She lifted her hands and shrugged. “I’m sorry. I honestly don’t sneak up on you.”

He raked a hand through his hair. As it fell in a drift of silky blond strands to his shoulders, she yearned to touch it just once to see if it was fine or coarse. “Not your fault. It’s just unsettling when someone gets close to me and I don’t sense it.” He managed a smile that deepened the creases in his lean cheeks and curved his firm yet full mouth. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m just here to get lined out for the day.”

His smile deepened and warmed his blue eyes with twinkling light. “Is this your last day again?”

Erin rolled her eyes and grinned. “I’ve decided to stay on. Uncle Slade gave me Violet last night. It would have been difficult to leave before without an income. Now, with a horse depending on me, it’d be next to impossible.” She rested both hands on the edge of the desk and assumed what she knew was probably a masculine-looking stance, but she tried not to care. “So, no, this isn’t another last day. I’ll be unpacking my car tonight and settling back into my room.”

He nodded. “Glad to have you back on board. Today, you can stick to the same routine. Spend the morning with Violet and the afternoon cleaning stalls, restocking the horse barn with hay, and I’d appreciate it if you’d wash all the water troughs before filling them. After you’re done with that, you can help Tex.”

“Fair enough,” Erin said. “But tomorrow, maybe you shouldn’t assign me to work with Violet. Now that she’s my horse, it doesn’t seem fair for me to be on the clock while I’m with her.”

“Violet is on this ranch, and until you get her turned around, she’s a liability. I’ll keep having you work with her until I feel certain she’s coming right.”

“Whatever you decide.” Erin stood erect. “Thanks for your time. I’m sorry I interrupted your work.”

Moments later when Erin circled the horse barn to reach Violet’s paddock, the mare shrieked and reared before Erin even climbed the fence. That was disheartening. Erin hoped they were simply getting off to a rough start, but the horse forced her to do a rerun of every other day. But Erin had no intention of giving up. She would repeat the same routine for months if that was what it took.

She spent all morning with Violet and then completed her ranch chores before helping Tex. That night after supper at the bunkhouse, she walked back out to Violet’s paddock. Unlike that morning, Violet made her talking noises and allowed Erin to approach right away. Erin had treats tonight, which Violet could smell, but Erin didn’t let her have a goody until the mare allowed her to lightly touch her poll.

“You’re making great progress with her.”

The sound of Wyatt’s voice coming from behind her startled Erin. She whirled to face him and then relaxed her body. “Hi. I didn’t realize you followed me out.”