“I see that now. Lewis saw me as a possession, not a person. It took me a long time to figure out I wasn’t wrong to be unhappy and even longer for me to leave. But I got out and found Fool’s Gold and now I have a home.” She sniffed. “I swear, I’m not going to cry.”
Heidi’s eyes were already bright. “You can. It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” Charlie grumbled. “Stop it. She’s here, she’s fine, she’s ha**g s*x with Shane. Where’s the bad?”
Annabelle grinned and her tears faded. “I’ve told you. The sex was a one-time thing. I’m not going to fall for a guy who doesn’t get me—and who doesn’t want all the complications of love.”
“I believe that. What I don’t believe is the sex not happening again. That’s what they all say. No one believes you, kid. You might as well accept that.”
Heidi shrugged. “She’s kind of right. I know I’m assuming you’ll do it again. The Stryker brothers are pretty irresistible.”
“You’ll see,” Annabelle told them, raising her chin. “I have amazing powers of resistance. I’ll stand firm.”
Charlie looked at Heidi. “Twenty bucks says she doesn’t last a week.”
Heidi picked up her margarita. “Sorry. No way I’m taking that bet!”
* * *
“IF YOU TELL ANYONE, there’s going to be trouble,” Shane muttered, leading Reno toward the barn.
“I assume you’re talking to him,” Charlie said. “Because if you’re talking to me, you’re absolutely right. There is going to be trouble.”
Shane wondered if hitting himself with a two-by-four a few times would make the day go better. Now he was being threatened by a woman. This had to be the low point of his life, because he couldn’t imagine it getting much worse.
Charlie was tall, only a couple of inches shorter than him, and strong. She had plenty of muscles. Still, he knew he outweighed her and was significantly stronger. However, she was female, which meant she would have an inherent advantage in any fight. Namely that he couldn’t fight back. It was how he’d been raised.
The pony trotted along beside him, calm and curious, ears forward. So far the animal had been friendly and a faithful companion to Priscilla.
He tied Reno to a post and grabbed a brush. “You sure about this?” he asked Charlie, deciding that ignoring her threat was the safest course of action. “Depending on her age and size, one of the horses would be better.”
“You’re a pony hater, which makes you unlikeable,” Charlie told him, collecting a second brush and starting on Reno’s other side. “Trust me. He’s the better choice. A horse would be too hard for Kalinda to get on. More important, if something goes wrong, we can just pull her off.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Yes. She needs to get out into the world. To experience things in a safe way.” Charlie glared at him, something she did a lot. “I’ve told you about the burns.”
“Yes. ‘Don’t be shocked, don’t stare. Just act normal.’ I’m not an idiot.”
“That’s yet to be seen.”
What he didn’t tell her, mostly because he wanted to keep his head firmly on his shoulders, was that he liked this side of Charlie. The sweet side that worried about a kid.
When she’d called that morning and asked if she could borrow Reno, he’d agreed. She’d shown up and explained the pony was for a ten-year-old burn victim. The previous summer, a gas barbecue had exploded, causing burns over forty percent of Kalinda’s body. All this time later, she was still having surgeries and healing.
Priscilla called from a nearby corral. She hadn’t wanted Reno to leave, so they’d compromised by bringing her closer to where Kalinda would ride. At least Wilbur and the cat family had been content to stay in Priscilla’s enclosure.
“My life used to be normal,” he muttered, dropping the blanket on Reno’s small back, then reaching for the saddle.
Charlie grinned at him. “If you wanted normal, you never should have moved back here. Didn’t your brother warn you?”
“I think he tried, but I didn’t believe him.”
They finished saddling Reno. Charlie grabbed the bridle and slipped in the bit. The pony didn’t protest and almost seemed happy with the process.
They’d barely finished when a car drove into the yard. Charlie waved and walked toward the vehicle. Shane stayed by Reno.
He reminded himself not to stare. The girl had been through enough. But Charlie’s warning hadn’t prepared him for the sight of Kalinda slowly, obviously painfully, getting out of the car.
Her face had scars that twisted red. Only her startlingly blue eyes were undamaged. They stared at him solemnly, as if expecting judgment. She wore a long-sleeved shirt over jeans and had a surgical glove on one hand.
Charlie walked toward her unhesitatingly. “Hey, kid. You made it. Wait until you meet Reno. He’s a cool pony. I think you’re going to like him.”
A pretty woman in her early thirties got out. She was blonde like her daughter, on the small side, with a worried frown pulling her eyebrows together.
“Hi, Charlie,” the woman said. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
Charlie put her arm around the mother. “Let’s see how it goes, Fay.”
“If you say so.”
The group approached. Shane smiled at Kalinda. “Hi. Welcome to the Castle Ranch. This is Reno and I’m Shane.”
“Hi, Shane,” the girl said in a soft voice. “I’m Kalinda.”
“Fay,” the mother said, stepping toward him and holding out her hand. “Thanks for doing this. We’re—” Fay’s eyes widened and she screamed. “Oh God! What is that?”
Shane groaned, wondering if Khatar had somehow gotten out again. He turned to see Priscilla walking toward them.
“My mother’s elephant,” he said. “Priscilla.”
“I’ll get her.” Charlie walked toward the large animal.
“Your mother has an e-elephant?” Fay stepped closer to her daughter, her mouth hanging open.
“It’s a long story.” He glanced at the girl, expecting to see the same amount of fear, but Kalinda was smiling.
“That’s so cool,” she whispered. “An elephant.”
