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“Isn’t it?” She buried her face in her hands. “Are you saying you haven’t thought since day one that I have no idea what I’m doing?”
I cringed, because I couldn’t argue that point. At least, not truthfully.
“Maybe you don’t,” I allowed. “But you’re learning what you can and hiring people who know more. That’s all that can be expected of you.”
She sighed and muttered something about expectations, her parents, and a guy named Donovan. I didn’t ask her to repeat it, because she seemed to be talking more to herself than to me. She looked small, her shoulders hunched inward, and I had the strange impulse to hug her. I wasn’t an affectionate person, and I shouldn’t encourage my attraction to her when I knew we were a bad fit for each other but London really seemed like she could use someone on her team. Instead of a hug, I settled for a brief squeeze of her knee.
She tossed her hair back and met my eyes. “Sorry about the pity party. I’ll limp over to the house and see if I’ve got any ice. Why don’t you head straight to the stables to check the horses? Make sure you talk to Kate while you’re there. She has an idea about what might be causing the issue she wants to discuss with you.”
“You sure?” I was reluctant to leave her alone when she looked so lost.
“Yeah.” Her lips pressed together. “I’ve got a million other things to sort out. I can get started on some phone calls while I ice my foot. I think I’m going to leave all the horsey details to Kate from now on anyway. Things seem to go wrong when I get involved. I’ll let her take charge and just do my bit to help with exercising them.”
“I’ll drop by to see you again before I go,” I said. “If I hear you’re up and about when you should be resting that foot, there will be trouble.”
She grinned, a mischievous light entering her eyes. “What kind of trouble?”
Uh-oh. Her tone was flirtatious. Much as I’d love to engage, she really did have ‘danger’ written all over her. I liked my life to be completely my own. I’d already spent years being responsible for one grown woman. I didn’t need to add another to the mix.
“Do you need help to get to the house?” I asked, pretending not to hear her question.
“No, I’ll be fine.” She sounded disappointed, and I hated it, but it was for the best.
“Okay. I’ll be back soon.” I stood and returned to the Ute to grab my kit. On the way, I encountered one of the construction crew coming in the opposite direction.
“Hey, Cal.” He greeted me with a grin. “Are you leaving the boss lady to tend her own wounds? That’s not very gentlemanly of you. Where’s that famous bedside manner?”
I scowled, knowing he was teasing but irritated, nonetheless. “She’s got it under control. Doesn’t need my help.”
He chuckled. “I’m not sure that lovely girl has anything under control, but suit yourself.” He sent me a sly wink. “Perhaps I’ll go see if she needs assistance.”
I didn’t take the bait. “You do that.”
The sooner my heart got the message that London wasn’t the woman for me, the better.
4
LONDON
I couldn’t keepa smile from my face as I guided the good-natured bay mare, Jessica, into the corral. Ahead of me, Kate had already dismounted from Verity, a chestnut mare, and was helping one of our first clients down from the sorrel mare, Debs. I brought Jessica to a stop and slid off, landing lightly on my feet. I’d taken a lot of falls before I’d gotten to the point where I didn’t face plant every time I dismounted. I grabbed a wooden step and shifted it beside the second bay mare, who our other client was riding. The client flashed me a quick grin and accepted my help as she scrambled to the ground.
“That was so much fun,” she said, joining her friend near the fence. “I’m glad we decided to give it a try.”
“I’m pleased you had a good time,” I replied, opening the gate and holding it open for them. “Feel free to come back.”
They exchanged a glance as they exited the corral.
“We might,” the other girl replied. “We’ll have to see how things go.”
I walked them back to their car and bid them farewell. I was returning to help Kate with the cleanup when my phone chirped in my pocket. I grabbed it and checked the screen. Mum was calling.
“Hi,” I answered without pausing in my journey across the yard.
“Hello, sweetie. How are you?”
“I’m good.” I thought of the girls who’d just left and my smile widened. “Great, actually. How is everything with you?”
“Same as usual.” She sounded dismissive. “But dear, are you sure you’re okay? Last I heard, you said the builders were running into problems, and you were awfully overwhelmed by the prospect of caring for the horses. Your father and I have been monitoring the photographs you’re posting on social media, and the place does look a bit rough around the edges. I’d hate to think you might be giving us a false impression because you don’t want to face up to the reality.”
