She dashed back up the porch steps and peeked in the kitchen. Fritz and Christine were locked in a tender kiss in a corner far from the window. Wishing she were wearing her boots, so she could make more noise as she entered the room, Chanel settled for an awkward clearing of her throat to announce herself. The couple sprang apart, scrambling to find something to make them each look busy on opposite sides of the room.

"s.h.i.t, Chanel, I-," Fritz began, his cheeks flaming above his black moustache.

Christine touched his arm. "She knows."

Fritz ran a hand through his hair and looked between the two women, but before he could reply, boots sounded on the back porch, and Mitch was peering over Chanel's head into the kitchen. "Came to grab that beer. Need me to haul anything else to the table?"

Chanel whirled around to face her father. "Nope, we got it. Be right out."

Mitch nodded and stuck his head in the beverage fridge. Once he'd exited the back porch, Chanel put her hands on her hips. "I'm really happy for you guys, but this," she waved a finger between Fritz and Christine, "isn't going to be a secret for long if you aren't more careful."

Fritz looked at his boots, and Christine busied herself gathering condiments from the kitchen refrigerator. "I know, honey, and it's not right to have you stuck in the middle."

"You know," Fritz said slowly, "with Seth home, it would be a good time to announce ourselves sometime soon."

The color drained from Christine's face. Chanel saw the ketchup and mayonnaise bottles slipping from her aunt's grasp and rushed across the kitchen to catch them.

"Well, why not?" Fritz's voice had an edge to it.

"You know why," Christine said.

"Now is probably not the best time for this discussion," Chanel said juggling condiments in her hands. "People are waiting on dinner."

Neither seemed to hear her. Fritz's dark brows drew in. "I love you, Christine. I'm not a cowboy that settles down, but I'm ready. This sneakin' around to keep the peace is just stupid."

Christine pressed her lips together and picked up a platter of lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. "Chanel's right. People are waiting to eat." She hurried out the back door.

Chanel's heart ached when she met Fritz's hurt gaze. "She has a lot on her mind tonight." She knew the excuse was flimsy.

"Doesn't she always," Fritz muttered. "I'm not so hungry now." He turned on his heel and marched into the living room. The screen door banged as he exited the front door.

Chanel sighed and added a bottle of mustard to her already full hands while concocting a reason why the cowboy had taken off early.

Squished amongst a bunch of fencing supplies a few days later, Maddox still managed to bounce in the bed of the ATV when Seth hit a large b.u.mp.

"Sorry!" Seth yelled over his shoulder. They'd been driving off road for several miles, looking for the down section of fence Fritz discovered the day before.

Maddox didn't mind the rough ride. He was stoked to be working with someone other than Chanel today. She'd been disturbingly cool around him for the last week, never speaking more than to give him the most basic of instructions and then leaving him to work alone. He should have been grateful, but for some reason it was unsettling. He kinda missed bickering with her.

One night he found her loping around the arena trying to rope a calf. He'd climbed to the top rung of the fence to watch. Ever since the branding, he'd been fascinated with watching her rope. She was so graceful, focused. Lost in the zone, it was a while before she noticed him. That's how he felt on the football field. Not wanting to break the spell, Maddox remained silent. It always irritated him when he was interrupted.

Finally she'd ridden over and asked if he wanted to learn to work the small chute so she could practice from the box. He'd had no idea what she was talking about but agreed to help. Thankfully, the chute was easy enough to use, and the calves weren't too squirrely to herd inside.

Lila had called the bunkhouse a couple of times since their date and left messages with Jerry, but Maddox couldn't bring himself to call her back. She'd been fun but not worth the ha.s.sle of getting to town. d.a.m.n, he sounded like a d.i.c.k in his own head. When did that happen? He'd never given a second thought to blowing off a chick before.

The ATV slowed, and Maddox spotted a jumble of wire on the ground. Seth pulled to a stop, nodding at a handful of full-grown cows and their babies. "We'll need to convince these ladies to cross back over before we fix the hole."

During his time at the Double O, Maddox hadn't done any cattle herding. He had no idea what to do, but instead of following his instinct to launch into action and pretend he knew what was going on, he held back. Chanel would be proud.

"Let's cut loose this down wire and drag it out of the way. Last thing we need is for one of them to step in it and get cut."

Seth handed Maddox a giant pair of plier looking things. "Don't stick any fingers in there."

