A Cowboy in Manhattan (5 page)

“You should have asked me before disabling my bicycle.”

She wasn’t sure why she was drawing this out. Truth was, it was going to be a whole lot easier to bike in here where it was smoother on her ankle and she didn’t have to watch for obstacles and worry about breakdowns.

“Do you want me to take it apart?”

She caught a glimpse of hurt in his tightening expression and instantly regretted her reaction. “No. No, I don’t.”

“Good enough, then.” His tone was sharp. He turned on his heel, leaving Katrina alone.

Three

N
o good deed ever went unpunished. Reed banged a frying pan against the stovetop, wondering if he was just too stupid to remember that fact.

He was up to
here
with being criticized and having his efforts go unappreciated. It was one of his father’s favorite head games, pretending to want one thing, then changing the rules at the last minute and acting as though Reed had misunderstood the instructions.

He turned the sausages in the big skillet and cracked a couple of more eggs into a glass bowl.

“Smells good,” came Caleb’s voice as he entered the room, making a show of sniffing the air. “I can’t believe you’re such a good cook.”

“I can’t believe you’re such a hopeless cook,” Reed returned.

His brother had spent the past ten years building up his business, Active Equipment, while living in downtown Chicago. If it weren’t for restaurants and take-out food Caleb would have starved to death years ago.

“I thought you’d be out working by now.” Caleb crossed to the coffeemaker, snagged a cup from the lowest shelf and poured himself some coffee.

“Guess I’m just lazy.”

“Whoa,” Caleb drew back at the tone of Reed’s voice. “What’s up?”

“Nothin’.” Reed took a fork and beat the dozen eggs into a scramble, adding onions, peppers and a dollop of milk.

Caleb settled back against the countertop. “It’s just you and me here, bro. He’s gone.”

Reed drew a breath and forced his features to neutral. “I know he’s gone. Corby says the parts are in for the irrigation system on the oat field. Thought I’d start up there.”

“Get one of the hands to do it.”

“No need.” Reed wasn’t about to become an armchair rancher. The irrigation system needed fixing, and he knew how to fix it.

Caleb took a long sip of the black coffee. “Did you get a chance to look at the ranch manager résumés?”

“Not yet.”

“Are you ever going to look at the ranch manager résumés?”

“Said I would.” Reed dumped the egg mixture into a sizzling pan. Caleb was the one who wanted to hire a full-time manager. Reed didn’t have a problem running the ranch himself.

“Who put the burr under your butt this morning?”

“Morning, Caleb,” came Katrina’s voice. Her soft footsteps sounded in the pass-through as she entered the kitchen from the living room.

Reed reached for a spatula, stirring the eggs without turning around. He could feel his brother’s gaze linger on him a moment longer.

“Morning, Katrina,” Caleb offered cheerfully. “Sleep well?”

“I did. Thank you.” Her voice was sweet, melodious, without a trace of upset. Obviously, she’d moved on. Well, he would, too.

He turned to face her. “Eggs?”

Puzzlement flicked through her blue eyes. “No, thank you.”

He knew he’d asked her that once already this morning. But what did she expect? That he’d own up to having spent the past hour with her? That he’d give Caleb the details of their argument?

Offering her some eggs was a perfectly ordinary thing to do in this circumstance.

“Fruit?” he continued, not quite masking the edge to his tone.

“Love some,” she responded, lips compressing ever so slightly.

“There are oranges on the table, grapes and plums in the fridge. Help yourself.”

Caleb moved into action. “Let me—”

“I’m sure she’s capable of opening a refrigerator door,” Reed told his brother.

“What is your
problem?
” Caleb demanded.

“It’s fine,” Katrina cut in, heading for the fridge. “He’s worried that I’m nothing but decorative.”

“She’s our guest,” Caleb exclaimed.

