He regarded her for a moment, but didn’t say anything about her awkward beginning. “Can I take your suitcase?”

  “I can get it. Your arm.”

  He looked a little annoyed. “I’m still capable of lifting a suitcase,” he said. “I’m not completely helpless just because my arm is in a sling.”

  That was fair enough, but… “I’m not helpless either,” she said. “I can manage this. Why don’t you just lead the way?”

  “Okay, fine.”

  El followed him into the house, feeling embarrassed and vaguely distressed. She wasn’t used to feeling so back on her heels around men — even hot ones. She usually brought a lot more confidence to the table. She was going to have to shake off this rough start.

  Things aren’t the way they were when we were younger, she reminded herself. I’m not just his friend’s little sister now. I’m twenty-five years old. I’m an adult in my own right, whether he sees it or not. And he might be famous, but I don’t care about that. I knew him when he was just one of Jeff’s friends.

  Feeling a bit more together, she followed Mac along the hallway. He paused in front of a door.

  She got a funny feeling. “Jeff said you had staff quarters.”

  “I converted the staff house into a barn a few years back,” he said. “I don’t have any staff, so it was going to waste. But you can stay in the spare bedroom.”

  So she’d be in the main house with him. That wasn’t what she’d expected, but it wasn’t really that big a deal. “Okay,” she agreed.

  He opened the door and revealed a small but charming bedroom. “You can use the dresser and the closet,” he said, pointing them out. “That door leads to your bathroom. There are towels in the hall closet right outside the bedroom door. I’m sure you’ll find everything you need with no trouble, but if you do have any questions, feel free to speak to me about it.”

  “Is it all right for me to go to town and get some food to keep in the kitchen?” She sure hoped it was. She’d been anticipating having a whole house of her own to work with, and if it wasn’t going to be that way, that was fine, but she needed to be able to live.

  “Yeah, that’s okay,” he said. “I’ll clear a shelf in the fridge for you.”

  “Great. Thank you.”

  “Do you want to take the evening to settle in?” he asked. “I know you’ve had a long journey.”

  “Actually, what I’d really love is a tour of the place,” she said. “If I’m going to get started working tomorrow, I need to get the lay of the land.”

  “I wasn’t going to push you into starting right away,” Mac said. “It’s all right if you want to take a few days to ease in. I know it’s been a while since you’ve worked on a ranch.”

  El raised her eyebrows. Was he questioning her abilities? “It hasn’t been that long.”

  “I thought you were living in Seattle,” he said. “I know you moved up there for college.”

  She was torn between feeling impressed that he had known something about her and offended that he thought a few years off made her incapable of getting back into the swing of things. “I’ve been back for a while,” she said. “I’ve been living with Jeff on my parents’ ranch for over a year.”

  “Yeah, but y’all have hired hands there, right? I mean, you weren’t doing the ranch work yourself.”

  He was right, but he was also bothering her. “You hired me for a reason, presumably,” she said. “You must think I have some idea of what I’m doing on a ranch. Are you that reluctant to let me start working?”

  “Don’t get all sensitive about it,” he said, grinning. “I just thought you might need a few days to settle in. If you don’t feel like you need that, you can get started tomorrow. I’ll give you the tour.”

  “That sounds good,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “You bought this place after you graduated, right?”

  “Yeah, that’s right.” He glanced back at her. “I guess Jeff told you that?”

  Actually, she’d remembered it. Jeff hadn’t told her directly, but she had overheard the two of them discussing it one night over beers. She had been in high school at the time, and as such, she’d been practically nothing to her brother’s friends. She doubted she was even in Mac’s memory of that weekend he had spent at their family’s ranch, telling Jeff about his plans to open a ranch of his own alongside his budding rodeo career. But it was the kind of thing that lodged in El’s mind.

  It was hard to spend several days living alongside a guy as hot as Mac Palmer and not be affected by it. He had been at the table every morning when she had come down to breakfast, usually wearing nothing but a thin white T-shirt over flannel pants. El had learned, that weekend, how to look as if she was making no effort at all. She’d gotten up half an hour early to change out of the pajamas she’d slept in and into matching sweats and a spaghetti strap top. She’d spent time each morning combing her hair into casual disarray, trying to look like she didn’t try.

