“I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything for your birthday today,” she said. “There’s just too much happening on Sundays. But don’t forget, we do a group thing at dinner on Friday with a sheet cake, as there are guests with birthdays this week.”
“That’s fine,” said Jamie, meaning it. “I don’t mind.” And he didn’t. Getting a new hat without getting yelled at was the best birthday present he could ask for. Plus, working at the ranch was turning into something good, and each day something he could look forward to. Plus, he wanted to earn more of those approving nods from Leland, and glances from those grey-blue eyes of his.
12
Leland
After getting the guests’ luggage to Cabin #1 and Cabin #2, and briefly talking with them about the lovely view and the activities planned for the week, Leland felt satisfied they were settled in, and bid them goodnight with a tip of his hat. Then he walked up the slope behind the cabins to the barn, going over a mental checklist in his head about everything he’d tended to that day, tasks he’d delegated, errands Clay had run for him. All was well, and now he could go for that ride he’d been hoping for.
Brody, ever efficient, waited at the open barn doors with Buster, all saddled and ready to go.
“Thank you, Brody,” he said as he mounted the bay gelding.
“You bet, boss,” said Brody as he patted Buster’s neck and played with the gelding’s black mane. “I know how you like your rides.”
Tapping his hat brim, Leland urged Buster into a fast walk, heading down the dirt road toward the gate. Buster wasn’t very energetic, but he was responsive and sweet and seemed willing to go where Leland wanted him to, easing into a canter as they followed the road through the trees.
They cantered some and walked some while Leland surveyed the terrain and checked on the height of the grasses around the parking lot and the condition of the split-rail fence that followed the creek, which was mostly for decorative purposes. Then he guided Buster back up the road, riding all the way through the ranch, going as far as the low hills above the corral. There, on the top of a small rise, he settled back in Buster’s saddle, where he could see everything from Iron Mountain all the way out to the plains.
The sun was coming through the clouds like soft, grey bars of metal against the pale blue sky, touching the landscape to silver as it set. A bit of a wind picked up, making the air turn cool quite fast.
Buster snorted and started to walk back to the ranch all on his own say-so, though Leland had not given him the command. He patted the gelding’s neck anyway and didn’t pull back on the reins because the horse knew it was time for him to get that saddle off and relax with his pals.
“There you go, Buster,” he said to the gelding as he tucked his legs in close, enjoying the strength and movement of the horse beneath him. “We’ll get you home, right quick.”
As they trotted back to the barn, Leland saw Jamie heading through the trees. He had barn dust on his shoulders, and strands of hay in his hair, and must have disobeyed orders and helped with evening chores in the barn.
Making a mental note to scold his newest ranch hand in the morning, Leland took Buster into the barn, gave him a good grooming, put the saddle on its long peg on the wall, and nodded at Brody who came over to wipe the saddle down. Then he headed along the same path Jamie had taken as he went back to his own cabin and told himself he wasn’t hoping Jamie had lingered on the steps of the staff quarters so they might have a chance visit.
At his cabin, he went inside, doffed his boots and hat and, sock footed, grabbing a root beer, walked back out to the front porch. There, he sat in one of the Adirondack chairs and drank his root beer, enjoying the tang on his tongue while the darkness grew around him. When the automatic porch light went off, it got even darker. A cool wind blew through the tops of the trees as the stars flickered brightly among the top branches.
Balancing the bottle of root beer on one armrest, he held onto the other armrest, gripping and letting go, gripping and letting go, letting his mind wander. And thought about the ranch and all the land around as it sloped down from Iron Mountain. He pictured the herd of horses, all different colors, some brown, some speckled, some white, manes tossing, ears flicking for danger. And smiled at the idea of so many guests from all over the world, bringing with them a range of expressions and smiles, all of their hearts open for a new adventure. And dipped his chin as he thought about the people he worked with.
Sometimes he could not imagine doing anything else with anyone else, brave, funny souls, every single one. And now they had added Jamie to their number, Jamie who had shown up unexpectedly and who was already looking like he felt more at home. He was confident in some ways, gentle in others. That dark, curly hair over his green eyes. Those shoulders that needed muscle and food to fill out. A half-empty duffle bag full of broken dreams.
Oh, Leland was tired, that’s what it was. Tired and still wired from the day full of guests arriving, everybody busy, as it usually was on a Sunday.
He took another swallow of his root beer and winced at the bite of it at the back of his throat. Standing up, he scraped his hands through his hair and blinked as the porch light came on, triggered by his sudden movement.
The light showed Leland the porch with two empty wooden chairs and the empty path leading through the trees. Beyond the porch light was a resting world, waiting for the sunrise to become active and alive. And somewhere, a young man was going to bed, seemingly grateful he had a job, but for some reason, not reassured, had worked more than he’d been told to.
The concern wasn’t just about helping Jamie understand what to do to keep that job, it was more. It was about showing Jamie that not only did he have a fresh start, but that people at the ranch wanted to help him. They weren’t all out to get him, and certainly Leland wasn’t planning to trip him up at the first opportunity. What he wanted for Jamie—
What did he want? To help him? Or was it something else?
Typically, when he hired staff from Templeton’s, they arrived fully aware of the standards the ranch expected from them. This young man, this city boy, was not only out of his depth as far as working on a ranch, his life had been rough up to this point. And why was he thinking about Jamie so deeply?
Leland’s impulses were honorable, of course they were. He was going to teach Jamie what he needed to know in order to help him be successful, whether on the ranch or off it.
He dipped his head at the thought of Jamie going on his way at the end of the season, never to be seen again. He couldn’t be thinking like that. Jamie was a member of staff, and Leland was in charge. It was his job to be responsible for everyone on the ranch. And that included looking after a wide-eyed youngster who could not possibly know he was the focus of such nighttime thoughts.
Nighttime thoughts that included the memory of the two of them alone in the ranch’s store together. They’d been close, and Leland had taken a good hard look at Jamie, seeing details about him the way he’d not noticed before.
Jamie had green eyes, yes, but they sparkled in the electric light, his hair curling over one eye like it had a mind of its own. Leland’s body also had a mind of its own, reacting with silent, just-below-the-skin impulses he’d not known quite know what to do with. They’d been alone in the store, and there was only one overhead light on, filling the corners with shadows, as though they were in a secret place, all their own.
Leland sighed and looked out through the trees and inhaled the crisp pine scent of the breeze. Maybe some of his impulses weren’t honorable. He needed to be wary of where his thoughts might take him. Needed to make sure that any attention he paid Jamie was because it was necessary, to instruct, to guide, to teach. Just the way he always did with new ranch hands. Trouble was, this one was different. This one had broken through barriers Leland had not realized he’d built.
Needing to re-erect those barriers, Leland finished his root beer, took a quick shower, and worked through paperwork before calling it an early night. Each moment, he focused on what he needed to do for the ranch, how he needed to expect problems before they happened, how he needed to make sure guests were having a good time.
