“That’s fair.”
Understanding each other, they stood a moment longer, and as the cock began to crow, watched the sun rise red into a purple sky.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Not to avoid Bodine so much as the temptation of her, Callen rode to work well before her. On his own, in the quiet, he finished doing the tack inventory, drafted up a memo of what he felt needed replacing, what he believed could be repaired.
By mid-morning he’d sent Easy down to the center with a pair of horses for Maddie and a lesson. Along with Ben, he’d saddled up four more mounts for a trail ride, ordered supplies—with a copy for the boss—and confirmed more bookings.
A fine, bright day for riding, he thought, as the forties might even nudge at fifty degrees by afternoon. He imagined the snow sculptures that had held up well so far would show some sags by the end of the day.
“Hey there, cowboy.”
He straightened up from checking a hoof, smiled at Cora. “Ma’am. Good morning, Miss Fancy.”
“I heard you’re helping Abe out,” Miss Fancy said, tipping up the bold bright green brim of her pinch front Stetson to study him.
“I’m always glad to help.”
“He’s a good man. You were a half-bad boy, Callen. I always had a weakness for half-bad boys. From my vantage point you need a few more miles on you to make a man, but I think you’ll do.”
“Ma’s feeling feisty this morning. We haven’t had a day like this since November, and the pair of us want to take advantage. Can you spare us a couple horses for an hour or two?”
“As long as you want. Miss Fancy, do you still favor that bay mare? The one you named Della.”
“How in the world did you remember such a thing?”
“I never forget a beautiful woman or a good horse.”
She gave him a smile that struck a perfect balance between flirtation and indulgence. Hardly a wonder he was crazy about her.
“It happens she’s in the paddock here today. If you want her, I’ll bring her in, saddle her.”
“I’d be glad to have Della, and I can still saddle my own horse.”
“I’m sure of it, but I’d appreciate you letting me do that for you. You’ve been using Wrangler in the ring, Nana, but that’s where he is right now, doing a lesson.”
“Let’s see who else you have.”
They walked over, and when Cora made her choice, Callen led the bay mare and a chestnut gelding from one paddock to another.
A hand on her hip, her denim jacket—with its emblazoned peace sign—unbuttoned, Miss Fancy eyed him while he saddled the mare.
“You’ve got good hands, boy. I set considerable store in a man’s hands. I’m surprised I haven’t heard about you using them on a two-legged female.”
“Ma.” Cora rolled her eyes as she saddled the gelding.
“If I can’t devil a boy whose backside I swatted when he was three, who can I devil? You’ve got good hands and a handsome face,” Miss Fancy added. “You ought to have your eyes on a woman.”
“As they keep roaming your way, are you offering, Miss Fancy?”
She let out a hoot. “It’s a damn shame you were born fifty—oh, hell, sixty years too late.”
“But I’m an old soul.”
She laughed again, patted his cheek. “I always did have that soft spot for you.”
“Miss Fancy.” He took her hand, kissed it. “I’ve been in love with you all my life.”
“A safe thing for a man to say to a woman pushing toward ninety.” But this time she kissed his cheek. “Don’t you go insulting me by getting a mounting block. You just give me a boost up.”
He basketed his hands, and marveled how smoothly she swung into the saddle. If he lived to pushing toward ninety, he hoped he could do the same.
“Come on, Della, let’s see how we feel today.”
While Cora checked the cinches on her saddle, Miss Fancy turned Della, turned a walk to a trot, a trot to a canter in the paddock.
“She was raring to get out today.” Cora adjusted her hat over her short crop of salt-and-pepper hair. “The winters are getting longer for her. A day like today is a gift. No, I’ve got it,” she said when he formed another basket. “We’ll have them back in a couple hours. I’m raring myself. It’s been a while since we rode around the property.”
“You enjoy it. Ah, I hope you don’t take this wrong, but do you have a phone on you?”
Little silver dangles glinted in her ears as she smiled down at him. “Both of us do, and I appreciate you worrying about us. Are you and Della ready, Ma?”
“Born ready in every life I’ve led.”
“I got the gate.” Callen crossed the sandy soil of the paddock, held it open.
The women rode through, a sedate walk. Then Miss Fancy looked back, sent him a wink. And leaped into a gallop.
“That’s all right,” he mumbled. “I didn’t need that year of my life.”
He watched them, admired them, then went back to work.
When it was close enough to quitting time, he left Ben and Carol covering and rode over to Bodine Town, leading Leo.
He tethered both horses before striding into the building, giving the front desk a wave, continuing back to Bodine’s office.
She sat at her desk, phone to her ear, scrolling through something on her computer. “Yes, I have that. Of course you can, Cheryl. We do have our own gardens, greenhouses, and … It’s absolutely up to you. Yes, we’re thrilled to have you. We’re already billing it on our website and our brochures, and will highlight you and the event beginning the first of the month.”
When she just sat back, closed her eyes, made mmm-hmm sounds, Callen poked into her cooler, took out a couple of Cokes. He opened one, put it on her desk, opened the other, sat down with it.
“I can promise you’ll find our kitchen and our staff worthy of our five-star rating. I’m afraid we can’t pay for that. If you feel you need your own sous chef, you’re welcome to bring one, at your own expense. Yes, yes, that’s firm, and is so stated in your contract. As I said, we’re delighted to have you as our guest chef for the event. I expect it to be sold-out. Please let us know your travel arrangements when you have them. We’ll have you picked up from the airport.”
As she listened again, her gaze narrowed, went just a little fierce.
“I’m sorry, Cheryl, let me just pull your contract up, see if it says anything about providing a limo. Uh-huh. Why don’t you send me an e-mail on all that, and I’ll run it right by legal. Anything else I can do, personally, to make your visit with us more enjoyable, you be sure to let me know. Bye now.”
Bodine hung up very carefully, drew a breath. “Arrogant, snootified bitch.”
“I admire that. I admire how your tone stayed absolutely polite and reasonable, even when you covered it with enough frost to crack a tree branch.”
“Cheryl’s contracted as our guest chef for next month’s Spring Bounty Banquet. She’s head chef at this swank place in Seattle, and when we invited her, did the contract, she was thrilled and cooperative. Since then she had an appearance on America’s Top Chefs, and now she’s a prima donna, wants her own people—and for us to pay for them—wants to bring her own herbs, went on about her own tit soy—”