mistake. Nikki congratulated them all on passing the test—one of the most important—and promised to join them later for lunch.
They helped put away the saddle, blanket and brush, leaving the wooden horse for the next day, and were headed for their bunkhouses when a shiny blue pickup with a long trailer behind it drove up the lane.
“It’s Tanner!” Billy shouted, and ran to meet the truck as it came to a stop near the barn.
Nikki’s heart seemed to stop, then resumed to pound in her chest. She could barely breathe. This was the moment she had been waiting for. She would finally get a chance to meet her brother.
Jules came hurrying from the house, a toddler running in front of her. “Daddeeee!” the little boy shouted.
At Nikki’s initial interview, Jules had mentioned they had a son, but this was Nikki’s first opportunity to see the little boy, and she watched him run to his dad.
When the driver’s door of the truck opened, a tall man wearing a black hat scooped up the small boy. AsJules reached the pair, another man exited the truck on the other side. Nikki wished she’d known more about these people before she’d come to the ranch, but there’d been only so much she could learn without asking questions, and she’d been afraid doing that would raise suspicions.
Tugging on her husband’s hand, Jules brought him to where Nikki and the others stood. “I want you to meet someone,” she told him, and smiled at Nikki. “Nikki, this is my husband, Tanner O’Brien. Tanner, Nikki Johannson is our new housemother, and she’s also teaching the boys to ride.”
He touched the brim of his hat with his fingers and smiled. “Pleased to meet you, Nikki.”
Nikki tried to calm her galloping heart, and her legs threatened to stop supporting her, but she tried to hide it. “Your wife was very kind to give me the job, Mr. O’Brien,” Nikki managed to say, feeling tongue-tied.
“It’s Tanner,” he said. “We’ve never stood on ceremony at the Rocking O.”
Jules tickled her son’s neck with her fingers, making him giggle. “You haven’t met Wyoming, have you, Nikki?” she asked.
“No, but it’s easy to see he’s his daddy’s boy,” Nikki replied.
“He’s two,” Jules said, reaching for the little boy, who clung to his daddy’s neck and wailed. “Come on, sweetheart,” she told him. “Daddy needs to take care of the horses. We’ll have our time with him later.”
After he’d given her the boy and added a quick kiss, Tanner went around to the back of the trailer to help the other man with the horses. Jules passed Nikki and patted her shoulder, and Nikki was left to watch the man she hadn’t known existed until she was thirteen. Therewas no doubt in her mind that she and Tanner O’Brien shared the same family tree. She longed to tell him who she was, but her mother had warned her not to contact him. She hadn’t yet decided if she would risk that and thought it might be best if she waited until he knew her better. Until then, she would remain silent about their kinship, but she hoped with all her heart that someday she could reveal her secret.
Chapter Four
Now that the horses had arrived, the boys talked nonstop about riding. That evening, they all attended a barbecue at the O’Briens’ to welcome Tanner home, and the boys were still wound tight from the excitement of the day. Getting them to settle down and go to sleep was proving to be a major chore.
“You’ll ask him, won’t you?” Billy begged, not for the first time.
“As soon as I can,” Nikki answered, knowing he meant Mac. “But it isn’t going to happen if you all don’t get in your rooms and go to bed.”
Ray bounced on his bed, his eyes bright and eager. “Just tell him we can saddle our horses now, so we’re ready to ride. ”
Nikki rested her hand gently on his shoulder, hoping she could calm him. “Be patient, Ray. You’ll be riding like you’ve been on a horse all your life soon.”
Benito seemed
They helped put away the saddle, blanket and brush, leaving the wooden horse for the next day, and were headed for their bunkhouses when a shiny blue pickup with a long trailer behind it drove up the lane.
“It’s Tanner!” Billy shouted, and ran to meet the truck as it came to a stop near the barn.
Nikki’s heart seemed to stop, then resumed to pound in her chest. She could barely breathe. This was the moment she had been waiting for. She would finally get a chance to meet her brother.
Jules came hurrying from the house, a toddler running in front of her. “Daddeeee!” the little boy shouted.
At Nikki’s initial interview, Jules had mentioned they had a son, but this was Nikki’s first opportunity to see the little boy, and she watched him run to his dad.
When the driver’s door of the truck opened, a tall man wearing a black hat scooped up the small boy. AsJules reached the pair, another man exited the truck on the other side. Nikki wished she’d known more about these people before she’d come to the ranch, but there’d been only so much she could learn without asking questions, and she’d been afraid doing that would raise suspicions.
Tugging on her husband’s hand, Jules brought him to where Nikki and the others stood. “I want you to meet someone,” she told him, and smiled at Nikki. “Nikki, this is my husband, Tanner O’Brien. Tanner, Nikki Johannson is our new housemother, and she’s also teaching the boys to ride.”
He touched the brim of his hat with his fingers and smiled. “Pleased to meet you, Nikki.”
Nikki tried to calm her galloping heart, and her legs threatened to stop supporting her, but she tried to hide it. “Your wife was very kind to give me the job, Mr. O’Brien,” Nikki managed to say, feeling tongue-tied.
“It’s Tanner,” he said. “We’ve never stood on ceremony at the Rocking O.”
Jules tickled her son’s neck with her fingers, making him giggle. “You haven’t met Wyoming, have you, Nikki?” she asked.
“No, but it’s easy to see he’s his daddy’s boy,” Nikki replied.
“He’s two,” Jules said, reaching for the little boy, who clung to his daddy’s neck and wailed. “Come on, sweetheart,” she told him. “Daddy needs to take care of the horses. We’ll have our time with him later.”
After he’d given her the boy and added a quick kiss, Tanner went around to the back of the trailer to help the other man with the horses. Jules passed Nikki and patted her shoulder, and Nikki was left to watch the man she hadn’t known existed until she was thirteen. Therewas no doubt in her mind that she and Tanner O’Brien shared the same family tree. She longed to tell him who she was, but her mother had warned her not to contact him. She hadn’t yet decided if she would risk that and thought it might be best if she waited until he knew her better. Until then, she would remain silent about their kinship, but she hoped with all her heart that someday she could reveal her secret.
Chapter Four
Now that the horses had arrived, the boys talked nonstop about riding. That evening, they all attended a barbecue at the O’Briens’ to welcome Tanner home, and the boys were still wound tight from the excitement of the day. Getting them to settle down and go to sleep was proving to be a major chore.
“You’ll ask him, won’t you?” Billy begged, not for the first time.
“As soon as I can,” Nikki answered, knowing he meant Mac. “But it isn’t going to happen if you all don’t get in your rooms and go to bed.”
Ray bounced on his bed, his eyes bright and eager. “Just tell him we can saddle our horses now, so we’re ready to ride. ”
Nikki rested her hand gently on his shoulder, hoping she could calm him. “Be patient, Ray. You’ll be riding like you’ve been on a horse all your life soon.”
Benito seemed
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