“Who’s a guest?” asked Mandy, breezing into the kitchen. “Me?” She beelined for Caleb, planting a kiss on his cheek. Her hair was damp, her face free of makeup, and she wore a cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up to midforearm, a faded pair of jeans and no-nonsense boots. She was the kind of woman to whom Reed ought to be attracted.

“Me,” corrected Katrina, from behind the open fridge door. By contrast, she now wore a clingy pair of hunter-green slacks with rhinestones decorating the pockets and the hems. Her butter-yellow tank top was cropped, showing off smooth arms, a strip of skin above her waistband, her navel winking sexily every time she moved. Her earrings sparkled with tiny green stones while a silver medallion dangled above the scooped neckline of her top.

She was on a cattle ranch for goodness’ sake, not at a nightclub.

“Okay…” Mandy drawled, obviously waiting to be brought up to speed on the discussion.

Katrina straightened, a deep purple plum in her hand. “I was about to offer to do the dishes.” She pasted Reed with a challenging expression, then took a slurping bite of the plum.

He nearly dropped the spatula.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Mandy quickly put in.

It took Reed’s lungs a moment to start functioning again. “If you gals need to head home right away…”

Caleb’s arm snaked out around Mandy. “I’m not letting this one go yet.”

“I have work to do at home,” Mandy admonished.

“Hire another hand. I’ll pay for it. You’re my fiancée, and I have dibs.”

Katrina’s gaze rested on Reed, making him feel guilty for his snarky attitude. But he’d done her a favor this morning, and she’d treated him like something nasty on the bottom of her shoe. She might get away with that back in New York City, but it wasn’t cutting it out here.

“Exactly how long do you expect me to stay?” Mandy teased Caleb.

His voice went deep, communicating more emotion than a single word. “Forever.”

Realizing he’d nearly burned the eggs, Reed twisted the burner control to the off position and moved them to one side.

“Cute.” Mandy patted Caleb’s cheek, seeming completely unaffected by his staunch declaration.

“Well,
I
should get back,” said Katrina.

“Oh, no.” Mandy walked forward toward Katrina before coming up against the tether of Caleb’s hand in hers. “Stay.”

Katrina turned to her sister. “Why would I stay?”

Stay and ride your bicycle,
Reed found himself fuming. The least she could do was give it a try.

“You might as well be here as down there,” said Mandy. “We haven’t had a chance to talk.” She tugged playfully at Caleb’s hand, while he held her fast. “And I don’t think this one’s going to let me leave.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Reed saw Katrina glance his way.

“Reed’s not going to care,” said Mandy.

“I don’t want to get in the way.”

Reed turned to face her full-on. “This isn’t a country club.”

Her head jerked back, eyes going wide, as if he’d wounded her, and he immediately felt like a heel.

“Reed!” Caleb admonished. “What the hell?”

“It’s okay,” said Katrina, setting down the half-eaten plum. “Obviously, I should—”

“No, you
shouldn’t.
” Mandy shot Reed an annoyed glare. “He’s in a bad mood, that’s all. Terrell men get that way.”

“Excuse me?” Caleb was obviously affronted at being lumped in unfavorably with his brother.

Katrina seemed to be at a loss. She suddenly struck Reed as a fragile, frightened bird. And he had to struggle against an overpowering urge to reach out and reassure her. He wanted to draw her into his arms and apologize for anything he’d ever done, thought of doing or might do in the future to hurt her.

But the rational side of him knew that would be ridiculous. She’d trounced all over his best intentions this morning, and now she was using those big, gorgeous blue eyes to bring the world onto her side.

Well, he wasn’t falling for it.

“You’re more than welcome to stay,” Caleb told her staunchly.

Katrina looked to Reed, and he felt his defenses melting like spring snow. He fought against it, but stubborn as he was, she won the battle without lifting a finger.

“You’re welcome to stay,” he echoed his brother’s invitation.

Then he determinedly turned his attention back to breakfast. The sausages were overdone, as were the eggs. He’d forgotten to push down the toast, and he couldn’t seem to remember what the hell he’d done with the strawberry jam.

