The Reluctant Wrangler (4 page)

“You brought your own furniture,” she said. “It’s very nice.”

Should he ask her in? He couldn’t decide. It might only fuel his attraction to her. But he also knew a gentleman would at least offer.

Before he could decide, she’d moved across the hall to her door. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she told him, her hand on the doorknob. “Thank you for helping.”

He didn’t have a chance to reply before she ducked inside her apartment.

He stood in his doorway, wondering what she was all about. He was tempted to get to know her better, but if he didn’t know himself, as he once had, how could he even think of getting to know someone else?

N
IKKI PUSHED AWAY
from the breakfast table the next morning and stood, surveying the sleepy faces of the boys. “I want to see all of you at the corral in ten minutes,” she told them as they finished their breakfast.

“But it’s Sunday,” Benito reminded her. “We were going to play basketball.”

“You can do that this afternoon,” she answered. “I’ll see you all in ten minutes, no more.”

She hadn’t slept well. Her dreams had been of a tall man with baby-blue eyes—a man she didn’t want to identify, and she shook her head to clear the cobwebs that even a shower hadn’t washed away. Shivering in
the early-morning chill, she gathered the equipment she would need. The remnants of her dreams would vanish as soon as she started the day’s lesson.

When she entered the corral, she was greeted by the smiles of six boys. Nothing could beat that.

Instead of a using a real horse for the day’s lesson, she’d found an old saddle frame in the storage room of the barn. To make it the right height, she’d asked Mac to set it on concrete blocks. Only after all the boys mastered saddling the wooden “horse” would she allow them to try the real thing. She was confident it wouldn’t be long until that happened.

With all the boys gathered around the makeshift mount, she waited for the jokes and jabs to subside. “Okay, we’ve already learned about the parts of the horse and the saddle. Now we’re going to put all that together and learn how to saddle a horse.”

Shamar looked around the corral. “So where’s the horse?”

Everyone laughed, but Nikki remained silent, waiting until they quieted before she went on with the lesson. “I’ll show you all how it’s done. Watch carefully, and then each of you will get a chance to try it.”

With practiced ease she saddled the wooden horse, carefully explaining each step as she went. Until they could handle the saddle correctly on their own, she wouldn’t bother with a bridle.

“Who wants to be first?” she asked, her gaze going from boy to boy.

“Let Billy,” Leon said. “He already knows how to ride.”

She suspected Leon was trying to avoid the possibility of being chosen. “Thanks for volunteering to be first, Leon.”

“But I didn’t—”

“Go ahead and start.”

Leon’s mulish expression told her how displeased he was. Nikki didn’t care. None of them would get it the first time, but by the second time she had hopes they would have the hang of it.

“One more thing,” she said as Leon picked up the saddle blanket. “I’ll stop you if you skip a step or do something wrong, and the next person will start from the beginning.”

Leon’s expression didn’t change as he tossed the blanket onto the wooden horse.

“Stop,” Nikki said. When Leon turned to stare at her, she merely smiled. “Thanks, you did fine.”

“What?” His eyes narrowed. “But what did I do wrong?”

“Watch the next person, and you’ll see. You’ll learn more quickly by watching, instead of me telling you, I promise.”

He shrugged his shoulders and returned to stand with the others. “If you say so.”

“Ray,” she called, removing the blanket, “why don’t you try it next?”

Ray looked at the other boys before reluctantly walking up to the wooden horse.

“Think about it, Ray,” Nikki told him. “There are seven steps. You know them. Leon was just a bit eager and didn’t think it through. He’ll do great next time.”

Ray nodded, his expression serious, then he picked up the grooming brush sitting on the corner of one of the cinder blocks. As if the wooden horse was real, he brushed it head to tail.

“That’s what I forgot,” Leon said.

“You’ll remember the next time,” Nikki assured him. “Go on, Ray.”

Nodding again, this time with a slight smile, Ray placed the saddle blanket properly on the back of the horse, smoothing it down. He turned for the saddle, but looked at Nikki. “I don’t know if I can lift it.”

“Give it a try. If you can’t, one of the others can help you with it.”

He managed to pick up the saddle the way she’d shown them. Taking a deep breath, he hefted it high and placed it on the back of the wooden horse.

“Stop,” Nikki said.

“Aw, gee,” Ray mumbled and returned to stand with the others. His face suddenly brightened. “I remember now.”

