would you do then?”
“Same thing since it would make no difference. However, in the case of Prince Charming, I’d say someone, and rather recently I assume, mistreated him. But luckily at one time or another, he had a nice trainer and when I began talking to him to calm him down, he remembered those kinder days. That’s the reason he didn’t hurt me. I’m against using strong-arm tactics of any kind when working with horses.”
“And I appreciate your opinion, Casey, but I have to disagree. Although I’m against anyone being outright mean and brutal to a horse, I still find the traditional way of doing things much better. And you’re right—you were lucky yesterday with Prince Charming, however, I doubt that the kinder approach is for every horse. It will be almost impossible to get Prince Charming ready for the races in the fall without using some kind of strict disciplinary method.”
“And I disagree.”
He locked eyes with her. “You have that right to disagree, Casey. But this is Montana and not Texas. We tend to do things differently here.”
“But a horse is a horse and why should you do things differently if the results could be the same?” she asked, taking a sip of her lemonade.
She was trying hard to remain nice but McKinnon was making it plum difficult. Why did the man have to be so bull headed? “It bothers me that some horse trainers are only interested in rushing a horse’s training in that quest to seek immediate gratification when all it takes is gentle, loving care. If those methods are used over a period of time, a horse will be anxious, willing and eager to give back to its owner.”
“You make it sound like a horse is almost human, Casey.”
“No, I’m not saying that but what I am saying is that when it comes to horses, there has to be a foundation of trust established upon which all further development and training must be built. Without it, training a horse like Prince Charming to do anything, especially to win a race, will be hopeless as well as impossible.”
McKinnon basically agreed with everything she’d said but he wouldn’t let her know that. He would continue playing devil’s advocate until he had her just where he wanted her.
“I think you’re wrong on that account, Casey.”
“And I think you’re too close-minded to see that I’m right.”
He lifted a brow, not taking his eyes off hers. “I dare you to prove me wrong.”
“Consider it done,” she said without thinking.
He leaned forward in his chair. “Good. And since you’re so keen on the idea of the new way of doing things, I’ll pay you fifty thousand dollars for your efforts. You have eight weeks and you’ll have to stay on my ranch in the guest house.”
Casey blinked. What was he talking about? So she asked him.
He smiled. “You just accepted the challenge to prove me wrong with Prince Charming. But if you’re not sure of your capabilities I’ll most certainly understand and let you back out of it.”
She glared at him. “I know what I’m capable of doing, McKinnon.”
“So you say but I don’t want to put you on the spot. I’ll fully understand if you decide you can’t handle things.”
Casey’s glare intensified. “When it comes to a horse, McKinnon, I can handle just about anything.”
He shrugged. “You have eight weeks to prove it.”
Casey glanced around the table at her father and Abby. They had been quiet during her and McKinnon’s entire conversation and were now staring at her. There was no way she could back out now, although a part of her felt that McKinnon had somehow deliberately set her up.
She then turned her attention back to McKinnon, glaring at him. “Fine, I’ll show you just what I can do, McKinnon Quinn. I just hope you’re ready for me.”
McKinnon leaned back in his chair. He decided not to tell Casey that if he lived to be the ripe old age of one hundred, he would never, ever be ready for her.
Chapter 4
The dark blue car caught McKinnon’s eyes the moment it pulled into the yard. He’d been walking out of the barn and stopped a moment to look at the woman sitting behind the wheel. Casey had said that she would arrive within two days and she had kept her word.
He still had mixed feelings about her being there, but he had a business to run and hiring her on had made business sense. He would just have to call on his common sense and keep as much distance between them as possible. At least she would be living in the guest cottage out back and not under the same roof, he thought, as he watched her swing those shapely, gorgeous legs of hers out of the car. He sucked in a deep breath.
He glanced around and saw that he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed her arrival…or her legs. His men had stopped what they were doing to stare, especially when Casey grabbed a duffel bag out of the backseat. She was wearing a mint-green blouse that showed off firm, perfect breasts and a waist-cinching skirt whose hem swished around those gorgeous legs.
When she went to the back of her car and lifted the trunk, her luggage made it apparent to anyone looking that she was moving in. Most of McKinnon’s men knew of his long-standing rule that a female had no place living on his ranch. He also knew they were staring at her for another reason—other than the obvious male one. The last time she had been there she had earned their respect with the way she had handled Prince Charming. The way they saw it, she had saved Edward Price from getting stomped to death while placing her own life in danger to do so.
When it seemed that every ranch hand who worked for him was now racing toward the car to help Casey with her luggage, almost tripping over each other in their haste, he shook his head. He knew then and there that he would have a very serious talk with his men and make sure they understood that just like them, Casey had been hired to do a job and that was the only reason she was there.
When it became apparent that Jed Wilson and Evan Duvall were about to knock each other over to offer Casey their assistance, McKinnon decided to intervene. “Okay, you guys can get back to work. I’ll help Casey with her things.”
He saw the disappointed look on the men’s faces as they turned and followed his orders, leaving him and Casey alone. He met her gaze. “Casey.” He could tell from her expression that she didn’t want to be there.
“McKinnon. If you’d be so kind to show me where I’ll be staying over the next weeks, I’d appreciate it.”
She had managed to temper some of her anger but not all of it. She was still somewhat ticked off. “Just follow me. I’ll come back for your luggage later. The guesthouse is out back.”
They walked around the ranch house together and not for the first time, Casey thought that McKinnon’s ranch was erected on a beautiful piece of land under the warmth of the Montana sky. It was another nice day and again the weather reminded her of a day in Texas. She sighed deeply. She was already missing home.
“Are you okay?”
She glanced up at him. She wished his eyes weren’t so dark, so intense, so downright seductive. “Yes, I’m fine. I’ve been in Montana a little over a week and I’m missing Texas already.”
“It’s warmer here than usual for this time of the year,” he said, his voice dry as he looked ahead and not at her. “That means a colder than usual winter.”
She shuddered. “I don’t do cold weather very well.”
“If you’re planning on hanging around in these parts, my best advice to you is to get used to it,” he said curtly. “Otherwise, you’ll be shivering all over the place. Montana is known for its beauty as well as its freezing cold winters.”
Speaking of shivering…one passed through her body at that moment when their arms brushed. Geez. No man had ever given her the shivers