Authors: Amanda Renee
“I don’t need your help. Thanks, anyway.” She sat the can of
paint on the worn hardwood floor and took out a tape measure. She checked the
dimensions of the inside of the closet, wrote them down on a pad and headed
downstairs.
About a half hour later, she returned with an armful of cut
wood.
“Miranda,” he said as he took them from her arms and stacked
them on the floor. “I need your help and you need mine.”
She mulled over his words for a minute. “Fine. You put up the
shelves and I’ll finish taping the room.”
Without another word between them, they worked side by side for
the next few hours. Jesse didn’t understand why he was helping Miranda. He liked
to think it was an apology of some sort. But the truth of the matter was, he
enjoyed being near her. By midnight, they finished the minor projects in the
room. All the room needed was paint.
* * *
M
IRANDA
AWOKE
AT
FIVE
the next morning, after a night of pure heaven
in her new bed.
I think that was better than sex.
Well, maybe not. Then again, it had been so long she couldn’t remember. All she
knew for certain was it sure beat sleeping on the floor. She bounded out of bed
and immediately cracked open a can of pale yellow paint. She managed to paint
the walls and the closet with not much time to spare before she had to meet
Jesse. She took a quick shower, ran down the stairs. At the bottom, Mable stood
holding a cup of coffee and a warm blueberry muffin.
Miranda smiled. “Thanks, Mable. You really are heaven sent, you
know it?”
She leaned her hip against the kitchen counter as she finished
her coffee. Five years into the future, Miranda envisioned herself baking sugar
cookies with her daughter. She inhaled deeply, almost smelling them. Her husband
at the table reading the morning paper. The day ahead of them as a family. Then
the sound of her cell phone ringing jolted her back to reality.
Jonathan’s number appeared on the caller ID. Finally!
“You better start explaining yourself, buster.” All she heard
was static. “Hello? Jonathan?”
“He can’t win the bet.” Jonathan’s voice broke through the
static and then the call was disconnected.
“I guess that means he got my email.” Miranda looked at the
phone in her hand, willing it to ring again. “But what does he care about the
bet?”
Jonathan’s phone went straight to voice mail when she tried
calling him back. “He finally got the nerve to pick up the phone and he calls me
from a crappy signal area.”
Outside, Jesse had saddled two horses and was waiting for
her.
“I’ll ride General Lee. You can ride Lone Star,” Jesse said as
he nuzzled the paint horse.
Miranda remained frozen where she stood. Yesterday’s words
echoed in her head. Every time she got near a horse, disaster struck.
“Lone Star’s the tamest horse I’ve got,” Jesse said as he
coaxed Miranda closer.
Still frozen in place she stared at the magnificent beast
before her. Lone Star peered around at her, twitching his ears.
“How about a refresher course on horsemanship first,” Jesse
offered. “It should ease your mind.”
Miranda nodded.
“Remember, approach from the left. Never sneak up on him. Let
him see you first.”
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.
* * *
J
ESSE
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.”
* * *
O
UTSIDE
J
ESSE
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.
* * *
I
F
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.
Miranda finished mucking stalls and fed the horses. While she
still feared handling them on her own, she didn’t have any problems. She spoke
Jesse’s instructions aloud as she haltered each one. It calmed her and she
thought it would let the horses get used to her voice. She also noticed Mable
watching her from the porch in case something went awry.
Though she never made mention of it, Miranda suspected Mable
knew her way around a horse or two.
It was hot. So hot, she wouldn’t be surprised if the chickens
started laying hard-boiled eggs. She changed into a tank top instead of a
T-shirt, hoping it would offer some relief under the sweltering June sun. It
didn’t. She sweated her way through Jesse’s list and finished the blasted thing
by the time the sun was about to set.
She looked around the stables. Air-conditioning. Horses should
have air-conditioning. She wondered how difficult it would be to retrofit the
stables with a cooling system of some sort. Then again, it’s not as if she was
planning to keep any of them. They were Jesse’s pride and joy but he trained
them to sell them. Although Miranda couldn’t imagine bonding with the animals
only to let them go.
Every part of her ached. After denying herself a soak in the
tub this morning, she would indulge tonight. Even though the aroma of Mable’s
barbeque made her salivate, her bath took precedence.
Exhausted, she settled into the hot water. The stiffness eased
from her body as she thought about Jesse’s bet. He was determined. She’d give
him that much. However, it was all she would give him. How he expected to win
was beyond her. Working the ranch for a month may not be the easiest thing in
the world, but it wasn’t enough to make her leave the only place she’d ever
truly felt was home.
Miranda regretfully dragged herself from the tub. Once in her
bedroom, she threw on a clean shirt and shorts. She sat on the edge of her bed
and pulled on her socks. The last thing she wanted to do was go down and listen
to Jesse make some wise remark about her day.
* * *
“W
HERE
’
S
M
IRANDA
?” J
ESSE
scratched Max behind
the ears as he watched Mable pull the pork. It was customary to have a big
barbeque whenever other people helped out on the ranch. Jesse was anxious to
hear how Miranda made out.
“She came in a few minutes before you arrived. She finished
your list. At least it’s what I think she mumbled. She wanted to get cleaned up
before supper.”
“I bet she had a thing or two to say after I left.” Jesse could
only imagine how much she had to say behind his back.
“Nope. Never said a word. Didn’t even come in for lunch. Had to
chase her down just to get some water into her.”
What?
Jesse didn’t believe it. He
thought for sure she would have given up at some point during the day. At least
to bad-mouth him for a spell. He thought his list would intimidate her right
back to the city. Apparently, she had no problem with it. Tomorrow he’d make it
longer.
Throughout the day, his thoughts had settled on Miranda. No
matter how much he’d tried to focus on his work, she would pop in and out of his
head. More in, than out. It wasn’t his style to be so heartless toward a woman,
but she had something he wanted.
More than one
thing.
He wouldn’t stop until he got it.
She was an attractive woman. Too attractive for him to be
caught up in his feelings for her. The safest thing for him to do was send her
packing. The sooner the better. He already let his guard down too much
yesterday.
He enjoyed teaching her to ride. She’d looked beautiful with
her hair falling loosely behind her. A sense of peace seemed to wash over her as
she sat atop her mount. Gone were the lines of frustration and worry on her
forehead. Her arms relaxed, the reins loose in her hands. It was a look he would
forever imprint in his mind. It was the only time he’d seen her carefree.