9781631053566SpringsDelightBallNC (2 page)

Ashamed, she looked away. “It’s
nothing. Thanks for the sweater.”

He didn’t say a word, and the
silence grew uncomfortable. Glancing back, she was surprised to find him
staring at her.

Colt reached down, took her
arm, pushed up her sleeve and swore. “Those are some pretty nasty bruises. Is
that what Caleb was helping you with?”

Pulling her arm away, she
pushed her sleeve back down. “Yes.” It came out as barely a whisper.

“Your
shoulder?”

“The
same.
It hardly bothers me.”

“Caleb was right to invite you
here. Like I said, I’m not easy to get along with these days, but I do treat
women with respect. Right now I have to tend to the animals, but I’ll make us
something to eat when I get back.”

“I’d be happy to make
something. I mean I don’t want to just sit around waiting until you have time
to teach me the job.”

“You can help out as soon as
those bruises are gone.”

Watching him leave, relief
rushed through her. It was so hard to read him. He wasn’t the easygoing brother
Caleb told her about. He might not be agreeable or likeable even, but she had a
place to stay for now. She hoped by moving to Montana, her ex-boyfriend, Billy
would leave her alone and move on.

The urge to be useful filled
her, and she walked to the sink. She began cleaning the great, big pile of
dishes. As soon as she had the sink cleared, she filled it again with the
overflow of dishes strewn all over the counter. With some elbow grease, she
just might have enough room to cook. Her shoulder hurt, but she’d endured far
worse. For now, she’d mourn her friend and do a good job.

It seemed incredibly odd to be
at the ranch without Caleb. Her heart ached remembering his many kindnesses and
contagious laugh. She’d had one true friend, and now she had none.

Why didn’t doing the dishes
take more thought? Memories of Caleb made her heart and her head, ache. Caleb’s
passing was shocking and not knowing if she would have, a place to stay
long-term scared her.

“I told you I’d take care of
breakfast.”

The masculine voice startled
her, and
Spring
whirled around, her soapy hands losing
their grip on a glass that dropped to the floor and shattered. Colt took a step
toward her, and she immediately readied for a fight. Her stance grew wider and
her body tensed, but Colt didn’t come any closer.
Why can’t I be normal?

“It’s all right. I’ll just
grab the broom.” Colt didn’t look angry.

“I’m not usually so clumsy.
Really, I’m not.”

“Hey, it’s no big deal. It’s
only a glass.” He vaguely smiled at her and began to sweep it up.

It was as though she was
cemented where she stood, and she didn’t know how to react. A broken glass was
more than enough reason for Billy to hit her. Caleb was a gentle soul and from
all the stories of ranch life he told, she assumed Colt was too. While her
first impression hadn’t been the best, perhaps Colt did have a kind heart
buried beneath his grief.

She still refused to let her
guard down for a stranger, even Caleb’s brother. Colt had a gruff aloofness to
him. “I’ll replace it.”

He straightened up, dumped the
glass in the dustpan into the trash and shook his head. “Like I said, it’s just
a glass.”

After she looked into his eyes
and still didn’t see any anger, she relaxed a bit. “I’ll have breakfast cooked
in a jiffy.”

“Tell you what, you wash and I’ll
dry. It’ll go much faster with two.” He grabbed a towel.

Spring nodded and with more
care washed the rest of the dishes. She couldn’t keep her thoughts off Colt. She
couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and it made her nervous, she was all too
familiar with this feeling. Swallowing hard, she continued to focus on washing
until all the dishes shined.

“The kitchen looks nice. It’s
bigger than I first thought. ”

“I bet once I get the rest of
the house straightened, it’ll seem big too. It’s been lonely here while Caleb
was away at college.” His voice grew husky.

She surprised herself by
touching his arm. “I know all about lonely. I’m grateful that you’re giving me
this chance.”

He looked down at her hand,
then at her face. What he looked for, she had no idea. “If Caleb thought enough
of you to have you come all the way out here, then the least I can do is get to
know you.”

After breakfast, Colt left. A
man of few words it seemed. He’d helped make bacon and eggs, ate and then took
off without even saying when he’d be back. He did point across the great room,
to one of the closed doors indicating that room was to be hers.

Grabbing her beat-up suitcase,
Spring
opened the door to her new room. It was dusty
and needed airing out but otherwise it looked nice. An old, faded blue and
green quilt, patterned to look like stars, covered a full-size bed. She reached
out and touched the softness, tracing the pattern of stitches with her finger.
A thing like that had history and part of her yearned to know it.

Next to the bed was a night
table with a bible, a book of poems and a glass lamp with a faded shade. The
only other piece of furniture was a tall dresser that had seen better days.

The scarred, wood floor was
bound to be cold, especially in the mornings. She didn’t own slippers so she’d
have to keep a pair of socks on the nightstand. Overall, it was paradise.

Everything would be fine if
she could find a common ground with Colt. It was bound to be awkward living
with someone you didn’t know, and his cold exterior was not at all inviting.
There was a kindness in him though.

After setting her few
belongings in the room, she wandered back to the kitchen and checked the
fridge. Truthfully, there wasn’t much to check other than some ketchup, bread,
cheese and three mason jars of homemade pickles. She decided on grilled cheese
sandwiches with some canned tomato soup. Unfortunately, she ended up eating
alone since Colt didn’t show up for lunch.

At loose ends, she decided to
tackle the great room. Being idle didn’t sit well with her. Besides, she didn’t
relish having to go back out into the cold, suitcase in hand. She worked hard
until everything gleamed and smelled like lemons. Things she couldn’t find a
place for she piled in a chair. It looked to be all Colt’s stuff, but she didn’t
dare open his bedroom door without permission.

