“But Nana did say she bought a new mare,” Clara continued. “I’d like to see her when we get back from the appointment if you’ve got time.”
“Should. All I’ve got on the schedule is a lesson with Trinity’s daughter.”
“Trinity Tillman?”
Spencer nodded. “Yeah. Her daughter is a certified horse girl. I thought the new horse might be a good fit for her.”
“Never thought you’d be in the business of giving riding lessons.” Clara gave him a look.
“Never thought I’d do anything other than cattle ranching.” He shrugged. “But things change.”
It startled him when his sister reached out and touched his forearm, her tone filling with sincerity when she said, “I know I never thanked you for stepping in to help save the ranch. Without you, our family could have lost this beautiful place. Youreally saved the day, Spencer, and everyone in the Major family is grateful. I know I am.”
Clara looked around the kitchen, which had grown quieter now as guests filtered into the dining room with their breakfast plates and mugs of coffee. Even Nana Jo had stepped out to place the finished fruit salad on a buffet table next to a pile of the sweetest smelling cinnamon rolls.
“I was glad to be in a position where I could help.” He drained the last sip of coffee from his cup with a big gulp. “And I’m thankful for the opportunity to build a place of my own on this land.”
“That’s also something I’d like to check out later today. New horse, new house. Lots of changes around here.”
It was a lot of newness, Spencer supposed, but all good things so that made it easier to adjust. “You’ll fill me in on the appointment?” He arched his brow. “I don’t think Nana tells me everything that’s going on.”
“Oh, I think there’s a lot that Nana doesn’t tell any of us. That woman likes to think she can do it all on her own, but there’s no shame in asking for a little help every now and then,” Clara said. “But yes, I’ll keep you posted. You know I’ve never been able to keep anything from you.”
“And vice versa,” he said. He sometimes wondered if that was just a twin thing.
“That means you’ll have to tell me all about Trinity later, too.”
Spencer’s spine pulled taut, his brow line drawing over his eyes. “What about Trinity? Nothing going on there.” What had his grandmother said?
“Sure, there isn’t.” Clara smirked.
“Seriously, there’s not.”
Clara still didn’t believe him, her scrutinizing eyes pinning him in place. “I’ll only report back about Grandma if you come clean about the real reason you want to give lessons.”
“The real reason is that I think we’ve finally got a horse that would be a good teacher.”
“Mmm, hmm.” Clara wasn’t buying any of it. “If you say so.”
Spencer was done with the runaround. Between his twin sister and his grandmother, he’d had his share of evasive talk lately.
Popping a donut hole into his mouth from the pink box left on the counter, he tipped the front of his cowboy hat. “Gotta run. Meeting Lance in fifteen.”
“Tell him hi for me. I still need to venture up the Summit to check out his shop.”
“It’s been open for several years,” Spencer pointed out. “You know, if you would visit more often, you wouldn’t have to keep familiarizing yourself with this place.”
Clara gave her brother a slug in the arm. “Hey, I’m here now, aren’t I?”
He figured he should just be grateful for that. Enough with the teasing. He pulled her into a hug and said, “You are. And thank you. It means a lot to Nana. And to me.”
Rolling her eyes rather than accepting the compliment, Clara just grinned.
It was good to have her back, even if it was just for a few days.
“These should fit.”Lance handed Spencer a brand-new shoe box, the weight of it surprising him even though he knew based on the display pair that they were made of genuine leather. Lotsof times, manufacturers would skimp on quality when it came to kids’ shoes. Apparently, not so with riding boots.
“We should have a helmet in her size, too,” his cousin said. “Just got a big shipment that’s still in the back that I haven’t had the chance to unpack. I’ll go see what I can find.”
