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Britt released the breath she hadn’t even been aware she’d been holding.
With the return of the morning ride, Kelly helped get the next set of horses ready to go. She considered sending him out for the afternoon, but Jon and Mandy worked so well together. In addition to their great rapport with the guests, Britt noticed the shy smiles the two exchanged. Jon was a great guy, and Mandy a sweet girl. The cute couple was so different than the blatant flirting and obvious hook-ups between some of the other resort employees. She didn’t mind assisting cupid with the budding romance, even if it meant enduring additional time in Kelly’s presence.
By the time the afternoon riders were on their way around the lake in front of the resort restaurant, Casey and Mitch were returning from their extended lunch ride. Her attention was drawn to the reflection of the riders in the water with the Rockies rising majestically in the background. Come September, she was sure going to miss it all. Then all she’d have to look forward to would be Chicago traffic, factory smoke in the air, cold winds off Lake Michigan and a hectic work schedule.
City life.
Is that what you want?
She stiffened at the sound of Joel’s voice in her head again. Determined not to listen to him, she went back into the office, leaving the guys to take care of the horses while she caught up on paperwork. About an hour later, a manager’s signature was all she needed to put herself out of her misery and spend the rest of the afternoon working with Gypsy.
Armed with the paper, a clipboard and a pen, she rounded the corner in search of Casey. He was on the far end of the line of horses, giving Diesel a good rub-down while Mitch worked on Banjo next to him. Kelly walked past, leading one of the geldings toward the main corral. Colorado was one of her favorites, and she smiled when the gray horse playfully lipped at the wrangler’s sleeve, caught it between his teeth and pulled. Kelly slapped his nose and Colorado jerked away.
Britt stopped to watch as the gelding reach forward again. It was a harmless game, he didn’t actually bite, he just held the fabric much the same as a playful puppy. Kelly smacked him again and gave a hard jerk on the reins. The horse reared back, the whites of his eyes showing his fear.
She lunged forward and caught Kelly’s arm as he raised it toward the horse again. “Stop it!” One shove got him out of the way and she secured the reins to calm the horse. “Whoa boy, easy.”
“The stupid nag bit me.”
She rounded on him with a glare. “He didn’t bite, he was playing. He does it with everyone.”
Casey had started their way, her shout having caught his attention. Mitch watched from a distance.
“That damn horse needs to be taught a lesson,” Kelly grumbled.
“No, you do.” She ran her hand down Colorado’s neck in a soothing stroke. “Mistreat the horses again and I’ll not only make sure you’re gone from here, but you won’t find a ranch to hire you within fifty miles. This is your last warning, and you don’t even deserve that.”
His furious gaze bore into hers.
“What’s going on?” Casey demanded as he joined them.
Britt kept her gaze on Kelly’s. He dropped his toward the ground and shifted his feet. “Little misunderstanding, that’s all. Won’t happen again.”
“Britt?”
She seemed to have gotten through to him, so she nodded at Casey. “I think Kelly and I have reached an understanding, so we’re good.” For now.
He took the reins from her and led Colorado to the corral as if nothing had happened.
“You need me to talk to Mark?” Casey asked.
She crossed her arms, hugging the clipboard to her chest as she watched Kelly’s retreating back before facing his concerned gaze. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
“What happened?”
She gave him a brief account, then handed him the clipboard to sign. “Let’s just leave it for now and keep an eye on him.”
Casey signed the paper, then held on when she reached for the clipboard. “I’ll do that, but watch yourself around him.”
“I will.”
She finished putting away the paperwork just as Mark arrived for the afternoon. They talked a few minutes about how Eve was handling the bed rest, then she gathered Gypsy’s tack to head out to the arena. She had the mare accustomed to the bridle, had been working her under the saddle, and now hoped to ride her.
The faint smell of smoke hit her nostrils as she passed the corner of the barn and she glanced back to see a flicker of flames in the garbage can next to the wall. She dropped the tack at her feet and took off running for the water trough.
“Fire! Casey! Mark!”
Casey jerked his head up, but it was Mitch who beat her to