  I guess Jeff told you that. He didn’t even think about her. He hadn’t even noticed her.

  It wasn’t that she wanted him to notice her, of course. But the frustration lay in the inequality of it. All the effort she had put in, back in those days — and for nothing.

  He led her out the front door and into the yard. “There’s the stable,” he said, pointing it out with his good hand. “I’ve got three horses at the moment, so that shouldn’t be too much work for you, right?”

  “I can handle three horses.”

  “I want them all to get plenty of exercise.”

  “Naturally.”

  “I would have more,” Mac said. “I meant to buy a few more after the season started, but — well, things got thrown off course for me. I’m not going to be in the market for a new horse until I’m in shape to take it for a ride and see how it handles.”

  “You can still ride, can’t you?” she asked, genuinely curious. “I mean, mounting might be tricky, but your arm doesn’t stop you from riding.”

  “I’m not talking about a leisurely canter around the property,” he said. “I’m a rodeo rider, Eleanor.”

  “Just El,” she corrected him.

  He glanced at her. “Just El?”

  “It’s always been just El,” she said. “Or since middle school, anyway. How did you not know what my nickname was?”

  “I don’t know,” he said blankly. “You and I have never spent that much time around each other. I mostly hear about you when Jeff brings you up.”

  “Jeff calls me by my nickname. The whole family does.”

  He shrugged. “I guess I do remember him saying that,” he said. “I never really thought about it. Sorry. Okay, El it is.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not that big a deal,” she said. “I’m just not used to hearing Eleanor.”

  “Nah, I get it,” he said. “I’m not used to Malcolm.”

  She blinked. “Your name is Malcolm?”

  “So I guess I’m not the only one who didn’t know everything.” He was grinning.

  “I guess not,” she had to concede. “Touché.”

  “But it’s always just Mac. Malcolm sounds like the kind of guy who would just canter around the property,” Mac said. “I need a horse who can keep up with my pace. I need—”

  “A wild bronco?”

  “Not a wild bronco, but definitely a stallion with a lot of energy,” he said. “And I won’t be able to make that choice without taking the horse out for a ride myself. So for now, it’ll just be the three I’ve got.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “The work around here isn’t too intense,” he said. “It’s a small ranch. Aside from the horses, I’ve got a few chickens — they came with the place when I bought it. That’s about it, as far as animals go.”

  “Seems easy enough.”

  “You sure you’re up for the work with the horses?” Mac asked. “They’re pretty strong. Might be bigger than any you’ve been involved with in the past.”

  “I can handle myself,” El said.

  “Because the last thing I want to have to do is to call your brother and explain to him that you got yourself hurt. He won’t thank me for that.”

  “I said I’m fine,” El said tightly.

  “Okay,” Mac said. “In that case, you can get started tomorrow morning. I’ll do what I can to help you out, but since I’m one-handed, it might not be all that easy.”

  “I’m sure we’ll figure it out. But if I’m going to get an early start, I should probably get to bed.” El faked a yawn, not wanting to admit that the truth was that she really just wanted to get away and have some time on her own to process everything. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He gave her a lingering look that she couldn’t interpret. “See you then,” he said at last.

  CHAPTER 5

  EL

  El had gone directly to bed the night before, which had prevented her from making any arrangements when it came to breakfast. Now, as she came down to the kitchen with the sun barely peeking over the horizon, it occurred to her that she should have gone into town and done some shopping last night. What was she going to eat? She couldn’t skip breakfast and expect to put in a full day’s hard work on the ranch. She’d collapse.

  It didn’t help matters that Mac was eating what had to be the world’s biggest omelet. It smelled amazing. She tried not to let that show on her face.

  He looked up as she came into the kitchen. “Eggs are on the counter,” he said. “And there’s sausage and veggies and stuff in the fridge.”

  “I don’t want to eat your food,” she said, even though her mouth was watering.

