“I’m younger than him.” For God’s sake, the woman was acting like he was elderly.

“Not by much,” she said, giving him a critical eye.

“Well, maybe I’m just in better shape.”

“Well, it’s probably also the difference between bulls and horses,” she mused.

“I like horses,” he said. “That’s the real reason saddle bronc is my event.”

He didn’t really like to talk about that, because feelings were his least favorite subject, down very low on the list somewhere after poisonous snakes and getting kicked in the balls.

“Well, maybe we can find common ground with that.” She dusted her hands off, leaving faint handprints on her jeans. “He’s ready to go,” she said. “If you want to I can get Lola out.”

“No,” he said. “I think you can call it a day if you want.”

“Really? It doesn’t feel like I did anything.”

“It was your first day.” He looked around at the stalls that were still empty, conscious of the fact that by the end of the month they were going to have a full house. “This is kind of the calm before the storm, so to speak. Then we’re going to be busy, rotating horses through as best we can.”

“Well, all right.”

“I’ll take those notes, though. If you can bring them tomorrow. Your take on all the horses, and then you can go ahead and keep that up-to-date as we get more.”

“I can do that.”

“You know, that’s another reason that I might offer to lift something heavy for you, Jamie. I can hire anybody to blockade. You’re the only one that knows horses like this. And you’re the one that I want for that specifically. So you don’t need to get all testy with me, girl.”

She looked slightly uncomfortable at that compliment.

“Okay, I guess I can accept that.”

He smiled. “I don’t recall giving you a choice.”

She started to walk toward the barn door, and he moved in front of her, holding it open. She paused and blinked, her expression one of almost comical discomfort.

Her lips twitched. “Are you doing that for me because I’m a lady, too?”

“No,” he said slowly. “I’m doing it because I’m a gentleman.”

She didn’t seem to know what on earth to say to that, and her dark brows knit together, her lips pursed for a moment, before she clearly decided that standing at the door making an issue was more trouble than simply walking through it. She breezed past him, kicking up dust as she went, and Gabe took a moment to enjoy watching her retreat.

That woman was all prickles. And even so, her ass looked mighty fine in a pair of Wranglers. He tended to prefer his cowgirls covered in rhinestones, but there was something more than a little bit compelling about this one covered in dirt.

And if you hired her on and screwed her, no one would be that surprised. Because no one would expect any different from Hank Dalton’s son.