Roz Denny Fox - A Maverick's Heart

The boy and his dog clattered on down the hallway. Myra said, “I thought you two were anxious to get to the dining room.”

Smiling, Zeke looped both arms around her. “We were just jaw-boning until you got here. And, Seth, the answer to your last question is no. Myra witnessed one episode that might be classed a flashback. Luckily it came and went fast.” He tightened his arms and brushed a kiss over his wife’s lips. “Hunter’s right in his assessment of Snowy Owl Crossing,” he said. “Long winter and all, it’s paradise.”

Not disagreeing, Seth led the way to the dining room, where the other three men were scarfing down scrambled eggs, cinnamon coffee cake, juice and coffee. “Save us some,” Seth entreated. “Has anyone seen Lila? I need to give her the car keys.” He dangled them in the air.

Just as he spoke she backed into the dining room through the kitchen’s swinging doors, her arms laden with a large bowl of fluffy scrambled eggs topped with crumbled bacon and a steaming pan wafting with heat and the scent of cinnamon. “Did I hear someone ask for me?”

“Me,” Seth said to Lila, rushing to take the bowl from her and placing it in the center of the table. “I have the Jeep’s keys.”

Lila accepted them with a grateful smile. “Thanks. Now sit down everyone. Dig in while it’s hot.”

Zeke and Myra rounded the table. He pulled out a chair for her before taking his own seat. His friends ribbed him about turning into such a gentleman.

Lila motioned Seth toward an empty chair and handed Myra the fresh coffee cake.

Zeke, who waited to take a slice until Myra served herself, glanced up at Lila. “The Jeep’s fine. How’s your head? Seth said you banged it on the window.”

“What?” Myra stopped dipping out eggs. “Last night you said she was fine.” Her eyes accused Seth before skipping on to Lila.

“No, I didn’t.” Seth helped himself to coffee cake and passed the pan to Ben, who held out his hand. “I believe I said Rory was fine and then explained how Lila came to land in the ditch.”

“Are you all right?” Myra demanded after shooting her brother-in-law a dirty look.

Lila waved a hand. “This morning the spot is only slightly tender to touch. I wish Seth had kept quiet. I didn’t want anyone to know I hit my head hard enough to rattle my teeth. I don’t want my mom to hear. The last thing she said when Tawana and I left the café was to drive carefully.”

“I’m sorry, it slipped out,” Seth explained and patted the empty chair next to his. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“No. Rory and I ate earlier. In fact...” Pausing, she checked her watch. “I need to run out and feed the horses then load his bike. If I don’t hurry I’ll be late getting him to school. His teacher is a stickler for punctuality. But, you guys...” she said, glancing at Zeke’s three friends. “It’s been great having you as guests. Safe travels, and do come back when you can stay longer.”

Seth shoveled in a bite of egg, took a swig of juice and picked up a second wedge of coffee cake Myra had cut for him. Getting out of his chair, he said to the groomsmen, “You can put your bags in my rental, guys. I’ll help Lila.” He pulled his keys from his jeans pocket and tossed them to Ben Archer.

“No,” Lila protested. “You’re a guest.”

“One who plans to take a trail ride soon. So far, I haven’t had time to ride. As you feed the horses you can give me a rundown on the one least likely to dump me.” Seth polished off his coffee cake before he reached the arch. He hesitated briefly until Lila offered a guilty shrug to the others and hurried after him.

“Seriously?” she hissed at Seth as she plucked a jean jacket from the coat tree by the door. “What will everyone think?”

He held the door for her then jogged after her down the porch steps. “What’ll they think about what?”

“Mostly Myra and Zeke. I don’t want them to get the idea we, uh...well, as a business owner it’s not decorous to play favorites among my guests.”

Laughing, Seth fell into step beside her. “‘Decorous’? What kind of a three-dollar word is that? Are you saying you’ve never gone to the barn with any other guest?”

Obviously flustered by his question, Lila buried her hands in her jacket pockets and kept her gaze on her boots. “Not one who’s male, single and near my age,” she mumbled. “Or who is related to my best friend who knows my mom and all of our other friends,” she added. “It could be misconstrued.”

“There you go spouting big words again,” Seth teased, moving ahead of her to slide open the big barn door. “What could be misconstrued?”

“Oh, don’t play dumb.” Lila took a swipe at his arm, glaring as he deftly avoided her swing. “You’re breathing and single, and I’m a youngish widow. In this town if anyone were to mention those two things in the same sentence, rumors would fly. Before you could say Jack Robinson, townsfolk would whisper that we’re having a torrid affair.”

Seth grinned wolfishly and stopped beside the first stall. “Sounds like something worth exploring. I’ve never had a torrid affair before. Have you?”

“Stop it. You don’t know the people in this town like I do. Last night a couple of the Artsy Ladies poked me about you for no reason other than you’re staying here and you were my escort at Myra and Zeke’s wedding. They thought they were being funny, but I’m a mother of a boy at an impressionable age, for pity’s sake.” She flung open a bin of grain and filled a scoop.

Watching her fitful motions sobered Seth. “Point taken. Tell me about the horses,” he said, walking with her to the first stall, where a dark horse with a white blaze whickered.

“This is Pendragon. I didn’t name them. My husband did. Guiding guests on trail rides was to be his end of the business. After he died, I tried to sell the horses, but money’s tight all over.” She went back for grain for the second of the four animals, a brown-and-white pinto mare.

“This is Guinevere.” She rubbed the mare’s silky nose. “The last two geldings are Galahad and Merlin. Kevin loved King Arthur stuff. He planned to name new horses Lancelot and Mordred.” Her voice wobbled.

Seth took the scoop and fed the remaining horses, giving her time to gather herself. “Ben wanted us to rent them,” he said. “But Gavin didn’t think Hunter should risk riding. Not after Zeke told us how Myra got dumped from her horse.” Seth set his hand on the neck of the big dappled gray named Galahad. “If they aren’t exercised regularly, are they apt to buck?”

Lila shrugged. “Guests have ridden them without problem. I carry extra insurance in case anyone gets hurt. That’s mostly why I want to sell them. Are you not a good rider?”

Seth returned the scoop to the grain bin and closed the lid. “I’ve ridden horses and mules in mountainous terrain leading to some gem sites. It’s nothing I’ve done a lot. But I’d be willing to take them on a few turns around your corral to stretch their legs while I’m here,” he said, stopping to close the barn door as they exited.

“That’s nice of you.”

“No problem. Now, where’s Rory’s bike?”

“Oh, please, I can get that—I see your passengers gathered at your rental. Rory and I have gotten good at loading and unloading his bike. It’s a junior mountain bike, so it fits easily through the Cherokee’s hatchback.”

“All the same, when you have help available why not take advantage?” He’d no more than finished his suggestion when they saw Rory, weighed down with his backpack, wheeling his bike around the corner of the bed-and-breakfast.

Striding away from Lila, Seth intercepted the boy. “If you open the hatch, I’ll toss your bike in and you and your mom can be on your way.”