My Kind of Trouble (6 page)

When she lived here, she'd always spoiled
the barn cats with milk, and extra food. She was glad to see there
was still some around. She couldn't count the times she'd come up
here when she was upset and cuddled with them until she felt
better. They were good listeners.

Cassie pushed to her feet and grabbed the
hay up in her arms. The rich alfalfa filled her nostrils and
tickled her nose. She made another round through the stalls and
gave each horse a share.

Cleaning the stalls was something she'd deal
with this afternoon. They looked relatively clean, like they always
did. Clean stalls was something that Buddy demanded. Hoof rot was
not something he would tolerate. He loved his animals, like they
were his children.

Slightly sweaty, her muscles aching a little
from the unusual physical exertion, she made her way back outside
and saw that the sun was up fully now, and the sky was cloudless, a
blue so vibrant it hurt her eyes. She pulled her hat down a little
then headed for the back porch. Leaning on the doorframe she
scraped her boots on the brush beside the door then went
inside.

The wonderful smell of bacon and eggs frying
and warm biscuits baking drew her to the kitchen like a zombie in a
trance. Her stomach grumbled and she put a hand over it, when she
walked in the kitchen and saw Imelda tending a pan at the stove,
her ample waist cinched with a flowered apron, her gray-peppered
black hair up in the same bun it was in every day. "Mama Melda!"
Cassie called out enthusiastically.

The short round woman jumped and then spun
around. "Cassie Bee!" She shuffled around the breakfast bar and
grabbed Cassie tightly around the waist. Cassie squeezed her just
as hard. "God, I've missed you girl."

"I've missed you too, mama." When her own
mama had died when Cassie was ten, Cassie had been distraught and
beside herself asking Imelda what she was going to do without her
mama. Imelda, with five children of her own, jerked her to her
breasts and hugged her tight, telling Cassie that she'd never be
without a mama as long as she was around.

Cassie had started calling her Mama Melda
after that day, and Imelda had been the closest thing to a mother
she'd known since. It didn't make her miss her own mama any less or
regret that instead of being able to go to her mother when she
started her period, or when she'd had her heart broken the first
time, she went to Imelda instead, but it had given a lonely, sad
little girl the comfort she needed to survive.

"My goodness Cassie Bee, you're skinny as a
rail. Sit down and let me feed you."

Cassie smiled. She wasn't skinny, but no
matter what, Imelda worried about her, and her solution to
everything was a good meal. Her own round hips told that story.
"That sounds wonderful, mama. You need any help?" Cassie walked
toward the breakfast bar.

"No, you just sit there and tell me what
you've been doing with yourself for the last ten years. Your daddy
tells me things, but I want from the horse's mouth."

They talked for a few minutes, then Imelda
put a heaping plate of scrambled eggs, grits and bacon in front of
her then handed her a fluffy perfectly golden-brown biscuit.
"Wow...this looks scrumptious."

Cassie picked up her fork and dove in, and
had made quite a dent in her meal when the doorbell sounded. She
looked up at Imelda standing at the sink washing dishes and raised
a brow. "You expecting anyone?"

"Nope. Buddy told me yesterday he'd be out
this morning. He was going to town to try to find some hands. He
wouldn't be ringing the bell though."

She set down her fork and slid off the
barstool then walked through the family room to the front door,
just as someone knocked. She reached for the knob and swung the
door open and there stood Luke Matthews dressed in tight-fitting
Wranglers, cowboy boots and a tight black t-shirt with a well-worn
saddle slung over his shoulder. Her mouth went dry as all the
moisture in her body fled south below her belt buckle.

"Morning, darlin'," he drawled and walked
past her into the entryway.

Her mouth flapped several times as her eyes
moved down to his tight ass so well-displayed in the faded jeans,
then back up to his eyes as he turned around to face her again.
"What the hell are you doing here Luke?"

"I'm here to help you, darlin'," he told her
matter-of-factly.

