Mountain Country Cowboy. Glynna Kaye

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СКАЧАТЬ friend obviously hadn’t filled Braxton in that he wasn’t entirely a stranger to this more-than-mile-high forested territory well north of Phoenix, and Cash breathed easier. Horse business. This visit from a deputy amounted to nothing more. But he’d touch base with Will as soon as he could. Let him know of the potential legal hot potato of Joey’s arrival. He should have done that sooner. But he’d been reluctant to risk being advised not to relocate until the custody transfer was finalized.

      “Pine country,” Cash agreed, “sure beats the one hundred degrees the Valley hit yesterday.”

      Through the rolled-down window of the county vehicle the deputy’s radio crackled to life. Braxton jerked open the door, slid in behind the wheel, then buckled his seat belt. “Duty calls, gentlemen. Good meeting you, Cash. I’ll be in touch. See you around, Luke.”

      As the SUV pulled away, Rio’s older brother again welcomed Cash to the Hideaway, then headed off in the direction of a crew-cab pickup. Still wound tight, Cash nevertheless gratefully returned to the main Hideaway building.

      Talk about a close call.

      It underlined the importance of getting legal custody. He couldn’t live like this on a daily basis, never knowing when Lorilee might rethink things and turn on him. Nor did he want his heart knotting every time Deputy Turner’s vehicle pulled in at the Hideaway. And from the man’s expression when he looked in Rio’s direction, he’d be back often.

      Rio rose to her feet as he approached, her gaze cautious. “Everything okay?”

      She would have been out of earshot of the conversation, left in the dark. How much her grandmother had shared with her regarding his past run-ins with the law, he didn’t know. But probably at least some of it, which would account for the look of concern at the deputy’s need to see him. And maybe, too, why she didn’t seem overly thrilled with his acceptance of the job.

      Despite what his record showed, though, he’d never struck a woman. And he’d never hit a man who hadn’t swung at him first. But that was behind him. He was a changed man from the inside out, although it might take time for others to recognize and accept that.

      “As you know, the deputy has a horse needing work. A friend of mine who knew I was signing on here pointed him my way. I told him he’d need to speak with you before I could take that on.”

      Rio rolled her eyes in apparent exasperation. “It’s fine with me if you want to give it a shot, but you’re at least the fourth person he’s asked to tackle that horse, me included. The mare is beyond beautiful, but Brax won’t admit he needs to divest himself of a bad investment and move on.”

      “What seems to be the animal’s problem?”

      “You name it, she specializes in it.” She ticked off the offenses on the fingers of one hand. “Biting. Kicking. Balking. Bolting. Talk about headstrong.”

      Watching her animated expression as she related the horse’s shortcomings, Cash raised a brow. “Sounds like a little girl I used to know.”

      Brought up short by his teasing tone, she stared at him for a long moment. Then a hint of a smile touched her lips. “Very funny.”

      “You gotta admit, Princess,” he said, enjoying the sudden flash of irritation in her eyes when that long ago nickname rolled off his tongue. “You were trouble with a capital T.”

      “Don’t go princessing me, Cashton Herrera.” She indignantly tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. “You’re one to point fingers. Between your and my cousin’s pranks, it’s a wonder I wasn’t permanently traumatized.”

      “You held your own, and you know it.”

      She cut him a look out of the corner of her eye. “I can still hold my own, and you’d better never forget it.”

      “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He was serious, too. Years ago he’d learned never to turn his back on her if it could be helped, and he wasn’t starting now. He’d do whatever he had to do to stay on her good side in the coming days.

      While accepting this job was risky, it looked to be the fresh start he needed. A significantly increased income. Responsibilities he could sink his teeth into. It had the potential to be his dream job with a future, even though it landed him back in one of the many places he’d had no intention of ever returning. To a town where he—and no doubt plenty of others—could still smell the lingering stink of his no-good father.

      * * *

      “I understand your concerns, but I have reason to believe Cash will be a good fit,” Grandma Jo assured her for what seemed the hundredth time since Rio appeared at her office door an hour ago. “You’re like I was at your age. Restless. Independent. Wanting to strike out on your own. Bringing Cash on will allow you to do that.”

      But Grandma’s striking out on her own had involved marrying Rio’s grandfather and joining him in overseeing Hunter’s Hideaway. Not exactly the same thing as Rio’s desire to, as her brothers teased, “save the world.”

      “I don’t think Cash is the best we can do.”

      “So you’re willing to stick around indefinitely to give us more time to drum up and try out additional candidates?”

      “That hardly seems fair, does it?” She’d had everything worked out months ago with her cousin J.C., only to have his abrupt departure and her own looming one send her Grandma Jo scrambling to find someone to take over the management of a critical segment of the family operation. Grandma had nixed Rio’s suggestions of pulling Grady back in to oversee it. He’d moved on to other business-related responsibilities.

      “Well, then, there’s your answer. Cash is our man.”

      She wasn’t leaving her granddaughter grounds on which to further an argument, but Rio had to give it one final try. “Did you know he was bringing a kid, or did he just show up with one?”

      “I didn’t know initially, but he did call ahead to confirm that bringing his son was okay. I assured him it was. So, sweetheart—” Grandma Jo put her arm around Rio as she walked her to the office door “—even if you were willing to delay your departure, an offer has been made and accepted. Give Cash the benefit of the doubt and focus on getting him up to speed on our operation. Not only are we preparing for that events contractor’s visit, but in a week we’ll see a big uptick in guests coming from the Valley and elsewhere for a cool weather retreat.”

      “I know the drill, Grandma. I’ve lived and breathed it since I was old enough to sit on a horse.”

      “Then take care of business here and before you know it—” Grandma gave her a hug “—you’ll be free to take care of business elsewhere.”

      So this wasn’t a ploy to get her to stay after all. Could it be that the whole family was tickled pink to see her depart?

      When a disheartened Rio entered the lobby, her mother was manning the front desk. At sixty-one, Elaine Hunter looked amazing in jeans and a light, mint-green sweater. Nobody who didn’t know the shoulder-length sandy brown hair was a wig would ever guess she’d been battling breast cancer since early last fall.

      Rio’s heart swelled with love. “Hey, Mom.”

      “Hi, honey.” Her mother’s face lit up at the sight of her. СКАЧАТЬ