He chuckled. “He’s not that bad. Like I said, it’s just his way of keeping his grandfather a little longer.” He expected some show of sympathy. Most women would express empathy for a person who lost someone close to them, but not Riley.
“I need to get Lady’s stall ready then move some of these horses out to the north corral before heading back to Cole’s with Cyclone. By then I should be able to work on that fence rail. Is there anything else I need to know?”
Once again, her tone turned authoritative. He stiffened, more used to giving the orders than taking them. “No, that’s it. I’ll be back in a couple days.”
“This time I’ll be ready.” She turned toward him and offered her hand. “Good to meet you, Garrett. Welcome to Last Chance.”
Surprised, he shook her hand before she pulled on the gloves and headed for the loft, where bags of shavings were stacked. Clearly dismissed, he strode out of the barn and toward his truck.
He’d always been one of those people who could meet someone and within minutes sense what they were about. That wasn’t the case with Riley. She bothered him like a flame that won’t go out. He wasn’t used to being unsure about a person.
He couldn’t help but watch her lead Cyclone back out to the south corral. As she closed the gate behind the “big guy,” she caught sight of him and gave him a lazy salute kind of wave before striding back to the barn, her mind on nothing but her work.
On one hand, he liked her. She appeared to have a good heart when it came to animals. For people, not so much. She was obviously a good worker, but seemed to hold a grudge for some reason. One minute she was almost warm and the next telling him what to do.
He closed the passenger door of the truck before walking around to the driver’s side. Reaching in from where he stood, he put the keys in the ignition and turned it on, putting the air conditioner on full blast before closing the door and striding to the front of the pick-up.
Riley had returned Cyclone to the south corral with the broken fence. Obviously, she wasn’t concerned that he’d leave.
Lady was prancing in small circles near her end of the north corral as Cyclone stood watching her. And to think, some people believed animals had no emotions. If he were to hazard a guess on what was taking place, he’d say that Lady was being a sore winner and Cyclone was stewing over it. Then again, he wasn’t a horse whisperer.
He had, however, considered himself a bit of a people whisperer though, but with Riley, he doubted anyone knew what made her tick. Shaking his head, he returned to the driver’s side of the truck and climbed into the now cooler cab.
Putting the truck into gear, he scanned the immediate vicinity for one more glance of her, but she was still busy in the barn. He hadn’t known what to expect when he accepted Cole’s job offer, but now he was looking forward to returning to Last Chance, even if it was just to study Riley O’Hare further.
And studying was all it would be. He knew better than to have an interest in a woman. That door closed five years ago.
Riley finished the last bite of mashed potatoes and wiped her mouth. Though she preferred having dinner with just Annette and Ed, she had to admit, Cole’s grandmother went all out when the whole family came by…or most of it.
Cole, the big sometimes cowboy and all-the-time firefighter, had offered her room and board to “help out” on Last Chance. However, her room and board were actually provided by his grandmother in the main house. Her “boss” lived in his new home with his wife, Lacey, a petite blonde who had him wrapped around her little finger.
She liked the arrangements because, except for Annette babysitting Logan’s daughter three days a week, it was normally pretty quiet. In addition, despite Annette’s age, she was a tough rancher through and through, the kind of woman Riley liked.
“Are you all packed and ready for your cruise?” Lacey flicked her braid over her shoulder and looked at Annette expectantly.
The older woman shrugged. “As much as I’m willing to lug on a plane and a boat.” She glanced at her husband, who was grinning ear to ear. “This one will need a separate truck for his luggage.”
Ed laughed loudly as he put his arm around his wife. “It’s not every day my better half turns seventy-five.”
Dr. Jenna, who was five-feet-five inches of no nonsense, looked at Logan. “Now that’s true love.”
The man nodded before turning to his daughter in a high chair between him and Annette. “What do you think, Charlotte? Is that true love?”
Three-year-old Charlotte dropped her sippy cup at that moment and leaned over her chair, her hand opening and closing. “I want cup.”
“I want my cup, please.” Annette bent over and put it back on the tray for the little girl, eliciting a grin before she promptly lifted it with two hands and drank. The older woman’s brow furrowed as she studied her grandson. “Are you sure you can handle her for two weeks?”
Logan brushed his daughter’s hair back out of her eyes. “I’m looking forward to spending time with my daughter.”
Dr. Jenna chimed in. “And we’re going up to the Grand Canyon for the weekend.”
Trace, Logan’s brother and the easy-going one in the family with a ready smile, shook his head. “You know she’s not going to remember seeing it. She’s too young.”
“Who said anything about seeing the Grand Canyon?” Logan smirked. “We’re just going up there to get out of this blistering heat.”
Whisper leaned in toward Riley. “I don’t see anything wrong with the heat.” Then she returned her attention to the family. “We’re headed to Vegas. Uncle Joey has had that city on his bucket list since before his stroke, so Trace and I are making it happen.”
Riley couldn’t keep silent any longer. “What about you, Cole? Are you off for the weekend, too?”
