He has a good face, Bodine thought. A little tough, a little weathered, like a lot of cowboys who spent hours in the saddle, under the sun, in the wind. He kept his hands still. They showed the kinds of calluses she expected from someone who worked with horses.
She’d already had a background check run, and he’d come up clean. High school dropout, but as he’d said, and those in his file confirmed, he knew horses.
“It’s not required for you to have your own mount. We have our stock, and we bring on more in the spring. Have you ever taught horsemanship?”
He opened his mouth, shut it again, and took his time. “I want the job, so it’s hard to say no. I can’t say I’ve spent much time showing anybody how to ride. Was a girl I met in Abilene I showed some riding to, but that was for fun like. Mostly people I’ve spent my time with know.”
She couldn’t call him the brightest bulb in the lamp on the basis of the interview, but he struck her as polite, honest, and amiable enough.
And she was in a bind.
“It’s more than working with horses, tending tack, feeding, and grooming. We cater to our guests, and some won’t have been on a horse before, or not in years. Trail rides are popular, and those who lead guests out have to learn themselves: How to match the horse and rider, how to watch on the trail to make sure a guest who doesn’t know a horse from a giraffe doesn’t get into trouble—and has a good experience.”
“Horses are easier to figure than people, but people aren’t that hard, seems to me, if you pay attention.”
“I can’t argue with that. Why don’t we go over to the Equestrian Center, you can have a look at that part of the operation, and we’ll meet up with our head horseman.”
He rose. “I’d be pleased to.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Bodine managed to get home in time for dinner, avoiding Clementine’s wrath and spending the best part of an hour filling her family in on the new hires while they ate.
“You rounded up a lot in one day,” Sam commented, sipping at his nightly after-dinner two fingers of whisky.
“One more tomorrow, but every one of the hires wanted the job, presented well, and passed muster with the respective managers.” She glanced at Chase. “With Abe out, I had Callen take a look at LaFoy.”
“He’d know what to look at.”
“LaFoy.” Sam frowned in thought. “I don’t think I know any of that name around here.”
“He’s from around Garnet.”
“Can’t place the name.”
“Well, we’ll see how he works out, but before I left him with Callen, I had a good look myself. How he handled himself, handled the horses, interacted with Callen and Ben, who was working at the time. Before I left them I told Callen to let me know if he had any reservations. Since he didn’t, I hired LaFoy. And I took your advice, Mom, and talked to Maddie about doing a weekly lesson.”
“I think that’s going to work out fine. And I’m happy you liked Chelsea. She’s going to be an asset, you mark my words.”
“I did like her. Jessie, on the other hand, loved her. And I liked that she stayed on for a couple hours, getting her feet wet. Shows initiative.”
“You told us Mrs. Puckett’s niece was smart,” Rory put in. “You didn’t tell us she was hot. Really hot.”
“Down, boy,” Bodine muttered even as Maureen wagged a finger.
“You keep your hands and your charming self to yourself, Rory Carter Longbow.”
“But my charm, it just can’t be contained.”
“I’ve got plenty of rope in the barn to hog-tie it if we need to.” Chase finished the meal as he’d started the day, with black coffee. “I ought to let you know I talked with Abe this evening.”
“How’s Edda?” Bodine asked.
“She’s doing all right, but this whole business scared him. He’s thinking of taking Edda to visit with their son and his family for a week or so over Thanksgiving. And he’s thinking about spending a couple weeks with their daughter for Christmas.”
“He didn’t say anything like that to me,” Bodine began.
“Well, let me finish it out. It seems their kids are pushing for it, and more yet, it came clear to him that once he comes back to work, she’s going to do the same. He says he doesn’t see a way to stop her. He wants her to have a good stretch of time first, and this, and the trip to Arizona would do that.”
“I can understand that, but—”
“He came to me before you,” Chase went on in his quiet steamroller style, “because he wanted to know if I was clear with you putting Cal on in his place, since we hired Cal for the ranch and it wouldn’t just be here and there, or filling a hole now and then, but full-time managing until spring.”
“Yes, but—”
Chase just lifted a finger, which had Bodine rolling her eyes.
“What I said was this: Cal’s an asset here. But the way things are, he’d be a bigger asset to the resort, so—and Dad agrees—we’re fine with letting you have him through the winter if that’s what works. On the condition that that’s what Cal wants, too, as it’s not what he was hired on for.”
Bodine waited, exaggerating the pause. “That it?”
“Yeah.”
“Do I have any say in it?”
Chase shrugged. “Your say comes in after, seems to me. If we said no, we’re keeping Cal here, that would be that. If Cal says no thanks, you hired me for this not that, same thing. So your say comes in after that’s settled one way or the other.”
Bodine drummed her fingers on the table. “And what did Cal have to say about it?”
“Haven’t gotten to that, as I talked to Abe then got called in to dinner. I figured to run it by him in the morning.”
“I’ll do the running by, thanks all the same.”
“Fine with me. Don’t know why you’d get your back up about it.”
In answer, Bodine put on her sweetest—and scariest—smile. “I’ll explain it then. Abe should have come to me, as I’m being asked to hold two key positions open from November until April. That’s one. He should have come to me to discuss whether I approved taking Callen Skinner as my full-time horse manager from now till April—which is just what you should’ve told him. Then I decide on all that before—if I decide yes—I come to you and Dad and ask if you can let me have Cal for this length of time. Given that’s yes, I ask Callen if he’d agree to that.”
Chase shrugged again. “Looks to me like we got to the same point, and maybe a little quicker.”
“Quicker’s not the point.” Frustrated, and a little insulted, Bodine threw up her hands. “The ranch and the resort are separate entities. That was the smart and practical decision made back when Nana decided to expand the dude ranch. There’s paperwork involved, a salary to negotiate, a job description, a contract.”
“You’d have all that either way,” Chase pointed out.
“Aw, Bo’s just steamed up because Abe came to you instead of her.”
Maureen aimed a cool look at her younger son. “She’s right to be. The men may outnumber the women at this table, but that doesn’t give you more weight. And right is right. Abe should have gone to his boss, and that’s Bo. I’m going to attribute that mistake to his stress and worry over Edda. I hope you’ll do the same, Bodine, and give him some understanding on it.”