Benito was next and went through each step, remembering to hook the far stirrup over the saddle horn and the cinch over the saddle seat before placing the saddle on the horse, the easiest part for him. He stood looking at the wooden horse, a perplexed expression on his face. “I forget what’s next,” he admitted, without his usual defiance, and stepped back to join the others.

Shamar took his turn and made it through the same steps Benito had, then advanced to the next to let the stirrup and cinch down, but he had trouble with the cinch. “Next,” he said, when he couldn’t get the D ring to work. “My gram would say I’m all thumbs today.”

The other boys laughed good-naturedly as Billy walked to the wooden horse to take his turn. “I think I should tell you all something,” he said, ducking his head. “I know how to ride, but I’ve never put a saddle on a horse.”

“You’ll know how after today,” Nikki told him. “And won’t that surprise everyone?”

Billy went through each step slowly and finally finished with cinching the saddle. When he was done, he beamed with pride.

“Very good! But there’s one thing you all forgot, and I didn’t stop you, because I wanted to see if anyone remembered.” She turned to Kirby. “Your turn.”

“I think he’s too tall,” Kirby said.

“Who’s too tall?” Nikki asked.

He pointed at the wooden horse. “Him. The dummy horse.”

Everyone laughed and someone shouted, “Maybe we should name him Dumbbell.”

“How about Woody?” another boy suggested.

Nikki smiled. “How about we let Kirby have his turn?”

“Can he use a stepladder?” Shamar asked. “I’m not trying to be mean, but he’s going to have problems reaching that high, even to brush it.”

“Not a stepladder,” Nikki said with a shake of her head, “but if two of you will go inside the barn, you’ll find a cinder block like those.” She pointed to the stack of blocks where the wooden horse sat. “He can use that. We’ll find something better when we’re working with a real horse.”

Benito and Leon raced to get the cinderblock and returned to set it next to the dummy horse. Kirby climbed onto it and began the first step, slowly and painstakingly. He brushed the horse, then checked to make sure the hair was smooth and lying in the direction of growth. Nikki’s heart swelled with pride. It was the one thing the others had forgotten to do.

When he got to the step where he needed to lift the saddle, Shamar joined him. “It’s okay?” Shamar asked.

Nikki nodded.

Kirby smoothed the saddle blanket, and Shamar helped him lift the saddle to the back of the horse. Kirby checked that the blanket was smooth on both sides, pulled down the stirrup and cinch, pulled the cinch through, and even with his smaller hands he managed to hook the cinch.

The other boys applauded when he was finished, and so did Nikki. She had saved him for last for a reason. “See? Anybody, no matter how young or small, can learn to saddle a horse. Now, let’s do it all over again. Leon, you’re first up.”

By the second time through, each of the boys was able to saddle the dummy horse quickly and without a mistake. Nikki congratulated them all on passing the test—one of the most important—and promised to join them later for lunch.

They helped put away the saddle, blanket and brush, leaving the wooden horse for the next day, and were headed for their bunkhouses when a shiny blue pickup with a long trailer behind it drove up the lane.

“It’s Tanner!” Billy shouted, and ran to meet the truck as it came to a stop near the barn.

Nikki’s heart seemed to stop, then resumed to pound in her chest. She could barely breathe. This was the moment she had been waiting for. She would finally get a chance to meet her brother.

Jules came hurrying from the house, a toddler running in front of her. “Daddeeee!” the little boy shouted.

At Nikki’s initial interview, Jules had mentioned they had a son, but this was Nikki’s first opportunity to see the little boy, and she watched him run to his dad.

When the driver’s door of the truck opened, a tall man wearing a black hat scooped up the small boy. As
Jules reached the pair, another man exited the truck on the other side. Nikki wished she’d known more about these people before she’d come to the ranch, but there’d been only so much she could learn without asking questions, and she’d been afraid doing that would raise suspicions.

Tugging on her husband’s hand, Jules brought him to where Nikki and the others stood. “I want you to meet someone,” she told him, and smiled at Nikki. “Nikki, this is my husband, Tanner O’Brien. Tanner, Nikki Johannson is our new housemother, and she’s also teaching the boys to ride.”

He touched the brim of his hat with his fingers and smiled. “Pleased to meet you, Nikki.”

Nikki tried to calm her galloping heart, and her legs threatened to stop supporting her, but she tried to hide it. “Your wife was very kind to give me the job, Mr. O’Brien,” Nikki managed to say, feeling tongue-tied.

“It’s Tanner,” he said. “We’ve never stood on ceremony at the Rocking O.”

