“Of course. I’m not the journalist.”
He relaxed. “Two brothers total.”
“Older or younger?”
“Both. Cole’s the eldest, at forty-three and Ethan’s the youngest at forty.”
“Do they live nearby?”
“Yes. I already mentioned that Cole grows feed for Ash too, along with training reining horses. Ethan raises and sells barrel racers. He will train for people too, but not often. He mostly makes his money from breeding and stud fees.”
“Are they married?”
“No.”
She laughed. “Well, I have four older brothers. Always a nightmare when dates came around.”
“I can imagine. Big brothers protect their little sisters.”
She grew serious. “What about your parents?”
“They still live here in Clifton. You?”
“My dad’s alive with my stepmom, who I adore. My mother died when I was ten, in a car accident. They live in Valencia too.”
“I’m sorry about your mother.” He offered her a quiet sympathy that made her heart ache. He nudged a stalk of oats gently. “Come on. Let’s finish the rows.”
“Is it always this chilly?”
“This is nothing. We’re beginning mid-April. We can have snow anytime.”
“So, you calledRingo?” She laughed.
“Why is that funny?”
“Just thinking of the nicknames some of your men have. Red. Ringo. Spurs.”
“I didn’t give them the names. Cowboys seem to use nicknames. Probably because so many of them move on. These men have been with me for a while now, though.”
“Is Cull married?” she asked as she looked through the lens. When he didn’t answer her, she lowered the camera and looked at him. “What?”
“Why are you asking about Cull? You interested in him?”
“Well, he is certainly a good-looking man, but no, I’m not interested. Just curious.”
“He was married years ago. His wife died in a riding accident.”
“Horse riding?”
“Yes. She was thrown and hit her head against a rock. They’d only been married two years, and I think that was five, six years ago. He’s never remarried or even seemed interested in getting married again. They were planning to start a family the following year. He took it damn hard.”
“Have you known him a long time?”
“Yes, for years. We’re the same age. We went to school together, from elementary through high school, but when I bought this ranch, he came to me for a job. I knew he would work out, and he did.”
“How old was his wife?”
“I think Britt was thirty.”
