leaned against the counter.
Tess saw the wary look and grinned. “I was online between classes, saw it in a catalog, and just had to have it?”
“That sounds more like it. Now what about lunch?”
Tess shrugged and put on her cowboy hat.
“I’m no expert, but that hat looks like it’s seen better days.”
Tess gave her a scathing look. “This is brand new, only five years old. Hell, it’s just broken in, the way I like it. Don’t you like it?” She took the cowboy hat off and dusted the brim, then replaced it on her head.
“Yes. You look great.”
“I do?”
Mrs. Redmond quickly continued as she wiped off the countertop, “What about lunch?”
Tess hid her grin and slipped on the worn work gloves. “I’ll get something on the way back. I’ll be out saddling my horse, if I can remember how, if my father wakes up anytime soon.” Tess smiled and walked out.
The sun was barely up as she walked into the stable. Clover was lying in the vacated stall on the bed of hay, licking her bandaged leg. “Good morning, Clover. Jack should be out to see you later.”
After saddling Stella, Tess mounted the mare and trotted out of the stable. She pulled the reins when she heard Mrs. Redmond calling her name. She ran up with a bag in hand.
“Here, I have a feeling you’ll get hungry. You can’t go all day without eating.” She handed the bag up to Tess.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. I’m sure I won’t starve.” She sniffed the bag. “Hmm, you gave me cinnamon rolls, thanks.”
Mrs. Redmond ran her fingers through her long dark hair and grinned. “You’re welcome. Don’t fall off that horse. Have a good day, Miss Rawlins.”
Tess pulled on the brim of her hat. “We’ll have to do something about this ‘Miss Rawlins’ thing,” she said with a smile and rode down the dusty trail away from the ranch.
When she was almost out of sight, she turned and waved. Mrs. Redmond grinned and waved back.
Tess met up with Chuck on the south pasture. He was standing there with several new men. “Well, here goes.”
As she dismounted Stella, she glanced at Chuck, looking for some sign. He nodded with a wink; Tess hoped that was a good thing.
“This is Tess Rawlins, she and her father own the Double R,” Chuck said. “This is Pedro Garcia, and his son, Manny. And this is Kyle Mathis from Texas.”
Tess shook hands with Kyle first as they took off their hats. He looked to be about twenty-five; his hands were rugged and calloused, which was a good sign to Tess. When she took Pedro’s hand, he only smiled and nodded.
“He doesn’t speak much English, miss,” Manny offered in perfect English.
“That’s fine,” Tess assured him. “As long as he can work the ranch with all of you, we’ll be fine.”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. We’ve worked in Texas since I was a boy.”
Tess raised an eyebrow. “And how old are you?”
“I’m nearly eighteen.”
“You speak very good English.”
“I just graduated high school.”
Tess grinned then. “Good for you. What about college?”
Manny frowned and shrugged. “We will see.”
Tess understood and merely nodded. She then regarded Kyle. “And where have you worked, Mr. Mathis?”
“Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Been doing this all my life, as well.”
“Why did you leave Texas?” Tess noticed his bright smile and a twinkle in his brown eyes. Oh, brother, she thought and glanced at Chuck, who hid his grin.
“The ranch was being sold. Besides, the ladies are more attractive in Montana,” he said with a grin.
Tess looked him in the eye. “I couldn’t agree more, Mr. Mathis. I’m partial to Montana women, as well.”
The flirtatious grin quickly faded from Kyle’s face. Chuck rolled his eyes and groaned. Manny snickered and his poor father didn’t know what had just happened.
“I think we understand each other?” Tess asked Kyle.
“Yes, ma’am, we surely do.” His face was as red as the bandanna he wore around his
Tess saw the wary look and grinned. “I was online between classes, saw it in a catalog, and just had to have it?”
“That sounds more like it. Now what about lunch?”
Tess shrugged and put on her cowboy hat.
“I’m no expert, but that hat looks like it’s seen better days.”
Tess gave her a scathing look. “This is brand new, only five years old. Hell, it’s just broken in, the way I like it. Don’t you like it?” She took the cowboy hat off and dusted the brim, then replaced it on her head.
“Yes. You look great.”
“I do?”
Mrs. Redmond quickly continued as she wiped off the countertop, “What about lunch?”
Tess hid her grin and slipped on the worn work gloves. “I’ll get something on the way back. I’ll be out saddling my horse, if I can remember how, if my father wakes up anytime soon.” Tess smiled and walked out.
The sun was barely up as she walked into the stable. Clover was lying in the vacated stall on the bed of hay, licking her bandaged leg. “Good morning, Clover. Jack should be out to see you later.”
After saddling Stella, Tess mounted the mare and trotted out of the stable. She pulled the reins when she heard Mrs. Redmond calling her name. She ran up with a bag in hand.
“Here, I have a feeling you’ll get hungry. You can’t go all day without eating.” She handed the bag up to Tess.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. I’m sure I won’t starve.” She sniffed the bag. “Hmm, you gave me cinnamon rolls, thanks.”
Mrs. Redmond ran her fingers through her long dark hair and grinned. “You’re welcome. Don’t fall off that horse. Have a good day, Miss Rawlins.”
Tess pulled on the brim of her hat. “We’ll have to do something about this ‘Miss Rawlins’ thing,” she said with a smile and rode down the dusty trail away from the ranch.
When she was almost out of sight, she turned and waved. Mrs. Redmond grinned and waved back.
Tess met up with Chuck on the south pasture. He was standing there with several new men. “Well, here goes.”
As she dismounted Stella, she glanced at Chuck, looking for some sign. He nodded with a wink; Tess hoped that was a good thing.
“This is Tess Rawlins, she and her father own the Double R,” Chuck said. “This is Pedro Garcia, and his son, Manny. And this is Kyle Mathis from Texas.”
Tess shook hands with Kyle first as they took off their hats. He looked to be about twenty-five; his hands were rugged and calloused, which was a good sign to Tess. When she took Pedro’s hand, he only smiled and nodded.
“He doesn’t speak much English, miss,” Manny offered in perfect English.
“That’s fine,” Tess assured him. “As long as he can work the ranch with all of you, we’ll be fine.”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. We’ve worked in Texas since I was a boy.”
Tess raised an eyebrow. “And how old are you?”
“I’m nearly eighteen.”
“You speak very good English.”
“I just graduated high school.”
Tess grinned then. “Good for you. What about college?”
Manny frowned and shrugged. “We will see.”
Tess understood and merely nodded. She then regarded Kyle. “And where have you worked, Mr. Mathis?”
“Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Been doing this all my life, as well.”
“Why did you leave Texas?” Tess noticed his bright smile and a twinkle in his brown eyes. Oh, brother, she thought and glanced at Chuck, who hid his grin.
“The ranch was being sold. Besides, the ladies are more attractive in Montana,” he said with a grin.
Tess looked him in the eye. “I couldn’t agree more, Mr. Mathis. I’m partial to Montana women, as well.”
The flirtatious grin quickly faded from Kyle’s face. Chuck rolled his eyes and groaned. Manny snickered and his poor father didn’t know what had just happened.
“I think we understand each other?” Tess asked Kyle.
“Yes, ma’am, we surely do.” His face was as red as the bandanna he wore around his
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