Kiss Me (Fool's Gold #17)(32)

“All they need are straw hats with little bows or a crown of flowers,” she said.

Unfortunately Zane walked by just then, and the look he shot her told her that he had not only heard her, but he thought she was an idiot. She wanted to hurry after him and explain that thinking the mules would look cute in hats wasn’t the same thing as actually wanting them in hats, but she didn’t. In his mind, thinking it was probably as bad as buying the hats.

“This is Cookie,” Zane said to the group. “As you may have guessed from his name, he’s in charge of feeding us all while we’re gone. You had a sample of his cooking last night.”

Thad patted his belly. “Then I think we’re all going to weigh at lot more at the end of this week than at the beginning. Hope the horses don’t mind.”

“Oh, we’ll ride them pounds off you,” Cookie said with a grin. Then his good humor faded. “Well, don’t just stand there staring,” he yelled. “Hand over your gear. We haven’t got all day. Snap to.”

Maya bent down and picked up her duffel. Phoebe followed her.

“Hey, Hot Stuff,” Cookie said to Eddie as Chase hoisted her bag into the wagon. “You look good enough to eat.”

“You better not try,” Eddie replied.

Maya grinned. “Have you missed me, Cookie?”

He winked at her. “Like you’d give an old coot like me the time of day.”

Maya put her hand on her hip and gave an exaggerated bump and grind. “Cookie, for your biscuits I’d do just about anything.”

The old man cackled. Phoebe handed him her duffel. Cookie looked her over, then winked. She gave him a smile and tried not to think about the plug of tobacco stuck in his cheek.

Andrea was next. She handed up her bag but didn’t move on. Instead she narrowed her gaze. “You are careful when you cook, aren’t you? I would hate to think you’d contaminate our food with your filthy habit.”

Cookie’s mouth got all pinched and thin. “You doing the cooking, or am I?”

“I suppose you are.”

He nodded. “Just so we’re both clear on that.”

Andrea turned away. She muttered something to Martin, who patted her arm. Chase carried Gladys’s duffel to the wagon.

Cookie looked Gladys over. “Nice. Just give a holler if you ever get lonely. I can be real good company.”

Andrea sniffed. “How disgusting. Is he going to come on to all the women? Can’t he be controlled?”

Chase passed by Phoebe and leaned close. “You’ll notice Cookie didn’t say a word to the vegetable princess there.”

Phoebe had to turn away to hide her grin.

When all the gear was loaded, Zane had them line up. He walked in front of them, staring at each of them in turn, then calling out a name. When he paused in front of Phoebe, she felt the heat of his gaze all the way to the insides of her bones. Although he only stared at her for a second, it was enough to get her heart up into the serious-cardio-workout range. When he moved to Maya, her body returned to normal. She felt like one of those special flowering plants that only blooms in full sunlight. When Zane wasn’t around, she withered.

As Zane finished calling out names, several cowboys appeared leading horses. There was a brass nameplate on each bridle, corresponding with what he’d called out. Phoebe looked for a horse named Rocky.

When he appeared, he was a brunette with legs that turned dark on the bottom. His mane and tail were black, as well.

Phoebe offered Rocky a tentative smile. He did not respond.

“Listen up,” Zane said. “Who here has been on a horse before?”

Eddie and Gladys raised their hands. Martin’s went up, too. Zane asked about their riding experience.

“Shane Stryker gave us lessons last summer, and then we rode as elder warriors in the Maá-zib parade last year,” Eddie said. “We offered to go topless, to be real authentic, but Mayor Marsha wouldn’t let us.”

“Since then, we go out to the Castle Ranch about once a month to keep our muscles limber,” Gladys added.

Martin said he’d had lessons as a kid.

Zane explained the basics of riding a horse. While the guests weren’t working cowboys, on the trail they would be expected to help with the care of their horses. That meant making sure the animal had plenty of water, taking off the saddles in the evening and basic equine grooming. Using his horse, a rust-colored gelding, he demonstrated how to mount.

Phoebe looked from Zane’s horse to hers. They seemed to be about the same size, at least in height. Rocky was a bit on the lean side with long legs.

Speaking of legs—she glanced from hers to Zane’s. There was a difference of several inches in length, which meant there was no way she would be able to put one foot into the stirrup and swing her way up to the saddle the way he had. She needed a chair or bench or stool or something.

Right as she realized the problem, Zane turned toward her. Her heart sprouted wings and did a quick turn around her chest, but before he reached her, Chase appeared at her side.

“Ready?” he asked.

She shifted her attention to Zane, but he’d already moved over to help Gladys. She swallowed her disappointment and smiled at the young man.

“Is there a stepping stool?” she asked.

“Sure.” He laced his fingers together and held them a little above knee high.