Part 10 (2/2)

Seth grinned over his shoulder. ”Great!”

When they returned to the shop and began unloading the fencing gear, Maddox glanced around to make sure they were alone.

”You really okay, man?”

Seth laughed. ”Of course. My mom has needed a man for years, and they don't come much better than Fritz.”

”I'll be d.a.m.ned,” Maddox said as he leaned the posthole digger in a corner. ”You're something else. Chanel would've freaked. Your brother would've been p.i.s.sed.”

Seth shrugged. ”I believe in people finding happiness. It looks different for everyone.” He paused and studied Maddox for a moment before continuing. ”You know I'm gay, right?”

”Guessed at it.” Maddox looked his new friend right in the eye. ”It doesn't bother me.”

”Right on. Not everyone out here is as accepting.”

”I'm not from around here,” Maddox said.

”True that.”

”Hey, Seth. We seem to work pretty well together,” Maddox began. He couldn't believe the words that were about to leave his mouth. ”Would you be willing to teach me to ride a horse? I know Mitch really wants me to help with the yearling drive, and it wasn't going so well with Chanel...”

Seth laughed.

”I guess you already heard that story.” Maddox felt his face grow hot, even though he didn't need to be embarra.s.sed with Seth.

”Sorry, man. She tells me everything.”

Maddox raked his fingers through his tangled hair.

”Yeah, I can teach you. It'll surprise the h.e.l.l out of her when you just jump on a horse and take off.”

Maddox relaxed and smiled. He liked that idea.

”We'll start tonight,” Seth said and then looked pointedly at Maddox's beat up sneakers. ”Why don't you come by the house for lunch, and we'll order you some boots.”

CHAPTER TWELVE.

Chanel nodded her head at Maddox, and he pulled the lever on the chute. She still hadn't coaxed him back on a horse, but he'd become quite handy on the ground. They'd even managed to settle into a peaceful working relations.h.i.+p, which she told herself was what she wanted.

A chocolate colored calf shot out of the gate and raced down the length of the arena. Spurring Vivi, they chased the calf quickly, closing the gap, Chanel's rope swinging. When she released the loop, it zinged out over the calf's head for a perfect catch. Vivi made a quick stop, and the rope snapped away from the saddle horn.

”Yeeooww!”

Chanel grinned at the sound of Seth's voice. He was standing just outside the arena with a s.h.i.+ny bay horse.

”That buckle's yours this year,” he called.

”Maybe,” Chanel said riding over to the fence. ”Most the girls don't take nine months off at a time around here.”

”Bah,” Seth swatted the air with one hand. ”It's better for them that you do. At least it makes the night compet.i.tive.”

Chanel rolled her eyes. ”You coming in here, or what? Maddox is a whiz at stringing barriers and running the chute.”

Maddox jogged over to the pair and reached through the fence to shake Seth's hand. ”Hey, man.”

Their fast friends.h.i.+p perplexed Chanel. There had been evenings when she hadn't been able to find either one of them. She loved that Seth was having such a great time at home, but at the same time was frustrated with Maddox for hogging him. She felt like a twelve-year-old for being jealous.

”Actually, I was just bringing Malcolm by to say hi to Maddox.” Seth pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the horse.

”When did Malcolm and Maddox become such good friends?” A smirk played on her lips as she watched Maddox unlatch the metal gate to let in her cousin and horse. As far as she was concerned, Maddox and members of the equine family didn't mix. Then she noticed Maddox's feet. In place of his beat-up sneakers, he wore a pair of lace-up work boots with a heel. What the heck was going on here?

”You guys went shopping,” Chanel said hearing accusation in her tone.

”Internet shopping, but yeah,” Seth replied. ”You didn't do a very good job outfitting him for ranch work.”

Temper flared through Chanel. She'd busted her a.s.s taking care of the big baby. ”Look, you-,” she began.

Seth grabbed her leg and gave it a squeeze. ”Settle down. I'm just teasing. But we do have a surprise for you.”

Without a word, Maddox swung up to Malcolm's back and took the reins from Seth. He gave the horse a kick and began to canter around the arena. His seat bounced a bit, but for a beginner, he looked pretty good. Chanel's mouth gaped as she watched his blond hair fly behind him.

”How'd you do that?”

”I wasn't a b.i.t.c.h.”

She glowered down at her cousin. ”I'm not a b.i.t.c.h.”

He arched an eyebrow. ”Maybe not to everyone, but you've got the guy tied up in knots.”

Maddox eased Malcolm to a stop when he reached Chanel and Seth. ”Whaddaya think, boss?”

A dozen criticisms begged to roll off her tongue, but Seth's warning squeeze on her leg had her swallowing them. She maneuvered her lips into a stiff smile. ”Looks like you won't fall off riding drag next week.”

Maddox dismounted. ”Good enough.”

Seth took his place on Malcolm and said, ”Okay, Chel, let's see if I can still snag a set of heels.”

He trotted toward gate leading to the corral where the roping steers lived, Maddox following on foot. Chanel stared after them trying to calm her racing heart.

Tiny rivers of blood ran along Maddox's tanned arms as he and his horse crashed through a th.o.r.n.y thicket after a squirrely young cow that was determined to stay on the range. Maddox was ready to leave it out here, but Chanel's lecture from the night before when they trailered their horses to cow camp surfaced to admonish him. These ”yearlings” she called them were a major source of income for the Eber family. They needed to trail the herd back to headquarters as calmly as possible so they didn't lose weight. Mitch a.s.signed Maddox the job of irrigating a large meadow near the corrals a couple weeks before in order to grow lush gra.s.s for the yearlings to graze on for a few days before the trucks arrived.

The day had started while it was still dark. The crew had slept in skinny wooden bunks bolted to the wall of an ancient cabin. Maddox was certain he'd heard rats scuttling around on the other side of the wall in the woodpile. It'd taken him quite a while to fall asleep, which sucked because everyone else pa.s.sed right out, filling the tiny s.p.a.ce with all kinds of snoring. Jerry had jabbed him in the ribs on his way out the door. Maddox knew that was the signal to get moving if he didn't want Mitch showing up with another frying pan.

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