“How’s motherhood?” she asked as Montana got each of them a glass of iced tea. “Are you sleeping?”
“No, but I’m napping, so that helps.”
They walked into the family room and settled on the large sectional. Montana stared at her daughter and smiled.
“The new mother thing is terrifying, but just when I think I can’t take it or don’t know what to do, someone stops by to visit or calls and gets me through it. Mom is great. She had six, so if anyone knows what she’s doing, it’s her.”
Annabelle nodded, doing her best to only feel happy for Montana and not sad for herself.
She always heard that during a divorce, parents argued about who was allowed to see the children more. In her case, her parents had fought about who got stuck with her. Neither had wanted custody and she had a feeling if there had been a way to return her to sender, they would have done it.
The baby waved her arms again. Montana glanced at Annabelle. “Want to hold her?”
“I’d love to.”
Montana carefully picked up her daughter and handed her over. Annabelle took her gently, supporting her head and cradling her body.
Skye was bright-eyed, with a perfect rosebud mouth and tiny little hands. She was small, barely weighing anything at all. “She’s so precious. I would spend my whole day staring at her.”
“I do,” Montana admitted with a laugh. “I’ve become one of those annoying women who only wants to talk about her child. To me, she’s a miracle. Simon is just as crazy about her. He races home to see her. Cece, our poodle, is totally in love with her, too. Skye gets greeted first when Cece comes in with Simon.”
Annabelle knew that Cece was more than a pet. The toy poodle was also a service dog who worked with children receiving medical care at the hospital. Because of her lack of dander and ability to be kept clean, she was allowed in the burn ward, where Dr. Simon Bradley worked his magic.
“You have the perfect family,” Annabelle murmured, gently rocking the little girl. Big green eyes stared up at her.
“I do.” Montana relaxed back against the sofa. “Simon and I are so lucky. We both want to have more kids, but first we’re going to enjoy every second we have with Skye.”
Annabelle lightly touched the baby’s perfect, tiny hands. “How could you not instantly fall in love with her?”
“Feeling the twinge?” Montana asked. “I’ve been getting that from a lot from people.”
“Some,” Annabelle admitted. “I was married before and I figured we’d have kids. When the marriage ended, I was glad we didn’t. But now…”
“Would it be tacky to ask about Shane? I’m hearing rumors.”
Annabelle hoped she didn’t blush. “There’s nothing much to say. We’re friends. He’s teaching me to ride for the Máa-zib ceremony fundraiser. The Dance of the Horse.”
“He’s a good-looking cowboy. That’s kind of irresistible.”
Annabelle smiled. “Maybe. A little.”
He was also an excellent kisser and sometimes, when he looked at her like she was the last woman on earth, her knees went more than a little weak.
“He would be an easy guy to fall for,” she admitted.
“Is that bad?” Montana asked.
“I don’t know. He has issues, but then, so do I.”
“Love is worth the risk.”
“So speaks the woman who has it all.”
* * *
“TROUBLE IN PARADISE?” Rafe asked.
Shane stared at Priscilla. He wasn’t much of a pachyderm expert, but if he had to guess, he would say she wasn’t happy.
“I don’t know,” Shane admitted. “She’s not interacting with the pregnant mares anymore.”
“Maybe it was a fling.” Rafe chuckled.
Shane narrowed his gaze. “You want to be responsible for her? Because I’m happy to tell Mom you volunteered.”
Rafe raised his arms in a gesture of surrender and took a step back. “No, thanks. You’re doing a great job.”
“I figured you’d say something like that.” He turned back to the trailer, where not one, not two, but four horses were being unloaded, and held in a groan. As promised, Mayor Marsha had come through with animals suitable for riding.
He’d tried to get out of the purchase, but when he’d balked, his mother had simply written a check. Now the horses and gear were being delivered. Horses he didn’t want for him to teach little girls he didn’t know how to ride.
“You’ll be fine,” Rafe assured him.
“I don’t think so.” He squinted as a fifth animal was led down the ramp. “Hold on a damn minute. What the hell is that?”
Rafe glanced toward the trailer and chuckled. “Looks like a pony to me.”
“I said no ponies. I hate ponies. Mean-spirited little shits.” He stalked toward the guy leading a small brown pony down the ramp. “Stop. There’s no pony. I didn’t buy a pony.”
“I know,” the driver said cheerfully. “You’re getting him for free.”
“I don’t want him.”
“He’s actually a pretty good guy. Name’s Reno.”
Shane assumed the guy meant the pony rather than himself. “No ponies,” he said between gritted teeth.
The driver grunted. “Okay. If you insist.”
“I do.”
The man tied Reno to the fence and walked toward the other four horses. “Where do you want them?”
“Over here. I’ll keep them close to each other while they get settled.” He’d prepared four stalls in the barn.
Rafe joined them. It didn’t take long for them to get the horses settled. Shane compared the items delivered with the invoice and carefully crossed off the line about Reno being “thrown in for good measure.” He and Rafe then waited while the truck driver called his office.
“You got to admit, the pony’s funny,” Rafe said.
“Not to me.”
“Good thing Mom’s not here. She would insist he stay.”
“Then I’m glad they left for Tahoe this morning.” He glared at his brother. “She’s not to know about this.”
“That you’re turning out a poor, old, homeless pony? What’s he supposed to do now? Who’s going to take care of him?”
“The guy who owned him in the first place.”
No way Shane was going to back down on this one. He’d never met a horse he couldn’t handle, but ponies were another matter entirely. As far as he was concerned, they were vicious animals who terrorized kids and took great pleasure in their actions. He’d been six when a pony had thrown him, then tried to trample him at a local farm. Rafe had been the one to pull him from beneath the sharp hooves.
