“Hey, aren’t you working today?” Tom Jacobi asked, observing his sister in jeans and a work shirt pulling on her riding boots.
The remains of her breakfast on the table, Bella looked up, smiling as she reached for her coffee mug. “Morning. I have the night shift tonight, so I’m not going in till noon. I thought I’d take a ride this morning.”
“Alone?”
She rolled her eyes, brushing a strand of dark brown hair from her cheek. “I’ve gone a bunch of times with you. I know the trail.”
“No one’s riding alone right now with the mountain lion sightings. Ranch rules. Guy was attacked last week.”
“Okay, then I’ll ride around the ranch, then take some laps on one of the tracks.”
“Not today you won’t. We’ve got time trials this morning, which is why I can’t go with you.” Tom lived and worked at Valley Stables, a vast property north of the town of Saguaro Valley. The dream of two wealthy friends, the ranch trained and raced prize thoroughbreds and also ran a small wild horses rescue program. Tom was the assistant manager of both operations, and as such, lived in a beautiful farmhouse halfway between the thoroughbred stables and the barn that housed the wild horses and stable horses, several corrals and round pens behind it.
Hands on hips, Bella said, “Tommy, look at me. I’m ready to go. I only want to go out for an hour or so. Couldn’t one of the guys go with me?”
“Not the stable crew, but I suppose I could spare someone at the barn. Grace is coming to work with Dusty in a bit, so she’ll be around.” Tom’s fiancée, Grace McGraw, lived in town, but spent many days and some nights at the ranch. Even though Grace worked at her father’s hardware store in town, she had bonded with one of the wild horses, a Kiger whom she had named Dusty. Thus, she spent most of her free time with Dusty and Tom. “And after your joy ride, you can give us an hour’s work to make up for pulling one of my guys from his work.”
“Deal!”
“I’ll call Whip.” Tom grabbed his phone and stepped out on the back deck, the western mountains stretched out in front of him. He returned shortly. “If you get down there pronto, Whip says he’ll go with you. He’s saddling two horses right now.”
“Thanks, big brother,” she said, caramel eyes sparkling as she gave him a hug.
Tom grinned. “Get out of here, and be careful.”
Bella had moved from Montana to the Valley two months earlier and was living at the farmhouse with her brother. According to her, the arrangement was temporary, only until she got settled and found a place. Tom insisted that she could stay forever and secretly hoped she would. Bella was good company and a great cook. Then he and Grace announced their engagement and things changed. Bella told him she would begin immediately to look at condos in town and on the river. A wedding date had yet to be determined, and as far as Tom could tell, Bella had yet to go condo shopping.
A warm breeze blew through the yard as Bella headed down the hill. As she neared the beautiful newly built barn, she removed her work shirt and tied it around her waist. It was going to be a hot one. Gentle nickering and the scuffling of hooves sounded as she stepped into the cool, dark space, the smell of fresh hay all around her. She could see two horses saddled and tethered to a fence post just outside the door at the opposite end. Several men were leading other horses out to the fields and corrals, and she said hello as she passed by.
Greg Patterson emerged from one of the stalls leading a sturdy dun-colored horse. Like most of the wranglers, Greg was strong and lean, his curly dark hair stuffed under a worn Stetson. A real charmer, his brown eyes and good looks had caused many a Valley woman to swoon. So far, he remained unattached.
“Morning, Greg, morning, Dusty,” Bella said as she came to pet the horse’s broad, soft nose. Such a gesture would have been unthinkable two months ago for anyone but Grace.
“Hey, Bella. Whip’s got your rides all set. He had to run up to the stables, but said he’d be back in five.”
“Thanks. Can I help you with anything while I wait?”
“I think we’re set, thanks. Only one still in the barn is Ghost, and it takes two of us to drag his sorry ass out.”
Bella nodded and peeked into the last stall, separated by an empty space at the far end of the barn. The magnificent white stallion snorted and pawed as she passed by. One of five wild horses to come to Valley Stables several months ago, Ghost was the last to be gentled. Between Tom and Nick Parker, a horse whisperer who worked at Morgan’s Run, they had managed to get a rope on him, and occasionally a blanket, but that was it. He still needed to be in a separate corral from the other horses, and he viewed Dusty, in particular, as his biggest rival.
“Don’t go near him unless you want to get nipped. He’s nasty,” a voice said from behind her.
She turned to find Whip Kittredge, her brother’s unofficial right-hand man, leaning against a stall door. “He’s sure gorgeous.” Bella smiled at the wrangler. And so are you. She followed the tall, laconic cowboy with shoulder-length blond hair, beard, and mustache, as he strolled toward her. Some people called Whip “Wild Bill Hickok,” but Bella had seen photos of Bill Hickok, and the showman and folk hero had nothing on this guy. His smoky-gray eyes shimmered with warmth as he neared, craggy features aligned and perfect when he smiled. Wild and woolly, but oh so sexy!
“You ready?”
“Sure am.” As he passed by, she realized too late that she’d been gawking. Whip stood beside Galahad, a stable horse from up the hill. A retired racehorse, Galahad had been bought for stud. Beside them, Whip’s Appaloosa, Calico, waited patiently. “You brought Galahad down?”
“Yup. Boss’s orders. He’s a gentle ole guy.”
“Yes, he is,” Bella said, coming to scratch and pet the black thoroughbred who nickered and nudged her affectionately. “Galahad and I are old friends. But how’d you get him down here so quick?”
Whip smiled. “I delegated. One of the crew up there brought him down. They move fast.”
“I guess so.” She easily mounted the steady horse, settling herself in the saddle. As Whip adjusted her stirrups, she noticed the shotgun strapped to Calico’s saddle. Cougar defense, she thought and suddenly felt guilty interrupting his work to babysit her. Mountain lion sightings were almost a daily occurrence now, which made her little joy ride a risk. “Thanks for doing this, Whip. I hope it’s not going to make everyone’s day tougher.”
“Not at all. The guys’ll just work faster and harder.”
“That’s what I mean! My brother says I owe you an hour’s work when we get back.”
“Lucky us,” he said, effortlessly mounting his enormous black-and-white-spotted horse in one fluid motion. “Come on, buddy,” he said, making sounds somewhere between a click and a kiss.