Her Small-Town Cowboy. Mia Ross

than she cared to recall. Finding one who put others before himself was a refreshing change.

      Putting that very personal observation aside, she got back to why they’d come out here in the first place. “So, about me helping with the riding school.”

      He shrugged. “Totally up to you. I’m good with a partner or going solo.”

      His intent to do the lessons with or without her help belied his casual indifference. Something told her that he was the kind of guy who feigned carelessness to avoid giving people too close a look at his heart. Which, judging by his gentle treatment of animals and children, was a lot bigger than he probably cared to admit.

      “Well, let’s try it for a while,” she finally decided. “I can at least get you started until you and the kids are better acquainted with each other. After a couple weeks, you might be fine on your own.”

      “Or hopelessly insane. Could go either way.”

      Laughing, they shook hands to seal their arrangement.

      * * *

      “Y’know, you’re gonna make my daughter’s day.”

      “Should we go tell her the good news?” Lily asked with a smile. She’d tensed up at one point while they were talking, and he got the feeling their conversation had plucked a nerve for her. He hardly knew her, but he hated to think he’d done something—even inadvertently—to upset this sweet-natured woman.

      “After you.”

      The second they were back in the kitchen, Abby’s face lit up as if it was Christmas morning. “We can really do lessons?”

      “Sure,” he agreed with a mock growl. “What else’ve I got to do all summer?”

      “Thank you, Daddy!” Launching herself at him, she wrapped her arms around his waist in the kind of hug he’d never get enough of if he lived a hundred years. Then, to his surprise, she reached out one hand and pulled Lily in, too. Beaming up at her new friend, she said, “And thank you, Miss St. George. Having you here will make things so much better.”

      Lily tilted her head in obvious confusion. “For who?”

      “All of us,” Abby announced confidently. “And I promise to help with everything. I’ll tell all my friends, and we’ll make tons of money to keep the farm running. Right, Grammy?”

      She glanced over at the woman still seated at the table, hands folded in front of her in a pose Mike knew all too well. She’d been praying, and he fought the scowl threatening to break through. She knew exactly how he felt about all that religious nonsense, but she’d gone over his head and directly to God, who’d made it clear that He’d lost interest in Mike long ago.

      “I was thinking,” Lily began as she and Abby sat side by side on the bench, “we could design a logo for our school. Then we can print up flyers and maybe get some T-shirts made for the students. They’d enjoy having them, and when they wear them around town, other people will notice and get interested in taking lessons, too. If we get enough students, we could even have a horse show at the end of the summer. That would bring lots of people to the farm to see the great work you’re all doing with the animals here.”

      Mike wasn’t sure how they’d gone from a few lessons to a full-blown circus, but he had to admit her idea had merit. Not only would it give the students something to work toward, when their families attended the show Gallimore Stables would get the kind of exposure it needed so desperately. He’d been racking his brain for months for a killer idea, and Lily had come up with a winner in the space of a single conversation. Amazing.

      “That’s a great suggestion,” he commented with none of his usual reservations. “It could be just the thing we need to help us get back on track.”

      “I’m glad you think so.” Giving him a grateful smile, she focused back on Abby. “Do you have any ideas for our logo?”

      “Sure!” Popping up from her seat, Abby fetched a stack of blank paper and her tub of crayons from the rolltop desk in the corner. One of the many antiques his mother had lovingly collected and restored, over the years it had been everything from the farm’s bookkeeping space to storage for an endless jumble of paperwork. Now it was Abby’s art center, with her latest projects proudly displayed on the corkboard behind it.

      “I don’t think Lily meant now,” Mike cautioned his energetic girl as gently as he could.

      “No time like the present,” Lily corrected him with the kind of chipper tone that would have come across as forced from anyone else. With her curly ponytail and sparkling blue eyes, though, it suited her perfectly.

      Uh-oh, he thought glumly. That was no way for him to be thinking about his daughter’s teacher. And new business partner. When that realization struck him, he sat down and gazed across the table at Lily. “Before we get all caught up in this, I think we should discuss the setup for this school.”