The Cowboy Comes Home

“Tonight?”

He nodded. “I asked him to come to supper, and he said yes.”

Great. She didn’t need this now, didn’t need to face Johnny again so soon.

She nodded and he climbed down from the table and ran off.

Nancy came in and cleared the table. “That’s a first, the boy going anywhere near a horse.”

Jess glanced at the housekeeper and nodded. “It shocked me, all right.”

“I can’t wait to get a good look at this Johnny Jameson.”

In her mid-forties, Nancy Griffith was full-figured. She had light brown hair that she wore pulled back into a ponytail, and had pretty hazel eyes and a smile that was as warm as she was herself. And since Jess’s mother died a few years ago, they had become the best of friends.

“Well, you can stroll down to the barn if you like.”

The housekeeper smiled. “I’ll just wait until supper.”

Jess thought about the man. She knew his type—he attracted women, and probably didn’t get turned down much. Well, she wasn’t going to be affected by him. “Nancy would you mind watching Brady for a while?”

“Of course not.”

“Good, I’m going to head back to the bakery for a few hours. I have my own business to run.” Before that she needed to show some Texas hospitality.

Johnny finished bringing his things upstairs to the two-room apartment. There was a living area and small kitchen. The other room held a queen-size bed and dresser. There was a tiny bathroom, with no tub, but a shower stall. That was plenty for him.

He sank into the well-worn leather sofa. Home. Until … At least for a few weeks. Not much longer than that. He’d always moved on when the mood struck him. He never wanted to get too attached to a place, especially when he felt he didn’t fit in. That was most of the time.

Yet, this ranch was a top-quality facility. Large stalls, a well-ventilated barn. Clay Calhoun had been serious about his horses.

He sank farther into the cushions. The past few years, he’d made good money because of his training skills. Moving around, he’d banked most of it. He’d invested some in stocks, and some in horses. Risky Business was his latest find. The previous owner deemed the young stallion untrainable and dangerous. Johnny got him at a steal. After a lot of patience and training, Risky had turned into a great horse. Johnny had even bred him. He thought back to the sweet mare that Jess Calhoun rode today. The two would produce a fine-looking foal.

His thoughts wandered toward Ms. Calhoun. She was one pretty woman. Not your typical rich rancher’s daughter. She’d ridden out on a cold January day to find her dad’s horse just like the hired hands.

She went by the name Calhoun and had a son, so was she divorced, or never married? Either way, he needed to stay clear of her. A woman with a child wasn’t a good thing. Not for him. He’d never fit into that mold. He flashed back to years ago, to his mother and her crazy boyfriend with the freewheeling fist. Nope, he didn’t do the family or commitment thing. He’d heard the word love tossed around enough to know that it had been meaningless to him. It had only been connected to hurtful memories. With love came trust, and it was hard to trust someone when they were beating the hell out of you.

But damn, Jess Calhoun was tempting enough to make him forget a lot of pain.

There was a knock at the door. “Come in.”

The door opened and Jess stuck her head in. “I wanted to bring by some sheets and towels. We didn’t know you were coming, so your bed isn’t made up.”

When he looked at her, he didn’t think about making up a bed. He stood. “It’s okay. I kind of sprung my arrival on you.”

“Not a problem. Storm needs help.” She nodded and glanced around nervously. “I hope the accommodations are satisfactory for you.”

If she’d only seen some of the places he’d lived in.

“I didn’t expect anything besides a bed in the bunkhouse. This is great.”

Johnny took the linens from her. Their hands brushed and he felt her jump. “Well, we want you to be comfortable.”

“I am, thank you.” He paused and rushed on to say, “Again, I want to apologize for letting Brady pet Risky earlier. I trust my horse, so I never once thought he might hurt the boy.”

She nodded. “I know I’m a little overprotective. I’m not used to Brady going to strangers, especially around horses.”

He couldn’t help but be intrigued by this woman’s situation. “What about Brady’s father?”

She glanced away. “He’s not in his life.”

Johnny felt his chest tighten. He knew what it was like to have no father. “I’m sorry.”

She sighed. “Some things are for the best. That was one of the reasons why my father and Brady were so close. We’ve all suffered greatly since his death.”

“I can understand that,” he told her. “I promise I won’t do anything to upset Brady. I only want to help Storm.”

“Good. I should go and let you get settled in.”

She headed for the door when Wes appeared. “Looks like I’m a little late for the welcoming committee.”

Jess nodded. “I’m leaving, so you can continue for me.” She was gone.

Wes stayed. “I just talked with Holt again,” the foreman said. “He told me to make sure you feel at home. So whatever you need let me know.”

“Everything is fine.”

Wes grinned. “We want to make sure you hang around for a while.”

“No promises. I agreed to work with Storm, but after that, we’ll see.”

“Fair enough.” Wes opened the door to leave.

“Supper is at six. See you then.”

Johnny wasn’t going to barge in on the Calhouns. “Look, Wes. I don’t have to go. I know the boy extended the invite but …”

“And Brady will probably have a million questions for you.” Wes paused. “Look, as you can see the boy has a big fear of horses mainly because of an incident with a spooked horse when he was a toddler. He’s really looking forward to talking to you at supper.” The foreman frowned. “And if the boy is taking an interest in you training Storm, I take it as a good sign.”

Johnny finally nodded. As long as the boy didn’t expect anything more than a few answers about horses. “I guess I can handle as many questions as he can ask.”

A smile spread across Wes’s face. “I suggest you stick around long enough to sample Jess’s dessert. That’s her specialty.”

The picture in Johnny’s head conjured a lot more than sweet confections. “Then I guess I should stay and have a taste.”

Johnny studied the big ranch-style house, which might have been built a hundred years ago. There had been several additions to the structure, including the large kitchen that had been remodeled recently with all the modern conveniences. There was a huge double oven and the gas cooktop had eight burners. The refrigerator was industrial-size. Then he learned that Jess’s late mother, Sandra, and Jess had begun making their homemade jellies and jams right here until Jess had outgrown the space. After her mother’s heart attack and death three years ago, Jess had opened up shop at another location on the ranch.

So Ms. Calhoun worked for a living.