you could cook?” Kaye teased, loading the dishwasher. She leaned against the counter, and her fingers snagged the top wire shelf of the appliance. “And you have a dishwasher—a brand-spanking-new dishwasher.” It boggled the mind. Nothing else in this room had changed for over twenty years but this happy little appliance.
Joel leaned back in his chair and grinned. Caleb grabbed his glass of tea and gulped, but she saw his smile.
“A Crock-Pot.”
Joel’s response didn’t make sense. She’d been talking dishwasher. “What?”
“That’s my secret to cooking. Once Gramps and I discovered it in the back of the cabinet, we started using it. We had dinner ready when we came in at night.” His voice rang with pride.
“It prevented us from starving, that’s for sure,” Gramps added. The bruising on his face had colored even more, making Kaye want to grimace, remembering when her face had sported similar bruising.
“Well, you’ll have to give me some recipes. It’s been a long time since I’ve cooked for myself or my ex—” she swallowed the rest of the bitter word, glancing at Caleb to see if he caught her mistake “—on a regular basis. I think I’d rather be out in the field working with the locals than cook. I guess I didn’t get the cooking gene from Mom.” She wanted to snatch back the words. How was she going to do this when she kept stepping on land mines?
“Do you have any idea what you want to do now, Sis?” Her brother’s question snapped her out of the past.
“You mean, what do I want to do when I grow up?”
That brought laughter.
“Well, I haven’t—”
“I have an idea,” Joel said.
That had a suspicious ring. She glanced at her grandfather, then Caleb. There was a twinkle in Caleb’s eyes that set her teeth on edge. She couldn’t tell if Gramps was smiling since his face was so swollen.
“I’m afraid to ask.”
Joel stood. “Come with me and I’ll show you.” He led everyone into the formal dining room. Scattered papers covered the entire surface of the table. “I’m in over my head, and I think with what you did in the army, you can help me.”
“At what?” She stared at the mess. It looked like her brother had left the windows open in the dining room and the wind had scattered everything. Stepping to the table, she picked up several sheets. Calf tie-down, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, bareback riding. “A rodeo?” She looked at the three men gathered around.
“The drought has hit most of the ranchers hard in the county, Sis, nearly wiping us out,” Joel explained. “We’ve had to buy feed and hay since our crops failed. Some don’t have the money for seed to plant this next season and will go broke with another year like last year and lose their ranches. At church, we came up with the idea of a charity rodeo with all the prize money, entry fees and ticket sales going to buy seed and feed for the ranchers. County fairgrounds will donate their facility without charge. Now all we have to do is organize the thing.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I was elected to organize this shindig and get it going.”
Kaye’s eyes widened but she didn’t say anything. There was more coming, and she felt it.
“I’m in over my head. I can’t work the ranch and do this.” He waved at the pile. “I could use some help.”
There it was.
“Isn’t that what you did in the army as a public-affairs officer?” Joel further pressed. “Organizing things for the army and local residents?”
She admired her brother’s cunning. He knew how to bait the trap and spring it. When they were growing up, he’d always managed to steer her into doing things he didn’t want to do. “You haven’t lost your edge, have you, big brother?”
The twitch of his lips ruined his innocent expression.
She tried to remain stern, but the humor of the situation bubbled up. Caleb and Gramps stood still, afraid to breathe. “You were always too smart for my own good.”
“Does that mean yes?” The note of hope in her brother’s voice made her want to either laugh or throw something at him.
“I’ll do it, but you’re not off scot-free.”
Joel grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around. “That’s okay.”
“Put me down.”
He did, then kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Sis.”
Kaye shook her head. “What more could I expect from my big brother, who was known to get his own way?” She also figured she needed to pay him back. He’d kept the ranch running when she’d run so fast away from here, leaving him to pick up the pieces.
“Want to see what I’ve got so far?”
“No, but if I’m going to do this, I guess I need to see what I’m up against. Show me.”
* * *
Caleb stood by the corral, watching Razor. The spring night carried soft smells of honeysuckle and wild roses. In spite of the drought, some flowers were blooming this year.
There was the hope of rain this week. A promise. Every rancher in the county prayed rain would come.
“Is that your horse?”
Caleb jerked at the sound of Kaye’s voice.
“Yes. That’s Razor.”
“He’s a beaut.”
Razor trotted up to the fence. He stood before Kaye, his tail swishing.
She reached out her hand to rub the horse’s muzzle.
“I wouldn’t do that.” Caleb’s hand shot out catching her by the wrist. The contact sizzled. Her eyes widened as she felt the electricity, too. Instantly, he drew back his hand. “He’s prickly.”
Kaye turned her gaze back to Razor and lightly stroked the horse’s muzzle and forehead. Amazingly, stunningly, Razor stood quietly and allowed her to do it, making him look like an idiot.
“This is prickly?” She moved her hand under his chin and continued stroking him. “Hey, big guy. It’s nice to meet you.” She reached into the pocket of her light sweater and pulled out a carrot. “Could I offer you a treat?”
Razor nodded and closed his teeth around the carrot.
Leaning against the fence, Caleb marveled at the woman’s approach. “You came prepared.”
“I learned the hard way it’s always easier to offer a gift. It paves the way. It works with people as well as animals. Particularly in Iraq.”
Joel had bragged about what his sister did in the army. And Caleb had stayed at the ranch the week Joel and his grandfather had visited her in the hospital in San Antonio.
