way. How do you know to close the windows when there’s a storm coming? Or to figure out if a horse is sick? Or to be suspicious of a shady salesman?” No sense waiting for answers she knew wouldn’t come. “You use your eyes, your experience, your gut. You use whatever it takes in the situation. Right?”
Though he nodded, the slight tilt of his head said he still mistrusted her as much as he would any dishonest salesman.
She took a deep breath and let it out again. “I’m no different from anyone else. That’s what I do, too. With my customers, I used what I knew, starting with reading their lips.”
“Last week at the Whistlestop, I saw you struggling. Missing parts of the conversation. Not understanding everything folks said.”
What he said was true—and she would never deny a natural part of her life, a part she accepted every day. But his words stung because he felt it necessary to say them. To show he thought she was less than equal.
Blinding headlights swept a path outside the house. Caleb.
She stood, looking down at Ryan. “Not everyone’s easy to lip-read. In the case of my customers, I would ask them to write notes. Or have them point to what they wanted on the menu. We got the job done, just as I’ll do here.”
As she always did, she would show her competence through her actions. She would prove to this irritating cowboy that she could handle whatever came her way.
* * *
O NCE C ALEB SETTLED in with his own mug and brownie, he said, “I’m leaving town in the morning, and I wanted to run a few things by you both.”
“You and I already discussed our agenda for tomorrow,” she reminded him. She could work just as well without him. “There’s nothing on it I can’t handle on my own.”
“True. But I’ll be gone longer than just tomorrow.” He shifted in his chair so he could see them both. “I’m going to Montana again. Tess and Nate are staying since Nate still has a few weeks of school. But I’m shorthanded up north, and I can’t let things slide.”
“No, you can’t.” And with him gone, she could stay away from Ryan altogether.
“I’m headed up there tomorrow morning.” He reached to pick up the leather satchel he used for his laptop.
She took a sip of coffee.
Ryan sat leaning forward, elbows on his knees and both hands wrapped around his mug, muscle ticking in his jaw. With his head tilted down, she couldn’t see his eyes. Everything else screamed tension.
Caleb was watching her, waiting to continue. She flushed. How long had she been lost in thought? Had he seen her looking at Ryan?
“I know you’re on top of everything we’ve got going regarding the school.” He pulled a file folder out of his satchel and handed it across the coffee table to her. “I’ve looked over all the resumes and agree with your assessments.”
“Great.”
“And here’s something new to you both.” He pulled out another file. “We’ve got a group of scouts coming in for a week in June. All the cabins and outbuildings should be ready by then.”
She nodded. “And the insurance is already in place.”
“Right. It’ll be a good test run.” He hefted the folder. “This is contact info and the notes I made during the call.”
Before she could raise her hand, Ryan reached for the file.
“Seeing as they’re dudes, Tony and the boys and I will take care of this.”
“I’ll need the contact info,” she said. “And a supply list.”
“Sounds good.”
Their gazes met. She dragged hers away to focus on Caleb again.
He turned to Ryan. “There’s a clearly marked public trail just past the western boundary, less than a stone’s throw from the supply shed we rode out to the other day. Tess and I haven’t hiked it in years.”
Ryan nodded. “I remember the shed. I’ll check out the trail.”
“Good. And while I’m gone, you’re in charge here.”
What did that mean? She set her mug on the table and concentrated on reading Caleb’s lips.
He turned to her.
Though he nodded, the slight tilt of his head said he still mistrusted her as much as he would any dishonest salesman.
She took a deep breath and let it out again. “I’m no different from anyone else. That’s what I do, too. With my customers, I used what I knew, starting with reading their lips.”
“Last week at the Whistlestop, I saw you struggling. Missing parts of the conversation. Not understanding everything folks said.”
What he said was true—and she would never deny a natural part of her life, a part she accepted every day. But his words stung because he felt it necessary to say them. To show he thought she was less than equal.
Blinding headlights swept a path outside the house. Caleb.
She stood, looking down at Ryan. “Not everyone’s easy to lip-read. In the case of my customers, I would ask them to write notes. Or have them point to what they wanted on the menu. We got the job done, just as I’ll do here.”
As she always did, she would show her competence through her actions. She would prove to this irritating cowboy that she could handle whatever came her way.
* * *
O NCE C ALEB SETTLED in with his own mug and brownie, he said, “I’m leaving town in the morning, and I wanted to run a few things by you both.”
“You and I already discussed our agenda for tomorrow,” she reminded him. She could work just as well without him. “There’s nothing on it I can’t handle on my own.”
“True. But I’ll be gone longer than just tomorrow.” He shifted in his chair so he could see them both. “I’m going to Montana again. Tess and Nate are staying since Nate still has a few weeks of school. But I’m shorthanded up north, and I can’t let things slide.”
“No, you can’t.” And with him gone, she could stay away from Ryan altogether.
“I’m headed up there tomorrow morning.” He reached to pick up the leather satchel he used for his laptop.
She took a sip of coffee.
Ryan sat leaning forward, elbows on his knees and both hands wrapped around his mug, muscle ticking in his jaw. With his head tilted down, she couldn’t see his eyes. Everything else screamed tension.
Caleb was watching her, waiting to continue. She flushed. How long had she been lost in thought? Had he seen her looking at Ryan?
“I know you’re on top of everything we’ve got going regarding the school.” He pulled a file folder out of his satchel and handed it across the coffee table to her. “I’ve looked over all the resumes and agree with your assessments.”
“Great.”
“And here’s something new to you both.” He pulled out another file. “We’ve got a group of scouts coming in for a week in June. All the cabins and outbuildings should be ready by then.”
She nodded. “And the insurance is already in place.”
“Right. It’ll be a good test run.” He hefted the folder. “This is contact info and the notes I made during the call.”
Before she could raise her hand, Ryan reached for the file.
“Seeing as they’re dudes, Tony and the boys and I will take care of this.”
“I’ll need the contact info,” she said. “And a supply list.”
“Sounds good.”
Their gazes met. She dragged hers away to focus on Caleb again.
He turned to Ryan. “There’s a clearly marked public trail just past the western boundary, less than a stone’s throw from the supply shed we rode out to the other day. Tess and I haven’t hiked it in years.”
Ryan nodded. “I remember the shed. I’ll check out the trail.”
“Good. And while I’m gone, you’re in charge here.”
What did that mean? She set her mug on the table and concentrated on reading Caleb’s lips.
He turned to her.
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