Chapter 12
Slow Hands – Niall Horan
Gunner
The contract in Ruthie’s hands was shaking as she read it for what seemed like the tenth time. Each time she finished, she looked up at me with watery, moss green eyes and took a deep breath. Her hand went to her chest, and she clutched the sweater she was wearing.
“Are you okay, Ruth?” Nash asked.
Her gaze raised to his and she licked her lips. “This is the same salary as I’m already getting,” she announced.
Wilder nodded. “Same salary but no travel, the use of a ranch vehicle, health benefits and as much beef as you can fit in your freezer.”
“It’s too generous.”
I laughed. “You have no idea how much work there is yet. I’m not the best at paperwork.”
“He’s not wrong,” Nash added.
We were in the study, while Lily took the kids over to the stables to see Bertie’s new pony, Caleb Pontipee—we were all hoping Bertie ran out of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers characters soon.
None of us had ever pushed her, but she’d finally decided that she wanted to learn to ride so her daddy tasked me with buying her the horse best suited for her.
He was a gentle soul, patient and well-behaved under instruction.
He could also run like he had the devil at his heels, not unlike my niece, so they were the perfect match.
Ruthie had chatted animatedly during dinner, mainly to Lily, but it was obvious she wondered why she was there.
Everything told me she was going to refuse the job offer, but looking at her now, I wondered if I’d been mistaken.
Her eyes were on the contract again but this time a huge smile stretched her lips.
“Are you sure?”
Nash lowered his head to look up at her through her hair hanging down in front of her face. “Hey, Ruth, we wouldn’t have offered it if we weren’t sure.”
“There’s a lot of new stuff going on down here soon, too.” Wilder slapped the desk. “Exciting stuff.”
“Once it’s finalized,” I warned. “There’s a lot to be decided yet.”
Ruthie’s head shot up. “Does that mean you won’t need me if it doesn’t happen?”
“God no.” I patted her hand. “We desperately need you, honestly.”
“What are the plans?” She looked at each of us in turn. “Can I ask? If I’m going to be working here...”
“Part of your job would involve helping coordinate this new project we’re planning.” Nash pointed at me. “You tell her, it’s going to be your rodeo brother.”
“A rodeo?” Ruthie blinked rapidly. “I don’t know anything about rodeos.”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “No, it’s not a rodeo. It’s a kid’s camp, after school, school breaks and so on. In fact, it was Cassidy, Miss. Turner’s idea.”
“It was?” Swallowing, she looked out of the window where Lily and the kids were walking back to the house in the dimming light of the early evening, their breaths misting in the cold. “She’s been good for Lucas. Not that Lily wasn’t. She was too.”
Nash laughed. “It’s fine, I know how great my wife is.”
“It was yours and Lucas’ situation that gave her the idea.” Something started to build in my chest and my stomach felt weird.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You having to work such a distance and Lucas having to wait at school.” Her bottom lip trembled as she swallowed.
“She wanted to help you.” That feeling in my chest grew as I continued telling Ruthie about the kid’s camp.
“Her idea was that we become a place that the kids can come to and work with the horses. Like therapy as well as teaching them things, giving them an experience of working.”
“We haven’t discussed the finer points yet,” Nash added. “We need to speak to Cassidy about what her vision of it is, but it’s going to happen seeing as Gunner is on board.”
I respected that it had been ultimately my decision, but it had felt like I was carrying a big weight. Thinking it through, though, it had been a no brainer. How could I not want to help kids out while doing a job I love.
“But we would like you to start working here as soon as you can.” The mounds of paperwork on my desk was a clear sign of that.
“The camp sounds amazing,” Ruthie replied, wrapping her arms around her middle.
“I just feel bad that Miss. Turner was worried about Lucas enough to create something like this. A good mother shouldn’t need help like that.
” Her voice cracked. “But I’m grateful. So grateful.
It’s just... you work so hard to give your kids everything, and sometimes it feels like you’re just failing them anyway. ”
“And that’s why we want to set up the camp,” Nash said softly. “Because life is damn hard for parents, no matter how hard you try.”
“The camp will be great, and Lucas will benefit from it along with a whole other bunch of kids,” Wilder added. “Cassidy had a great idea.”
It was then that I realized what the feeling in my stomach was.
Pride. And it wasn’t for me it was for the woman who incensed me more than any other had or probably ever would.
The same woman whose ideas about mixing tradition with progress I’d once dismissed so easily.
Looking around the ranch now, I could see exactly what she’d meant that night - this wasn’t about changing our way of life, but about sharing it.
About giving kids like Lucas both roots and wings.
As the horse trotted around the schooling ring, I watched his form carefully. “He’s still got a limp,” I told Charlie.
She was watching from her perch on top of the fence and taking a video. “It’s only slight”
“Yeah, but it’s still there.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “I think maybe we have to up the hydrotherapy. Can you ask Soloman if he can come next week? I know he’s not scheduled, but I think it would help.”
“Really? Not call Rose instead?”
I shook my head. “Nah. I don’t think it’s anything too serious that a little more time in the water won’t solve.
” I guided him around another loop of the ring and was confident that I was right.
He was limping because he was afraid to put his foot down.
Soloman would encourage him, with a massage, that it was fine.
“Want me to call her anyway?”
My head whipped in her direction. “No,” I snapped. “Contact Soloman.”
“Rose is the best vet in three counties,” Charlie pushed, a challenge in her voice. “Unless you’re avoiding her for some reason?”
