Читать книгу Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy - Kate Pearce - Страница 9

Chapter Three

Teddie was a quick study. She mastered the preparations for riding and was now learning how to get on a horse properly.

“There are all these programs that tell you to get on a stump or a stepladder so you don’t overburden the horse’s back. But you’re small enough that it won’t matter. Ready?”

She grimaced. She looked up to the pommel of the Western saddle she’d put on Bartholomew with Parker’s instructions. “It’s a long way up there,” she said doubtfully.

He laughed. “I guess it is, squirt. Okay. Lead him over here.”

Teddie led him to a stump near the porch, positioned Bart on one side of it, put her foot into the stirrup, and sprung up onto his back.

The horse moved restlessly, but Parker had the bridle. “It’s okay, old man,” he said softly, offering a treat on the palm of his hand.

Bart hesitated, but only for a moment before he took it. Parker smoothed over the blaze that ran down his forehead. “Good boy.” He glanced at Teddie, who looked nervous. “You have to be calm,” he instructed. “Horses, like dogs and cats, can sense when we’re unsettled. They respond to emotions, sometimes badly. Give him a minute to settle down. And whatever you do, don’t jerk the reins. Riding is mostly in your legs. Use your legs to tell him when to go, when to stop, which way to turn. The bridle gives you more control, but your legs are where your focus needs to be,” he said as he adjusted her stirrup length.

“I have little scrawny legs, though,” she said worriedly.

He smiled. “You’ll do fine.”

He had a calming nature, Teddie thought, because the words relaxed her. She noticed that Bart reacted to it. He tossed his head, but his ears stayed turned to the front, not the back. It was only dangerous when a horse had both ears flattened, because that meant trouble.

Teddie stroked his mane. “Sweet horse,” she said softly. “I’m so happy I got you, Bart.”

He seemed to relax even more.

“Okay. Contract your legs at the knee and see if he’ll respond by going forward.”

He did.

“Wow!” she exclaimed softly.

Parker chuckled. “Good job. Now, when you want him to turn left, put more pressure on your left leg and move the bridle very gently to the left. You don’t want to hurt his mouth.”

“Okay.” She followed the instruction and so did Bart. “This is awesome,” she said.

“Horses are awesome,” Parker agreed. “Try turning him the other way. Same procedure.”

She did. Bart followed through beautifully.

“How do I tell him to stop?” she asked.

“You pull back very gently on the reins.”

She did that, and Bart stopped in his tracks.

“Nice job,” Parker said.

“Can we go riding now?” she asked.

He smiled at her excitement. “Not just yet. First things first. You have to know what to do in case of an emergency. That’s the next lesson. But we have to stop for now. Boss man is bringing over a few new horses for the remuda and I have to work with them.”

“It’s so nice of you to help me with Bart,” Teddie said as she dismounted cautiously. “I could never have done this by myself.”

“I love horses,” Parker said. “It’s no trouble. I enjoy working with this sweet old man, too,” he added, patting the horse’s withers. “So let’s get him unsaddled and back into his stall.”

“I’m with you,” she said, and followed him back into the stable.

* * *

“How are you doing with Bartholomew?” Katy asked at supper one night.

“Really good,” she told her mother. “Parker’s so smart!”

“He knows horses, all right,” Katy replied.

“No,” Teddie corrected. “That’s not what I mean. He’s really smart. He had a phone call Saturday when he was over here. I only heard what he was saying, but it was way over my head. Something about Einstein-Rosen bridges and somebody named Schrodinger.”

Katy’s mouth opened. “Are you sure that’s what he said?”

“Well, I think so.”

“Did he mention a cat when he talked about Schrodinger?” Katy pressed.

Teddie frowned. “Yes. But the cat was alive and dead in a box until you opened the box he was in. Strange!”

Katy caught her breath. That was theoretical physics. And it was something she wouldn’t have expected a horse wrangler to know anything about. Parker had said he graduated from college, but he hadn’t mentioned in what field. This wasn’t only over Teddie’s head, it was over Katy’s.

“Well,” she said finally, as she finished her mashed potatoes and skinless chicken breast.

“I told you, he’s real smart,” Teddie repeated. She sighed. “Some man was trying to get him to go to the Capitol and do some work, but he said it wasn’t summer and he couldn’t spare the time, they’d have to get somebody else.”

