Page 10 of His First Baby Rodeo

“Are you going to be coming out with me today?” she asked.

He nodded. “I need to see you on the job to make sure you know what you’re doing.”

“I’ve been working on ranches since I was a kid.”

“Yeah, but this is my ranch. You wouldn’t expect me to send any hired hand out there without supervision on their first day.”

“Nah, I guess not.” She stood up and put her plate and fork in the sink. “Let’s go, then.”

Mac frowned slightly. “I’m not finished with my breakfast.”

“Well, bring it with you, if you want to. I have a lot of work today and I’m going to go get started. You can let me go and meet me out there if you want.”

He shook his head and ate the last few bites of his food quickly. “Were you always like this?”

“Was I always like what?”

“I don’t know. Intense. Hotheaded.”

“I’m not hotheaded. I just want to get started. I know your ranch isn’t that big, Mac, but it’s still a lot for one person to take care of by themselves, and I’d like to get done as early as possible so I can avoid the hottest part of the day.”

“Well, that makes sense,” he admitted.

She knew it did. He was going to have to stop underestimating her sooner or later. “C’mon,” she said. “I’ll let the horses out into the paddock first.”

“They’re going to need to be ridden. They have to be put through their paces every day.”

“Don’t worry, that’ll happen, but I don’t think they should have to wait around in their stalls until I get to each of them. Do you?”

“Are you comfortable riding while two others are running free?”

She rolled her eyes. “You really think this is my first day on a ranch, don’t you?”

“I’m not saying that. I just don’t know how experienced you are at some of these things. I know you grew up on a ranch, El, but you have to admit that it’s a little different when there’s a whole staff taking care of everything.”

“Why don’t you have a staff?” she asked him as they crossed the ground to the stable. “I mean, I can’t imagine it’s a money problem. You’re Mac Palmer.”

He laughed. “Meaning what?”

“Meaning you’re a rodeo star. You can probably afford a couple of stable hands. I’m sorry if it’s forward to say so.”

“Nah, I don’t mind you being direct,” he said. “And you’re not wrong. I could afford help. It’s just never something I’ve wanted — having people around the place all the time. This is my sanctuary. I already have too much of a public life.”

“You don’t like being famous?”

“I like being exactly the amount of famous I am,” Mac said. “I like that I can go to a competition and be the star of it, and I like coming back here and having quiet and solitude. I wouldn’t want to share this place with anyone. Certainly not hired help.”

“But you don’t mind me being here.”

“It’s necessary,” he said. “And temporary. And I guess I mind less with you than I would with random stable hands.”

“Because I’m Jeff’s sister, you mean?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

She opened the first horse’s stall and led him out. “But you don’t really know me,” she pointed out. “I mean, aren’t I as good as a stranger to you?”

“Hardly,” he said. “You were always around when we were younger.”

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