said with a sigh. “I’d better get started on chow, or is Chappy laying on a barbecue tonight before the square dance? He never asks me, he just goes ahead with whatever he wants to do.”
“Chappy did say something about a barbecue. Why don’t you make a bowl of potato salad and some homemade rolls and a few pies to go with it?” She put an arm around Bella’s formidable girth. “That will save you some work, too, won’t it? Actually, I think Chappy’s kind of sweet on you.”
Bella flushed and glared at Nell. “He ain’t, neither! Now get out of here and let me get busy.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nell grinned and curtsied before she darted out the back door.
Nell went down to the stables to check on the mounts for the morning ride. Chappy Staples was alone there, and after all the years, Nell was still a little in awe of him. He was older than most of the men, but he could outride the best of them. He’d never said a thing out of the way to Nell, but she couldn’t help her remoteness. It was the same with all the men, except Tyler.
“How is the mare this morning?” she asked the wiry man with the pale blue eyes, referring to a horse with a bad shoe.
“I had the farrier come over and take a look at her. He replaced the shoe, but she’s still restless this morning. I wouldn’t take her out if I were you.”
She sighed. “That will leave us one mount short,” she murmured. “Margie’s gone riding with Tyler and the boys.”
“If you can handle it alone, I’ll keep Marlowe here and let him help me work the colt, and one of the guests can have his horse,” Chappy said. “How about it?”
“That sounds great.” She sighed, thanking her lucky stars that the foulmouthed Marlowe was being kept clear of her guests. If he kept it up, he’d have to go, and that would leave them a man short. Nell didn’t like the idea of adding on new men. It had taken her long enough to get used to the ones she already had on the place.
“We’ll start at ten,” she told Chappy. “And we have to be back in time for lunch. I’m taking the ladies shopping about one-thirty.”
“No problem, ma’am.” He tipped his hat and returned to work.
Nell wandered back toward the house, deep in thought, almost running head-on into Tyler because she didn’t see him until he rounded the corner of the house.
She gasped, stepping back. “Sorry,” she said, faltering. “I didn’t see you.”
He glared down at her. “I was about to head off riding with Margie and the boys when I heard that I’m escorting Margie to the square dance tonight.”
“Are you?” she asked, all at sea.
He lifted an eyebrow. “That’s what Margie tells me. She said it was your idea,” he added in an exaggerated Texas drawl that could have skinned a cactus at close range.
“I guess you wouldn’t believe me if I told you I haven’t said a word to her about it,” she said resignedly.
“You throw her at me every time she comes out here, don’t you?” he asked with a mocking smile.
She lowered her eyes and turned away. “I did once or twice, sure. I thought you might enjoy her company,” she said in a subdued tone. “She’s like you. Sophisticated and classy and upper crust. But if you’d rather she went with someone else, I’ll see what I can do.”
He caught her arm, noticing the way she tensed and froze. “All right. You don’t have to make a federal case out of it. I just don’t like having myself volunteered for guest escort services. I like Margie, but I don’t need a matchmaker.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” she said more sadly than she realized. “Will you let go of my arm, please?”
“You can’t bear to be touched, can you?” he asked speculatively. “That was one of the first things I noticed about you. Why?”
Her heart went wild. He couldn’t know that it was his touch lancing through her like white-hot pleasure that made her tremble, not a dislike of being touched by him. And that surprised her. “My private life is none of your business,” she said firmly.
“No. You’ve made that very clear lately,” he replied. He let her go as if her arm burned his fingers. “Okay, honey. Have it your own way. As for Margie, I’ll work things out with her.”
He sounded vaguely exasperated, but Nell was far too nervous to wonder about his tone of voice. A quick getaway was on her mind. When she was alone with him, it took all her willpower not to throw herself into his arms, despite all her inhibitions.
“Okay,” she said, and shrugged, as if what he did were of no consequence to her. She went around him and into the house without looking back, unaware of his quiet gaze following her every step of the way.
Nell avoided Tyler for the rest of the day, and she didn’t go to the square dance that night. She excused herself right after the barbecue and went up to her room. She was being a coward, she thought miserably, but at least she wouldn’t have to watch Margie flirt with Tyler.
But memories of Tyler wouldn’t be put out of her mind. Her thoughts drifted relentlessly back to the very beginning, to his first few days at the ranch. From the moment she’d met him at the airport, he’d been gentle and kind to her, putting her at ease, making himself right at home in her company.
And not only with Nell—he’d won over the men and Bella just as quickly. Nell had warmed to him as she never had to any man, with the exception of Darren McAnders. But even though Darren had left deep scars on her emotions, Nell knew instinctively that Tyler wouldn’t harm her. Before she realized what was happening to her, she was following him around like a puppy.
She grimaced, remembering. She’d alternated between sighing over him and trying to find ways to make him more comfortable. She didn’t realize how her eagerness to please him might seem to other people…or even to Tyler. She was in awe of him, the wound of McAnders’s long-ago rejection forgotten.
There was a square dance the second week he was in residence. Nell hadn’t put on a dress, but she did make sure her long hair was clean and neatly brushed, and she didn’t wear her slouch hat. As usual when there were strangers around, especially male ones, she drew into herself. Tyler made a convenient hiding place, and she got behind him and stayed there.
“Scared?” he’d teased gently, not minding her shy company. She was a little sunflower, a child to cosset. He hadn’t asked her age, but he assumed she hadn’t made it out of her teens yet. She didn’t threaten him in any way, and he could afford to be kind to her.
“I don’t mix well,” she confessed, smiling. “And I don’t really trust men very much. Some of the guests…well, they’re older men and their wives aren’t interested in them. I guess any young woman, even one like me, is fair game to them. I don’t want trouble, so mostly I stay away from dances.” Her dark eyes sought his. “You don’t mind if I stick back here with you?”
“Of course not.” He leaned against one of the posts that supported the loft and busied his