“Amazing,” Katy said.

“What is an Einstein-Rosen bridge?” Teddie wanted to know.

“Over my head,” Katy laughed. “It has to do with time dilation, and wormholes. I used to have a best friend when I was in college who had a degree in physics. She talked like that, too.”

“And that cat?”

“It’s a thought experiment,” Katy replied. “There’s a cat in a box. The cat is either alive or dead. But until you open the box and look in, the cat exists in both states.”

“Weird.”

“Very weird. That’s the sort of thing physicists do. Einstein came up with the theory of relativity, and he was a physicist. Probably the most famous of all of them, although Stephen Hawking came close to that.”

“If Parker’s that smart, why’s he breaking horses out in the country?” Teddie wondered.

“Maybe he doesn’t like the city,” Katy said. She made a face. “Truly, I didn’t either, but your dad loved where we lived.”

“He was a rancher, too,” Teddie said.

“He was, but the military became his whole life after he went overseas. He was a doctor. He said having a practice here was fine, but good men were dying in other countries and he needed to be a combat physician to help fight for his country. He was the most patriotic man I ever knew.”

“He was a good daddy.”

“He was a good husband,” Katy replied, fighting tears, as her daughter was. “We’ll get through this, Teddie,” she said after a minute. “It’s going to take time, that’s all. I thought maybe coming out here to live would make it easier for us. It’s a wonderful ranch.”

“Yes, it is. I made two friends.” Teddie laughed. “Edie and Parker.”

“You did. Parker’s a kind person.” She shook her head. “Theoretical physics and horses. Oh, my.”

Teddie grinned. “Maybe he’s dreaming up ray guns and stuff.”

“Maybe he’s trying for a unified field theory of relativity.” She yawned. “I have to get some sleep. It’s test day tomorrow. My students are dreading it. Me, too, I guess.”

“You like teaching, don’t you, Mom?”

She smiled. “I do like it. I didn’t expect to. It’s really different from teaching college students,” she added. “But I have a good class to teach things to. Education is education, no matter the age of the student.”

“Yes, I guess it is.”

“How about you?” Katy wondered. “Is school getting any easier?”

Teddie nodded. “A lot easier, now that Edie and I can hang out together. We talk about horses. Everybody talks about horses,” she chuckled. “Most of the kids in school around Benton are ranch kids, so most everybody rides. Except me. But I’m learning.”

“Parker says you’re doing well,” Katy told her.

“There’s a lot to learn,” Teddie replied. “He said we have to do it with muscle memory, like in the army. You go over and over things until they’re a reflex, especially if you get in a dangerous situation, like if your horse runs away with you.”

“It’s a good way to teach,” Katy said. “I like Parker.”

Teddie grinned. “I like him, too.”

“You didn’t eat your beans, Teddie.” Her mother indicated the plate in front of her daughter.

Teddie made a face. “I hate beans.”

“Eat just one and I’ll say no more,” her mother coaxed.

Teddie sighed. “Okay. Just one. Just for you. But only one.”

“Only one.”

Teddie glared at the bean before she lifted it to her mouth and chewed, as if she were eating a live worm. The face got worse.

“Swallow,” Katy dared.

Teddie gave her a pained look, but she did as she was told.

“That’s called compromise,” Katy told her with an affectionate smile. “You did great. You’re excused.”

“Thanks, Mom! I’m going out to tell Bart good night.”

“Watch for snakes. They crawl at night and I don’t know how to kill one. We don’t own a gun anymore.” That was true. After her husband’s death, Katy, who was mortally afraid of firearms, sold them to several friends of Teddie’s dad.

“I’ll watch where I put my feet,” Teddie assured her.

“Okay. Don’t be long.”

“I won’t!” she called back over her shoulder as she ran to the front door.

A few minutes later, there was a scream and a wail.

Katy, horrified, went running out the door onto the front porch, flicking on the porch light on the way. “Teddie! What happened?!”

Teddie was frozen in her tracks. She couldn’t speak. She just pointed.

There, standing a few feet away, was a wolf. Even in the dim light, Katy could see that it was huge, much larger than the biggest dog she’d ever seen. It had an odd ruff around its head with black stripes running through it. As she looked closer, she noticed that the wolf had three legs.

“Teddie, come here. It’s all right. Walk slowly. Don’t run, okay?”