The insinuation in her tone made my jaw clench. Charlie had been hinting at things she knew nothing about ever since the Momma’s Pride incident. “The horse needs hydrotherapy, not a vet. Take him back to his stall and call Soloman.”
She had the nerve to sigh but I chose to ignore it. Her attitude since the argument about Momma’s Pride was getting worse by the day, and I was starting to wonder if there was more behind it than her own wounded pride.
Charlie walked over to me and grabbed the lead rope from me without saying a word. For a second I almost told her to change her attitude, but I didn’t have the energy for a fight. Plus, I needed to meet Wilder and Nash. Charlie was a battle that I’d fight another day.
The ground was hard underfoot as I walked toward my brothers.
They were laughing loudly, and it made my chest burn.
Nash had been sad for so long until Lily came home and now he never stopped smiling.
It was all I’d ever wanted for him to be happy and now he was.
I wondered if I’d ever want what he had or whether I’d always be happier with my horses.
“What’s got you two giggling like toddlers?” I asked, pushing my hands into the pockets of my denim jacket. “And why are you dressed like it’s the middle of winter?” They were both wearing thick Shearling jackets with gloves, Wilder wearing a wool cap and Nash his usual ball cap.
“Because it’s fucking cold.” Wilder clapped his hands together. “We can’t all be warm blooded like you.”
“Warm blooded, incredible personality, huge dick, I’m just the gift that keeps on giving.” I did a full three-sixty. “So, is there where we’re going to build our houses?”
“It’s just one of the options,” Wilder said.
“Wild thought here because it’s closer to the stables for you.”
I looked around and nodded. “I like it. Do we have enough room for both houses here, though?”
Nash shrugged. “Depends how big you want them. It wouldn’t give you much of a yard but then we live on a ranch, so…”
“I think my biggest problem would be having to hear Wilder hooking up with different women all the time.”
“How close do you think these houses are going to be?” Wilder cried. “How loud do you think I am when I’m having sex?”
“Too fucking loud. I heard you when we went on vacation to Cabo. To name just several occasions.”
“The alternative is one of you here and one over on the east side of the house, adjacent to the lavender farm. I’ve already checked with Shane and Felicia, and they don’t have a problem with that.
” Shane used to manage our lavender farm, until we found out that Mom had signed it over to him before she died. A fact Dad had kept secret.
“That someone being me, seeing as Gun will prefer to be near the stables.” Wilder took a couple of paces back and looked around.
While he looked I considered the options.
Having him close by might feel less of a change than living in the house.
The idea of feeling alone with only the horses close by didn’t worry me, though.
“I also quite like the idea of being near the south pasture. I’ll think about it as either would give us both more outside space,” my youngest brother finally said.
“There is an alternative,” Nash said, his eyes creased like he was scared to say it.
“What?” I asked.
“We build for us and you both stay in the house.”
“Do you want to do that?” Wilder frowned. “The kids have their rooms and Lily just redecorated and furnished all that shit of Dad’s out.”
Our dad had refurbished the main house a few years back, with money he stole from us, and filled it with all kinds of garish furniture. Thanks to Lily it was finally looking more like a family home again.
Nash rubbed the back of his neck. “Can’t say as I want to, but Lila pointed out that I didn’t even ask if that was what either of you wanted to do.”
“Not me,” Wilder offered, holding up a hand. “I’m looking forward to a brand new bachelor pad.”
“Got to be honest, I agree with Wild.” I looked over to the stables, in perfect view of where I imagined my porch to be.
“I like this spot. Happy to have Wild alongside me but I also think more outside space would be great.” Liking the idea of an herb garden and maybe some raised beds to grow some roses like Mom used to like to do.
There was a soreness in my throat and lungs as I thought about her.
It had been almost two decades since she’d been killed in a car accident, but I still missed her, still remembered the gentle touch of her hand on my head.
Sometimes I was sure I could also remember her smell, but who knew.
I’d been nine years of age and devastated by her death.
We all had, except for Dad maybe. He’d played the grieving widower, but we found out a couple of years back he’d been having an affair for years and Mom had started divorce proceedings when she died.
“Okay, we build two separate houses,” Nash said, slapping his hands together. “One here and one adjacent to the lavender farm.”
We all shook on it and as soon as we had a small fire was lit in my belly. As much as I loved us all living together, it was an exciting prospect.
“I’ll contact the contractor,” Nash told us as he started to walk away, when Wilder stopped him.
“What the fuck is that?” he asked, grabbing Nash.
He and I turned to look and at our boundary line, about half a mile in the distance, a convoy of trucks could be seen.
“That can’t be the developer’s.” I looked to Nash who was taking his phone out of his jacket pocket. “They can’t have all the right permits yet, can they?”
“No idea.” He tapped at his screen and then held the phone to his ear. “I’m calling Calvin.”
“Want to reconsider where you build your house?” Wilder asked, moving up alongside me.
“No, he doesn’t,” Nash snapped, “because those fuckers will not be building there if I have my way.”
I looked at the convoy of trucks, thinking about the kids’ camp plans. “That meadow would have been perfect for teaching the kids about local wildlife. Part of what makes this land special is how untouched it is. The weasels are there.”
“Exactly,” Nash agreed. “And think about the noise from construction. How are you supposed to work with skittish horses when they’re blasting and drilling next door?”
If I knew my brother he’d move heaven and earth to stop them. I just hoped it didn’t put paid to our other plans, because Cassidy’s plan for the kid’s camp had me more excited than I thought possible. It was exactly the kind of program this land was meant for, not concrete and machinery.