Maddox laughed and approached the tangle of wire. He appreciated how Seth gave him the tool and turned him loose to figure it out. He began freeing the down wire from a nearby post. Seth dragged it to one side. The cattle watched quietly from a distance. When the s.p.a.ce was clear, Seth motioned with one hand for Maddox to take a wide circle around the pairs while he approached from the opposite side. Without a word they drove the cows and calves through the s.p.a.ce in the fence line. The animals trotted down the hill, and Seth and Maddox unloaded the roll of barbed wire from the ATV.

"You seem to be doing okay out here," Seth said as he eyeballed the s.p.a.ce between the fence posts. Satisfied with where he was standing, he rammed a thing with long handles and a circular metal bottom into the dirt and twisted. "Can you grab that metal post over there?" He nodded to the fencepost they'd freed from the mess of barbed wire.

Maddox brought the post and slid it into the hole and backed up. Seth then drove it further into the ground.

After the clanging subsided, Maddox said, "I'm surviving. Lot of summer left."

Seth grinned. "I've got her side. What's yours?"

For whatever reason, Maddox felt at ease with Seth. They'd hit it off at the barbeque. Being an Oregon Duck, Seth was serious about his college sports, and Maddox enjoyed his easygoing demeanor. Seth was Chanel's opposite. No wonder she adored him. She needed him to balance her. He may relay bits of their conversation to Chanel, but Maddox was pretty sure it wouldn't be the whole story. "This isn't my scene. And, Chanel, well, she's impossible. This is the best day I've had since I got here. Thanks for not a.s.suming I'm an idiot."

"I like to let people show me who they are. Chel generally does too. Guessing you didn't give her the best first impression."

They began to stretch wire between the posts.

"Maybe not, but she never let me move past it."

"She's been hurt," Seth said. "She's protective of herself and her family."

"I don't want to be here, but I'm stuck."

"She knows that."

"And she makes me crazy, like literally crazy. I can't do anything right around her."

Seth laughed. They finished mending the fence in silence and loaded their supplies back into the ATV. The ball of ruined wire took the spot where Maddox had sat on the way up.

Seth gave him an awkward look. "We're gonna have to squeeze on the seat together."

"No problem," Maddox said and perched on the edge of the bed and the seat leaving plenty of room for Seth.

"Let's cruise along the fence line for a ways and make sure there aren't any more holes."

"Sure," Maddox replied.

Seth fired up the engine, and they b.u.mped along for a couple of miles. Then he slowed and pointed across a small draw. Maddox recognized the horse tied to a large bush as one from Fritz's string. Seth aimed the vehicle toward the horse, both men scanning to find its rider.

Movement a little farther down the draw, where the vegetation was greener and denser, caught Maddox's eye. He tapped Seth on the shoulder and gestured in that direction. As they got closer, the movement took the shape of two humans scurrying to put on their clothes. A second later, Maddox recognized them as Fritz and Christine. Seth must've had the same realization as he veered the ATV sharply to the left, making a quick turn to take them in the opposite direction. If he hadn't been forced to hang on for dear life to the ATV, Maddox would have clapped a hand over his mouth.

After they'd put some distance between the lovers and themselves, Maddox leaned closer to Seth and shouted above the roar of the engine, "You okay?"

Seth grinned over his shoulder. "Great!"

When they returned to the shop and began unloading the fencing gear, Maddox glanced around to make sure they were alone.

"You really okay, man?"

Seth laughed. "Of course. My mom has needed a man for years, and they don't come much better than Fritz."

"I'll be d.a.m.ned," Maddox said as he leaned the posthole digger in a corner. "You're something else. Chanel would've freaked. Your brother would've been p.i.s.sed."

Seth shrugged. "I believe in people finding happiness. It looks different for everyone." He paused and studied Maddox for a moment before continuing. "You know I'm gay, right?"

"Guessed at it." Maddox looked his new friend right in the eye. "It doesn't bother me."

"Right on. Not everyone out here is as accepting."

"I'm not from around here," Maddox said.

"True that."

"Hey, Seth. We seem to work pretty well together," Maddox began. He couldn't believe the words that were about to leave his mouth. "Would you be willing to teach me to ride a horse? I know Mitch really wants me to help with the yearling drive, and it wasn't going so well with Chanel..."

Seth laughed.

"I guess you already heard that story." Maddox felt his face grow hot, even though he didn't need to be embarra.s.sed with Seth.

"Sorry, man. She tells me everything."

Maddox raked his fingers through his tangled hair.

"Yeah, I can teach you. It'll surprise the h.e.l.l out of her when you just jump on a horse and take off."

Maddox relaxed and smiled. He liked that idea.