Teddie did as she was told. She was afraid, but she followed her mother’s instructions. “He’s so big,” she said in a ghostly tone.

“Yes.” Katy let a held breath out as Teddie made it to the porch. The wolf still hadn’t moved.

Teddie would have run into her mother’s arms, but they were folded over her chest. She never had understood why her mother didn’t hug her. Her friends’ mothers did it all the time.

As Katy stood there with her daughter, wondering what in the world to do, she heard a pickup truck coming down the road. It paused at the end of her driveway and suddenly turned in, going slow.

“It’s Parker!” Teddie said. “That’s his truck.”

Katy wondered why he’d be here after dark, but she was so worried for her daughter that she didn’t really question it.

He pulled up at the steps and got out. “Oh, thank goodness. You horror!” he said, approaching the wolf. “Your papa’s worried sick!”

The wolf howled softly as Parker approached it.

“It’s okay, old man, you’re safe. Come on, now.” As the women watched, Parker picked up the wolf as if he weighed nothing at all and put him in the passenger seat of the truck. He closed the door and only then noticed how upset Katy and Teddie were.

“It’s all right,” he said in a soft tone, the one he used with frightened horses. “He’s old and crippled and almost blind. Sarge said he left the screen door open accidentally and Two Toes wandered off. Poor old thing probably couldn’t find his way home again. He’s got a lousy sense of smell.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Katy said. “I thought he was going to eat Teddie. She screamed. . . .”

Parker chuckled. “That’s what most people do when they come face-to-face with wolves. Some are aggressive predators. Old Two Toes, there, he’s a sweetheart.” He indicated the wolf, which was sitting up in the passenger seat without making a fuss.

“He’s somebody’s pet?” Teddie asked.

“My sarge. He’s a wildlife rehabilitator. Two Toes lives with him, though, because the old wolf can’t be released into the wild. He’d die.”

“I remember now,” Katy said. “You told me about him.”

“I did,” he agreed.

“That’s so sad,” Teddie said. “I’m sorry I screamed. I was really scared. He came out of nowhere.”

“Everybody gets scared sometimes. It’s not a big deal,” he said softly, and smiled at her.

“Okay. I’m going inside. It’s cold!” Teddie said.

“It is. You don’t even have a jacket on,” he chided.

Teddie just laughed.

He looked up at Katy. “You’re not wearing one, either.”

“She screamed and I came running,” she said. “I didn’t think about how cold it was.” She looked frightened and sad and almost defeated.

He came up onto the porch, towering over her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

She drew in an unsteady breath. “Life,” she said simply, fighting tears.

He pulled her gently into his arms, wrapped her up like treasure, and just rocked her. “Let it out. It’s hard being the strongest person in your whole family. We all need a moment’s weakness to remind us that life is like a prism, with many facets.”

“Or like Schrodinger’s cat?” she mumbled into his denim jacket.

He chuckled. “Who’s been talking?”

“Teddie. She heard you talking to somebody about a cat in a box and an Einstein-Rosen bridge.”

“Heavy stuff.”

“Very heavy. Way over my head.”

“Mine, too, at first. But I loved the concept of invisible numbers and tangents and cosine and stuff like that. Ate it like candy.”

She drew back and looked up at him. He seemed different and she couldn’t decide why until she realized that his hair, his thick, soft, black hair was loose. It flowed over his shoulders and down his back like silk.

“Your hair’s down,” she murmured.

He shrugged. “I was getting ready for bed when Sarge called. He’s missing an arm and sometimes it bothers him at night. He asked if I’d go hunt for Two Toes, so I left supper hanging and came running. Driving. Whatever.”

“Supper at this hour?”

“I don’t live a conventional life,” he said. “Supper’s whenever I feel like fixing it. But tonight it was oatmeal.” He made a face. “I think I’ll pass on reheating it.”

“If you’ll come in, I can make you a nice ham and cheese sandwich. I even have lettuce and mayo.”

His eyebrows arched. “All that on one sandwich?” he asked with a smile.

“All that.”

“Okay. Thanks. But I have to take sweetums home to Sarge first.”

“I’ll be making the sandwich while you’re driving. Want coffee?”

He nodded. “Strong and black, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“I’m grading papers,” she replied. “Strong and black is how I take it, too.”

He smiled. “Okay. I’ll be back in a few.”

“Sounds good.”

