“We’ll see. Don’t go spouting off at her anymore either and she might just surprise you. Now, if there’s nothing else you want, I’m going to go and show her what her job entails.” He grabbed his hat and cane and hobbled toward the door. “How is the horse trade going anyway?”
Tyson left his coffee mug on the kitchen counter and followed. “Picked up another contract to supply broncos to one of the big rodeo circuits. Just have to go and find some more brood mares that are within my budget. I reckon if I can find another dozen, I should be able to keep up supply pretty easy.”
“I can give you some more cash.” Chance held the door for his brother.
“No way. You’ve done more than any brother should do. Helped me buy the place next door and set it up. I can manage fine. Put your money away for a rainy day. Heck, in another ten years or so you’ll be too damned old to ride bulls and need the money for yourself and that high maintenance bride you’ll bring home.”
“Is that what you think I’m going to do; bring home a damned starlet or something?”
“Sure, why not? You’ve always got one on your arm, stands to reason you’d marry one. Seriously,” Tyson scoffed and pointed down the drive to where Callie was tipping a barrow full of horse poo onto the heap outside the barn. “Can you imagine being married to someone like her? I mean, she’s so not your type, brother.”
She is exactly my type. You just have no idea who I really am and what’s good for me. Yet. “Never say never. Now, gotta go. Thanks for helping out with the animals while I was away. I’ll catch you later.” Chance waved to his brother and walked as fast as his hip would let him toward the barn, listening as his brother’s truck started up and rolled off down the driveway.
He hurried inside using his cane to regulate his steps. “Sorry about that.” He leaned on the railing and watched as Callie threw clean hay in the horse’s stalls. She’d opened the door to let them out and they were busy grazing in the paddock.
“No problem. Not your fault he has no idea what’s going on. Can’t say I like his attitude though. Chauvinistic bastard.” She threw down the shavings for bedding and stomped back to pick up the pitchfork, using it to level the floor of the stall evenly.
“Yeah well, that probably is my fault really. He’s not really had a women in his life for quite some time, and our father wasn’t exactly the best teacher he could have had.”
“Still doesn’t account for bad manners.” She looked up at him, eyes clouded with disappointment.
Chance reached out and pulled her to his chest. “I’m sorry, baby, you didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry we have to do it this way, but it’s for the best in the long run.”
“Yeah, I understand. I should just let it go but it kind of hurt you know?”
He tipped her face up and kissed her soundly. Callie melted against him and Chance could think of nothing more appealing than pushing her back onto the clean hay and taking her once again. He would never be able to get enough of this woman. Once his brothers realized how wonderful he felt with her around, they would see reason.
“This isn’t getting the jobs done.” She smiled and slapped him on the butt before stepping out of his arms.
“True. I was hoping you could go around the cows and see how they’re going. Let me know if there are any calves and if they need anything.”
“Sure. Can I take the horse?”
“Yep. Let me show you how to call him in.”
***
Chance lifted his fingers to his lips and whistled long and low. Sultan lifted his head and looked at them before taking a step toward the barn. “Saddles are over there in the tack room. Take whichever one you want. I normally use the western on him but you might not be used to one of those.”
“I’ll have you know I rode in one once and really liked it. They’re a bit more solid than what we use back home and I can deal with it.” Callie walked toward the tack room and pushed open the door. A row of saddles sat on a beam that took up one entire wall. She walked over and ran her hands over a pale golden saddle tooled with rose patterns over the fender right around to the skirt. The seat of the saddle was made of suede in the same honey color as the rest of the saddle. Even the stirrups and the cinch strap were decorated.
“This is just beautiful.” Callie ran her fingers over the intricate carvings and decided this was the one she wanted to ride in today. She heaved it up in her arms and carried it out to the stall where Sultan was standing having a head rub with Chance. “This is one beautiful saddle. Are you sure it’s okay if I use it?” She hoisted it over the gate.
“Of course it is. I told you to choose which ever one you wanted. This one I won a long time ago and it’s never been used. Consider it yours. Now you’d better go and get a saddle blanket and a bridle for him. Make it a soft one because you don’t need to be on his mouth at all. Sultan works better when you use your legs to guide him.”
Callie hurried back to the tack room and looked for a suitable bridle and chose a woven blanket for under the saddle. When she got back, Chance had brought Sultan out of the stall and he was standing waiting to go to work.
“This guy is very calm normally, but he hasn’t been ridded for a while so don’t be surprised if he leads the way. He knows what to do and you won’t come to any harm with him. Knows the place better than I do, I reckon.”
“Sounds good, thanks.” Callie saddled the horse, excitement building in her chest. To get back on a horse again was going to be invigorating. For too long she’d been without an animal to ride and to go out in the paddocks and check on the cows and calves was something she was dying to do. How hard could it be to check out the progress of the next four-hoofed generation?
Once she had the cinch strap tight enough, she held the bridge up to Sultan’s head. He opened his mouth and accepted the bit between his teeth, all the time rubbing his head against Chance’s outstretched hand.
