steps to the main lodge’s huge porch, and Jess practically drooled when she smelled the lasagna Ma must have just taken out of the oven. “Oh, lordy. I’m in heaven.”
Hayley held the door open. “Careful, or you’ll never want to leave.”
Jess took a deep breath. “You don’t know the half of it.”
Chapter 5
“I assumed you’d want to ride Sky Dancer.” Cole handed Jess the reins on Monday morning as she entered the corral in riding pants, boots, and a navy blue shirt that outlined all of the parts he’d seen so clearly under her white dress yesterday.
Her face brightened as she took the straps and pulled Sky Dancer’s bridle down so she could rub the mare’s nose. “Hi, baby! I missed you!” The horse tossed her head happily before ducking down to nudge her.
Cole watched them for a second, unduly jealous of the damn horse for getting the benefit of Jess’s affection. “Do you ever ride back east?”
“No.” Jess shook her head. “The only stables I can get to are overcrowded and small. And after riding trail out here, doing laps in a corral just isn’t the same.” She patted Sky Dancer’s neck fondly. “I can’t believe Kyla put me on horse duty this week. I totally thought I’d end up cleaning cabins or cooking spaghetti. This is much better.”
“Ma’s got the kitchen handled these days, and she finally hired someone to do the cabins, so she’s not running quite so hard anymore.” Cole smiled. “Maybe by the time you come out next summer, we’ll be staffed up enough that you can have an actual vacation while you’re here, instead of being the unpaid help.”
“I’m happy to be the unpaid help, given that it comes with a gorgeous cabin, delicious food, and Sky Dancer here.” Jess laughed. “Though I’d be the first one to sign up for the other vacation package, too.”
She walked around to Sky Dancer’s left and mounted expertly. He tried not to watch. “For this week, I’m happy to help.” She looked over at the corral where Decker was getting guests up on their horses. “So what’s our plan?”
“Ridge Trail and picnic lunch at the little falls.” Cole swung his leg up over Scooby’s back. “Remember the route?”
“One of my favorites. Is Decker coming, too?”
“No. He’s got other stuff going on.” As usual. “Would you rather lead? Or hang back with the rookies?”
Did he imagine the head-to-toe glance she gave him before she answered?
“Um.” He saw her swallow. “I’ll lead. Just make sure I don’t get lost and head over any cliffs.”
He nodded. “As long as you don’t leave us in the dust.”
She winked as she tapped her heels on Sky Dancer’s belly. “No promises.”
Two hours later, they were settled on saddle blankets beside the falls, eating a picnic lunch Ma had packed early this morning. Though there were only eight people on the trail ride, as usual, she’d packed enough for double that many.
Cole sat on a stump over near the horses, trying to fix a stirrup strap that had come loose, but he watched Jess as she lifted cold fried chicken to her lips and smiled at something one of the guys had just said. Today’s group consisted of four guys and four women, all from a church singles group outside of Boise, all hoping to make a love match sometime in the next week so they could get started on having their requisite 2.5 children.
After just a couple of years of watching guests come through the ranch, Cole knew the type. He also knew that the fact that they were church singles was no guarantee he wouldn’t catch a couple of them sneaking down to the staff cabins late at night.
Or putting the moves on a gorgeous, dark-haired woman who was clearly just being polite by laughing at their jokes. She was just being polite, right? Ben, who Cole had already pegged as a player, was moving in on Jess, but Cole didn’t think she was clued into that fact yet.
As Cole watched, Ben’s body language spoke volumes. He was definitely interested in more than Jess’s conversational skills, and he wasn’t making any secret of it. Cole felt himself clenching his fists as the guy told an inane joke, trying to make her laugh.
But then Ben reached out his hand to touch Jess’s elbow, and it was like a hot wire had hit her. Her smile faltered as she pulled her arm closer to her body, and Cole knew immediately that Ben had crossed