Hitched to the Horseman

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Geraldine’s slender fingers gently rubbed the top of Mercedes’s hand. “Mercedes, if you think I was implying that you’ve neglected your family while you were away—well, I couldn’t be sorrier. I’m proud of all that you’ve accomplished. The whole family is proud of you. I was only—”

“Being your blunt self,” Mercedes said with a soft chuckle. “Forget it, Mother. I have. The only thing I want to hear is what I can do around here to be truly helpful—other than get in Lex’s way,” she added teasingly.

Leaning back in her chair, Geraldine took a long sip of her drink before she gave Mercedes a smug smile. “I have the perfect job for you, dear. We need someone to help with the marketing for the ranch. Cordero used to do some of it, but as you know, he’s over in Louisiana now getting the horse farm going. And Lex doesn’t have time for it. Now with us using the Internet and television to reach buyers, it’s a huge job to take care of these issues. Matt is already getting ready for the second annual televised cattle auction in September and now he and Lex are making noises about doing another one with the horses. I don’t know when they’ll find the time, but if you pitch in, maybe they can swing it.”

Mercedes’s interest was more than piqued and she scooted excitedly to the edge of her seat. “That sounds great, Mother! And I’m surprised. I didn’t have any idea the ranch was getting that deeply into advertising and marketing. I thought it was still just ring up a buyer on the phone and they’d show up sooner or later with a few cattle trucks to haul off what they bought.”

Geraldine chuckled. “Sorry, Mercedes, but the U.S. military aren’t the only ones to use high-tech devices. Your grandparents wouldn’t believe how far the Sandbur has come since their heyday.”

“Hmm. It sounds interesting and challenging and it’s something I would love to do.” But would it mean she’d have to deal with Gabe on a fairly regular basis? That might be tricky. Still, she wasn’t a coward. If she had to deal with Gabe, she would.

Geraldine’s grin was a bit wry. “Well, it wouldn’t be like gathering information for the military. But it would be a challenge, I grant you that. Think you want to tackle it?”

Mercedes left her chair and sat on the floor next to her mother’s knees. “Of course I want to tackle it.” She reached for Geraldine’s hands and squeezed them tightly. “And I want to thank you for not trying to manufacture some sort of job for me just as a way to make me feel needed or useful. I—I couldn’t stand that.”

Geraldine made a noise of disapproval. “Mercedes, you know I’m too direct to try to dance around or spin the issue. Lay things out as they really are—that’s the best way to handle a problem.”

Her mother’s frankness when dealing with people had always been something Mercedes counted on and respected. Sometimes her brutal honesty hurt, but painful or not, it was usually right. Geraldine hadn’t been exactly on the mark when she’d accused Mercedes of wanting to stay in Diego Garcia as a way to avoid civilian life, but she’d been right that Mercedes had used her job to help push away personal disappointments.

Sighing, she rested her cheek on her mother’s knee and gazed out at the front lawn of the ranch house. For the first time since she’d arrived home, she felt a sense of peace, of belonging.

Was that because of the job her mother had just offered her, a job that would truly be beneficial to the ranch and her family? Or was she feeling this spurt of happiness because of Gabe?