“Is Parker coming back?” Teddie asked excitedly when her mother came inside.

“Yes, he is. He doesn’t really want to reheat the oatmeal he left to go find his sergeant’s wolf.” She laughed.

“He’s so nice.”

Katy nodded. “And smart,” she added with a wink.

Teddie smiled back.

* * *

Later, Parker knocked at the door and Teddie let him in.

“Your hair’s down,” Teddie said. “I didn’t notice before. Gosh, it’s long!”

“Warrior hair,” he teased. “It’s my ‘medicine.’ I’ve never cut it, except once.”

Teddie’s eyes asked the question.

“When my mother died,” he said softly. “It’s an old way of expressing grief.”

“Gosh,” she said, fascinated. “Well, I’m glad it grew back. It’s beautiful!”

He chuckled and ruffled her hair. “You’re good for my ego.”

She made a face at him.

“Sandwiches and coffee,” Katy said, bringing out a platter of them and going back for the coffeepot. The small table was already set. “Teddie, want a sandwich?”

“No, thanks. I have to finish my homework,” she moaned.

“Feel okay now?” Katy asked gently.

She nodded. “I was just a little scared. He’s a very big wolf.”

“He’s a big baby,” Parker said as he took off his jacket and sat down at the table. “Sarge loves him to death.”

“I guess he’s just scary to people who don’t know him,” Teddie amended.

He smiled. “I’ll take you over to Sarge’s one day and you can get acquainted. He likes people. Loves girls.”

She laughed. “That’s a deal. I’ll go do that horrible math.”

“Math is not horrible,” Parker pointed out. “It’s the basis of all engineering.”

“I don’t want to be an engineer. I want to fly jet planes. Fighter planes!”

He rolled his eyes. “And here I’m teaching you to ride horses!”

“One step at a time,” Teddie said with a grin. She turned and went down the hall to her room.

“Fighter planes.” Parker shook his head as he bit into a sandwich.

“She’s adventurous,” Katy said, nibbling at a sandwich of her own.

“When I was her age, I wanted to be a cowboy and live on a ranch,” he said.

Both eyebrows went up.

“Of course, when I was a little older than her, I was a cowboy and lived on a ranch.” He chuckled, swallowing down a bite of sandwich with coffee. “Coffee’s good,” he said as he put the cup down. “Most people don’t get it strong enough.”

She laughed. “I like a spoon to stick up in mine.”

“Me, too.”

“You wanted to be a cowboy, but you already were one,” she prompted.

“My point is, I’m happy with my life. So many people aren’t,” he added. “They’re always chasing something they can’t find, wanting things that are impossible to have. It’s important to be satisfied not only with who you are, but where and what you are. After all, life isn’t forever. We’re just temporary visitors here. Tourists, really.”

She burst out laughing and almost toppled her coffee. “Tourists! I’ll have to remember that one.”

He grinned. “I stole it from a pal, when we were overseas. He was a great guy. He was going to medical school when we got out of the service. He didn’t make it back. A lot of guys didn’t.”

“I know.” She did, too, because her husband had been one of those. “My husband was already a doctor, though. He loved his work. He loved being in the service. He said that patriotism was being sacrificed by people who didn’t understand that freedom isn’t free. He wanted to do his part.” She bit her lower lip. “Sorry. It’s still fresh.”

He just nodded. “Life goes on, though,” he said, studying her. “You have to pick up the pieces and keep going.”

“You’ve lost someone,” she said suddenly.

He hesitated. Then he nodded again. “The love of my life,” he said with a quiet sadness. “She was eighteen, I was nineteen. While I was overseas, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died before I even got home. We were going to be married that Christmas.”

“I’m truly sorry,” she said softly, and put her hand over his big one. She didn’t understand why exactly, because she almost never touched people–not even her daughter, whom she loved. “I do understand how that feels.”

His hand turned and clasped hers. There was a flash, almost electric, between them when he did that. She caught her breath, laughed self-consciously, and took her hand away. He seemed as disconcerted as she felt. He finished the sandwich and washed it down with coffee.

“I’d better go and let you get to those papers,” he said, rising. “Think of the poor students who’ll be disappointed to have to wait an extra day to learn that they failed the test.” He grinned wickedly.

She laughed, the tension gone. “I guess so.”

“Thanks. It was good coffee and a nice sandwich. Better than cold oatmeal,” he added wryly.

