on both cheeks.

  “I’m good. I creak a little more these days.” Rusty twirled Lucy under his left hand the same way he used to when he’d taught her how to line dance many summers ago. “You grew up quite right, Miss Lucy. I’m sorry to hear about your husband’s passing.”

  “Ex-husband, and thank you.” That hadn’t taken long to get around. “I see you’ve been talking to Lane.”

  “Don’t you go fussin’ at the man. I know because I nagged him last night.”

  “Oh, so you’re the reason he showed up on my front porch.” Lucy had to give it to the man. Probably well into his 70s and still wrapped up in other people’s business. “It’s nice to see you haven’t lost your charm.”

  “I knew he’d end up your way. It was only a matter of time before you two ended up back together.”

  “Whoa!” Lucy stepped back. “Lane and I are not getting back together. I have a daughter now and she’s my first priority. Work comes second and I come after that. There’s no room in my life for Lane or any man, for that matter.”

  Rusty scratched his chin. “Far be it from me to tell you otherwise. What kind of trouble are you getting yourself into this morning?”

  He gave up a little too easily on the matchmaking to be believable. “It’s been a while and I wanted to reacquaint myself with Western riding. I was hoping one of the grooms could give me a quick refresher course today.”

  “You don’t need a groom for that,” Rusty said. “You need a real cowboy to show you how it’s done.”

  “If you’re suggesting Lane teach me, the answer is no.”

  “I’m doing no such thing. I’m suggesting that I do the honors.” The man bent slightly at the waist, one arm folded behind his back, the other splayed across his waist. “Is that how they do it where you come from?”

  “Maybe if you were taking a curtain call.” The gesture—however awkward—touched Lucy. Her shoulders sagged in relief. At least, she thought it was relief. The farther Lane was from her, the better. She needed to make that her new mantra. “You’re not one of my employees, are you?”

  “No, ma’am, I’m still out there riding the fence. Only nowadays we do it in a Jeep instead of on horseback. This ranch has gotten too big. How about we get you saddled up? We’ll take my boy Kentucky for a spin.”

  “I remember him.”

  “Sometimes things don’t change as much as you think they do.”

  Lucy had a strong suspicion there was more to Rusty’s statement than just his horse, but she chose t
o ignore it.

  “That’s funny.” Rusty stopped in front of a stall containing a gorgeous American paint horse with bright ice-blue eyes. “Lane mentioned taking Frankie camping this weekend. I thought he’d be long gone by now.”

  The horse strode to the stall door, his head up in an attempt to catch her scent. Lucy moved closer and stroked the bridge of his nose. Frankie snorted and nodded approvingly at the gesture.

  “Lane is with my daughter at the rodeo school.” Lucy hadn’t meant to take him away from his plans for the weekend. “Maybe we should do this some other time. I didn’t know he was going camping. I should go get her.”

  “Girl, haven’t you learned by now that Lane doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do?” Rusty unlatched Kentucky’s stall door, slipped a nylon halter over his head and clipped a lead rope to it. “Your daughter will be fine. Lane’s excellent with kids. There are so many of them on this ranch he’s always showing one of them how to ride or do something. Carina is her name, right?”

  “It is.” She wasn’t sure why it bothered her that Rusty had mentioned Lane was excellent with children. All these years she’d resolutely believed she’d married Antonio because Lane didn’t want a family. Between last night and this morning, she’d heard the complete opposite. She couldn’t help but wonder, if she’d been honest from the moment she discovered she was pregnant, if things would’ve been different. The doctor had told her the extra stress wasn’t doing her baby any good, but she’d gone along with her family’s plan and had married Antonio despite her love for Lane. Securing her child’s future had trumped her heart.

  “Lucy?” Rusty stood with Kentucky halfway down the stable corridor, waiting for her. “Are you coming?”

  Lucy jogged to catch up to him. “I’m all yours.”

  “That’s what all the ladies say,” Rusty teased, throwing one lanky arm around her shoulders. “It gets better, kiddo. I promise. All I’m going to say is keep an open mind.”

  “About what?”

  “Everything. Life. Work.”

  Lucy laughed. “Okay. I don’t remember you being philosophical, but I promise to keep that in mind.” As long as it didn’t involve a trip down memory “Lane,” she’d be good.

  Chapter Five

  Lane stood in the corridor outside his office Monday morning. Behind the partially open door, Lucy flipped frantically through a large book. Is that a textbook? He pushed the door open farther to get a better look, but she quickly slammed the book closed and jammed it into the tote bag at her feet. New boots. Well, they looked pretty used and abused. He suspected they were an old pair of Ella’s. He hadn’t meant to make her feel self-conscious about her clothes.

  He hadn’t seen Lucy again Saturday. He’d spent the majority of the day with Carina, until Ella called for her shortly before dinner. Ella had invited him to eat with them, but he didn’t feel comfortable breaking bread in Nicolino’s house after their conversation the other day. The only information Ella had volunteered about Lucy was that Rusty had become her tutor of sorts. He’d attempted to find out more from the old man, but Rusty hadn’t said anything other than she’d done a good job. Rumor had it he’d given her another lesson on Sunday.

  “I was hoping we’d have a chance to talk this morning.” Lane sat at his desk across from her.

  “I’m meeting with the farrier shortly,” Lucy said without looking up. “The rest of my day is booked introducing myself personally to the rest of the employees.”

  He refused to allow her dismissive attitude to get the best of him. “Is this how it’s going to be between us?”

  Lucy sighed. “This is how it needs to be.” She folded her hands. Her face softened slightly. “It may not be ideal or even what we both want, but you are my employee, and we need to respect that. We can’t spend every day rehashing the past.”

