Cooper’s forehead wrinkled and he leaned closer to Hannah. “What did she say?”
Hannah chuckled and squeezed his hand. “They’re going to be fine,” she promised Boone. “We’ll keep them busy. You have nothing to worry about.”
Boone didn’t look convinced. “I’m the father of a teenage girl. All I do is worry. Nothing is going to change about that.”
Because Hannah knew he was right, she decided to let it go. “They’ll be safe. Trust me.”
HANNAH TOOK THE GIRLS TO Tyler’s paddock after giving Angel the initial tour. For her part, the accident survivor looked a little shell shocked. Hannah wanted to ask how she was feeling, inquire about her parents, but that felt invasive. Angel was obviously dealing with a lot of fear and uncertainty, and the last thing Hannah wanted was to add to it.
“Can we ride the horses?” Lindsey asked as she watched the goats chase Jinx onto the picnic table, a huge grin on her face. “Maybe we can take them down to the river or something, huh?”
Hannah hesitated. She wasn’t necessarily opposed to an excursion, but she was far from a master horsewoman. In fact, she’d only ridden the horses three times so far ... and Tyler or Cooper were with her for each trip.
“Well ....”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea today,” Tyler volunteered, saving her from having to be the bad guy.
“Why not?” Lindsey’s lower lip jutted out, and Hannah was certain it was a reflexive response, something she pulled out on a regular basis when it came to dealing with her father.
“Because there’s talk we might get a dust storm later.”
“A dust storm?” Lindsey shook her head. “Those only happen in the mountains, and rarely. I know because I’ve heard my dad talk about them.”
Tyler snickered. “Where do you think you are?”
Perhaps sensing a trick question, Lindsey took an exaggerated look around. “Casper Creek,” she said finally.
“Which is on top of a mountain.”
“I ... huh.” Lindsey shifted her gaze to the parking lot. “I kind of forgot that because Dad drove us here. Hey, can we go up and down the ski lift?”
“There’s a ski lift?” Angel tore her gaze away from Jinx and focused on Hannah. “I didn’t see a ski lift.”
“It’s at the far end of town,” Hannah explained. “I didn’t take you guys that far down because I didn’t think it was necessary. The lift isn’t running today.”
“Can we make it run?” Lindsey asked hopefully.
Rueful, Hannah shook her head. “The controls are at the bottom of the mountain and the building is locked up.”
“Can’t we go down there and, I don’t know, boot it up?”
“No, we can’t,” Tyler replied firmly. He was familiar with Lindsey and the way she wheedled people, and he had no intention of letting her run roughshod over Hannah. “That costs money. You’re fine up here.”
“What money?” Lindsey was used to getting her own way and that was on full display today. “It’s not as if there’s a coin machine to start it up. I know better than that.”
“No, but it takes electricity and gas.”
“Oh.” Given Lindsey’s expression, it was obvious she hadn’t thought about that. “I’m bummed.”
Hannah snickered. “Well figure out a way for you guys to ride the lift on a day when we’re open. How’s that?”
“I guess it will do.” Lindsey wasn’t very convincing, but she forced a smile for Hannah’s benefit. “Where did we land on the horses again?”
“No.” Tyler shook his head. “If there’s a dust storm, the horses will get spooked and they could twist an ankle because they can’t see clearly. If something happens to a leg, they could get put down. Is that what you want?”
Angel looked horrified at the prospect. “No way. Now I never want to ride a horse.”
Tyler shot her an apologetic look. “That is not what I meant. Riding horses can be great. I simply don’t want to risk them today.”
“Nobody does,” Hannah reassured him. “Can’t you guys pick something else to do?”
“I guess.” Lindsey’s enthusiasm level had been halved. “Can we go in the bar and practice making drinks?”
“No.” Hannah found her patience waning. She’d always thought it would be cool to be a mother — somewhere far down the line — but now she was re-thinking that. “How about something else?”
“Can we see Cooper shirtless?”
Hannah hesitated. Of all the things the girl had asked for, that was the easiest to deliver. Of course, it would involve asking Cooper to do something he really didn’t want to do, and she wasn’t comfortable putting that sort of pressure on him. “You can ask Cooper to take off his shirt,” she replied finally. “If he says no, though, then that’s it.”
“He won’t say no.” Lindsey was sure of herself as she slid through the gaps in the fence and started toward the spot Cooper sat working on his laptop in front of the saloon. “I’ll be right back.”
Hannah chewed on her bottom lip as she watched Lindsey swing her hips. Even though she was only a teenager, she’d obviously been practicing her sultry walk. “Do you think this is a bad idea?” she asked Tyler, legitimately worried.
When he didn’t answer, she risked a glance at him and found the veterinarian doubled over at the waist and silently laughing. “What?” she prodded defensively. “Do you think he’s going to be mad?”
“I think this is the best entertainment I’ve had all day,” Tyler replied, swiping at an errant tear. “I mean ... she’s going to ask Cooper to take his shirt off. What could possibly go wrong in that scenario?”
Because his mirth made her uneasy, Hannah switched her attention to Angel. She was afraid to see what might happen across the street and it seemed easier to talk with the quietest member of the group. “Do you like dogs?” she asked when she found Angel sitting on top of the picnic table