Jules tickled her son’s neck with her fingers, making him giggle. “You haven’t met Wyoming, have you, Nikki?” she asked.

“No, but it’s easy to see he’s his daddy’s boy,” Nikki replied.

“He’s two,” Jules said, reaching for the little boy, who clung to his daddy’s neck and wailed. “Come on, sweetheart,” she told him. “Daddy needs to take care of the horses. We’ll have our time with him later.”

After he’d given her the boy and added a quick kiss, Tanner went around to the back of the trailer to help the other man with the horses. Jules passed Nikki and patted her shoulder, and Nikki was left to watch the man she hadn’t known existed until she was thirteen. There
was no doubt in her mind that she and Tanner O’Brien shared the same family tree. She longed to tell him who she was, but her mother had warned her not to contact him. She hadn’t yet decided if she would risk that and thought it might be best if she waited until he knew her better. Until then, she would remain silent about their kinship, but she hoped with all her heart that someday she could reveal her secret.

Now that the horses had arrived, the boys talked nonstop about riding. That evening, they all attended a barbecue at the O’Briens’ to welcome Tanner home, and the boys were still wound tight from the excitement of the day. Getting them to settle down and go to sleep was proving to be a major chore.

“You’ll ask him, won’t you?” Billy begged, not for the first time.

“As soon as I can,” Nikki answered, knowing he meant Mac. “But it isn’t going to happen if you all don’t get in your rooms and go to bed.”

Ray bounced on his bed, his eyes bright and eager. “Just tell him we can saddle our horses now, so we’re ready to
ride.
”

Nikki rested her hand gently on his shoulder, hoping she could calm him. “Be patient, Ray. You’ll be riding like you’ve been on a horse all your life soon.”

Benito seemed to be the only one who wasn’t eager. “But we have more to learn, right?” he asked.

“We do,” Nikki answered, remembering his stated preference for basketball.

“It’s not like in the movies,” he added. “We gotta learn how to do it right.”

“Exactly,” Nikki agreed. “Now, go on to bed. I’ll be in to check on you as soon as these guys are tucked in.”

“I don’t need to be tucked in,” Billy announced.

Nikki hid her smile as she waved the older boys out of the room and turned to Billy. He was the oldest of the three younger boys and often enjoyed his seniority. “Of course you don’t. It’s just a saying.” She waited until he was under the covers, then turned to Kirby in the next bed.

“You can turn out the light now,” Kirby said, already in his bed. “We’re going to sleep.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning.” She moved to the door and flipped the light switch, bathing the room in darkness. “Sleep tight.”

Checking on the other boys, she found them all in bed. Not asleep, but she knew it wouldn’t be long before they were. She and Mac had been invited to return to the O’Briens’, but before she did, she had one stop to make. She’d intended to make a note of all the boys’ birthdays when she was in the office the day before, but she’d forgotten. Fearing she’d forget again, she hurried to the main building and gathered the information she needed.

Just as she stepped into the hallway from the office and turned to walk back to her apartment, she saw a small, dark figure race across the unlit hallway from the kitchen to the main entry hall, a bundle dragging behind him. The building was dark, but not dark enough that she couldn’t tell who she’d seen as she heard the quiet
swish
and the
thunk
of the main door opening and closing.

Was she imagining things, or was Kirby stealing food?

She’d been positive he was ready to sleep when she
left him, but thinking again, she remembered he had seemed eager to get rid of her.
And he knew she was returning to the O’Briens’.
He’d overheard Mac reminding her they were expected when she’d finished putting the boys to bed.

But why would Kirby steal food? Because she didn’t know what food Bridey had added, there was no way of knowing what might have been taken—if any had been. She didn’t know how long she stood there debating what she should do, but she was certain what she’d seen hadn’t been a figment of her imagination.

When the door opened at the other end of the hall, she let out a screech. The lights came on and Mac walked inside, instantly spotting her. “A little jumpy, are we?” he asked.

Her heart thudded in her chest, and she hoped he didn’t notice her distraction. Mac unnerved her as it was. She didn’t know what to do about it any more than she knew what to do about Kirby. Keeping her eyes and ears open would probably solve the Kirby problem, but Mac was a different story.

“I was in the office,” she answered. “I wanted a list of the boys’ birthdays.”

He stopped a few feet in front of her and studied her closely. “We’re all waiting for you. You could have gotten the dates later.”

She nodded and took a deep breath before answering. “I didn’t want to forget to do it.”

“Okay, but we need to get going,” he said, taking her arm.

