The Trouble With Cowgirls. Amanda Renee

hadn’t even entered her mind when Nicolino had offered her the job. “Maybe. I would have had to really think about it.”

      “Well, there you have it.” Nicolino tilted his hat back, a bit too self-assured for Lucy’s liking. “Under the circumstances, moving here was the best thing for you and Carina. I didn’t want to risk you turning me down based on an old relationship.”

      “You know it was more than that.” Lucy didn’t want to remember how ashamed her parents had been of her when they’d learned she was pregnant with Lane’s baby. “Enlighten me on one thing. Lane said he waited for me in Wyoming for a year before he found out I’d gotten married. But I married Antonio before Lane even left for Wyoming, and I asked you to tell him we were over.”

      “It wasn’t my place to explain it to him, and since he was leaving, I didn’t see the harm in keeping quiet. Never mind the fact that I wasn’t too pleased he knocked up my baby cousin. Besides, Lane’s persistent. He wouldn’t have just accepted that you two were over. He would have had questions—questions I wasn’t prepared to answer because you and your parents explicitly told me not to say a word. I didn’t see any other way to handle it.” Nicolino gently squeezed her shoulders. “Don’t worry. I had a talk with Lane earlier and he knows the deal.”

      “The deal.” Lucy sighed. While she welcomed Nicolino’s help, she didn’t want to be coddled, either. “Just what is this deal? I got the distinct impression that Lane still holds a grudge.”

      Nicolino slapped his thigh. “Dammit, I thought he and I had an understanding.”

      “Don’t you dare pass this off on Lane,” Ella hissed. “I told you to tell them both before Lucy arrived. You chose not to. Now look at the mess you’ve already made. I knew I should’ve told them both myself.”

      Lucy stepped between the two of them. “Would one of you please explain what’s going on?”

      Nicolino kicked at the dirt. “Lane thought the barn manager position was his.”

      “He what?” Lucy covered her mouth for fear of what might come out of it. No wonder he was angry. “When did he find out the job wasn’t his?” she asked from behind her fingers.

      “When I made the announcement this morning.” Nicolino held up his hands. “And before you both rip into me, Lane did a fine enough job of that already. I was wrong. I admit it. I should’ve told him as soon as I offered you the—”

      “Dio mio.” Lucy looked heavenward. “You only hired me to get us here.” Nicolino turned his back to them. “I’m right, aren’t I?” Lucy grabbed his arm and forced him to face her. “Lane told me he’s my second-in-command. He earned the promotion, didn’t he? I’ve wondered why you offered me the job, since I don’t have any experience outside of the horses Antonio owned. I thought this was a sign from above, but it was you playing God.”

      “You’re better off here than over there,” Nicolino argued. “And you’re wrong. You are qualified. You should be proud of your education.”

      “I am proud. Proud enough to know you hired me because I’m your cousin.” Lucy wasn’t sure what to do. It was her first day and her employees already had good reason to hate her. “You could have asked us to come, anyway. I would have found something else. You do realize you’ve pitted me against my ex-boyfriend, right? If I were smart, I should demand you give the job to Lane and work under him until I found something else.”

      “No, you won’t,” Nicolino retorted. “Lane is very good, but he doesn’t have the education or the experience with the employees. I’ve been to your estate and I’ve attended your black-tie affairs. You’ve managed a large staff. You also have a presence and a way with people. Lane’s rough around the edges, where you’re much more refined. We need someone to stay on top of the latest equine advancements and work closely with our vets and clients. Lane doesn’t have that polish.”

      “The staff I had hardly compares to the size of this ranch.” Lucy rubbed her forehead in a vain bid to thwart the pounding in her skull. “Relax, I’m not going anywhere. I need this job too much to walk away from it.”

      The pressure had increased exponentially now that she knew she’d stolen a job from a man she once loved. A man against whom she had repeatedly measured her husband. Oh, she had loved Antonio, but she’d never been in love with him. The feeling had been mutual. He’d taken good care of her, but they’d never found the romance they’d both craved.

      Lucy had been distraught when she’d discovered she was carrying Lane’s baby. He’d been resolute about not having kids and had always made certain they used protection. When the experts said no birth control was 100 percent effective, they weren’t kidding. Uncertain of what she should do next, Lucy had turned to her older sister for advice, who then immediately betrayed her confidence and told their parents. They had insisted she marry immediately. Lucy being unwed and pregnant with a Texas ranchhand’s child would have tarnished the family’s name in their small village—something her parents refused to allow.

      Antonio—a longtime family friend and ten years her senior—had agreed to be her husband. The decision to marry Antonio and not tell Lane she was pregnant had been heart wrenching. She’d known Lane wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility of a child, especially when he was beginning a new job in Wyoming—never mind how disgraced her parents would have been if the truth surrounding her baby’s paternity had gotten out. Eighteen and scared, Lucy had felt the need to secure her baby’s future and married Antonio in a civil ceremony a week later. Only Antonio and Lucy’s family knew who her child’s father really was.

      “I’m going back to work.” There was no point continuing the argument when she had no intention of quitting. They’d have to find a way to get along, despite the past. “I’ll pick Carina up from your house later.”

      “You’re welcome to join us for dinner. That is, if you can stand being around my husband after what he’s done.” Ella glowered at Nicolino.

      Lucy laughed. She wanted to stay mad at her cousin, but she knew he’d kept Lane a secret only in order to protect her. Lane probably wouldn’t have been very understanding and she couldn’t blame him.

      “I think we’ll pass.” Lucy was still digesting the rich Southern food from the previous night’s dinner. “I have a lot to discuss with Carina before she starts school tomorrow. I’m still debating whether I should drive her or allow her to take the bus.”

      “Let me know either way,” Ella said. “She won’t be alone if she takes the bus. Lord knows she’ll have enough cousins there with her.”

      Regardless of how Lucy felt about Nicolino’s little deception, Ramblewood was the best place for Carina. She’d always been close to her cousins on Antonio’s side, but after the divorce, they’d kept their distance. Lucy could adjust to almost anything; Carina was much more sensitive and didn’t accept change well. Even though her daughter appeared tough on the outside, her silence was louder than any scream.

      Lucy climbed back into her car and pulled around to the ranch’s parking lot. A knot formed in her stomach at the thought of facing Lane again. She mentally prepared herself as she trudged down the path to the stables. The mid-September air seemed heavier than it had a few minutes ago at the main house. The scrape of a shovel against the cement floor greeted her as the sweet scent of hay tickled her nose. Out of everything she’d lost in Italy, Lucy missed their horses the most. She made her way down the exposed-timber hallway as snorts sounded from behind the full-height mahogany stall doors.

      The building branched off in four directions from the main hub where Nicolino had introduced her to everyone earlier. She flattened herself against the wall as a groom led two horses past. She knew where the main offices were, but after that she was clueless. She reached into her bag and withdrew a notebook. The first order of business was to sketch a map. Helpless was twice as profane as any four-letter curse word and she refused to ever feel that way again. She started with what she knew and drew a big X in the center of the page.

      “Looking