Temporary Rancher

She returned the photo to its place on the sideboard. Okay. He wasn’t willing to go further down that road. He looked calm, almost as though he had no interest in the picture, but the muscles in his jaw betrayed him.

Probably a messy divorce. Join the club, buddy.

Clearly, the door had been slammed on any more discussion of his family. Silence fell, and she couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” he said at last.

She approached the desk and waited until he took a seat, before she slipped into the chair in front of him.

“I didn’t see a strange horse in the barn,” he told her. “So I assume you didn’t bring your own mount.”

Memories rushed in. The image of Ladybug, the sweet-faced mare she’d ridden for so long, still stung. With no way to take care of her, and Brad determined to hurt Riley in any way he could, she’d been forced to leave the animal behind, another victim of the divorce.

“No,” she said. “My ex-husband got the ranch and everything on it.”

“Sounds like you could have used a better divorce lawyer.”

Had she sounded bitter? Better work harder on that. “I came out of the marriage with what I wanted,” she said, as though unfazed by one of the most traumatic events of her entire life. “Do I need my own horse?”

“Not necessarily. I have ranch stock stabled at a friend’s right now. As soon as the main barn’s ready, I’ll move them over, and you can use one of them. I assume you can ride?”

Wow. After finding out she’d been less than honest just to get here, he really had no trust in her. She gave him a mild look, determined to be pleasant and professional. “Very well, actually.”

“Can you drive a stick shift?”

“Yes.”

“Even with a trailer attached?”

“We had a six-horse. I think I can manage.”

“What about an ATV?”

“No problem.”

“Do you know how to take care of horses?”

The way he looked at her was starting to bug her. As if he was trying to match her face to one he’d seen during his last visit to the post office. “In my résumé I told you we had horses,” she said briskly.

He cocked his head to one side. “Yes, well…I think we’ve already established that your résumé wasn’t…completely accurate. I’m simply trying to get a feel for what duties you’re capable of handling.”

She suppressed her annoyance. When it came to her employment for the next three weeks, this man held all the aces. “Yes. I know how to take care of them. My family had a small herd, and we always kept horses at the ranch my husband and I owned.”

“Can you groom?”

“Of course.”

“Pitch hay and carry bags of feed? You’re not very muscular.”

She opened her mouth to say something she shouldn’t, thought better of it, and instead said, “I’m stronger than I look. I’ll manage fine.”

“What about hoof care?”

“What about it?”

“Do you know how to clean and check for problems?”

“One of the first things my father ever taught me. No hooves, no horse.”

“Can you muck out a stall, Mrs. Palmer?”

His eyes were so watchful now. Did he expect her to balk at that lowly task?

Deliberately, she gave him her most winning smile. “With the best of them,” she said. “And really, Mr. Avenaco, if we’re going to get down to the nitty-gritty and talk horse manure, I think we should be on a first name basis. Please call me Riley.”

He gave a little snort and raised his eyebrow infinitesimally. She couldn’t tell if that was a bad sign or not. Then he turned his attention back to the desk, searching for something. Riley sat there, her insides feeling as though they’d just spent time against the rough side of a cheese grater.

Finally, he handed her a page torn from a legal pad. “This is the schedule for hauling hay to the pastures. You’ll need the truck for that. The ATV can be used to make smaller runs. Extra keys for both are on a hook in the tack room.”

She scanned the page of instructions. Nothing much out of the norm.

“I’d like to keep to this schedule as closely as possible,” he said. “If you can’t make a run, then I’ll do it.”

“I don’t see a problem.” She frowned as something caught her eye. “Pretty heavy on the protein supplements, considering it’s summer. They’ll sweat like crazy.”

“These animals are going to need a good set of chest muscles for police work.”

Darn. She should have realized that. She nodded, placed the paper inside her pad and smiled up at him. “All right. What else?”

He frowned. “What do you mean, what else? That’s it.”

“Surely there are other things you’ll need me to do.”

“If I think of any, I’ll let you know.”

The small blister of annoyance inside her got a little bigger. She sat straighter in her chair, fixing her eyes on him with intense determination. “Mr. Avenaco, let’s be clear with one another. You weren’t looking for a stable hand. You wanted a ranch manager. And while I’m perfectly willing to do the work you’ve just given me, I’m capable of handling a lot more than this.”

He tilted his head back slightly. “Mrs. Palmer—”

“Riley.”

“Riley. Since you’ll only be here until the end of the month, I don’t see the point of involving you in anything long-term.”

“Perhaps not. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, does it? Surely there are things you need help with besides grunt work. I’m good. I’m willing. You’ve already told me you don’t have the luxury of time to waste, so why not make the best use of it?”

Silence descended again as he seemed to consider her words. She saw the indecision in him, the way his shoulders shifted uncomfortably. His lips pursed to form a rejection but he never voiced it.

Instead he said in a polite, businesslike and slightly chilly tone, “Have you ever managed men?”