That Burke Man. Diana Palmer
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over this fear of turns. Silly, isn’t it, when the sight of blood doesn’t bother me at all.”
Jane was aware of an emptiness in herself as she stared into the young face. It was like seeing herself at that age. She lowered her eyes. “Yes, well, I’m sorry, but it’s been a long day and I’m in a good deal of pain. And we’re interviewing today.”
“Interviewing?” Cherry asked with open curiosity.
“For a business manager,” Jane said sadly, glancing at Tim, who winced. “Tim can’t manage the books. He’s willing to keep on as foreman, but we’re losing money hand over fist since Dad’s death because neither one of us can handle the books.”
“Gosh, my dad would be perfect for that,” Cherry said innocently. “He’s a wizard with money. He keeps the books for his compu—”
“For the small computer company I work for in Victoria,” Todd said quickly, with a speaking glance that his intelligent daughter interpreted immediately. She shut up, grinning.
Tim stepped forward. “Can you balance books?”
“Sure.”
Tim looked at Jane. “There’s the foreman’s cabin empty, since Meg and I are living in the house with you,” he remarked. “They could live there. And you could help the girl with her turns. It would give you something to do besides brooding around the house all day.”
“Tim!” Jane burst out angrily. She glanced apprehensively at Todd Burke, who was watching her with unconcealed amusement. “I’m sure he has a job already.”
“I do. Keeping books for my…the computer company,” he lied. “But it doesn’t take up all my time. In fact, I think I’d enjoy doing something different for a while.” He pursed his lips. “If you’re interested, that is,” he added with practiced indifference.
Jane’s eyes fell to her lap.
“I’d love to learn how to win at barrel racing,” Cherry said with a sigh. “I guess I’ll have to give it up, though. I mean, I’m so bad that it’s a waste of Dad’s money to keep paying my entrance fees and all.”
Jane glowered at her. She glowered at him, too, standing there like a movie cowboy with his firm lips pursed and his steely gray eyes twinkling with amusement. Laughing at her.
“She won’t hire you,” Tim said with a glare at her. “She’s too proud to admit that you’re just what she needs. She’d rather let the ranch go under while she sits on the porch and feels sorry for herself.”
“Damn you!” She spat the words at Tim.
He chuckled. “See them eyes?” he asked Todd. “Like wet sapphires. She may look like a fashion doll, but she’s all fur and claws when things get next to her, and she’s no quitter.”
Todd was looking at her with evident appreciation. He grinned. “Two week trial?” he asked. “While we see how well we all get along? I can’t do you much damage in that short a time, and I might do you a lot of good. I have a way with balance sheets.”
“We couldn’t be much worse off,” Tim reminded his boss.
Jane was silently weighing pros and cons. He had a daughter, so he had to be settled and fairly dependable, if Cherry was any indication. If she hired anyone else, she’d have no idea if she was giving succor to a thief or even a murderer. This man looked trustworthy and his daughter apparently adored him.
“We could try, I suppose,” she said finally. “If you’re willing. But the ranch isn’t successful enough that I can offer you much of a salary.” She named a figure. “You’ll get meals and board free, but I’ll understand if that isn’t enough—”
“If I can keep on doing my present job, in the evenings, we’ll manage,” Todd said without daring to look at his daughter. If he did, he knew he’d give the show away.
“Your boss won’t mind?” Jane asked.
He cleared his throat. “He’s very understanding. After all, I’m a single parent.”
She nodded, convinced. “All right, then. Would you like to follow us out to the ranch, if you’re through for the day?”
“We’re through, all right,” Cherry said on a sigh. “I’m dejected, demoralized and thoroughly depressed.”
“Don’t be silly,” Jane said gently, and with a smile. “You’ve got an excellent seat, and you’re good with horses. You just need to get over that irrational fear that you’re going to go down on the turns.”
“How did you know?” Cherry gasped.
“Because I was exactly the same when I started out. Stop worrying. I’ll work with you. When we’re through, you’ll be taking home trophies.”
“Really?”
Jane chuckled. “Really. Let’s go, Tim.”
He wheeled her to the cab of the motor home and opened the door. “I guess bringing this thing ten miles looks odd,” Tim murmured to Todd, “but we had to have a place where Jane could rest. We’ve carried this old thing to many a rodeo over the years. She takes a little coaxing sometimes, but she always goes.”
“Like Bracket,” Jane mused, glancing back to the trailer where her palomino gelding rode.
“Like Bracket,” Tim agreed. He reached down. “Let’s get you inside, now, Jane.”
Before he could lift her, Todd moved forward. “Here,” he volunteered. “I’ll do the honors.”
Tim grinned, his relief all too obvious. Jane wasn’t heavy, but Tim was feeling his age a bit.
Todd lifted Jane gently out of the wheelchair and into the cab of the big vehicle, positioning her on the seat with a minimum of discomfort. She eased her arms from around his neck a little self-consciously and smiled. “Thanks.”
He shrugged powerful shoulders and smiled back. “No problem. Where does the chair go, Tim?”
He folded it and the older man climbed up into the motor home and stowed it away. He got behind the wheel and paused long enough to give directions to Todd about where in Jacobsville the ranch was located before he and Jane waved goodbye and drove away.
“Dad!” Cherry laughed. “Are we really going to do it? What will she say when she finds out?”
“We’ll worry about that when the time comes. The ranch budget sounds like a challenge, and you could use some pointers with your riding,” he added. “I think it may work out very well.”
“But what about your company?” Cherry asked.
“I’ve got good people working for me and I’m on holiday.” He ruffled her hair. “We’ll think of it as summer vacation,” he assured her. “It will give us some time together.”
“I’d like that,” she said solemnly. “After all, in four years I’ll be in school, and you probably won’t get to see me twice a year. I’ll have to study very hard.”
“You’re smart. You’ll do fine.”
“Yes, I will,” she assured him with a grin. “And you can have all your medical care free.”
“I can hardly wait.”
“Don’t be sarcastic,” she chided. “And you have to be nice to Miss Parker, too.”
“She doesn’t like me very much.”
“You don’t like her, either, do you?” she asked curiously.
He stuck his hands into his pockets and frowned. “She’s all right.”
“If you don’t like her, why are you going to help her?”
He couldn’t answer