“It’s more complicated than that,” Shane admitted. “My mom bought her without knowing much about elephants. Now that we’ve done research, we’ve learned female elephants are social. Which means Priscilla needs friends. We’ve been trying different animals to keep her company.” He patted Reno. “So far, this little guy is her favorite.”
Kalinda giggled. “They’d look pretty funny together.”
He found he liked that happy sound and wanted to hear it again. “There’s more. Back in her enclosure is a pig named Wilbur and a cat family. Priscilla watches over them.”
Kalinda grinned. “For real?”
“Yup. I’ll show you when we’re done here.” He patted the saddle. “Okay, let’s get you on this pony.”
They discussed the best way to get her on Reno. Her burns went down her front far enough to make bending difficult. So Shane simply picked her up and put her on the pony.
He was shocked by how little she weighed and how small she felt in his arms. Once she was settled in place, he showed her how to hold the reins in her good hand, then led her into the corral. He released Reno to close the gate, then turned back and found the pony was slowly walking around the ring. He would swear the animal was being extra careful not to jar his delicate rider.
Charlie and Priscilla moved closer to watch. Fay joined them, eventually moving close enough to cautiously stroke the elephant’s shoulder. Shane walked along with Reno, although he quickly realized the pony was very much in tune with his rider.
By the house, Persephone and her baby enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Khatar dozed in the shade of a tree. The llamas and sheep grazed. In this crowd, his racehorses weren’t even close to the most unusual animal around.
As Reno carried Kalinda carefully around and around the corral, Shane moved back to the fence and watched. Fay smiled at him, tears in her eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered as her daughter laughed. “She needs more things like this.”
He watched the girl move. “She’s doing well. After a few more sessions on Reno, she could move to one of the smaller horses. I have one in mind. He’s a good guy. Very gentle.”
“That would be great,” Fay told him. “I want to sign her up for lessons.”
Charlie leaned around Fay and punched him in the arm.
“What?” he asked, staring at her.
“You did good, cowboy. With all of this.”
“Thanks,” he said, consciously not reaching up to rub the spot that now burned like a sonofabitch.
Priscilla turned her massive head and if he didn’t know better, he would swear the elephant smiled at him.
* * *
“WE NEED MUSIC,” ANNABELLE called over her shoulder as Khatar cantered across the open land. With the wind in her hair and the sun bright overhead, it was a wonderful day. She was free, on the open range and loving life.
The powerful stallion moved smoothly, his muscles moving in an easy rhythm. When Shane had suggested they do more than ride around the corral, she’d been nervous, but now she got the appeal. She felt like she was in a movie. All that was missing was the soundtrack.
Shane, on Mason, moved up next to her. “My place is that way,” he said, pointing.
She glanced to her right and saw construction equipment, what looked like part of a foundation and the beginnings of a stable. Before she could figure out how to turn Khatar, the horse was already moving in that direction.
“You’re so good,” she said, leaning over to pat him.
He picked his way down a slight rise and came to a stop by what would be the house. It was Saturday and the crew wasn’t working, so the equipment was quiet. She couldn’t imagine how loud it would be midweek, with all the engines doing their thing.
Shane dismounted and came around to help her. While she could have gotten down by herself, she liked the idea of sliding into his arms. If she were a better actress, she might feign an injured ankle or something, so he had to hold her. As it was, she had to content herself with his hands briefly settling on her waist, then a quick moment of body contact as she turned toward him. Then he stepped back and motioned to the house.
“Want a tour?”
“Sure.”
They left the horses in the shade of a couple of trees. She followed him across a graded area of cleared land toward the foundation.
“Front door,” he said, pointing. “Entryway, living room beyond that. We’ll go around back.”
“Just like the hired help.”
He chuckled. “I’ll be coming in from the stable. The back door makes more sense.”
He led the way into a surprisingly large room. She could see where the door would be.
“The mudroom?” she asked.
He nodded. “Sink over there, with a counter. Lots of storage for boots, jackets, slickers.”
They went into what would be the kitchen. She pressed her hands together. “You listened and moved the wall.”
“I did. You made a good point.”
“What you’re thinking is, I’m pretty smart for a girl.”
“I would never think that.”
They went into the formal dining room and the oversize family room.
“Guest rooms that way,” he said pointing to the left. “Study in front of us and master down the other way.” He lightly put his hand on the small of her back. “There are more changes out here.”
They went back toward the stable.
“I’m clearing more land and expanding the barn. For the riding horses.”
She glanced up at him. “Really?”
“What the hell. I can’t get out of it now.”
She wasn’t fooled by his faux growly voice. “You like the kids and you like giving lessons.”
“Maybe.” He looked at her and grinned. “Okay, yeah. I do. Did Charlie tell you about Kalinda?”
“She mentioned the girl had been by. I know who she is. When she has to stay in the hospital for her surgeries, I take her books. She’s come a long way.”
“I heard.”
“The recovery has been difficult. She nearly died a couple of times. Her parents have been through so much. Charlie said she really liked riding.”
“Reno was great with her,” he said. “Patient. It was as if he understood her physical limitations. I’ve been doing some research online. About how riding helps kids with physical challenges. I’ve been thinking about getting a couple more horses, training them to work with kids who are handicapped. I don’t have a business plan yet, but it makes sense to offer something like that here.”
Well, crap. The last thing she needed was Shane acting like some hero, she thought, turning away so he wouldn’t see her going all gooey at the thought. He was hard enough to resist when he was a regular guy. If he did this, how could she stand a chance?
“Would you have time?” she asked.
“I’ll make time. There’s a guy in town, Raoul Moreno. He has a camp for disadvantaged children.”
She smiled. “I know Raoul. He’s a very handsome former football player.”
“He’s married. With kids.”