as the horse and rider seemed one being, working flawlessly with one another to achieve the fluid perfection. No wonder he won competitions with Shadow, they were terrific together.
Jase continued to heal. Except for an occasional catch in his breath if he moved suddenly, Shannon wouldn’t have known he was still pained by his bruised and cracked ribs. She didn’t know if his arm ached as it healed, he never complained and she never again mentioned he should slow down. If he wanted to push himself, it was his concern.
She had enough trouble trying to keep the interaction between them on a business footing. He was the most annoying man. Every time he came close to her, he touched her. A light caress on her arm, a brush of fingers against her cheek, a gentle tug on her braid. It was as if he couldn’t keep his hands away from her. Something she was not used to. Neither her father nor her husband had been overtly affectionate.
She wanted Jase to stop. Not because she disliked it, but because she liked it too much. With the other stressful events present in her life, she didn’t need his constant attentions stirring her up.
After dinner on the third evening, she escaped to feed the horses, glad for a respite from Jase. Being around him had her senses spinning. She didn’t know whether to slap him down, dodge out of reach, or just endure the touching until he got tired of his little game and left her alone. She desperately needed some time alone to keep things in perspective.
She forked down the hay into the corral then spread it for the horses who jostled her, trying for a mouthful. Putting grain in the trough, she watched to make sure Bugle didn’t hog all of it from the less aggressive horses. The routine of the chores soothed her, brought her ragged senses under control.
“Did you already feed Shadow?” Jase asked, materializing beside her at the corral fence. The late afternoon sun was slowly sinking, its waning rays bathing everything in soft golden light.
She jumped, startled. “Yes. And gave him grain. I fed him in his stall so he wouldn’t have to share with these guys.”
Afraid to look at him, she watched the horses eat, content in the constant activity of the ranch. It had a timelessness, a continuity that she cherished. It was so different from her life before.
“We need to talk about the ranch, Shannon,” he said, resting one boot on the bottom rail, resting his arm against his bent leg, staring down at her.
“We’ve been talking about it since you got here. What specifically?” She wanted to step away, being so near him was disturbing. But she held her ground, watched the horses, conscious of Jase’s steady gaze.
“You have a mortgage payment coming soon, ranch hands to feed and pay, and some horses needing to be re-shod.”
“I know.” Fear clutched her. She knew all this. She’d been worrying about it for weeks, ever since Rod had vanished with her money. Where would she get the necessary funds? “I guess I have to sell some cattle, don’t I? Liquidate some assets, so to speak?”
“It’s a bad time for it. If you sell now you’ll sell at a loss.”
“But at least I’ll get some ready cash to tide me over.” Damn Rod Thompson and his thieving heart!
“True.” He hesitated, watching her intently as if trying to gauge her reaction. “There are other ways to get money.”
She turned then to face him, anger spilling. “I told you before I don’t want to borrow. The mortgage is bad enough. I can’t encumber the place with more debt. Maybe I should try for a job in Tumbleweed.”
“What do you plan to do, work all day then come back here and work all night to keep the place going? I don’t think so.”
“No one set you up as my boss. I only asked for help on learning about ranching, not on how to run my life.”
“Yeah? Well the first thing to learn about ranching is that it’s a full-time, hard-as-hell job. To do it right doesn’t give you any time for anything
Jase continued to heal. Except for an occasional catch in his breath if he moved suddenly, Shannon wouldn’t have known he was still pained by his bruised and cracked ribs. She didn’t know if his arm ached as it healed, he never complained and she never again mentioned he should slow down. If he wanted to push himself, it was his concern.
She had enough trouble trying to keep the interaction between them on a business footing. He was the most annoying man. Every time he came close to her, he touched her. A light caress on her arm, a brush of fingers against her cheek, a gentle tug on her braid. It was as if he couldn’t keep his hands away from her. Something she was not used to. Neither her father nor her husband had been overtly affectionate.
She wanted Jase to stop. Not because she disliked it, but because she liked it too much. With the other stressful events present in her life, she didn’t need his constant attentions stirring her up.
After dinner on the third evening, she escaped to feed the horses, glad for a respite from Jase. Being around him had her senses spinning. She didn’t know whether to slap him down, dodge out of reach, or just endure the touching until he got tired of his little game and left her alone. She desperately needed some time alone to keep things in perspective.
She forked down the hay into the corral then spread it for the horses who jostled her, trying for a mouthful. Putting grain in the trough, she watched to make sure Bugle didn’t hog all of it from the less aggressive horses. The routine of the chores soothed her, brought her ragged senses under control.
“Did you already feed Shadow?” Jase asked, materializing beside her at the corral fence. The late afternoon sun was slowly sinking, its waning rays bathing everything in soft golden light.
She jumped, startled. “Yes. And gave him grain. I fed him in his stall so he wouldn’t have to share with these guys.”
Afraid to look at him, she watched the horses eat, content in the constant activity of the ranch. It had a timelessness, a continuity that she cherished. It was so different from her life before.
“We need to talk about the ranch, Shannon,” he said, resting one boot on the bottom rail, resting his arm against his bent leg, staring down at her.
“We’ve been talking about it since you got here. What specifically?” She wanted to step away, being so near him was disturbing. But she held her ground, watched the horses, conscious of Jase’s steady gaze.
“You have a mortgage payment coming soon, ranch hands to feed and pay, and some horses needing to be re-shod.”
“I know.” Fear clutched her. She knew all this. She’d been worrying about it for weeks, ever since Rod had vanished with her money. Where would she get the necessary funds? “I guess I have to sell some cattle, don’t I? Liquidate some assets, so to speak?”
“It’s a bad time for it. If you sell now you’ll sell at a loss.”
“But at least I’ll get some ready cash to tide me over.” Damn Rod Thompson and his thieving heart!
“True.” He hesitated, watching her intently as if trying to gauge her reaction. “There are other ways to get money.”
She turned then to face him, anger spilling. “I told you before I don’t want to borrow. The mortgage is bad enough. I can’t encumber the place with more debt. Maybe I should try for a job in Tumbleweed.”
“What do you plan to do, work all day then come back here and work all night to keep the place going? I don’t think so.”
“No one set you up as my boss. I only asked for help on learning about ranching, not on how to run my life.”
“Yeah? Well the first thing to learn about ranching is that it’s a full-time, hard-as-hell job. To do it right doesn’t give you any time for anything
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