The Rancher's Mistress. Kay Thorpe

      CHAPTER THREE

      THERE were over a dozen animals in the corral, including the grey Alex recognised as the one Cal had ridden the previous evening. She settled her gaze on a deep-chested bay gelding restlessly pacing the perimeter fence.

      ‘Is he available?’ she asked, nodding in his direction.

      ‘Available, yes,’ Cal confirmed, ‘but not suitable. The pinto is a good, smooth ride. Likewise the sorrel.’

      ‘Suitable for a novice, maybe, but I have ridden before,’ Alex returned firmly. ‘The bay will suit me fine.’

      ‘I said not.’ The tone was level enough, but there was no doubting the determination.

      Argument was obviously going to get her nowhere, she accepted with reluctance, squashing the urge. What was needed was a demonstration of her abilities.

      ‘I’ll take the chestnut mare over there, then,’ she said, judging her the liveliest of the rest.

      Cal inclined his head in mocking acknowledgement of her compromise. ‘Let’s go get a saddle.’

      The tack room was at the end of the barn she had seen everyone making for last night, the tack itself in plentiful supply. Cal picked up a tooled leather saddle which looked twice the size of its English equivalent, dumping it into her arms with scant ceremony.

      ‘Everybody does their own toting,’ he notified her, hearing her involuntary gasp at the weight. ‘Most folk like to stick to the same mount the whole time they’re here.’

      ‘I’d like to try different ones,’ she said. ‘If that’s okay?’

      The shrug was easy. ‘Fine. Just stay away from the bay. He can be a cussed beggar when he has a mind.’

      He wasn’t the only one, thought Alex determinedly. She would ride that horse if it was the last thing she ever did!

      The saddle grew heavier by the second as they made their way back across to the corral. She was thankful to sling it over the rail while Cal went in to put a bridle on the chestnut with a dexterity that thwarted her attempt to evade it. Hardly on a par with the bay, Alex considered, but at least not devoid of spirit.

      She lofted the saddle over the gleaming back without waiting to be told, feeling the strain on her muscles. Talking softly to the animal, she reached for the girths, fastening them loosely at first, then taking up the slack when the deliberately drawn breath was released.

      Ears pricking to the sound of her voice, the mare stood still as a rock as she gathered the reins in one hand and put a foot in the stirrup. A light bound and she was up and astride, settling down into the depths of the saddle with a lift of her eyebrows at the man watching.

      ‘Feels fine,’ she said. ‘Like sitting in an armchair! I’m used to a lot less saddle than this.’

      ‘A few less hours at a time in it too,’ returned Cal drily. ‘Walk her round a bit.’

      She did so, enjoying the feel. ‘What’s her name?’ she asked.

      ‘Minty,’ he supplied. ‘Try a trot.’

      Minty responded without hesitation to a touch of the heels. Using the Western-style one-handed hold on the reins, and refraining from rising, Alex found no difficulty in signalling changes of direction. She was showing off a little, she knew, but it was time Cal realised how far from a novice she actually was.

      ‘Guess that’s good enough,’ he declared after a minute or two.

      Alex leaned forward to pat the silky neck as she brought the mare to a halt, wryly accepting that that was all she was going to get by way of approval. ‘Any limitations on where I can go with her?’

      ‘I’ll be going into town this afternoon,’ he said. ‘You can ride in with me. Don’t bother putting the tack away. Stick it on the rail over there.’

      Alex sat where she was for a fuming moment as he moved off back towards the house, strongly tempted to take the bit between her own teeth. She had already shown she could handle the animal; there was no call for any further supervision!

      Discretion beat rebellion into reluctant submission. The fellowship between her and her sister-in-law’s brother was tentative, to say the least. Defiance of the kind she was contemplating was hardly scheduled to improve things. Like it or not, while she was here on the Lazy Y, what he said went.

      Having arrived on the scene in time to hear the edict, Margot grinned as she dismounted, obviously aware of the brief struggle. ‘I half expected you to take off regardless.’ she commented.

      ‘He’s the boss,’ Alex responded lightly, unbuckling the girths. ‘I wouldn’t mind seeing the town anyway. How far is it?’

      ‘A few miles. Not that it’s anything like what you’re used to.’

      Alex glanced at the younger girl, struck by a certain disparagement in her voice. ‘I’d be very disappointed if it were. You’ll be coming along too, won’t you?’

      Margot shook her head. ‘I’ve one or two things I need to do this afternoon.’

      Which left her well and truly saddled, Alex thought ruefully, bracing herself for the descending weight.

      Turned back into the corral, Minty kicked up her heels, as if in protest at the re-confinement. Alex knew how she felt. A good gallop across the wide open expanses out there would have done them both the world of good.

      ‘I always envied the girls at school who had ponies of their own,’ she said, reluctant to leave the animals. ‘I’d have been in seventh heaven living your kind of life, Margot!’

      Slender shoulders rose in deprecation. ‘I’d be the same if I had your life. Going on shoots, wearing glamorous clothes—seeing all those places! Before that trip to Vegas the farthest I’d been was Denver. I though being married would make things different,’ she added, ‘but it hasn’t. Not really. I’m still stuck in the same rut.’

      Alex looked at her thoughtfully. ‘Does Cal know how you feel?’

      She shook her head. ‘I didn’t realise what I was missing myself until I went to Vegas. There was so much to do—so many places to go!’

      ‘All of it costing money,’ Alex said softly. ‘You must have realised Greg didn’t have very much.’

      ‘I didn’t think about it,’ Margot admitted. ‘We had such a wonderful time together.’

      Alex could imagine. With just the one week in which to secure his future, Greg would have pulled out all the stops. It must have been a real shock when he had met his brother-in-law and realised just how far from Easy Street he’d landed himself.

      She was doing it again, she acknowledged ruefully, pulling herself up. She had no real proof, as yet, of what Greg’s motives had been.

      ‘Do you love him?’ she asked, and saw the hazel eyes take on a glow.

      ‘Oh, yes!’ The glow faded again. ‘I don’t think he loves me, though. Not in the same way.’

      ‘Men don’t always find it easy to demonstrate their feelings, but I’m sure he does.’ Alex did her best to infuse certainty into her voice. ‘Why else would he have been so eager for me to come and meet you?’

      ‘I suppose you’re right.’ Margot was obviously eager to be convinced. ‘I’m probably expecting too much.’ She paused. ‘Have you ever been in love yourself?’

      Alex summoned