“He’s such a softie.” Chance waited until she was ready to mount and handed her his jacket. “You will need this. It gets pretty cold out there. You might not think so right now, but the wind can come down off that mountain and cut through you like a knife. A pair of gloves wouldn’t hurt either next time.”
Callie slid her arms into the sheepskin lined jacket and instantly felt the difference. “Thanks.” She placed her foot in the stirrup and pulled herself up holding onto the pommel of the saddle. Once her leg was across the horse’s back, she settled herself down on the comfortable saddle, wiggling her butt to make sure it was right for her. Chance shortened her stirrups for her and then she was ready to go.
“Don’t take any chances out there with your safety, okay? I don’t think there will be anything to worry about, but the weather can turn at any time. You need to keep an eye on the sky all the time because I won’t be able to come looking for you until I have better use of my hip.”
“Don’t fuss, I’ll be fine. Checking on stock is something I used to do all the time. You go inside and rest that hip. It’s going to get another workout tonight if I have my way.” She winked at him and used her knees to push Sultan out of the barn and headed to do her job.
The first paddock housed the famous Terror and she glanced him over as she passed him. He was a good looking Brahman, there was no doubt about it. Didn’t look like he had a mean bone in his body but after what he’d done to Chance, she would keep an eye on him. In the paddock with him were a large group of yearlings. They were all young bulls, and she guessed these guys were destined for the rodeo circuit if they played up as well as Terror did.
She ambled past them and cast her eye over the opposite paddock where fat Angus cows were lazily grazing in the morning sun. A couple seemed to have calved already and she wondered just how large these paddocks were. She would find out soon enough.
At the gate, she leaned down and unhitched the catch, pushing the gate with her foot to give the horse enough room to pass through before locking it behind her. The grass was long and brushed up past the horse’s
hocks. Rich tall grass that could hide a small calf if she wasn’t watching for it carefully.
Callie decided to ride the fence first to make sure there were no breaks and that way she would get an idea of the size of paddock she was dealing with. She rode for hours, crisscrossing the paddock so she could find all the stock to check on them. A couple of the mothers charged at Sultan if they got too close but overall, the day was calm and easy.
It wasn’t until after lunch that her stomach started to rumble and she decided to go in for a feed. These girls would have to be watched carefully for the next couple of weeks to make sure there were no cows struggling with the birth process. Even losing one calf was a hit to any farmer. Losing its mother as well could be devastating.
She was unsaddling Sultan when she heard Chance coming toward her.
“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Chance noticed the way her back stiffened and could have kicked himself for his outburst. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I was worried when it took you so long.”
She undid the cinch strap before she pulled the saddle from Sultan’s back. Without looking at Chance, Callie lugged it to the door of the stall and threw it across the wooden rail. When she turned back to him, her face was set and angry. “I have a job to do, deal with it.” Callie grabbed a brush and gave the horse a quick rubdown before letting him walk into the stall.
“I said I was sorry. I know you have a job to do and I understand that, but it’s your first day out there and I was worried, okay?”
She reached up and kissed his cheek, following it with the palm of her hand, cupping him with a gentle slap. “Try not to be a smothering husband. There’s a good boy.”
Callie grabbed her saddle and took it to the tack room, leaving him wondering what he’d taken on. She was more independent than he had thought she would be. “Have you looked at the sky lately?”
“Nope. It wasn’t raining so I didn’t think it was a problem.” She came out of the tack room with a bucket and headed to the corner of the barn where the chickens had been hiding their eggs. She reached down and scooped them up into the bucket and then waltzed back to him. “I could go for a coffee and something to eat before I do the afternoon chores.”
Chance let his angst ease away knowing he was being irrational and overprotective with his new bride. “What can I get you for lunch? Seems the least I can do since you are doing all the outside work while I can’t.”
“Well now, that depends on what you’re offering cowboy.” She winked at him and Chance’s blood pounded faster through his veins.
“You’re going to be the death of me at this rate, woman. I can just imagine what the doctor is going to say when I go back to get the pins out. ‘Not healing, Mr. Watson. What have you been doing?’”
Callie laughed and slapped her hand on her leg. “You started it, pal. I was quite happy to ease into the whole sex thing getting to know you slowly, but you just had to take it fast. You have nobody to blame but yourself.”
“And I wouldn’t have it any other way. After lunch I want to take you into town to look at some pups. Now we’re going to be living here full time I think a dog is doable. What do you say?”
The light in her eyes said it all. “Really? I miss my dogs. I had to shoot them before I left.” A shudder raced over her skin and Chance grabbed her arm.
“Why couldn’t you re-home them?” He hated to see the pain in her eyes as she talked about the dogs.
“Because there are too many stations that’re struggling to feed the stock they have. Another couple of farm dogs rate very low on the scale of importance when you live in the outback where everyone is fighting to make ends meet.”
“I’m sorry. But talking of guns, I must show you the gun locker in case you need a weapon for anything—an emergency or a cougar attack.”
“Cougars, you get them out here?”