"Oh, hell no, you're not." She walked around
him and pushed on his broad shoulders trying to get him back out
the door.

His boot heels dug into the wood floor and
he leaned back. "Yes, I am. I talked to Buddy this morning."

Cassie huffed out her frustration. "But you
can't! You're the Sheriff...not a cow hand."

Luke turned around to face her. "I'm a cow
hand for the next three weeks," he told her and smiled widely
showing that stupid dimple that drove her crazy.

"Why would you want to do that? We don't
need you, we'll be fine."

"You do need me...and I'm not leaving," he
said and reached behind him to shut the front door, his eyes never
leaving hers.

Cassie stuffed her hands on her hips. "Okay
then--bunkhouse is out back you can store your gear there--and
stay
out there."

He smiled even wider then took off the sexy
black Stetson hat that had been shading his brown eyes. "Bud told
me to come up to the house to get some breakfast from Imelda. He's
out back in the bunkhouse."

"Fine," she huffed and stormed back to the
kitchen leaving him standing there. "Throw your saddle on the back
porch," she said snottily over her shoulder.

Luke chuckled and walked through the house
and out the back door to deposit his saddle where she'd indicated,
then went back inside and found the kitchen. He'd been inside once
or twice when he and Cassie had been dating, and then yesterday
when he'd come out to visit Carl.

The place hadn't changed much over the
years, but could use a coat of paint on the outside, he'd noticed.
Taking care of a place this size--just the house--would have to be
a big burden on Carl, even with the few hands he employed on the
ranch. Maybe, after Cassie left, he'd come back out and help him do
a few repairs.

Walking into the kitchen Luke went over and
put a kiss on Imelda's cheek. He was friends with a couple of her
boys in school, and had been to her house occasionally growing up.
"Hi, Imelda."

Her wrinkled brown hand moved up and she
patted him on the cheek. "Hey honey--you been keeping outta
trouble?"

"Nah, you know it always manages to find
me," he chuckled then looked over at Cassie sitting sullenly at the
breakfast bar. Her eyes met his briefly, then she looked down at
her plate. She wasn't happy about him being here, and that was just
too damned bad. "How's Brandon doing these days?"

"He's living over in Amarillo. Got married a
couple years ago and gave me my first grandbaby last fall." Imelda
wiped her hands on her apron and then reached up for a plate,
before she walked to the stove and filled it up without even asking
if he was hungry.

"Oh, that's great. Boy or girl?"

"Girl, they named her Ella. She's cute as a
button," She shoved a plate and fork at him and he walked around
the breakfast bar and took the stool next to Cassie.

"Bet you're spoiling her rotten," he said
and forked up a mouthful of eggs. They were spectacular, and melted
in his mouth.

Imelda set a big glass of milk next to his
plate then said, "They don't make it down here often, so I don't
see her as much as I'd like. Bran is working at a factory there and
his wife Sue owns a hair salon in town, so they don't have much
time off. I'm thinking I'll head there soon to see them."

He nodded, and scooped up some buttery grits
then moaned as the creamy warm cereal pleasured his taste buds.
This was the best breakfast he'd had in forever. He was a decent
cook, but he didn't have time in the morning usually. On weekends,
he'd often eat breakfast at the Bluebird, but their offerings
didn't hold a candle to this.

Cassie looked over at him and she licked her
lips her eyes filled with more than a little heat. He wanted to
moan again, and was tempted to lean over and lick her lips too, but
he restrained himself and dragged his attention back to his
breakfast. The stool scraped on the floor when she pushed herself
off then walked around to put her plate in the sink. "Is daddy up
yet?"

"No, and he needs to stay in bed. I brought
him his breakfast there."

"I agree. I'll be out in the barn if you
need me."

"Okay, Cassie Bee. I'll have lunch ready
around noon. I'll ring the bell for ya."

"Thanks," she said and kissed Imelda's cheek
again "I'm not sure I'll be in for lunch though," she said then
walked to the back door without looking his way again.

