Page 42 of One Summer Day (Prosperity Ranch 1)

Holt might have laughed at the expression on Macie’s face when he offered to teach her to ride a horse, but he could see she was truly surprised.

Ruby had no such hesitation. “Can we ride our horses together?” she asked in an excited tone.

“I don’t see a problem with that,” he said, picking up his coffee mug, “although you might have to wait for your mom. Since she’s a beginner.”

Macie was looking rather pale, though, and Holt wondered if he’d presumed too much.

“We’ll see,” Macie said in a tight voice. “I’d rather watch you ride on Sammy.”

“Please, Mommy?” Ruby said. “You already have boots.”

Macie’s smile was as tight as her voice. “That’s true.”

Holt wanted to know what was going on in Macie’s mind. But he couldn’t very well ask her in front of her daughter. He also knew he could sit across the kitchen table from Macie and stare at her all day, but that wouldn’t be productive in the least. Despite her lack of fancy makeup or being dressed in regular clothes, he thought she looked beautiful in her sleepy, untamed way. She wore a dark pink T-shirt and short pajama shorts—something he hadn’t seen her in before. The shorts only confirmed his previous assessment of her long legs. Beautiful.

He should move on with his morning. Get out of the kitchen, where it was warm and smelled sweet and . . . He stood from the table and began to clear the dishes.

But Macie sidled up to him at the kitchen sink and took the plate he was still holding out of his hand. “You cooked, I’ll clean up.”

She turned on the water and picked up the scrubber.

Holt stepped away. “All right. Want me to take Ruby out to the barn until you’re, uh, dressed?”

“I should get her cleaned up, too.”

“Oh yeah.” His gaze cut to Ruby, still in her pajamas. Bits of syrup and pancake dusted her chin and cheeks.

“We’ll be out soon,” Macie said. “But don’t count on me for any lessons.”

Holt paused. “Not interested?”

“Not really,” she said in a quiet voice.

He studied her for a second, but then decided he wasn’t going to be nosy. If Macie didn’t want to ride a horse, that was fine. There were still plenty of days left in the summer. As he left the kitchen, he found himself whistling on the way to the barn. The morning air was crisp, the trees blooming all around, and he’d loved spending time with Macie and her little girl.

Don’t go there, Holt, he told himself as he entered the barn. Ruby was a doll, and Macie was an amazing woman . . . but Knox would be in town soon enough. That would be a game-changer.

Inside the barn, he began his usual routine, albeit three hours later than usual. Jerry should be back in a couple of weeks, and Holt’s work load would shift back to more managerial duties and less of the mucking stalls variety. But for now, the hard labor was good for him and the best thing to get Macie off his mind.

At least as much as possible, knowing she was always somewhere on the ranch, along with Ruby.

Holt spent the next hour cleaning stalls, then he moved onto working with Briggs’s horses. They were both coming along nicely and weren’t as skittish as they’d been. He’d take them to the arena in town in a couple of days and have them run through several routines beneath the imposing stands. The morning grew hot, and Holt felt the perspiration prickle the back of his neck, which was usually his signal to take a water break. Both for him and the horses.

He headed into the barn, grateful to get out of the sun for a bit.

There, his dad was saddling up Sammy with the help of Ruby. She was dressed in a puffy skirt and floral blouse, with, of course, her pink boots.

“Howdy,” Ruby said, smiling brightly at him.

Holt slowed his step. “Howdy, little lady.”

Ruby giggled. “Grampy told me that cowgirls say howdy when they see a cowboy.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Holt said, tipping his hat. “That’s right.”

Rex chuckled under his breath as Holt paused to help secure the bridle.

“I think someone’s got you wrapped around her little finger,” he told his dad. “Aren’t you supposed to be at the committee meeting right now?”

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