than her obvious reluctance to shake his hand. Little snob was what she was, he thought, and he wouldn’t have expected it of Burke’s daughter.
He only said, “Yes, ma’am.”
“My Da says you’ve been working with Heathcliff.”
Gabe frowned. “Heathcliff?”
“The black two-year-old,” said Caitlin, blushing a little. She would have to change his name.
“Oh, Sky?” Gabe hesitated. “What did your father tell you about him?”
“Just that you’d been training him, Mr. Hart. But now that I’m home, I’ll be working with him, so you can concentrate on the other horses.”
It was clear that Michael Burke had not yet told his daughter of Sky’s accident and Gabe certainly didn’t think it was his place to enlighten her. He supposed he could understand her desire to train her own horse, especially after seeing him with the others this morning!
“I guess that’d be a decision for Mr. Burke to make,” said Gabe quietly, looking up at Caitlin.
His eyes, which were a dark blue, looked up at her steadily. Cait was annoyed that he was trying to make her feel unable to make such a decision for herself, as though she were incompetent. If anyone was incompetent, it was this Gabe Hart. Heathcliff was her horse, after all. Two years ago she would have blurted this all out. But she was eighteen now and a grown woman and could act with as much dignity as this irritating Mr. Hart.
“It is a decision that my father and I will make together, Mr. Hart,” she replied.
It was a verbal slap in the face and they both knew it. But Gabe just tipped his hat, saying, “Good morning, Miss Burke,” as she climbed off the fence and walked to the house.
He’d put in a lot of time with her horse, he thought, as he went into the barn. He didn’t think Michael Burke would let her take Sky, not until Gabe had determined if he would ever be ridden. But on the other hand, Burke sure had been looking forward to his daughter’s return. If she was the apple of his eye, he just might take the horse away from Gabe. It would be bad for the horse and unfair to Gabe. And what the hell kind of name was Heathcliff for a horse anyway!
* * * *
Her father was out checking the fences in the southwest field all morning, so it wasn’t until lunchtime that Caitlin had a chance to speak with him.
“And what did ye do this mornin’, Cait?” Michael asked as they sat down to their midday meal.
“I watched our new wrangler bungle his way through a training session, Da.”
Michael lifted his eyebrows and looked over at Elizabeth, who gave a little shrug as though to say: “I don’t know what is going on here, either.”
“Sure and every man has a bad day with his horses, Cait. Gabe Hart’s no bungler.”
“Well, be that as it may, I don’t want him working with my horse. I told him I would take over.”
Michael picked up his coffee mug and cradling it in his hands was quiet for a moment.
“Em, ye did, did ye?”
“I didn’t think you’d mind, Da. After all, Heathcliff is mine.”
“Nevertheless, Cait,” said Elizabeth, “it was your father who hired Gabe and your father who asked him to work Sky in his spare time. You put Gabe in a very awkward position.”
Cait blushed. “I’m sorry, Da,” she said apologetically. “But I do want to train Heathcliff myself,” she added stubbornly. “So would you tell Mr. Hart?”
“I can’t, Cait,” said her father. “ ‘Twould not be fair to the horse or to Gabe. He’s put in a month’s hard work and the horse is just beginning to respond to him.”
“Da, I know Heathcliff will remember me. I had him almost halter-broke, remember?”
“Caitlin,” interrupted Elizabeth, who could feel the tension building between Michael and his daughter. “Your father has a good reason for giving the horse to Gabe, We didn’t tell you yesterday on your first day home, but Sky was injured this spring.”
“He’s gone lame?” Cait exclaimed.
“No,” Elizabeth continued.
He only said, “Yes, ma’am.”
“My Da says you’ve been working with Heathcliff.”
Gabe frowned. “Heathcliff?”
“The black two-year-old,” said Caitlin, blushing a little. She would have to change his name.
“Oh, Sky?” Gabe hesitated. “What did your father tell you about him?”
“Just that you’d been training him, Mr. Hart. But now that I’m home, I’ll be working with him, so you can concentrate on the other horses.”
It was clear that Michael Burke had not yet told his daughter of Sky’s accident and Gabe certainly didn’t think it was his place to enlighten her. He supposed he could understand her desire to train her own horse, especially after seeing him with the others this morning!
“I guess that’d be a decision for Mr. Burke to make,” said Gabe quietly, looking up at Caitlin.
His eyes, which were a dark blue, looked up at her steadily. Cait was annoyed that he was trying to make her feel unable to make such a decision for herself, as though she were incompetent. If anyone was incompetent, it was this Gabe Hart. Heathcliff was her horse, after all. Two years ago she would have blurted this all out. But she was eighteen now and a grown woman and could act with as much dignity as this irritating Mr. Hart.
“It is a decision that my father and I will make together, Mr. Hart,” she replied.
It was a verbal slap in the face and they both knew it. But Gabe just tipped his hat, saying, “Good morning, Miss Burke,” as she climbed off the fence and walked to the house.
He’d put in a lot of time with her horse, he thought, as he went into the barn. He didn’t think Michael Burke would let her take Sky, not until Gabe had determined if he would ever be ridden. But on the other hand, Burke sure had been looking forward to his daughter’s return. If she was the apple of his eye, he just might take the horse away from Gabe. It would be bad for the horse and unfair to Gabe. And what the hell kind of name was Heathcliff for a horse anyway!
* * * *
Her father was out checking the fences in the southwest field all morning, so it wasn’t until lunchtime that Caitlin had a chance to speak with him.
“And what did ye do this mornin’, Cait?” Michael asked as they sat down to their midday meal.
“I watched our new wrangler bungle his way through a training session, Da.”
Michael lifted his eyebrows and looked over at Elizabeth, who gave a little shrug as though to say: “I don’t know what is going on here, either.”
“Sure and every man has a bad day with his horses, Cait. Gabe Hart’s no bungler.”
“Well, be that as it may, I don’t want him working with my horse. I told him I would take over.”
Michael picked up his coffee mug and cradling it in his hands was quiet for a moment.
“Em, ye did, did ye?”
“I didn’t think you’d mind, Da. After all, Heathcliff is mine.”
“Nevertheless, Cait,” said Elizabeth, “it was your father who hired Gabe and your father who asked him to work Sky in his spare time. You put Gabe in a very awkward position.”
Cait blushed. “I’m sorry, Da,” she said apologetically. “But I do want to train Heathcliff myself,” she added stubbornly. “So would you tell Mr. Hart?”
“I can’t, Cait,” said her father. “ ‘Twould not be fair to the horse or to Gabe. He’s put in a month’s hard work and the horse is just beginning to respond to him.”
“Da, I know Heathcliff will remember me. I had him almost halter-broke, remember?”
“Caitlin,” interrupted Elizabeth, who could feel the tension building between Michael and his daughter. “Your father has a good reason for giving the horse to Gabe, We didn’t tell you yesterday on your first day home, but Sky was injured this spring.”
“He’s gone lame?” Cait exclaimed.
“No,” Elizabeth continued.
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