High Lonesome by Stacey Coverstone Page B

was reflecting. “She needed clothes. By the way, we’re calling her Beth.”
    “Okay.”
    “How’s your day going?” he asked to change the subject. A bit of disappointment as to her earlier choice to hide in the cabin with Rowdy during work hours lingered, but he was not a man to beat a dead horse. He’d stated his peace earlier and hoped both she and his wrangler had learned a lesson.
    “Fine. I’m getting ready to wash the cabin towels.” She returned the subject to Beth. “Has she remembered anything about her life yet?”
    “No. Not really. Buddy’s putting an APB out on the wire. There has to be someone somewhere who knows her. Have you seen Willow lately?”
    “I think she’s in her room taking a nap. I heard her tell Carmen she stayed up too late last night at her friend’s house.”
    “Thanks. I’ll go check on her.” He turned to leave, and then stopped. “Are Rowdy and Cody out with the guests right now?” he asked over his shoulder. He wanted to make sure Rowdy was doing his share and not leaving the other wrangler with all the work.
    “Yes. They’ve taken them on the lower trails today.”
    “Okay. See ya later.”
    Scott peeked into Willow’s room and found her snoring away. He tiptoed to her bed and placed a light kiss on her forehead, not wanting to wake her. A grin filled his face when he saw she was still wearing her pink boots. Closing the door softly behind him, he strolled down the hall to the kitchen, where he found Beth and Carmen sharing tea and conversation around the island. “Willow’s asleep,” he announced.
    “She’s tired,” Carmen said. “The girl’s just a baby and too young for sleepovers.” She gave Scott the eye. She was quick to reprimand him who was more of a son than a boss, but just as eager to serve him. “Do you want a cup of coffee? I can fix you a snack if you want one.” She pushed away from the island and started for the fridge.
    “No, I’m good. We had lunch in town. Sit back down and take it easy. There’s nothing for you to do at the moment. The guests are out with the boys. Relax for a change.”
    “There’s plenty for me to do, but okay. You’re the boss.” Carmen resumed her seat without further argument.
    “I see Beth has shown you a couple of her new purchases,” Scott said.
    Kicking her leg out, Beth grinned and reiterated, “I just love these boots. And the hat, too. I feel empowered. Is that weird?”
    “They say clothes make the woman,” Carmen said. “Take me for example.” She balled her apron up into her fist and laughed.
    “You’re going to love those boots even more once they’re broken in and all scuffed up,” Scott said. “If you’re not tired and ready to give it a try, I thought we could go riding.”
    “Right now?” Her face sobered.
    His heart beat faster at thinking she’d changed her mind. “Only if you want.”
    “I don’t know how to ride, remember?”
    “I’ll give you a lesson.” Boy was he pushing it. But behind her dark eyes smoldered a woman who had awakened a hunger inside of him so intense. There was no use in denying it. He wanted to get to know her better, and not waste any time.
    It seemed to take an eternity for her to answer. “I’m not tired. We can go now, I guess.”
    Electric currents pulsed between them, and a slow smile tipped his mouth. “Finish your tea first. There’s no rush.”
    “I’ll watch Willow,” Carmen offered. “She can help me make biscuits when she wakes up. You two have fun. It’s a perfect day for a horseback ride.” She gave Scott a subtle wink as he passed by to grab two water bottles for them from the fridge.
     
    ****
     
    At the barn, Scott chose an older chestnut quarter horse by the name of Sundance for her. “Since we have no idea whether you’ve ridden before, I don’t want to take any chances. We call Sundance old reliable around here. He likes to take it slow down the trail.” Scott tied both the quarter horse and his mare to an