  “As far as I’m concerned, we don’t have a past anymore.” He could be just as dismissive. “I wanted to discuss Carina.”

  “I appreciate the time you spent with my daughter on Saturday.” Lucy hefted her bag onto the desk with a resounding thud. How many books did she have in there? “Rusty told me you had a camping trip planned and I wish you had mentioned it beforehand. I assure you my daughter will not be a bother ever again.”

  “What is wrong with you today? If this is about the kiss—”

  “It’s not. It’s about me getting my priorities straight, and I’m sorry, but rekindling a romance with my boyfriend from ten years ago is not on the list. It hurts too much, Lane. My feelings for you are all over the place. And yes, I admit it—I still have feelings for you. But I think it’s best if we keep our distance from one another unless it’s business related. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

  Lucy stood cautiously, bracing her hands on the desk for support. When she caught him watching, she went ramrod straight, wincing at the same time. She grabbed a straw hat that he’d failed to notice earlier from the credenza and pulled it down low, shielding her eyes from him. Another castoff from Ella, he presumed. Slowly and rigidly, she made her way to the door.

  “What’s wrong, cowgirl? A little stiff? I didn’t think an experienced rider like you would get saddle sore.”

  Lucy spun to face him—her eyes widening at the sudden movement. “For the record, my riding experience far exceeds anything you’re aware of. I shouldn’t have to justify myself, but for you I will. I haven’t ridden in about two months. So yes, I’m sore today. But it’s a good sore. And no matter how hard you try, you won’t get the best of me.”

  “Actually, I hope I do, because everyone expects the best from you around here. For what it’s worth, I’m glad Rusty was able to help you.” Her walls were up and he knew he was partially responsible. “There’s nothing wrong with admitting you need help.”

  Lucy ignored the comment. “I met with the night manager briefly this morning, and we’ve scheduled a meeting after work. I’d appreciate you joining us. I want to make sure we’re all on the same page. Brad has some great ideas.”

  “That won’t be possible. I can do it tomorrow, but Mondays and Wednesdays are out. At least until the middle of December.”

  “Why?” She narrowed her eyes, as if expecting a phony excuse.

  “I didn’t have the privilege of earning my degree straight out of high school. I still have two years left until I get my bachelor’s.” Curly and Nicolino had always worked around his college schedule. Usually it didn’t affect his job, but there were times when he needed to take exams during the day and no one thought twice about it. He’d always made sure someone covered for him and he’d even come back to work late at night if he’d needed to. “I’ve never missed a single class and I don’t intend on missing tonight, either.”

  “You’re in college?” Lucy asked. The stupefied look on her face insulted Lane. “What are you majoring in?”

  “Business management.”

  “Are you minoring in anything? Like equine science?”

  “No, I hope to someday follow in your cousin’s footsteps.” He resented being put on the defensive. “I’ll work my way up the ladder the same way he did when he went to night school.” Lucy blinked twice at his statement, as if it had been the first time she’d heard mention of it. “I can stay up-to-date on the latest equine science discoveries and technology through our veterinarians and breed managers. My vision for Bridle Dance is to employ the best people in multiple fields to ensure the highest quality horses.”

  “I’m glad you’re continuing with your education.” Lucy inched toward the door with her heavy bag. “I’ll fill you in tomorrow on my meeting with Brad.”

  Lane couldn’t help but notice how carefully calculated Lucy’s movements were. “There was once a time when your cousin actually liked me.” Lane knew he should feel sorry for her, but he didn’t. It went along with learning the job and she had to pull her weight, too. “When Cole rehired me after I returned from Wyoming, Nicolino didn’t seem too pleased. He’s never acted hostile toward me, but he
hasn’t exactly been friendly, either. Once he became general operations manager, we didn’t have much to do with one another. I always answered to Curly. It’s not an obvious dislike, but it’s definitely there. I’d ask you to find out how I got on his bad side, but that would be violating our employee-employer relationship.”

  Lucy stared at him for a moment and then began to hobble away.

  “You know what’s good for sore muscles?” He couldn’t resist one final tease.

  Lucy froze, not bothering to turn around. “Let me guess—a massage by none other than yours truly.”

  Lane snorted, enjoying the vision that immediately came to mind. “No, I was thinking more along the lines of Rusty’s homemade liniment. Ask him about it.”

  Lane saw Lucy’s back stiffening and imagined how red her face must be.

  “I’m fine,” she growled and awkwardly continued down the stable corridor.

  “I’m sure you are, but if you need something to soothe your muscles, he’s your man.”

  Lucy stopped in front of one of the stalls and peered into it. “I almost forgot.” A slow smile spread across her face as she turned to him. “I have a meeting with the grooms this morning, so they’ll be busy. I don’t want us to get off schedule, so I’ll need you to muck this entire row for me.”

  He couldn’t argue with her. She was the boss. He should have seen that one coming, though. A groom brought over a wheelbarrow and handed him a shovel. “Have fun,” the groom said before catching up with Lucy, who waved goodbye over her shoulder.

  “Well played,” Lane mumbled. Here he’d thought the job would get the best of Lucy, and she was getting the best of him.

  * * *

  FOR THE LOVE of all things holy. Lucy couldn’t remember ever being this sore. She eased down onto a hay bale while Jorge finished trimming the hoof on a mare. It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if she hadn’t fallen off Kentucky. Rusty had been relentless with her lessons on Sunday. She’d expected a one-or two-hour refresher course on Western saddling and riding; instead she’d apparently enrolled in cutting-horse boot camp. She’d never been more scared and fascinated at the same time.