  “You don’t have any of your own yet,” he pointed out. “You’ve got to eat something. I’m not taking you out there without something in your stomach.”

  She opened her mouth to retort that he wasn’t taking her anywhere — but what would be the point in that? He was offering her breakfast. She wasn’t too proud to accept.

  “Thanks,” she said, taking a couple of eggs out of the carton. The skillet Mac had used was still on the stove, and she cracked them directly into it.

  He looked up from his breakfast. “You’re not going to put anything in that?” he asked. “Not even some cheese?”

  “I just want the eggs.” She opened a few drawers.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “Fork?”

  “That drawer.” He pointed.

  She got a fork and used it to whisk her eggs until they were fluffy and perfectly scrambled. Then she found a plate in a cabinet and dumped them onto it. She put the skillet in the sink. “I’ll wash that tonight,” she offered.

  “Don’t worry about it, I’ll manage. You weren’t hired to do dishes.”

  “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.”

  “Sure, but I was just a kid then. It’s not like I spent any time around you and Jeff. I mean, you know who I am,” she added as she began to groom the horse. “And maybe that’s enough to make this a comfortable situation for you. Maybe it’s good enough that I’m a familiar face. I don’t know. But it can’t be as good as having your house all to yourself.”

  “No, it’s definitely not,” he agreed. “It’s just… necessary, for now. I can’t run a ranch in my current condition.”

  “You could probably brush this guy down, if you wanted to,” El suggested. “I’m not trying to say I can’t handle it if you’d prefer not to, but you do seem like the kind of guy who doesn’t much like sitting back and letting other people do the work.”

  “You’ve got me pretty figured out, huh?”

  “If that was the kind of guy you were, I don’t think you’d have come out here with me in the first place,” she said. “Maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t actually think this has anything to do with doubting I can do the job. I think you just want to be involved.” She offered him the brush. “It’ll go faster if we do it together. But it’s up to you. I’m happy to handle it all myself if that’s what you want.”

  He stood up and took the brush from her. “I got it,” he said. “This way you can start grooming the next horse.”

  She nodded and went to the adjoining stall, thankful that the stable was big enough to allow all the horses to come out and stand side by side. “Have you had these three for very long?”

  “I’ve had Driftwood for three years,” Mac said. “He’s the one I’ve had the longest.” He patted the horse he was brushing on the flank.

  “Only three years?”

  “I don’t keep them very long,” Mac said. “I get them in their prime, when they’re at their most wild and healthy, and then I usually pass them on — sell them to ranches that cater to tourists, sometimes.”

  “I see.”

  “You sound like you’re not impressed.”

  “Well, are you trying to impress me?”

  “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “It doesn’t really matter,” El said. “I was just thinking that it would make me sad to bond with a horse and then see it move on so quickly. I was feeling bad for you, because I’m sure you must miss them after they’re gone.”

  “I get more when they go,” he said.

  “But don’t you form a bond with each horse?”

  “No,” he said. “Not really.”

  “I can’t relate,” she admitted. “I’ve never owned a horse that hasn’t been a close friend to me. But I guess it’s not like that when you’re in rodeo.”

  “Meaning what?”

  “Well, the horse is kind of your opponent in your sport, isn’t he? So it must be a little harder to form the kinds of bonds I’m talking about.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Mac said, raising his eyebrows. “I have a special relationship with the horse when I ride. We are working against one another, but it’s not exactly a rivalry. The horse certainly isn’t my enemy. It’s more like…” He hesitated. “It’s more like we’re competing dance partners.”

  She’d never thought about it that way. “That’s actually kind of beautiful,” El admitted.

  “Do you know a lot about rodeo?”

  “Almost nothing.”

  “You should check it out sometime. Maybe you’d see what I mean.”

  “Maybe I should do that,” she agreed. “I wouldn’t mind learning more about the sport.”

  She was much quicker than he was at grooming — of course she was, given the fact that she was using both hands, but she had a feeling she would have been faster than him even if he wasn’t held back by his injury. It gave her a flush of pride.

 

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