Learnin' The Ropes Read Online Free PDF Page B

him luck.
    “The one thing I never learnt was mechanic stuff,” Swede said. “The other boys barely know which end of a screwdriver to use, so yer on yer own. Don’t forget to take a break at lunch. I’ll check on ya in a bit and let ya know when the boss is back.”
    Ty soon figured out what was wrong with the tractor and started working his way into the problem. Although he had never actually fixed a tractor, his varied experience with a broad variety of projects gave him a solid working knowledge. With the help of the owner’s manual, it didn’t take him long to figure out what was needed to complete the repair job.
    A thorough inspection of the shop revealed a lack of parts on hand to make the repairs. Since it was nearly noon, he shut off the lights, and closed the door. He ambled in the direction of the corral by the barn where a pickup and horse trailer were parked and all the hands were standing together.
    As he approached the group, the men watched a horse run around the corral. He counted cowboy hats and realized there was an extra one in the bunch. If this was the boss, the man was extremely slender and with a slight frame for a rancher. Ty guessed him to be close to six feet with the boots and hat, but his shoulders looked narrow and the big chore coat he had on hung loosely on his frame.
    “Thet’s a fine lookin’ stud ya brung home, boss. The mares are gonna be puttin’ on quite a show for him,” Swede said of the horse Lex had gone to Nevada to purchase. He turned to say something to one of the hands and noticed Ty standing behind the group. His hand flapped back and forth, motioning him to step forward. “Ty, come meet the boss.”
    Ty took a step forward as the boss turned around and greeted him with a dazzling smile that made his heart jump to his throat. Even with the hat on her head, swallowed up in the oversized coat, Ty became instantly aware his employer was a very beautiful woman with green eyes, smooth skin, and rosy lips.
    Caught off guard, he sucked in a gulp of air, but swiftly gathered his composure and stuck out his hand, “Nice to meet you. I’m Ty. Ty Lewis.”
    “We’re so glad to have you here, Ty. I hope everyone made you feel at home,” Lexi Ryan said as she shook the warm, strong hand of her newest employee. She should have asked for a photo along with his resume. She might not have hired the man if she’d known he was going to be so handsome.
    Ironically, the comments Swede just voiced about the stallion she brought home could definitely apply to the man standing in front of her. No doubt, the first trip he made into town would result in every single female for a fifty-mile radius finding some excuse to come out to the Rockin’ R Ranch to fawn over him. As it was, she was finding it hard to think of anything except the big, gorgeous man holding her hand captive with his.
    Ty forced himself to let go of the soft hand with the long fingers. The brief contact had sent sparks of electricity shooting up his arm.
    “Thank you for hiring me,” he said, trying not to stare at the person Swede referred to as Lex Jr. What a ridiculous name for a woman, especially one with such an attractive face. For all her oversized chore coat revealed, she could have been shaped like a stick or a barrel. However, she was unusually tall.
    “Are you settling in okay? Do you need anything?” Lexi attempted to hide her perusal of their new mechanic by casting surreptitious glances his direction. The unusual shade of blue of his eyes left her wishing she could stare into them for hours. They put her mind of a deep summer sky on a still afternoon — brilliant, clear, and undeniably warm.
    “I just need some parts. How do we go about getting those?” Ty braced himself as Baby spied him and raced his direction. The dog slid to a stop before she plowed him over and raised her muddy paws to his chest, giving his chin a thorough licking before Swede and Lexi got her down and scolded her for her