Page 7 of A Cowboy in the Streets

A laugh bubbled out of me, ending on a drawn-out groan. It was hard to say who had been more startled, me or the grumpy cowboy who had been minding his own business before I went and accosted him with my mouth. Safe to say, hilarity ensued had not been on either of our agendas for the day.

I drove underneath a metal sign that proclaimed the property to be Lodestar Ranch. The main house—a picturesque white with green trim—was straight ahead, and behind that I could see the green-tiled roofs of the stables. There was a mess of rose bushes front and center of the circular driveway. The whole scene was so dang pretty that I let out an excited little squeal as I put the SUV in park and stepped out.

Good lord, it was gorgeous here. I felt like Dorothy waking up in Oz. A black-and-white existence ending in screaming color.

I stretched out my arms, easing the cramped muscles in my back, taking it all in with a wide smile.

The green door banged open. “James Campos?”

The man who greeted me was tall and trim, despite being well on his way to seventy, if he hadn’t hit the milestone yet. I recognized him instantly from our video interview. “That’s me. Ted Hale?”

He nodded. “Thought it was you, but my eyes aren’t what they used to be.”

Ted came down the steps, offering his hand. I took it firmly. His eyes glimmered with surprised approval as we shook, and I bit back a smirk. My strong handshake caught everyone by surprise. Strong, but not aggressive. A handshake should be a statement, not an assault.

“Nice boots,” he said.

“Thanks.”

Cowboy boots weren’t my first choice for road trip footwear. I had spent the first two days of driving in comfortable sneakers, only switching to my pink cowboy boots when I reached Aspen Springs and pulled into Jo’s for coffee. Maybe it was silly of me, but these boots were my good luck charm. I wanted everything to be perfect.

“How about I take you to your cabin to settle in, and then give you a tour of the property? As I told you in the interview, my oldest son, Adam, runs the show around here, but he’s out doing chores and picking my grandson up from school. We have some time to kill before he gets back.”

“Sure, that would be great.” I did wonder why, if Adam was the real boss, Ted had been the one to hire me. Adam was the one I’d be taking orders from, and I still hadn’t met him. That made me nervous. “I don’t have much. Just two suitcases. Are we walking or driving?”

“Driving, but not far. We’ll take your car if you don’t mind.”

I drove with Ted riding shotgun. He took the opportunity to point out the various buildings as we went. “The training barn is to your left. That’s where you’ll spend most of your time. Your cottage is in walking distance, but don’t let anyone tell you that means you’re on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You get weekends and vacation days. I expect you to use them.”

“Good to know.” I appreciated that, but I had the feeling I was going to ignore those expectations for the next few months, at least. I liked to play hard as much as the next person, but my idea of play was really just more work.

“The cabins aren’t spread out, but they’re situated in such a way as to afford everyone a little privacy. A few are empty. Braxton, my middle son, hasn’t stayed here since his mom passed. He does the books for us, but he lives in town. You’ll meet him for Sunday dinner. My youngest son, Zack, mostly spends his summer with the rodeo. He might be here for a couple of weekends now and then, but it’s possible you won’t see him until winter.”

We swung around behind the barn. I took note of some fencing that needed repairs, but the horses out to pasture looked healthy and content. That mattered a lot more to me.

“That’s the foaling barn over there. Empty right now. We had to let a few things slide when my wife got sick, and the breeding side of things was one of them. We’re hoping to get it up and running again in the next year.”

I nodded, making a sympathetic noise. He had told me that his wife died of cancer and what the repercussions of that were on the ranch. Ted had been very blunt about the fact that Lodestar wasn’t where he wanted it to be, financially or otherwise. My job was to help restore the ranch to its former glory. It wouldn’t be easy, but I was up for the challenge.

And I couldn’t wait to rub Dad’s face it in when I succeeded.

Ted gave me some time by myself to settle in and take a breath, telling me to meet him at the training barn in thirty minutes. I didn’t bother to unpack, instead using the time to take stock of what was here and what I’d need to find for myself.

The cabin was a good size for one person, with a sitting area, a bare-bones kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The couch looked new, and I definitely recognized the design from Ikea. No television, but I didn’t mind. My laptop would suffice for streaming shows and movies. There was a small table, built for two but could fit four if they squished. The bathroom didn’t have a tub, much to my disappointment, because I loved a good soak, but I could make do with a shower.

The kitchen had been stocked with the basics, Ted had told me, but I would need to go into town for groceries tomorrow. There were bananas, a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and a jar of strawberry jelly were laid out on the counter.

And the view. Holy shit, the view. Horses to the front. Mountains to the back.

I had died and gone to heaven.

I looked around, smiling. The cabin had clearly been tidied in anticipation of my arrival. No cobwebs in sight, and the bed linens were fresh. I had such a good feeling about this place. Sure, I had done my research on this place before accepting the position of head trainer. The high turnover rate did give me pause. But how bad could Adam really be when Ted was his dad?

I was about to find out.

I hustled over to the training ring with two minutes to spare. Ted was already there, along with a boy I assumed to be his grandkid. Another man leaned on the fence, his back to me, watching another man work a palomino on a longe line.

“Right on time,” Ted greeted me. Something about the way his eyes sparkled reminded me of a kid in a candy store. Mischief was written all over his face. “This is my grandson, Ben. Adam, meet your new head trainer.”

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