Erin had never been able to slow down and back off. All her life, she had pushed herself to be as good as, or better than, any man. To impress everyone with her strength, her musculature, and her endurance. Through her sessions with Jonas, she was trying to rid herself of masculine mannerisms, but she couldn’t picture herself becoming a limp-wristed sissy like Wyatt was describing. She preferred to be more like Vickie, who wasn’t afraid to say she was one hell of a woman and then set out to prove it.

“Thank you for the advice. I’ll bear in mind everything you’ve said as I’m working tomorrow.”

His eyes darkened to a steely blue, and his facial muscles tightened. “See that you do. I know you need this job, and I don’t want to be put in a position where I’m forced to fire you because you refuse to listen.”

Erin was steaming as she walked away. She’d done fine? No praise for working her tail off. No recognition for blistering her hands so badly they would probably take two weeks to heal. Instead of a pat on the back for a job well done, he’d lectured her and threatened to fire her. Well, she’d show him. Maybe she’d become the best ranch hand on her uncle’s payroll and be promoted to foreman. Wyatt Fitzgerald could take his condescending attitude toward women with him when he crawled home to his grandfather’s ranch in Klamath Falls.

Chapter Twelve

When Erin entered the main house, she heard her aunt and uncle talking in the kitchen and she decided she should at least tell them goodnight. As she stepped through the archway, she saw them sitting at the table, both leaning forward with their arms braced on its surface, their faces animated and bearing smiles. In that moment, she envied them, but she quickly shoved that feeling away. The two of them had lived nearly their whole lives separated from each other. They deserved to finally be happy, and if Erin was lucky, maybe she would find true love herself someday.

“Just dropping in to say goodnight. I hope you guys had a great evening with Brody and his family.”

In the light, Vickie’s curly hair glinted like a copper penny, and her green eyes danced with laughter. “We had a wonderful dinner and wanted them to stay for Yahtzee, but the kids had homework to do.”

Slade met Erin’s gaze. “We didn’t get to talk much earlier. After getting a taste of ranch work, are you still thinking it may be right for you?”

Erin had worked too hard to think overmuch about what was right for her, and in the overall scheme of things, she didn’t have a lot of choices, anyway. She had bills to pay. “I learned so much today that I didn’t spare much thought for anything else. Ask me again tomorrow night, and I may have more to tell you.”

Slade raked a hand through his hair, which was still a dark brown, but was now threaded with silver, particularly at the temples. “Vickie says you’re staying in the front upstairs bedroom with the adjoining bath. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to let us know. We hope you’ll be comfortable up there.”