“Anytime. Thanks for coming after our furry visitor. If he ever comes back, I’ll know who to call.”

“Where’s your cell phone?” he asked.

She took it out of her pocket and placed it in his outstretched hand. He put in his contact information and handed it back.

“That’s my cell number,” he told her. “If you have a problem, night or day, you call me. Okay?”

She smiled warmly. “Okay.” She cocked her head. “Where’s your cell phone?”

His eyebrows arched, but he handed it to her. She put her own contact information into it and handed it back.

“If you need us, you only have to call,” she said quietly. “We’d do anything we could to help you.”

He was unsettled. He hesitated. “All right. Thanks.”

“I mean, if you come up with some unified field theory in the middle of the night and need to discuss it with someone who knows absolutely nothing about theoretical physics, I’ll be right here. Think of it as ego building.”

He chuckled. She was a card. “I’ll do that.”

“But if you get sick or something, you can call, too,” she added. “I nursed my mother for several years before I married. I’m pretty good in a sick room.”

That surprised and touched him. “I’m never ill.”

“I knew that,” she replied spritely. “But just in case . . . ?”

“Just in case,” he agreed.

He started for the door. “Good night, Teddie. See you Saturday,” he called down the hall.

“I’ll be here, still doing horrible math!” she called back.

“Math is not horrible!”

“It is so! It has numbers that are invisible! I heard you tell that other man that.”

He rolled his eyes.

“How do you see invisible numbers?” she asked from the hallway.

“I’m leaving,” he told her. “It’s much too late for philosophical discussions.”

“I thought you said it was math,” Teddie replied innocently.

“Just for that, you can learn two new ways to tie a cinch on Saturday,” he said formally, and then ruined it by laughing.

She grinned. “Okay. Good night.”

“Good night,” Katy echoed. “Thanks again.”

“Thanks for the nice eats,” he replied. His dark eyes were warm on her face. “Sleep well.”

“I don’t, but thanks for the thought.”

He sighed. “I don’t sleep well, either,” he confessed. “I play solitaire and mah-jongg on my cell phone until I get sleepy. Usually, that’s about four in the morning.”

She laughed. “Me, too. Especially mah-jongg.”

“I have four apps with it. I’m a fanatic.”

“We should get a board game and teach it to Teddie. She doesn’t like playing games on the phone.”

“Not a bad idea. I’ll pick up a Monopoly game, too. We might play one Saturday night if you don’t have anything better to do.”

“We just sit and watch old movies on DVD,” she said, shrugging. “I watch that series that your boss’s wife writes for, and the one her father produces, but nothing else. Well, maybe the Weather Channel and the History Channel. But that’s about it.”

He grinned. “Two of my favorites.”

“I’ll bet you sit and watch the NASA channel,” she accused.

“I do. It’s not the most stimulating channel on television, but I like seeing how far we’ve come in the space race.”

“We’re really having one, now.” She laughed. “SpaceX fired the gun, and all the other space companies are piling into the game. I’m so excited about Starhopper lifting off!”

“Me, too. I like to watch those rockets land after they’ve lifted the vehicles into space. He landed two at once on floating platforms in the ocean. Do you have any idea how complicated and delicate a procedure that really is?”

“I do. It’s amazing, what Elon Musk has accomplished.”

“A man with a vision,” he replied.

“A truly great man,” she agreed. “He’s revolutionized space travel.”

“And in a very short space of time, as time goes.” He cocked his head and smiled. “Well, good night.”

“Good night, Parker.” She frowned. “Do you have a first name?”

He made a face. “Yes, I do, and no, I’m not telling you what it is.”

“Well!”

“Nobody knows what it is.” He hesitated. “Well, the boss knows, because payroll sends me a check. But he’s sworn to secrecy.”

Her eyes twinkled. “Okay. We all have a few secrets.”

He chuckled. “So we do. Good night.”

“Drive carefully,” she said, and then flushed. It sounded forward.

Both thick, dark eyebrows arched. “My, my, do you worry about me already?”

She turned absolutely scarlet and was bereft of words.

He grinned. “Don’t sweat it. It’s sort of nice, having somebody worry about me.”

“Oh. Well, okay then.”

He went down the steps to his truck. She watched him all the way to it before she closed the door and locked it. Her life was suddenly very complicated.