His touch startled her and she looked up at him. “I’m sorry I kept everyone waiting. I didn’t think it would take me so long.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, leading her out the main doors.

But it wasn’t being late to the get-together that worried her. It was Kirby. “Is there some reason we’re in a rush?” she asked as she tried to keep up with his long stride.

“Sorry,” he said, letting go of her and shortening his steps. “I was beginning to think you were trying to avoid going back.”

She wouldn’t let on that he was dangerously close to the truth. Being around Tanner made her nervous, but she couldn’t hide from him. “Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know.”

She could feel him watching her in the dark, lit only by a tall yard light, when he slowed his steps. “You aren’t nervous about being around the O’Briens without the boys, are you?”

She refused to look at him. “Why would I be afraid?”

“That’s what I’m wondering.”

“You’re imagining things.”

Stopping, he turned and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not uncommon to feel ill at ease with your employer, especially when you’re new.”

His touch made her head swim, but she managed to glare at him. “And you know this how?”

“I’ve been a new employee, that’s how.”

“And so have I, several times, so if you’ll please let go of me…”

She felt his hesitation, but he did as she asked and turned away. Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, she tried to calm herself. Mac’s hands on her had definitely done a number on her heart.

M
AC WISHED
he’d kept his mouth shut.
Let that be a lesson,
he thought.
Don’t try to help someone who doesn’t want help.

When he turned the corner of the big ranch house to join the others, he could hear the music. “I see you dragged out the oldies but goodies,” he said as he and Nikki stepped onto the patio.

“There you are,” Jules said, greeting Nikki with a warm smile. “I was afraid you were trying to avoid us or were just too tired to come back.”

“The boys weren’t eager to settle down,” Nikki explained. “They’re all sleeping now.”

Mac turned to Jules. “I can’t believe you’re just standing there,” he said, feeling the beat of the music. Walking over to her, he took her hand. “Come on, let’s show them how to party.” When he swept her into his arms, she tipped back her head and laughed. “I’ll bet that cowboy doesn’t dance with you,” he said loudly enough for everyone to hear and nodding at Tanner, who stood watching them with a grin. Nikki, he noticed, was staring, her eyes wide.

“She can two-step with the best of them,” Tanner said.

Mac stopped moving. “Texas Two-Step?”

“Hush,” Jules said. “We don’t call it that here in Oklahoma.”

Mac tried for a sober nod and looked over his shoulder at Tanner. “And I suppose you’re going to tell me you taught her.”

“She’s a fast learner,” Tanner answered with a wink.

Mac laughed and spun Jules in a circle. “Maybe I should take lessons,” he said, handing her off to her husband.

Tanner slipped a hand around his wife’s waist. “If you want to stick around these parts, it’s the only way to survive.”

Turning to Nikki, Mac held out his hand. “Your turn.”

She took a step back. “No, I think—I think I’ll pass.”

“What? You can’t dance?” he asked.

She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Of course I can.” But instead of taking his hand as he’d thought she would, she moved away and settled on one of the chairs.

The awkward moment was saved by Bridey, who stepped outside with a tray of dessert glasses. Shawn followed and took a seat near his uncle.

“Let me help,” Mac said, hurrying to lend a hand. He took the tray from her and studied the glasses. “There isn’t a tiny bit of the devil in these, is there?”

Bridey laughed and pointed to a table. “It’s one of Tanner’s favorites, but don’t have too much, or there’ll be the devil to
pay.
”

Tanner rubbed his hands together. “Irish Jig Dessert! You haven’t made this for years, Bridey.”

The woman’s face colored with pleasure. “I thought it would be a nice way to welcome Nikki. Come on,” she urged everyone, “give it a go.”

Shawn jumped from his chair, but his uncle stopped him. “Shawn, I’m not sure you should be having any.”

Jules joined them. “Oh, Tanner, it isn’t going to hurt him. There’s only a little whiskey in it. Let him have a glass.”

“Better they have it at home than out with their friends.”

Everyone turned to look at Nikki, who ducked her head, obviously wishing she hadn’t spoken.

“She’s right,” Tanner agreed. “I had a few glasses of my own when I was his age.” He turned to his nephew. “Okay, Shawn, one glass it is.”

As they were all enjoying the heavy whipped-cream-and-macaroon dessert, the Rocking O ranch foreman arrived. “I heard a rumor that Bridey had fixed Irish Jig,” he explained as he made his way to the last glass.

“You missed the glazed Irish tea cake, Rowdy,” Jules told him with a twinkle in her eye.

