Reining In Trouble. Tyler Anne Snell

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      “You’re one of the triplets.”

      “In the flesh.”

      * * *

      NINA DRAKE FELT like a damned idiot.

      She’d spent the last two weeks practicing what she’d say when she met the family whose ranch she was now employed by, desperate to make a great first impression. Not that she thought she’d make a bad one without the practice but because she desperately wanted the job. She needed it. So she’d gone over enough scenarios in her head about how she’d meet Dorothy Nash and her four children that by the time Nina had met the mother she’d been cool and confident.

      Dorothy had smiled with her, laughed at Nina’s attempt at humor and even praised her work ethic.

      Preparation had been key.

      Meeting one of her sons while taking a topless dip and then immediately accusing him of being a creep?

      That certainly wasn’t the key to anything other than a world of embarrassment.

      “I’m Caleb Nash,” he continued while she continued to scramble for the right thing to say to make the last five minutes disappear. He was still grinning, which only made everything worse. “I’d prefer Caleb and not Tom, if you please.”

      The burn of embarrassment that had crawled up her neck was now a steady flame across her cheeks. Still, Nina couldn’t just stand there any longer without saying a word. On reflex she cleared her throat and pasted on a smile that felt tight.

      “I’m sorry,” she said, hoping she sounded at least marginally regretful. She still wasn’t convinced the man hadn’t been trying to enjoy the free view. Nina might have liked Dorothy but she had yet to meet her sons. One, she knew, was the sheriff. The other two were a part of the triplets. Past that she hadn’t heard anything about their jobs or personal lives. Dorothy had kept close to the topic of work. “I guess it wasn’t the best idea to go exploring. I thought for sure I would be alone.” She strode forward and stretched out her hand. “I’m Nina. Nina Drake.”

      Caleb’s grip was strong and warm. Not that she expected the man in front of her to offer anything less. His arms and legs were toned and muscled, both threatening to break out of the tight shirt he wore and the shorts he barely had on. Even without the show of muscles he just seemed like a man who was sturdy. Well over six feet and broad shouldered, he made Nina feel more than petite next to him.

      It didn’t help that she was already feeling small because of embarrassment. It also didn’t help that Caleb had a good-looking grin that matched an extremely handsome face. When Nina had applied for a job on the ranch she’d pictured rugged men in cowboy hats roaming around the property on horses. Not the clean-shaven, dark-haired man wearing short shorts in the middle of the woods in front of her.

      Not those baby blues focused solely on her.

      Half of the reason she’d taken the job was to curb excitement like this.

      Not that this was anything more than an awkward situation.

      Still, she couldn’t imagine being in the presence of the triplets if they had been identical. It would, she suspected, be intimidating to say the least.

      “Well, nice to meet you, Nina,” he said after their hands had fallen. “I’m sorry I interrupted. I usually stop here to cool off.”

      Nina was already backing away in the direction she’d originally come. She shook her head and waved off the concern.

      “It was my fault,” she tried. “I was just trying to familiarize myself with the trails before guests started arriving. I should have stayed on the path.” Caleb looked like he was going to say something but she was already retreating into the tree line. “Enjoy your dip,” she called. Then she turned on her heel and hurried back to the dirt trail.

      It wasn’t until she had passed the one-mile marker that she slowed enough to catch her breath. Instead of seeing the humor in the situation, Nina couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d almost cost herself a chance at a fresh start.

      She balled her hands into fists, resolve to be the perfect employee flooding through her. Not only would she stick strictly to the rules, she decided, but she would also avoid the man who had caught her breaking them.

      A branch snapped somewhere off to her side. Nina’s blush surged back up her neck, heating her skin, at the thought of Caleb following her. However, as she paused to look between the trees, she saw no one.

      Nina finished the trail with a little more urgency in her step, all the while reasoning that the outline of the man she thought she’d seen was just her imagination.

      Simply a ghost from her former life.

       Chapter Two

      The Wild Iris Retreat was a new build on the Nash Family Ranch but it by no means looked out of place. Four cabins were spaced out for privacy and were placed near a network of trails that led to the best fishing on the land, the horse barn for riding lessons or trail riding and a field where, according to Dorothy, one had the best views of the stars.

      The main building that housed the Retreat’s operations, as well as Nina’s office and apartment, was the only part of Wild Iris that had been original to the earlier generation of Nashes. After a flood had forced Dorothy’s grandparents to build a new house a good five-minute drive up the road, the old family home had sat in ruins until the idea of the Retreat had been born. It was now standing tall, repurposed and very much alive. While it wasn’t as cozy as the cabins near it, Nina couldn’t help but favor it above the others.

      It reminded her of her mother, if she was being honest. Warm, worn and beautiful.

      Nina jogged around to the back door and pulled the key from the waist of her athletic shorts. She slipped her shoes off and carried them through the back hallway to the stairs that branched off what used to be the old living room. The second floor was modest, converted into a studio apartment. It had been created for the manager of the Retreat. Dorothy had wanted the guests to have full access to them without the need to trek up the road to the main house or even farther to two of the Nash sons’ houses.

      The Nash sons...

      Caleb.

      Nina stepped into the shower, trying to physically move away from the embarrassment that had overtaken her again. She remembered a time when she had been great at first impressions. Charming, according to her father, intriguing as a compliment from her mother. At a young age Nina had decided she wanted to use those traits to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Maybe become an inspirational speaker for nonprofits too, traveling the state to talk at schools and other organizations.

      But then everything had changed.

      Nina’s mood darkened until nothing but the echo of sadness pinged in her heart. She finished her shower, dressed in a pair of jeans and a button-up, and walked downstairs to the front of the house. Another key unlocked the two spaces of her living quarters and the business side of the retreat and soon she was trying her best not to stew on how cruel life could be sometimes while settling in behind her desk.

      The СКАЧАТЬ