Cassie found Bud sitting at the long farm
table inside the bunkhouse drinking coffee and munching on one of
Imelda's biscuits. He glanced over to her when she came through the
door and smiled. Or at least she thought he did, his thick gray
beard covered most of his lower face. "Well, look what the cat
dragged in," he said and set down his cup and biscuit before
sliding a leg over the bench to stand up and open his arms to
her.

She ran into them and squeezed him tight.
Bud whopped then lifted her up in a big bear hug. "Darlin', I've
missed you somethin fierce."

"I've missed you too...so much." she managed
to mumble against this broad flannel-covered chest then felt the
sting of tears behind her eyes. The only regrets she had since
she'd left town was not seeing Bud or Imelda, and not being able to
explain why she'd left them ten years ago without saying goodbye.
She knew it must've hurt them.

"Well, you're back now...when your daddy
needs you. That's what matters," he told her in his gravelly
voice.

Cassie sniffled and rubbed an arm across her
eyes when he finally put her back on her feet. "Yeah, he does need
me. I'm here to help, tell me what I can do."

"Well, you've already got off to a good
start. Thanks for feeding the horses."

"You know you don't need to thank me Bud, it
was...fun."

He snorted. "Fun? Jesus, girl you've been
off the ranch too long for sure if you think that's fun."

"It
was
fun. I've missed all this,"
she admitted honestly.

"Why the hell did you leave it then?"

"I had to Bud...but I can't talk about it.
Phoenix has been good to me. I have a business there and a fiancé
now." She shoved her finger toward him and showed him the large
engagement ring James had given her.

"Lordy, girl that thing could choke a
mule..." he said then squinted his eyes to take a better look. "You
should put it up someplace safe if you're gonna be working out
here."

She hadn't thought about that. He was right,
she'd probably either lose it or damage it wearing it out here. At
the very least get it full of horseshit or dirt. "I'll put it up
when I go in for lunch. I'll just put it in my pocket for now." She
slid off the large diamond ring and stuffed it in her pocket.

Cassie looked around the room and then asked
him. "So, where are the other hands?"

"I told them I'd be gone this morning so I
told them to come in late. I'm gonna have them out mending the
fence in the south pasture."

"What can I do to help. I don't know your
routine with daddy, and it's been a long time..."

He smiled. "Yep, it's time for you to get
back in the saddle for sure."

Cassie groaned, it had been ten years since
she'd ridden. Riding today meant she'd be sore as shit tomorrow
from using the core muscles that she only pretended to keep in
shape from her twice weekly workouts at the gym at home.

"Really? I thought I'd clean the horse
stalls."

"Nah, we can do that this evening. I need to
ride out and cut a few of the high-risk cows from the herd. Don't
want 'em losing their calves, and last time I was out they looked
sickly." We'll put them in the catch pen behind the barn and doctor
them up." He patted her shoulder. "You're a natural, honey--it'll
come back to ya. Just sit in the saddle and let the horse do the
work."

Her face fell and Bud chortled, then picked
up his plate and walked over to put it in the sink. "Luke is gonna
help us. It won't be that bad."

"That's something I need to talk to you
about. I don't want him here. Can't we find someone else to help
out?"

"I've been trying to find more hands for a
week. I found one, and he wouldn't have been my first pick, that's
for sure, rough kind of sort. It's calving season, and all the good
hands are signed on elsewhere. We're damned lucky Luke agreed to
help, Cassie Bee."

Cassie sighed in frustration and dropped her
chin to her chest. It looked like she was stuck with the man, at
least until they could find another hand to replace him. "Okay, but
will you keep looking? We can cut him loose when we find someone
else."

"Sure will," he said and patted her
shoulder, "Sunshine's a wastin, let's get going." She followed him
out of the bunkhouse and around to the barn. Now wasn't the time to
bring up the cattle sale she wanted to have, he was busy, and she
really did need to take a look at the stock before she made that
decision.