“Rarely, but yes sometimes. I haven’t had one here since I’ve owned the place, but it pays to be prepared anyway. I know of two deaths in the last ten years in the mountains. Not keen to make that three if we can help it.” He placed an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get you fed and we can go into town and choose a pup.”
Chance made her sit down and put her feet up while he prepared a steak sandwich and a large coffee.
When he placed it in front of her, Callie picked it up with both hands and smiled. “Are you trying to fatten me up?”
“No. I figure you need decent fuel if you’re going to be working hard and you can’t do that on an empty stomach. Eat up, it’s good.”
He watched as she took a big bite, the juice from the home grown meat dribbling down her chin. With a laugh she wiped it away with the back of her hand before he could suggest doing it for her. Was he so easy to read where she was concerned?
***
“We’re going to have to make some rules.” She saw the desire that sparked in his eyes when she took the first bite of her lunch.
“Oh, really. And they would be what?” He looked at her with an innocent expression on his face.
“No sex during the working day.” As she said the words, she mentally kicked herself. Never before had she had sex in a hay loft and seeing as there was one on the ranch, she was having all kinds of fantasies about using it to its full potential.
“You don’t really mean that, do you?” He looked so crestfallen that she had to grin.
“I do. At least I think I do. For now anyways, until I get the hang of this place and everything is sorted with your brothers.” She took another bite and chewed while thinking. “It wouldn’t look good if they arrived unannounced and caught us in the act.”
“Might save some explaining later on.”
“Somehow I doubt that. Pretty sure it would make things more awkward. Now we need to stick to the original plan and let them get to know me and see how happy you are here on the ranch before we break it to them.”
She watched the emotions in her husband’s eyes as he warred with himself over her words.
“I want to test out every possible place we can have sex once my hip is better. That’s a promise and that’s how long I’m going to give my brothers to get used to you before we come clean and tell them the truth.”
“I can live with that. I’ll keep you to it too. I often wondered what it would be like to wake up with hay in my hair.” She laughed at the face he pulled. “I never said I was a prude or frigid. Stop looking at me that way. Sex is normal.”
“I couldn’t agree more. I just never expected to find someone who would be as easy to get on with as you are.”
“You mean easy in bed, don’t you?” She put her sandwich down on the plate and picked up the paper serviette to dab at her mouth.
“No, I don’t and I wish you didn’t have such a low opinion of yourself. When we skyped I knew you had a determined attitude and I like that about you. I had hoped we would be sexually compatible because that always helps in my opinion. It would be terrible to live with someone who didn’t turn you on without trying. You do that for me and I hope it goes both ways. That doesn’t make you easy or slutty if that’s what you’re thinking. It makes us both very lucky to have found one another.”
Callie looked at him hoping he was telling her what he firmly believed and not what she wanted to hear.
“If it wasn’t for the risk of someone knocking on the door now, I’d take you on this table and bugger the consequences. That is what you do to me, Callie. Thinking about it makes me as horny as hell.” He wiped a hand across his forehead in dramatic fashion.
She laughed, the sound filling the large open plan room. “Well, since you said it so nicely, how can I not believe you? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be so touchy but I’m pretty sure someone else will come up with something along those lines.”
“Not if I have anything to do with it, believe me. My brothers I can deal with. Anyone else has no business making assumptions whe
n they know nothing about us. Now, eat up and let’s go and find you a new dog.”
When they pulled up at the home where Tyson said there were pups for sale, Callie got excited. It’d broken her heart to put her dogs down but there was no other option. It would have been cruel to leave them on the farm when there was nobody coming in to take over and work the place.
She jumped from the truck and waited for Chance to get out. The excited bark of puppies was heard over the shouts of a man trying his best to gain control. Together Chance and Callie walked toward the gate and looked over the fence of the cottage set on the front of a small holding. The tin fence held in a litter of boisterous pups fighting over an old man’s boots as they tried to pin him down. “Get down. Go on, get.” He waved his arms at them to no avail. They were determined to latch onto his boots and use them for a chew toy.
“Looks like they’ve got you surrounded, Jim.” Chance leaned on the fence and laughed as he tried to get away from the pups.
“Chance? Heard tell you were at the ranch recuperating. Give me a hand here will you, young lady. Damned pups have taken a shine to my boots and I can’t seem to get away from them.” He waved his hands to brush them away, but being as frail as he was, he was no match for the fast growing litter.
Callie hopped over the fence and walked into the melee, picking up a couple of pups and tucking them under her arms. She backed off and the others followed her leaving the old man time to get out of the dogs’ yard. He hurried over to Chance and she was left holding the wriggling bundles of fluff.
“Well aren’t you just the cutest little creatures.” The two pups decided she was the next toy to play with and gleefully licked at her chin, wriggling to get closer, their sharp little teeth nipping at her skin. She squealed and laughed as she made her way to the fence, suddenly the center of attention.
Chance was watching her, something in his eyes she couldn’t make out. Was it passion or was he thinking of something more?
Chance For Love (Colorado Blues) Page 7