"We'll start tonight," Seth said and then looked pointedly at Maddox's beat up sneakers. "Why don't you come by the house for lunch, and we'll order you some boots."

CHAPTER TWELVE.

Chanel nodded her head at Maddox, and he pulled the lever on the chute. She still hadn't coaxed him back on a horse, but he'd become quite handy on the ground. They'd even managed to settle into a peaceful working relationship, which she told herself was what she wanted.

A chocolate colored calf shot out of the gate and raced down the length of the arena. Spurring Vivi, they chased the calf quickly, closing the gap, Chanel's rope swinging. When she released the loop, it zinged out over the calf's head for a perfect catch. Vivi made a quick stop, and the rope snapped away from the saddle horn.

"Yeeooww!"

Chanel grinned at the sound of Seth's voice. He was standing just outside the arena with a shiny bay horse.

"That buckle's yours this year," he called.

"Maybe," Chanel said riding over to the fence. "Most the girls don't take nine months off at a time around here."

"Bah," Seth swatted the air with one hand. "It's better for them that you do. At least it makes the night compet.i.tive."

Chanel rolled her eyes. "You coming in here, or what? Maddox is a whiz at stringing barriers and running the chute."

Maddox jogged over to the pair and reached through the fence to shake Seth's hand. "Hey, man."

Their fast friendship perplexed Chanel. There had been evenings when she hadn't been able to find either one of them. She loved that Seth was having such a great time at home, but at the same time was frustrated with Maddox for hogging him. She felt like a twelve-year-old for being jealous.

"Actually, I was just bringing Malcolm by to say hi to Maddox." Seth pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the horse.

"When did Malcolm and Maddox become such good friends?" A smirk played on her lips as she watched Maddox unlatch the metal gate to let in her cousin and horse. As far as she was concerned, Maddox and members of the equine family didn't mix. Then she noticed Maddox's feet. In place of his beat-up sneakers, he wore a pair of lace-up work boots with a heel. What the heck was going on here?

"You guys went shopping," Chanel said hearing accusation in her tone.

"Internet shopping, but yeah," Seth replied. "You didn't do a very good job outfitting him for ranch work."

Temper flared through Chanel. She'd busted her a.s.s taking care of the big baby. "Look, you-," she began.

Seth grabbed her leg and gave it a squeeze. "Settle down. I'm just teasing. But we do have a surprise for you."

Without a word, Maddox swung up to Malcolm's back and took the reins from Seth. He gave the horse a kick and began to canter around the arena. His seat bounced a bit, but for a beginner, he looked pretty good. Chanel's mouth gaped as she watched his blond hair fly behind him.

"How'd you do that?"

"I wasn't a b.i.t.c.h."

She glowered down at her cousin. "I'm not a b.i.t.c.h."

He arched an eyebrow. "Maybe not to everyone, but you've got the guy tied up in knots."

Maddox eased Malcolm to a stop when he reached Chanel and Seth. "Whaddaya think, boss?"

A dozen criticisms begged to roll off her tongue, but Seth's warning squeeze on her leg had her swallowing them. She maneuvered her lips into a stiff smile. "Looks like you won't fall off riding drag next week."

Maddox dismounted. "Good enough."

Seth took his place on Malcolm and said, "Okay, Chel, let's see if I can still snag a set of heels."

He trotted toward gate leading to the corral where the roping steers lived, Maddox following on foot. Chanel stared after them trying to calm her racing heart.

Tiny rivers of blood ran along Maddox's tanned arms as he and his horse crashed through a th.o.r.n.y thicket after a squirrely young cow that was determined to stay on the range. Maddox was ready to leave it out here, but Chanel's lecture from the night before when they trailered their horses to cow camp surfaced to admonish him. These "yearlings" she called them were a major source of income for the Eber family. They needed to trail the herd back to headquarters as calmly as possible so they didn't lose weight. Mitch a.s.signed Maddox the job of irrigating a large meadow near the corrals a couple weeks before in order to grow lush gra.s.s for the yearlings to graze on for a few days before the trucks arrived.

The day had started while it was still dark. The crew had slept in skinny wooden bunks bolted to the wall of an ancient cabin. Maddox was certain he'd heard rats scuttling around on the other side of the wall in the woodpile. It'd taken him quite a while to fall asleep, which sucked because everyone else pa.s.sed right out, filling the tiny s.p.a.ce with all kinds of snoring. Jerry had jabbed him in the ribs on his way out the door. Maddox knew that was the signal to get moving if he didn't want Mitch showing up with another frying pan.