A Cowboy's Homecoming by Leigh Riker

Author:Leigh Riker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-05-13T21:18:03+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

NOAH’S PROBLEM AT the moment wasn’t last night’s storm, which had dumped another eight inches on the WB, but a text message from Zach.

He walked the barn aisle the next morning, checking on horses on stall rest—a gelding with a wheezing cough, a couple of cow ponies with stone bruises. Noah stopped to pat a velvety nose, straighten a forelock. He’d always loved animals, the best part for him of being on a working ranch again. He made an exception for Midnight, the black that had thrown him. Still, they’d made their tentative peace, unlike Noah with Kate.

Having too much fun for Cass and me to come home, Zach had written. Willow heading for Savannah. East Coast honeymoon blowout. Carry on, pal.

As soon as his brother had heard about Willow and Cody’s decision, Zach had obviously opted to stay wherever he was too. Talk about punishment. Noah had tried to call him, but Zach hadn’t answered. He’d also tried to reach Willow, whose only response to his message—Can’t stay at WB much longer, what’s your ETA now?—had been a curt I’ll see you when I see you.

Still, he didn’t mind ranch work as much as he had at first, or as a boy, maybe because Wilkins had cleared out. Calvin seemed to be adjusting to his new job, which left Noah a bit freer to focus on New York, where Brent wasn’t happy with him. The London-branch launch continued to be frustrating. Or was that problem Noah’s way of keeping clear of Kate, who was much closer next door than the company headquarters of J&B were in New York?

“Boss?” Calvin poked his head out of the tack room. “Soon as I finish here, I’m going to ride out to the far-west pasture. Snow knocked the gate down. If I don’t fix it quick, we’ll have Sweetheart Ranch stock over here.” Calvin ambled into the aisle then hesitated. “Uh, Wilkins held me back, overruled any suggestions I made. Want to thank you for putting your trust in me.”

“You’re doing all right, Calvin. I appreciate it.”

Most of all, he liked the fact that this new foreman—Noah’s foreman, his mom had dubbed Calvin—didn’t try to undercut him. As Calvin turned back toward the tack room, Noah said, “Second thought, think I’ll ride with you.”

“Sure, Boss.”

Noah went down the aisle to choose a horse from the WB string. His sister’s mare, Silver, seemed the wisest choice.

As he and Calvin rode on loose reins across the frozen ground, bridles jingling, they discussed plans for the rest of the winter. Noah wouldn’t be here that long, but Calvin had good ideas about the WB.

They were loping near the property line and that gate when Noah spied Kate and Teddie riding toward them from the opposite side. She drew up, but Teddie kept coming.

“We’re cowboys,” he said. “Are you looking, like us, for strays?”

“No, our gate needs attention.”

Kate hung back. “Don’t bother these men, Teddie, they have work to do.”

Instead, he nudged his pony closer to the fence between them and kept talking to Calvin.

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