The house was cozy and simple.
The kitchen dominated the right side with the great room between it and the
bedrooms. The bathroom was the last door toward the back of the house while her
room was the first. One of those doors was Caleb’s room, she knew, but she
refused to dwell on it.

The floors needed cleaning,
but by this time, the adrenaline was trickling away and exhaustion hit her
hard. A big bay window graced the front of the kitchen, and she walked over to
stand before it, gazing at the snow. Being from Texas, she’d never seen so much
snow in her life. It sparkled in the sun like diamonds, engulfing the
outbuildings in its splendor. Gazing across the wide drive, she saw the barn.
It, like the house, looked sturdy but in need of some TLC.

Her pay had never been
discussed, but if she could make enough for warm clothes, that would be fine.
If she stayed long, she could definitely use them.

Two other trucks were parked
in the driveway. They probably belonged to the people who work for Colt. He’d
have to have
help
to work a ranch wouldn’t he? Caleb
often talked about cattle and horses. She might have lived in Texas, but she’d
never been on a horse, and she couldn’t wait to see one. Looking down at her
worn sneakers, she knew it wouldn’t be soon.

There was something beside the
barn, and after a moment of trying to discern what it was, her hand covered her
mouth and she gasped. A mangled snowmobile sat there. How could Colt stand to
have it on the property? Looking at it made her shiver, and tears trailed down
her face. Caleb was really gone and her heart broke for his brother.

Spotting Colt walking toward
the house, she dashed away her tears with the heels of her hands and scurried
away from the window. She didn’t want him to think she was spying on him.

* * * *

Colt stamped his feet on the
porch, trying to remove as much packed on snow from his boots as possible. He
opened the door and quickly shut it behind him. It didn’t take more than a
couple seconds to make the house cold.

The smell of lemon hit him in
a wave. He glanced up as he removed his boots and sought
Spring
out. He frowned when he saw her reddened eyes.
   
“What’s
wrong?”

“Memories I guess, but I’m
fine. You must be hungry.” She hustled to the stove and turned it on.

“I could eat. I forgot about
lunch, but I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.” He took off his tan
Stetson and hung it on the peg near the door. “Was there even anything to
make?”

“Grilled
cheese and soup.
Your cupboards are pretty bare.”

“
Them
church ladies tried to give me casseroles and such, but I refused most of
them.” The surprise in her eyes caused his face to warm. “They just wanted to get
into my business.
Busybodies, every one of them.
Besides there is only one woman who knows how to cook in this town, her name is
Autumn
. The rest, well, I couldn’t manage to choke
their food down.”

“Oh.”

“I didn’t go to the store for
the same reason. They just want to fuss over me, and it only makes things
worse.”

Spring placed soup and a
sandwich in front of him. “I can understand that.”

“Really?”
He
cocked his right eyebrow. “No one else seems to.”

She gave him a whisper of a
smile. “I know about being in pain, and wanting to be left alone.”

Colt had to look away. She was
too sincere, and he wasn’t sure he wanted understanding. She might know pain,
but his suffering was his own. For a moment, he wondered what her story was,
but he finished eating in silence then pushed back from the table. “I’ll be
back at sundown. Make what you can. I’ll have Bibbs bring supplies tomorrow.”

He put on his boots, coat and
Stetson. Turning, he gazed at her. The corners of her mouth drooped, and his
heart went out to her. Quickly, before he said something foolish, he went out
into the snow.

Brr
, it’s cold.
A
burst of frigid air blew snow into his eyes. There
was nothing worse than a springtime snowstorm. Right when you were
making plans for the future…

He didn’t have a plan anymore.
He always thought he’d work side by side with Caleb, growing the ranch but his
future died and was buried. He felt gut sick, and he swore his head was going
to explode. A feeling of being lost engulfed him. Sighing, he shook his head.
Maybe having her around wouldn’t be so bad. He’d been losing too much weight,
and he’d have to change his clothes more often.

At least he had his horses.
The horses needed him. A lot of the time, they took his mind off his misery at
least for a short while. He loved what he did, but he wished there was no need
for a horse rescue. He never understood why people got horses then neglected
them. Caleb thought that people didn’t realize the time and commitment a horse
needed and chose to give up. Whatever the reason, it was a big problem, and
thank God, Holden O’Leary and Jonas Barnes had his back, especially now. Stone
McCoy used to, and he never would have guessed what a hardhearted man he really
was.

Not one tiny word from his
supposed friend about Caleb’s death. Perhaps he needed to change his way of
looking at the world. In the past, he always gave people the benefit of the
doubt until they proved otherwise and unfortunately, Stone showed his true
colors. From now on, he should make people earn his trust first. Sighing, he
walked on into the barn, gazing at all the horses who stuck their heads out of
their stalls to greet him. His brain wasn’t wired that way, and suspicion didn’t
come naturally to him.

* * * *

Spring stirred the big
stainless steel pot. She’d thrown together some chili and she had cornbread all
ready to go into the oven. It was hard to judge if the chili was spicy enough
for Colt without knowing much about him. Putting it on low, she put the lid on
the pot.

What she wanted most right now
was a hot shower. She felt so grubby from her travels, and since Colt wouldn’t
be back until sundown, she had a chance for privacy.

She carried her toiletries
into the bathroom, undressed and turned the shower on. Right before she stepped
in she remembered she’d left her razor in the bedroom. Wrapping a green towel
around her, she scurried to her room to grab it. Hurrying back to the shower,
she tripped on an uneven part of the floor.

Letting go of the towel, she
braced herself for the impact with her arms. Her towel went one way and her
razor another. On her hands and knees, she could now see close-up that the
floor did indeed need scrubbing. She reached over and grabbed the razor as she
stood again, taking a step toward the towel.