Quinn said, reaching over to pet Pokey.
“Don’t tell Brady,” Randi said quickly. “The last thing he wants to know about is more cats.”
“He’s all talk.” Ziggy managed the short sentence without stuttering.
“Maybe, but I’ve been thinking of trying to find homes for some of them.” Randi stroked the kitten on her lap. “They’re certainly well-trained animals.”
Conversation continued as they waited for Tex to ring the dinner bell. Randi participated, but part of her attention focused elsewhere as she strained to hear another set of footsteps…those belonging to a man she had no business thinking about.
When the bell rang, Princess barked twice and the cats stood up. They began their evening journey back to the barn, where they would settle for the night.
Randi walked around to the front entrance to the dining room. When she crossed the threshold, she found Brady already inside. How long had he been there? Why hadn’t he joined the other men and come to see her and the cats?
Don’t even think about that, she ordered herself as she took one of the empty chairs halfway down the table. Ziggy immediately sat next to her and she gave him an absentminded smile.
Brady was just her boss. Just a guy who had hired her. He wasn’t special, and even if he was, he wasn’t for her. In a few weeks, when she’d figured out what she was going to do with her life, she was moving on. Until then, she would do a good job, collect her pay at the end of the week and stay out of trouble.
Despite that excellent advice, as Tex brought out the food, Randi found her gaze straying again and again to the far end of the table.
The men all showered after they finished their work, but none of their still-damp hair or fresh shaven faces affected her the way Brady’s did. She didn’t want to touch their skin or say something funny so they would smile at her.
Consciously, she forced her attention away from Brady and onto the conversation at the table. As bowls of food were passed to her, she took a serving for herself. Once, when she forked two pork chops onto her plate, she caught Tex looking at her and she winked. The ex-marine grinned.
Contentment stole over her, surprising her with a sense of warm belonging. She could fit in here. More important, she wanted to fit in.
“I heard you found a couple of steers in a mud hole this afternoon, Ralph,” Brady said.
The older cowboy nodded. “Got `em out, boss.”
“I know. I checked on them. You did a good job. Thanks for checking that dry pond. I’d forgotten all about it.”
Ralph mumbled a reply.
“Ziggy and Quinn, that fence is going up faster than I’d expected.”
“Some of the main posts aren’t rotted, so we’re reusing them,” Quinn said.
Brady’s style of management was very hands-on. About the second or third night, Randi had noticed he made it a point to find something to praise about each employee nearly every day. No wonder even the drifters stayed.
“Rita.”
She looked up when he said her assumed name. An unexpected attack of nerves made her fork slip out of her fingers and bang against her plate. She picked it up and cleared her throat. “Yes?”
He continued to smile as if nothing was wrong. “I’d like to see you in my office after dinner.”
“Um, sure.”
“You rode Casper today?”
“Yes. There’s no hint of the injury. You can put him back to work tomorrow.”
“Great. You’ve been patient with him. I appreciate that.”
“No problem.”
She forced herself to cut off a piece of pork, but instead of eating it, she chased it around her plate. When Ziggy handed her the bowl of biscuits, she passed them on without taking one.
He wanted to see her in his office. She knew what that meant. After only a week, she was out on her butt—just like that.
She couldn’t remember making a mistake. Damn. The irony was, she had barely gotten used to being here and now she was going to be asked to move on. Just when she’d
“Don’t tell Brady,” Randi said quickly. “The last thing he wants to know about is more cats.”
“He’s all talk.” Ziggy managed the short sentence without stuttering.
“Maybe, but I’ve been thinking of trying to find homes for some of them.” Randi stroked the kitten on her lap. “They’re certainly well-trained animals.”
Conversation continued as they waited for Tex to ring the dinner bell. Randi participated, but part of her attention focused elsewhere as she strained to hear another set of footsteps…those belonging to a man she had no business thinking about.
When the bell rang, Princess barked twice and the cats stood up. They began their evening journey back to the barn, where they would settle for the night.
Randi walked around to the front entrance to the dining room. When she crossed the threshold, she found Brady already inside. How long had he been there? Why hadn’t he joined the other men and come to see her and the cats?
Don’t even think about that, she ordered herself as she took one of the empty chairs halfway down the table. Ziggy immediately sat next to her and she gave him an absentminded smile.
Brady was just her boss. Just a guy who had hired her. He wasn’t special, and even if he was, he wasn’t for her. In a few weeks, when she’d figured out what she was going to do with her life, she was moving on. Until then, she would do a good job, collect her pay at the end of the week and stay out of trouble.
Despite that excellent advice, as Tex brought out the food, Randi found her gaze straying again and again to the far end of the table.
The men all showered after they finished their work, but none of their still-damp hair or fresh shaven faces affected her the way Brady’s did. She didn’t want to touch their skin or say something funny so they would smile at her.
Consciously, she forced her attention away from Brady and onto the conversation at the table. As bowls of food were passed to her, she took a serving for herself. Once, when she forked two pork chops onto her plate, she caught Tex looking at her and she winked. The ex-marine grinned.
Contentment stole over her, surprising her with a sense of warm belonging. She could fit in here. More important, she wanted to fit in.
“I heard you found a couple of steers in a mud hole this afternoon, Ralph,” Brady said.
The older cowboy nodded. “Got `em out, boss.”
“I know. I checked on them. You did a good job. Thanks for checking that dry pond. I’d forgotten all about it.”
Ralph mumbled a reply.
“Ziggy and Quinn, that fence is going up faster than I’d expected.”
“Some of the main posts aren’t rotted, so we’re reusing them,” Quinn said.
Brady’s style of management was very hands-on. About the second or third night, Randi had noticed he made it a point to find something to praise about each employee nearly every day. No wonder even the drifters stayed.
“Rita.”
She looked up when he said her assumed name. An unexpected attack of nerves made her fork slip out of her fingers and bang against her plate. She picked it up and cleared her throat. “Yes?”
He continued to smile as if nothing was wrong. “I’d like to see you in my office after dinner.”
“Um, sure.”
“You rode Casper today?”
“Yes. There’s no hint of the injury. You can put him back to work tomorrow.”
“Great. You’ve been patient with him. I appreciate that.”
“No problem.”
She forced herself to cut off a piece of pork, but instead of eating it, she chased it around her plate. When Ziggy handed her the bowl of biscuits, she passed them on without taking one.
He wanted to see her in his office. She knew what that meant. After only a week, she was out on her butt—just like that.
She couldn’t remember making a mistake. Damn. The irony was, she had barely gotten used to being here and now she was going to be asked to move on. Just when she’d
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