Rafe glanced back toward the stable. “You’re taking on a lot.”
“The riding lessons?” Shane shrugged. “I couldn’t figure out how to say no. It’s a few lessons. How much time could it take?”
“Not a question you want to ask,” Rafe told him. “It’s this town. One minute you’re minding your own business, the next it’s sucking you in. Look at me. I’m moving my whole company here. Dante’s not happy.”
“He’ll get over it. He’s a lawyer. He lives to compromise.”
Rafe chuckled. “He’d prefer to win, but he’s dealing. He’s driving over in the next week or so and we’re going to find a suitable space. Anything we buy will have to be remodeled which means commuting or renting something temporary.”
Shane knew his brother nearly as well as he knew himself. “You’ll rent close,” he said confidently. “Heidi likes having you around.”
Rafe nodded. “I like being around her, too.”
Because making his bride-to-be happy was what Rafe lived for. Shane could remember when his brother had lived for the deal. Much like Dante, he wanted to win. But all that had changed when he’d fallen in love.
Shane had acted the same way. Maybe it was part of the Stryker DNA. Their mother had mourned the loss of their father for decades. Until she’d met Glen, over twenty years later. He didn’t want to be like that—waiting that long until he was willing to trust again.
The delivery guy ended his call and walked toward him. “Okay, I’ve been cleared to take back Reno. Where’d you put him?”
Shane glanced toward the fence line, where the pony had been last. The animal was gone.
“We didn’t move him.”
The other man shook his head. “I tied him up myself. He couldn’t have gotten away.”
“Evidence to the contrary,” Rafe murmured.
“This is just like a pony,” Shane said, looking around. He didn’t see him by the barn or the house. Not in the garden or the—
Rafe nudged him. “I think you’ve got a problem, bro.”
Shane turned and saw that Reno had made his way to the elephant enclosure. Priscilla stood right by her fence, her trunk slipping between rails as she rubbed Reno’s bony back in a gesture even a human could tell was an invitation to be friends.
Beside him, Rafe started to chuckle.
Mayor Marsha had been right. The cats probably weren’t enough companionship for a social animal like Priscilla. The mysterious Wilbur hadn’t arrived yet and the mares hadn’t bonded with the elephant. Which meant he couldn’t turn away the pony, no matter how much he wanted to.
“Well, damn,” he said, then turned to the delivery guy. “Just leave him.”
“You sure?”
No. He wasn’t sure. This was hell. He’d been happy to be coming back to Fool’s Gold, to buy land and start his breeding program. What he’d gotten for his trouble was a bunch of animals he didn’t want, a woman he couldn’t forget and a sense his life was being managed by forces he couldn’t understand or control.
Rafe patted him on the back. “Reno is one of us now, Shane. You’d better get used to it.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
ANNABELLE PARKED BY the house on the ranch and quickly got out. She hurried to the corral where four unfamiliar horses waited. Shane carried saddles out of the barn. As usual, the sight of him doing something tough and manly set her girly hormones humming in appreciation. She ignored the quiver in her tummy and the desire to feel his mouth on hers and focused on the more important question.
“Is it true?” she asked when she saw him. “Did Glen and May really elope?”
He put down the saddles. “They phoned last night to say it was a done deal.”
Annabelle had gotten the call that morning. Everyone in town was buzzing about the romantic news. “So the trip to Tahoe wasn’t just a getaway.”
“I guess not.”
She thought it was romantic, that the older couple had found happiness together, but maybe May’s children didn’t see it the same way.
“Are you doing all right with this?” she asked. “Is it weird to think of your mom as married?”
Shane walked closer. As he approached, he removed his hat and she could see his dark eyes. They glinted with amusement.
“They’ve been sleeping in the same bed since I got here,” he told her. “I’ve had to deal with their whispers and giggles, not to mention all the stuff they’re doing that I don’t want to think about. Marriage is pretty tame by comparison.”
“Okay, sure. That makes sense. Still, it’s pretty romantic. Them running off and not telling anyone.” The fact that Glen and May had found each other gave her hope that love could pop up when least expected.
She glanced at the new horses.
“For the lessons?” she asked.
“Yes. Right after you.” He didn’t look happy as he spoke.
“You should get business cards printed up. You know, for the riding school you’re starting.”
“Thanks for the support.”
Before she could say anything else, Khatar came strolling around the barn. He was already saddled, but judging by the reins hanging to the ground, she would guess he’d been tied up.
“You’re so smart,” she said, holding open her arms. The horse walked up to her and nuzzled her cheek.
Shane muttered something unintelligible under his breath. “I don’t know how he always gets free.”
“He’s a good boy.” She rubbed and scratched behind his ears. “So you’ve accepted that I’m going to ride him in the ceremony.”
“I know when it’s time to stop betting against the house.”
She turned toward the saddle and noticed the pony in with Priscilla.
“Oh, look. She has a new friend.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“What do you mean? She’s adorable. So tiny.”
“He. His name is Reno.”
“Look at those little hooves. What a cutie.”
Shane was muttering again. The few words she could make out didn’t sound polite.
“Don’t you like Reno?”
He laced his fingers together for her to use as a step. “No.”
She put her boot into his hands and grabbed the saddle. Khatar obligingly went perfectly still.
“But he’s just a pony.”
Shane lifted her into the air. She swung her leg over the saddle and settled easily into place. After gathering the reins, she leaned over and stroked Khatar.
“I hate ponies,” Shane said darkly. “I never wanted Reno in the first place. The guy who owned the riding horses sent him along as a bonus. Before I could send him back, Priscilla had decided she liked him.”