He shook his head, his expression serious. “I’m betting Bridey saved me a piece,” he said as a smile spread over his face. “I’ll just take this on out to the barn. There’s a heifer having some digestive trouble, and I don’t want to be gone long.”

Mac set his empty glass on the tray. “I’ll be happy to give you hand, Mr. Thompson.”

A scowl appeared on the older man’s face. “I thought I told you it’s Rowdy, not Mr. Thompson.”

“That you did,” Mac replied, “so in that case, I’ll be happy to give you a hand, Rowdy.”

“No need,” Rowdy said before turning to leave. “I like my quiet time in the barn, and the old girl will be fine by morning. Beth Weston was out earlier and left a tonic.”

Having met the young veterinarian only days after he’d arrived, Mac had found her to be quite knowledgeable about the stock, and he knew the heifer was in good hands with Rowdy. As Bridey returned to the house with the tray of empty glasses, he turned to his hosts. “How can you stand all that great food Bridey feeds you?”

Tanner sat on one of the comfortable lawn chairs, laughing. “I
am
spoiled. Bridey has been here on the
Rocking O since I was eight years old. I hardly remember a time she wasn’t cooking up a storm.”

When the others were seated, Jules turned to Nikki. “You’re doing a wonderful job with the boys.”

“Thank you,” Nikki answered with a smile. “I’m enjoying getting to know them. They were hard to get settled down, after the arrival of the new horses and the barbecue tonight. It was so nice of you and Tanner to invite them.”

Jules nodded. “We want them to know that we’re like family here, both at the Bent Tree and the Rocking O.”

“Knowing the boys aren’t accustomed to riding, Dusty and I chose the tamest horses we could find,” Tanner explained. “But riding is only a part of what they do here.”

Nikki replied, but didn’t look directly at him. “I’ve been making sure their schoolwork is done before riding lessons.”

“I may be city bred,” Jules said, “but I know from my own experiences that bonding with an animal, whether it’s a horse, a dog, or whatever, is something everyone should experience, especially these boys. Once they can trust an animal, then they’re more apt to trust humans.”

“And themselves,” Nikki added.

“Of course,” Jules agreed with a knowing nod. “We want the Bent Tree to be a success. Not so much for us, but for the boys who come here. It may take some time for all of us to reach the goals we’ve set, but if we work together, we’ll get there.”

Tanner reached for his wife’s hand and smiled at her. “Jules wants to help as many boys as she can. It’s been a dream of hers for a long time, even before I met her.”

“Which reminds me,” Jules said, turning to Nikki, “there’s a program I’ve heard about that you might find interesting and could benefit the boys. It’s called Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.”

“I’ve heard about it,” Nikki said, nodding.

“It’s only a suggestion,” Jules continued, “but I have some literature you can look through, if you’re interested.”

Nikki nodded. “I’ll be happy to.”

“We’ll talk about it more after you’ve had a chance to look it over,” Jules said. “How did the riding lesson go this morning?”

Nikki smiled. “They can saddle a horse now.”

“A wooden one, at least,” Mac added.

“Wooden?” Tanner asked, looking at each of them.

Mac explained how Nikki had used a saddle frame and how well it had worked. He hesitated to admit Jules had made a good decision by hiring her. “She knows what she’s doing.”

“I never doubted it,” Jules replied, smiling at Nikki. “Sometimes a person just knows when something is right. That’s how I felt about Nikki when she applied for the job.”

“Speaking of riding,” Mac said, turning to Jules, “when are we going to take that long, lazy ride you promised me?”

Jules patted his hand. “In due time, Mac, when things settle down.”

“That’s what you always say.”

Nikki looked at Jules. “I hate to break up the party, but I should be getting some sleep,” she said, standing.

“I need to be turning in for the night, too,” Mac agreed.

Nikki turned to Tanner. “Thank you for having us.”

“Thank you both for joining us tonight. I enjoyed it,” he told them. “Let’s do it again soon.”

Mac followed her around to the front of the house, wondering what had gotten into her, but after what had happened earlier, he wasn’t going to ask. “Looks like Rowdy might have a long night ahead of him.”

“Mmm.”

Mac slowed his steps as they walked under the wooden arch and onto the Bent Tree grounds, and he let her go on ahead of him. But he nearly ran into her when she spun around to face him, her hands on her hips.

“Just tell me one thing,” she whispered fiercely. “Is that what you call being comfortable with your employer?”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, confused by her sudden anger.

“All that dancing and touching and teasing.”