Katrina felt as though she was ten years old again, trailing along behind Mandy through the Terrell barn, feeling out of place, her nose wrinkling at the smell, making sure she steered clear of anything with hooves and teeth.

“There’s a gorgeous meadow up by Flash Lake,” Mandy was saying. She stopped beside a stall to scratch the nose of a chestnut mare. “It’s really not that far to ride. The fireweed’s up, and the lilies and columbine. You should see something more than the ranch yard while you’re here.”

“You don’t remember, do you?” Katrina asked.

“Remember what?”

“That I don’t know how to ride.”

Mandy turned. “That’s ridiculous.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Of course you know how to ride.”

Katrina shook her head, then tucked her loose hair behind her ears. “You guys used to put me up on a horse a lot. But I could barely hold on. I sure couldn’t control it.” If her horses hadn’t willingly followed her sisters’ and brothers’ animals back home, she’d have been permanently lost in the wilderness.

“I can teach you,” Mandy broke in.

Katrina laughed at that, deciding it was time to come clean. It had to be better than riding. “I’m afraid of horses, Mandy.”

Her sister’s forehead wrinkled. “What are you talking about?”

“They scare me half to death.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re big. They’re strong. They’re unpredictable, and one of them bit me once.”

Mandy shook her head. “You can’t put up with that. You have to show them who’s boss.”

“Does that sound like me?”

Mandy crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against a stall fence and lifting one heel to brace it on the bottom rail, while the mare nudged at her ear. “I guess not,” Mandy allowed, firmly pushing the horse’s head away.

Katrina gave a self-deprecating grimace. “I can’t even boss around five-foot-two male ballet dancers.”

Mandy laughed at that. “I really could teach you.”

“To boss my ballet partners around?”

“To ride horses.”

Katrina took an involuntary step backward. “I don’t think so.”

“It’s easy.”

“Maybe so, but I don’t want to learn how.”

“But—”

“I’m only going to be here for a week, and there aren’t a lot of horses in New York City.”

Mandy’s eyes narrowed. “But you’ll come back, though, especially once Dad’s home.”

Katrina felt a familiar knot form in her stomach. Maybe it was because she’d left home so young and she didn’t really know her father. Or maybe it was because she’d always sensed his disappointment in her. But the thought of being in the same room, of coming under his scrutiny, of dealing with the walking-on-eggshells feeling she got whenever he looked her way, made her want to turn and run.

“Katrina?” Mandy prompted.

“My schedule’s pretty busy.”

“But you do get time off.”

“I do. But there are rehearsals. I’m doing a little teaching now.” Katrina turned and started walking, not wanting to face her sister while she stretched the truth.

Mandy followed her lead. “You really do hate it here, don’t you?”

“It’s…” Katrina struggled for the right words. “Intimidating.”

“I don’t see why.” Mandy urged Katrina down a side aisle.

“Of course you don’t. You’re like Ms. Super-Rancher.”

Mandy laughed while she pushed open a door, and the sunlight flooded through. “You make a bigger deal about everything than it has to be. You always have.”

“I do not.” Katrina stopped short, unease shooting through her.

They’d walked outside into a large, green field, fences in the far distance. It was dotted with horses, in ones and twos, heads down, grazing.

“I won’t let them get you,” Mandy assured her.

“I’m not in the mood for an intervention.” At her mother’s insistence, Katrina was here to touch base with her family. But she wasn’t here to conquer her fears and become a better human being.

“We’re just walking. It’s nicer out here than it is in the barn.”

“In the barn, they’re all behind fences.”

“If they attack, I’ll throw myself in front of you.”

“Funny.” Mandy might be taller and heavier than Katrina, but it was still a hundred-odd pounds against two-thousand. If a horse went rogue, Mandy wouldn’t be able to save her.

Mandy turned so they were headed along the fence line, and Katrina felt a little better. At least there was a handy escape route if they needed one.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Reed?”