not be the word he’d been envisioning, but his relief clogged his frustration for now. Mostly. He started to order Ava inside the house, wanting a locked door and a lot of brick between her and Spitfire, when Caley joined them.
“Nice jump.” She shaded her eyes with her head as she peered up at him, her free hand reaching out to scratch Nugget under the chin. The horse dipped his head to rest in her grip, and Brady suddenly wished he had the right to snuggle up to her, too. “For a cowboy, anyway.” She winked. “Now you know why professional jumpers use English saddles.”
No, now he just thought professional jumpers were crazy to jump without a saddle horn. He swung down, his legs suffering from the wild burst of adrenaline, and stomped his feet a few times to get the feeling back. “I want you both to go in the house and stay there. I’ve got to try to get that beast back to his pasture before he decides the grass looks even greener across the street.”
“By yourself?” Caley’s brow crinkled. “Is that a good idea?”
Brady wiped sweat from his forehead with his shirtsleeve. “Can’t wait for Max to get back now. Spitfire’s too close to the road. That fence won’t hold him if he gets angry again, and if he wanders too far on the other side of that meadow, he’ll get out that way.”
“Let me help. I know how to ride.” Caley tossed her purse on the hood of her car as if ready to saddle up that minute. “Ava can wait for me inside. I can drive back to the ranch and grab another horse—”
“No.” He bit the word off sharper than he meant to, but Caley had to be several cows short of a herd if she thought he’d let her anywhere near that ornery beast. “I’ll do it.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll stay in the back, and just be a deterrent for him not to run off to the side while you direct him. That’s what Max would do, right?”
Yes, but Max was a hired hand, and made of tough stock—and more importantly, not Brady’s responsibility. He crossed his own arms, mirroring her defensive stance. “A deterrent—and a distraction. Spitfire could just as easily charge you as he did me.”
“Then it’s a good thing you demonstrated such fabulous jumping skills.” A spark lit her eyes, one that held sass and even a little bit of longing. Caley wanted to risk her life to round up a stray bull? That didn’t match up with what he knew of her so far.
Though it did sort of match up with the lady he’d met last night on the roof.
Brady swung back into the saddle. Now wasn’t the time to figure out the puzzle that made up his new neighbor. Now was the time to get his four-legged major source of income back into the right pen.
Alone.
He adjusted his hat, then picked up the reins. “Sorry. But no.”
The disappointment in both Caley’s and Ava’s eyes twisted his gut, but he held his mouth steady and nudged Nugget with his boots. They’d have to go the long way around, since he didn’t particularly want to urge his mount over that fence a second time. Nor could he risk startling Spitfire again.
He glanced back at Caley and Ava, still planted in the driveway near the truck. “In the house, ladies.” He gestured over his shoulder toward her rental, wishing he’d passed down to Ava something besides his own stubborn streak. He swallowed hard. “Please.”
That did the trick. Caley picked up her purse and ushered Ava inside the house. He waited until the door shut firmly behind them before he turned back in the saddle and directed Nugget around the perimeter of the fence. There was a gate about a hundred yards around the bend. He’d slip in that way and come up behind the bull, then hopefully drive him back toward his separate pen. Of course, it’d help if he had a horse that wasn’t afraid of the beast.
Brady cast a glance back at Caley’s rental, and sighed.
And it’d help even more if he had a nanny who was.
Chapter Six
A
“Nice jump.” She shaded her eyes with her head as she peered up at him, her free hand reaching out to scratch Nugget under the chin. The horse dipped his head to rest in her grip, and Brady suddenly wished he had the right to snuggle up to her, too. “For a cowboy, anyway.” She winked. “Now you know why professional jumpers use English saddles.”
No, now he just thought professional jumpers were crazy to jump without a saddle horn. He swung down, his legs suffering from the wild burst of adrenaline, and stomped his feet a few times to get the feeling back. “I want you both to go in the house and stay there. I’ve got to try to get that beast back to his pasture before he decides the grass looks even greener across the street.”
“By yourself?” Caley’s brow crinkled. “Is that a good idea?”
Brady wiped sweat from his forehead with his shirtsleeve. “Can’t wait for Max to get back now. Spitfire’s too close to the road. That fence won’t hold him if he gets angry again, and if he wanders too far on the other side of that meadow, he’ll get out that way.”
“Let me help. I know how to ride.” Caley tossed her purse on the hood of her car as if ready to saddle up that minute. “Ava can wait for me inside. I can drive back to the ranch and grab another horse—”
“No.” He bit the word off sharper than he meant to, but Caley had to be several cows short of a herd if she thought he’d let her anywhere near that ornery beast. “I’ll do it.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll stay in the back, and just be a deterrent for him not to run off to the side while you direct him. That’s what Max would do, right?”
Yes, but Max was a hired hand, and made of tough stock—and more importantly, not Brady’s responsibility. He crossed his own arms, mirroring her defensive stance. “A deterrent—and a distraction. Spitfire could just as easily charge you as he did me.”
“Then it’s a good thing you demonstrated such fabulous jumping skills.” A spark lit her eyes, one that held sass and even a little bit of longing. Caley wanted to risk her life to round up a stray bull? That didn’t match up with what he knew of her so far.
Though it did sort of match up with the lady he’d met last night on the roof.
Brady swung back into the saddle. Now wasn’t the time to figure out the puzzle that made up his new neighbor. Now was the time to get his four-legged major source of income back into the right pen.
Alone.
He adjusted his hat, then picked up the reins. “Sorry. But no.”
The disappointment in both Caley’s and Ava’s eyes twisted his gut, but he held his mouth steady and nudged Nugget with his boots. They’d have to go the long way around, since he didn’t particularly want to urge his mount over that fence a second time. Nor could he risk startling Spitfire again.
He glanced back at Caley and Ava, still planted in the driveway near the truck. “In the house, ladies.” He gestured over his shoulder toward her rental, wishing he’d passed down to Ava something besides his own stubborn streak. He swallowed hard. “Please.”
That did the trick. Caley picked up her purse and ushered Ava inside the house. He waited until the door shut firmly behind them before he turned back in the saddle and directed Nugget around the perimeter of the fence. There was a gate about a hundred yards around the bend. He’d slip in that way and come up behind the bull, then hopefully drive him back toward his separate pen. Of course, it’d help if he had a horse that wasn’t afraid of the beast.
Brady cast a glance back at Caley’s rental, and sighed.
And it’d help even more if he had a nanny who was.
Chapter Six
A
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