come after that? Some twice as mean. Besides, I need a trainer that I can invest in long term.”
“I heard she’s moving to town to be close to her father. To me that speaks of long term.”
McKinnon’s gaze narrowed. Evidently Norris had asked questions of the right people after Casey’s impressive performance yesterday. Abruptly, McKinnon walked over to the window and looked out. He had barely slept last night for remembering the sight of Casey standing frozen in place while that blasted animal charged toward her. He hadn’t felt so helpless before in his entire life. The thought of what that horse could have done to her sent chills through his body even now.
“The decision is yours, of course, but I think it will be to your advantage, considering everything, to hire her,” Norris said behind him. “The sheikh expects that blasted horse trained and ready to race in less than two months. And the way I see it, Corey’s daughter is our best bet.”
McKinnon turned and shot a hard glare at Norris. “There has to be another way,” he said, his features severe and unyielding.
“Then I hope you find it,” Norris replied before moving to walk out the door.
* * *
He hadn’t found another way.
And that was the reason McKinnon found himself arriving by horseback on Corey’s Mountain later that same day. Seeing the spacious and sprawling ranch house, set among a stand of pine trees and beneath the beauty of a Montana sky, had bittersweet memories flooding his mind. He could recall the many summers he’d spent here as a young boy with Corey’s nephews—all eleven of them. Just how Corey managed all of them was anyone’s guess, but those summers had been some of the best of McKinnon’s life. He’d been footloose and fancy free, and the only thing he’d worried about was staying away from the blackberries he was allergic to.
These days things were different. He had a lot to worry about. He had both a ranch and a business to run, and now it seemed the woman he’d always intended to keep at a distance would be living on his land, a stone’s throw away…. If she accepted his job offer.
And that was the big question. After the way they’d clashed yesterday, would she even consider coming to work for him now? His contacts in the horse industry hadn’t been any help and now it came down to eating crow and doing the one thing he hadn’t wanted to do—offer Casey Westmoreland a job.
When he reached the ranch house he got off his horse and tied him to a post before glancing around, his gaze searching the wide stretch of land, scanning the fields and pastures. Corey’s land. Corey’s Mountain. McKinnon shook his head thinking it was rather sad that during those times he and Corey’s eleven nephews were spending time on this mountain, somewhere in Texas Corey had three kids he’d known nothing about—a daughter and two sons. Triplets. Being the good man that he was, Corey was trying like hell to make up for lost time.
A sound coming from somewhere in back where the stables and corral were located caught McKinnon’s ears, and before moving up the steps to the front door, he decided to check things out. As soon as he rounded the corner a swift surge of intense desire flooded him. He recognized Casey sitting on the back of a horse, surrounded by a group of men—one he recognized as her father.
He stopped walking and stood there, leaned against the house and stared at her, remembering the first time he’d laid eyes on her. It had been here, on this very land, standing pretty close to this same spot, while attending her cousin and his good friend Stone Westmoreland’s wedding. It just so happened that Corey, who she had met for the first time that day, was also getting married.
It had been just minutes before the wedding was to begin and he had been talking with Durango and his brothers, Jared and Spencer. He had glanced around the exact moment a group of people had parted, giving him a spacious view of what he thought had to be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He’d heard about Corey’s triplets and had already met her two brothers, but that day had been the first time he had set his eyes on Casey Westmoreland.
Every male hormone within his body had gone on full alert and his libido hadn’t been the same since. He had stood there, the conversations between him and the men long forgotten as he watched her move around the yard talking with her cousin Delaney. There had been such sensuality in her movement, such refined grace, that he found it hard to believe she was the same woman sitting on a horse now. But all it took was a glance of her face to know that she was one and the same. The same woman determined to stay etched inside his brain.
And then, as if she knew he was standing there staring at her, she glanced over in his direction and their gazes locked and held. He watched her stiffen, felt her anger and knew he had his work cut out for him. Chances were strong that after yesterday he was the last person she wanted to see.
But still he kept staring at her, liking the way the sun was shining on her hair, giving it a lustrous glow against the light blue blouse she was wearing. She had on jeans—that much he could see although his total view was hampered by the men standing around her.
As if wondering what had captured his daughter’s attention, Corey glanced in his direction and smiled. He then said something to Casey and a brief moment later the older man was walking toward him. McKinnon shoved off from the wall and moved forward to meet the man he considered a second father. Corey and McKinnon’s father had been best friends for years, long before McKinnon was born.
Towering over six-five with a muscular build, Corey Westmoreland was a giant of a man with a big heart, a love for the land and his family and friends.
“McKinnon,” Corey Westmoreland said, smiling as he embraced him in a bear hug. “What brings you up here?”
“Casey,” McKinnon said simply. He couldn’t help noticing the older man’s expression didn’t show any surprise. “She came to see me yesterday about a job.”
Corey chuckled. “Yes, she told me about that.”
McKinnon could imagine. “I’m here to offer her the job if she still wants it.”
Corey shrugged. “You’re going to have to discuss that with her. I guess I don’t have to tell you that you did a pretty good job of pissing her off.”
McKinnon nodded. He’d always appreciated Corey’s honesty, even now. “No, you don’t have to tell me.” He glanced over to the area where Casey had been earlier when he heard several loud shouts. He lifted a brow. “What’s going on?”
“Casey’s about to try her hand at riding Vicious Glance.”
McKinnon jerked his head around and practically glared Corey in the face. “You can’t let her ride that horse.”
Corey shook his head, grinning. “I’d like to see you try talking her out of it. She’s been here enough times to know what a mean son of a bitch that animal is, but she’s determined to break him in.”
“And you’re letting her?” McKinnon had both outrage and astonishment on his face. Everyone who had visited Corey’s Mountain knew that Vicious Glance—named for the look the mean-spirited animal would give anyone who came close—was a damn good stud horse, but when it came to having anyone sitting on his back, he wasn’t having it. More than one of Corey’s ranch hands had gotten injured trying to be the one to change that bit of history.
“I’m not letting her do anything, McKinnon. Casey’s a grown woman who’s past the age of being told what she can or cannot do,” he said.
